Mork Unfiltered

Patrick Mork
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Mork Unfiltered is where authenticity meets transformation. No fluff, no unicorn fairytales, just real, unfiltered conversations about what it truly takes to lead, grow, and reinvent yourself. Hosted by Patrick Mork, serial entrepreneur, three-time CMO, best-selling author, and leadership coach. This podcast goes beyond the polished success stories to explore the personal challenges that leaders and high achievers rarely discuss.It brings raw honesty to topics like loneliness, depression, failure, and fear—alongside the resilience, purpose, and grit it takes to overcome them. Through unscripted interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders, as well as Mork's own reflections, this show will delve into the messy middle of success. Whether you’re building a business, rethinking your career, or seeking personal growth, Mork Unfiltered offers real stories, practical tools, and a candid look at what it means to live and lead authentically.

  1. 1d ago

    Feedback Is a Gift. Sometimes It's an Ugly Tie.

    Told she lacked executive presence and would "never get very far here," Jill Gawrych had every reason to quit, shrink, or fight back. She did none of those things. Today she's the Chief Human Resources Officer of Springs Window Fashions, and this is a raw conversation about feedback, career reinvention, and what it really takes to grow when someone tells you you're not enough. Jill started her career as a law book editor, built a career in HR at Kohler and Regal Rexnord while raising four kids, and now leads people strategy at the company behind Bali and Graber. In this episode, Patrick Mork and Jill go deep on the feedback that nearly derailed her, the one thing she did that changed everything, and why most leaders get feedback, culture, and AI adoption completely wrong. You'll learn: - How to handle harsh feedback without letting it break you - What executive presence actually means (and how to build it as an introvert) - Why over 50% of people at work don't challenge their AI, and why that should scare every leader - The networking strategy that works for introverts - Why company culture is a financial lever, not a nice to have - What separates leaders who adapt to AI from the ones who stay stuck CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open 00:40 Meet Jill Gawrych 01:30 From law book editor to Chief Human Resources Officer 05:30 Signs you're built for a career in HR 07:10 What a Chief Human Resources Officer actually does 08:50 What CEOs and boards get wrong about HR 10:55 The oil change rule for managing people 13:40 The leadership habit that costs nothing 16:00 Feedback and AI adoption 19:45 Giving feedback to an AI with the FUEL method 23:10 Why most people don't challenge their AI 25:00 The AI talent gap nobody is solving 26:20 "You'll never get very far here" 33:00 How she bounced back 37:10 Networking for introverts 41:30 Culture is the most underrated business lever 45:40 Where small companies should start with culture 47:50 Do company values actually matter? 52:00 Leaders who adapt vs leaders who stay stuck 56:00 Lightning round What's the worst piece of feedback you ever got, and what did you do with it? Tell us in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every Thursday 🎤 Book Patrick to speak: https://patrickmork.com/speaking #MorkUnfiltered #CareerReinvention #ExecutivePresence #Feedback #Leadership #CompanyCulture #HumanResources #AIintheWorkplace #CareerChange #LeadershipDevelopment

    Feedback Is a Gift. Sometimes It's an Ugly Tie.

  2. Oct 1

    How To Hire People Who Never Ever Quit

    Welcome back to Mork Unfiltered, folks! Everybody in business loves to spout the old cliché that "people are our greatest asset," but almost nobody can prove it on a financial spreadsheet. My guest today is the rare leader who can. Shawn Premer is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Consumers Credit Union, an organization that has pulled off an astounding 18.5% organic year-over-year growth for decades without relying on acquisitions. Shawn pays higher compensation and offers more generous benefits than her peers, yet her organization out-performs them on almost every metric. In this episode, we strip away the corporate buzzwords and dive into the cold, hard numbers of human capital. Shawn breaks down why treating employees as an investment rather than an expense lowers turnover, drives customer engagement, and fuels bottom-line revenue. We also get candid about the modern workplace: why personality tests in hiring are complete nonsense, the growing resilience gap in the younger generation of workers, and how leaders can leverage AI without losing the human core of their culture. If you are a CEO, founder, or leader trying to figure out how to build a high-performance culture that actually scales, this episode is a masterclass you cannot afford to miss. Episode Chapters00:00 Introduction: Proving People Strategy on a Spreadsheet01:08 Rejecting the Dream Job Offer Three Times03:01 The Blueprint for Decades of Organic Growth05:10 Interviewing for Cultural Alignment Over Resume Metrics08:59 Why Paying More and Offering Better Benefits Increases Profits14:08 The Direct Link Between Happy Staff and Happy Customers18:25 Why CFOs Get the ROI of Turnover Completely Wrong23:07 Inside a 5-Step Culture-First Hiring Process28:14 Why Personality Tests Are Unhelpful for Hiring32:13 The Resilience Gap and Managing Modern Workplace Anxiety42:10 Using AI to Coach Leaders and Upskill Teams51:25 The Lightning Round with Shawn Premer #CultureEatsStrategy #HRLeadership #BusinessGrowth #EmployeeRetention #MorkUnfiltered #PeopleFirst #LeadershipDevelopment

    How To Hire People Who Never Ever Quit

  3. Sep 24

    Two Names. One Life. Zero Masks.

    Two Names. One Life. Zero Masks. How an executive kept a secret double life for a decade—and why she finally chose leadership over hiding.   She ran HR for a 500-person company by day and wrote about her broken marriage and incurable illness under a fake name by night. Terrified that showing weakness would destroy her career, she kept both worlds completely separate. Until a single comment from a stranger forced her to make an impossible choice.   In this episode: 00:00 The terror of running a company while living a double life 01:30 What do you do when your health and marriage collapse at 35? 04:22 Why would a top HR executive publish a book under a fake name? 11:17 What single sentence at a book fair forced her to stop pretending? 18:42 How does dropping your corporate armor unlock career reinvention? 28:41 Why is traditional corporate resilience actually harming your company culture? 36:26 How do leaders guide employees through AI transformation without triggering fear? 46:20 Why is a Chief People Officer building her own AI agents?   About Nicole DuBois: Chief People Officer at Graham Windham, author, and executive culture leader driving organizational transformation. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoledubois-cpo/ | graham-windham.org   Mork Unfiltered is hosted by Patrick Mork, former CMO at Google Play, executive advisor and author of Step Back and LEAP. Find your core values free: values.patrickmork.com Book Patrick to speak: https://calendly.com/patrickmork/30mins   #leadership #careerreinvention #companyculture #transformation

    Two Names. One Life. Zero Masks.

  4. Sep 17

    The Real Reason You Feel Stuck, Burnt Out, and Unfulfilled

    Every company claims that people are their most important asset, but how many organizations actually lead that way? In this episode, I sit down with Gabriella Bedor, a seasoned Chief Human Resources Officer who spent nearly two decades at PwC before making a high stakes leap out of her comfort zone.   Gabriella shares her unexpected journey from working a supermarket cashier lane, where she learned the transformative power of deep listening, to navigating complex executive integrations and shaping corporate strategy at top tier organizations. We dive deep into why traditional leadership approaches are failing today’s workforce, the real cost of corporate turnover, and how to stop fear from hijacking your major career moves.   We also tackle the elephant in the room: AI in the workplace. Gabriella breaks down why relying on algorithms to make human decisions will ultimately destroy trust and culture, and how leaders can maintain true human connection in an automated world.   If you want to understand what it really takes to lead with integrity, stay grounded, and build a career aligned with your core values, you don't want to miss this episode.   Chapters:   00:00 – Introduction: The Unseen Force Holding Companies Together 01:19 – The Cashier Lane Discovery: How Listening Built an HR Career 03:31 – What Everyone Gets Wrong About Human Resources 05:40 – Mastering Difficult Conversations & Self-Accountability 07:57 – The Power of the Pause: How to Become a Better Listener 10:42 – Why Leaders Lose Control and Cause Employee Disengagement 14:09 – Leaving a 20-Year Legacy at PwC: Overcoming the Fear of Change 19:43 – Aligning Personal Values with Corporate Culture 23:41 – The Runaway Bride Test: Finding What You Actually Want 27:37 – Escaping the Trap of External Barometers and Expectations 34:47 – Leadership Lessons from Grandmother: Humility, Grit, and Hard Work 38:25 – The Real ROI of Leadership Development vs. Turnover Costs 42:57 – What 25-to-30-Year-Olds Actually Want from Work Today 48:46 – AI vs. Human Connection: Where Leaders Are Drawing the Line 58:56 – Lightning Round: Superpowers, Dinner Guests, and Final Advice   #Leadership #HumanResources #CareerTransition #WorkplaceCulture #CHRO #ExecutiveCoaching #MorkUnfiltered

    The Real Reason You Feel Stuck, Burnt Out, and Unfulfilled

  5. Sep 10

    How To Lead People Without Causing Burnout

    What if the secret to building high-performing teams isn't pushing harder, tracking more metrics, or driving endless KPIs: but a single, fundamental word most executives are too afraid to use?   In this episode of Mork Unfiltered, I sit down with top CHRO Rod Branch, a leader whose career path bridges two completely different worlds. Rod started out as a petroleum engineer braving -95° wind chills in the Arctic tundra, only to realize 11 years in that he was trapped in a career he hated. He went on to execute three radical career pivots, working as a D.C. lobbyist, stepping into executive HR roles, and going back to graduate school at 59 years old to decode the true science of modern leadership.   In this raw and honest conversation, Rod breaks down how leaders unintentionally destroy team morale and drive burnout by focusing on performance at the expense of human connection. We discuss the core framework that transforms company culture, what it takes to bounce back after getting fired at the peak of your career, how AI is reshaping executive roles, and the powerful legacy of a $1 musical instrument that saved his family's future.   Whether you are managing a growing team, feeling exhausted in your current role, or preparing for your next major career jump, this episode is an essential masterclass on leading with empathy without sacrificing results.   Episode Chapters: 00:00 - The $1 Horn That Saved My Family's Future07:02 - Success Redefined: How Far You've Come vs. How Far You Get13:26 - Trapped in the Arctic: Why I Left Engineering After 11 Years18:46 - The Psychology of Career Pivots & Overcoming Fear23:25 - Why I Went Back to Grad School at Age 5931:01 - The Sequential Leadership Framework Every Manager Needs39:27 - Why Caring Is the Ultimate Weapon Against Team Burnout46:42 - How AI Is Changing the C-Suite Forever54:11 - Getting Fired, Failing Forward, and Finding Courage56:26 - Lightning Round: Superpowers, Ben Franklin, and Ultimate Career Advice  #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #MorkUnfiltered #AvoidBurnout #HumanCenteredLeadership #CareerReinvention #WeakMinded

    How To Lead People Without Causing Burnout

  6. Aug 27

    How A TV Scandal Changed Her Life

    What happens when the system you are working inside is designed to make you doubt yourself? Today, I sit down with Nikki Odom, Director of Human Resources for the City of Minneapolis. Nikki started her journey as an attorney navigating corporate law firms where she was often the only African American in the room. After facing immense pressure and getting pushed out of law firms twice, she had every reason to walk away. Instead, she completely reinvented herself, pivoted into people leadership, and now oversees HR for one of the most complex cities in America. In this episode of Mork Unfiltered, Nikki and I talk about the raw realities of resilience, managing career fear, building self-awareness through feedback, and leading a massive team through crisis. Whether you are feeling stuck in your current job, afraid to make a major career transition, or trying to find your purpose, Nikki’s insights on "doing the thing that scares you" will give you the push you need. Chapters: • 00:00 - Intro: From Law School to Leading HR in Minneapolis • 01:09 - Growing Up as the Only Black Girl in Class • 05:28 - Where Resilience Really Comes From • 07:40 - Why She Never Wanted to Become a Law Partner • 10:54 - The Toxic Reality of Big Law Firms • 14:41 - How to Know It Is Time to Leave Your Job • 20:09 - Why Hiring a Career Coach Changed Everything • 25:47 - Overcoming the Fear of a Major Career Pivot • 34:00 - Do the Thing That Scares You • 38:38 - Self-Awareness: The Ultimate Career Skill • 44:50 - Leading the City of Minneapolis Through Crisis • 52:49 - AI, Leadership, and the Future of Work • 56:44 - Lightning Round: Superpowers, Obama, and Career Purpose #CareerPivot #Leadership #Resilience #MorkUnfiltered #HRLeadership #OvercomingFailure #CareerGrowth

    How A TV Scandal Changed Her Life

  7. Aug 20

    "How Do You Give Up An Identity You Carried For 25 Years?"

    What does it actually take to build an empire from absolute scratch, scale it through three rounds of private equity, and then walk out the door forever?   In this episode of Mork Unfiltered, I sit down with Matt Aston, founder and former CEO of GPRS. Matt started with zero customers, a maxed-out phone that would not ring, and a single ground-penetrating radar machine. Fast forward 25 years: he built a $250M+ industry giant with over 1,000 employees in 60 cities.   Then, he did what almost no founder has the guts to do: he walked away.   Matt and I dive deep into the brutal reality of early-stage entrepreneurship, the catastrophic mistake of compromising hiring standards during rapid growth, and why giving 30% of equity to his frontline employees changed everything. We also unpack his decision to transition into his second half of life, applying the "Halftime" framework to trade earthly success for eternal significance.   If you are a founder, executive, or aspiring leader trying to figure out how to scale without losing your soul, this conversation is an absolute must-watch.   Chapters:   0:00 The Brutal Truth About Scaling Under Pressure 1:03 Walking Away From a $250M Empire 1:55 Leaving Corporate America for a Risk 4:12 Finding the Hidden Opportunity in Construction 7:14 The Terrifying Early Days of Zero Phone Calls 11:14 "What Is Important Now" The Mindset of Resilience 16:36 The PE Mistake That Almost Ruined Our Hiring Standards 21:55 How to Push Back Against Demanding Investors 28:37 Candor Over Diplomacy: The Secret to High Performance 38:57 Why We Gave Equity to 30% of Our Workforce 44:40 The Halftime Transition: Trading Success for Significance 50:09 How to Let Go as Founder and Trust Your Successor 53:40 Lightning Round: Superpowers, History, and Elite Advice   #MorkUnfiltered #MattAston #GPRS #LeadershipLessons #PrivateEquity #Entrepreneurship #ScaleYourBusiness

    "How Do You Give Up An Identity You Carried For 25 Years?"

  8. Aug 6

    From Dumpsters To Toshiba CHRO: Failure Is Essential

    Growing up so poor that your family sends you into restaurant dumpsters to find food usually feels like a life sentence. Most people in that situation find a ceiling they can never quite break through. My guest today didn't just break through it, he completely shattered it.   In this episode of Mork Unfiltered, I sit down with Jason Desentz, Chief Human Resource Officer at Toshiba Americas. Jason went from childhood poverty in Michigan to leading human capital strategy across thousands of employees, with senior leadership stops at Goodyear, Chrysler, and Henry Ford Health along the way.   This isn't a polished highlight reel. Jason and I dive deep into what it actually costs to climb that far, what breaks along the way, and what keeps you grounded when everything around you shifts. We discuss why modern companies are underestimating their people, why avoiding failure is killing innovation, and how to build true personal resilience through life's hardest moments, including his son’s life-saving heart transplant. Plus, as one of the leading voices on HR in the tech space, Jason breaks down how AI is actively reshaping the future of work, why we need to stop fearing it, and how leaders can build AI-ready teams today.   Chapters   00:00 - The Reality of Childhood Poverty and Dumpster Diving 02:04 - Developing the Engine: How Struggle Drives Ambition 04:09 - The Defining Moment at 17: Becoming a Self-Starter 08:08 - From Criminal Science to HR: The Unexpected Career Pivot 11:00 - What Universities Get Wrong About the Real World 13:04 - Essential Skills for the AI Era: Ambiguity and Competency 15:35 - Can You Teach Someone to Be a Self-Starter? 18:31 - Why Organizations Underestimate Their Talent 22:09 - The Danger of Being Too Cautious: Why We Must Allow Failure 32:06 - AI in the Workplace: Enhancement vs Replacement 34:00 - How Toshiba Built Internal AI Agents and "Payroll Princess" 37:54 - How Leaders Can Motivate Teams to Adopt AI Tools 42:38 - Finishing the Marathon: Keeping AI Momentum Alive 45:51 - Facing His Son’s Heart Transplant and Reframing What Matters 49:55 - Living in Gratitude vs Living in Victimhood 53:32 - The Power of Faith, Surrender, and Community 57:27 - The Fire Round: Superpowers, Jesus, and Advice to Youth   #Leadership #FutureOfWork #Resilience #HumanResources #AIinBusiness #OvercomingObstacles #MorkUnfiltered

    From Dumpsters To Toshiba CHRO: Failure Is Essential
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Mork Unfiltered is where authenticity meets transformation. No fluff, no unicorn fairytales, just real, unfiltered conversations about what it truly takes to lead, grow, and reinvent yourself. Hosted by Patrick Mork, serial entrepreneur, three-time CMO, best-selling author, and leadership coach. This podcast goes beyond the polished success stories to explore the personal challenges that leaders and high achievers rarely discuss.It brings raw honesty to topics like loneliness, depression, failure, and fear—alongside the resilience, purpose, and grit it takes to overcome them. Through unscripted interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders, as well as Mork's own reflections, this show will delve into the messy middle of success. Whether you’re building a business, rethinking your career, or seeking personal growth, Mork Unfiltered offers real stories, practical tools, and a candid look at what it means to live and lead authentically.

Information

  • Creator
    Patrick Mork
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Patrick Mork
  • Show Website
    Mork Unfiltered