The Breaking Views

Theresa
  • 4.7 (3)
  • Arts

Two seasoned HR leaders sit down twice a month to talk about what's actually happening at the intersection of HR, AI, and business. No scripted intros. No 10-minute bios. Just Theresa Fesinstine and Anthony Onesto pulling headlines, reacting to what's real, and breaking down what it means for people leaders trying to keep up. Theresa is a 25-year HR Executive, and the founder of peoplepower.ai, an MIT-certified AI Strategist, and author of People Powered by AI. She spends her days training HR teams to build real fluency with AI tools and stop waiting for permission to lead. Anthony is the creator of AI in HR Today, VP of Platform and Product Marketing at 15Five, and author of The New Employee Contract: How to Find, Keep, and Elevate Gen Z Talent. He's been a CPO, scaled teams from 40 to 3,000, founded an HR AI company before ChatGPT existed, and has lived through every major tech wave from dot-com to mobile to social. Together, they bring a combined perspective that's hard to find anywhere else: deep HR experience, real fluency in AI and technology, and zero interest in sugarcoating the hard parts. Each episode starts with what's in the feed - LinkedIn, the news, the latest lawsuit or product launch - and turns it into the kind of conversation HR leaders actually need. When the topic calls for it, they'll bring in specialists. But mostly, it's the two of them doing what they do best: making sense of the chaos, calling out the hype, and figuring out what actually works. For CHROs, CPOs, HR leaders, and anyone in the people space who's tired of being told AI will change everything without anyone explaining what to do on Monday morning.

  1. Sep 23

    Episode 13: Sip it or Skip it: This Week's Big Debate

    Send us Fan Mail A recruiter's post asking whether it's unprofessional to bring iced coffee into an interview set off a full-blown internet debate, and it turns out Theresa and Anthony land on opposite sides. Anthony says drink it before, drink it after, and stay focused in the room. Theresa says people need beverages, whether it's a dry mouth, nerves, or just needing some energy, and she wouldn't dream of presenting to 3,000 people without one. From News Corp suits and stockings to a hiring manager who vaped mid-interview, they dig into which "professional" rules actually tell you whether someone can do the job, and which ones just feel arbitrary. From there the conversation opens up to how we assess people in the first place. They get into why interviews are so hard to get right, the limits of behavioral questions, the day Theresa ran a candidate through 8 interviews, and whether unpaid take-home projects are fair in a tough job market. Anthony shares a California startup building a local AI that watches your work and infers your skills, a profile the individual owns rather than the company, and how he used Claude to inventory his own work when leaving 15Five. They close on a bigger question: as AI takes on more quantifiable work, does the way we measure performance start to change? Anthony walks through his amplified, autonomous, or human-led lens for task-level work redesign, and Theresa points listeners to a Harvard Business Review AI judgment framework linked here: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=68100

  2. Sep 10

    Episode 12: When the AI Panic Becomes the Story

    Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Anthony Onesto and Theresa Fesinstine discuss various aspects of HR, including its role in supporting both employees and companies, the challenges faced by HR professionals, and the perception of HR within organizations. They explore the impact of AI on the workplace, the importance of creative professionals, and the need for HR to evolve in its branding and operational procedures. In this conversation, Theresa Fesinstine and Anthony Onesto explore the evolving perceptions of HR in the context of social media, the impact of AI on employment and education, and the role of media in shaping public opinion. They discuss the concerns surrounding AI and its regulation, the changing dynamics of human interaction, and the potential for a kindness renaissance in society. The dialogue emphasizes the need for curiosity and understanding in the face of negative perceptions and the importance of kindness in both personal and professional realms. Takeaways The role of HR is to support both employees and the company.There is a perception problem with HR that needs addressing.AI is becoming increasingly important in various fields, including HR.Creative professionals play a vital role in organizations.The relationship between employees and the company should be viewed as interconnected.HR often deflects issues that never reach the CEO's attention.Standard operating procedures for HR are lacking.Companies are essentially groups of people working together.Building a positive work environment impacts business results.HR should report to the board rather than just the CEO. The perception of HR is often shaped by social media and influencers.AI's impact on employment is significant, with many fearing job loss.Education systems are struggling with the integration of AI tools.Media plays a crucial role in shaping public perception of industries.There is a growing concern about the lack of regulation in AI development.The attention span of younger generations is decreasing due to social media.Kindness is becoming a focal point in society amidst technological advancements.People are seeking ways to use AI to improve efficiency in their lives.The conversation highlights the importance of community and connection.There is a need for a balanced view of AI's potential and risks.Chapters 08:59 The Role of HR in Supporting Employees and Companies 17:50 The Perception of HR and Its Challenges 18:59 The Perception of HR in the Age of Social Media 22:11 The Impact of AI on Employment and Education 26:47 Concerns About AI and Its Regulation 35:33 The Role of Media in Shaping Public Perception 39:47 The Future of AI and Human Interaction 44:05 A Kindness Renaissance in Society

  3. Sep 4

    Episode 11: Leaders Who Didn't Get the Trust Memo

    Send us Fan Mail This week on Breaking Views, Anthony and Theresa talk about a law firm owner who lost 23 employees overnight after issuing a return-to-office ultimatum, and what that says about how differently leaders and employees experience "work harder" when the leader actually owns the business. They get into New York City's new ban on AI tools in schools through eighth grade, and whether banning something ever actually works or just sends people looking for a workaround. Meta's $8 billion lawsuit tied to child safety, and what happens to your work chats and emails when a company sells off its data during bankruptcy, a question that applies to a lot more workplaces than people think. The episode closes on a story about GLP-1 drugs and hiring bias that neither host expected to end up talking about, and a look at why the "obesity penalty" on income is a pattern that's been documented for years, not a new one.

  4. Aug 31

    Episode 10 - Workday's $43 Billion Wake-Up Call

    Send us Fan Mail Theresa and Anthony kick things off with a running joke about Breaking Views' generous bereavement policy before getting into something they've both been sitting with: change doesn't feel like a series of moments anymore, it feels constant. That leads into the week's biggest HR tech story, reports that Silver Lake is circling Workday with a $43 billion offer. Anthony, an early Workday customer going back to his Zeta Global days, walks through why the deal matters. It's not just about one company's valuation, it's a signal that AI-native challengers like SOL are already going after the enterprise HRIS market that Workday helped build. The two debate whether vibe coding tools are creating real opportunity for HR teams to build their own solutions, or just more noise for an industry already drowning in "shiny bow on an old present" software. The back half turns into a full teardown of HR conference culture, and it gets pointed. Anthony argues most conferences have become surface-level networking theater, heavy on selfies and light on substance. Theresa pushes back with real examples, including her experience with Troop HR's retreat model, where there is no vendor pitching and the focus stays on curated, meaningful connection. Together they start building the case for an "unconference": one built around genuine access to people you would not normally get to ask questions, pre-work that puts the right people in the room together, and a format that respects attendees' time and money instead of just filling a schedule. It is equal parts critique and blueprint, and they leave the door open for round two.

  5. Aug 21

    Episode 9 - The AI Jailbreak Story Nobody's Talking About

    Send us Fan Mail Theresa and Anthony are back after a few weeks off, and they're catching up like it's been longer than it has. Anthony's relocated to the Jersey Shore (canal included, Snooki jokes mandatory), and he shares the news that his newsletter, AI and HR Today, has officially been acquired by LivingHR, where he now serves as Principal of AI and People Solutions. Theresa opens up about losing her father after a difficult six months, and why she's chosen to talk about it publicly instead of treating grief as something to handle quietly. From there, the conversation turns to what's actually happening in AI and HR right now: the growing pressure on companies to show ROI on their AI spend, and the recent reports of AI systems "jumping out" of controlled environments to access other systems. Anthony makes the case that this isn't some rogue AI plot twist, it's what happens when organizations remove guardrails and then act surprised when a tool trained to explore does exactly that. The two also riff on why everyone's suddenly building agent portfolios without fully understanding what "agentic" even means, and somehow end up debating Amazon boxes, cardboard ASMR, and the death of Bed Bath and Beyond along the way.

  6. Jul 17

    Episode 8: The Last Car in the Parking Lot

    Send us Fan Mail California is ordering state workers back to the office four days a week, and Theresa and Anthony use the news as a jumping-off point for a bigger question: what were those years of mandatory presence actually measuring? Anthony makes the case that the technology finally caught up to distributed work, and that the real shift ahead is output over optics, skills-based hiring, fewer traditional W2 roles, and more fractional and project-based talent. Theresa brings the other side of the ledger, recalling her own resistance to a remote CHRO opportunity back in 2017 and the presence culture she came up in, where being the last car in the parking lot was treated as a career strategy. Where they land is more interesting than a simple verdict on RTO. Both hosts dig into what early-career professionals stand to lose without in-person exposure, from a handshake that reshaped a 15-year career trajectory to the unwritten habits nobody teaches on Zoom. Anthony pushes on whether proximity should ever drive promotions, Theresa argues for the human connection that makes work stick, and together they sketch a future where work is curated around how people actually communicate and contribute rather than one-size-fits-all mandates. The episode also marks a 250 milestone for The Breaking Views. Discussion topics California's four-day return-to-office mandate for state workers, and why blanket presence rules keep coming backAnthony's case for outcome-based work: skills-based hiring, fractional talent, and the end of celebrating a calendar full of meetingsTheresa's evolution from RTO skeptic-in-reverse to hybrid realist, including the CFO battles of the COVID eraHow the next generation learns workplace norms, mentorship, and visibility when the hallway moments disappear

  7. Jul 10

    Episode 7: Hold My Beer, Says the Economy

    Send us Fan Mail The economists called a jobs apocalypse. Then May added 172,000 jobs and doubled Wall Street's estimate. Theresa Fesinstine and Anthony Onesto unpack what that number really means, and why "AI is coming for your job" is the wrong story. This one runs from the hiring bias nobody intended to build (the scorecard that quietly follows you across every job you apply to for a year) to the guy in a Utah workshop itching to spin up his own servers while 90% of the room had no idea where to start. Along the way: a 20-year-old who turned a creepy yellow room into a hit movie, why "Name That Tune" might be the future of hiring, and Theresa deciding mid-episode to start writing a book about timeshare work. In this episode, we discuss:  Economists vs. Reality: Why the jobs report keeps embarrassing the experts, and what "people and machines" actually looks like on the ground.  The Scorecard That Haunts You: How one applicant system can tag you for a role you didn't get and carry that judgment everywhere for 365 days, no human in sight.  Proof Over Pedigree: A 20-year-old filmmaker, a classroom of undergrads building their own apps, and the case for hiring on what you've actually done.  Work as a Timeshare: Fractional roles, the polypreneur, and the question nobody's asking. If work stops being where we connect, then what? Timestamps (Chapters)  00:00 - Welcome Back to Breaking Views  00:22 -172,000 Jobs and the Apocalypse That Wasn't  03:35 - Trusting the News Like You Trust a Weather Forecast  06:18 - The Scorecard That Follows You Everywhere  09:32 - Shiny Object Syndrome and the Fear of Falling Behind  11:21 - Why Human-in-the-Loop Isn't Optional  14:50 - The 20-Year-Old Who Built a Hit Movie  19:33 - Proof Over Pedigree: The End of the Resume  25:28 - Hiring as "Name That Tune"  30:47 - Architecting the Company From Scratch  37:07 - If Work Goes Fractional, Where Do We Connect?  45:04 - Closing Hot Takes: AI IPOs and SpaceX

  8. Jun 26

    Episode 6: The Truth About Measuring AI at Work

    Send us Fan Mail Theresa Fesinstine and Anthony Onesto discuss the critical difference between tracking AI usage as a metric and using it to unlock new, billion-dollar human-led opportunities.  From Anthony's major career move into an AI-focused role at Living HR to Theresa's new community for upskilling HR leaders, we tackle the "competence vs. confidence" gap. We're breaking down why gamified AI leaderboards at companies like Amazon are destined to fail by looking at the "Cobra Effect," and contrasting it with how IKEA redeployed its customer service staff into a wildly successful interior design service, creating a new billion-dollar business line. In this episode, we discuss: Career & Community Updates: Anthony Onesto joins Living HR and Theresa Fesinstine launches an HR community. Gaming the System: Why Amazon's AI token leaderboards were a predictable failure. The IKEA Model: How using AI to analyze customer data created a new billion-dollar business. The Future of HR's Role: Moving from asking permission to giving instruction on tech needs. Timestamps (Chapters) 00:00 – Welcome & Winning Bon Jovi Tickets 02:28 – Theresa Launches Her New HR Community 04:51 – Big News: Anthony Joins Living HR 11:15 – Amazon Workers Gaming the AI Leaderboard 13:15 – The "Cobra Effect": When Good Metrics Go Bad 18:45 – How IKEA Found a Billion-Dollar Opportunity with AI 28:06 – Humanoid Robots and the Future of Physical Jobs 30:47 – Will Any Job Be Untouchable by AI? 39:20 – The Final Question: Can Companies Be "Anti-Tech"?

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Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Two seasoned HR leaders sit down twice a month to talk about what's actually happening at the intersection of HR, AI, and business. No scripted intros. No 10-minute bios. Just Theresa Fesinstine and Anthony Onesto pulling headlines, reacting to what's real, and breaking down what it means for people leaders trying to keep up. Theresa is a 25-year HR Executive, and the founder of peoplepower.ai, an MIT-certified AI Strategist, and author of People Powered by AI. She spends her days training HR teams to build real fluency with AI tools and stop waiting for permission to lead. Anthony is the creator of AI in HR Today, VP of Platform and Product Marketing at 15Five, and author of The New Employee Contract: How to Find, Keep, and Elevate Gen Z Talent. He's been a CPO, scaled teams from 40 to 3,000, founded an HR AI company before ChatGPT existed, and has lived through every major tech wave from dot-com to mobile to social. Together, they bring a combined perspective that's hard to find anywhere else: deep HR experience, real fluency in AI and technology, and zero interest in sugarcoating the hard parts. Each episode starts with what's in the feed - LinkedIn, the news, the latest lawsuit or product launch - and turns it into the kind of conversation HR leaders actually need. When the topic calls for it, they'll bring in specialists. But mostly, it's the two of them doing what they do best: making sense of the chaos, calling out the hype, and figuring out what actually works. For CHROs, CPOs, HR leaders, and anyone in the people space who's tired of being told AI will change everything without anyone explaining what to do on Monday morning.

Information

  • Creator
    Theresa
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Breaking Views
  • Show Website
    The Breaking Views

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