A Better HR Business

Episode 309: Growing A Visual Storytelling and Training Company - with Si Beales from Sidedoor Studio

In a recent episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben and his guest, Si Beales, Founder/Learning Director at Sidedoor Studio talk about how to attract HR clients with visual storytelling and habit-based learning.

Si Beales is a trainer, speaker, and academic at Leeds School of Art & Design and Leeds Beckett University. He’s also the founder of Sidedoor Studio.

He works with businesses, students, and creative teams to build practical human skills—like thinking, collaboration, and curiosity—and turn them into habits that actually stick.

Through Sidedoor Studio, he creates learning experiences using video, workshops, and events, helping organisations make their training more engaging and useful.

His focus is simple: make learning clearer, more relevant, and easier to apply in the real world. Si has worked with organisations including Nike, Carlsberg, Boots, E.ON, and Central Saint Martins. With a background across industry and academia, he brings a practical, straightforward approach—focused on ideas people can actually use.

You’ll hear practical strategies for marketing for HR consultants, using storytelling to stand out as a consultant, and shaping learning experiences that stick. Whether you identify as HR, workplace, L&D, OD, recruitment, or people & culture, you’ll discover real stories and actionable advice to attract clients, win contracts, and grow sustainably.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How habit-based learning and visual storytelling can make training and onboarding more impactful
• Why authentic, relevant content engages learners and drives real culture change
• Si Beals’ approach to finding the right clients (and why working with SMEs brings agility and creative freedom)

Episode highlights:

• Si’s career journey from marketing and academia to founding Sidedoor Studio, and the realisation that traditional learning approaches are often ineffective.
• The development of the “PEARS” framework for learning: Prepare, Engage, Apply, Reflect, Strengthen.
• The importance of making learning personal, authentic, and relevant to ensure it is effective and memorable.
• Using innovative approaches like first-person drone video and interactivity to immerse learners in real-world scenarios.
• Key client types and use cases—working with SMEs on both marketing content and learning & development projects.
• Avoiding “creativity by committee” and the value of collaborative content development with clients.
• Examples of social learning, like building an internal radio station and creating story-driven engagement for distributed teams.
• Focus on understanding audiences by directly observing client environments and existing training.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Sidedoor Studio website: www.sidedoor.studio
• Si Beales’ website: www.sibeales.com
• Si Beale’ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/si-beales

Check out this B2B podcast launch service.

About The A Better HR Business Podcast

The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients.

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes.

For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here:

www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast

HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES

• Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way
• Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency

VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS

Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business?

Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, resources, and more at www.getmorehrclients.com.

Episode 308: Turn Your Expertise Into Income-Producing Assets - with Conor Lynch

In this episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben and his guest, Conor Lynch, digital innovator, educator, and author of “Learn Earn Own”, talk about how individuals and HR professionals can future-proof their careers and businesses as technology accelerates the pace of change and automation looms.

Conor Lynch is a digital innovator and educator who grew his personal brand, Connector, from a side hustle into a seven-figure business. With over 25 years of experience across marketing, technology, and communications, he has worked with global brands including Guinness and Coca-Cola.

He began his career in traditional marketing after graduating from Smurfit College, Ireland’s leading business school, before moving into online and social media as the internet reshaped the industry. Today, he focuses on helping individuals and organisations build long-term digital assets, embracing AI and automation as the next major shift in work and business.

Learn Earn Own challenges the century-old idea of the career ladder—study hard, get a job, and climb the ranks—and argues it no longer reflects the reality of modern work. In today’s economy, relying on a single income stream is increasingly risky, and careers are shifting from linear paths to dynamic portfolios of assets.

Rather than encouraging people to quit their jobs, the book focuses on building alongside employment: learning new skills, creating additional income streams, and owning digital and intellectual assets that compound over time.

It introduces a practical framework for anyone—regardless of background—to become an “experimenter” by building career assets such as personal brands, digital products, content, networks, and expertise.

Packed with tools, templates, AI prompts, and real-world strategies, Learn Earn Own is a hands-on guide to designing a more independent, resilient, and opportunity-rich career in the age of AI.

You’ll hear practical strategies for using AI in consulting, business growth strategies for consultants, and how to stand out as a consultant amid rapid industry change. Whether you identify as HR, workplace, L&D, OD, recruitment, or people & culture, you’ll discover real stories and actionable advice to attract clients, win contracts, and grow sustainably.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The “assets ladder” framework for long-term career value creation with or without entrepreneurship.
• Real-world examples of digital products, web apps, and personal brands as assets for consultants.
• How to experiment with AI tools and side projects—even as an employee—to future-proof your consulting career.
• Why building career assets is more sustainable than climbing a traditional career ladder, and how to get started.

Episode highlights:

• Conor’s journey: from traditional marketing roles to founding and selling a successful digital agency.
• The origin of the Connector business and the power of community-driven meetups.
• The shift from a career ladder to the “assets ladder”—what it means to build career assets in the modern world.
• Examples of digital and personal brand assets anyone can start building while still employed.
• Encouragement for experimentation and small steps toward asset creation, even for those not seeking entrepreneurship.
• Using collaborative partnerships to amplify asset-building efforts.
• Reflections on traditional career guidance versus the need for modern asset-based approaches.
• Perspectives on job security, risk, and creating multiple streams of income.
• The importance of learning technical skills in the era of AI, and tools like Claude Code for building simple web applications.
• Specific marketing and growth strategies: building community through events, consistent blogging, content repurposing into ebooks and tools, and leveraging collaborations.
• Advice for employees who want to experiment with side projects and building assets discreetly, including faceless offers and content products.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Conor’s website: www.conorlyn.ch
• Conor’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/conorlynch

While you're here...

Remember to grab your free ticket for the People Business Growth Summit!

It's a one-day online summit on marketing and growing people-focused services and HR tech businesses.

Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Online event
Free tickets available: https://summit.getmorehrclients.com 

The People Business Growth Summit brings together founders and operators from HR consultancies and HR technology companies to share the real decisions that helped their businesses grow.

This is not theory or generic advice. Each session focuses on the actual growth decisions leaders made while building traction in their business.

You will hear the context they were in, the options they considered, what they chose to do, what worked, and what they would do differently next time.

Why attend

If you run an HR or people-focused business and want growth to feel more predictable in 2026, this summit is designed for you.

Across the day, speakers will share practical insights such as:

💡 What a successful consultancy founder is doing now to prepare her national firm for a future sale

💡 How HR tech and consulting firms win large corporate and enterprise deals

💡 The marketing mix used by successful early-stage HR software companies

💡 Hard-won lessons on scaling, systems, and leadership from experienced founders

💡 How to price HR consulting services so they fuel growth rather than cap it

💡 What to think about before merging with or acquiring another HR-related business

💡 How one consultant won her first client before she had even officially launched

💡 Marketing lessons from growing HR tech companies in recruitment, benefits, L&D and more

The goal is simple: practical insight you can actually use.

Who this summit is for

This event is for people who sell expertise or software, not internal HR teams.

You will get the most value if you are:

💡 A growing services firm selling HR, recruitment, L&D or people expertise

💡 A founder or marketing lead at an early-stage HR or workforce technology company

💡 Part of a small marketing team deciding where to focus next

💡 A solo consultant or small consultancy owner

If you want growth but do not want to spend the next six months pursuing the wrong strategy, this event will help you get clearer on your next move.

Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Online event
Free tickets available: https://summit.getmorehrclients.com 

Episode 307: Want More Sales Meetings and Demos? Try Pre-Conversion Events

In this episode, Ben explains how “pre-conversion events” can help HR consultancies and HR tech firms win more business. Instead of relying only on surface-level marketing like posts, emails, and outreach, he shares ways to create deeper, more engaging experiences that warm prospects up before the sales call.

You’ll hear practical examples such as workshops, roundtables, bootcamps, partner webinars, mini-courses, customer panels, and case study sessions. Ben also explains why these approaches can lead to more sales conversations, easier demos, and higher conversion rates.

If your pipeline feels slow, or sales calls feel like too much hard work, this episode offers a smarter way to build trust before the meeting even starts.

While you're here...

Remember to grab your free ticket for the People Business Growth Summit!

It's a one-day online summit on marketing and growing people-focused services and HR tech businesses.

Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Online event
Free tickets available: https://summit.getmorehrclients.com 

The People Business Growth Summit brings together founders and operators from HR consultancies and HR technology companies to share the real decisions that helped their businesses grow.

This is not theory or generic advice. Each session focuses on the actual growth decisions leaders made while building traction in their business.

You will hear the context they were in, the options they considered, what they chose to do, what worked, and what they would do differently next time.

Why attend

If you run an HR or people-focused business and want growth to feel more predictable in 2026, this summit is designed for you.

Across the day, speakers will share practical insights such as:

💡 What a successful consultancy founder is doing now to prepare her national firm for a future sale

💡 How HR tech and consulting firms win large corporate and enterprise deals

💡 The marketing mix used by successful early-stage HR software companies

💡 Hard-won lessons on scaling, systems, and leadership from experienced founders

💡 How to price HR consulting services so they fuel growth rather than cap it

💡 What to think about before merging with or acquiring another HR-related business

💡 How one consultant won her first client before she had even officially launched

💡 Marketing lessons from growing HR tech companies in recruitment, benefits, L&D and more

The goal is simple: practical insight you can actually use.

Who this summit is for

This event is for people who sell expertise or software, not internal HR teams.

You will get the most value if you are:

💡 A growing services firm selling HR, recruitment, L&D or people expertise

💡 A founder or marketing lead at an early-stage HR or workforce technology company

💡 Part of a small marketing team deciding where to focus next

💡 A solo consultant or small consultancy owner

If you want growth but do not want to spend the next six months pursuing the wrong strategy, this event will help you get clearer on your next move.

Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Online event
Free tickets available: https://summit.getmorehrclients.com 

Episode 306: Growing An International Job Search Engine – with Yevhen Onatsko from Jooble

Most job platforms say they help you “get more applicants.”

What employers actually need is understanding why roles aren’t getting filled - and fixing that.

Yevhen Onatsko, US Country Manager at Jooble, shares his take on growing internationally, using data smartly, and building strong partnerships - lessons that are very useful for anyone in HR tech or looking to expand their business.

Jooble is a global job search aggregator operating in 60+ countries, connecting millions of job seekers with opportunities every day.

What really caught my attention, beyond the scale, was how they think about growth, data, and partnerships.

Instead of just driving traffic, they focus on what actually matters:

💡 why candidates aren’t applying
💡 how job visibility varies by market
💡 what employers need to change to attract the right people
💡 how user behavior shifts across devices and regions

Two things really stood out for me:

• They don’t treat data as reporting - they use it as a diagnosis.
  It’s not “you need more clicks.” It’s “here’s why this role isn’t converting.”

• They’ve built flexibility into their model. Different markets, different clients, different needs—no one-size-fits-all approach.

Yevhen shared a great example:

Instead of pushing more traffic to a struggling job post, their data might reveal the real issue: poor job positioning, unclear salary, or a mismatch with local demand.

That’s the difference between volume and insight.

Now, the growth side (because everyone asks):

💡 Build strong partnerships (aggregators, job boards, agencies)
💡 Focus on business development, not just inbound
💡 Be present where your industry is (events, associations like TA Tech)
💡 Treat SEO as infrastructure—capture demand across every role and location
💡 Adapt to new search behavior (yes, including AI tools like ChatGPT)

And one big takeaway for HR tech founders:

Credibility beats visibility.

HR buyers don’t respond to noise—they respond to trust, relevance, and education.

If you’re building in HR tech, recruiting, or marketplaces, this one’s worth your time.

Website: www.jooble.org

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yevhen-onatsko-17150784

Check out this B2B podcast launch service.

About The A Better HR Business Podcast

The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients.

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes.

For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here:

www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast

HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES

• Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way
• Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency

VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS

Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business?

Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, resources, and more at www.getmorehrclients.com.

Episode 305: Announcing The People Business Growth Summit!

Announcing the People Business Growth Summit!

It's a one-day online summit on marketing and growing people-focused services and HR tech businesses.

Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Online event
Free tickets available: https://summit.getmorehrclients.com 

The People Business Growth Summit brings together founders and operators from HR consultancies and HR technology companies to share the real decisions that helped their businesses grow.

This is not theory or generic advice. Each session focuses on the actual growth decisions leaders made while building traction in their business.

You will hear the context they were in, the options they considered, what they chose to do, what worked, and what they would do differently next time.

Why attend

If you run an HR or people-focused business and want growth to feel more predictable in 2026, this summit is designed for you.

Across the day, speakers will share practical insights such as:

💡 What a successful consultancy founder is doing now to prepare her national firm for a future sale

💡 How HR tech and consulting firms win large corporate and enterprise deals

💡 The marketing mix used by successful early-stage HR software companies

💡 Hard-won lessons on scaling, systems, and leadership from experienced founders

💡 How to price HR consulting services so they fuel growth rather than cap it

💡 What to think about before merging with or acquiring another HR-related business

💡 How one consultant won her first client before she had even officially launched

💡 Marketing lessons from growing HR tech companies in recruitment, benefits, L&D and more

The goal is simple: practical insight you can actually use.

Who this summit is for

This event is for people who sell expertise or software, not internal HR teams.

You will get the most value if you are:

💡 A growing services firm selling HR, recruitment, L&D or people expertise

💡 A founder or marketing lead at an early-stage HR or workforce technology company

💡 Part of a small marketing team deciding where to focus next

💡 A solo consultant or small consultancy owner

If you want growth but do not want to spend the next six months pursuing the wrong strategy, this event will help you get clearer on your next move.

What this summit is really about

Every session is structured around real growth decisions, including:

💡 The situation the company was facing

💡 The options they considered

💡 What they chose and why

💡 What changed as a result

💡 What stalled or failed

💡 What they would avoid if starting again

You will hear about things like:

💡 How demand was actually generated and when visibility backfired

💡 Pricing and packaging changes that made selling easier or harder

💡 Marketing channels that looked promising but quietly failed

💡 The growth decisions founders would make differently today

This is real-world growth experience, not theory.

Event format

The summit includes:

💡 Experience-led sessions from founders and operators

💡 Two focused tracks: consultancies and technology companies

💡 Optional on-demand access

💡 Practical tools available through the Implementation Pass

Featured speakers

Speakers include founders and operators from across the HR consulting and HR technology ecosystem, including leaders from:

NonprofitHR
Clearwater HR Consulting
Thread HCM
HiringBranch
AllVoices
HumansR
Career Money Life
Hubert
Shrlock
Partners+
FutureSolve
Volman HR Strategy
Compt
KI Consulting
SkillCycle
EdLogics
HRTech Advisor
TimeForge Labor
and more.

Join us!

If you run a people-focused consultancy or HR tech company and want clearer insight into how businesses like yours actually grow, this summit will give you ideas you can apply immediately.

Join us online on Tuesday, 28 April 2026.

Register now for your free ticket: https://summit.getmorehrclients.com

 

Episode 304: Growing An HR Consultancy for Small Businesses & Startups - with Val Esway

In a recent episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben and his guest, Val Esway, founder of Work with Val, talk about the challenges of hiring, compliance, and employee management for small and growing businesses across the US and Canada.

Val Esway partners with founders and leadership teams to build the recruiting and HR foundations necessary for sustainable growth. With a background spanning early-stage startups, e-commerce brands, and agencies, she has served as a People & Talent Manager, Director of Operations, and Chief of Staff. This unique trajectory allows her to bridge the gap between human-centric HR and the gritty operational realities founders face daily.

Val has completed over 150 projects focused on hiring strategy, HR infrastructure, and people operations. She specializes in helping scaling businesses move away from "firefighting" toward practical, hands-on systems that support first hires and beyond. Val brings a grounded, collaborative approach to every engagement, ensuring leaders can make confident people decisions as their teams evolve.

Val loves sharing her expertise via talks and training sessions. Popular topics include compliance basics, choosing the right HR tools, and navigating the complexities of pay structures (e.g., W-2 vs. 1099). She’s happy to tailor discussions to what founders and business owners need most.

You’ll hear practical strategies for client acquisition, running a workplace consulting business, and packaging consulting offers. Whether you identify as HR, workplace, L&D, OD, recruitment, or people & culture, you’ll discover real stories and actionable advice to attract clients, win contracts, and grow sustainably.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to get more clients as a consultant through referrals and personalized service
• Insights into running a workplace consulting business for smaller and younger companies, including compliance, recruitment, and team development
• Val Esway’s journey, including lessons from cleaning up compliance issues, helping founders make their first hires, and developing high-touch HR solutions

Episode highlights:

• Val Esway’s background and the types of clients Work with Val serves (00:47)
• Common HR challenges faced by small and young businesses, especially those without dedicated HR staff (01:12)
• Navigating performance management and terminations thoughtfully and compliantly (02:42)
• The impact of terminations on the wider team and why respect matters (03:25)
• Recruitment support: Helping founders clarify what role they truly need and managing the hiring process end-to-end (05:11)
• Special considerations for e-commerce founders transitioning from agency relationships to hiring in-house staff (08:01)
• Popular training topics for business owners, including compliance basics and choosing HR systems (10:01)
• Common mistakes in hiring, pay structure, and contractor versus employee classification (12:09)
• Why many growing businesses rely on referrals and the value of a personalized, high-touch consultancy (16:03)

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Work with Val website: www.valesway.com
• Val's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/valesway

• Check out this B2B podcast launch service.

  About The A Better HR Business Podcast

  The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients.

  Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes.

  For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here:

  www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast

  HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES

  • Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way
  • Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency

  VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS

  Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business?

  Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, resources, and more at www.getmorehrclients.com.

Episode 303: Growing A Soft Skills Assessment Platform For High-Volume Hiring – with Stephane Rivard from HiringBranch

When companies use realistic job simulations, they can finally see beyond CVs and surface true talent, regardless of background.

Removing bias from recruitment isn’t theoretical; it’s achievable. Grounding hiring decisions in real-world, data-driven simulations gives every candidate a fair shot and helps teams identify who will actually succeed in the role.

Smart hiring isn’t about who interviews best. It’s about who performs best.

Stephane Rivard, CEO and co-founder of HiringBranch, a Montreal-based company using AI and job simulations to transform high-volume recruitment, shares the evolution of Hiring Branch, why traditional interviews fall short, and how data-driven, skill-based hiring can result in fairer, and more consistent outcomes.

Other topics we covered in our conversation:

• Evolution from language and soft-skills training to data-driven, skills-based assessments.

• Why success in customer-facing roles goes beyond empathy to skills like rapport, grit, and critical thinking.

• The difficulty of replacing traditional interviews and reducing bias in hiring.

• How HiringBranch adapts its platform across industries using deep, role-specific data.

• Go-to-market insights: experimentation, conferences, networking, and customer outcomes.

• Advice for HR tech firms on partnerships, focus, and differentiation.

• And much more!

If you’re interested in fair and effective hiring practices, data-driven HR, or the future of skills assessment, this conversation offers a grounded, experience-based look at what works and what’s changing in the world of recruitment.

Website: www.hiringbranch.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephane-rivard-entrepreneur

Check out this B2B podcast launch service.

About The A Better HR Business Podcast

The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients.

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes.

For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here:

www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast

HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES

• Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way
• Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency

VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS

Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business?

Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, resources, and more at www.getmorehrclients.com.

Episode 302: Growing A Remote Candidate Sourcing & Assessment Platform - Flatworld

Hiring for remote roles sounds easy in theory.

In reality? It’s noisy, rushed, and increasingly flooded with AI-generated applications.

That’s why I enjoyed learning about Isidora Mayer, CEO of FlatWorld and her very human take on global hiring.

FlatWorld isn’t just about skills matching.

It’s about fit: company culture, personal happiness, and long-term success on both sides.

Isidora’s own leadership journey says a lot. She went from candidate to CEO by believing deeply in the mission and keeping people at the heart of every decision.

Proof that rejection isn’t the end, it can be the beginning.

So what does Flatworld actually do?

They help companies overwhelmed by AI noise find real human candidates fast.

What makes it different:

• 12-minute pre-employment assessments that filter for real skills

• Asynchronous video responses (less stress, more authenticity)

• Personality fit tailored to each company—not cookie-cutter profiles

The process is sharp but thoughtful:

• ~70% of applicants filtered via technical tests

• Short video answers for the rest

• A final, company-specific personality fit layer

Most growth comes from long-term partners and word of mouth, because trust still wins.

And the business model?

• FlatWorld only gets paid if you hire

• No upfront fees

• No subscriptions

• No risk

FlatWorld is especially well-suited for:

• Growing tech companies hiring remote dev or product talent

• US & EU companies making cross-border hires

• Teams who care about real happiness—not just filling seats

What’s next?

Cutting through the AI noise. Helping companies spot real humans and helping real humans find companies who’ll truly value them.

If you’re building a remote tech team or trying to make sense of AI-driven hiring, Isidora’s story (and FlatWorld’s model) is a good reminder that putting people first still works and still wins.

Website: www.flatworld.co

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/izimayer

Check out this B2B podcast launch service.

About The A Better HR Business Podcast

The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients.

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes.

For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here:

www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast

HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES

• Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way
• Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency

VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS

Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business?

Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, resources, and more at www.getmorehrclients.com.

Episode 301: Growing An Employee Lifestyle Benefits Platform - Fringe

Employee benefits aren’t about money.
They’re about how people feel.

When leaders offer personalized perks, employees feel seen, valued, and more connected to the company. Genuine care in culture beats bigger paychecks.

A strong workplace isn’t built on swag. It’s built on choice, recognition, and everyday experiences employees actually enjoy.

On my latest episode of A Better HR Business, I sat down with Jordan Peace, CEO & Co-Founder of Fringe, to explore why personalized perks are reshaping recruitment, retention, and engagement.

Fringe is built on a marketplace of lifestyle benefits - everything from massage memberships and clothing subscriptions to larger, meaningful purchases. The goal? Immediate value and real excitement.

As Jordan shared:

“We wanted to put the power in the hands of employees to choose what benefits were most relevant to them and their families.”

In this episode, we cover:

• Why traditional benefits often miss the mark
• How personalized perks fit into daily life
• Closing the gap between employer spend and employee value
• Using tailored benefits to boost loyalty and engagement
• Building trust through authenticity and transparency

We also had an interesting conversation about the value of Fringe's B2B podcast. Jordan discussed:

• Podcasting makes it easier to start conversations with the exact people you want as customers, partners, or investors. Podcast conversations often open doors that cold emails never will. A podcast gives you a reason to reach out that feels generous, not salesy. 
• Long-form conversations build trust faster than ads, posts, or cold outreach. Podcasts reward honesty and stories more than polished messaging.
• You don’t need a complex content plan if you can show up and talk like a real human. Podcasting works best when it reflects how you actually think and speak.
• A show can double as relationship-building, learning, and brand visibility. Being a podcast guest or host positions you as a peer, not a vendor.
• Marketing works better when it feels like a conversation, not a campaign.

Check out this B2B podcast launch service.

If you’re building or marketing an HR business, this episode breaks down how personalized perks can drive retention, loyalty, and real engagement, without increasing payroll.

Website: www.fringe.us

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-peace-fringe

About The A Better HR Business Podcast

The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients.

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes.

For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here:

www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast

HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES

• Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way
• Get More HR Clients Business Growth Kit - Get More HR Clients Kit
• Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency

VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS

Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business?

Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, resources, and more at www.getmorehrclients.com.

Episode 300: The Return of Disrupt Dublin – Big Ideas, Fast Talks, and Real Conversations About Work (with Bill Banham)

After a long break, Disrupt Dublin is returning on Thursday, 26 February 2026, bringing fast talks, sharp thinking, and real conversations about the future of work in Ireland.

In this episode, I’m joined by my event co-host Bill Banham, Editor of HR Gazette, host of the HRchat Podcast, and one of the long-standing forces behind Disrupt events across the UK, Ireland, the US, and Canada.

We talk about why now is the right time to relaunch Disrupt Dublin, what makes the format different from traditional HR conferences, and what attendees can expect on the night.

Discrupt Dublin: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/disrupt-dublin-returns-tickets-1976595846385?aff=bg 

What Is Disrupt?

Disrupt was founded in 2013 in Cincinnati and has since run events in more than 170 cities worldwide. Its format is simple and demanding:

• Five-minute talks

• Twenty slides

• Slides auto-advance every 15 seconds

Speakers have no room to waffle. They must be clear, direct, and honest. The result is high-energy talks that get straight to the point and often say the things people are already thinking but rarely hear on stage.

Bill explains how this format changes the dynamic for both speakers and audiences, creating a sense of shared risk, focus, and connection. The aim is not polished perfection, but useful ideas that spark new thinking.

Why Disrupt Dublin Matters

This will be the first Disrupt event in Dublin since before the pandemic, and the relaunch is designed to feel social, open, and practical.

Rather than a full-day conference, Disrupt Dublin is an evening event with time built in for proper conversations. Talks are recorded and added to the global Disrupt library, which now hosts thousands of short presentations from around the world.

Topics on the night will span leadership, culture, talent, technology, learning, wellbeing, and how work is really changing in 2026 and beyond.

Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/disrupt-dublin-returns-tickets-1976595846385?aff=bg.

Event Details

Date
Thursday, 26 February 2026

Time
5:00 pm to 8:30 pm GMT

Location
Personio Dublin
Georges Quay House, 43 Townsend Street, Dublin 2

Agenda

• 5:00 – 6:00 Registration and networking
  Drinks, canapés, and first conversations

• 6:00 – 6:15 Welcome and opening remarks

• 6:15 – 7:00 Lightning Talks – Round One

• 7:00 – 7:15 Break

• 7:15 – 8:00 Lightning Talks – Round Two

• 8:00 – 8:30 Wrap-up and final networking

Speakers Include

• Kelsey Cates, Global Head of Learning Experiences, Google

• Elizabeth Buckley, HR Director, Forvis Mazars

• John Kennedy FCIPD, Head of HR Organisational Development, Iarnród Éireann and Vice Chair, CIPD Ireland National Committee

• Dr. Mary Collins, Chartered Psychologist, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

• Simon Peter Haigh, Founder and CEO, GCM Growth Group

• Ivan Stojanovic, Co-founder, Taladria

• Bill Banham, Editor, HR Gazette

More speakers and partners will be announced closer to the event.

Who It’s For

Disrupt Dublin is designed for in-house HR and Talent professionals, people leaders, founders, researchers, and workplace innovators. Capacity is limited, and priority will be given to practitioners and guests of partners and speakers.

How to Attend

Places are limited. Registration does not guarantee entry, and tickets may be refunded if the event is full or attendee criteria are not met.

Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/disrupt-dublin-returns-tickets-1976595846385?aff=bg.

If you are looking for a short, high-energy event that challenges standard thinking and brings together people who are actively shaping work in Ireland, this is one to put in the diary.

About The A Better HR Business Podcast

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