A top-rated HR + leadership podcast with 80%+ listener retention.
A top-rated HR + leadership podcast with 80%+ listener retention.
Hosted by Kerri M. Roberts - HR consultant, leadership coach, and straight-talk strategist helping you lead with clarity in business and life.
New episodes weekly. Listen on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.
Real Conversations. Real Growth.
Leadership isn’t clean - it’s chaotic, complex, and deeply human.
Each week, I sit down with entrepreneurs, executives, and experts to talk about the moments that tested them most - and what they learned from the mess.
You’ll hear candid stories, practical strategies, and the kind of conversations that make you rethink how you lead, work, and live.
Kerri’s Most-Streamed Episodes
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Don’t Waste the Chaos was built on the belief that our hardest seasons can become our greatest teachers.
We feature bold leaders, HR pros, and entrepreneurs who bring raw, real stories of:
Leadership & business growth
Resilience, rebuilding, and clarity
Faith, purpose, and meaning
Think Your Story Can Handle the Chaos?
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First looks at Kerri’s books, retreats, and events
Weekly tips for business + life
Explore the Archive:
- All Episodes 88
- Burnout 1
- Career Transition 1
- Culture 4
- Culture & Accountability 1
- Culture & Performance 1
- DEI 1
- Engagement 1
- Entrepreneur 1
- Entrepreneurship 2
- Executive Advisory 1
- Executive Leadership 4
- Executive Strategy 1
- Executive Team Dynamics 1
- Executive Well-Being 1
- Faith 3
- Faith & Business 1
- Fractional CHRO Insights 1
- Guest Episodes 38
- HR Strategy 1
- HRLaw 1
- Identity & Reinvention 1
- Lead 1
- Leadership 12
- Leadership Alignment 1
- Leadership Risk & Infrastructure 1
- Management 1
- Mental Health 2
- Mindset 2
- Organizational Design 1
- Organizational Effectiveness 1
- Organizational Health 1
- People Operations 1
- People Strategy 3
- Personal Growth 3
- Personal Infrastructure 1
- Podcast 2
- Resilience & Recovery 1
- Scaling Companies 1
- Solo Episode 1
- Solo Episodes 50
- Top of MInd 1
- Trust 3
- Wellness 1
- Workplace Trends 1
- christian 1
- compensation 2
- employee engagement 1
- employee satisfaction 1
- faith 1
Episode 34: The Cost of Ignoring Conflict
In this episode, our host Kerri Roberts, a 20 year HR Pro, explores conflict, and more specifically, what leaders and HR professionals can do to address and manage conflict in the workplace effectively. And while most of us prefer to turn a different direction and ignore the drama, it's killing your culture and your productivity.
Episode 33: Paytient: Solving the Healthcare Affordability Crisis
On this episode, Kerri dives deep into employee benefits with a focus on healthcare expenses. Our guest is Brian Whorley, the founder and CEO of Paytient, a company that’s transforming the way employees manage medical expenses.
In this episode, Brian shares the story behind his journey from working in a non-profit hospital to founding Paytient. He discusses what inspired him to create an alternative model for managing healthcare costs, a model that is now making waves across various industries. We explore how Paytient's approach is impacting the landscape of employee benefits, integrating with traditional insurance plans, and providing significant advantages for both employees and employers.
Brian also delves into the challenges and market hesitations he's faced and how his team has successfully navigated them. You'll hear real-life success stories that showcase the difference Paytient has made for companies and their employees.
Episode 32: The Power of Upskilling
In this episode, we're focusing on a subject that's become increasingly important for Owners, Leaders, and HR professionals—Upskilling. As the economic landscape shifts and recruitment becomes more challenging, it's crucial to turn our focus inward and invest in the growth and development of our existing workforce.
Episode 31:The Money-Saving Guide to Workers' Compensation.
Welcome back to another episode of DWTC. On this episode, our host, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro interviews guest Flint Walton, an expert with a fascinating background in safety and loss prevention. They tackle the world of workers' compensation, insurance costs and how to win at both.
Episode 30: The Secret to Elevating HR
We're exploring the intersection between Human Resources (HR) and Operations. Our host, 20 year HR pro Kerri Roberts, shares her personal journey, from being assessed as a stereotypical COO to proving why HR professionals need operational expertise. Discover why HR should not be viewed as a necessary evil but as a critical component of business operations.
Episode 29: Control Freak or Empowering Leader?
When you micromanage, you’re not just controlling the work; you’re stifling the growth and potential of your team. It's a serious issue that can disrupt teams and hinder growth. On this episode of DWTC, our host Kerri Roberts dives deep into why micromanagement occurs, its negative effects, and practical strategies to transform from a micromanager into an empowering leader.
Episode 28: The Science Behind Workplace Stress & Exhaustion.
In this episode, we dive deep into the science behind burnout and workplace stress. Discover how chronic stress affects both mind and body, and learn practical strategies to manage and prevent burnout. Whether you're an employee feeling overwhelmed or a leader looking to support your team, this episode offers valuable insights and solutions.
Episode 27: How to conduct a SWOT analysis
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro explains the importance and process of conducting a SWOT analysis to help businesses identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, aiding in strategic planning and decision-making.
Episode 26: Mastering Workplace Health: Insights from an Ergonomics Expert
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro, is joined by Paul Krewson, Founder + CEO of Peak Ergonomics. They dive into the critical topic of health and safety for professionals, both on the worksite and at home. Paul brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for ergonomics and early intervention, holding several certifications in the field. We discuss the inspiration behind Peak Ergonomics, the impact of early intervention programs, and the growing importance of ergonomic setups in remote work environments.
Episode 25: Tough Decisions: When and How to Reduce Your Workforce
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, a 20+ year HR Pro, discusses the difficult topic of reductions in force and layoffs. She provides key indicators and steps to help determine if it's time to consider reducing the workforce. Kerri also highlights the legal implications and considerations when navigating this tough process.
Episode 24: Change Management Mastery
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro talks CHANGE. Why are employees resistant to it? What's the science behind the resistance? And what can a leader do about it? If you're a leader and you need a kick in the pants on how to manage change in your organization, you've come to the right place.
Episode 23: Unpacking Burnout: Financial & Human Costs
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro, is joined by Lydia Melton, entrepreneur, efficiency expert and current Chief of Staff at Healium. They tackle the topic of burnout. Whether you are an employee, business owner, or manager, you won't want to miss this.
Episode 22: Navigating Success: Thoughts on Entrepreneurship, Authentic Networking, & Transformative Life Changes
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro, is joined by George Zimny, co-founder of Producifyx. They tackle the topics of entrepreneurship, recruitment strategy, intentional networking, ironman competitions, and much more.
Episode 21: Youthful Wisdom from Generation Z/Gen Alpha
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro, is joined by a member of Generation Z (born in 2012) to share insights on how it feels to have working parents, what it's like to move from the city to the country, feelings on cell phones for kids, and how to hire your child into your business for tax shelters and future financial success for your kids.
Episode 20: Thriving Teams: Strategies for Morale Boosting
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro, tackles the topic of low employee morale including how it happens, strategies to make a positive impact, and specifically what a supervisor or manager can do to improve the employee experience.
Episode 19: Small Business Finance: Expert Advice from a CPA
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro, is joined by Rebecca Knipp, Founder + CEO of Optimized CFO + Controller Services. They tackle the topics of business financials, the difference between budgeting or business planning, what small business owners need to know when it comes to their money, and much more.
Episode 18: The Cost of Ineffective Leadership
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro, discusses the impact and factors contributing to ineffective leadership. And, for many businesses, ineffective leadership remains one of the top challenges they face. From communication breakdowns to lack of vision, the repercussions of poor leadership can be costly and far-reaching. Kerri also explores why ineffective leadership is a prevalent issue and offers practical strategies for business owners to address it today.
Episode 17- Streamlining HR & Payroll Processes with Tech.
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro, the challenges faced by HR and payroll departments and how modern software solutions address these challenges. She is joined by Josh Robinson, President and second-generation owner of CheckmateHCM, which is an HR/Payroll Tech company focused on user experience and personalized customer service.
Episode 16: Is it negative self-talk or your environment?
In this episode, Kerri Roberts, 20+ year HR Pro, discusses the topics of negative self-talk and how to combat it. She also addresses how an employer can help support an individual struggling with negative self-talk. Lastly, she dives in to how to determine if your workplace is unhealthy for you and how to handle it.
Episode 15- Employee Miscommunication- How to avoid it
Miscommunication between employees and managers is a pervasive issue in workplaces. Don't let that be you and your team. Listen in for practical tools you can use to improve in this area today.