A question I’ve been asking leaders lately: If hiring systems worked so well… why are so many companies still struggling to find the right people? Over the past 18+ years I’ve worked in recruiting and career strategy and helped more than 12,000 professionals land roles across many industries. From that vantage point, I’ve seen something surprising. Most hiring problems are not actually talent problems. They’re visibility problems. Companies often rely on resumes, job descriptions, and automated filters to evaluate people. But those tools only capture a tiny fraction of who someone is — their strengths, their working style, their motivations, and how they actually contribute to a team. As a result: Great candidates get filtered out. Good people get hired into the wrong environments. And organizations struggle with turnover and disengagement. That realization led me to build Cultural Transformation Systems (CTS) — a human-first platform designed to help organizations see how their people and culture actually function. CTS combines ethical AI, leadership rituals, and living talent profiles to help companies hire more accurately, strengthen teams, and create workplaces where people can truly contribute. Because businesses don’t run on headcounts. They run on humans. I’m curious to hear from others in this group: What part of the hiring process do you think is most broken today?

I’m excited to share that my TEDx talk is officially live on YouTube. It starts from a simple but slightly uncomfortable question about friendship, loyalty, and growth, and unpacks why some ideas are meant to challenge what we’ve been taught to value. It’s the kind of title that should make you pause, maybe raise an eyebrow, and feel compelled to click, the same way a good book title pulls you in before you’ve read a single page. 👉 Watch here: https://youtu.be/FAoGs4Bw7fg?si=nrKxY1zUAEwnUSD6 As you watch, please leave a comment directly on YouTube responding to one or two of these prompts: - What made the title work or not work for you before you even pressed play? - What moment in the talk clarified the real idea behind the provocative framing? - How does this change the way you think about loyalty, growth, or who we keep close? For those of you thinking about applying to speak at a TEDx event, pay attention not just to what is said, but how the idea is framed to invite curiosity and conversation. Looking forward to reading your thoughts.

If you are applying to speak at TEDxThirdWard Salon on Sunday, June 14th, 2026 at MATCH Theater in Houston, this is where you introduce yourself. In the comments below, please share: • Your name • Where you’re from • Your big idea in one or two sentences This is how we begin building community beyond the application. We want to know who you are and what you hope to bring to the stage! Drop your intro below.