"In every crisis there is a message. Crises are nature's way of forcing change—breaking down old structures, shaking loose negative habits so that something new and better can take their place."  — Susan L. Taylor As I celebrate another year of life and reflect on entering 2026, I'm confronting an uncomfortable truth: I've witnessed countless professionals—myself included—burn out while believing exhaustion was a badge of honor. Let me be clear: rest is not laziness. It is re

Last year, I reflected on Martin Luther King Jr.'s words: " Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere ." This January—Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month—I'm asking you to sit with a harder truth: 28 million people are trafficked worldwide right now . And Human Resources leaders have both responsibility and leverage to disrupt the systems that make this possible. I spent eight years as Chief People Officer at Polaris Project , the organization behind the

The World Economic Forum projected that by 2025, a third of essential workplace skills would be technology competencies that didn't exist three years ago . Everyone is aware - upskilling matters. Yet, before you ‘ Do More ,’ here's what the productivity metrics won't tell you: 58% of your employees anticipate massive job skill changes due to AI — while  simultaneously managing life in a world that feels increasingly unstable. And here's the plot twist: AI isn't all that great

" When asked what he learned, he could not remember specifics. " - Business Insider The $11.5 million verdict against SHRM—the world's largest HR organization—isn't just industry news. It's a mirror reflecting what happens when organizations talk about best practices but fail to embody them. Let that sink in: An organization that advises  HR professionals on investigating discrimination complaints was found liable for racial discrimination and retaliation against one of its o

Here's what I know after 20+ years leading HR transformations: traditional compliance-focused approaches aren't equipped to address what's really breaking our organizations—trauma, disconnection, and toxic hustle culture. Human Resources leaders are exhausted. You're carrying the weight of government shutdowns , mass layoffs , AI disruption , mental health , inclusion fade , and teams who are barely holding on . You're managing everyone else's capacity while yours erodes.

The AllProfit HR Team (L-R) Sparkle, Michelle and Johnika I was nervous. Even though I knew everyone who RSVP'd. Even though we'd planned every detail for our first Clients Giving gathering. As each person rounded the curve at Urban Roast that beautiful November evening, one question kept surfacing: Would they actually come? They did. And what happened next reminded me why we do what we do. For two glorious hours, we were finally out of the inbox. No performance reviews. No p