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  • Stop Blaming “Ghost Jobs”: How to Create Your Own Referral & Get Interviews

    Stop Blaming “Ghost Jobs”: How to Create Your Own Referral & Get Interviews
    Feb 19 2026
    Ghost Jobs Aren’t the Problem: Beat Auto-Apply Bots by Creating Your Own Referral Rick Girard argues that the silence after hundreds of LinkedIn Easy Apply submissions isn’t mainly caused by “ghost jobs,” but by overwhelming hiring noise from auto-apply bots, keyword gaming, and fake candidates that clog ATS systems and bury real applicants. He challenges the “badge of honor” mindset around high application volume, warns that auto-applying and not following job-post instructions can get candidates filtered out, and says resumes and keyword matching are increasingly ineffective. Girard explains how candidates can bypass job boards and HR gatekeepers by acting like a referral: pick five aligned companies, research the business, identify a specific gap or “leak” (revenue, execution, people, or customer issues), then contact the decision-maker—ideally starting at the CEO/executive level—with a value-first message that links problem X to how you solved it with Y to produce Z. He outlines how to present a succinct solution in a meeting and ask for the opportunity to solve the problem, positioning the candidate as a problem solver who can be hired into the role or have a role created. He closes with three takeaways: stop using Easy Apply, target the problem not the position, and bypass gatekeepers by going directly to decision makers with demonstrated value. 00:00 Why 300 Applications Get You Silence (It’s Not Just ‘Ghost Jobs’) 01:22 The Real Enemy: Auto-Apply Bots, Keyword Games & Candidate Fraud 02:58 Inside the Hiring Black Hole: Why ATS Filters Out Real Humans 05:09 Reject the Status Quo: Stop Being Applicant #347 and Think Referral 06:02 Create Your Own Referral, Step-by-Step (Bypass the Portal) 07:21 Sniper Strategy: Pick 5 Companies and Stand Out on Purpose 08:25 Find the Business ‘Leak’: Research Gaps and Build a Hypothesis 10:07 Reach Decision-Makers with Value: Call, Don’t Beg for a Job 12:23 Win the Meeting: Present a Clear Solution and Ask to Solve It 13:48 3 Key Takeaways + Final Wrap-Up Host Links: LinkedIn: Rick Girard Company: Intertru, Inc. Job Description Builder Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) Powered by Intertru
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    18 Min.
  • Who’s Your Small but Effective Team with Justin Gray

    Who’s Your Small but Effective Team with Justin Gray
    Feb 13 2026
    A CEO I work with called me in June and said, “Rick, we’ve hit $1M and we’re stuck. “If I could just hire three more ‘me’s,’ we’d be fine.” I had to tell him the hard truth: “You don’t need more of you. You need the people you’re missing—those who augment your weaknesses." He was also in a mad hurry to delegate recruiting to someone else on his team. But he needed to take ownership We focused on recruiting as 40% of his job, clarified what the business actually needed (gaps, not clones), and rebuilt the hiring process to prioritize real-world discovery over interview theater. That’s when the flywheel started to move. 3 months later he has built 80% of his team and they are highly effective in building the business together. Approaching the $2M mark! I’m Rick Girard, and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show. We help entrepreneurs and executives Win-Win the strongest people. By sharing insights from top-performing rebel entrepreneurs, game-changers & industry leaders. On today’s episode of Hire Power Radio, I’m joined by Justin Gray, Managing Partner of In Revenue – In 2021 after his final exit as an operator, Justin co-founded In Revenue Capital. As the firm’s Managing Partner, Justin and his team couple GTM expertise with capital allocation to empower seed-stage B2B vertical SaaS standouts through a first of its kind model called Operator-Immersive capital. Justin is an award-winning 5X entrepreneur and CEO who has made a career of launching and scaling companies, ultimately guiding them to successful exits of over 250MM. Guest Links: LinkedIn: Justin Gray LinkedIn: In Revenue Capital Company: In Revenue Capital Host Links: LinkedIn: Rick Girard Company: Intertru, Inc. Job Description Builder Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) Powered by Intertru
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    34 Min.
  • How to Define Accountability and Stop Micromanaging with Brian H. Ferguson

    How to Define Accountability and Stop Micromanaging with Brian H. Ferguson
    Feb 13 2026
    I was having lunch with a fellow CEO recently, and he looked completely wiped out. He told me he was stuck in this exhausting cycle—constantly trying to empower his leaders to own their roles, only to have to step back in and make the decisions himself. He said, “Rick, I feel like I’m constantly telling my people to take the wheel, to be accountable, but the minute things get tough, they throw the keys back at me! I want them to ‘own their box,’ but I’m terrified of them ‘drowning.’ I keep double-checking their work, and then they just shut down and say, ‘Well, you just make the decision then.’ I’m back to having everything on my plate.” When I asked him what this was costing him, he said, “Time, trust, and growth.” I’m Rick Girard, and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show. We help entrepreneurs and executives Win-Win the strongest people. By sharing insights from top-performing rebel entrepreneurs, game-changers & industry leaders. On today’s episode of Hire Power Radio, I’m joined by Brian Ferguson, Founder & Managing Partner of Fergmar Since his start in real estate investing, Brian has been passionate about expanding his knowledge and sharing it with others to help them attain true financial freedom. Brian has built an outstanding team of 35 people and has been personally involved with over $500 million of real estate transactions and with $120 Million in Assets Under Management. Guest Links: LinkedIn: Brian Ferguson Company: Fergmar Instagram: Fergmar Facebook: Fergmar Host Links: LinkedIn: Rick Girard Company: Intertru, Inc. Job Description Builder Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) Powered by Intertru
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    25 Min.
  • Why More Process Does Not Solve People & Performance Issues with Zac Gregg

    Why More Process Does Not Solve People & Performance Issues with Zac Gregg
    Feb 5 2026
    In this episode of Higher Power Radio, Rick Girard sits down with Zac Gregg of Vital Design to tackle a problem that quietly drains momentum inside growing companies: hiring and placement misfires. When leaders feel stuck, burnt out, and buried under endless “fix-it” processes, the real culprit often isn’t culture, systems, or motivation—it’s the wrong people in the wrong seats (or the right people placed incorrectly). Zac shares hard-earned lessons from scaling Vital Design from a small team to a 100+ person agency, explaining how “hitting the ceiling” shows up across companies, departments, and individual roles. Together, they unpack how process bloat becomes a defense mechanism against avoidable mistakes—and how leadership teams can use EOS tools like the Accountability Chart and People Analyzer to diagnose what’s actually broken. What You’ll Learn Why burnout and culture breakdowns are often symptoms—not root causes How process overload can become a crutch that lowers standards The three most common “ceiling” problems: company, department, or person Why leaders avoid people problems (and why it always costs more in the end) A practical rule: If you add process, subtract something else How to separate org structure decisions from people decisions using EOS tools Why top performers don’t automatically become strong managers—and what to do instead How core values reduce process needs by improving decision-making quality Guest Links: LinkedIn: Zac Gregg Company: Vital Design Host Links: LinkedIn: Rick Girard Company: Intertru, Inc. Job Description Builder Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) Powered by Intertru
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    33 Min.
  • How to Scale from 2 to 70 Without Killing Culture with Nick Ayala

    How to Scale from 2 to 70 Without Killing Culture with Nick Ayala
    Jan 29 2026
    Revenue was up. Headcount doubled fast. But inside the business? People were quitting, managers were snapping, and the culture started sliding into this quiet resentment. The founder said, “I don’t get it… I’m paying them. What else do they want?” Huge red flag! When people don’t feel respected, seen, or safe to speak up, they don’t just disengage. They start protecting themselves. And that’s when your best people stop “rowing the boat” and your company starts bleeding momentum. Today’s conversation is about the fix: how to scale fast without creating career wounds, culture rot, and churn you can’t afford. I’m Rick Girard, and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show. Fast growth is supposed to feel like winning—but when headcount doubles and culture quietly corrodes, founders pay for it in churn, resentment, and lost momentum. In this episode, Rick Girard sits down with Nick Ayala (Senior Managing Partner, Blue Harbor Capital) to break down how to scale aggressively without creating “career wounds” inside your company. Nick has lived it: he scaled a business from essentially two people to roughly 70 employees in about a year, and later helped scale an insurance organization to ~7,000 agents and nearly $100M in sales within five years. Nick is known for building high-output teams by putting culture first, moving fast on misalignment, and treating people like partners—not payroll. Why hypergrowth creates “people chaos” (and how to prevent culture drift) How “hiring fast” increases culture misses—and why founders must act quickly on misalignment A simple, repeatable system for human-centered leadership conversations How to eliminate “the ceiling” so great people can see a future with you How autonomy (not hovering) creates teams that “run through walls” Guest Links: LinkedIn: Nick Ayala Company: Aligned Equity Group Company: https://capital-unlocked.com/blueprint-144591 Company: Blue Harbor Capital Host Links: LinkedIn: Rick Girard Company: Intertru, Inc. Job Description Builder Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) Powered by Intertru
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    28 Min.
  • How to Spot Hidden Talent and Hire for Potential with James Swanson

    How to Spot Hidden Talent and Hire for Potential with James Swanson
    Jan 15 2026
    In this episode of the Hire Power Radio Show, host Rick Girard talks with James Swanson, business disruptor, lifelong punk rocker, and author of 'Super Stoked.' James shares his journey of building a multi-million dollar Las Vegas printing empire by ignoring industry labels and focusing on authentic relationships. From overcoming initial challenges to innovative hiring practices and effective team management strategies, James highlights the importance of prioritizing people over resumes and maintaining quality customer service. Learn about the valuable lessons and principles that led to his success and how they can be applied to any business. Guest Links: LinkedIn: James Swanson Host Links: LinkedIn: Rick Girard Company: Intertru, Inc. Job DescriptionBuilder Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) Powered by Intertru
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    21 Min.
  • How to Eliminate AI Bots from Applying to Your Job Posts

    How to Eliminate AI Bots from Applying to Your Job Posts
    Jan 13 2026
    AI has turned the hiring funnel into a keyword carnival: unqualified applicants can “win” resume filters in seconds, while the high performers you actually want don’t bother applying. Rick Girard opens with a true story about a CRO who hired a bartender into a sales role—without a resume—because the job post spoke directly to her, and her outreach proved she was real (and driven). Four months later, she’s outperforming the team. This episode is a practical reset: stop treating job descriptions like compliance docs and start treating them like marketing—designed to attract one ideal candidate and repel bots. What You’ll LearnThe real problems behind “too many applicants” AI has broken resume screening—keyword-optimized resumes are easy to generate and hard to trust. Your best candidates aren’t applying because most job posts read like contracts, not opportunities. More candidates ≠ better candidates—volume creates noise, not quality. Auto-apply is the enemy—it lowers the bar and floods your inbox. Links: LinkedIn: Rick Girard Company: Intertru, Inc. Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) Powered by Intertru
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    20 Min.
  • How to Terminate and NOT Get Sued with Andrea Paris

    How to Terminate and NOT Get Sued with Andrea Paris
    Jan 8 2026
    Two months before the holidays, Nadia—Integrator at a 120-person EOS-run logistics company—finally terminated a manager who was crushing morale and missing targets. The manager’s response (“I’ve spoken to an attorney about retaliation.”) exposed what leadership missed: a recent workers’ comp claim, intermittent leave, and overtime complaints—plus almost no documentation. The outcome was predictable: months of distraction, legal spend, and leadership bandwidth evaporating when execution mattered most. In this episode, California employment attorney Andrea Paris breaks down why terminations are one of the highest-exposure moments in the employment lifecycle—and how to build a clean, defensible process that protects your business without losing your humanity. What you’ll learn Why terminations are uniquely risky: emotion, money, identity, and the “narrative vacuum” created when evidence is thin The ≈90-day “recent activity” risk zone and the types of protected activity that can make timing look retaliatory The “no-surprise termination” principle—and the coaching cadence that makes it real The 90-day lookback audit checklist you should run before any termination decision Day-of termination do’s and don’ts that reduce escalation risk Rick’s Nuggets (practical takeaways) Get your policies in order Document everything Treat people similarly and with respect Links & mentions Guest Links: LinkedIn: Andrea Paris Company: Andrea Paris Law Host Links: LinkedIn: Rick Girard Company: Intertru, Inc. Job Description Builder Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) Powered by Intertru
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    30 Min.