Small businesses face a fierce battle for talent against larger companies, but a game-changing solution is leveling the playing field. Join us as we speak with Jake Forsland, Head of Strategy for Small Business at DailyPay, to uncover how On-Demand Pay is fast becoming a crucial financial wellness benefit for Main Street. This episode explores how offering this benefit can help these firms compete, boost retention, and provide the financial autonomy and security that modern workers expect, especially as we head into the high-demand holiday season.

• 1:15 – The current pressures on small businesses: margin crunch, holiday talent demand, and competing with larger companies.

• 8:45 – How earned-wage access and other benefits offer a cost-offsetting solution to boost retention and engagement.

• 13:58 – The power of embedded HR tech and how integrating on-demand pay into existing platforms benefits both employers and employees.

What does the next decade of Human Resources look like? Tune in as a leading Chief People Officer shares his candid journey from being a "not-so-good accountant" to launching Amazon's Canadian business and landing at a FinTech leader. Discover the crucial connection between data consolidation and the practical application of AI in HR, and hear why the definition of "employee benefits" is about to be radically challenged to support today's more transitory workforce. This conversation cuts through the hype to explore what truly drives employee experience and innovation on the front lines of work.

1:30 Jon Lowe discusses his unconventional career path, including his time at Amazon and his belief in "wicked luck."

4:55 The conversation shifts to the evolution of HR from "personnel" to a rapidly accelerating human capital practice, focusing on the consolidation of data as the underpinning for AI use cases.

19:10 A deep dive into the concept of "It's expensive to be poor," and how financial wellness benefits are democratizing access to services previously reserved for the wealthy.

Stop buying HR tech that doesn't fit! John Bernatovicz, CEO of Willory Consulting and HR Like a Boss, joins us to discuss the daunting process of selecting the right HR technology and his innovative solution to simplify it. Learn how his company is productizing vendor selection—moving beyond traditional consulting—to help organizations find their perfect match. They're removing the friction of the buying process, ensuring strategic alignment, and building necessary internal buy-in so your next tech investment fuels, rather than impedes, your business future. Tune in to understand why buying HR tech is a strategic business investment, not just a procurement exercise.

1:45 — Addressing the daunting challenge of selecting the right HR tech vendor and the vision behind Willory's productized vendor selection solution.

4:30 — Why buying HR technology can feel like buying a car and the value of external expertise to validate a major strategic investment.

7:45 — The critical role of defining your future business vision ("what do you want to be when you grow up?") before selecting any new technology.