Melanie Gonzalez is the Director of HR and People at BSRI, where she’s been a key member of the Executive Leadership Team since 2020. Born and raised in Miami, FL, to Cuban immigrant parents, she brings a deep passion for community and advocacy. A Florida Bar Certified Paralegal, notary, and certified English-Spanish translator, Melanie has provided pro bono legal support in immigration and Special Immigrant Juvenile cases. At BSRI, she leads HR, organizational communications, culture, and strategic initiatives. Known for her hands-on approach, she ensures the team thrives in what she calls “the ideal workplace.” Melanie is also active in community efforts, including the annual NAMI Walk, championing mental health awareness and support.

In this episode, Jason and Melanie discuss:

• The evolving role of HR and why it’s more about people than just rules
• Embracing AI as a tool for efficiency, not a replacement for human connection
• The importance of workplace culture and how to make it meaningful beyond perks
• Melanie’s personal story—from her Cuban immigrant roots to leading HR at BSRI
• Creative ways BSRI supports retention, including piloting a four-day workweek

Key Takeaways:

• HR’s evolution demands more than policy enforcement—it now calls for relational leadership, where trust, emotional intelligence, and people-first strategies drive organizational impact.
• Rather than fearing AI as a job disruptor, Melanie illustrates how intentionally integrating it can streamline workflows and empower teams without compromising human connection.
• Culture doesn’t thrive on surface-level perks; it’s cultivated through intentional systems of recognition, communication, and alignment with shared values and goals.
• Leading with vulnerability, Melanie models how consistent pulse checks and open dialogue can transform retention efforts into a culture of belonging and psychological safety.
• Implementing innovations like a four-day workweek isn’t about trend-chasing—it’s about thoughtful experimentation, listening deeply, and balancing flexibility with accountability.

“HR is often seen in a negative light—as the people who get you in trouble, the ones who fire you, or those who only reach out for legal or administrative issues. But it's definitely not about that. We're here to support you. It's a support function. It's about leading with compassion, leading with vulnerability, and creating a safe space for your team. Having a human being in that role is crucial—someone who’s truly in your corner.”

- Melanie Gonzalez

Connect with Melanie Gonzalez:

Website: https://www.bsrinstitute.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-gonzalez-/

Email: mgonzalez@bsrinstitute.org

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking

Email: grow@rewireinc.com

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Valerie Tremblay is a dynamic speaker, executive coach, and facilitator with over 25 years of experience guiding leaders through complexity, building resilience, and thriving in a rapidly changing world. With a proven track record as a former Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at billion-dollar corporations, she brings deep insight into leading through uncertainty, cultivating high-performance cultures, and driving meaningful transformation.

In this episode, Jason and Valerie discuss:

• Maintaining an optimistic mindset during life’s volatility
• Personal resilience through major life challenges and loss
• Process of navigating and adapting to change effectively
• Finding freedom in letting go of physical attachments
• Building psychological safety and resilience amid rapid transformations like AI

Key Takeaways:

• Cultivating resilience and a high-performing mindset is not just beneficial but essential for leading through uncertainty and enacting meaningful change.
• Personal hardships like divorce, relocation, and the loss of possessions are reframed not as defeats but as catalysts for growth, showcasing resilience as a mindset rooted in optimism and adaptability.
• Rather than resisting disruption, a methodical approach to change is embraced—acknowledging emotions, shifting perspectives, and advancing through small, intentional steps that foster momentum.
• In choosing to detach from material possessions after a natural disaster, an unexpected liberation is uncovered, reinforcing the psychological strength found in minimalism and emotional clarity.
• With AI and rapid transformation shaping the future, success hinges on staying anchored in possibilities, leaning into relationships, and remaining open to evolving through each wave of change.

“Sometimes life throws you off course—not because you’ve failed, but because that path wasn’t meant for you. It’s frustrating—your time, energy, and heart were all in it. But shifts happen. And suddenly, you’re somewhere else entirely. The key? Keep your mind in believing places.”

- Valerie Tremblay

Connect with Valerie Tremblay:

Website: https://www.vtremblay.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vtremblay/

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking

Email: grow@rewireinc.com

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Steve Longan has been with Rewire since the very beginning, wearing many hats during its startup years. These days, he serves as Director of Research and Development, where he designs programs that help clients close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. He’s exceptionally good at it. In recent years, Steve has also become a sought-after coach, known for his depth, insight, and the powerful impact he has on the people he works with. Clients often describe their work with him as transformational. He’s taken his strengths in research-informed coaching and brought them into the classroom, leading Rewire’s coaching skills courses for leaders.

Outside of work, Steve is focused on soaking up as much time as possible with his kids, sneaking in time to run, and always keeping a good book nearby. He’s deeply grateful for the chance to do meaningful work that helps people grow—at the deepest level.

In this episode, Jason and Steve discuss:

• Recognizing the limits of past strategies for future leadership growth
• Common challenges successful individuals face when pursuing new goals
• Value of stakeholder feedback and openness to behavioral change in leadership
• Use of visualization and storytelling to uncover and eliminate limiting behaviors
• Strategies for aligning actions with personal vision to drive continued success

Key Takeaways:

• What once worked may no longer serve future goals, emphasizing the need for leaders to evolve past old strategies in order to grow.
• High performers often resist changing the very behaviors that initially brought them success, leading to stagnation and frustration.
• Feedback from trusted stakeholders isn’t just helpful—it’s essential; by opening up to different perspectives, leaders can uncover blind spots and adapt with intention.
• Through imaginative tools like time machine visualizations, leaders can clarify their aspirations and begin bridging the gap between current habits and future goals.
• Unchecked traits like perfectionism or micromanagement can hinder growth, but targeted behavior change has the power to unlock greater impact and freedom.

“We're coaching the people who are going to get it. We're coaching the people who have succeeded in the past. The issue is that past success does not predict what will be required at the next level. And so we end up taking the things that we did that have made us successful so far. And we think that those are the exact same things that we need to do in the future. And when you step into executive leadership, that next level, they're just not.”

- Steve Longan

Connect with Steve Longan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-longan/

Email: longan@rewireinc.com

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking

Email: grow@rewireinc.com

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Walter Crosby is the CEO of Helix Sales Development, helping growth-minded entrepreneurs build high-performance sales teams and drive repeatable revenue growth with margin integrity. He works with leaders frustrated by underperformance, guiding them toward a performance-based sales culture with transformative results. A University of Michigan alum with a degree from the School of Hard-Won Wisdom, Walter’s sales career spans B2B industries like LED luminaires, financial services, and commercial fire alarm systems. His expertise covers K-12 education, higher ed, contractors, and commercial firms. Known for his love of fine cigars, Walter often reflects in his private lounge and shares insights on sales and cigars as host of the Sales and Cigars podcast.

In this episode, Jason and Walter discuss:

• Align salespeople with company values through a tailored recruitment process
• Prioritize strong communication skills over industry experience in hiring
• Implement a unified "Sifter message" to align sales with marketing strategy
• Ensure effective onboarding and cultivate a self-motivated sales culture
• Insights from hosting a podcast that blends business strategies with cigar appreciation

Key Takeaways:

• Sales success stems from a commitment to helping customers make informed decisions, emphasizing insightful questioning over traditional pitching.
• A tailored hiring approach prioritizes communication skills and cultural fit, ensuring alignment with target customers rather than focusing solely on industry experience.
• The foundation of a high-performing sales culture lies in effective onboarding, self-motivation, and goal alignment, fostering both individual and organizational growth.
• A salesperson’s values must align with the company’s culture, making the interview process a crucial two-way evaluation rather than a one-sided selection.
• By equipping salespeople with a clear "Sifter message" that integrates sales and marketing strategies, companies can enhance consistency and effectiveness in their sales efforts.

“Salespeople should be helping their customers. We should be helping them make better decisions. We should be helping them think differently about a problem they may have.”

- Walter Crosby

Connect with Walter Crosby:

Website: https://helixsalesdevelopment.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walterlcrosby/

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking

Email: grow@rewireinc.com

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Mahesh Guruswamy is a seasoned product development executive with over twenty years of experience in software development and more than a decade of managing teams of varying sizes. He is currently the Chief Technology Officer at Kickstarter and previously led product development teams at Mosaic, Kajabi, and Smartsheet. Inspired by his favorite author, Stephen King, Mahesh began his writing journey with short stories before discovering long-form writing as a powerful way to share insights with product development teams. His essays over the years culminated in his book How to Deliver Bad News and Get Away With It. Passionate about mentorship, Mahesh especially enjoys guiding aspiring people managers and those new to leadership roles.

In this episode, Jason and Mahesh discuss:

• Navigating difficult conversations as leaders through the book How to Deliver Bad News and Get Away With It
• Insights on business innovation, growth, and career risk-taking
• Importance of changing roles every two years for new challenges
• Strategies for delivering honest feedback with emotional intelligence
• Framing problems as collaborative puzzles for effective problem-solving

Key Takeaways:

• Navigating difficult conversations requires a balance of emotional intelligence and long-term thinking, ensuring feedback is constructive rather than reactive. Leaders who approach tough discussions with empathy create environments where honesty leads to growth.
• A strategic approach to delivering feedback starts with open-ended questions and progressively increases in directness if issues persist, avoiding emotional language while presenting clear solutions.
• Career growth accelerates when individuals embrace calculated risks, change roles every two years for new challenges, and remain open to opportunities rather than instinctively rejecting them.
• Adaptability is essential in navigating career instability, as it demands identifying transferable skills, exploring entrepreneurship, and maintaining persistent networking to pivot effectively when needed.
• True fulfillment extends beyond financial success, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, altruism, and leaving a lasting positive impact on others as the ultimate measures of a meaningful life.

“I actually encourage people to take risks. The way I see it, life is short. If you have a goal in mind and are committed to achieving something, then take the risk. You have to roll the dice.”

- Mahesh Guruswamy

Connect with Mahesh Guruswamy:

Website: https://www.maheshguruswamy.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maheshguruswamy/

Mahesh’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Deliver-Bad-News-Away/dp/B0D7FHTTNN

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking

Email: grow@rewireinc.com

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Corey Morris is an experienced industry speaker, best-selling author, and the owner and leader of VOLTAGE digital marketing agency. His new book, The Digital Marketing Success Plan, was published in July 2024 and details why companies need a documented, objective, and accountable digital marketing plan in today's era of unprecedented change in the digital marketing industry. He provides the context for why having a plan is important, shares real stories, and includes "how-to" content for creating and implementing a plan, leveraging his five-step START Planning process.

In this episode, Jason and Corey discuss:

• Importance of strategic focus and aligning tactics with business outcomes
• Essentials of a defined strategy, articulated goals, and meaningful KPIs
• Explanation of the START framework and its role in digital marketing success
• Impact of AI on SEO, content creation, and audience engagement
• Balancing present strategies with future innovations and emerging technologies

Key Takeaways:

• A well-defined strategy, clear goals, and meaningful KPIs serve as the foundation for effective marketing, preventing wasted investments and ensuring focused execution.
• The START framework emerges as a structured approach, guiding businesses through a five-step process to define, implement, and measure digital marketing success with precision.
• Rather than fragmented efforts, aligning marketing tactics with overarching business strategy is emphasized as the key to driving meaningful and sustainable results.
• A strategic balance is highlighted—leveraging proven successes while staying open to innovation ensures a future-proof digital marketing approach without sacrificing what already works.
• Optimizing CRM usage and integrating marketing efforts can yield substantial revenue growth, turning well-planned marketing spending into measurable success.

“The thing that doesn’t change is investing in quality content and understanding your audience. If you’ve just been leaning on some personas and your brand, it’s probably time to get deeper.”

- Corey Morris

Connect with Corey Morris:

Websites: https://voltage.digital/ , https://thedmsp.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreymorris/

Corey’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D94Y2R13/

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking

Email: grow@rewireinc.com

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Be ready to transform the way you think and lead! Let’s uncover the hidden power of mindset as the true driver of leadership excellence and breakthrough growth. Explore why mindset matters more than skillset, how self-care fuels performance, and the science-backed ways to reshape your thinking for success. Discover the power of curiosity in challenging assumptions, the impact of the iceberg model on behavior, and why being precedes doing so in the journey to personal and professional transformation. Let’s dive into the mindset shifts that lead to lasting results!

In this episode, Jason and Steve discuss:

• Mindset as the hidden driver of leadership excellence and growth
• Greater importance of mindset over skillset in personal and professional success
• Iceberg model and the impact of below-the-surface factors on actions and results
• Role of self-care in improving mindset, performance, and goal achievement
• Cultivating curiosity to foster a growth mindset and enable breakthroughs

Key Takeaways:

• Mindset holds greater weight than skillset in determining both personal and professional success, shaping one's ability to navigate challenges and achieve breakthrough growth.
• Beneath every action and result lies a web of internal drivers—thoughts, emotions, past experiences, and deeply held beliefs—highlighting mindset as the unseen force steering visible outcomes.
• A closer look at mindset reveals three transformative factors: the iceberg model illustrating the power of the unseen, the interplay between being and doing, and the necessity of addressing below-the-line factors to enhance outward performance.
• Self-care emerges as a fundamental pillar of a strong mindset, reinforcing resilience, improving overall performance, and increasing the likelihood of long-term success across different professions.
• The pursuit of curiosity is positioned as a catalyst for growth, with open-ended questions, active listening, and continuous learning serving as essential tools to challenge assumptions and unlock new possibilities.

“If we're always right about everything in our own minds, curiosity becomes virtually impossible. So, curiosity helps me know I'm not always right about everything, and it allows me to listen.”

- Steve Scanlon

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking

Email: grow@rewireinc.com

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.