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Forget cookie-cutter advice, we bring you the goods - real insights, killer tips, practical cases, and honest conversations with the people who’ve been in the trenches. Listen in and get ready to level up with the People masterminds podcast. Want to know more about our services? Visit www.peoplemasterminds.com
#72 - The emotional impact of change, with Jonas Keil from nilo
🎙️ Episode summary:
Restructuring and continuous change often leave teams exhausted, anxious, and detached from leadership. Jonas Keil, co-founder and CEO of nilo, shares his insights on managing the emotional toll of transformation and building resilient, high-performing cultures that thrive despite uncertainty.
📖 In this episode:
00:00 Why Nilo was Founded
03:55 Mental Health During Transformation
08:04 Navigating Constant Change
12:33 Supporting Managers Through Stress
16:23 Uncertainty and Leadership Transparency
21:28 Building Organizational Resilience
27:42 Responsibilities: Company vs. Individual
33:48 Founder Insights and Tough Decisions
41:12 Closing Advice for Leaders
💡 Key takeaways:
Identify and involve key team members early in the transformation process to build trust and ensure buy-in.
Prioritize honesty by sharing what you know and admitting when answers are unavailable during periods of uncertainty.
Support middle management by providing peer circles and psychological resources to help them process emotional shocks.
Measure the mental health of your organization to spot burnout trends and identify when intervention is required.
Acknowledge that transparency about a difficult environment is better than creating a toxic gap between stated values and the reality of high-pressure work.
➡️ About us:
People masterminds is a team of scale-up People & Culture leaders who love working with fast-growing companies. We design what scale (or rightsizing) demands. No slide decks, just sharp minds and deep experience. This podcast is our way of sharing knowledge and experience for free. Want to know more about our other services? Visit our website or contact us at info@peoplemasterminds.com
29 Jul 2026
#71 - The new rules of scaling: a VCs take on winning companies
🎙️ Episode summary:
How do you build a sustainable company when the market rules change every quarter? In this conversation, Alessandro De Benedetti from Northzone peels back the layers of his work as an investor. From moving between Rome, Stockholm, and Amsterdam to hunting for “insanely smart” founders, he discusses the reality of scaling, the “SaaS apocalypse” narrative, and why people remain the most critical factor in any business outcome.
📖 In this episode:
00:00:00 Introduction and Investor Perspective
00:04:03 The Divided Investment Landscape
00:10:48 Shift in Growth Expectations
00:18:12 Organizational Design and AI Impact
00:26:45 Debunking Startup Myths
00:36:56 Leadership and Future Outlook
💡 Key takeaways:
Evaluate every strategic decision through an AI lens. Ask yourself whether AI strengthens your competitive advantage or makes your business easier to replace.
Hire for curiosity and adaptability over experience alone. In a world where technology changes weekly, leaders who learn fast, question assumptions, and embrace experimentation will outperform those relying solely on past experience.
Design your organization for the next stage, not today's reality. Regularly challenge your team structure, roles, and ways of working to ensure they can scale with both your growth and rapid technological change.
Master storytelling as a leadership skill. Be able to clearly articulate why your company matters, why you'll win, and why your team is uniquely positioned to execute.
➡️ About us:
People masterminds is a team of scale-up People & Culture leaders who love working with fast-growing companies. We design what scale (or rightsizing) demands. No slide decks, just sharp minds and deep experience. This podcast is our way of sharing knowledge and experience for free. Want to know more about our other services? Visit our website or contact us at info@peoplemasterminds.com
22 Jun 2026
#70 - The first 100 days of a new CHRO, with Jodi Slomp from Backbase
🎙️ Episode summary:
Stepping into a Chief People Officer role in a fast-paced scale-up demands immediate impact and strategic vision. Jodi Slomp shares her candid journey through the initial 100 days, revealing how she quickly assessed culture, tackled challenges, and aligned her team in a high-growth environment.
📖 In this episode:
00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction
04:36 First 100 Days Strategy as CHRO
08:06 Scaling Insights and Team Onboarding
12:58 Recognizing Patterns and System Thinking
17:05 Interview Process and Earning Trust
21:07 The CHRO Role in the AI Era
27:07 Designing Surveys and AI Roadmap
33:26 Strategic Focus and Clarity
37:50 CHRO’s First 100 Days Impact
39:06 Leadership Alignment in 14 Days
41:04 Embracing Uncomfortable Changes
42:22 Proving Yourself Too Quickly
46:12 Preparing for a CHRO Role
49:50 Building Support and Community
53:32 National to Global Team Transition
57:05 Maintaining a Fresh Perspective
01:00:28 Capacity for Strategic Thinking
01:03:19 Boosting HR Business Acumen
💡 Key takeaways:
Validate assumptions and learn the business quickly by talking to many people and using surveys.
Identify and solve problems from day one to build credibility and deliver quick wins.
Cultivate an “architect mindset” to analyze existing systems and rebuild for future needs, especially with AI integration.
Prioritize and focus on 2-3 key initiatives to avoid spreading resources too thin and ensure impactful delivery.
Foster strong relationships with peers and your team to gain support and maintain a fresh perspective.
➡️ About us:
People masterminds is a team of scale-up People & Culture leaders who love working with fast-growing companies. We design what scale (or rightsizing) demands. No slide decks, just sharp minds and deep experience. This podcast is our way of sharing knowledge and experience for free. Want to know more about our other services? Visit our website or contact us at info@peoplemasterminds.com
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
4.9 / 5
23 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 38 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
24
Social presence
91
YouTube
0
Engagement
85
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