Let's Talk, People with Emily Frieze-Kemeny

Emily Frieze-Kemeny
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Let's Talk, People with Emily Frieze-Kemeny

Welcome to Let's Talk, People – more than a podcast; a movement to raise the bar on how we lead. This is where leaders and people managers come to unpack their hardest-to-navigate people dynamics at work. Your host, Emily Frieze-Kemeny, is a renowned leadership amplifier. She is the founder and CEO of AROSE Group, a leadership and organizational change firm and previously held roles as head of talent and leadership development at Morgan Stanley, IBM, Avon, and Scholastic. Drawing from this deep body of work, she is here to amplify leaders so that they can exalt everyone and everything they touch. Emily and her guests cover the complexities of leadership – how to lead with accountability and compassion, productivity and flexibility, vulnerability and boundaries, stability and change, and so much more – all with a rawness and pragmatism that will activate your next level of impact. Be forewarned… it's about to get real. Let’s talk, people.

  1. The Answer is Kindness and Math

    MAR 18

    The Answer is Kindness and Math

    What if the key to transforming businesses and leadership isn’t just strategy, but kindness—paired with math? In this powerful conversation, James Rhee—Harvard-trained lawyer, private equity investor, former CEO of Ashley Stewart, Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship at Howard University, and author of Red Helicopter—shares how he led a remarkable business turnaround by prioritizing relationships, trust, the right measures, and systemic thinking, proving that profitability and humanity are inherently one. James challenges outdated business norms, from traditional accounting to leadership styles that overlook the emotional realities of work. He makes a compelling case that the leaders of the future must be fluent in connectedness, willing to rethink what truly drives success, and committed to fostering agency in their people.  If you've ever felt that work should be more meaningful, more human, and more sustainable, this episode will equip you with the inspiration and practical tools you need to reclaim your agency and drive change. Timestamps: [00:02:00] – The Power of Kindness and Math: James Rhee explains why kindness and math are the foundation of effective leadership and how they shaped his turnaround strategy at Ashley Stewart.[00:16:14] – Rethinking Business Metrics: James describes how traditional accounting fails to measure what truly drives sustainable success and challenges leaders to track retention, wellbeing, actuarial data, and other overlooked indicators of performance.[00:24:38] – Kindness as a Teachable Skill: James defines kindness as a combination of agency, free will, and determination, reinforcing that it’s not a passive trait but an active leadership skill that can be taught and embedded into business practices.[00:34:17] – Leadership as Systems Thinking: James shares why small, intentional changes—like improving store lighting—can drive cultural and financial transformation, proving that leadership is about connectedness and long-term impact. Access the episode transcript. Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com. Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It helps others...

    42 min
  2. Leading Engagement in Times of Change

    FEB 25

    Leading Engagement in Times of Change

    How do you keep your team engaged when everything around them is changing? We know we are accountable for engagement—but what happens when your organization is in flux, and uncertainty is the norm? Should leaders give themselves a pass, or is there a way to keep employees motivated even in the midst of disruption and uncertainty? In this episode of Let’s Talk, People, I sit down with Marta Callao Molina, Citibank HR executive and former global head of Talent and Leadership Development at IBM, to unpack the realities of leading through change. Marta shares the hard truths and practical strategies leaders need to engage their teams with authenticity, transparency, and trust—even when times are tough. Timestamps: [00:06:34] – Leading Through Change: Why engagement matters most when organizations are in transition.[00:19:20] – What to Do When Engagement Scores Drop: Marta’s advice for leaders facing lower engagement scores.[00:25:10] – Building Stronger Relationships with Your Team: The impact of trust, listening, and adapting to individual needs.[00:31:08] – Small but Powerful Leadership Moves: Simple ways to create a more engaged, motivated team. Access the episode transcript. Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com. Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It helps others discover the show. Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People!

    38 min
  3. The Fears Your Employees Won’t Tell You

    FEB 11

    The Fears Your Employees Won’t Tell You

    Fear is a constant force in our work lives—whether it’s fear of failure, job insecurity, or financial anxiety, these worries shape how we show up and perform. In this episode, I sit down with Farnoosh Torabi, one of America’s leading personal finance experts, host of the Webby winning podcast, So Money, and four-time author, to explore our role as leaders in helping people deal with their fears… or not. how managers can help employees navigate fears while still driving success. Farnoosh will shift your relationship with fear from something negative we try to avoid to a source of guidance and wisdom. As leaders, we need to be aware of how fear impacts the people we lead. Together, Farnoosh and I dive into the hidden fears people won’t always voice—from imposter syndrome to money struggles—and what leaders can do to acknowledge and address them, while maintaining boundaries, and fostering a supportive and equitable workplace. If you’re a leader looking to build trust, boost engagement, and help your team thrive in times of uncertainty, this episode delivers fresh perspectives and actionable takeaways you won’t want to miss. Timestamps: [00:03:40] Fear as a Protector: Farnoosh shares a childhood story of the power of fear to keep us safe. [00:10:01] Getting Laid Off & Turning Fear Into Opportunity: Farnoosh shares her story of being laid off in 2009, and how this propelled her career into what it is today.00:26:30] The Role of Leaders in Advocacy for Employees: Emily and Farnoosh discuss how managers can advocate and offer alternative career path opportunities to support.[00:35:31] Navigating Tough Conversations About Pay Raises & Financial Stress: Emily and Farnoosh offer practical guidance on setting boundaries while leading with empathy.[00:45:27] Managing Your Own Fears as a Leader: Emily and Farnoosh discuss how to balance vulnerability with what’s appropriate to share with our employees and how to consider the impact we can have as leaders. Access the full episode transcript. Check out the recommended resource Of Color, a financial wellness platform that can be offered as a benefit to employees.  Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com. Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get

    52 min
  4. Onboarding Secrets from a CFO

    FEB 4

    Onboarding Secrets from a CFO

    Onboarding – Get them a laptop, take them to lunch, and wish them luck? Or could it be the pivot movement that sets the course for someone’s success?  In this episode, I sit down with Cameron Kinloch, CFO of Weights & Biases, to break down why onboarding is a critical factor in team success, speed to productivity, and long-term engagement. With experience spanning Wall Street and Silicon Valley, Cameron shares how great onboarding goes beyond checklists—it’s about setting the right conditions for alignment, authenticity, and high performance from day one. Together, we outline practical, high-impact strategies, from 30-60-90 day plans and leadership "user manuals" to understanding learning styles and leveraging the team’s collective support. If you’re a leader looking to strengthen your team, scale your impact, and create a culture where employees thrive from day one, this episode is for you. Timestamps: [00:04:45] Cameron emphasizes that onboarding is a critical leadership responsibility, not just an HR task. [00:20:06] Cameron and Emily recommend practical tools to use in onboarding like a 30-60-90 Day Plan, a User Manual, and Team Agreements. [00:26:22] Emily and Cameron discuss the delicate balance between a new hire integrating into an existing team and the team adapting to the strengths of the new hire.[00:33:35] Emily and Cameron recommend strategies like ongoing check-ins to help maintain the momentum of successful onboarding. Access the full episode transcript. Check out the book recommended in the episode The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath. Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com. Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It helps others discover the show. Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People!

    45 min
  5. Reclaiming Agency Amidst the Climate Crisis

    JAN 28

    Reclaiming Agency Amidst the Climate Crisis

    As extreme weather events continue to happen all around us, what responsibility do we have as managers and leaders in caring for our employees while needing to drive performance? What can we do as managers in organizations to take action and support climate change initiatives?  These are just a few of the big questions we tackle in this episode with Josh Dorfman, a serial climate entrepreneur, Co-founder of Plantd, and CEO of Supercool, who shares stories of resilience, innovation, and hope from the frontlines of climate solutions.  Together, we unpack how leaders can foster a sense of agency, drive positive change within their organizations, and inspire action even amidst daunting challenges. If you’re a leader looking for practical insights and a dose of optimism about the state of our planet, this episode is for you. Timestamps: [00:10:30] Josh discusses how innovation and climate solutions are scaling up worldwide, giving leaders and teams reasons to feel optimistic about the future.[00:14:45] Emily and Josh dive into the delicate balance leaders must strike between supporting employees through personal and global crises while ensuring work moves forward.[00:22:18] Josh shares practical advice for managers on empowering employees to advocate for sustainable change and how to align initiatives with organizational goals.[00:35:05] Emily and Josh have a candid discussion on how leaders can effectively manage passionate team members, guide difficult conversations, and model behaviors that inspire collective action.Access the full episode transcript. Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and you will get free advice and coaching from Emily. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com. Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It helps others discover the show. Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People!

    48 min
  6. Drive Higher Team Performance

    JAN 14

    Drive Higher Team Performance

    Leaders often feel like they have set a clear strategy and vision, yet often their team’s performance falls short of their expectations.  In this episode, Emily will walk you through a robust exercise that you can use with your team to help you achieve higher performance on strategic goals. The exercise begins with a reflective “look back” to refuel your team members, an energizing “look ahead”, followed by an execution model called The SAIL Framework, a tool Emily has developed and tested across a vast array of organizational settings and teams.  Access the complimentary exercise at arosegroup.com/resources to follow along and implement the exercise with your team to drive great alignment, action, and growth. Timestamps: [00:36] – Why Leaders Struggle with Team Performance [02:22] – The “Look Back”: Filling Buckets and Building Confidence [05:42] – The “Look Ahead”: Energizing Your Team for Future Opportunities [08:53] – The SAIL Framework: Sensing, Aligning, Implementing, Learning [13:38] – Aligning Stakeholders for Success: Enlisting, Enabling, Engaging [16:34] – Implementing with Clarity and Purpose [17:54] – Learning for Continuous Improvement and Innovation Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and you will get free advice and coaching from Emily. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com. Access the episode transcript. Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People! Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram. Explore Emily and her team’s work through AROSE Group’s website and on AROSE Group’s LinkedIn page. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a positive rating and review. It really helps others discover the show.

    21 min
  7. Is Your Team Covering Up Who They Really Are?

    11/19/2024

    Is Your Team Covering Up Who They Really Are?

    Have you ever struggled with how to coach someone on “fitting in” at work? You might even struggle with the idea of having to fit in. Is it equitable and inclusive? Fitting in and adapting to the culture at work is emotionally charged and complicated…which is why we wanted to unpack it on this episode of Let’s Talk, People.  In this episode, I’m joined by Jason Trujillo, the Vice President of Operational Excellence for Global Supply Chain at Stanley Black & Decker and the former global head of Leadership and Learning at IBM, to discuss the concept of “uncovering”, inspired by Kenji Yoshino’s work and book on “Covering.”  Timestamps: [00:00:33] - Jason shares his unique journey to leadership. [00:10:38] - Jason explains the concept of “covering” and its relevance to inclusion, diversity, and belonging in the workplace.[00:25:07] - Emily and Jason discuss their approach to coaching a team member on what to share. [00:33:29] - Emily and Jason offer guidance on managing unhealthy and unhelpful feedback from leadership while setting up team members for success.[00:41:42] - Emily and Jason explore when it’s appropriate to be transparent as a leader about personal challenges while maintaining professional boundaries.[00:48:52] - Jason and Emily wrap up the episode with reflections on showing up authentically, fostering a culture of inclusion, and recognizing what it may take to be “successful” in different environments. Access the episode transcript. Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People! Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram. Explore Emily and her team’s work through AROSE Group’s website and on AROSE Group’s LinkedIn page. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a positive rating and review. It really helps others discover the show.

    51 min
  8. How to Stop Overworking Our Teams

    10/08/2024

    How to Stop Overworking Our Teams

    Many of us, as leaders, learned that strong performance looked like more. Whether it was more long hours, more deliverables, more effort, more intensity, we did it to succeed.  But what if we’ve had it all wrong? What if over-efforting is exactly why we are not getting to the business results we are pushing for?  In this episode, we'll look at how constant hustle might be harming productivity—and how we can pivot to operate in a more productive and healthier way.  Timestamps: [00:01:11] – The Struggle of Hustle Culture[00:04:22] – Why Do We Keep Pushing?[00:07:10] – Creating Space for Honest Dialogue[00:10:35] – Building Reflection into Success Access the episode transcript. Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People! Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram. Explore Emily and her team’s work through AROSE Group’s website and on AROSE Group’s LinkedIn page. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a positive rating and review. It really helps others discover the show.

    16 min
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8 Ratings

About

Welcome to Let's Talk, People – more than a podcast; a movement to raise the bar on how we lead. This is where leaders and people managers come to unpack their hardest-to-navigate people dynamics at work. Your host, Emily Frieze-Kemeny, is a renowned leadership amplifier. She is the founder and CEO of AROSE Group, a leadership and organizational change firm and previously held roles as head of talent and leadership development at Morgan Stanley, IBM, Avon, and Scholastic. Drawing from this deep body of work, she is here to amplify leaders so that they can exalt everyone and everything they touch. Emily and her guests cover the complexities of leadership – how to lead with accountability and compassion, productivity and flexibility, vulnerability and boundaries, stability and change, and so much more – all with a rawness and pragmatism that will activate your next level of impact. Be forewarned… it's about to get real. Let’s talk, people.

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