Truth, Lies and Work

Welcome to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network.

Most businesses struggle with recruiting. They post jobs on Indeed, sponsor LinkedIn ads, and cross their fingers. Rachel Harris, co-founder of StriveX Accountants, does the exact opposite. She has built a multimillion-pound firm from her dining room table with a waiting list of over 200 people eager to join her team.

In this episode, Rachel reveals how she treats recruitment like a 24/7 marketing function and why her employees are her most powerful recruitment tool—even when they’re calling her a "micromanager" on social media.

🔥 What we cover in this episode:


The "Always-On" Strategy: Why Rachel never posts "we're hiring" ads and why waiting until you have a vacancy means you're already too late.


Franchising the Inside: How Rachel systemized recruitment and onboarding so the process runs itself, allowing her to focus on the human connection.


Employee Generated Content (EGC): The "no-rules" scheme where Rachel’s team earns bonuses for sharing raw, unscripted stories about their work life.


The "Micromanager" Post: How a post highlighting Rachel’s intense systems became one of their best-performing pieces of recruitment content.


Culture as Credibility: Why a lack of employee advocacy isn't a social media problem—it's a culture problem.

💡 3 Key Lessons for Leaders


Recruit Like a Marketer: Stop selling the job; start showing the life. Use day-in-the-life stories and team moments to sell the culture before a candidate ever applies.


Turn Your Team into Trusted Voices: Authenticity beats polish. Giving your team the freedom to share their real experiences without an approval process builds massive credibility with future hires.


Fix the Culture First: Rachel’s EGC scheme only works because the workplace actually delivers on its promises. If your employees won't vouch for you publicly, focus on the culture before the content.

🔗 Connect with Rachel Harris


LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rachel-harris-a3192372


StriveX Accountants: https://strivex.co.uk


Instagram/TikTok: @accountant_she

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support

UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines: https://findahelpline.com

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. This week, we explore the shifting vocabulary of the modern office, the rise of "Gen Z entrepreneurs," and a sobering look at the prevalence of toxic leadership.

Plus, for Mental Health Awareness Month, we dig into the research behind "Bring Your Dog to Work Day" and answer three tough listener questions in a bumper Workplace Surgery.

🔥 Stories Covered

1. Six Words Defining the New World of Work
Leanne introduces "dry chatting"—the practice of rehearsing emotionally charged conversations with AI before having them in real life. We also explore:


Meaning-maxxing: Optimising life around purpose rather than status.


Rage applying: Rapidly submitting job applications as a cathartic response to frustration.


False retention: When staff stay for security but aren't actually engaged.


Vibe working and the Anti-office: How AI and office design are prioritising "progress over productivity."
Source: https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/how-world-of-work-changed-times-enterprise-network-t0zvf96wv

2. The Gen Z Career Ladder is Being Rebuilt
With entry-level hiring at its lowest rate since 2020 and AI automating "learn-the-ropes" tasks, Gen Z is pivoting to ownership. We discuss why "the new promise is ownership" and look at young founders who are turning down traditional internships to build their own empires.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2026/apr/25/gen-z-entrepreneurs-business-ai

3. Is Toxic Leadership the New Norm?
A new study reveals that 6 in 10 workers currently have a toxic boss. We discuss the impact on mental health and why many employees feel companies are investing more in AI than in developing their people managers.
Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91534390/6-in-10-workers-say-they-have-a-toxic-boss-study-finds

🧠 Truth or Lie: Bring Your Dog to Work Day

Does having a "fluffy colleague" actually support mental health?


The Truth: Some studies suggest dogs act as a stress buffer and increase workplace engagement.


The Lie: The evidence is surprisingly weak. Most studies rely on self-reporting, and for the 15-30% of people with allergies or phobias, a dog-friendly office can be a major source of stress.

💬 Workplace Surgery

Question 1: Are we doing more harm by asking and not acting?
We regularly survey our people and ask for feedback, but if I’m honest, we don’t always act on what comes back. Are we building trust by listening, or damaging it by not following through?

Question 2: Why isn’t anyone using our wellbeing benefits?
We offer a range of wellbeing benefits — things like support resources, initiatives, and time off — but hardly anyone actually uses them. What are we missing?

Question 3: If people keep leaving, is it really a hiring problem?
We bring in good people, but a pattern’s emerging where they leave within the first 12 months. Is this a recruitment issue, or something happening once they’re inside the business?

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines
https://findahelpline.com

Truth, Lies & Work is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture. We are part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

In this special LinkedIn Live edition, hosts Al Elliott and Leanne Elliott are joined by three world-class experts to tackle one of the most pressing questions of the modern era: If machines are increasingly doing the thinking for us, what happens to our own ability to think?

🔥 Discussion Highlights

1. The Irony of Automation
We dive into the "irony of automation," a theory from the 1980s stating that as we automate complex tasks, humans shift from "operators" to "supervisors." Over time, the critical skills needed to intervene or judge quality begin to weaken. We explore how this is playing out in today’s knowledge work.

2. Writing as a Thinking Tool
Charli Nordone explains why writing isn’t just communication—it’s how we process and structure our thoughts. When we outsource the first draft to AI, are we accidentally outsourcing the very thinking that makes our work valuable?

3. The Case for Human Authenticity
Gabrielle Dolan highlights the "AI vs. AI" loop, where machines write resumes and machines screen them. She argues that in a world of machine-generated content, authentic, personal storytelling is the only way to build genuine trust and connection.

4. Leadership & Curiosity
Paul Spiers discusses why leaders must move beyond seeing AI as a "productivity plug-in" and instead treat it as a foundational change. He shares how to foster "curiosity with context" to ensure employees feel empowered rather than replaced.

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

🎙️ Connect with our Guests

Charli Nordone


Website: www.thebetterwritingstore.com


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


Instagram: www.instagram.com/betterwritingstore

Gabrielle Dolan


Website: gabrielledolan.com


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


Instagram: @gabrielledolan.1

Paul Spiers


Website: paulspiers.com | principlesandleadership.com


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

🆘 Mental Health Support

UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org

UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit mind.org.uk

US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org

Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au

Global helplines: findahelpline.com

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioral science meets workplace culture. Part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

If you’re a founder who has built something brilliant but finds the idea of 'selling' it a little bit icky, this episode is for you. Today, we’re joined by Thomas Waites, a fractional Chief Revenue Officer and startup advisor who has scaled multiple companies from seed stage to successful acquisition.

Thomas takes a refreshingly contrarian view of sales. He argues that the very traits many founders think disqualify them from sales—honesty, empathy, and a hatred for pushiness—are actually their greatest competitive advantages.

🔥 What we cover in this episode:


The "Rainmaker" Reimagined: Why a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) is about more than just closing deals—it’s about owning the entire customer revenue journey.


The Tattoo Bet: The incredible story of how a team culture of "tattoo bets" led Thomas to ink a bull on his shoulder after closing a massive deal with 40,000 Warner Brothers employees.


Sales for STEM Founders: How highly analytical, introverted founders can become world-class at sales by treating it like an engineering problem.


The 75/25 Rule: Why the best salespeople speak only 25% of the time and how "negative reverse selling" can turn a 'no' into a 'yes' by simply respecting the prospect's boundaries.


Building Your Sales Team: Why your first hire should NOT be a VP of Sales or a CRO, and the specific progression founders should follow to scale their revenue.

🧠 Key Takeaways


Honesty is a Competitive Advantage: Most prospects expect to be lied to. When you are transparent about what your product can’t do, you build instant, unshakeable trust.


Sell to Emotions, Not Just Logic: While logic supports a purchase, emotions drive it. Avoid "information overload" and focus on the pain you are solving.


Hire Junior First: Start with a Business Development Representative (BDR) to fill the pipeline while you, the founder, continue to close. Only bring in a senior sales leader once the process is proven.

🔗 Connect with Thomas Waites
– Website: https://twsales.com
– Live Call-In Show: https://twsales.com/live-call-in-show/
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaswaites/

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines
https://findahelpline.com

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning podcast where behavioral science meets workplace culture. Part of the HubSpot Podcast Network.

This week, we explore Microsoft’s new retirement strategy, NVIDIA’s radical management secrets, and the one wellbeing investment most businesses are overlooking. Plus, we debunk a legendary psychological model and answer your burning questions about toxic top performers and small business culture.

🔥 Stories Covered

1. Is Microsoft Quietly

Microsoft has launched a first-of-its-kind voluntary retirement program for U.S. employees whose age plus years of service equals 70 or more.


The Targeted Group: Open to staff at senior director level and below.


The Strategic Shift: While framed as giving employees choice, it comes as Microsoft pivots heavily toward AI infrastructure, potentially reshaping its traditional software workforce.


Reward Changes: The company is also decoupling stock awards from cash bonuses to give managers more flexibility in rewarding high performers.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/microsoft-plans-first-voluntary-retirement-program-for-us-employees.html

2. The $5 Trillion CEO: Jensen Huang’s Radical Rules

NVIDIA recently crossed the $5 trillion mark, and CEO Jensen Huang did it by breaking every rule in the management handbook.


Flat Structure: Huang has 55 direct reports—nearly 10x the corporate average.


Equal Pay: He pays all 55 top executives the exact same cash bonus, removing internal "status games."


No 1:1s: Information is shared with everyone at once to eliminate power asymmetry and speed up decision-making.
Source: https://x.com/i/web/status/2048559374499778778

3. The Wellbeing Investment You’re Overlooking

While most companies spend on gym memberships and apps, the data suggests that employee development is the real driver of wellbeing.


The Progress Problem: Research suggests low engagement is often a "progress problem," not a "perks problem."


Retention Secret: 73% of employees would stay longer if their company invested more in learning and development.


Science-Backed: Competence is a core human need in Self-Determination Theory, directly linked to lower burnout.
Source: https://wellbeingmagazine.com/why-employee-development-is-the-wellbeing-investment-most-businesses-overlook/

🧠 Truth or Lie: The Kübler-Ross Change Curve

We’ve all seen the "Stages of Grief" applied to corporate change. Business Psychologist Matt Furness joins us to reveal whether research actually supports using a model designed for terminally ill patients as a roadmap for office restructuring.

Connect with Matt:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewfurness/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BpQVxZf%2FySxyM5bnSu94bNQ%3D%3D
Click Culture: https://www.clickculture.co.uk/

💬 Workplace Surgery

This week, we tackle three tough listener dilemmas:


The "Checked Out" Employee: Is "quiet quitting" the inevitable result of mandated return-to-office policies?


The Toxic High Performer: Can you ever justify keeping a salesperson who hits their targets but destroys your culture?


Culture vs. Cash: At what point does a "small business family" culture lose out to a £15k pay rise elsewhere?

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines
https://findahelpline.com