Toot or Boot

Toot or Boot brings you unfiltered conversations about work — straight from HR insiders who aren’t afraid to tell the truth. With a rotating crew of progressive HR leaders, we break down the latest news and trends to show what’s really happening and why it matters for your job. Whether you’re in HR or just trying to survive your 9-to-5, expect real talk, practical advice, and the occasional laugh to get you through the chaos of modern work. To find out more, check out tootorboot.com

Toot or Boot is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 52 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Toot or Boot, a business show with 52 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #1

  Why Employees Disengage and What Leaders Miss

  Mar 10, 202642 minS4

  <p>Disengagement at work is often framed as an attitude problem. But what if it’s actually a nervous system response?</p> <p>In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall sits down with HR leader and psychology-trained strategist Erica Spitale to unpack the deeper forces behind workplace disengagement, trust, and emotional safety. Together they explore why employees withdraw when environments feel unsafe, how organizations misunderstand emotions at work, and why productivity without humanity simply doesn’t last.</p> <p>The conversation digs into the complex reality of modern work: employees bringing global crises, economic stress, and personal uncertainty into...

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  Episode #8

  Why HR needs to move on from SHRM

  Dec 16, 202550 minS3

  <p>For decades, SHRM has been the institution shaping HR standards, HR certifications, and workplace policy. But as political tensions rise, protections erode, and credibility questions grow louder, HR leaders are asking a new question: What happens when the largest HR organization in the world stops representing workers — and starts representing itself?</p> <p>In this packed, no-nonsense episode of Toot or Boot originally recorded in November 2024, Stacey Nordwall sits down with Sarika Lamont, Tracie Sponenberg, and Morgan Williams to unpack the long, complicated history of SHRM’s decisions and the ripple effects those choices have had on the HR prof...

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  Toot or Boot

  Behind the curtain of AI hiring tools

  Dec 9, 20251h 9mS3

  <p>Hiring has never felt more confusing — for candidates, recruiters, or the HR teams stuck in the middle. Between ATS myths, bad advice on TikTok, the Mobley v. Workday lawsuit, and a flood of AI-powered recruiting tools no one fully understands, it’s no surprise people are frustrated and misinformed.</p> <p>In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall is joined by talent experts Dani Herrera and T. Tara Turk-Haynes to pull back the curtain on what actually happens behind the scenes of recruiting. They break down common ATS misconceptions, explain how knockout questions really work, unpack the rise...

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  Episode #6

  Why Niceness Fails and Nerve Matters

  Dec 2, 202546 minS3

  <p>We’ve been taught that “nice” is the goal at work — be pleasant, be agreeable, don’t rock the boat. But what if niceness is actually keeping us stuck, silencing truth-tellers, and protecting the status quo?</p> <p><br>In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall sits down with author and communications strategist Amira Barger to unpack her new book The Price of Nice — a fierce, funny, deeply human guide to understanding how performative niceness, forced neutrality, and “civility” are used to silence real people and reinforce harmful systems.</p> <p><br>They explore why truth-telling gets punished, how identit...

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  Episode #5

  Authenticity, identity, and being human at work

  Nov 24, 202551 minS3

  <p>Work shouldn’t be the worst part of your week — but for too many people, it still is.</p> <p>In this episode of Toot or Boot, Stacey Nordwall talks with Madison Butler — author of Let Them See You — about what it really means to show up as yourself at work, even when systems weren’t built for you. Together, they unpack authenticity, burnout, boundaries, and what happens when companies say they value “culture fit” but really mean “sameness.”</p> <p>Madison shares the story that sparked her journey toward radical authenticity — from code-switching and corporate conformity to refusing to straighten her ha...

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