The Nicole Barbano Podcast: Nothing But Opportunity
Most career and business advice explains how the system is supposed to work. Host Nicole Barbano reveals how it actually works—and where the real leverage is hiding. Over a 20-year career in executive search, Nicole built a national firm from the ground up, placed over 1,000 leaders, advised organizations from health systems to Fortune 1000 enterprises, and authored The HIRE. Now, she pulls back the curtain through candid conversations, insider case studies, and actionable analysis on modern talent markets, AI implementation, executive strategy, and the future of work. This show is built for CEOs, solopreneurs, high earners, and ambitious operators who refuse to settle for outdated advice. The core premise is simple: the legacy playbook is broken, which means the field is wide open for those who know where to look. No recycled HR platitudes. Just ground-truth playbooks on work, business, leverage, and building a career and a life well lived. Note for existing listeners: Earlier archive episodes were originally released under the Hunter Ambrose Leadership Podcast, produced by the executive search firm Nicole founded.
Episodes
A successful job search requires more than a polished résumé and strong interview skills. You need clarity about what you want, what you bring to an organization, and how to communicate your value with confidence.
In this episode, Nicole Barbano shares five essential questions every job seeker should be prepared to answer. Whether you are actively searching, considering a career pivot, or positioning yourself...
In this episode of the Hunter Ambrose Leadership Podcast, Nicole Barbano sits down with Sarah Walker, Founder and Principal Designer of Nuance Interior Design, for a conversation about how our homes shape the way we live, recover, lead, and connect.
Sarah shares her philosophy of the home as a “psychological inheritance” and explains why thoughtful design goes far beyond aesthetics. From sleep, ci...
From Venezuela and the Peace Corps to global infrastructure and water leadership, Erich Pacheco shares lessons on resilience, urban growth, water scarcity, data centers, and the systems that keep communities alive.
Connect with Erich Pacheco on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejpacheco/
Pre-order Nicole Barbano’s new book, The Hire:
https://shorturl.at/NAce4
Don’t forget ...
In this episode, Jim Basch breaks down what actually separates failing rural hospitals from thriving ones, starting with the one metric boards ignore until it's too late: days cash on hand.
Jim is a healthcare finance leader who specializes in turnarounds for critical access and community hospitals. He walks through the operational levers CFOs can pull right now—from zero-based budgeting and staffing discipline...
In this episode, Nicole Barbano, CEO at Hunter Ambrose International, sits down with Dr. Xavier Clark to talk about leadership, communication, workplace culture, and what it will take to build healthier organizations in a post-COVID world.
Dr. Clark brings a rare perspective shaped by federal leadership, organizational strategy, accessibility, and higher education. This conversation explores why so many workplaces co...
Hunter Ambrose Podcast | A Conversation with Stephen Roose, Co-Founder of Savva.ai
In this episode, I sit down with Stephen Roose, Co-Founder of Savva.ai, to talk about a new chapter in how we understand our health.
Savva takes the fragmented pieces of your medical life—records, labs, medications, specialist notes, wearables, fitness data—and brings them together in one place. Then, instead of relying on a...
In this episode of the Hunter Ambrose Podcast, Nicole Barbano, CEO of Hunter Ambrose, is joined by co-host Robert Cavagnol, MD, MHA, FACS, for a compelling conversation with Eric Collett, CEO, and Randy Vawdrey, FNP-C, AANP, founders of A Mind For All Seasons — a company dedicated to transforming brain health, cognitive performance, and dementia care.
With decades of leadership and clinical experience, Eric and...
As President of St. Luke's North and Critical Access Region, in Kansas City, Missouri, Darren leads both urban hospitals and rural facilities in towns of 9,000 people. He's raised $43 million to build a hospital, navigated government shutdowns, and he's watching AI transform healthcare in real-time.
In this conversation, Darren shares what separates thriving hospitals from struggling ones. Why every employee should u...
In this episode of The Hunter Ambrose Podcast, host Nicole Barbano speaks with Colin Carmody, a business advisor with The Alternative Board – South Africa.
Colin works with business owners and leadership teams to move from chaos to clarity—helping them build companies that work for them, not against them. He empowers leaders to improve their business and change their lives.
Nicole and Colin explore what ma...
Arvita Tripati has guided multiple AI-powered medical devices through FDA clearance, including mobile EKG analysis and COVID testing systems. She's contributed to $2B+ in enterprise healthcare revenue with organizations like NHS, Gilead, and American Red Cross.
In this episode, Arvita shares insights on navigating FDA regulatory pathways, the distinction between customer pain points and market demand, and emerging he...
What happens when a physician-executive and former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander sits down with the founder of a national executive search firm with two decades of experience in rural healthcare? You get a raw, data-driven conversation about what’s working, what’s failing, and what’s next for American medicine.
In this episode of The Hunter Ambrose Podcast, Nicole Barbano and Robert Cavagnol, MD, M...
Your job search begins with you. Join executive coach and founder Nicole Barbano as she explores the 4Fs Framework—First, Fitness, Finances, and Family—to help you take control of your career and land your next role with clarity and confidence.
To learn more, visit NicoleBarbano.com
In this special episode, Three Voices – One Calling, we share the powerful and personal stories of leadership from Helen Morrison, Leslie Mahoney, and Nicole Thorell.
Though their paths differ, these three RN leaders share a common purpose—and their stories offer insight, clarity, and inspiration for anyone navigating leadership today.
To register for the RN Leader Ascent Masterclass starting July 8th, vis...
What questions should healthcare leaders really be asking? Andrew Manzer, a Hospital executive and Fordham University faculty member, joins us to discuss leading through complexity, transforming systems, and the mindset today’s healthcare executives need.
To connect with Andy-
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-manzer-1b21477/
To learn more, visit NicoleBarbano.com
Nicole sits down with Kyle Kellum, CEO of Melham Memorial—a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital—to talk rural healthcare, leadership, and why psychological safety at work matters. From his start in radiology to the C-suite, Kyle shares real-world strategies for patient care, recruitment, and helping rural hospitals catch up to urban models. This one’s for anyone ready to rethink healthcare leadership....
In this episode of the Hunter Ambrose Podcast, Nicole Barbano speaks with Leslie Mahoney, RN, about her 50-year nursing journey—from a Catholic hospital in the 1960s to hospice care today. They explore the evolution of nursing, ICU leadership, onboarding, and the importance of preventative care. Leslie shares powerful stories on navigating hospital policies, budgets before Excel, and patient advocacy.
In this Hunter Ambrose podcast, host Nicole Barbano interviews Joel Metzger, General Manager of Utica Water and Power Authority in California. Joel traces his journey from journalism to managing a historic Sierra Nevada water system, addressing infrastructure, wildfires, regulations, and California’s water future. He shares insights on risk management, recycling, and bold sustainability policies amid climate c...
Nicole sits down with Holly Tavernier, CHRO at Lower Umpqua Hospital on the Oregon Coast. As a legacy client at Hunter Ambrose, Holly shares insights with Nicole on what drives successful, often innovative recruitment and top-tier HR practices tailored to rural America.
To learn more, visit NicoleBarbano.com
In this episode of the Hunter Ambrose Podcast, host Nicole Barbano is joined by Doug Morse, a seasoned healthcare executive and founder of Rural Zealot, to discuss the unique challenges and strategies for rural healthcare. Doug shares his perspective on creating sustainable healthcare models, the critical role of economic development, and the need for strategic clarity amid community and financial pressures. They de...
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