Return to People

Return to People

Great employee experiences don’t happen because of location - they're shaped by empathetic leaders. Join us to hear real-world stories from executives, founders, and people operations professionals who've successfully created thriving employee experiences within remote and hybrid teams. Each episode highlights real-world experiences, insights, and lessons learned from sustaining culture at scale to fostering meaningful social connections beyond the office, providing listeners with actionable insights for building better workplaces. Hosted by remote work expert and keynote speaker Kaleem Clarkson, whose passion for work-life integration and improving remote employee experiences has earned recognition as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Remote Work and featured in Harvard Business Review.

Episodes

Customer-Centric Strategies: Scale Your Business with Trust - ep. #011

December 3, 2025 • 29 mins
In this week’s Return to People episode, host Kaleem Clarkson sits down with Bruce Reading, President and CEO of Act!, for an inspiring conversation on leadership, engagement, and transformation in today’s hybrid workplace. With decades of experience leading global tech companies, Bruce has built billion-dollar categories, returned over $1.4 billion to investors, and hired more than 500 people across multiple continents. Now, his ...
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Proven Strategies for Stronger, Happier Teams: Transforming Workplace Culture - ep. #010

November 19, 2025 • 30 mins
How do you create a thriving culture when your team rarely meets in person? In this episode of the Return to People podcast, Kaleem Clarkson sits down with HR leader Jessica Lorello to unpack the realities of building connection, engagement, and trust in a fully remote environment. Jessica shares the hidden weight of “culture switching,” the constant adaptation employees face when navigating different communication styles and exp...
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The Power of Mentorship: Enhancing Remote Collaboration - ep. #009

November 11, 2025 • 27 mins
What does it take to build trust, engagement, and creativity in a hybrid workplace? In this week’s Return to People Podcast, host Kaleem Clarkson sits down with Andy LeDuc, Vice President of Digital Strategy & Operations at Mueller Communications, to explore how organizations can thrive in the new world of hybrid work. With nearly two decades of experience in marketing, digital transformation, and business strategy, Andy shares ac...
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Redefining Your Meeting Culture: Insights from Fellow’s CEO - ep. #008

October 29, 2025 • 33 mins
What does it take to build a thriving remote culture and transform how teams meet? In this episode of the Return to People Podcast, host Kaleem Clarkson talks with Aydin Mirzaee, co-founder and CEO of Fellow, the AI-powered meeting assistant helping organizations improve collaboration before, during, and after every meeting. Drawing from his experience founding Fluidware (acquired by SurveyMonkey) and Fresh Founders, Aydin shares ...
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Innovating Climate Solutions: Tech for Good - ep. #007

October 15, 2025 • 33 mins
How do you build strong remote teams while tackling global challenges? In the latest episode of the Return to People Podcast, host Kaleem Clarkson talks with Guy Bayes, co-founder of Vibrant Planet and veteran engineering leader with over 20 years of experience at Lyft, Facebook, and Lawrence Livermore National Labs. Today, Guy is applying his expertise to climate tech, building remote-first teams dedicated to wildfire remediation....
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Creating Career Paths for Remote and Hybrid Teams - ep. #006

October 1, 2025 • 25 mins
In the latest episode of the Return to People Podcast, host Kaleem Clarkson speaks with Christine Pope, CEO of Tax Valet, a fully remote, B-Corp certified company transforming sales tax services. Christine has grown the company from six employees to over 80, all while maintaining a culture of connection, trust, and growth. Her experiences offer actionable insights for leaders navigating the complexities of remote work. One of the ...
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Scaling Growth: Lessons from a Remote Success Story - ep. #005

September 17, 2025 • 28 mins
In the latest episode of the Return to People Podcast, we sit down with Brandon Bowers, Chief Operating Officer of SMB Team, to explore the evolving world of hybrid and remote work. With years of experience leading teams through periods of rapid change, Brandon shares actionable insights on navigating the challenges of workplace flexibility while maintaining strong culture, engagement, and performance. One of the biggest challenge...
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Enhancing Workplace Flexibility to Improve Employee Well-being and Productivity - ep. #004

September 2, 2025 • 24 mins
In the latest episode of the Return to People Podcast, we’re joined by Caroline Yost, VP of People at Serenity Kids and a powerhouse in the world of People & Culture. With over a decade of experience scaling high-growth organizations, Caroline has built her career on fostering human-centered, high-performance teams in fast-paced environments. At Serenity Kids, she leads with empathy, strategy, and a deep commitment to building incl...
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How to Strengthen Trust and Connection in a Remote-First Organization - ep. #003

August 19, 2025 • 39 mins
What does it take to rebuild a thriving remote-first workplace culture after a crisis while staying true to a mission that spans the globe? In this new episode of Return to People Podcast, host Kaleem Clarkson speaks with Scott Marshall, President & CEO of the Institute for Shipboard Education, home to the iconic Semester at Sea program. Scott shares how his purpose-driven nonprofit rebuilt its global workplace culture around flex...
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Building Remote Teams That Outperform Office Workers - ep. 002

August 6, 2025 • 16 mins
Meet Hari Srinivasan, CEO and co-founder of iCover, who's revolutionizing life insurance with a 5-minute, AI-driven application process. In this episode of Return To People Podcast, Hari shares his journey from immigrating to the U.S. in 1998 to building two tech companies from Missouri—including a fully remote iCover, long before it was trendy. But this isn't just a tech story—it's a playbook for remote work done right. Hari dive...
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Blended by Design: Building Better Remote Employee Experiences with Jennifer Cameron - ep. #001

July 23, 2025 • 26 mins
In the premiere episode of Return to People, host Kaleem Clarkson sits down with Jennifer Cameron, CEO of Blend Me, Inc., to unpack what it truly takes to build high-performing, people-first remote workplaces. With a background in HR and communications—and a master’s degree from the University of Connecticut—Jennifer shares decades of insight into shaping inclusive, resilient, and remote-ready cultures. The conversation begins wit...
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Return To People Launches on July 23 - Subscribe Today!

July 11, 2025 • 1 min
Mark your calendar for July 23rd! In this quick teaser, co-hosts Kaleem Clarkson shares what’s coming next on Return To People—from honest chats with visionary HR leaders to on-the-ground interviews at top industry conferences. Hear why putting people first remains the ultimate competitive advantage. Subscribe now so you’re ready when the season kicks off! 18e8f23f684e68980593e82a2e907bb6d905de99 Learn more about your ad choic...
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