Employee engagement is broken, and traditional surveys aren’t helping.

In this episode of MustardHub Voices: Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes sits down with Anish Satpute, founder of Reventa, to explore how AI is reshaping the way organizations understand their people. Drawing from his global upbringing, early entrepreneurship, and deep curiosity about human connection, Anish shares how personal experiences with loneliness and social dynamics led him into HR tech.

The conversation dives into why legacy engagement surveys produce low-quality insights, how conversational, AI-driven feedback can uncover real root causes, and why discovery — not dashboards — is the most overlooked stage of people strategy. Anish also offers thoughtful perspectives on bias in AI, employee trust, and what HR leaders must do to stay relevant as work, roles, and organizational structures evolve.

This episode is a must-watch for HR leaders, founders, and operators who want to use AI operationally and strategically to build more human workplaces.



About Anish:

Having grown up an introvert, Anish started his first business in an effort to deeply understand human relationships: both for himself, and then to facilitate this for others. Anish’s curiosity about changing social dynamics, including in corporate settings, led to Reventa. Reventa serves as the adoption layer for AI in the workforce, starting by reimagining employee engagement and the legacy survey model.

Anish Satpute on Rethinking Employee Engagement in an AI-Driven Workplace

Franchising isn’t about systems alone. It’s about people.

In this episode of MustardHub Voices: Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes sits down with JT Thiessen, a 33-year veteran of the franchise industry who has helped grow and develop 18 different brands. JT shares how an early college project unexpectedly launched his career, why franchising is a distribution model, and what founders often misunderstand about growth.

The conversation explores what makes a business truly ready to franchise, how to vet both brands and franchisees, and why listening is the most underrated leadership skill in the franchise world. JT also discusses hiring and retention challenges, the impact of AI on frontline and entry-level work, and why human skills like empathy and communication will matter more — not less — in the future of work.

This episode is a must-watch for franchisors, franchisees, and operators building people-driven businesses at scale.



About JT:

JT is a 33-year veteran of the franchise industry, where he has had the good fortune of leading Development teams for 18 brands.  His passion for franchising stems from the positive transformations that he has witnessed in the lives of his teammates and the franchisees he put in business, including his mother, brother, sisters, and nephew.  He resides in Coto de Caza, CA, with his wife and two college-age children.

JT Thiessen on What Makes Franchising Work

In the very first episode of MustardHub Voices: From the Frontlines, Julie sits down with Ruthann Peace Brown, a longtime Primrose Schools franchise owner, educator, and founder of RPB Consulting.

Ruthann shares what it really looks like to lead from inside the business—through COVID, staffing shortages, growth, and personal burnout—while still building a culture where people want to stay. Drawing from her background in teaching and entrepreneurship, she breaks down why retention is often about simple human connection, not expensive perks, and why delegation is one of the hardest (and most necessary) leadership skills to learn.

This conversation explores work-life balance in frontline environments, generational shifts in expectations, and the uncomfortable but freeing process of letting go so others can lead. It’s an honest, funny, and deeply practical discussion for owners and operators who want to build sustainable businesses and still have a life outside of work.

Workplace Happiness, Retention, and Letting Go with Ruthann Peace Brown

Hiring is broken for both candidates and employers.

In this episode of MustardHub Voices: Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes sits down with Peter Dalton, Co-Founder and CRO of Veton, an AI-powered hiring platform that automates resume screening and early interviews while giving every candidate a fair shot.

Peter shares what pulled him into HR tech after years of sales leadership, why application volume and fake candidates have become a serious problem, and how AI can help hiring teams focus on what actually matters: human connection, quality of hire, and better decision-making. The conversation explores recruiter anxiety around AI, leadership’s role in change management, and why the goal isn’t replacing recruiters — it’s freeing them from administrative overload.

This episode is a must-watch for HR leaders and operators who want to use AI responsibly to improve hiring outcomes without losing trust or humanity.



About Peter:

Peter Dalton is Co-Founder and CRO of Veton, an AI hiring platform that automates resume screening and first-round interviews so every candidate gets a fair shot and companies reach the right people faster. Before Veton, he spent nearly two decades leading high-performing sales teams at both startups and global enterprises, known for building new revenue streams, coaching teams through rapid growth, and consistently outperforming targets. He combines deep sales leadership experience with a practical view of what it takes to scale teams today.

Peter Dalton on How AI Can Fix a Broken Hiring Process

Anxiety doesn’t have to be a liability at work.

In this episode of MustardHub Voices: Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes sits down with Dr. David Rosmarin — Harvard Medical School psychologist, author of Thriving with Anxiety, and founder of the Center for Anxiety — to unpack how leaders can rethink stress, performance, and mental health in the workplace.

Dr. Rosmarin explains the difference between clinical anxiety, which requires professional support, and everyday human anxiety, which shows up around deadlines, change, leadership decisions, and growth. Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety altogether, he shares why learning to work with it can actually improve focus, connection, and resilience.

The conversation also explores how AI, remote work, and constant connectivity impact stress levels, why some workplace wellness efforts miss the mark, and why meaningful change starts with leadership self-awareness and healthy relationships.

This episode is a must-watch for leaders who want high performance without sacrificing humanity.



About David:

Dr. David Rosmarin helps corporate leaders, HR professionals, and high-performing teams leverage anxiety to drive performance, resilience, and innovation.

As a Harvard Medical School psychologist, author of Thriving with Anxiety, and speaker for Fortune 500 companies, he has spent two decades translating cutting-edge mental health research into practical strategies for the workplace. His approach reframes anxiety as a leadership asset - not a liability.

Whether he’s speaking on a global stage, consulting with organizations, or working one-on-one with executives, his goal is simple: to help people perform at their best without suppressing their humanity.

Dr. David Rosmarin on Using Anxiety to Improve Performance at Work

In this episode of Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes speaks with Steven Lu, co-founder and CEO of Pin, about building recruiting technology by staying close to users. Steven traces his journey from writing code as a teenager to founding Interstellar (later acquired by Greenhouse) and launching his latest company.

They discuss why sourcing software emerged from sales tools, how top recruiters really operate, and why automation should enhance personalization — not replace it. Steven also reflects on failure as a prerequisite for success, staying hands-on as a founder, and why curiosity matters more than credentials.

This episode is perfect for product leaders, founders, and operators building people-focused technology.

About Steven:

Steve is the CEO and Co-Founder of Pin.com, a sourcing platform that's changing the way we search for candidates. Steve was also the CEO and co-founder of another sourcing platform called Interseller which later sold to Greenhouse in 2021. He entered the world of HR-tech in 2016 but still has his passion in writing code and building products.

How Founders Build HR Tech That Recruiters Actually Use with Steven Lu

In this episode of Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes welcomes Dr. Anna Tavis — NYU professor, author, and global HR thought leader — for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of work.

Dr. Tavis shares how her background in linguistics, philosophy, and global business shaped her view of HR as the place where identity, ambition, and culture converge. She reflects on navigating large-scale layoffs during the financial crisis and how that experience ultimately led her back to academia with a renewed mission: preparing leaders for complexity, ethics, and uncertainty.

Together, they explore why AI will force organizations to rediscover what makes humans valuable and why leadership must evolve beyond efficiency alone.

This episode challenges leaders to rethink work not just as output, but as a human system.



About Anna:

Dr. Anna Tavis is Clinical Professor and Chair of the Human Capital Management Department at NYU’s School of Professional Studies. As Department Chair, she leads three MS degree programs in the Human Capital Management Portfolio: Human Capital Management; Human Capital Analytics and Technology and Executive Coaching and Organizational Consulting. Additionally, Dr. Tavis manages five HCM certificate programs. She is the co-author of several books. Her newest title is The Digital Coaching Revolution.

Prior to joining the NYU faculty, Dr. Tavis navigated a diverse global career in business, consulting and academia. In business, Dr. Tavis was the Head of Motorola’s EMEA OD function based in London, Nokia’s Global Head of Talent Management based in Helsinki, United Technologies Corporation’s Chief Learning Officer, and she was the Global Head of Talent and Organizational Development with AIG Investments. In academia, Dr. Travis was on the faculty at Columbia University, Williams College, and Fairfield University.

Dr. Tavis is a frequent presenter at international conferences on the topics of Future of Work; People Analytics and Technology; Employee Experience; and Intelligent Automation in the Workplace. She is a Senior Fellow with the Conference Board and is the Academic in Residence with Executive Networks. She is the former Executive Editor of People+Strategy Journal, a publication of SHRM’s Executive Network and she is currently an Associate Editor of Workforce Solutions Review, a publication of the International Association for Human Resource Information Management.

Rediscovering Humanity at Work in an AI-Driven World with Dr. Anna Tavis

Employee experience isn’t an HR problem — it’s a business one.

In this episode of Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes is joined by Zach Chertok, Senior Research Manager for Employee Experience at IDC and faculty member at Columbia University. Zach brings a rare perspective shaped by engineering, public policy, workforce strategy, and market research.

They explore what employee experience actually means beyond surveys and perks, why stress is managed more often than measured, and how leaders can better connect data, communication, and workforce outcomes. Zach explains how vendors, buyers, and investors interpret EX differently and where organizations often get it wrong.

The conversation also covers recognition as a source of performance insight, the future of work in an AI-driven world, and why leaders must focus on augmentation rather than replacement.

This episode is essential for leaders who want clarity around employee experience.



About Zach:



Zach Chertok is the Senior Research Manager for Employee Experience at IDC. There he looks at all aspects of how organizations support, equip, and enable employee journeys to ultimately benefit from them across modeled KPIs. He has been in the labor and organizational management space for 17 years on various sides of the technology and services sectors that enable companies to optimize success with their people. In that time, Zach has had the opportunity to work in and with a lot of different industrial sectors spanning a variety of organizational sizes to understand and advise through various perspectives on tech, organizational management, project planning, and more. Today, he brings that advisory to IDC, leading IDC's EX practice while also teaching at Columbia University.

Zach Chertok on What Employee Experience Really Means

Some of the best companies aren’t planned — they’re built out of necessity.

In this episode of Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes talks with Marc Villella, founder and CTO of GryphonHR, about how a career in technology unexpectedly led him into the world of compliance and entrepreneurship.

Marc shares how an early passion for engineering evolved into consulting, leadership, and eventually founding a work eligibility and compliance platform focused on Form I-9 and E-Verify. What started as solving real problems for real employers became a scalable SaaS business serving organizations that couldn’t afford to get compliance wrong.

The conversation explores entrepreneurship after acquisition, the realities of timing, and why compliance is often underestimated until it becomes urgent. Marc also discusses balancing hands-on technical work with leadership and growth.

This episode is ideal for anyone who believes the best products start with practical pain points.



About Marc:

Marc boasts over two decades of expertise in business and IT. His extensive background spans Form I-9 and E-Verify compliance, business management, software product development, project management, security, risk and compliance management, and continuous process improvement. Notable accomplishments include creating multimillion-dollar SaaS platforms, guiding future CEOs, and offering valuable insights into Form I-9 and E-Verify.

Marc Villella on Building a Compliance Company by Solving Real Problems

In this episode of Behind the Build, Curtis Forbes sits down with Joshua Siler, founder and CEO of HiringThing, to explore how frustration turned into a 15-year SaaS journey.

Joshua shares how his background in marketing automation led him to build an internal hiring tool simply to escape email-based recruiting chaos. That side project eventually became HiringThing — now used by thousands of companies.

They discuss naming a SaaS product, growing through multiple market cycles, mentoring entrepreneurs through SCORE, and why building something better often starts with refusing to accept “this is just how it works.”

This conversation is a reminder that the best HR tech often comes from outsiders who see inefficiencies clearly.



About Josh:

Joshua Siler is the Founder & CEO of HiringThing, the award-winning recruiting platform that enables thousands of companies everywhere to tackle recruiting challenges. Joshua is highly focused on delivering great technology, and brings both an engineering and product management background to HiringThing. Prior to starting HiringThing, he served as the VP of Technology for a relationship marketing agency where he designed marketing strategies and innovative software solutions for clients. When not building great software, Joshua can be found building in the woodshop and volunteering with his local SCORE chapter.

How Joshua Siler Built a Recruiting Platform

Explore what truly creates workplace happiness, builds a better culture, and drives greater engagement for the entire workforce — from the suits in the C-suite to team members on the frontlines. Get real-world insights and practical strategies to recognize, retain, elevate, and empower teams. From engaging interviews with thought leaders in our Voices web series to step-by-step how-tos, MustardHub helps you operationalize great culture and design the workplace of tomorrow... today. MustardHub Voices: Behind The Build addresses these hot topics and more with business leaders, entrepreneurs, HR professionals, consultants, coaches, researchers, and other brilliant minds committed to building, engaging, and elevating culture-driven, high-performing teams.

Fireside Chats: Behind The Build

MustardHub Voices: From the Frontlines takes you inside the businesses where great leadership happens in real time. Hear from owners, operators, and managers who aren’t behind closed doors — they’re right there with their teams, serving customers, solving problems, and setting the tone. From healthcare and childcare to retail, hospitality, home services, and more, our guests share what it really takes to keep people engaged, operations running smoothly, and customers coming back. You’ll walk away with actionable ideas, inspiring stories, and a deeper look at how leaders make an impact where the work and the magic happen.

Julie Ewald

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