In this episode of True Stories at Work, host Michelle Aronson sits down with Stella, an HR executive, who shares her journey from sales to Human Resources during the 2009 housing crisis. Stella opens up about the art of building a strong company culture, highlights the core values driving her employees, and reflects on her career journey across three different industries. Don’t miss the workplace confession to find out what happens when three people try to hide in the same closet—for very different reasons!

00:00 Introduction

03:12 Stella’s Story

09:12 Stories at Work

22:22 Workplace Confession: The Closet Incident

24:48 Culture + Strategy Lab

25:04 Haiku for Stella

Resources

Curious about the importance of culture or where to begin building one, here are some links to get started:

Corporate Culture In A New Era: Views From The C-suite (harvard.edu)

Changing Company Culture Requires a Movement, Not a Mandate (hbr.org)

Stella drops some wisdom:

Stella’s favorite resources? Other HR professionals. Building a network of experts as a sounding board is essential—especially if they’re smarter than you! And don’t forget to offer support in return. Stella’s best friend, a labor & employment attorney, is a prime example of how handy these connections can be. Nurture your network so you’re always one connection away from the answer or advice you need.

Stories are what we remember and how we connect, so please share yours with me

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Make a Workplace Confession

Host: Michelle Aronson

Editor: Bella Hutchins