In this episode of Secrets of the C-Suite, Susan and Juliet are joined by HR expert and founder of Destination HR Consulting, Dena Grunt, for a candid conversation on leadership, growth and the human side of HR.

Dena shares her unexpected path into human resources, pivoting from speech pathology after discovering the work fit her strengths and desire to help people. Her career spans legal, hospitality and executive leadership, including running a hospitality business where she learned on the job in a way that felt like earning an MBA in real time.

Now a business owner, she reflects on the realities of solopreneurship—from doing everything yourself to recognizing when it’s time to bring in support. Her experience finding the right hire highlights the courage and trust it takes to hand over parts of your business to someone else.

The conversation also explores how AI is showing up in HR. Dena shares how she uses it as a thinking partner and emphasizes that meaningful outputs depend on the right inputs. While a powerful tool for handling tactical work, it can’t replace the human connection at the core of leadership.

Dena also shares a memorable HR moment that shows just how unpredictable—and human—this work can be. At the heart of the episode is a key insight: people rarely leave because of salary or workload. They leave when they no longer feel seen, heard or valued—a leadership problem no algorithm can solve.

This episode is packed with practical insights, personal stories and leadership lessons you can apply whether you’re leading a team, running your own business, or navigating the complexities of HR today.

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——— Connect with your hosts ———

Email Juliet: julietclothier@gmail.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.julietclothier.com

Email Susan: susan@susanasutherland.com
LinkedIn / Instagram / www.susanasutherland.com

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