My Friend in HR | Podcast Guru

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Named Best Business Podcast at the 2026 Black Podcasting Awards. My Friend in HR is the mentor you call when work stops making sense. Host Njsane Courtney has spent more than two decades leading HR for global organizations, and he tells you the things HR people usually only say to each other. Why the promotion went to someone else. How raises really get decided. What to say when the offer comes in low. When it's time to stay, and when it's time to go. Every episode leaves you with something you can use at work this week. The exact words for a salary negotiation. A five-step plan for getting out from under a micromanager. How to present to executives so they don't tune out in the first minute. How to lead a team when nobody trained you to. You'll also hear from business leaders on the career moves that worked for them and the ones that didn't. If you're an employee who wants a fair shot, a new manager figuring it out as you go, or an executive who's tired of hearing what people think you want to hear, pull up a chair. Streaming in 20+ countries. New episodes, the monthly newsletter, and more at mfihr.com. Your job is meant to support your life. Your life is not meant to support your job.

Recent Episodes

Dear Executives: Stop Managing Like a Manager

Send us Fan Mail You got promoted because you were great at your job. That job no longer exists. The skills that got you the corner office are now the ones most likely to cost you your credibility. This is the sequel to Top 5 Tips for First-Time Managers. I walk you through five things that change when you step into a VP, director, or chief something officer role. I share new research from Spencer Stuart and Korn Ferry showing that even first-time CEOs are underprepared, undercon...

23 MIN

First-Time Manager: The Skill That Got You Promoted Won't Save You

Send us Fan Mail You got the email that said congratulations, you're a manager now, and then zero hours of training on how to do any of it. Meanwhile, the Sunday night dread or calm your team feels runs mostly through you. I'm sharing five tips for first-time managers, backed by 2025 and 2026 research from Gallup and Sagos. Gallup found managers account for about 70% of the variance in team engagement, yet only 44% have received any formal management training. Sagos found 89% of new managers...

21 MIN

Fake Promotions: New Title and NO RAISE.

Send us Fan Mail You got the new title, the bigger scope, and the shout-out in the team meeting. Then you waited for the number, and it never came. That's a fake promotion, and it's everywhere right now. I walk through fresh 2025 and 2026 data. 69% of workers say they now handle responsibilities that used to be split among several people, and three quarters got nothing in return. Managers, I'm direct with you on this one. Consolidating roles after layoffs and calling it an opportunity is not...

22 MIN

Presenting To The C-Suite With Clarity And Control

Send us Fan Mail The fastest way to lose a C-suite room is to start like every other meeting. We are talking about executive presentations that land: the kind where you walk in with calm authority, get to the point, and make it easy for leaders to say yes, no, or “here’s what we need next” without wandering for an hour. We share the mindset shift that changes everything: your presentation starts before slide one. Show up early, get the tech handled, and greet executives as they enter so you ...

31 MIN

Interview Edition: Hope Is Not a Strategy. with Qiara Suggs, Chief People Officer

Send us Fan Mail If you've ever stayed somewhere too long because the title looked good on paper, this one's for you. Qiara Suggs got told no for a promotion she'd earned twice over — and turned that no into the executive seat she holds today. We pulled the curtain back on what it actually takes to drive your own career when nobody else is going to drive it for you. About the Guest Qiara Suggs is the Chief People Officer at TDECU, the largest credit union in Houston and one of the four larges...

55 MIN