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Employee retention is no longer a passive outcome of good pay and stable roles. In today’s workplace, it has become a proactive strategy shaped by evolving employee expectations, rapid technological change, and shifting definitions of career success. Organizations that wait for disengagement to show up in exit interviews are already too late. The companies that…
Mentally Healthy Workplace Leadership By Nicole Martin, Chief Empowerment Officer, HRBoost® For me, mentally healthy workplace leadership starts with understanding the human behind the role. This is exactly why I hold one‑on‑one conversations with every person on my team outside of work. I aim for 1:2:1 with all minimum once a year. I call them…
Register Now What does 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse, have in store for you? The Fire Horse year carries bold, fast-moving, passionate energy. When harnessed correctly, it can bring incredible momentum, breakthroughs, and expansion. When left unfocused, it can feel overwhelming or chaotic. That’s why I’m excited to offer my 2026 Feng Shui…
Trust is in crisis. Across workplaces, communities, and institutions, trust is eroding—not because it vanishes overnight, but through daily pressures and misalignments that pull leaders away from who they intend to be. The good news? Trust can be restored. Not through perfection, but through repair. Through small, courageous, intentional choices that shape leaders from the…
This October, proud Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) alumni gathered at the 2025 Summit for a powerful day of advocacy on Capitol Hill. The event united small business owners nationwide to share their voices directly with policymakers in the House of Representatives and Senate. In fact, there were nearly 2400 of us represented from…
Are you solving today’s challenge with tomorrow’s vision in mind? As leaders, it’s easy to get caught in the urgency of the moment. But sustainable success demands alignment with your long-term strategy—and that means involving your People leader early. At HRBoost, our Dedicated Team Approach ensures your People Partner is right there with you, helping…
Health benefits have long been one of the most complex (and costly) aspects of running a business. But what if you could give your team more flexibility and keep costs under control? That’s exactly what Nicole Martin, CEO of HRBoost, set out to do—and why she embraced the Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) years ago. Today,…
The Best & Brightest Companies to Work For celebration in Chicago stands as more than an award ceremony—it’s a living showcase of the people-first practices, creative solutions, and bold leadership shaping the city’s most admired workplaces. As the 21st annual event unfolded, a spotlight shone not only on winners but also on the unique, replicable…
💼 Small But Mighty: How Employers with ≤500 Employees Are Shaping the Future of Talent by Nicole Martin CEO, HRBOOST® LLC At a time when workforce transformation is accelerating across industries, small and mid-sized businesses aren’t sitting on the sidelines—they’re quietly recalibrating. The latest LIVE Skill-Based Talent Practices Survey from i4cp, a leading HR research…
A recap from my talk with the Chicago Distributors and Manufacturing Group by NICOLE MARTIN On June 26, I had the honor of speaking to the Chicago Distributors and Manufacturing Group (CDAM) about the top HR issues facing middle market companies in 2025. It was a powerful conversation — one that reminded me just how much the…
