EP 35 Rat Birds, PEO's, and Your Business Knowledge With Stacee Pedersen

In this episode the guys talk to Stacee Pedersen about everything from PEO's to groundhog day.  They talk about why PEO's don't work for many companies, why its harder sometimes for consultants to affect the daily operation of a company, and of course, Stacee's entrepreneurial rise to power.  The guys introduce a new segment called HR In Life.  What happens when your star performer runs off every supervisor she has? Why are the Baltimore Rat Birds... errrrr... Baltimore Ravens, headed to their doom?  Listen to the episode and find out. 

Learn more about Stacee Pedersen at: https://www.momentumemployergroup.com/
Find her Podcast at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/waking-the-why/id1832387848 on Apple Podcasts.  You can also find it on Youtube, Spotify and other platforms. 
Learn more about Fantastic Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steve "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
Learn more about our Sponsor, MegaStarHR at: https://www.megastarhr.com/
Learn about books referenced on the podcast at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast

Stacee Pedersen was not hurt in the recording of this episode. 

Stacee Pedersen is currently the Founder and President of Momentum Employer Group and COO of Winward Electric. Stacee has 25 years of experience in managing all aspects of Human Resources. Stacee was the VP of Human Resources for Zions Bancorporation and Director of Talent Management for PCC Structurals.
Stacee earned her MBA from the University of Utah, completed her undergraduate degree in HR at Weber State University, and holds both a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) as well as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification. Stacee is a certified coach, trainer, and speaker through the John Maxwell Team and is also certified in Lean Construction. Stacee loves competitive sports and finds joy with family at ball games. She enjoys playing piano, reading books on leadership and living a life filled with purpose.

Creators and Guests

Steven
Host
Steven "Big Deal" Smith
Steve will be the first to tell you that recruiting is marketing. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance at Brigham Young University and started his career in recruiting in Feb 2005. In 2008, he took a risk during a recession to help start a new company with Ryan Kohler, called ApplicantPro, a full suite HR platform for small to mid-sized businesses. In March 2025, ApplicantPro became iSolved Talent Acquisition, now serving 177,000 clients and close to 9800 employees. Before the merger, ApplicantPro made the Inc 5000 list 12 years in a row, Top Places to work in Utah 3 years in a row, and Steve was named the Small Business Utah HR Achievement Award winner in May 2024. iSolved was also named an Indeed Platinum Partner in 2023, 2024, and 2025 and is one of only ten ATS platforms in the country to obtain that designation. SHRM-CP & PHR certified, Steve currently volunteers on the Utah SHRM State Council as the immediate past State Executive Director. His book, The Hiring Tree: Laws of Applicant Attraction, was released in early 2023, and has helped thousands of organizations across the country rethink their approach to hiring. If you need help understanding the principles and role of SEO, marketing, and AI when it comes to attracting job seekers, Steve provides a solid framework for hiring effectively.
Tony
Host
Tony "Two Weeks Notice" Benjamin
I am a unique HR leader with more than 20 years’ experience working for some of Utah’s oldest, fastest growing, and most well-known companies. My experience includes Superior Drilling Products, Air Medical Resource Group, Control4, Ovivo USA and Deseret Book. I am a regionally recognized authority on building successful cultures and am an alumni speaker at DisruptHR SLC and DisruptHR St. George. I have earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix, a Bachelor’s degree from Utah State University, and am a certified Professional of Human Resources (PHR). I'm married to a woman out of my league, have three brilliant kids I doesn’t deserve and, although I travel a lot, live in Vernal, Utah.
EP 35 Rat Birds, PEO's, and Your Business Knowledge With Stacee Pedersen
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