EP 8 Of Course Steve Knows Kate Thompson's Boss
Tony and Steve talk to Kate Thompson for a fresh take on HR. Tony rambles on about perfume, and Kate drops some fantastic wisdom. They talk about the benefit of being required to solve problems, self care, finding out who's perfume is overpowering the office, and the definition of boring/bad HR. Steve coins the phrase "Cold Played", and the jokes just never stop coming.
And yes... the email to the podcast is thehrlifepodcast@gmail.com... no matter what Tony says at the end. Send us your guest ideas, topic ideas, and how you first met Steve.
Kate Thompson is an HR Generalist with a strong background in employee relations, ADA/FMLA, and benefits. She currently works at Mountain Land Physical Therapy, supporting 70+ locations in multiple states. She especially enjoys helping managers approach tough conversations with clarity and confidence, and turning feedback into real growth. Kate earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Utah Valley University. Her early experience was focused in onboarding, compliance, and benefits before growing into more employee-facing work. Outside of the office, she’s a lifelong skier and endurance athlete. Kate finished a full Ironman in November 2024 and still chases big goals (and powder days) any chance she gets.
Learn more about Kate Thompson at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate--thompson/
Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks Notice" Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
And yes... the email to the podcast is thehrlifepodcast@gmail.com... no matter what Tony says at the end. Send us your guest ideas, topic ideas, and how you first met Steve.
Kate Thompson is an HR Generalist with a strong background in employee relations, ADA/FMLA, and benefits. She currently works at Mountain Land Physical Therapy, supporting 70+ locations in multiple states. She especially enjoys helping managers approach tough conversations with clarity and confidence, and turning feedback into real growth. Kate earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Utah Valley University. Her early experience was focused in onboarding, compliance, and benefits before growing into more employee-facing work. Outside of the office, she’s a lifelong skier and endurance athlete. Kate finished a full Ironman in November 2024 and still chases big goals (and powder days) any chance she gets.
Learn more about Kate Thompson at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate--thompson/
Learn more about Tony "Two Weeks Notice" Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
Creators and Guests
Host
Steven "Bid 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.
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.
