Why does happiness always feel one step away?

If you’ve ever said, “I’ll be happy when…”—you’re on the hedonic treadmill, a psychological loop where success never quite leads to satisfaction. This episode reveals how to step off the treadmill and build happiness from within.

On this episode of Take the Stage, presented by Haley Marketing, Brad Bialy sits down with happiness researcher Declan Edwards to challenge the centuries-old belief that happiness follows achievement. From positive psychology to emotional intelligence, they explore how cultivating human skills—like gratitude, boundary-setting, and awareness—creates a more sustainable, fulfilling life and career.

This video should inspire you to explore gratitude practice and mindfulness techniques, especially in high-performance, tech-disrupted sectors like staffing and recruiting.

Expect to Learn:

• What the hedonic treadmill is—and how to escape it
• Why most people chase success but never feel happy
• The power of human skills in an AI-driven economy
• How to practice presence and self-awareness
• The ripple effect of happiness at work and home

Noteable Moments:

00:00 The Pursuit of Happiness: A Misunderstanding

02:50 Decoupling Happiness from Success

05:37 The Role of Human Skills in the Workforce

08:32 The Ripple Effect of Happiness

11:29 Navigating Workplace Emotions

14:24 Savoring Success and Happiness

19:15 The Practice of Happiness

27:00 Connection in a Remote World

31:14 The Future of Happiness

33:30 Declan's Journey and Insights

About the Speakers

Brad Bialy is host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the leading podcast for the staffing industry, presented by Haley Marketing. He has a deep passion for helping staffing and recruiting firms achieve their business objectives through strategic digital marketing. For over a decade, Brad has developed a proven track record of motivating and educating staffing industry professionals at over 100 industry-specific conferences and webinars. As a visionary leader, Brad has helped guide the comprehensive marketing strategy of more than 300 staffing and recruiting firms. His keen eye for strategy and delivery has resulted in multiple industry award-winning social media campaigns, making him a sought-after expert and speaker in the industry.

Declan Edwards is widely known as that happiness guy and as a thought leader in the space of positive psychology, employee experience, and personal development. As the founder of BU Happiness College, a social enterprise dedicated to helping individuals and organisations build the skills of happiness, Declan has built a strong personal brand by standing at the intersection of science, storytelling, and social impact.

His work has shown that happiness is not a fluffy ideal, but a measurable and learnable skill that drives meaningful results in both life and leadership. Through intentional personal branding, Declan has not only elevated his own voice but used it to amplify a movement that is changing the way we think about success, leadership, and happiness in the modern world.

Sales Enablement in staffing is no longer a tactical side function, it's the engine of your entire go-to-market strategy. In this eye-opening episode, Avner Baruch (Author of Project Moneyball) shares how top staffing and recruiting firms are transforming enablement from “content dumping” into measurable impact through coaching, role practice, and feedback loops. This video will inspire you to re-evaluate your GTM systems and explore enablement through the lens of performance coaching and strategic execution.

In This Episode:

• What Sales Enablement in Staffing really means today
• How to build a go-to-market strategy aligned with sales motion
• The hidden cost of relying solely on content (and what to do instead)
• Why role practice and feedback loops are critical for sales acceleration
• How elite teams reinforce skills—without blowing their budget
• The enablement tech stack that makes it all possible
• Avner’s Project Moneyball methodology for enabling outcomes across the customer lifecycle

Whether you're launching a new GTM motion or trying to reverse stagnant revenue, the insights here are built to drive impact across your customer lifecycle.

Timestamps:

00:43 - What is sales enablement? A Moneyball analogy

02:57 - Sales enablement in startups vs. enterprises

03:45 - Why the best companies go beyond content

04:55 - The economic pressure fueling enablement evolution

06:43 - Common pitfalls: Content without context

08:51 - Why content is only half the battle

10:53 - The power of role practice and daily sales routines

12:55 - Real-world staffing challenges and playbook creation

16:29 - Why leaders avoid role practice—and how to fix it

20:52 - Leveraging AI for sales coaching

22:30 - Shifting outdated staffing habits

25:12 - Consistency beats intensity in sales enablement

27:26 - Misalignment of seller skills and roles

31:59 - Coachability and cultural fit in hiring

34:17 - The ideal sales enablement hire

37:01 - Content graveyards vs. actionable insights

41:36 - Meet Avner Baruch and Project Moneyball

44:26 - Moneyball methodology for enablement ROI

46:30 - Avner's favorite book: Crossing the Chasm

About the Speakers:

Brad Bialy is host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the leading podcast for the staffing industry, presented by Haley Marketing. He has a deep passion for helping staffing and recruiting firms achieve their business objectives through strategic digital marketing. For over a decade, Brad has developed a proven track record of motivating and educating staffing industry professionals at over 100 industry-specific conferences and webinars. As a visionary leader, Brad has helped guide the comprehensive marketing strategy of more than 300 staffing and recruiting firms. His keen eye for strategy and delivery has resulted in multiple industry award-winning social media campaigns, making him a sought-after expert and speaker in the industry.

As an executive GTM and Enablement leader, Avner Baruch has built and led GTM, Sales Enablement and RevOps functions from the ground up for leading Startups such as Walkme, Imperva-Incapsula, Rapyd and more notable SaaS businesses. As a consultant, member of Advisory Boards and Design Partners, he has helped entrepreneurs and scaling startups implement and reinforce their sales methodologies, fine-tune their Product-Market Fit, design, build and scale their selling motion. In 2020 he founded Project Moneyball (a GTM consulting firm) to help early-stage startups and scaling businesses overcome growth challenges. He is a certified sales trainer holding a B.Eng with Honors in Electrical Engineering & Physics from Coventry University (UK) and the Max Planck Institute (France).

Offers Heard in this Episode:

30 minutes of strategic marketing consultation with Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Special Offers! Our Best Savings of 2025: https://bit.ly/bialyoffer

What if your back office fueled your growth instead of holding it back? TRICOM makes it happen! From payroll and billing to accounting and asset based lending, they clear the roadblocks and power your path forward. Your team gets paid, your cash flow stays steady and your business scales like never before. TRICOM doesn't just support you, they set you up to soar. Visit https://www.TRICOM.com to learn more.

Join Brad Bialy and Steve Gipson of Recruiters Websites as they dive into the importance of endurance, mindset, and strategy in today’s staffing sales environment. Drawing powerful analogies from Brad’s Buffalo Marathon experience, they discuss how top-performing staffing firms are adapting their strategies to maintain growth in 2025.

Learn why consistent effort, data-driven tactics, and a strong “why” can help you overcome sales slumps and economic uncertainty. Plus, discover practical tips to optimize your recruitment marketing and measure what really works.

Chapters and Key Moments

00:00 – Welcome and Catching Up

02:45 – The Buffalo Marathon: Lessons in preparation and perseverance

05:00 – The emotional weight of running with family support

07:00 – Reflecting on legacy and the impact on kids

08:30 – Main takeaway: The goal remains, tactics evolve

10:45 – Drawing parallels between running and recruiting

13:50 – Avoiding shiny object syndrome in staffing tech

16:00 – Knowing when to pivot and redefine goals

18:40 – Budget constraints vs. strategic investments

21:00 – Are you really known in your market?

24:00 – Importance of outreach and continuous brand visibility

27:00 – Measuring marketing and sales success

28:30 – Why consistency beats short bursts

29:50 – Wrap-up and what to expect at NAPS Vegas

About the Speakers

Brad Bialy is the host of Take the Stage and InSights, the staffing industry's leading podcasts with close to 175,000 downloads. He has a deep passion for helping staffing and recruiting firms achieve their business objectives through strategic marketing concepts. For over a decade, Brad has developed a proven track record of motivating and educating staffing industry professionals at over 150 industry-specific conferences and webinars. His keen eye for strategy and delivery has resulted in multiple industry award-winning social media campaigns, making him a sought-after speaker and expert.

A recruiting industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, Steve Gipson is the Director of Sales and Operations at Recruiters Websites. After spending seven years as a recruiter with a boutique search firm, he joined Recruiters Websites, a digital marketing agency specializing in the recruitment industry. For the past decade, Recruiters Websites has helped over 800 firms of all sizes and specialties enhance their digital presence and make more placements through their expertise in digital marketing, website development, and SEO services.

Offers Heard in this Episode:

30-minutes of strategic marketing consultation with Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Special Offers! Our Best Savings of 2025: https://bit.ly/bialyoffer

If you’re running a staffing firm and your tech stack feels more like a roadblock than a growth engine—Broad & Madison is your fix. With over 60 years of recruitment technology expertise, they streamline your systems, automate the boring stuff, and make your tech finally work for your team, not against it. Broad & Madison doesn’t just keep your systems running... they make them smarter, faster, and more profitable. To learn more about our friends over at Broad and Madison and how they can help your staffing firm maximize its technology visit https://www.BroadAndMadison.com

Strategic partnerships in staffing aren’t just a support tool—they’re a vital growth engine for firms looking to scale in today’s competitive landscape. In this episode, Brad Bialy sits down with Kendra Cato, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Advance Partners, to discuss the mindset shift required for staffing firms to treat collaboration not as a luxury, but as a strategic necessity.

With economic uncertainty, candidate shortages, and cautious clients, many staffing owners default to operating in silos. Kendra challenges this approach with real-world examples, outlining how early and intentional collaboration unlocks faster scaling, stronger client outcomes, and a competitive edge.

Expect to Learn:

1. Why strategic partnerships must start from day one
2. How to find true alignment with vendors and industry collaborators
3. The pitfalls of not checking in regularly with your partners
4. When to reassess your partnerships—and how to know you’ve outgrown them
5. Why data storytelling matters in executive-level communications

Chapters and Key Moments:

[00:22] The Mindset Shift: From Scarcity to Abundance

[02:17] Why Collaboration Should Start on Day One

[03:52] Finding a Growth Engine Through Partnerships

[05:03] What Makes a “True” Strategic Partner

[06:43] The Balance of Responsibility in Partnerships

[09:08] The Ideal Kickoff Call

[13:10] How Often to Check In with Strategic Partners

[16:18] Knowing When to Change Partners

[20:04] Overcoming the “First Service” Label

[22:33] How to Find the Right Partner Without Attending Conferences

[24:47] Investment vs. Expense in Strategic Partnerships

[26:10] Should Your Partner Be Local or National?

[29:18] The Importance of Community and Networking

About the Speakers:

Brad Bialy is host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the leading podcast for the staffing industry, presented by Haley Marketing. He has a deep passion for helping staffing and recruiting firms achieve their business objectives through strategic digital marketing. For over a decade, Brad has developed a proven track record of motivating and educating staffing industry professionals at over 100 industry-specific conferences and webinars. As a visionary leader, Brad has helped guide the comprehensive marketing strategy of more than 300 staffing and recruiting firms. His keen eye for strategy and delivery has resulted in multiple industry award-winning social media campaigns, making him a sought-after expert and speaker in the industry.

Kendra Cato is a dynamic staffing industry thought leader and business influencer known for her ability to build meaningful connections between people and organizations. With nearly 20 years of experience in strategic planning, sales, marketing, and research, her experiences in staffing technology have made her keenly aware of the importance of people and technology in driving business development. Kendra is currently the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Advance Partners where she works closely with the company's leadership and sales team to build holistic relationships across the industry and help staffing firms grow. Kendra is also a thought leader, speaker, and co-author of "Together We Rise." She is one of the founding members of Women of Color in Staffing, an organization committed to making the staffing industry more accessible, fulfilling, and lucrative for female leaders.

Offers Heard in this Episode:

30 minutes of strategic marketing consultation with Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Special Offers! Our Best Savings of 2025: https://bit.ly/bialyoffer

Is your staffing firm struggling to gain traction in a tightening market? This episode dives deep into staffing industry success and the two often-overlooked drivers of long-term performance: curiosity and Google reviews. Brad Bialy and Steve Gipson unpack key lessons from recent conferences, real-world client experiences, and how top-billers like members of the Pinnacle Society stay on top.

Expect to Learn:

1. Why curiosity is the No. 1 trait driving elite recruiters

2. How top producers maintain growth in a slow market

3. The hidden SEO and reputation value of Google reviews

4. Why the industry's best are doubling down on continuous learning and reputation management

This episode should inspire you to rethink your recruiting strategies and explore how reputation marketing for staffing firms can become your next competitive edge. Drawing insights from elite groups like the Pinnacle Society and industry events like NAPS, Brad and Steve explain how the smartest recruiters are leaning into professional development, peer networks, and digital credibility.

About the Speakers

Brad Bialy is the host of Take the Stage and InSights, the staffing industry's leading podcasts with close to 175,000 downloads. He has a deep passion for helping staffing and recruiting firms achieve their business objectives through strategic marketing concepts. For over a decade, Brad has developed a proven track record of motivating and educating staffing industry professionals at over 150 industry-specific conferences and webinars. His keen eye for strategy and delivery has resulted in multiple industry award-winning social media campaigns, making him a sought-after speaker and expert.

A recruiting industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, Steve Gipson is the Director of Sales and Operations at Recruiters Websites. After spending seven years as a recruiter with a boutique search firm, he joined Recruiters Websites, a digital marketing agency specializing in the recruitment industry. For the past decade, Recruiters Websites has helped over 800 firms of all sizes and specialties enhance their digital presence and make more placements through their expertise in digital marketing, website development, and SEO services.

Offers Heard in this Episode:

30-minutes of strategic marketing consultation with Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Special Offers! Our Best Savings of 2025: https://bit.ly/bialyoffer

If you’re running a staffing firm and your tech stack feels more like a roadblock than a growth engine—Broad & Madison is your fix. With over 60 years of recruitment technology expertise, they streamline your systems, automate the boring stuff, and make your tech finally work for your team, not against it. Broad & Madison doesn’t just keep your systems running... they make them smarter, faster, and more profitable. To learn more about our friends over at Broad and Madison and how they can help your staffing firm maximize its technology visit https://www.BroadAndMadison.com