The Breakout – Unleashing Personal Growth

Many health benefits are derived from running, but Erica Kaufman had emotional benefits as well. She took up the challenge of a half-marathon and while training she had a breakthrough. She needed to rebalance her life. Erica made major life changes to her marriage, her career and they way she interacted with her children. Her advice for others: Constantly re-evaluate what is important to you and be open to new paths and options that come your way. Sometimes the path you have laid out needs to change! Erica  is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, leader, colleague and more. Her three children are 13, 10 and 9, and her step-daughter is 4. She and her husband divide time between their homes in Pennsylvania and Virginia. She enjoys traveling, cooking for her family and guests, and running. She has always been drawn to the water, where she swims, kayaks, paddleboards and always looks to advance her surfing skills. Additionally, Erica translates business strategy into people strategy, programs and processes as the Vice President, Human Resources for Day & Zimmermann’s Munitions & Government Group, which manufactures and provides munitions support services for U.S. Armed Forces and allied nations. She further serves on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Society of People and Strategy and also coaches leaders to cultivate insights to help them perform at their best and have meaningful, fulfilling careers.  Erica grew up in Gettysburg, a small historic town in Pennsylvania, where her parents were both small business owners. This firsthand view of the excitement and challenges of entrepreneurship helped fuel her drive and persistence. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Muhlenberg College, she earned her Doctorate at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She subsequently decided to apply her clinical training to business, where she could utilize her deep understanding of people, systems and change to shape her work with individuals, teams and organizations. She started her professional career in Consulting with Right Management, where she worked with organizations in multiple industries to improve leader and organization effectiveness. Erica continued to develop her skills at Exelon Corporation, and thereafter at Day & Zimmermann, leading people, processes and programs from Talent Acquisition, Leadership Development and Succession Planning. Erica’s passion is in creating healthy organizations and relationships. She is energized by helping people examine their situations to see new possibilities and enact change.Connect with Erica to learn more about her and her background:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericafreedman/Sign up for our newsletter at https://abbraccigroup.com/. Please subscribe, leave a review and tell your friends about our podcast. Learn more about the CHARGE® model by purchasing the book, The Way of the HR Warrior. Let us know about the moments for you that changed your life trajectory. Drop us a note via our website. 

Show Notes

Many health benefits are derived from running, but Erica Kaufman had emotional benefits as well. She took up the challenge of a half-marathon and while training she had a breakthrough. She needed to rebalance her life. 

Erica made major life changes to her marriage, her career and they way she interacted with her children. Her advice for others: Constantly re-evaluate what is important to you and be open to new paths and options that come your way. Sometimes the path you have laid out needs to change! 

Erica  is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, leader, colleague and more. Her three children are 13, 10 and 9, and her step-daughter is 4. She and her husband divide time between their homes in Pennsylvania and Virginia. She enjoys traveling, cooking for her family and guests, and running. She has always been drawn to the water, where she swims, kayaks, paddleboards and always looks to advance her surfing skills. 

Additionally, Erica translates business strategy into people strategy, programs and processes as the Vice President, Human Resources for Day & Zimmermann’s Munitions & Government Group, which manufactures and provides munitions support services for U.S. Armed Forces and allied nations. She further serves on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Society of People and Strategy and also coaches leaders to cultivate insights to help them perform at their best and have meaningful, fulfilling careers.  

Erica grew up in Gettysburg, a small historic town in Pennsylvania, where her parents were both small business owners. This firsthand view of the excitement and challenges of entrepreneurship helped fuel her drive and persistence. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Muhlenberg College, she earned her Doctorate at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She subsequently decided to apply her clinical training to business, where she could utilize her deep understanding of people, systems and change to shape her work with individuals, teams and organizations. 

She started her professional career in Consulting with Right Management, where she worked with organizations in multiple industries to improve leader and organization effectiveness. Erica continued to develop her skills at Exelon Corporation, and thereafter at Day & Zimmermann, leading people, processes and programs from Talent Acquisition, Leadership Development and Succession Planning. Erica’s passion is in creating healthy organizations and relationships. She is energized by helping people examine their situations to see new possibilities and enact change.

Connect with Erica to learn more about her and her background:

Sign up for our newsletter at https://abbraccigroup.com/. Please subscribe, leave a review and tell your friends about our podcast. Learn more about the CHARGE® model by purchasing the book, The Way of the HR Warrior. Let us know about the moments for you that changed your life trajectory. Drop us a note via our website. 

What is The Breakout – Unleashing Personal Growth?

A #1 Self-Improvement podcast, The Breakout tells incredible stories of personal growth with the smart, hilarious thought leaders from Abbracci Group.

Every day, in big and small ways, we put ourselves in boxes. From jobs to relationships, to entire belief systems, many of us are living by rules that someone else wrote for us. On The Breakout, talent specialists and the founders of Abbracci Group, Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther, dive into the extraordinary stories of people overcoming self-doubt, pushing boundaries, and finding the courage and confidence to get what they want and achieve the success they were destined for.

Every two weeks, our hosts sit down with inspiring change makers and experts who share ways that you can break through boundaries and shift your life into bold new territory, fostering personal development and a growth mindset. With a ton of humor and lots of care, Keri and Kelly also bring their own insights as change experts to every conversation. Their number one desire is that you do whatever the hell you want, and on The Breakout, Kelly and Keri prove you can escape expectations; best of all, they show you how.

Each episode is a lesson in living courageously. The show covers topics on self help, leadership, personal development, building success, setting boundaries, growing confidence, mindset change, overcoming self doubt, and knowing your worth. From huge transformations to quiet shifts, The Breakout highlights why every change matters.

The Breakout has charted #1 in ‘Self-Improvement’, #1 in ‘Education’, and #7 in ‘All Podcasts’ for good reason. It’s chock full of impactful guests. From awe-inspiring change-makers and innovative leaders to renegade rule-breakers, Celeste Headlee, Robin Landa, Erica Rooney, Tyler Nehila, Maximina Juson, Liz Alterman, Danielle Cobo, Clint Hatton, , Rob Cross, Jennifer Pestikas, Dr. Brian Davidson have all graced the mic.

Our Hosts:

Meet Dr. Keri Ohlrich. With 20+ years on the front lines of the HR field, it’s safe to say that Keri is considered an expert. As co-founder of Abbracci Group and the co-author of ‘The Way of the HR Warrior’, she continues her mission to share insights from these experiences with others whose passion is to be the best in the HR arena. Keri’s professional roles have led to deep insight and expertise in: leadership and organization development, strategic talent planning and programs, defining and developing culture, change management, team building, employee development, engagement and retention and HR department diagnostics.

And, meet Kelly Guenther. Co-founder of Abbracci Group, Kelly brings a holistic approach to the table when it comes to HR, focusing not only on the organization but on the individuals who create the team. Her unique leadership style allows for opportunities to diagnose needs and offer solutions through a deep understanding of the people, processes, and practices involved.

So, who is Abbracci Group? Abbracci Group is a boutique, results-driven, unconventional coaching, HR management and consulting firm focused on getting the best out of people. The company is on a mission to improve the environment of organizations which in turn improves the lives of employees.​ We help leaders and teams develop increased self-awareness, strong leadership and team-building skills. We transform HR professionals into HR warriors who thrive on creating happier, healthier organizations. We apply a holistic approach when developing sustainable practices and nurturing organization culture. Connect with Abbracci Group at https://abbraccigroup.com/

Keri and Kelly’s new book, Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, will be out October 2024, and is available for pre-order now! Find it on Amazon by copying and pasting this link: https://rb.gy/0thlel

Dr. Keri Ohlrich’s book, The Way of the HR Warrior is available now.

Do you have a story our listeners will love? Apply to be a guest on The Breakout at: https://abbraccigroup.com/podcast/