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Claire Lazaire is back for round two, and this time she's traded corporate HR for something she calls the wild, wild west: running HR solo across fifteen entities and four owners in an industry so new it barely has a rulebook yet. She talks about the year she almost walked away from HR entirely, what changed her mind, and how rewriting an entire employee handbook in her first month (attorneys included) turned into rolling out a full performance management program for a company pushing 300 employees nationwide. What does it actually take to build HR from scratch while the business is already running at full speed, and why did an industry with zero playbook end up giving her more real HR work than a decade in corporate ever did?
She also picks a fight worth having: is there any real standard for what makes an HR professional good at their job, or is the whole profession just winging it based on whoever happens to be in the room? Claire, Tony, and Steve dig into what the "people ops" trend really means for who owns strategy inside a company, and why a thirty person business trying to stand up a full DEI program might be one of the more avoidable mistakes in HR this year. Is your HR function actually built for the size of your business, or is it running someone else's playbook?
Learn more about Claire Lizear at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clizear/
Learn more about Fantastic Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
Learn more about the Books mentioned on the podcast at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast
Learn More about the Netflix film Titan at: https://www.netflix.com/title/81712178
Learn more about Dyno Outfitters at: https://www.utahviaferrata.com/
Learn more about MegastarHR at: https://www.megastarhr.com/
Learn more about Pucks for Autism at: https://www.pucksforautism.com/
Learn more about Thrive Life Project at: https://www.thrivelifeproject.org/
Claire Lizear, SHRM-SCP, is an experienced HR leader with a passion for creating workplaces where people feel seen, supported, and set up to succeed. Known for her thoughtful approach to employee relations and her ability to bring clarity to complex situations, she’s helped leaders and teams grow through change with empathy and accountability. When she’s not in HR mode, Claire gives her time to Pucks for Autism, a volunteer effort that combines her love of hockey with her commitment to community and inclusion.
She also picks a fight worth having: is there any real standard for what makes an HR professional good at their job, or is the whole profession just winging it based on whoever happens to be in the room? Claire, Tony, and Steve dig into what the "people ops" trend really means for who owns strategy inside a company, and why a thirty person business trying to stand up a full DEI program might be one of the more avoidable mistakes in HR this year. Is your HR function actually built for the size of your business, or is it running someone else's playbook?
Learn more about Claire Lizear at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clizear/
Learn more about Fantastic Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
Learn more about the Books mentioned on the podcast at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast
Learn More about the Netflix film Titan at: https://www.netflix.com/title/81712178
Learn more about Dyno Outfitters at: https://www.utahviaferrata.com/
Learn more about MegastarHR at: https://www.megastarhr.com/
Learn more about Pucks for Autism at: https://www.pucksforautism.com/
Learn more about Thrive Life Project at: https://www.thrivelifeproject.org/
Claire Lizear, SHRM-SCP, is an experienced HR leader with a passion for creating workplaces where people feel seen, supported, and set up to succeed. Known for her thoughtful approach to employee relations and her ability to bring clarity to complex situations, she’s helped leaders and teams grow through change with empathy and accountability. When she’s not in HR mode, Claire gives her time to Pucks for Autism, a volunteer effort that combines her love of hockey with her commitment to community and inclusion.
Creators and Guests
Host
Fantastic Tony 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.
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.
What is The HR Life Podcast?
The HR Life Podcast is a show about the work-life experience of those of us in Human Resources and business leadership. This long-form podcast is a conversation, casual, and not always the corporate line. Hosts and guests touch on everything from serious or even controversial topics to the absurdity of modern American business practices. Your hosts are Tony Benjamin, owner and founder of The Grange Strategic HR Consulting, and Steven J. Smith, Author of The Hiring Tree: Laws of Applicant Attraction and all-around important guy. Guests include the best minds in the HR world. Join the show weekly.