Careers aren’t ladders—they’re launch ramps with detours, pivots, and the occasional George-Costanza-on-the-floor moment. In this episode, Ron sits down with Katy Shapiro—one of his all-time favorite hires—whose path runs from The Franklin Institute to Top 50 TA Leader to founder of Unapologetic Ambition.

They unpack:

• How to “own the room” in an interview and flip the script (prep, presence, and purposeful questions)
• The difference between posting to acquire talent and actually recruiting
• Why corporate TA needs business access (boots, hard hats, and learning the work)
• Bias in job descriptions and selection—and how to widen your funnel without lowering the bar
• Building high-performing TA teams (speed + care) and giving people room to try, fail, and grow
• Entrepreneurship, grief, and channeling your voice into a mission that serves others
• Simple ways to restore humanity: give candidates closure and keep people at the center

Connect with Katy: katy@unapologeticambition.org •

IG: @unapologeticambitionllc

Connect with Ron & Elevate Talent Solutions: elevate-talent-solutions.com

Produced with Adrianne Ruthart, ACR Ventures (acrventures.com).

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Not every leader was “forged in fire.” Some of us were built in silence — through hard work, consistency, and showing up every damn day.

In this episode of Beyond the Bottom Line, Ron Miller unpacks the dangerous myth that your story only has value if it comes with a redemption arc, a comeback tale, or a polished LinkedIn headshot with piano music behind it.

From a Ted Lasso dartboard lesson to a Captain Marvel mic drop, this episode challenges the performative culture of “origin stories” and calls for a return to what really builds trust: quiet wins, consistency, and authenticity.

Because you don’t owe anyone a trauma reel. Your story doesn’t have to be a comeback. It just has to be real.

Tune in and let’s normalize the steady builder.

If applying for a job today or your hiring process feels like running the American Ninja Warrior course—with fewer wins and more bruises—you’re not imagining it.

In this episode of Beyond the Bottom Line, I break down the absurdity of the modern candidate journey, obstacle by obstacle: From job postings that bait and switch, to tech stacks that spin you off like a rolling log, to interview gauntlets that would make Navy SEALs tap out.

And then… I introduce you to Alvin. A real candidate. A real story. And a masterclass in how broken hiring still is, even when someone does everything right.

If your hiring process looks like a challenge course, don’t be surprised when the best talent doesn’t show up.

Let’s talk about how to fix it—because Elevate Talent Solutions was built for exactly this.