Organized Chaos

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Podcast by Nahed Khairallah

Organized Chaos

Organized Chaos is a podcast dedicated to helping 7-figure companies grow to 9-figure ones by turning HR into rocket fuel for their growth. I'm your host Nahed Khairallah, and I've been helping companies do just that for more than a decade. In each episode, I'll dive into HR topics that have a significant impact on your company's growth and leave you with actionable advice that will help your business reach its full potential.
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Latest episodes

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15 July 2025

Ep. 25 - The Evolving Workforce: Integrating AI in HR, Leadership, and Beyond

This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, founders, HR professionals, and anyone curious about the practical realities and future of AI in business. Hear real-world advice on merging AI with human skills, keeping your organization innovative, and leading teams into the next phase of digital transformation.

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41:30

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01 July 2025

Ep. 24 - Burning Cash & Building Teams: Inside a Startup Founder's Mind

Tushar Makhija, co-founder of TeamOhana, shares his journey from an immigrant to a successful SaaS entrepreneur, emphasizing the hard work and resilience required. He discusses the challenges of scaling a business, the critical role of strong networks, and his belief that "burning cash is like breathing oxygen" for growth. Tushar highlights the importance of aligning systems, processes, and people for effective workforce intelligence and fiscal responsibility, advocating for a pragmatic approach to startup growth that prioritizes clear communication and a dedicated team, even if it means challenging conventional notions of work-life balance.

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17 June 2025

Ep. 23 - Navigating Recruitment Challenges in Startups

In this engaging episode, Annemarie Penny, a leading expert in startup recruitment, shares her journey from finance to HR, her passion for relationship-driven talent acquisition, and her insights into how startups can overcome common recruitment challenges. During the conversation, we also reflected on themes like groupthink, AI’s impact on hiring, and the importance of balancing expectations in recruiting.

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41:46

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03 June 2025

Ep. 22 - The Hidden Cost of Success: Mental Health in Entrepreneurship

This episode addresses the mental toll of entrepreneurship and walks through some strategies for overcoming them.

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16:40

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20 May 2025

Ep. 21 - Scaling Without Breaking: HR in Hypergrowth

In this episode, host Nahed Khairallah speaks with Vanessa Gilardi about her journey as a global people leader who has navigated both corporate giants and nimble startups. Drawing from her experiences at companies like Moonpay and Blockchain.com, Vanessa reveals how HR functions differ fundamentally between large organizations and startups—with corporate environments offering structured processes but slower change, while startups demand entrepreneurial thinking and rapid value demonstration. Her career philosophy of prioritizing experience over titles resonates throughout as she emphasizes the importance of personal agency in developing adaptable skills for today's evolving workplace.

As the discussion shifts to scaling organizations and AI's growing influence, Vanessa offers practical frameworks for HR leaders navigating global expansion, stressing the delicate balance of strategy, purpose, and culture. She shares optimistic yet pragmatic insights about AI's role in transforming HR, highlighting specific applications in meetings, career coaching, and learning development that are already showing value. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, Vanessa advocates for transparency and responsible implementation, suggesting that by focusing on uniquely human capabilities, professionals can thrive alongside technology in a workplace that ultimately becomes more fulfilling as mundane tasks are automated.

Connect with Vanessa Gilardi on LinkedIn.

Visit www.organizedchaos.fyi and subscribe to receive additional content.

Got a Question or Topic Suggestion?

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06 May 2025

Ep. 20 - From Service to Strategy: Elevating the People Function in Fast-Growing Startups

In this episode of Organized Chaos, host Nahed Khairallah welcomes Melissa Theiss, Head of People Ops at Kit. With a decade of experience scaling companies from 20 to 1000+ employees, Melissa shares invaluable insights for startups and people leaders. This episode is essential listening for founders, startup leaders, and anyone leading the people function in a growing organization.

Episode Highlights:

  • Melissa's unique journey into People Ops through a rotational leadership program that exposed her to international sales operations, product management, and HR
  • Common scaling mistakes startups make, including improper calibration of processes and the pitfall of being "people first" instead of "business first, people centric"
  • The People Ops Organizational Diagnostic - Melissa's proprietary methodology for assessing a startup's readiness to scale, covering 12 key areas with over 130 diagnostic points
  • Strategic advice for People leaders on understanding business fundamentals, avoiding the "ticket taker" trap, and creating efficient systems for administrative work

If you'd like to connect with Melissa, reach out on LinkedIn.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit www.organizedchaos.fyi to subscribe to the podcast newsletter and access additional content.

  • Got a Question or Topic Suggestion?
  • Connect with me on LinkedIn
  • Reach out by email

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