Leading Change

Salesforce just laid off 4,000 employees… and they’re blaming AI.
In this episode of Leading Change in the Wild, Ema Roloff breaks down what’s going on with Salesforce’s massive layoffs, their new Agentforce AI platform, and the growing trend of tech leaders using artificial intelligence as both a scapegoat and a sales pitch.
🎯 Is AI truly replacing jobs… or is it just convenient PR?📉 How do these layoffs compare to Salesforce’s slowing growth?🤖 And what does this mean for your business if you're adopting AI tools?
Ema dives into:- The difference between AI disruption and AI scapegoating- Why some companies may regret their AI-driven layoffs- What AWS’s CEO is saying about entry-level cuts- What leaders should do instead of slashing headcount
If you’re navigating AI strategy or responsible for tech implementation, this is your wake-up call to think long-term, question the narrative, and use AI to amplify, not eliminate, your team.

Ema is joined by Jonathan Bennett, advisor to executives and founders, for a deeply insightful conversation on navigating career transitions—especially when it means stepping away from a business you’ve built.

What if the guardrails we were promised to keep AI safe… were never really built for our safety at all?
In this episode of Leading Change in the Wild, I unpacks the disturbing revelations from Meta’s leaked internal document outlining how its generative AI chatbots are trained to interact, including with children. From flirtatious responses to ethical gray zones that blur dangerously close to grooming behavior, the 200+ page document obtained by Reuters raises urgent questions about what kind of oversight is really happening inside Big Tech.
But this conversation goes far beyond Meta.
This episode explores the broader implications:🛑 What does real transparency look like when AI enters our homes, schools, and businesses?🧠 Why are people forming emotional attachments to these tools, and how does that impact regulation?🏢 And how should leaders be vetting AI vendors to ensure ethical use, safety, and long-term trust?
This isn’t just a parenting issue. It’s not just a tech issue. It’s a leadership issue and it’s time we all started demanding answers.

Ema is joined by Carolyn Hicks Jimenez, Head of Business Operations at Insurance Quantified, to talk about career development, retention, and talent building in the insurance industry. Carolyn shares her unconventional path into finance and insurance, highlighting the powerful role of rotational programs in building resilient, well-rounded professionals.

Every new generation gets labeled as lazy, entitled, or unprepared. But here’s the twist. Gen Z isn’t arguing. In fact, they’re raising their hands and saying, “Yeah…we’re not ready.”
In this episode of Leading Change in the Wild, I dig into surprising data on Gen Z’s soft skills, digital literacy, and AI readiness, and why it is causing concern for employers and employees alike. From underprepared graduates to AI anxiety, we are at a crossroads that could reshape the future of work.

Ema is joined by executive coach and author Dia Bondi, who shares her proven framework for making powerful asks in your career and leadership journey. Based on her book Ask Like an Auctioneer, Dia breaks down the four essential types of asks—money, authority, influence, and balance—and how mastering them can unlock real progress for you and your team. 

In this episode of Leading Change in the Wild, we break down the recent data breach at the viral women’s-only dating app, Tea. Marketed as a platform to help women vet potential matches and stay safe, the app is now facing serious backlash after hackers accessed over 72,000 images, including photo IDs and selfies submitted for account verification.
What we cover in this episode:- What the Tea App promised—and how it failed its users- Why this breach has sparked fear, outrage, and safety concerns- Whether "vibe coding" (AI-generated software development) played a role- How legacy systems and poor security practices left data vulnerable- The bigger questions this raises about trust, digital safety, and ethics in app development
For anyone building, buying, or using technology: this is a cautionary tale.

Delta Airlines just made a bold AI move, and it could cost you. Literally.
In this episode of Leading Change in the Wild, I break down Delta’s controversial announcement: using AI to individually price airfare based on how much you’re personally willing to pay. That’s right...your seat price could soon be set by an algorithm that knows just how badly you need that flight.
What does this mean for the future of customer experience, digital trust, and responsible AI adoption?
In this episode, we explore:
What Delta’s CEO actually said during the earnings call
How this takes dynamic pricing to a whole new (creepy?) level
The backlash from senators and Reddit alike
What we can learn from other brands like United, American Airlines, and even Duolingo
Why this is a textbook example of just because you can doesn’t mean you should
As AI adoption accelerates, businesses need to ask: are we using technology to help people, or just to squeeze more out of them?

Ema is joined by Cody Pavlat, a seasoned trainer and change leader, to explore the often-overlooked role of middle managers in driving successful transformation. They unpack how these “unsung heroes” bridge the gap between executive vision and day-to-day execution, the importance of psychological safety in leading change, and why you can’t just outsource adoption to the training team.

Should states be allowed to regulate AI, or are we risking innovation with death by a thousand cuts?
In this episode of Leading Change in the Wild, I dive into the now-infamous “Big Beautiful Bill,” the 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulation that was overwhelmingly struck down in the Senate.
What’s at stake?A lot. From who gets to decide what’s ethical AI to how fast innovation can move, this debate is shaping the future of artificial intelligence in the U.S.
What you'll learn in this episode:
Why lawmakers pushed to block states from regulating AI for 10 years
Why was that proposal rejected 99–1 in the Senate
What leaders like Anthropic’s CEO are suggesting instead
How this mirrors the 1990s internet boom and Section 230
What Colorado’s new AI law reveals about where we’re headed
What leaders and organizations should do now to stay resilient amid regulatory uncertainty
Whether you're building with AI, buying AI, or trying to understand how it will be governed, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.