What happens when a French academic-turned-call-centre-agent becomes an expert in startup culture and people operations? In this episode, Melody Moore sits down with Steph Thommen, Fractional Head of People, culture geek, and accidental entrepreneur, to explore the career pivots, personal influences, and deep values that don’t show up on her LinkedIn profile, but shape everything she does. From her rebellious, wine-sharing aunt to building high-performing teams in tech startups, Steph shares candid insights into the messy magic of leading with humanity. Whether you’re navigating scale-up chaos, rethinking your relationship with work, or just curious about what “good HR” really looks like, this conversation will challenge, inspire, and stick with you. Topics include: Culture as a strategic tool (not a vibe) Startup myths and realities Identity, belonging, and being the “outsider within” Why being treated like an adult at 13 shaped her leadership lens     You can connect with Steph here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/startupsteph/   Steph's book recommendation:  Drive by Dan Pink - https://amzn.to/4dNX5Fc Find Your Why by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/4dJmmQV Dare to Lead by Brené Brown - https://amzn.to/4jyuKnD  The 10 Laws of Trust by Joel Peterson - https://amzn.to/4dJAXMc The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni - https://amzn.to/4kOBYoE   And if you're on a quest for personal growth or navigating a career transition, check out our Being Free membership. It's all about finding your own path to freedom with a supportive community by your side. Head over to liberareconsulting.co.uk/being-free to join the waitlist.     The transcript that shows on your screen is automatically generated, therefore we cannot guarantee it is 100% accurate.  You can access a copy of the full transcript here: https://shorturl.at/VWUAZ   The Secret Resume podcast is a Liberare Consulting production.  You can contact us at podcast@liberareconsulting.co.uk and can buy Melody's book 'The Inclusive Team: How to Build and Develop Inclusive High Performing Teams' or a copy of our Inclusive Teams conversation Cards here: https://shorturl.at/XspUX  Use the code podcast10 to get a 10% discount on all of the items on our product page.   Or why not join our community to get access to exclusive benefits and be the first to hear updates and news https://liberare-consulting.ck.page/community   If you are interested in becoming a guest on our show, please fill in the form here: https://liberare-consulting.ck.page/podcast_guest   We are an Amazon affiliate and receive a very small commission if you buy books through our Amazon links.