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One year of Talentless. Thirty-seven episodes. Two hosts who somehow still like each other. And a whole lot of people who tuned in along the way, thank you.
For our post-anniversary episode, Des and Ashley did the thing they've been avoiding for a year: they turned the mic on themselves. No guest. No script. No agenda beyond "let's actually let people meet us."
If you've been listening for the strategy, the receipts, the guest interviews, welcome to the softer side. This one's about:
The two TV characters that make up Desiree (spoiler: they're both named Olivia)
Why Ashley is a Shrek pretending to be a Ted Lasso
Their most awkward hiring manager stories (yes, one involved the words "what about her breasts?")
The vendor-hire nightmare that made national news
Why Desiree wanted to write murder novels on a dog farm
Ashley's dream of bagging groceries at Stanton's (still on the table)
The bro culture of HR podcasting and why we started this in the first place
Ashley's brother-in-law Brian, and why we do this work
It's honest. It's a little messy. It's the two of us at our most us.
Thank you for a year of showing up. Here's to year two.
What You'll Learn
Why Des is a two-Olivia stack (Benson + Pope)
Why Ashley wants to be a Shrek but keeps getting told she's Ted Lasso
The Kelly Clarkson vs Sia debate for Desiree's life anthem
Ashley's radiology rectal imaging pivot moment (yes, really)
Every alternate-reality version of both hosts (comedian, event planner, playwright, author, hair stylist, softball coach, grocery bagger)
The two hires that broke Ashley and one big lesson about accountability
Why talent should be agility animals (Ashley's platypus + Desiree's chameleon = new mascot lore)
The bro culture of HR podcasting and why we're not it
The Brian story: why one benefits decision destroyed a family and shaped Ashley's entire career philosophy
The Julie story: what happened when ONE recruiter stuck with Ashley's mom for 15 years
Best quotes
"Talent should be the sitcom of the world, not necessarily the dramedy." — Ashley
"I'm a mix of two Olivias." — Desiree
"I'm a Shrek pretending to be a Ted Lasso." — Ashley
"We're basically agility animals — a platypus, a chameleon, and a yappy dog." — Des & Ash on the Talentless mascot
"There is no such thing as a 30-minute vet that's gonna handle that." — Ashley on hiring humans
"We hold the keys to people's success — their life, their salary, their happiness. Recruiting is not order-taking." — Desiree
"Bro culture in HR podcasting is 80% of the mic time with 20% of the actual field. That needed to change." — Desiree
Where to find us
Newsletter: talentless.beehiiv.com
Instagram • LinkedIn • TikTok • YouTube • BlueSky • Threads: @talentlesspodcast
Discord community: join via talentlesspodcast.com
1-Year Anniversary Giveaway: search Talentless Anniversary Giveaway 2026
Got a #DumDumTalent story? desiree@talentlesspodcast.com
