This short trailer introduces Honestly, We’re Learning, a podcast from ClearEdge focused on career turning points, leadership growth, and the messy middle behind professional success in staffing, HR tech, and talent.
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About the Podcast
For nearly 20 years, ClearEdge has been part of the staffing and HR tech industry, and we’ve seen just about every story you can imagine. We’ve watched brands take big gambles and seen them pay off. And sometimes not. We’ve cheered on colleagues as they took that brand new job and rocketed to the top of every influential leader list out there, and we’ve been the friend they turned to when things got really hard.
Along the way, we’ve been reminded of something every step of the journey: we’re all still learning.
Honestly, We’re Learning is a new podcast from ClearEdge, hosted by our CEO and Founder Leslie Vickrey, alongside Lesly Cardec, CMO and SVP of Recruiting. In each episode, they sit down with leaders across staffing, HR tech, and the broader talent industry for a candid, never-judgmental look at their journeys, including the wins, the failures, the pivots, and the lessons learned.
Between guest conversations, we also take a closer look at what’s happening in marketing and talent today. From the trends reshaping how brands connect to the shifts redefining hiring yet again, we explore what makes truly impactful storytelling happen.
This podcast is made for anyone in the staffing, HR tech, and talent industries who has ever found themselves thinking, “Am I doing this right?” It’s perfect for when you need the inspiration to keep going, take chances, and know that your work is worth it.
We’ll be releasing new episodes every other week starting February 3rd!
Intro: Welcome to Honestly We’re Learning, a podcast from ClearEdge, the marketing agency that also helps marketers grow their careers.
Join Leslie Vickrey and Lesly Cardec as we explore the turning points that shape a person’s professional story, the highs, the stumbles, and everything in between. We’ll bring you candid conversations with leaders and rising talent, plus our own take on what’s changing in marketing and recruiting today. Because behind every success story is a few lessons learned the hard way. And honestly, we’re all still learning.
Leslie Vickrey: All right, we’re really doing this.
Lesly Cardec: We are! And yes, you heard that right. This is Leslie and Lesly, same name, different spelling. We get confused more times than not, whether it’s through emails, conference name tags, people introducing us on stage. At one point, someone truly thought we were the same person, but we changed clothes a lot.
Leslie Vickrey: I have to say, Lesly, I’m kind of partial to your wardrobe, so I appreciate being compared to you. And I’m Leslie with an ‘ie’, founder and CEO of ClearEdge.
Lesly Cardec: I’m Lesly with an ‘ly’, CMO and SVP of Recruiting at ClearEdge, and together we’re basically one very organized leader with two different spellings and double the opinions.
Leslie Vickrey: Double the opinions. I love it! At ClearEdge, we’ve spent years helping people and companies tell their story. The real story, the human story, the ‘this felt like a plot twist I was not ready for’ story.
Lesly Cardec: And after all those conversations, all the pivots, all the unglamorous middle chapters we’ve all witnessed and experienced ourselves, we realized something. The moments that define someone’s career usually aren’t the shiny ones. They’re the messy, confusing, ‘Is this normal?’ moment that no one really talks about.
Leslie Vickrey: The messy middle is exactly why we created this podcast. Honestly, We’re Learning, it’s really where leaders come to share the truth. The turning points, the identity shifts, the lessons they’re still learning in real time.
Lesly Cardec: We’ll be talking to incredible guests, leaders who’ve lived through the wins, the wipeouts, and the well-that-wasn’t-in-my-job-description moment.
Leslie Vickrey: And yes, we’ll also bring in what we’re seeing every day at ClearEdge. How leaders show up, how brand and reputation shape opportunity, and why storytelling isn’t just for marketing teams, it’s for your career.
Lesly Cardec: Because we all know that great leadership and great marketing actually share the same heartbeat, whether it’s authenticity, curiosity, and the courage to really say what’s real.
Leslie Vickrey: I love that, Lesly, the same heartbeat between leadership and marketing. That’s perfect. Okay, but speaking of real, we should probably warn our listeners that we aren’t doctors, but we are complete hypochondriacs. So we will absolutely refund whatever bizarre symptoms Google told us to worry about this week.
Lesly Cardec: And thank you for warning everyone. It doesn’t get more honest than two leaders simultaneously trying to inspire people and diagnose ourselves with 12 imaginary conditions we’ve Googled.
Leslie Vickrey: Very true, very true. And every episode, we ask the questions most people wish leaders were asked, like, When did your personal brand start matching who you really are? And my personal favorite, what’s a story you’ve never shared publicly, but know you should?
Lesly Cardec: No highlight reels, no perfect answers. I love it. Just the stuff that leaders whisper to their closest people, but now they’re whispering out loud. So if you’re looking for wisdom in the messy middle, have no fear, pull up a chair.
Leslie Vickrey: And if you’ve ever wondered, am I the only one figuring this out as I go?
Lesly Cardec: Believe me, you’re not, and this show is for you.
Leslie Vickrey: All right, so please make sure you follow or subscribe so you don’t miss it. And if you want to be a guest or recommend a guest, give us a shout.
Lesly Cardec: We can’t wait for you to hear what we’ve been up to, and we look forward to seeing you there.
Outro: Thanks for listening to Honestly We’re Learning. If you liked what you heard, you can drop us a like, review, or comment. And if you want to hear more, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.