Candid With Candidates
Jenn Hahn
Publishing Details
About This Podcast
If you’ve ever wondered how people actually build careers inside major organizations, not just what they post on LinkedIn, this podcast is for you.
Candid with Candidates is hosted by Jenn Hahn, founder and CEO of J Recruiting Services, a national recruitment firm specializing in retail, wholesale, and distribution.
In each episode, Jenn sits down with corporate leaders, from CMOs and senior executives to rising directors, to talk through the real decisions, setbacks, and moments that shaped their careers.
This isn’t a highlight reel. These are thoughtful, honest conversations about what it takes to grow inside the corporate world, and how the people leading those organizations actually got there.
Whether you’re just starting out, managing a team, or already established in your career, you’ll hear stories that help you feel informed, encouraged, and more connected to your own professional path.
This podcast also serves as a space for leaders to share their perspectives and showcase their organizations, making it a valuable tool for both talent attraction and industry insight.
What you’ll learn from each episode:
- How real people move from entry-level to executive roles
- What leadership looks like behind the scenes
- The soft skills and mindset shifts that matter most
- How companies grow and retain top talent
- Honest advice from people who’ve done the work
New episodes drop every second Tuesday, starting June 3rd.
Make sure to follow Candid with Candidates wherever you get your podcasts, and get ready to hear the stories that don’t make it to the company bio.
Podcasting 2.0 Features
Social Media
Explore Statistics
Recent Episodes
From Cashier to Category Boss: Natasha Brinegar on Leadership, Growth & the Future of Grocery Retail
What does it take to lead one of the most critical categories in grocery retail—and how do you build a lasting, evolving career within the same organization?In this episode of Candid with Candidates,…
S2E11 How Amy Niemetscheck Became CEO of Certco: Career Growth, Leadership, and Business Acumen
Wondering what it takes to lead a billion-dollar, retailer-owned grocery wholesaler—and how does someone go from public accounting to the CEO seat without following a traditional executive path?In…
How To Stay Relevant in a Rapidly Changing Industry With Aaron Gottlieb of Advantage Solutions
After 24 Years in Retail, Aaron Gottlieb Says Career Growth Starts in the Field—Not the Office.In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Aaron Gottlieb, Executive Vice…
From Pet Industry Executive to Private Equity CEO: How Kristi Ross Scales Growth
What does it truly take to step into a CEO role—and how do you build a career that prepares you for that level of leadership?In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Kristi Ross, CEO of Three Dog…
S2E8 From Box-Boy to President and CEO—An Interview with Ryan Adams of Gelson's Markets
What does it take to build a long-term career in grocery retail—and ultimately step into the President & CEO role?In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Ryan Adams,…
S2E7 Why Food Safety Is No Longer a Department: Ann Visser-Depp on Her Journey to Advising Top Retailers on Compliance Strategy and Supply Chain Accountability
Behind every compliant supplier file and traceable product movement is a disciplined system—and a leader ensuring it works.In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn speaks with Ann…
S2E6 How Larree Renda Built a 40-Year Career at Safeway — From Store Associate to EVP
What does it take to build a four-decade leadership career in one of the most complex and competitive industries in retail—without a traditional corporate path?In this episode of Candid with…
S2E5 30 Years of Leadership and the Culture Lessons That Still Win Today with James D. White
Sustainable success in business rarely comes down to strategy alone. More often, it is culture—the behaviors, expectations, and leadership standards inside an organization—that determines long-term…
S2E4 The Smart Way to Scale a CPG Brand: Fractional Sales and Retail Strategy with Robert Fascia & Tommy Renda of Vandelay Strategies
What does it take to successfully scale a CPG brand in today’s complex retail environment—without overspending on talent or sacrificing strategy?In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer…
How NOT Fitting the Mold Has Led Her to Success, with PepsiCo Executive Leader Jackie LaPointe
What does it take to lead one of the largest retail markets at PepsiCo while staying grounded, authentic, and energized?In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Jackie…
S2E2 From Fortune 500 to Startup: How Mark Heitke of DoorDash’s Symbiosys Learned to Win in Both
What does it take to build a successful career in an industry that didn’t even exist when you started—and to continue evolving as the business scales, transforms, and accelerates?In this episode of…
S2E1 Executive Leadership in Grocery Retail: Kristin Popp on Strategy, Growth, and Career Development
What does it truly take to lead at the executive level in grocery retail—and how do you build a career that grows alongside the business?To launch Season 2 of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn…
Best of Leadership: Real Strategies from Real Leaders
Leadership looks polished from the outside—but the real lessons come from the unfiltered, in-the-trenches experiences of those who’ve lived it. This episode brings you those lessons directly. Jenn…
Best of Candid Advice for Candidates: What Top Leaders Want Candidates to Know
Season one delivered more insight, practical advice, and behind-the-scenes truth than we could possibly contain in individual episodes. So in this special mash-up episode, we pulled together the most…
Inside Retail Media: Rapid Growth & Building Calm in Chaos with Claire Wyatt, The Trade Desk
What does it take to lead in one of the fastest-growing, high margin areas of advertising and retail?In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn sits down with Claire Wyatt, GM of Client…
How Sheila Ebanks Leads Coca-Cola’s Large Store Division Across North America with Authentic, Inspirational Leadership and Two Core Beliefs About Her Own Career
In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn speaks with Sheila Muniz Ebanks, Head of the Large Store Division for Coca-Cola North America, about her leadership journey from driving truck…
A Chat With Chief Merchant: Rebecca Lupfer on Taking Your Career by the Horns and Growing From Internal Audit to the C-Suite
What does it take to lead one of the most critical functions in grocery retail—especially when your path didn’t begin in the aisle?In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn sits down…
Energy Management as a Key Leadership Principle with Pat Mooney, VP at Wakefern
In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn speaks with Pat Mooney, Vice President of Health & Beauty Care and Non-Foods at Wakefern Food Corp.—the $21B retailer many consumers…
From Finance Aspirations to Supply Chain Transformation: How Jackie Doyle is Driving Strategic Growth at fairlife, LLC
When your company is growing fast—and your supply chain needs to grow faster—how do you build the structure, strategy, and team to keep up?In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jennifer Hahn…
Embracing Tech in Retail: Parag Shah of Think Blue on AI, E-Commerce & Customer Experience
What does it take to transform legacy retail systems into future-ready strategies—without losing sight of what matters most?In this episode of Candid with Candidates, Jenn Hahn sits down with Parag…
Frequently Asked Questions
Candid With Candidates has published 29 episodes since May 2025, covering topics in Business, Careers.
Candid With Candidates is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 38m.
Similar Podcasts
Earn Your Leisure
iHeartPodcasts
1,484 episodes
Front Row Seat with Ken Coleman
Ramsey Network
180 episodes
Happier in Hollywood
The Onward Project
484 episodes
A Bit of Optimism
Simon Sinek
226 episodes
Your Virtual Upline Podcast
Bob Heilig
495 episodes
How to Be Awesome at Your Job
How to be Awesome at Your Job
1,182 episodes