
Mike Barefoot: Hiring Decisions and Lessons Earned
From Your Next Success by Caroline Sangal, PhD, SHRM-CP
April 16, 2026 · 1h 1m · Season 1 · Episode 64
About this episode
Mike Barefoot discusses his extensive experience in staffing and recruiting, sharing insights on hiring decisions and leadership shaped by his life experiences and martial arts discipline.
Send us Fan Mail Mike Barefoot served 27+ years in staffing and recruiting, placed 1,000+ professionals (primarily in IT), generated $50M+ in revenue, and built a profitable boutique firm. In this conversation, we trace how his early life changes, competitive drive, and decades of martial arts discipline shaped the way he evaluates people, protects reputation, and plays the long game in hiring and leadership. What We Cover: The moment he chose reality over prestige Why “placeable” is mor...
People in this episode
Host: Caroline Sangal
Guest: Mike Barefoot
Topics covered
- hiring decisions
- staffing
- recruiting
- leadership
- martial arts
- career development
Keywords
- staffing
- recruiting
- hiring
- leadership
- martial arts
- career
- IT professionals
- business success
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