Ep. 131: Kate McKinnon - Redefining Company Culture, Conversations on HR, Sports, and Empathy

Send us Fan MailKate McKinnon is the former Head of Human Resources at Playfly Sports, a leading sports media and marketing company. There, she led the People function through a fast-paced, high-growth phase - helping the company earn recognition as both a Most Loved Workplace and one of the Best Employers in Sports. Today, she leads her own consulting practice focused on empowering organizations by prioritizing their most valuable asset: people. Her work centers on:Leadership DevelopmentHR Strategy & Culture BuildingPersonalized Career Coaching-Quick Episode Summary:Kate McKinnon shares Human Resource insights, Philly sports, and kindness stories.-🔥 Torch Takeaways Include:Kate shares hard-earned lessons on:◼ Hilarious stories about being mistaken for the other Kate McKinnon◼ Why exclamation points (and emojis!) matter in emails◼ The myth that HR is just the “company police”◼ Lessons from Philly sports, The Office’s Toby, and a memorable story of airline biscotti◼ Her upcoming book, From Classroom to Career, for anyone navigating big career transitions◼ Plus: Kate’s advice for young professionals, her take on evolving workplace culture post-pandemic, favorite Maya Angelou & Mr. Rogers quotes, and why we all need to give each other a little more grace.-Podcast Chapters:00:00 Experience with Playfly Sports06:11 Email communication in organizations08:21 Corporate culture misconceptions11:16 Communicating career growth expectations13:49 Post-pandemic workplace challenges17:13 Flight attendant shares snacks20:25 Discussing favorite quotes and insights25:08 First impression of Connor Barwin27:10 Iconic game and Eagles parade29:42 Being a passionate Philly sports fan36:05 Importance of giving grace and Billboard MessageSupport the showConnect with Passing The Torch: Facebook and IG: @torchmartinMore Amazing Stories:Episode 41: Lee Ellis – Freeing You From Bond That Make You InsecureEpisode 81: Kurt Warner – Perseverance, Humility, and Lighting the Way Episode 90: Michelle 'MACE' Curran – How to Turn Fear into Fuel------------© 2026 TORCH LEAP®, LLC. All rights reserved.