In a crowded field of HR webinars, industry panels, and pre-recorded thought leadership series, one weekly livestream is gaining traction by doing something refreshingly simple: showing up—on camera, in real time, with a hot cup of coffee and a very real conversation.
“But First, Coffee,” hosted by John Baldino and Jackye Clayton, is a weekly livestreamed show that blends HR insight with authenticity, caffeine, and the occasional chaos of going live from an industry conference floor.
Airing most Thursdays and running a full hour, the show draws in people leaders, recruiters, DEI advocates, founders, technologists, and executives who are tired of stiff, over-rehearsed HR content. Instead, they find something that feels more like a conversation over coffee—if your coffee date also featured surprise guests, spontaneous debates, and real talk about the state of work.
The format is deliberately casual. Each hour-long episode begins with a familiar back-and-forth between Baldino and Clayton—banter, current events, and sometimes a surprise anecdote from the airport or the expo hall. Then the week’s theme takes center stage, whether it’s workplace culture, hiring trends, AI and automation, or how burnout is reshaping the workforce.
Occasionally, a guest joins the table—leaders like Hung Lee, Jennifer McClure, Torin Ellis, or a rotating cast of HR tech CEOs, authors, and rising voices in the space. But it’s just as likely the show is streamed live from an event like UNLEASH, WorkHuman, or SHRM, with the sound of conference chatter in the background and a fresh stack of branded swag in the corner.
“We want it to feel like you just pulled up a chair next to us,” Clayton says. “This isn’t a keynote. This is a kitchen table moment—just with thousands of HR folks listening in.”
What’s made But First, Coffee stand out is its tone. It’s irreverent, but informed. Funny, but fiercely relevant. Episodes feature titles like:
“Time Management Tips to Avoid Burnout (With a Splash of Espresso)”
“Spring Clean Your Goals: Reassessing Priorities”
“Live from Transform: Brewing the Future of Work”
“The Swag Report: UNLEASH Recap Edition”
“Looking at Careers in HR—Where Do We Even Go From Here?”
Topics cover everything from performance management and DEI to AI disruption and generational shifts. No two episodes are the same, but each one offers takeaway insights that HR professionals can bring back to their desks, teams, and strategies.
“It’s a mix of therapy, trendspotting, and storytelling,” Baldino explains. “We don’t shy away from what’s hard. But we also laugh—a lot.”
Part of the magic is location. While many episodes are recorded remotely, But First, Coffee frequently goes live from the field. At UNLEASH America in Las Vegas, the team broadcasted from the expo floor, delivering interviews with vendors and attendees. At WorkHuman, they covered the theme of gratitude and belonging. From Nashville to NYC, the show’s mobile setup means the team can jump into the action, offering real-time recaps and first-look access to the conversations shaping the field.
“It’s basically the ‘HR CNN’ you didn’t know you needed,” one viewer commented on LinkedIn. “Except with better banter and cooler mugs.”
What began as a low-key livestream has become a gathering place for the HR community. With viewers tuning in live or catching the replay via LinkedIn, YouTube, or the podcast feed, But First, Coffee now reaches thousands of professionals each month. Some have built their Friday routines around it.
The show is also highly shareable. Clips, quotes, and graphics circulate on social throughout the week, often sparking debates or applause in the comments. Humareso’s marketing team pushes the momentum with weekly recaps, banner images, and even swag giveaways that keep the community engaged.
Behind the scenes, production has scaled with intention—Restream powers the multi-platform broadcast, and Adobe Express supports the show’s branded visuals. But nothing is overly polished. That’s the point.
“This is a living-room-style talk show for people who live HR every day,” Clayton says. “And we’re not done brewing yet.”
Looking ahead, the team behind But First, Coffee is preparing to build out the ecosystem. Plans are underway for a dedicated landing page with a live calendar, guest signup, and newsletter. There’s talk of branded mugs, on-demand playlists, and a formal sponsor strategy.
But the core idea remains the same: deliver real, unfiltered conversations about the evolving world of work, with a little caffeine and a lot of heart.
Or as Baldino puts it: “You bring the coffee. We’ll bring the conversation.”