What Leaders Can Learn From HR's Meme Culture with Jamie Jackson

Mar 10, 2026

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📋 Episode Description

What happens when an HR director reaches her breaking point during a global pandemic — and decides to cope by making memes? For Jamie Jackson, it became a movement. With over 3 million combined followers across her Instagram channels Humorous Resources and Millennial Misery, Jamie has turned the unfiltered reality of workplace life into one of the most relatable communities on the internet. In this episode, host Brandon Laws sits down with Jamie to unpack the behind-the-scenes chaos of HR, what it's really like being laid off when you've spent 22 years laying others off, why employers are flat-out refusing to hire her because of her social media, and why she wouldn't change a single thing. This one is funny, honest, and hits close to home — whether you work in HR or just survive the workplace every day. Don't miss it.

⏱️ Key Timestamps

[00:01] — Welcome & introductions: Brandon explains how he found Jamie through Instagram and why he knew she'd make for a great episode.

[00:08] — The meme that defines Jamie: She shares her all-time favorite ("per my last email… they didn't know you were a gangster") and why it perfectly captures her spicy, no-nonsense personality.

[01:50] — The origin of Humorous Resources: Jamie takes us back to the pandemic, when she was an HR director managing 150 employees across four nonprofit health clinics — tracking daily CDC changes and carrying the weight of an entire organization's safety.

[03:07] — Breaking point and birth of a community: Isolated as a "department of one," Jamie created the page as a personal outlet — never expecting it to go anywhere, let alone resonate with hundreds of thousands of HR professionals who desperately needed to laugh.

[05:59] — The vaccine mandate chaos: Employees screaming in her face, and Jamie walking back to her desk to make a meme about it. The coping mechanism at its finest.

[07:04] — How she actually makes memes: Chronically online (now on purpose), stockpiling screenshots, filling her Notes app at her kids' basketball games — Jamie's creative process is equal parts chaotic and brilliant.

[09:49] — Getting laid off after 22 years on the other side of it: Jamie opens up about being let go last April, the dark days that followed, and the identity crisis of an HR pro who suddenly didn't feel needed.

[11:03] — The data-driven HR work nobody wanted to see: She breaks down how she built out an entire HR metrics system — beyond just turnover — and how her new boss didn't see the value, leading to her elimination (and the role being posted two days later for a friend).

[15:11] — Why nobody will hire her: The worst job market since the pandemic, plus employers flat-out refusing to bring her on because of her social media presence. One quote? "I wouldn't touch her with a 10-foot pole." She gets it. She'd still do it again.

[18:21] — Workplace behaviors that get meme-ified: The dreaded Teams "Hi there" with no follow-up. Being called when you're showing green. People lurking outside conference rooms 60 seconds before the booking ends. All of it.

[19:36] — Leadership behaviors that always land: "We're all family." Pizza parties instead of raises. A $5 taxed Starbucks card as the response to low engagement scores. Jamie's delivery here is priceless.

[21:21] — Is humor masking burnout? Brandon asks the uncomfortable question. Jamie's answer: "The line does not exist." A surprisingly honest and important moment in the episode.

[22:13] — HR for HR — Jamie's upcoming keynote speech: She's the closing keynote at an HR conference this April, and instead of positioning HR as the hero, she's going deeper — focusing on what HR professionals need to survive the role, including psychological safety, community, and permission to laugh.

[26:42] — HR Besties Podcast: How Jamie, Ashley Heard (Manager Method), and Lee Henderson (HR Manifesto) got on a call, vibed immediately, and accidentally built one of the most-listened-to HR podcasts — complete with "water cooler talk" featuring wild real-world HR stories.

[29:15] — What's next for Jamie: Leadership coaching, keynote speaking, branded content, and the ongoing mission to make HR people feel less alone — all while being unapologetically herself.

🔗 Connect with Jamie Jackson

Instagram: @humorous_resources
Instagram: @millennial_misery
Personal page: @the_chief_meme_officer
Podcast: HR Besties (available wherever you listen to podcasts)

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