Why Hiring Is Broken (And What Actually Works)

What happens when traditional hiring fails—and you decide to build talent instead? In this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, host Tim Branyan sits down with seasoned entrepreneur and educator Ron Brumbarger to unpack decades of experience building companies, developing people, and rethinking how we educate and train the workforce.

From founding and exiting a successful tech firm to launching Apprenticeship University, Ron shares why curiosity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning matter more than résumés—and how entrepreneurs can solve talent gaps by designing better systems. This conversation is packed with real-world lessons on entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, and why giving knowledge away is the ultimate growth strategy.

If you’re an entrepreneur, leader, educator, or someone questioning the traditional path—this episode is for you.

Timestamps (Podcast length: 69:50)

00:00 – Intro & welcome to The Spotlight Podcast

02:10 – Meet Ron Brumbarger & his entrepreneurial background

06:45 – Building and selling a tech company (Bitwise Solutions)

11:30 – Why hiring talent kept failing

16:20 – Walking away from $1M in business

19:40 – Why Ron started Apprenticeship University

26:10 – Why learning by doing beats lectures

32:00 – The real skills businesses can’t find

38:15 – Innovation, curiosity, and problem-finding

44:30 – Why brainstorming usually fails

50:10 – Fear, belief, and getting in the game

55:40 – Trust, empathy, and active listening in leadership

61:20 – Giving knowledge away to build authority

66:30 – Final thoughts on success, fulfillment, and relationships

Links & Resources Ron Brumbarger

📱 Phone: (317)-490-4376

📧 Email: ron@brumbarger.com

🔗 LinkedIn: / in

Tim Branyan

🔗 LinkedIn: / timbranyan

Featured Organizations

🌱 Struinova: https://struinova.com/

🏢 Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC): https://isbdc.org/

🎥 Vision StudioWhy Hiring Is Broken (And What Actually Works): https://www.bookvisionstudio.com/