James Lawrence

President/Founder

Power Automedia

CEO of Digital Media company in the Automotive Aftermarket.

Chief Executive Officer

Happy Companies

In the new era of work, building effective teams is more important than ever to organizational performance. Happy enhances organizational culture, communication and manager effectiveness at scale – making your people your competitive advantage. Happy is a coaching platform that uses behavioral science & AI to build a user manual for your entire team in less than 10 minutes.

CEO & Cofounder

Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)

As SEMA's Chairman of the board, I worked with the SEMA Board of Directors, provide leadership to the SEMA's CEO and SEMA Executive Management team, and helped lead the SEMA Association toward the future. SEMA is the #1 automotive aftermarket association in the world representing more than $50B of revenue.

SEMA Chairman of the Board

SpeedVideo

CEO of subscription-based Live Streaming Motorsports Network. Sold to FloSports in 2021.

Select Council Leadership, FLN/Young Executives Network (YEN) at SEMA. Responsible for helping lead the Young Executive Network/FLN within SEMA along with the select council and Chairman.

Select Council Leadership, SEMA Future Leader Network

ProMedia Publishing LLC

Founder of event production/media business. Also I was responsible for charting the strategic direction for the company, new business development, acquisitions, financial operations, marketing including digital, print, radio, TV; and also oversaw media/publishing/content.

MotorTrend Group

As an editor for the Ford Media Group within Petersen Publishing (now TEN/Discovery/Motor Trend). I planned, coordinated, and developed a wide array of content.

Editor

I believe in PEOPLE.. and believe a great TEAM is the most important competitive advantage.

🌟 I'm focused on reinventing the future of work and how technology and people can work together to improve organizational culture. 🌟

I'm currently the Cofounder of Happy, a coaching platform that enhances organizational culture, communication and manager effectiveness at scale – making people a true competitive advantage. Happy uses behavioral science & AI to build a user manual for your entire team in less than 10 minutes.

💌 Want to chat? Send me a message or reach out to me at james@happycompanies.com

My journey to leadership wasn't straightforward. Early in my career, I learned the hard way that authority doesn't come from a title; it comes from genuinely understanding and connecting with your team. 

I've got an interesting background:
-launched four startups
-former CEO of Power Automedia
-former Chairman of the Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association
-Earned two national championships in auto racing
-Earned two youth football championships as a head coach

I'm married to my amazing wife Melissa, and father to three kids–Bradley, Jordan and Taylor. 

When I'm not leading our team at Happy or spending time with my family, you'll find me:

-coaching youth football
-driving a race car faster than 200 mph
-diving into one of my favorite books, which range from "The Hard Thing About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz to "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey.

I love public speaking on topics like innovation, leadership, organizational culture, and technology. 

I believe the cornerstone of every successful organization is its people. 

My mission is to unlock the power of human connection and happiness at work, using disruptive technology and innovative thinking. I love the process of creating things and collaborating with entrepreneurs, executives, and visionaries to solve real problems and improve the quality of work relationships.

BOBST

Human Resources Generalist

❖ Communicate with company stakeholders to ascertain staffing needs 
❖ Develop employment agency contacts and recruitment strategies 
❖ Communicate organizational needs to placement agencies & other sites for recruitment of suitable candidates 
❖ Develop ad text for placement in publications & on the internet 
❖ Conduct initial screenings of resumes, selecting the top candidates & coordinating interviews 
❖ Preparing offer letters to prospective employees 
❖ Develop orientation program of new employees to include discussion of company policies, and completion of pertinent tax, insurance, and benefits forms, company history and vision, and performance management processes and expectations 
❖ Develop and distribute HR announcements 
❖ Maintain employee personnel files 
❖ Coordinate updates to salary changes, address changes, promotions, and transfers 
❖ Communicate with HR Team to determine priority issues 
❖ Manage recruitment process in ATS, including posting job ads for open positions 
❖ Conduct exit interviews with departing staff 
❖ Facilitate relocation processes for transferring employees

Talent Acquisition Specialist

Golden Steps ABA

❖ Develop and drive programs and processes to build talent pipelines for current and future job openings ❖ Responsible for candidate experience, from application to hire. ❖ Report on recruitment metrics ❖ Develop relationships with colleges and associations relevant in the Psychology field ❖ Review handbook and company policies ❖ Auditing

Human Resources Assistant - Recruiter

❖ Demonstrate the company’s mission and vision of unprecedented commitment and care for both clients and employees.❖ Develop and lead programs for the process of building talent pipelines including current and future job openings.
❖ Forecast hiring needs dependent on business and workforce growth plans. ❖ Report on recruitment metrics❖ Responsible for candidate experience from application to hire, including background checks and OIG reports. 
❖ Educate new hires on company policies and procedures.

Talent Acquisition Partner

The TJX Companies, Inc.

❖ Assigned job responsibilities to employees to make sure that targets were reached and store priorities were met.
❖ Developed and coordinated action plans with input from peers to successively improve and strengthen associate performance. Assessed partner performance and rewarded those that excelled.
❖ Assessed financial planning and made guidelines for payroll budget deviations.
❖ Oversaw a team of roughly 60 people and managed three department coordinators.
❖ Provided guidance and coached associates to effectively execute merchandising standards and enhance the buyer experience.
❖ Ensured adherence to proper inventory tracking practices and reduced store losses/shrinkage by facilitating honest conversations between associates and management. Worked with loss prevention professionals to ensure that all loss prevention programs were properly shared, enforced, and strengthened.
❖ Suggested candidates for employment and assured that employment, housing, and safety laws and procedures were followed.

Merchandise/Operations Manager

❖ Coordinate support to sales professionals in developing sales strategies.
❖ Coordinate and assist customers in meeting their merchandise requirements
❖ To leverage sales prospects, coordinate marketing activities.
❖ Assist and help salespeople in growing their client base.
❖ Maintain company databases by coordinating managerial sales personnel.

Merchandise Sales Coordinator

Hi there! I’m a people-first HR professional with a strong foundation in talent acquisition and a growing focus on strategic HR initiatives. At Bobst, I support both our people and leaders by aligning HR strategies with business goals, strengthening culture, and driving engagement across the organization.

My experience spans full-cycle recruiting, employee engagement, and internal communications, giving me a well-rounded perspective on how to build connected, thriving teams. I’m especially passionate about creating workplaces where employees feel supported, valued, and inspired to grow.

I enjoy partnering with leaders to foster psychological safety, prioritize wellness, and design people-centric strategies that fuel both individual and organizational success. Staying ahead of HR trends and creating meaningful connections across the HR community keeps me inspired and continuously learning.

When I’m not working, you’ll find me exploring new destinations near and far, or getting lost in a great book. I believe in balance, collaboration, and always leading with purpose.

📧 Let’s connect! 

taplio

The Battle

James Lawrence

Taida Murić, SHRM-CP

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