Unlocked: How Payroll Congress Turned a First-Time Attendee Into a PayrollOrg Director with Christina Ruderer

Imagine attending Payroll Congress for the very first time and within a year becoming part of the PayrollOrg team responsible for training payroll professionals across the world. That is exactly what happened to Christina Ruderer, CPP, and her story perfectly captures what makes Payroll Congress unlike any other event in the profession.

In this episode of @thepayrollpodcast, Nick Day, CEO of JGA Recruitment, sits down with Christina Ruderer, CPP, Director of Payroll Training at PayrollOrg, to unpack one of the most inspiring career stories in payroll today. From passing her CPP exam in tears to being selected on stage at Congress, to landing a leadership role at PayrollOrg within months, Christina's journey is living proof of what happens when preparation meets opportunity. The conversation also dives deep into what attendees can expect at Payroll Congress 2026 in Nashville, why the connections made at Congress have a compounding effect on your career, and why showing up, even alone and for the first time, could be the single best decision you make this year.

It is not luck.

It is not timing.

It is showing up with intention.

Christina shares how a clear mission, a willingness to step outside her comfort zone, and the right connections at Congress unlocked a career opportunity she had only dared to imagine. Whether you are a first-timer on the fence or a seasoned Congress veteran, this episode will remind you exactly why Payroll Congress remains the most powerful event in the global payroll profession.

This episode is sponsored by Deel

Managing a global team is complex, Deel makes it simpler with payroll, HR, IT, and compliance all in one place. That's why over 35,000 businesses trust Deel to hire, pay, and manage their teams worldwide.

See how Deel works at www.deel.com/nickday

Guest and Host:

Connect with Christina Ruderer, CPP: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-ruderer-cpp-35632032b/

Get your Payroll Congress 2026 tickets here: www.payrollcongress.com

Connect with Nick Day: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/

Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/691ee4537e

Stay tuned for the next episode of The Payroll Podcast, brought to you by Nick Day, CEO at JGA Recruitment, landing soon!

Enjoyed this? Check out our sister podcast @thehrldpodcast for more great content!

Timestamps:

(00:01) Introduction: Christina Ruderer's remarkable Congress-to-career story

(02:14) What does payroll mean to you?

(02:33) From member to certified: Christina's FPC and CPP journey

(05:09) Attending Payroll Congress alone for the very first time

(08:21) The Congress connection that changed everything

(09:20) From first-time attendee to PayrollOrg Director

(11:40) How Congress welcomes introverts and first-timers

(15:26) What Christina is presenting at Congress 2026 and the education lineup

(21:46) Congress traditions: the themed Fête party and what to expect

(27:18) The moment that made the whole trip worth it

(35:11) The Payroll Vault: rapid-fire career advice for 2026

Hashtags: #PayrollCongress #PayrollPodcast #PayrollOrg #CPP #CertifiedPayrollProfessional #PayrollCareers #PayrollProfessionals #PayrollTraining #Nashville2026 #PayrollCommunity #PayrollLeadership #PayrollIndustry #PayrollConference #PayrollGrowth #FutureOfPayroll

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(280)

Your Payroll Knows Something Your Credit Score Doesn't with Nico Simko

Most conversations about on-demand pay stop in the same place. Employees want their money sooner, employers want to hold onto cash for longer, and an app sits somewhere in the middle. But a product th...

15 Okt 49min

Real-time Payroll, Mandatory Payrolling and National Minimum Wage

Payroll Question Time is brought to you by SD Worx. SD Worx offers smart, tailored and integrated HR and Payroll solutions, along with the local expertise, global reach and reliable service you need t...

7 Okt 52min

The Strategic Payroll Leader | Beyond Compliance at Payroll Summit 2026 with Vickie Graham

Most payroll and reward events cover the same ground. Legislation updates, compliance checklists, a few case studies, then everyone goes home. But an event built only around compliance will never move...

29 Sep 36min

Minimum Wage Compliance | Technology Closing the Payroll Deductions Gap with Wendy Muirhead

Payroll compliance isn't about hitting the minimum wage threshold on paper, it's about understanding what deductions, benefits, and statutory calculations actually mean in law.In this episode of @thep...

19 Sep 33min

Talent Retention in Payroll Leadership | Building Careers for 2040 with Troy Markusson

Payroll leadership faces a 2040 crisis that has nothing to do with compliance, technology, or AI. It's our failure to attract, educate, and listen to the next generation of payroll professionals. In t...

9 Sep 52min

Silent Payroll Errors | Why Compliance Blindspots Matter with Jay Crider

Your payroll runs smoothly but that's exactly where payroll compliance risk hides. In this episodeIn this episode of @thepayrollpodcast, Nick Day, CEO of JGA Recruitment Group, sits down with Jay Crid...

1 Sep 54min

AI for Payroll | How Failed Implementations Shape Your Career with Raju Chauhan

AI for payroll is reshaping the profession but failed implementations reveal what truly matters. In this episode of @thepayrollpodcast, Nick Day, CEO of JGA Recruitment, sits down with Raju Chauhan, e...

24 Aug 49min

Building a Strategic Payroll Career | Leadership Beyond Compliance with Jamie Phillips

Payroll careers are often written off as accidents. Someone needed a job, a shared service center needed a body, and thirty years later they never left. But staying in payroll for three decades and be...

17 Aug 43min