The Culture Whisperer - a podcast for HR, Communications and Business Leaders everywhere! – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Culture Whisperer - a podcast for HR, Communications and Business Leaders everywhere!

Dawn Smedley

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/39d. Total Eps: 16

The Culture Whisperer podcast brings to you uplifting conversations with inspirational business leaders exploring their stories, learning and experiences that they see have the biggest impact on organisational culture. Often it can be the smallest 'whispers' that make the biggest difference and there are 'culture whisperers' in every organisation at all levels. We'll be leaning into this and much more!

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Apple Podcasts

🇬🇧 Great Britain - management
29/08/2026
#91
🇬🇧 Great Britain - management
02/11/2025
#86
🇬🇧 Great Britain - management
31/08/2025
#76
🇬🇧 Great Britain - management
12/08/2025
#79
🇬🇧 Great Britain - management
15/07/2025
#97
🇬🇧 Great Britain - management
03/07/2025
#42
🇬🇧 Great Britain - management
10/06/2025
#90
🇬🇧 Great Britain - management
27/12/2024
#75
🇬🇧 Great Britain - management
26/12/2024
#47
🇬🇧 Great Britain - management
27/11/2024
#94

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Score global : 37%

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Trailer - My Hope for the Culture Whisperer Podcast

Monday, September 30, 2024 • Duration 01:56

Welcome to the Culture Whisperer podcast shining a light on inspiring business leaders (at all levels of the organization) who I’ve met along the way who are ‘culture whisperers’, the bringers of hope!

What do I think of when I think of a Culture Whisperer?Someone that inspires hope in the people around them. This is how I believe hope shows up in the amazing leaders I’ll be interviewing on this podcast and why I believe hope matters.

I really hope you enjoy listening!

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"The Brave Spaces One" | with Rebekah Cresswell, CEO, Priory Group

Season 1 · Episode 1

Wednesday, October 2, 2024 • Duration 30:25

Note: The sound quality isn't quite what it should be on this one so best to listen in a way where you can adjust the volume up when Rebekah speaks! Forgive me - this was my first one!

"The smallest things make the biggest difference. Welcome to The Culture Whisperer."

What does it really mean to lead with courage? In this very first episode of The Culture Whisperer, Dawn sits down with Rebekah Cresswell — the first ever female CEO of the Priory Group — for a conversation full of heart, honesty and hope.

Rebekah shares what it means to create brave spaces where people truly feel safe, the power of staying mission-focused even when things get tough, and why culture whispers can lift an organisation — or quietly bring it down. She also talks about the free mental health programme Priory launched for children and young people across the UK, and why being a culture whisperer doesn't stop at the organisation's front door.

This one will give you goosebumps. 🎙️

Culture Whispers in this episode:

Knowing your people — really knowing them — is one of the simplest and most powerful things a leader can do
Positive culture takes active, daily, intentional work — it doesn't just happen
Bravery and courage are quiet superpowers in leadership

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"The Relentless Communication One" | with Inji Duducu, Group People Director

Season 1 · Episode 2

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 • Duration 52:37

The smallest things make the biggest difference. Welcome to The Culture Whisperer."

What does it take to build a truly great place to work — even in the most challenging environments? In this episode, Dawn chats with the brilliant Inji Duducu, Group People Director at Poundstretcher, about what it really means to lead culture with energy, positivity and relentless communication.

Inji shares how listening and then responding to colleagues is the most important part of any transformation, why everything a leader does and says sends a message, and how bananas once played a starring role in a culture change programme (you'll have to listen to find out how!).

Warm, funny, and packed with wisdom. 🎙️

Culture Whispers in this episode:

As a leader, everything you do and say sends a message — even the small things
Relentless communication is the engine of any transformation
Engagement is always a choice — your job is to create a culture where people choose to keep showing up

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"The Rocket Fuel One" | with Ryan Cheyne, Chief People Officer

Season 1 · Episode 3

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 • Duration 01:00:40

The smallest things make the biggest difference. Welcome to The Culture Whisperer."

Recognition and appreciation aren't rocket science — they're rocket fuel. In this episode, Dawn is joined by Ryan Cheyne, a Chief People Officer whose career spans some of the UK's most iconic brands including Pets at Home, Booking.com, Rentalcars and Flutter.

Ryan shares why listening intently and keeping things simple are the most important things you can do when shaping culture, why long service awards should be reframed as career celebrations, and how he's used employee voice to build something truly meaningful for the people around him. Oh — and there's a brilliant story about singing Barryoke with Barry from EastEnders. You're welcome. 🎙️

Culture Whispers in this episode:

Recognition and appreciation are not complicated — but they are powerful
Long service awards are moments of human connection, not just milestones
Listening intently is a leadership superpower that costs nothing

(and how he sang ‘Barryoke’ with Barry from Eastenders – oh yes!) ;)

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"The Listen to the Little Voice One" | with Sonia Squires, Head of Communications, Citizen Housing

Season 1 · Episode 4

Sunday, December 1, 2024 • Duration 57:14

"The smallest things make the biggest difference. Welcome to The Culture Whisperer."

In this inspiring and very real conversation, Dawn is joined by Sonia Squires, Head of Communications at Citizen Housing — a leader who shows up with vulnerability, positivity and a deep belief in the power of human connection.

Sonia shares her journey into internal communications, her lived experiences as a woman of colour navigating the workplace, and the importance of representation, hope and psychological safety in leadership. Her closing culture whisper — listen to the little voices in the room — is something you'll carry with you long after you've finished listening.

Honest, warm and genuinely moving. 🎙️

Culture Whispers in this episode:

Internal comms is a strategic function — it's the eyes and ears of an organisation
Listen to the little voices — the quieter the voice, the more important it often is
Follow your intuition — it's almost always trying to tell you something important

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"The Inclusion Is Personal One" | with Advita Patel, Founder CommsRebel & President, CIPR

Season 1 · Episode 9

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 • Duration 50:43

"The smallest things make the biggest difference. Welcome to The Culture Whisperer."

"You can't be everyone's cup of tea — otherwise you'd be a mug." In this powerhouse of a conversation, Dawn sits down with Advita Patel — founder of CommsRebel, co-founder of A Leader Like Me, and the first South Asian woman to be President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Advita talks about why inclusion isn't optional — it's personal. She challenges all of us to keep saying the words, to keep showing up, and to speak up when we see unfairness — even when it's uncomfortable. She also shares why hope is a leadership habit, and why in a world full of fear and fatigue, the most important thing leaders can do is bring courage and clarity.

Important, challenging and full of fire. 🎙️

Culture Whispers in this episode:

Inclusion is about fairness — and it requires all of us to keep speaking up
Hope isn't fluffy — it's a leadership habit and a daily act of courage
You may not be everyone's cup of tea. That's okay. Do the right thing anyway

What a conversation, what an inspiration Advita is!

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"The Lost Art of Conversation One" | with Pete Colby, Founder, Pragmatism

Season 1 · Episode 9

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 • Duration 44:50

"The smallest things make the biggest difference. Welcome to The Culture Whisperer."

We're losing the art of conversation at work — and it's costing us more than we realise. In this episode, Dawn is joined by Pete Colby, workplace mediator and founder of Pragmatism, for a conversation about what really happens when we stop talking to each other — and what it takes to start again.

Pete shares why most workplace conflict starts not with a big falling out but with two people who only ever connected at task level, how intent is everything in a difficult conversation, and why getting to know people as people — not just colleagues — is the single most powerful culture whisper of all.

Honest, practical and quietly profound. 🎙️

Culture Whispers in this episode:

Most conflict at work could have been resolved much earlier — if someone had just had a conversation
Trust is the biggest word in the dictionary — and it starts with good intent
Get to know people beyond the task. You'll be amazed what you find out — and what it changes

An important conversation with culture whispering at its heart!

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"The Caring Deeply One" | with Kate Herod, Hospital Director, Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal

Season 1 · Episode 8

Thursday, May 8, 2025 • Duration 59:19

"The smallest things make the biggest difference. Welcome to The Culture Whisperer."

What does inspiring leadership look like in the world of mental health services? In this episode, Dawn sits down with Kate Herod, Hospital Director at Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal — a leader who was recommended by her own CEO, Rebekah Cresswell, as someone whose quiet, purposeful leadership deserved to be celebrated.

Kate shares stories of resilience and hope, the power of small acts in transforming hospital culture, and why curiosity, data and psychological safety matter more than you might think when you're leading a team doing some of the most important work in the world. She also shares why aligning who you are with where you work can change everything.

Warm, wise and genuinely inspiring. 🎙️

Culture Whispers in this episode:

The smallest acts of recognition — remembering what someone is going through — can mean everything
Psychological safety isn't a 'nice to have' in healthcare — it's life-changing
When your values and your workplace are aligned, you can do extraordinary things

This is a must-listen for anyone passionate about people, culture, and creating spaces where others can truly thrive! I found the whole conversation truly inspiring, I hope you do too!

🎧 Tune in, be inspired, and keep those intentional, positive culture whispers whispering! 🎧

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"The Appreciation Changes Everything One" | with Vikki Gledhill, Reward & Recognition Leader

Friday, March 7, 2025 • Duration 01:06:51

"The smallest things make the biggest difference. Welcome to The Culture Whisperer."

(Well, kind of — it's not complicated, but it matters more than most organisations realise.) In this episode recorded on Employee Appreciation Day, Dawn chats with Vikki Gledhill — a reward and recognition expert with nearly 25 years of experience and a shared passion for the power of appreciation.

Vikki shares how recognition isn't a standalone thing — it's woven into culture, values and strategy. She talks about how she found her way into reward almost by accident, what she's seen work (and what really doesn't), and why the organisations that get this right see the difference everywhere. Proof that sometimes the best career journeys are the ones you didn't plan. 🎙️

Culture Whispers in this episode:

Recognition isn't a 'one thing' — it's a thread that runs through everything
Appreciation and culture aren't separate — when one thrives, so does the other
You don't have to make it complicated to make it meaningful

Enjoy, now go forth and appreciate!

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"The Kindred Spirits One" | with Gareth Whalley, Reward, DE&I and Culture Consultant

Season 1 · Episode 6

Monday, February 24, 2025 • Duration 01:07:20

"The smallest things make the biggest difference. Welcome to The Culture Whisperer."

Some conversations feel like coming home. This is one of them. In this episode, Dawn sits down with her friend and kindred spirit Gareth Whalley — a globally experienced reward, DE&I and culture expert who has shaped the employee experience for some of the world's most iconic brands, including Coca-Cola and Levi's.

Gareth talks about how culture is something you feel, not something you write on a wall. He shares why psychological safety is the foundation of everything, how the butterfly effect plays out in culture (it really is the small things!), and why some of the proudest moments of his career are the ones still playing out years later on other people's LinkedIn feeds.

Real, reflective and genuinely joyful. 🎙️

Culture Whispers in this episode:

Culture is what you feel — it's the ways we treat each other, not just the processes
Legacy lives on in the people you've helped to grow — even those you've never met
The small things, done consistently, have a disproportionate impact on culture

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The Culture Whisperer - a podcast for HR, Communications and Business Leaders everywhere! – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

The Culture Whisperer - a podcast for HR, Communications and Business Leaders everywhere! – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

LinkedIn10

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

LinkedIn10