The CultureCon Podcast – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

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Key Takeaways:

Culture is the fuel behind sustainable performance.
Leaders must embrace emotional intelligence to grow.
Self-awareness unlocks team and business potential.
Coaching reveals the gap between knowing and leading.
Ask: "What am I missing?" regularly.

Storytelling as Leadership Currency with Dr. Rod Berger

mardi 3 février 2026 • Duration 42:19

What if the most untapped leadership skill isn't found in a boardroom, but in the power of a well-told story?

Nick and Zach officially welcome Dr. Rod Berger as CultureCon's newest storyteller-in-residence. With a doctorate in psychology and thousands of interviews with global leaders under his belt, Rod brings a rare lens to leadership, one rooted in the belief that storytelling isn't fluff, it's fuel.

From his book "The Narrative Edge" to his conversations with executives and veterans, Rod shares how narrative shapes identity, unlocks empathy, and fosters true connection inside our organizations. The trio dives deep into how story helps us meet the moment, why leaders must understand their own role in the plotline, and how authentic storytelling builds stronger cultures, especially in a digital-first world.

Whether you're a seasoned leader or just discovering your voice, this episode invites you to see yourself as a character in a story worth telling.

Additional Resources:

Buy the book: "The Narrative Edge"

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Todd on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

Storytelling is a strategic leadership skill.
Your story influences how others experience you.
Authenticity builds trust within workplace culture.
Empathy grows when stories are shared.
Leaders must define their role in the narrative.

Culture Starts Here: Do Your Leaders Know What To Say and Do To Be Effective? with Todd Wuestenberg

mardi 25 novembre 2025 • Duration 40:12

Your leaders are your culture carriers. And if your organization wants to achieve and sustain cultural competitive advantage, your leaders must be crystal clear on a few critical behaviors.

In this episode, CEO Heather Haas and leadership consultant BJ McKay of the consultancy ADVISA have a lively and insightful conversation with Todd Wuestenberg, Chief Culture Officer of Haverkamp Properties, about the importance of the third of five drivers of cultural competitive advantage: Leader Effectiveness.

What does Leader Effectiveness look like, and how do you go about fostering it?

Heather and BJ tee up what they've learned as part of a leadership and culture consultancy that's been helping organizations thrive for decades. And Todd shares his invaluable perspective of what this driver looks like in action.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Havercamp Properties

Get Your Culture Check!

Connect with Heather on LinkedIn

Connect with BJ on LinkedIn

Learn more about Advisa

Connect with Eliza on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

Culture means to care for. Intentionality matters deeply.
Leadership buy-in is essential for cultural transformation.
Effective leaders grow future leaders intentionally.
Feedback and iteration strengthen leadership development programs.
Culture must be measured and continuously cultivated.

Live from CultureCon 2025: Hiring for Heart, Not Just Skill with Eliza Jackson

mardi 18 novembre 2025 • Duration 27:14

What if your company values weren't just words on a wall, but a lived, breathing part of your culture that drives every hire, fire, and daily decision?

Live from CultureCon 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin, Nikki Lewallen Gregory sits down with Eliza Jackson of ButcherBox for a conversation that flips traditional HR playbooks on their head.

With a colorful background that spans finance, kindergarten classrooms, and hypergrowth startups, Eliza brings a refreshingly real perspective on what it takes to build values-driven organizations that actually walk the talk.

From rejecting high-performing candidates who don't align with company values to ensuring every employee has access to a personal coach, Eliza breaks down ButcherBox's radical approach to "baking in" culture at every level. You'll hear how they future-proof their workforce through mindset over skillset, maintain startup agility at scale, and foster a culture of relentless improvement, all while staying human at the core.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about ButcherBox

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Sven on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

Values must be embedded across all touchpoints.
Coaching unlocks personal and organizational growth.
Hire for mindset, not just experience.
Startup culture can scale if you're intentional.
Inner work fuels external culture strength.

WorkPossible: Building exceptional patient and employee experience with Sven Gierlinger

mardi 11 novembre 2025 • Duration 46:03

What if the best patient experience starts with taking care of your people first?

In this episode of "WorkPossible," Elaine and Hattie get into conversation with Sven Gierlinger, Chief Experience Officer at Northwell Health, one of the largest and most progressive health systems in the United States. But Sven's impact goes far beyond patient experience. He's a powerful advocate for something many leaders talk about but rarely act on: the unbreakable connection between exceptional employee experience and exceptional customer, or in this case patient, experience.

Drawing from three decades across hospitality, the Ritz-Carlton, and 17 years in healthcare, Sven brings a unique perspective shaped by a profound personal experience. When he was paralyzed by Guillain-Barré Syndrome, he learned firsthand what truly matters in healthcare - the human connection. Now, he channels that lived experience into transforming how organisations think about care, culture, and what's possible when leaders prioritise their people.

This conversation reveals how Northwell went from foundational culture work to creating award-winning innovations like Buddy Curtain, a brilliant idea from a housekeeper that saved Northwell millions of dollars and became a business, and a Shark Tank-style competition that unlocks ideas from every corner of the organisation – two winners are picked and each of them get awarded with $500,000 to develop their idea. But more importantly, it's about reimagining leadership itself: getting off the executive floor, observing what's happening from a patient perspective, listening at the front lines, and building psychological safety where authenticity thrives over scripts.

Discover what happens when you stop treating patient and employee experience as separate priorities and start seeing them as inseparable forces. When your frontline people feel supported, valued, and heard, they show up differently. And that changes everything.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Hattie on LinkedIn

Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn

Learn more about Fauna

Follow Fauna on LinkedIn

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

You can't script empathy into burned-out teams.
Great patient care starts with supported staff.
Frontline ideas can spark system-wide innovation.
Authenticity beats perfection in leadership.
Culture change begins with proximity, not hierarchy.

Fixing Broken Culture Signals with Pete Savage & Greg Livings

mardi 4 novembre 2025 • Duration 42:07

If you're investing in culture but not seeing impact, the problem might not be the budget… it might be the signals you're sending. 🚨

Pete Savage and Greg Livings are back to decode one of the most overlooked drivers of company culture: culture signals. From a restaurant that turned things around by upgrading its patio decor to a company that fumbled a milestone moment for 7,000 employees, this episode is full of sharp insights and real-world lessons.

They break down how to spot what's truly resonating, drop the weak stuff, and create moments that stick. With practical tips and tools, you'll learn how to plan and communicate your culture strategy with clarity and purpose.

Additional Resources:

Get "The Culture Wheel Playbook"

Connect with Pete on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Heather on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

Strong culture signals amplify employee connection and engagement.
Evaluate programs by cultural impact, not popularity.
Personalization makes a lasting impression on employees.
Weak signals waste money and dilute cultural strategy.

Culture Starts Here: Do Mission, Vision, and Values Really Matter?

mardi 28 octobre 2025 • Duration 37:10

ADVISA CEO Heather Haas and leadership consultant BJ McKay spill the T in ATLAS, delving into the second of five essential drivers for creating cultural competitive advantage: Trust and Shared Purpose.

Heather and BJ define what this driver really means and provide practical tactics any organization can use to promote it.

This episode decodes the importance of mission, vision, and values, and what makes the difference between wall art and valuable tools for alignment.

Additional Resources:

Get Your Culture Check!

Connect with BJ on LinkedIn

Learn more about ADVISA

Connect with Natasha on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

Trust builds speed and lowers cost in business operations.
Leaders must align behavior with stated mission and values.
Culture needs clarity: mission, vision, and values defined.
Communication trust forms when leadership consistently shares strategic direction.
Rituals and accountability bring values to life organization-wide.

Live from CultureCon 2025: Who Are You? Not What You've Done with Natasha Nuytten

mardi 21 octobre 2025 • Duration 29:39

Why are we still using resumes like it's 1995?! 📄

Live from CultureCon 2025, Nikki Lewallen Gregory is joined by Natasha Nuytten, CEO of CLARA, for a rapid-fire convo on shaking up everything we thought we knew about HR.

From blowing up the resume to embracing AI in ethical and human-first ways, Natasha dishes on how leaders can stop playing it safe and start rethinking talent. They explore the magic of unlearning, why potential matters more than pedigree, and how to build hiring processes that actually reflect the world we live in today.

If you're tired of rinse-and-repeat recruiting and ready to reimagine the future of work, this episode is your permission slip to challenge the status quo and lead with heart and strategy.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Clara

Listen to "Human Side Up"

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

CultureCon 2025

Learn more about CultureCon

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

Unlearning outdated HR practices creates room for innovation.
Skills-based hiring outperforms resume-based filtering.
Culture fit should evolve into culture value-add.
AI must be ethical, transparent, and human-first.
Potential matters more than traditional career paths.

Live from CultureCon: Building Brave Spaces with Faatima Khan

mardi 14 octobre 2025 • Duration 30:52

What does it really mean to show up authentically at work?

In this special live episode from CultureCon 2024, Nikki Lewallen Gregory sits down with Faatima Khan, former Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at WPS Health Solutions, to unpack how leaders can create trust-filled, brave spaces where people feel safe enough to be real. 💬

From mood elevators to hilarious office pranks that turned into powerful moments of connection, Faatima reminds us that authenticity takes intention, grace, and vulnerability.

This conversation is filled with stories and strategies that will challenge you to slow down, ask better questions, and rethink what true culture-building looks like. 🌱

Additional Resources:

Listen to more episodes Live from CultureCon 2024 on Fringe

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

Authenticity requires leaders to first create trust-filled spaces.
Brave spaces go beyond psychological safety for deeper inclusion.
Vulnerability from leaders fosters openness across teams.
Grace in the workplace strengthens trust and belonging.
Equity means slowing down to ask better questions.

Why Culture Needs a Plan with Greg Livings and Pete Savage

mardi 7 octobre 2025 • Duration 43:19

What if shaping culture felt less like guesswork and more like strategy? 🎯

Nick and Zach sit down with Greg and Pete from CultureShape to dive into the tools and insights that are helping leaders make culture intentional, measurable, and lasting. From the "Culture Wheel Playbook" to lessons learned from hundreds of conversations with leaders, this episode explores how to move culture from a buzzword to a business driver, and why intentional planning makes all the difference.

Whether you're a culture team of one or twenty-one, you'll leave inspired to plan smarter, gain executive support, and turn big ideas into sustainable impact.

Additional Resources:

Get "The Culture Wheel Playbook"

Connect with Pete on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Learn more about CultureCon