The CultureCon Podcast

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Glenn on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• True belonging starts when people feel free to be themselves.
• Human connection creates experiences technology can't replicate.
• Empathy is a muscle leaders must continually exercise.
• Curiosity and authenticity can unlock unexpected career opportunities.
• Great workplace cultures prioritize individual experiences over one-size-fits-all solutions.

Nov 3, 2026 26 min

Live from CultureCon: Build a Human Business with Glenn Bostock

Show notes

Some of the best leaders aren't shaped by fitting in. They're shaped by remembering exactly what it felt like not to.

Live from CultureCon 2026, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Glenn Bostock, founder and CEO of SnapCab and author of "A Human Business: The People First Model for Lasting Success". Glenn shares how struggling in school, finding confidence through craftsmanship, and learning to work with his hands ultimately influenced the culture he built as a CEO. Today, that culture is grounded in three deceptively simple values: be kind, be authentic, and be useful.

From hiring people for what they love rather than what's on their résumé to rewarding mistakes and creating workplaces rooted in community, Glenn challenges traditional ideas about talent, productivity, and success. As AI makes information increasingly accessible, he believes the question leaders should be asking isn't "How much do you know?" but "How can you be useful to someone else?" It's a deeply human conversation about building workplaces where people can contribute, belong, and thrive.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about SnapCab

Get Glenn's book: "A Human Business: The People-First Model for Lasting Success"

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Izzie on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Hire people for what they love, not just experience.
• Caring environments allow people to bring their best selves.
• Great cultures replace internal competition with mutual support.
• Mistakes can become opportunities to improve the entire system.
• In an AI world, usefulness may redefine professional success.

Oct 20, 2026 26 min

Live from CultureCon: Why Your Light Matters More Than You Think with Izzie St. John

Show notes

Some people enter a room and change the energy simply by being fully themselves. For 2026 CultureCon Impact Award recipient Izzie St. John, that impact starts with helping people feel seen.

Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Izzie, Philanthropy Coordinator at the American Cancer Society, to explore how purpose, curiosity, and human connection have shaped her path. Izzie shares how her grandmother taught her the power of making someone feel like they matter, how her work at Hope Lodge transformed a job into a calling, and why bringing light to others sometimes requires understanding the darkness within yourself.

From navigating anxiety and uncertainty to finding purpose beyond a job title, Izzie reminds people-first leaders that impact often lives in the smallest moments. When you know what matters to you and choose how you want to show up, your influence can create a ripple far beyond the room.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Isa on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Purpose matters more than the title you hold.
• Curiosity helps leaders understand what people truly need.
• Making people feel seen can create lasting impact.
• You cannot navigate joy by ignoring the darkness.
• Authentic self-acceptance creates freedom to serve others.

Oct 6, 2026 18 min

Live from CultureCon: The Leadership Power of Dignity with Dr. Isa Karabed

Show notes

Leadership gets real when dignity becomes more than a value on the wall. It becomes something people can actually feel.

Live from CultureCon 2026, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Dr. Isa Karabed, Founder and CEO of Karabed Leadership Group and recipient of the Culture Impact Award, for a deeply human conversation about recovery, homelessness, technology, and the moments that shape how we lead. Isa shares how her own recovery journey taught her the power of being seen, why every interaction can restore someone's sense of dignity, and how leaders can create spaces where people feel welcomed instead of judged.

They also explore the changing role of AI in the workplace and why technology should give us more capacity for presence, curiosity, and genuine human connection, not less. From navigating fear and uncertainty to leading with transparency and lifting up unheard voices, this conversation is a reminder that the smallest moments can carry enormous impact.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Karabed Leadership Group

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Claude on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Dignity can transform someone's entire experience of seeking help.
• Human connection remains essential as technology reshapes the workplace.
• AI should create more time for meaningful human interaction.
• Transparency helps leaders navigate fear and uncertainty around change.
• Every interaction is an opportunity to make someone feel seen.

Sep 15, 2026 18 min

Live from CultureCon: Change the Song in Your Head with Claude Silver

Show notes

Sometimes the most important leadership shift starts with changing the song in your own head.

Live from CultureCon 2026, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, USA Today bestselling author of "Be Yourself at Work", and a pioneer of people-first leadership. Claude shares how a 93-day Outward Bound experience helped her find her voice, challenge the limiting beliefs she carried for years, and ultimately recognize the kind of leader she was meant to become.

From building a culture rooted in empathy to taking accountability for how we show up, Claude explores why great leadership requires both heart and ownership. She also opens up about the trust that changed her career, the importance of knowing when you are not at your best, and why people should never have to shrink themselves to succeed at work.

Additional Resources:

Get Claude's book "Be Yourself at Work"

Learn more about Claude's work

Learn more about CultureCon

Learn more about WorkPossible, coming soon!

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Change the story playing inside your own head.
• Empathy and accountability can exist at the same time.
• Great leaders coach people instead of rescuing them.
• Stop shrinking yourself to fit the workplace.
• Trust gives people permission to stand in their strengths.

Sep 1, 2026 23 min

CultureCon 2026: Connection, Karaoke and What Comes Next

Show notes

CultureCon 2026 is officially in the books, and somehow the smoothest conference Nick and Zach have ever hosted also delivered some of the most unexpected moments. From keynote karaoke and Red Ball Tennis to unforgettable connections across 21 countries, this one was about much more than what happened on stage. 🎤

Nick and Zach recap the moments that made CultureCon feel uniquely human, including the Impact Awards, the Longer Table experience, a virtual audience that felt fully part of the room, and a remarkable full-circle connection decades in the making. They also reflect on what happens when you intentionally create spaces where people can drop the professional armor, have fun, and actually connect.

Plus, they share an early look at the next chapter: CultureCon will become WorkPossible in 2027. The name is changing, but the mission to build better, more human workplaces is only getting bigger. ✨

Additional Resources:

Watch the CultureCon 2026 Welcome Video!

Check out the CultureCon 2026 Recap Blog

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Tray on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Connection is the experience people remember most.
• Great culture creates room for joy and play.
• Inclusion means designing equally for every attendee.
• Rewarding mistakes can dismantle fear-based workplace cultures.

Aug 18, 2026 26 min

The Hidden Cost of Slow Employee Recognition with Tray Ross

Show notes

Recognition is not about the gift. It is about the moment someone realizes, "They truly see me."

Nick and Zach sit down with Tray Ross of Corporate Traditions to explore how meaningful appreciation builds stronger relationships, deeper loyalty, and cultures people want to stay in. Tray shares why personalization matters, how freedom of choice makes recognition scalable, and why unexpected gestures often leave the greatest impact.

From a manager bending the rules to support an employee during a crisis to the surprising retention cost of a delayed gift card, this conversation reveals why speed, thoughtfulness, and human connection matter more than expensive programs. For people-first leaders, the message is simple: see your people, recognize them quickly, and never underestimate the power of a small moment.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Corporate Traditions

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Emily on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Recognition begins by genuinely seeing people as individuals.
• Employee choice makes personalized appreciation easier to scale.
• Unexpected recognition creates memorable moments and stronger loyalty.
• Delayed rewards can undermine trust and employee retention.
• Great leaders recognize potential, not only current performance.

Aug 4, 2026 26 min

The People-First Future of AI with Emily Mabie

Show notes

AI is moving fast, but the real opportunity is not doing more work faster. It is making more room for the human work that matters most.

Nick and Zach sit down with Emily Mabie, Senior AI Automation Engineer for HR and People at Zapier, to explore how leaders can use AI with more intention, less anxiety, and a stronger people-first lens.

Emily shares why AI should not simply be bolted onto old processes, how leaders can decide what to automate, delegate, or keep human, and why the future of work may look more like vinyl records than endless digital acceleration. From ethical AI use to burnout, human connection, and building solutions from the seat closest to the problem, this conversation is a hopeful, practical guide for leaders navigating the AI reset. 🧠

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Zapier

Learn more about CultureCon

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• AI should redesign work, not just speed it up.
• Saved time must be reinvested in human connection.
• Ethical AI starts with intentional human decision-making.
• Automation works best when built closest to the pain.
• The future needs both AI and analog humanity.

Jul 21, 2026 43 min

Recognition That Actually Sticks with Nick Phillips

Show notes

Sometimes the most meaningful recognition starts as a mug, a T-shirt, or a pin, then becomes a symbol of belonging over time.

Nick and Zach sit down with Nick Phillips, Senior Director of Sales at Brilliant, to explore why appreciation only sticks when it is rooted in real care. Nick shares how leaders can move beyond transactional recognition and create moments that prove people are truly seen. From intentional gifting and ERG-aligned recognition to the rising value of human gestures in an AI-driven world, this conversation is a reminder that connection is not something you automate, it is something you earn.

For people-first leaders, this episode offers a practical lens on building trust, loyalty, and culture through specificity, presence, and meaningful human effort.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Brilliant

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with John on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Recognition sticks when it proves people are truly seen.
• Generic praise feels transactional, not meaningful.
• Trust grows when leaders stay close to the work.
• AI makes human connection even more valuable.
• Thoughtful gifting can reinforce belonging and culture.

Jul 7, 2026 24 min

Culture Starts Here: Leaders Need To Be Led with John D'Addario III

Show notes

The higher you go in leadership, the harder it can be to get honest perspective. And when you're leading through transition, growth, or culture change, going it alone can limit what you're able to see.

In this episode, CEO Heather Haas and leadership consultant BJ McKay are joined by John D'Addario III, CEO of D'Addario, for a conversation about leadership transition, culture clarity, and the value of outside perspective.

What does it take to honor a company's legacy while leading it into the future? Heather and BJ talk with John about stepping into the CEO role after a founder-led era, revisiting values, and partnering with ADVISA to build alignment across the organization.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about D'Addario and their products at https://www.daddario.com/

Get Your Culture Check!

Connect with Heather on LinkedIn

Connect with BJ on LinkedIn

Learn more about Advisa

Connect with Bryetta on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Leaders grow faster when they seek outside perspective.
• Culture can become a lasting competitive advantage.
• Succession requires preparation, responsibility, and earned trust.
• Values matter most when reinforced through behavior.
• Candid conversations protect families and businesses from conflict.

Jun 23, 2026 33 min

Live from CultureCon: Pausing for Empathy and Equity with Bryetta Calloway

Show notes

Some workplace "rules" are written in handbooks. The most powerful ones often aren't written anywhere.

Live from CultureCon, Jasmine Bellamy sits down with Bryetta Calloway for a powerful conversation about meritocracy, marginalization, and the invisible barriers that keep people on the fringes at work. Bryetta unpacks how leaders can confuse sameness with safety, why inclusion has to come before diversity and equity efforts can truly work, and how workplace harm does not stay neatly contained inside the office.

This episode is a call for people-first leaders to pause, get curious, and stop asking marginalized employees to carry the emotional labor of fixing cultures they did not break. From mirror-tocracy to repair, allyship, trauma, and the real cost of bad managers, Bryetta offers language for what so many people have felt but could not name.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Jasmine on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Unspoken rules often shape workplace advancement.
• Inclusion must come before true equity.
• Workplace trauma is still real trauma.
• Allyship requires emotional investment and action.
• People-first leaders pause before reacting.

Jun 16, 2026 31 min

Aligning Teams Through Clarity, Courage, and Commitment with Kate Zappitelli

Show notes

Alignment sounds simple until Monday happens.

Nick and Zach sit down with Kate Zappitelli, Principal Consultant at Karrikins Group and Chair of the Alignment Institute, to unpack why agreement is not enough for people-first leaders.

Kate shares how real alignment requires clarity, connection, commitment, and courage, especially when teams are stuck in side conversations, unclear expectations, or old habits. From AI adoption to intentional optimism, she challenges leaders to model the behaviors they want to see, name what is getting in the way, and build the muscle of alignment every day.

If you have ever left a strategy session energized only to watch the work fade by Monday, this conversation will help you turn good intentions into consistent leadership action.

Additional Resources:

Get the book: "Make HOW Matter"

Learn more about Karrikins Group

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Latesha on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Agreement is not the same as alignment.
• Side conversations weaken trust and team alignment.
• Leadership requires consistent communication and intentional energy.
• AI adoption starts with leaders experimenting personally.
• Sustainable alignment depends on clear team commitments.

Jun 9, 2026 24 min

Live from CultureCon West 2025: Why Belonging Belongs in the Business Strategy with Latesha Byrd

Show notes

Belonging isn't a soft skill, it's a performance strategy. 💡

Live from CultureCon West, Nikki sits down with Latesha Byrd to explore why people can't reach their highest potential when they're masking, code switching, or questioning whether they're truly valued at work. Latesha breaks down how belonging connects directly to innovation, engagement, wellbeing, and business results, especially in a world shaped by burnout, restructuring, AI, and constant change.

Together, Nikki and Latesha challenge HR leaders to think beyond "human resources" and step into "human potential." From onboarding and ERGs to strengths-based leadership and C-suite alignment, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the future of performance starts with helping people feel safe, seen, and supported.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Perfeqta

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Joey on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Belonging fuels stronger team performance.
• Inclusion creates the conditions for belonging.
• HR must prioritize human potential.
• AI can support more human leadership.
• ERGs reveal real employee sentiment.

Jun 2, 2026 16 min

Culture Starts Here: What If Culture Didn't Eat Strategy? with Joey Williams

Show notes

Culture only eats strategy for breakfast when the culture isn't aligned with the strategic aims of the business.

In this episode, ADVISA CEO Heather Haas and leadership consultant BJ McKay discuss with special guest Joey Williams, Engagement & Development Specialist at Healthpeak Properties (NYSE: DOC), how organizations can achieve competitive advantage when their leaders are able to consistently activate the intentional culture that will fuel business growth.

This is what organizational resiliency and agility is today, leaders continual monitoring and aligning of culture with strategy by celebrating and coaching the right things and not tolerating the wrong things.

A healthy culture that's in service of the goals of the business acts as shock absorber for employees as uncertainty and tumult abounds.

Additional Resources:

Get Your Culture Check!

Connect with Heather on LinkedIn

Connect with BJ on LinkedIn

Learn more about Advisa

Connect with Sam on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Culture feeds strategy when both are aligned
• Values need behaviors, not just wall posters
• Stay interviews uncover what people really need
• Leadership buy-in makes culture work sustainable
• Trust matters most during messy business moments

May 26, 2026 35 min

Live from CultureCon West 2025: Helping the Helpers with Sam Simmons

Show notes

Helping others is noble work, but who helps the people everyone turns to when things get hard?

Live from CultureCon West in Las Vegas, Nikki sits down with Sam Simmons to unpack what it really means to "help the helpers." Inspired by the wisdom of Mr. Rogers, Sam brings a fresh and deeply human lens to HR leadership, reminding people-first leaders that their behavior gives others permission to stay calm, take action, and care for themselves too. 💛

Together, Nikki and Sam explore boundaries, balance, burnout, blank checks, and the micro-moments that protect wellbeing in a constantly changing world. This conversation is a powerful invitation for HR and culture leaders to stop normalizing overextension and start building systems of care that include themselves.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about CultureCon

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Helping others starts with caring for yourself.
• Boundaries protect your clarity, energy, and leadership.
• Avoid giving blank checks on your time.
• Balance shifts with every season of work.
• Micro-wellness moments create meaningful leadership ripple effects.

May 19, 2026 17 min

Why AI Is a Culture Conversation | The AI Summit 2026 Recap

Show notes

The AI conversation just got real, and Nick and Zach are taking us inside the inaugural CultureCon AI Summit to unpack what actually happened in the room. From hope and hesitation to leadership buy-in, ethical responsibility, and the very human need for connection, this episode explores why AI is not just a tech topic, it is a culture topic. 🤖

Nick and Zach reflect on what surprised them most, including the wide range of AI maturity across organizations, the tension between experimentation and regulation, and the big questions leaders cannot afford to ignore. They also get honest about their own relationship with AI, from productivity breakthroughs to the anxious pull of immediacy.

At the heart of it all is a reminder people-first leaders need right now: AI may change how we work, but creativity, connection, and human judgment are becoming more valuable than ever. This is a grounded, timely conversation for anyone trying to lead with both curiosity and responsibility in the age of AI.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Scott on Linkedin

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• AI is now a workplace culture conversation.
• Leaders must balance innovation with ethical responsibility.
• AI maturity varies widely across organizations.
• Human connection remains the heart of work.
• Creativity and people skills are increasingly valuable.

May 12, 2026 28 min

Live from CultureCon West 2025: Generous Listening in a Distracted World with Scott Floyd

Show notes

What pulls people in more than polished leadership? Presence that feels real.

Live from CultureCon West in Las Vegas, Nikki sits down with Scott Floyd for a conversation that gets beneath the surface of leadership and into what actually makes people feel seen, heard, and moved. Scott shares how his own journey helped him stop performing leadership and start embracing authenticity, generous listening, and deeper human connection.

Together, they unpack why small talk can leave us empty, how presence changes the way teams experience trust, and why AI should never replace the human heartbeat of leadership. This episode is a powerful reminder that when leaders listen generously and show up authentically, they do more than communicate. They create connection that moves people forward.

Additional Resources:

Learn more with Cisco

Learn more about CultureCon

Learn more about ADVISA's new Leading with AI training experience!

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Authentic leadership starts by shedding performative habits.
• Generous listening builds trust, care, and connection.
• Presence means giving people your full attention.
• Connection before content strengthens teams and culture.
• AI should enhance, not replace, human leadership.

May 5, 2026 14 min

Culture Starts Here: To Lead is Human with Jason Cochran

Show notes

AI is changing how work gets done, but it's also raising the bar for leadership.

In this special live episode, hosted by Jason Cochran of People Forward Network, Heather Haas and BJ McKay explore what it means to lead when AI is reshaping the workplace.

While much of the work people are paid to do can now be automated, leadership is not one of those things. Together, they unpack what they're seeing across organizations today, from the growing gap between high-performing leaders and everyone else, to the lack of clarity many teams face around how AI should be used.

The conversation centers on a simple idea: Leadership isn't being replaced. It's being revealed. And the leaders who bring human connection, empathy, creativity, and critical thinking to their work will shape what comes next.

Additional Resources:

Get Your Culture Check!

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn

Connect with Heather on LinkedIn

Connect with BJ on LinkedIn

Learn more about Advisa

Connect with Crissy on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Leadership remains deeply human despite AI advancement
• AI raises expectations, not reduces leadership responsibility
• Human connection drives meaning, trust, and performance
• Slowing down improves long-term strategic decision making
• Self-awareness separates thriving leaders from struggling ones

Apr 28, 2026 54 min

Live from CultureCon West 2025: The Power of Company Swag with Crissy Manwaring

Show notes

A water bottle might look like swag, but it could actually be shaping your company culture.

Live from CultureCon in Las Vegas, Nikki sits down with branded merchandise expert Crissy Manwaring, who has spent more than 25 years helping organizations turn everyday items into powerful cultural symbols. From new hire kits that create belonging before day one to simple artifacts that inspire behavior change across massive organizations, Crissy reveals why physical objects carry emotional weight far beyond their price tag. ✨

Together they unpack the psychology behind why humans attach meaning to objects, how great companies design merchandise people actually value, and why the right piece of swag can turn employees into proud brand ambassadors. If you care about culture, connection, and creating moments that stick, this conversation will change the way you think about company merch.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Robertson Marketing

Learn more about CultureCon

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Humans anchor meaningful memories to physical objects
• Branded merchandise can reinforce identity and belonging
• New hire kits reduce uncertainty before day one
• Quality swag strengthens culture; cheap swag damages trust
• Choice and personalization increase employee connection to brand

Apr 21, 2026 17 min

Setting the Table for Belonging with Tim Jones

Show notes

In a world starving for real connection, what if the answer is as simple and as radical as pulling up more chairs? 🍽️

Nick and Zach sit down with Tim Jones, Founder and Executive Director of Longer Tables, to explore how shared meals can break down barriers, spark belonging, and remind us what it means to truly see one another.

Tim shares the heart behind Longer Tables and why the table has become such a powerful symbol in his work. From creating spaces where job titles are left behind to helping leaders model vulnerability first, this conversation is a masterclass in building cultures where people feel safe, valued, and fully human. Along the way, Nick, Zach, and Tim reflect on memorable meals, meaningful leadership, and the moments that stay with us long after the table is cleared.

If you care about connection, belonging, and leading people in a more human way, this episode will leave you challenged, encouraged, and ready to set a longer table.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Longer Tables

Learn more about CultureCon