Podcasts about Culture series

Recorded on August 9, 2026, this episode of The Mountain Podcast features Samuel Goulet continuing the Culture series with a powerful message from Revelation on the churches of Ephesus and Thyatira. Samuel challenges listeners to let Jesus examine the “lampstand” of their lives—rekindling intimacy, restoring love, and refilling the oil of the Holy Spirit—while also learning how to walk in holiness by refusing to tolerate what God wants to remove. With practical insight, humor, and a strong call to spiritual renewal, this message invites every listener to welcome the fire and love of Jesus into their home, family, church, and personal life.

On this episode of the Insurance Coffee House, Nick Hoadley is joined by Tracy Letzerich, Chief People Officer at Hippo Insurance. With a career spanning consulting, technology, organisational design, and people leadership, Tracy shares how an unconventional path into HR has shaped her approach to building high-performing organisations. Tracy reflects on her early career in technology consulting, where she worked on large-scale business transformation programmes before becoming fascinated by a recurring question: why do some transformations succeed while others fail? That curiosity led her away from software implementation and towards organisational design, leadership, and the people side of change.The conversation explores Hippo's evolution from an insurtech startup into a profitable, publicly traded insurance company. Tracy explains how the business has maintained many of the characteristics of an early-stage technology company, including rapid decision-making, strong cross-functional collaboration, and a culture built around innovation, while developing the operational discipline required of a modern insurer.Nick and Tracy discuss the relationship between technology and culture, and how Hippo has created close partnerships between engineering, product, and insurance teams. Rather than technology operating separately from the business, Tracy explains how technical teams are involved in solving insurance challenges from the outset, creating a collaborative approach that has become a defining part of Hippo's culture.A significant part of the discussion focuses on workforce enablement through technology. Tracy shares how Hippo approached organisation-wide adoption by giving every employee access to AI tools, encouraging experimentation, measuring adoption, and creating opportunities for technical and non-technical teams to learn together. She explains why creating capacity is ultimately about giving people more time to focus on strategic, high-value work rather than repetitive manual tasks.The conversation also explores leadership, hiring, and organisational growth. Tracy shares her perspective on building high-performing teams, maintaining culture as organisations scale, and why behavioural interviewing, curiosity, and cultural alignment are just as important as technical expertise. She also explains why leaders should focus on helping employees spend more time doing work that energises them.Nick and Tracy close with practical advice for leaders navigating change. Tracy encourages organisations to embrace curiosity, move before every answer is known, and create environments where learning is expected rather than feared. She also shares advice for candidates and leaders alike: know what matters to you, ask thoughtful questions, and don't try to become someone you think others want you to be.Connect with Tracy Letzerich on LinkedIn to follow her work across people leadership, organisational design, leadership development, and technology-enabled transformation.The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.Insurance Executive Search Consultants in USA, London and Bermuda.Copyright Insurance Search 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

On this episode of the Insurance Coffee House, Nick Hoadley is joined by Jennifer Martin, Chief Human Resources Officer at Alliant Insurance Services.Jennifer is approaching 22 years with Alliant, having joined the business in 2004 when it had around 400 employees and was primarily a California-based insurance broker. Today, the organisation has grown to more than 15,000 employees across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and Jennifer has grown alongside it, helping build an HR function capable of supporting that scale and complexity.Jennifer shares how her own career began outside insurance, from early ambitions to work in foreign affairs to discovering HR through her mother, starting out in agency recruitment, moving into HR business partnering, and eventually joining Alliant. She reflects on how her role evolved as the business expanded and how the HR function developed from what she describes as a “1.5 FTE show” into a mature organisation with specialist expertise across total rewards, talent acquisition, HR business partnering, HR technology, people analytics and more.The conversation explores Alliant's growth model and the culture behind it. Jennifer explains how the combination of organic growth, selective acquisitions, employee ownership and long-term private equity backing has shaped the business. With employees owning 51% of the organisation, she discusses how ownership influences decision-making across all levels of the company and supports a more entrepreneurial culture.Nick and Jennifer then explore one of the areas Jennifer is most passionate about: M&A. Having worked across hundreds of acquisitions during her time with Alliant, Jennifer explains why HR should be involved as early as possible, from the initial stages of a potential transaction through due diligence, integration and the longer-term transition that follows.She shares why building trust quickly with sellers is so important, particularly when many are going through the process of selling a business for the first time. Jennifer also discusses the uncertainty employees can experience during an acquisition and why transparency, collaboration and early relationship-building can influence how people feel about the transition one, two or even three years later.The conversation also looks at cultural alignment in acquisitions. Jennifer explains why Alliant is selective about potential deals and why the business is not looking for sellers who simply want to cash out. Instead, it looks for leaders who want to stay, invest and continue growing with the organisation. She reflects on the lessons learned across hundreds of transactions and why every acquisition still brings different challenges.Nick and Jennifer also discuss the role of technology in a growing HR organisation. Jennifer shares how Alliant has introduced a range of tools over recent years to improve efficiency, reduce administrative work and give employees more time to focus on higher-value activity. She explains how the business approaches emerging technology through clear governance, training, cross-functional working groups and department-led experimentation.The episode closes with Jennifer's advice for leaders and HR professionals. She explains why curiosity matters when joining a new organisation, why HR leaders should build trust early during M&A, and why adaptability has been one of the most important lessons of her career. After more than two decades of growth and change, her view is clear: change is constant, and the ability to adjust your outlook, processes and ways of working is essential.Connect with Jennifer Martin on LinkedIn to follow her work across people leadership, HR, M&A and organisational growth.The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.Insurance Executive Search Consultants in USA, London and Bermuda.Copyright Insurance Search 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

This episode is part two of a special three-part series exploring culture in the construction industry. Across the series, we unpack the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the sector, including mental health, workforce sustainability, diversity, leadership, and the evolving expectations of construction workplaces. Rita Zhang is an Associate Professor at RMIT University and a leading researcher in construction health and safety. For more than a decade, she has worked closely with industry to better understand the factors that influence safety performance, worker wellbeing, and organisational culture across construction projects. In this episode, Rita shares insights from several major research projects, including improving communication between apprentices and supervisors, examining women's experiences on male dominated construction sites, and exploring how subcontracting arrangements can influence safety outcomes. She also discusses the growing role of mental health in workplace safety, the potential of AI to support risk management, and how the Safety and Health Innovation Network (SHINE) is helping industry and researchers work together to address emerging challenges. Resources and links: Rita Zhang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rita-peihua-zhang-50089255/ Connect: The Society of Construction Law Australia website: https://www.scl.org.au/ The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast. This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Insurance Coffee House, Nick Hoadley is joined by Anne Arnold, Director of Talent Acquisition at Farmers Insurance®. With a career that began in the entertainment industry before moving into agency recruiting and eventually in-house talent acquisition, Anne shares how an unexpected career move led her into a profession she has now spent more than two decades building.Anne reflects on her transition from agency recruiting into corporate talent acquisition, first helping build the function from scratch at a real estate investment trust and later joining Farmers Insurance, where she has spent the last ten years. From establishing the executive recruiting capability to leading enterprise-wide talent acquisition, she shares how her role evolved and what has kept her excited about the opportunities within the insurance industry.Nick and Anne discuss the scale and complexity of hiring across a national organisation. Despite having a lean team, Farmers hires between 4,000 and 5,000 people annually, and Anne explains the processes, discipline, and technology that allow the team to manage more than 150,000 applications each year. She discusses how technology has helped improve efficiency and candidate engagement while reinforcing her belief that recruitment remains fundamentally a human business.The conversation explores how technology is being used behind the scenes to support recruiters, automate administrative tasks, and surface highly qualified candidates more quickly. Anne explains why understanding the problem you're trying to solve matters more than adopting technology for its own sake, and why recruiters should focus on using new tools to create more time for conversations, relationships, and better candidate experiences.Nick and Anne also discuss leadership, authenticity, and building strong partnerships. Anne shares her views on hiring leaders, working with external search firms, and the importance of listening, transparency, and creating environments where people feel comfortable sharing ideas and learning from mistakes. She reflects on the lessons she has learned as a leader and why trusting your own experience and using your voice are essential to professional growth.Connect with Anne Arnold on LinkedIn to follow her work in talent acquisition, leadership, and people development.The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.Insurance Executive Search Consultants in USA, London and Bermuda.Copyright Insurance Search 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

Joe Alterman is an Altana-based jazz pianist and executive director of the Neranenah Concert and Culture Series. Co-hosts: Jonathan Friedmann & Joey Angel-Field Producer-engineer: Mike Tomren Joe's websitehttps://www.joealtermanmusic.com/ Joe's Bandcamphttps://joealterman.bandcamp.com/ Joe's Substackhttps://joealterman.substack.com/ Amusing Jews Merch Storehttps://www.amusingjews.com/merch#!/ Subscribe to the Amusing Jews podcasthttps://www.spreaker.com/show/amusing-jews Adat Chaverim – Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, Los Angeleshttps://www.humanisticjudaismla.org/ Jewish Museum of the American Westhttps://www.jmaw.org/ Atheists United Studioshttps://www.atheistsunited.org/au-studios

We're adding one more episode to our AI, Workplace and Culture series. Dr. Wendy Smith has spent her career studying paradox and it turns out that's exactly the lens we need for AI right now.We opened the conversation with a Threads post from @samanthahoilett.writes: "It's so hard to talk about AI because the people who love it don't wanna talk about its limitations and harms...and the people who hate it don't wanna talk about its merits and benefits. I'm truly somewhere in the middle and it's tough out here, especially in a world/internet that demands we pick a side." Wendy had a lot to say to that.What We Talked AboutWendy walked us through why we default to either/or thinking in the first place. She made the case that the invitation isn't to find the middle ground or compromise, but to actually hold both things at once and see what becomes possible.We dug into what that looks like in practice for leaders navigating AI right now: how to surface tension rather than suppress it, how to be transparent about your process when you don't have all the answers, and why asking questions out loud actually builds more trust with your team than projecting false certainty.Wendy also introduced the tightrope walker as a metaphor. Both/And thinking doesn't mean perfect integration at every moment. It means making consistent micro-shifts so you never overextend so far in one direction that you lose the other. Key TakeawaysYou don't have to pick a side on AI. The pressure to have a clear point of view comes largely from fear of uncertainty — and that fear is what drives either/or thinking in the first place.Framing tension as neutral, not threatening, is a leadership skill. What you surface, you can work with. What you suppress becomes a problem.The tightrope walker is never fully balanced. They're always balancing.Both small experiments and formal power matter. Knowledge, networks, and reliability are all sources of influence available to leaders at every level right now.About Wendy SmithWendy Smith is the Dana J. Johnson Professor of Management at the University of Delaware's Lerner College of Business and Economics. She is a recent recipient of the Francis Alison Award, the University of Delaware's highest faculty honor, awarded annually to the faculty member who best embodies the ideal of scholar and teacher. As a leading expert in Paradox Thinking, her work helps leaders and organizations thrive by embracing competing demands and navigating complexity effectively.Her research centers on Paradox Theory, focusing on how leaders address competing forces such as innovation and existing products, social and financial goals or global and local demands by engaging a both/and approach. This work has been featured in top journals, including Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, and Harvard Business Review. She has received numerous accolades, including the Web of Science Highly Cited Research Award for seven consecutive years (2019-2025).Wendy is the co-author of Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems (Harvard Business School Publishing, 2022) and the Oxford Handbook of Organizational Paradox (Oxford University Press, 2017). She teaches leadership, organizational behavior, and ethics, and is a sought-after keynote speaker helping global audiences understand the power of embracing paradox — transforming conflict into collaboration, fostering innovation through Both/And Thinking, and thriving in uncertainty.Connect with Wendy at WendyKSmith.com. Her Paradox Mindset Scale is available there as well — we're both planning to take it.We Want to Hear From YouWhat tension are you navigating right now? Send your thoughts to podcast@cocreatework.com and subscribe to our newsletter at cocreatework.com.As always, thank you for your leadership.Resources:Leading through growth takes intention. Our capabilities deck shows how we help founders and leadership teams lead boldly and build cultures that scale.Think coaching might be right for you? Schedule a free consultation to explore how we can help you step into your next level of leadership.We would love to connect with you!CoCreate Work on LinkedInCoCreate Work on InstagramLa'Kita on InstagramChloe on InstagramVisit our Podcast PageQuestions you would like us to answer on the podcast? Email us at podcast@cocreatework.com

This episode is part one of a special three-part series exploring culture in the construction industry. Across the series, we unpack the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the sector, including mental health, workforce sustainability, diversity, leadership, and the evolving expectations of construction workplaces. With a career spanning law, journalism, public policy, infrastructure, and governance, Gabrielle Trainor has served on major boards including Infrastructure Australia, the Barangaroo Delivery Authority, and the AFL Commission. Her work has focused heavily on improving culture, wellbeing, and diversity across Australia’s construction and infrastructure sectors. In this episode, Gabrielle shares the origins and impact of the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce and the development of the Culture Standard across major infrastructure projects. She explains the connection between procurement, workplace culture, productivity, mental health, and diversity in construction, as well as the commercial realities of implementing five-day work weeks and flexible work arrangements on projects. Gabrielle also shares insights into the future of the industry, why cultural reform is critical to solving skills shortages, and how improving workplace conditions could transform construction for future generations. Resources and links: Gabrielle Trainor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-trainor-ao-620b6714/ Connect: The Society of Construction Law Australia website: https://www.scl.org.au/ The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast. This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Insurance Coffee House, Nick Hoadley is joined by Nicola Nairn, Group Head of HR at Lancashire Insurance Group, a global specialty insurance and reinsurance business operating across London, Bermuda, the US, and Australia.Nicola shares her career journey into HR, starting on the trading floor at Morgan Stanley before moving into asset management and eventually transitioning into human resources. She reflects on how an unplanned move into HR led to a long-term career in reward and, later, broader HR leadership, bringing a strong commercial lens to people strategy.The conversation explores how Lancashire has grown from around 300 to 450 employees in recent years, and how the focus has now shifted from expansion to optimising the structure, effectiveness, and development of the organisation. Nicola explains how this creates opportunities to focus more deeply on talent, mobility, and long-term capability building across the business.Nick and Nicola discuss practical approaches to talent development, including identifying high-potential and high-performing individuals, building internal mobility, and combining external training with internal initiatives such as mentoring and knowledge-sharing programmes. Nicola outlines how creating visibility across the business helps employees better understand opportunities beyond their immediate roles.The episode also looks closely at culture. Nicola shares how Lancashire maintains a consistent culture across geographies while allowing for local differences, and explains why common sense and common decency are the foundations of the organisation's approach to hiring and leadership. She emphasises the importance of hiring for both capability and character, and treating recruitment as a two-way process.They also discuss hiring practices, working with search partners, and the gradual introduction of technology such as applicant tracking systems to improve hiring processes and data visibility. Nicola highlights the importance of investing time upfront with recruitment partners to ensure alignment on role requirements and culture.The conversation closes with practical advice for candidates and HR professionals, including the importance of authenticity in interviews, taking the time to understand motivations, and recognising that career paths do not need to be linear. Nicola also shares a simple but consistent lesson from her career: spend more time listening than talking, and stay open-minded.This episode offers a grounded view of how people and culture strategy is evolving within insurance, and how organisations can build strong teams by focusing on development, clarity, and cultural alignment.Connect with Nicola Nairn on LinkedIn to follow her work across HR leadership, talent development, and organisational culture.The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is brought to you by Insurance Search.We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.Find out more about showcasing your employer brand as a guest on the Insurance Coffee House Podcast or sign up to our News and Insights.Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.Insurance Executive Search Consultants in USA, London and Bermuda.Copyright Insurance Search 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

What keeps people not just coming, but staying and growing? In Part 2 of the Culture Series, we shift the focus to team culture. Regina explores what it takes to build strong teams by being available, aware, and engaged. Great teams don't happen by accident, they are built by people who show up for one another and commit to building something bigger than themselves.“Team Culture Code” message by Regina Loo at The Evolution, on 26 April 2026 at 3pm.For more information, visit: www.theevolution.orgYou can also follow us on Instagram:  @theevolutionfam and @theevolutionyouth

Jono kicks off the new Culture Series this week, with Culture of Intimacy.

We're wrapping up Season 4 and our AI, Workplace and Culture series with a look back at our biggest takeaways from each guest. This is a quick, practical roundup of what stuck with us, what we've already put into action, and why this conversation isn't going anywhere.What We CoverMartha Shaughnessy, Founder & CEO of The Key PR – Communication has to be at the table early, especially during change. AI is both an opportunity for tremendous good and a source of real risk. Diverse lived experience is what helps organizations navigate that well.Andrea Jordan, Founder & CEO of Empathium – You can't remove humans from the loop and expect it to work. AI also has underexplored potential to help us develop emotional intelligence, especially in high-stakes fields like healthcare and education.Jordache Johnson, Never Tech Behind – You don't learn AI from one course. Small experiments build skills over time. His ADAPT framework is a practical starting point for integrating AI with intention, not just access.Nikki Silvestri, Founder & CEO of Soil and Shadow – Environmental impact isn't an all-or-nothing conversation. Systems thinking means holding the full picture. And if your organization doesn't have an AI policy, people are already doing whatever they're doing.Key Takeaway Whether you're bullish or bearish, not engaging is not a neutral position. Know where you stand, understand what's happening in your space, and lead from there.We Want to Hear From You What's your biggest takeaway from this series? Email podcast@cocreatework.com and subscribe to our newsletter at cocreatework.com.Season 5 is coming. Stay tuned, and as always, thank you for your leadership.Resources:Leading through growth takes intention. Our capabilities deck shows how we help founders and leadership teams lead boldly and build cultures that scale.Navigating a big transition? Check out our Pivot Plan: 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Your Next Big Move.Think coaching might be right for you? Schedule a free consultation to explore how we can help you step into your next level of leadership.Interested in going deeper in your own leadership and building your network? Join the waitlist for The CoCreate Work Leadership Book Club to explore the themes from this episode in community—through powerful reads, reflection prompts, and live conversations.Our last session of the Culture Crash Course just ended, but if you're interested in a Culture Crash Course for your organization or team, please contact us at support@cocreatework.com.Interested in leadership development for your team? Our Workshops are a great wait to develop your team's skills and connection.At CoCreate Work, we believe in asking great questions. Click here to receive our guide to 40 Powerful Questions to accelerate your growth.We would love to connect with you!CoCreate Work on LinkedInCoCreate Work on InstagramLa'Kita on InstagramChloe on InstagramVisit our Podcast PageQuestions you would like us to answer on the podcast? Email us at podcast@cocreatework.com

Vartan Matiossian (Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Church, NY) The Color of Choice: The Armenians and the Politics of Race in the United States and Germany (1890–1945) (Brill, Armenian History and Culture Series, No. 2, 2025) Interviewed by Thomas Simsarian Dolan (AGBU) [Released March 4, 2026]  

We're closing out our AI and Culture series with Nikki Silvestri, CEO and Founder of Soil and Shadow, international keynote speaker, and environmental advocate. Nikki has spent her career asking hard questions about who benefits and who bears the cost, and she brings that same lens to AI. This conversation covers environmental impact, personal responsibility, and what it means to lead with ethics when technology is moving this fast.What We CoverThe Commons vs. the Wild West – AI is actually both happening simultaneously, and the education gap is the biggest driver of why.The urgency is real – The pressure to adopt AI isn't false. Productivity expectations are shifting and jobs are being replaced. But individual blame isn't the answer.Environmental impact in context – Data centers use energy and water, but so does streaming, Zoom, and Spotify. A systems view means holding the whole picture, not just the sound bite.The regional advocacy gap – Placing data centers in drought-prone or already-stressed regions has real consequences, and local advocacy matters more than most people realize.BYO AI and Shadow Tech – 70-75% of organizations have no AI policies, but the same percentage of people are using it individually. That gap is where risk lives.Using AI to reclaim your time – Nikki's personal case for how AI is giving her back the mental and psychic energy that intellectual work used to drain, especially for women and neurodivergent leaders.What to actually do – Understand your footprint, advocate for democratic infrastructure, use free templates to get your team aligned before you spend money on outside help.Bullish or bearish? – Both. The power of the tool is real. The incentives of the companies building it are not in your favor.Key Takeaway Growth mindset. A lot is changing fast and it is scary. Stay at the growth edge, but you don't have to make yourself unsafe to do it.Guest Resource Nikki Silvestri and Soil and Shadow: soilandshadow.com We Want to Hear From You Send your questions to podcast@cocreatework.com and subscribe to our newsletter at cocreatework.com.As always, thank you for your leadership.Resources:Leading through growth takes intention. Our capabilities deck shows how we help founders and leadership teams lead boldly and build cultures that scale.Navigating a big transition? Check out our Pivot Plan: 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Your Next Big Move.Think coaching might be right for you? Schedule a free consultation to explore how we can help you step into your next level of leadership.Interested in going deeper in your own leadership and building your network? Join the waitlist for The CoCreate Work Leadership Book Club to explore the themes from this episode in community—through powerful reads, reflection prompts, and live conversations.Our last session of the Culture Crash Course just ended, but if you're interested in a Culture Crash Course for your organization or team, please contact us at support@cocreatework.com.Interested in leadership development for your team? Our Workshops are a great wait to develop your team's skills and connection.At CoCreate Work, we believe in asking great questions. Click here to receive our guide to 40 Powerful Questions to accelerate your growth.We would love to connect with you!CoCreate Work on LinkedInCoCreate Work on InstagramLa'Kita on InstagramChloe on InstagramVisit our Podcast PageQuestions you would like us to answer on the podcast? Email us at podcast@cocreatework.com

This episode is for leaders and individuals who know AI is changing everything — but aren't sure where to start, or why their organization's adoption keeps stalling. We sat down with Jordache Johnson, founder and CEO of Never Tech Behind, to break down what AI fluency actually means, why most transformations fail, and what it takes to build a culture where AI works for your people, not around them.The Big QuestionHow do leaders move their organizations — and themselves — from fear of AI to actual fluency?What We CoverAI fluency isn't about knowing the code — it's about knowing when and how to apply AI to solve real problems, and having the confidence to experiment without fear.Compound learning is the real unlock — you don't learn AI from a course. You learn it by doing small experiments and letting your skills stack over time.AI transformation is a 70% people problem — if your people don't trust it, understand it, or feel safe using it, the tools don't matter.The ADAPT Framework — Jordache's system for building an AI-powered, human-always culture: Assess, Develop, Analyze, Plan, Train.What keeps him up at night — Jordache gets real about the risks he does and doesn't worry about, and why he built his whole company around the idea that no one gets left behind.Key TakeawayDon't wait for your employer to give you permission. Start experimenting now — small projects, dedicated time, genuine curiosity. The compounding effect is real and available to everyone.Connect with Jordache Website: jordache.ai and join his newsletter for all the latest in AI.Resources:Leading through growth takes intention. Our capabilities deck shows how we help founders and leadership teams lead boldly and build cultures that scale.Navigating a big transition? Check out our Pivot Plan: 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Your Next Big Move.Think coaching might be right for you? Schedule a free consultation to explore how we can help you step into your next level of leadership.Interested in going deeper in your own leadership and building your network? Join the waitlist for The CoCreate Work Leadership Book Club to explore the themes from this episode in community—through powerful reads, reflection prompts, and live conversations.Our last session of the Culture Crash Course just ended, but if you're interested in a Culture Crash Course for your organization or team, please contact us at support@cocreatework.com.Interested in leadership development for your team? Our Workshops are a great wait to develop your team's skills and connection.At CoCreate Work, we believe in asking great questions. Click here to receive our guide to 40 Powerful Questions to accelerate your growth.We would love to connect with you!CoCreate Work on LinkedInCoCreate Work on InstagramLa'Kita on InstagramChloe on InstagramVisit our Podcast PageQuestions you would like us to answer on the podcast? Email us at podcast@cocreatework.com

Andrea Jordan is the Founder and CEO of Empathium, and she's building something radically different in the AI space. While everyone else is focused on automation and efficiency, Andrea is building emotionally intelligent AI for the moments that matter most.What we loved about this conversation is Andrea's willingness to sit with the tension. She's not blindly pro-AI, and she's wrestling with big questions about what it means to use these tools to create more equitable systems.What We Talked AboutAndrea walked us through why companies are rolling back their automation efforts—turns out removing humans from human care is an expensive mistake. We explored how AI can actually help people develop empathy, attunement, and relational confidence instead of replacing those skills. She shared why Empathium is designed to work in places with limited or no connectivity (because if it only works in optimal conditions, who are we really serving?). And we grappled with Audre Lorde's wisdom about the "master's tools" and what it means to build from inside systems we're trying to change.Key TakeawaysThe self-checkout, robo-customer-service era taught companies a hard lesson: you can't just remove humans from the loop and expect it to work. Empathium is building on that recognition—not automating human interaction, but attuning humans themselves.AI's best qualities are agility, adaptability, and scale. The question is whether we use those to replace human connection or to support it. Andrea is betting on support—building tools that help people show up better in high-stakes moments.If we want better systems, we need tools that make emotionally intelligent care scalable. That means designing for healthcare, education, and human services where communication failures have the highest human and economic costs.Empathium is designed as a global product that works without constant connectivity. As Andrea puts it: "If we can't foster human connection there, are we really doing the work?"On using the "master's tools": Andrea openly wrestles with this tension. Her take? She's not trying to dismantle the house but to "make space for all of us to live in it." Use the tools we have strategically while staying grounded in intention.AI isn't the answer to everything. We need critical thinking about which tools to use when—and to recognize when we're using a hammer for a wrench's job.About Andrea JordanAndrea's background spans social work, behavioral health, and systems-level leadership. She specializes in designing products at the intersection of trauma-informed care, AI, and high-stakes communication. With Empathium, she's developing adaptive emotional intelligence infrastructure focused on where communication failures cost the most. Her belief is simple: if we want better systems, we need to build tools that make emotionally intelligent care scalable—not by replacing humans, but by building a bridge to human connection.Connect with AndreaAndrea welcomes conversations about what she's building:LinkedIn: Andrea Jordan GoubeauxWebsite: empathium.ai (join the waitlist)Early access to Tynd: Reach out to Andrea directly on LinkedInResources:Navigating a big transition? Check out our Pivot Plan: 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Your Next Big Move.Think coaching might be right for you? Schedule a free consultation to explore how we can help you step into your next level of leadership.Interested in going deeper in your own leadership and building your network? Join the waitlist for The CoCreate Work Leadership Book Club to explore the themes from this episode in community—through powerful reads, reflection prompts, and live conversations.Our last session of the Culture Crash Course just ended, but if you're interested in a Culture Crash Course for your organization or team, please contact us at support@cocreatework.com.Interested in leadership development for your team? Our Workshops are a great wait to develop your team's skills and connection.At CoCreate Work, we believe in asking great questions. Click here to receive our guide to 40 Powerful Questions to accelerate your growth.We would love to connect with you!CoCreate Work on LinkedInCoCreate Work on InstagramLa'Kita on InstagramChloe on InstagramVisit our Podcast PageQuestions you would like us to answer on the podcast? Email us at podcast@cocreatework.com

We're kicking off our AI Workplace and Culture series with Martha Shaughnessy, founder and CEO of The Key PR. Martha isn't just observing the AI transformation—she's living it. Her firm works with tech startups building with AI, and she's implementing AI tools in her own company.What we really appreciated about our conversation is Martha's refusal to give easy answers. She's both optimistic and pessimistic about where we're headed.What We Talked AboutMartha walked us through what's actually happening in the startup world right now (spoiler: it's all AI, all the time). We dug into why communications needs to be involved at the earliest stages of strategy, not bolted on at the end. She shared her framework for crisis communication when the tools and rules keep changing. And we explored what it means to co-create work when everything is shifting underneath us.Martha also brought what she calls her "punk ass perspective" on who gets to dominate the tech conversation—and why that matters for all of us.Key TakeawaysMost companies are either building with AI from the ground up or retrofitting existing products. The Wild West analogy applies, except those already on top (Google, Amazon, OpenAI) have such a dramatic lead that the playing field is fundamentally different.For most people, technology is magic. They don't care how it works—they care why it matters. The job is finding both the selfish impact (how it affects you personally) and the global impact (how it makes the world better).In crisis communication, simple truth beats complicated explanations every time. Over-explaining makes people suspicious. And sometimes you just have to take it—because if you messed up, someone's going to be mad.The "get it off my desk" jobs are most at risk. But curiosity, creativity, and systems thinking? Those become more valuable than ever. Martha's hope is that we graduate from productivity-first culture and reinvest in what makes us human.AI can do tremendous good—and tremendous harm. From literacy tutoring for kids with dyslexia to environmental damage from energy demands, this technology cuts both ways. We need visionary leadership and diverse perspectives in the room to navigate it well.Communications needs to be at the table early. Not as a bolt-on at the end, but at the concept stage when you're still figuring things out. That's where you catch potential crises before they happen.About Martha ShaughnessyMartha is the founder and CEO of The Key PR, a Bay Area-based communications firm she founded in 2017 with a mission to deliver high-impact, no-BS communications to her clients. Over the past 20+ years, Martha has worked with tech companies, startups, and nonprofits, helping them navigate the complex intersection of technology, culture, and human impact. She specializes in helping organizations tell stories that matter—finding the human thread in even the most technical products.Connect with MarthaMartha welcomes conversations about big ideas. Reach out if this resonated with you:Email: martha@thekeypr.com or yo@thekeypr.comWebsite: thekeypr.comLinkedIn: The Key PRResources:Navigating a big transition? Check out our Pivot Plan: 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Your Next Big Move.Think coaching might be right for you? Schedule a free consultation to explore how we can help you step into your next level of leadership.Interested in going deeper in your own leadership and building your network? Join the waitlist for The CoCreate Work Leadership Book Club to explore the themes from this episode in community—through powerful reads, reflection prompts, and live conversations.Our last session of the Culture Crash Course just ended, but if you're interested in a Culture Crash Course for your organization or team, please contact us at support@cocreatework.com.Interested in leadership development for your team? Our Workshops are a great wait to develop your team's skills and connection.At CoCreate Work, we believe in asking great questions. Click here to receive our guide to 40 Powerful Questions to accelerate your growth.We would love to connect with you!CoCreate Work on LinkedInCoCreate Work on InstagramLa'Kita on InstagramChloe on InstagramVisit our Podcast PageQuestions you would like us to answer on the podcast? Email us at podcast@cocreatework.com

(0:00) Intro(1:19) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel(2:05) Start of interview (2:48) Michael's origin story. Academic Journey and Early Influences. *reference to Correlation Ventures(8:55) About his paper Board Dynamics over the Startup Life Cycle (2020) with Nadia Malenko. (11:30) Role of independent directors in VC-backed companies.(16:05) Control Dynamics in Startup Boards(17:21) The Evolution of Founder Control *Reference to E187 with Brad Feld (Oct 2025)(28:11) The Future of Private Markets(29:21) The Future of IPOs “What's been missing from the IPO market since 1996 is the small- to mid-cap company. In my view, the solution for public markets is to restore their uniqueness by shutting down private secondary markets and making public-market liquidity distinctive again.”(33:40) The Role of Private Equity in Governance(39:47) Distinctions Between VC and PE Boards(42:24) Insights from Private Equity for Public Companies “A PE firm is really an investment bank with a consulting arm, where the partners sit on both sides and have equity in the whole game.” "What PE solves is expertise alignment, and a clear investment horizon for an exit."(47:36) The Impact of AI on Board Governance(50:20) Books that have greatly influenced his life:One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1967)Culture Series by Ian Banks (1987-2012)A Brief History of Intelligence by Max Bennett (2023)(53:14) His mentors (54:24) Quotes that he thinks of often or lives his life by: "All models are wrong, but some are useful" by George Box(53:15) An unusual habit or an absurd thing that he loves. Watching the Big Lebowski.(55:53) The living person he most admires: Derek Thomson.(57:26) Moving from VC to PE Research in New YorkMichael Ewens is the David L. and Elsie M. Dodd Professor of Finance and co-director of the Private Equity Program at Columbia Business School. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Welcome to ourAI Workplace & Culture series! Over the next four episodes, we're diving deep into the real impact of artificial intelligence on work, culture, and leadership.We sat down with four incredible experts who are doing transformative work at the intersection of AI and their respective fields. This isn't about fearmongering or hype—it's about understanding what's actually happening on the ground and how we can navigate this evolution thoughtfully and ethically.Featured Guests in This Series:

Kyptan hosts Ashman, Dusty, and Befuddled Panda in a discussion on Inversions by Iain M. Banks, an installment in The Culture Series.THIS IS NOT AN AUDIOBOOK!Music is Galactic Damages by Jingle Punks.Find us on:Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/FNcpuuA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/greenteampod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@greenteampod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/thelegendarium/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Suggestion Box: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/Nsz6URWeq3JeeZnGA⁠⁠

In a world where cultural values constantly clash with Kingdom truth, Christ Over Culture challenges believers to think differently, live boldly, and reflect Christ in every area of life. Through practical teaching from the book of Colossians, this series calls us to elevate our mindset, align our priorities with Christ's authority, and live out our faith with Kingdom conviction in a culture that often pulls the other way.Support the showThank you for listening to this podcast! Follow Pastor James D. Gailliard on all social media @jdgailliard and get connected with Word Tabernacle Church by going to https://wordtab.net/ #EveryoneThriving

What does it look like to live a life that wears the Gospel well? In this week's lesson, Pastor James D. Gailliard continues his series “Christ Over Culture” from the Book of Colossians with a message titled “A Gospel Lifestyle” (Colossians 3:12–17).Discover how a new heart produces new habits and why the character of Christ must become our “second wardrobe.” From personal character to community relationships and corporate worship, this teaching challenges believers to reflect Jesus in everything we do.Learn how to carry others' burdens, clothe yourself in love, and consecrate every action as worship to God.From the 2025 Bible Study Series: Christ Over Culture.Support the showThank you for listening to this podcast! Follow Pastor James D. Gailliard on all social media @jdgailliard and get connected with Word Tabernacle Church by going to https://wordtab.net/ #EveryoneThriving

What happens when your heart truly changes? In this week's Bible study, Pastor James D. Gailliard unpacks Colossians 3:12–17 to show that a Gospel lifestyle begins with a chosen identity and flows into Christ-like character, community, and worship.From compassion that moves to action, to forgiveness that frees, this message teaches us how to live in the world while reflecting the heart of Christ. Because when the Gospel reshapes your life—you don't retreat from culture, you transform it.Support the showThank you for listening to this podcast! Follow Pastor James D. Gailliard on all social media @jdgailliard and get connected with Word Tabernacle Church by going to https://wordtab.net/ #EveryoneThriving

Welcome to the Word of Life AG podcast! Today Pastor Tom Wood is continuing our mission, vision, and culture series, but first… If you're looking for next steps, please head to our website at https://www.wordoflifeag.org/

The Culture is Iain M. Banks' sci fi masterpiece - a futuristic society where benevolent AI minds provide humans whatever life they choose. Across the nine books you explore the Culture through their interactions, conflicts, and meddling with other space-faring civilizations. When the series is at its best it's full of action and adventure, and once the dust settles you're left with some extremely interesting ideas about what it means to be happy and have agency in a utopian society.Join the Hugonauts book club on discordOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoAs always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion. Similar books we recommend: House of Suns by Alastair ReynoldsThe Salvation Sequence by Peter F. HamiltonFire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge This episode is sponsored by Moonrising by Claire Barner, published by Simon and Schuster and available here. If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:  00:00 Intro 1:04 What is The Culture? 4:13 Which book should you read first? 12:21 Why do billionaires love this series so much? 14:44 Iain M. Banks tragic early death 17:23 References to the romantic poets 20:31 Similar books we recommend 22:56 SPOILERS SECTION - PLAYER OF GAMES 32:35 SPOILERS SECTION - USE OF WEAPONS 42:04 The Culture as nation builders

In Part 7 of our Sales Culture Series, we're talking about what really drives long-term success: consistency. From systems and onboarding to daily habits and mindset shifts, this episode breaks down how to build a culture where production compounds.#StateFarmAgent #InsuranceAgent #StateFarm #TMP #TeamMemberPerspective #SalesCulture #FinancialServices #AgencyGrowth #LifeInsurance #SalesTraining✅ Questions about enrolling your team in our Friday Live Training & Wednesday Live Role Play Calls? Click Here: http://sales.tmperspective.com-✅ Subscribe to Colter's FREE insurance sales trainings:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-35rEOirer-rBo62SAokawApple Podcasts:⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-team-member-perspective/id1675925320⁠Spotify:⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0EYYJYvouM22DfuAcYjhiK?si=m8gTTwvFReGfSIGQ7yZHcQ⁠Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/sSe3faCfV6KLVJh4/

Culture by Design, Not Default: Leadership Lessons with Delise Simmons

What if your next hire could outsell your entire team in 30 days? In part six of the Sales Culture Series, we're joined by Brandy Tripp from Michigan to talk about her “Onboard to Sell” program—a structured, team-driven onboarding system that gets new team members selling fast, with clear expectations, simple skills, and early wins across all lines. From the “Triple 330” daily plan to building a culture that new hires want to be part of, Brandy shares how agencies can stop losing good people early and start creating confident producers from day one.✅ Questions about enrolling your team in our Friday Live Training & Wednesday Live Role Play Calls? Click Here: http://sales.tmperspective.com-✅ Subscribe to Colter's FREE insurance sales trainings:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-35rEOirer-rBo62SAokawApple Podcasts:⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-team-member-perspective/id1675925320⁠Spotify:⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0EYYJYvouM22DfuAcYjhiK?si=m8gTTwvFReGfSIGQ7yZHcQ⁠Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/sSe3faCfV6KLVJh4/#InsuranceSales #TeamMemberTraining #AgencyCulture #SalesOnboarding #InsuranceHiring #StateFarmAgent #InsuranceAgent #StateFarm #TMP #TeamMemberPerspective

You can't win a game if you don't know the score.In this episode, we break down why tracking your numbers—and talking about them often—is the foundation of a winning sales culture. From hybrid team member mindset to daily income-producing activities, this is how you build clarity, confidence, and consistent results in your agency.✅ Questions about enrolling your team in our Friday Live Training & Wednesday Live Role Play Calls? Click Here: http://sales.tmperspective.com-✅ Subscribe to Colter's FREE insurance sales trainings:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-35rEOirer-rBo62SAokawApple Podcasts:⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-team-member-perspective/id1675925320⁠Spotify:⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0EYYJYvouM22DfuAcYjhiK?si=m8gTTwvFReGfSIGQ7yZHcQ⁠Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/sSe3faCfV6KLVJh4/#SalesCulture #KeepTheScore #TeamPerformance #IncomeProducingActivities #ClarityCreatesConfidence #StateFarmAgent #InsuranceAgent #StateFarm #TMP #TeamMemberPerspective

It's not all about tactics, it's about perspective. If your team sees sales as pushy or manipulative, they'll never feel confident doing it.This episode is about reframing sales as service — helping customers recognize their needs before offering a solution.Top performers don't pressure. They disarm, listen, and create demand by finding problems first.That mindset shift is the difference between quoting… and actually selling.#SalesMindset #TeamPerformance #ProblemSolvers #ModernSelling #LeadershipTraining#StateFarmAgent #InsuranceAgent #StateFarm #TMP #ColterJohnson #TeamMemberPerspective ✅ Questions about enrolling your team in our Friday Live Training & Wednesday Live Role Play Calls? Click Here: http://sales.tmperspective.com✅ Subscribe to Colter's FREE insurance sales trainings:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-35rEOirer-rBo62SAokawApple Podcasts:⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-team-member-perspective/id1675925320⁠Spotify:⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0EYYJYvouM22DfuAcYjhiK?si=m8gTTwvFReGfSIGQ7yZHcQ⁠Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/sSe3faCfV6KLVJh4/

Part 3 of the Sales Culture Series Encapsulates Where to Find Sales—and What to Do When You Get ThereThere are honeypots for selling policies; places where the right people are already gathered and ready to buy. In this episode, Colter breaks down how to find them, what to say when you get there, and how to disarm the customer so closing becomes natural.✅ Questions about enrolling your team in our Friday Live Training & Wednesday Live Role Play Calls? Click Here: http://sales.tmperspective.com-✅ Subscribe to Colter's FREE insurance sales trainings:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-35rEOirer-rBo62SAokawApple Podcasts:⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-team-member-perspective/id1675925320⁠Spotify:⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0EYYJYvouM22DfuAcYjhiK?si=m8gTTwvFReGfSIGQ7yZHcQ⁠Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/sSe3faCfV6KLVJh4/

A strong team doesn't rise and fall with the presence of their agent. In this episode, we break down how to set clear, daily performance standards—and stick to them. Because winning the day every day is how high-producing teams are built.✅ Questions about enrolling your team in our Friday Live Training & Wednesday Live Role Play Calls? Click Here: http://sales.tmperspective.com-✅ Subscribe to Colter's FREE insurance sales trainings:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-35rEOirer-rBo62SAokawApple Podcasts:⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-team-member-perspective/id1675925320⁠Spotify:⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0EYYJYvouM22DfuAcYjhiK?si=m8gTTwvFReGfSIGQ7yZHcQ⁠Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/sSe3faCfV6KLVJh4/#TeamPerformance #LeadershipDevelopment #InsuranceAgents #TeamMemberPerspective #HighPerformingTeams #WinTheDay #SetTheStandard #InsuranceLeadership #AgencyGrowth #SalesTeamSuccess #InsuranceTips #InsuranceSales #TMP #LifeInsuranceSales #TMPPodcast #salessuccess #teammemberperspective #insurance #salestraining #motivation #insuranceagent #statefarmagent #salesprocess #mindset #colterjohnson #salestips #policysales #agency #lifeinsurance #healthinsurance #sales #sellinglifeinsurance #sellinglife #salesculture #culture #agencyculture