Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast

Want to thrive at work instead of just surviving the week? Many high performers look successful on paper while quietly running on empty. The habits that got you promoted can become the very things that lead to burnout.

In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer speaks with Lacey MacLeod, founder and CEO of Talent Uplifted, to explore how leaders and high performers can stop burning out and start thriving at work, so their teams and their whole lives benefit.

This conversation covers what thriving at work looks like, the early warning signs of burnout, why what got you here won't get you there, the open door policy myth, why leaders need time to think, the coaching questions that create breakthroughs, the Gratitude Beats Burnout approach, and the three priorities rule.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What thriving at work looks like: Feeling both engaged and satisfied
• The warning signs that a high performer is heading toward burnout (including the parking lot red flag)
• How the law of diminishing returns affects high-performing leaders
• Why it's powerful to not be available to your team all the time
• What the open door policy really means (it has nothing to do with doors)
• How "no meetings on Mondays and Fridays" gives leaders time to think
• The coaching questions that create breakthroughs, starting with "What would happen if...?"
• Why gratitude is the "third matchstick" that stops burnout from spreading
• The three priorities rule: Three things a day, not three for home and three for work

This episode is for leaders, HR professionals, managers, and high achievers who want to build a vibrant culture where people thrive at work and in life.

CONNECT WITH LACEY MACLEOD

Website: https://talentuplifted.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceymacleod

Talent Uplifted on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentuplifted/

 
The Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/

For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/

Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/

Want to be a guest? Send your request to [email protected]

As an Amazon Associate, Build a Vibrant Culture earns from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. 

Are you chasing so-called “success” or creating meaningful work? Many high achievers keep climbing, only to discover the applause doesn't fill them up. Meaningful work begins when you trade external validation for internal alignment.

In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer welcomes back Justin Jones-Fosu, speaker, researcher, and author of Stop Chasing, Start Creating: A Timeless Fable on Mindset, Resilience, and Meaningful Work. The book is available here (paid link) https://amzn.to/4zrOIc4 (Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.) Together, they explore how leaders and teams can create meaning one intentional step at a time and build a work culture where people thrive.

This conversation covers the difference between chasing and creating, how core values reveal when healthy ambition turns into unhealthy chasing, the resilience ecosystem, new national research on meaningful work in America, and simple habits leaders can use to build connection with their teams.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The three parts of meaningful work: Significance to you, alignment with your values, and positive impact
• How to tell when healthy ambition crosses the line into unhealthy chasing
• Why leaders shape the meaningfulness of their work more than the organization does
• Why organizations confuse busyness with meaningfulness
• The resilience ecosystem: Rhythms of assessment, peer groups, and mentors
• The three rhythm model (perspective, task, and relationship) for creating meaning in any job
• Two practical tools: 1MC/W (one meaningful connection per week) and 5SC² (five self-care strategy challenges)

This episode is for leaders, HR professionals, managers, and high achievers who want to build a vibrant culture rooted in core values, intentionality, and meaningful work.

CONNECT WITH JUSTIN JONES-FOSU

Get the book (paid link): https://amzn.to/4zrOIc4 (Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Book website: https://stopchasingstartcreating.com/

Website: https://workmeaningful.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iworkmeaningful/

The Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/

For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/

Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/

Want to be a guest? Send your request to [email protected]

Why do so many pay conversations end in frustration? Many focus on the job someone is doing today. Career compensation changes the conversation by linking pay to growth. When leaders connect compensation to a clear career path, employees engage and gain confidence.

In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer speaks with returning guest Scott Trumpolt, compensation consultant and author of The Transparency of Compensation: The Employee Engagement Response, to explore how pay transparency and career compensation build a work culture where people want to stay and grow.

This conversation covers why organizations still avoid talking about pay, the difference between tactical and strategic compensation, what pay secrecy costs in trust, how managers can turn a dead-end merit conversation into a career conversation, and how career architecture gives employees a clear path to grow their pay.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why leaders treat compensation tactically and how to shift to a strategic, career-based approach
• What pay secrecy costs your organizational culture in employee engagement and trust
• How to explain a 2% merit increase so it opens a growth conversation instead of ending one
• What "above market" pay means and why a pay range isn't infinite
• How competencies and career architecture create clear career paths
• Why the money follows skills, and how managers and HR can partner on pay conversations
• Scott's rapid-fire take on salary posting, counteroffers, merit increases, unlimited PTO, bonuses, and inflated job titles

This episode is for leaders, managers, HR professionals, and business owners who want to use compensation as a tool for employee engagement and build a stronger work culture.

CONNECT WITH SCOTT TRUMPOLT

Website: https://hrcompensationconsulting.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-trumpolt-m-a-g-r-p-257a6b317/

Book: The Transparency of Compensation: The Employee Engagement Response https://hrcompensationconsulting.com/book/

The Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/

For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/

Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/

Want to be a guest? Send your request to [email protected]

AI can outthink almost anyone in the room, but it can never out-human you. In this episode, leadership advisor and author Ernesto Gomez breaks down why the future of leadership is about becoming more human. 

In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer speaks with Ernesto Gomez, author of The Soul Edge: Leading at the Human Frontier in the Age of Intelligence, to explore why the leaders who win in the AI era will be the ones who out-human the competition, not the ones who out-automate them.

This conversation covers the shift from extractive performance (control, pressure, and burnout) to regenerative performance, Ernesto's five-part framework for building human capacity (awareness, skills, mindset, soul signature, and connecting to a higher field), and why the best leaders are becoming stewards instead of heroes.

In this episode, you'll learn:
 ✔️ Why Ernesto built his leadership framework around the soul, which is the one thing AI will never have
 ✔️ The difference between extractive performance and regenerative performance, and why the extractive model burns people out
 ✔️ Ernesto's five-part path to human capacity: awareness, skills, mindset, soul signature, and connecting to a higher field
 ✔️ Why the best teams will out-human the competition rather than out-automating them
 ✔️ How to find your soul signature, the pattern of what makes your best days feel great
 ✔️ Why leaders need to become stewards, not heroes, in the AI era

This episode is for leaders, executives, and business owners who want to build teams that perform without burning out and want a real framework for leading well in the age of AI.

Topics covered include: work culture, organizational culture, business culture, leadership and business, communication, project management, career, management, leadership skill development, leadership podcast, AI leadership, regenerative performance, human-centered leadership, employee engagement.

CONNECT WITH ERNESTO GOMEZ
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: Ernesto Gomez
Book: The Soul Edge by Ernesto J. Gomez, available on Amazon

The Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/

For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/

Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/

Want to be a guest? Send your request to [email protected]

Does leading with your heart actually lead to better decisions than leading with your head? In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer talks with Arnaud Saint-Paul, founder of TAPUAT and author of Heart Leadership: Fostering Coherence to Amplify Impact, about why leading with your heart helps you make better decisions. 

This conversation covers the difference between leading from the mind and leading from the heart. They cover the seven pillars of the Heart Leadership Index, why a team's dysfunction often mirrors its leader's own gaps, and simple daily practices like the pause button and the hourly "who am I now?" check-in. These build coherence one choice at a time.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- What it actually means to lead with your heart instead of your head

- How the Heart Leadership Index maps a leader's coherence across seven pillars in seven minutes

- Why a team's culture is often a direct reflection of its leader

- The daily practice Arnaud uses to interrupt reactive, mind-driven decisions

- Why "I don't know" might be one of the most powerful phrases a leader can say

This episode is perfect for leaders, business owners, and HR professionals who want to build a workplace culture that holds up under pressure, not just one that looks good on paper.

Topics covered include: leading with your heart, work culture, business culture, organizational culture, leadership and business, team communication, leadership development, emotional intelligence, and leadership coherence.

Connect with Arnaud Saint-Paul:

Website: https://tapuat.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnaudsaintpaul/

Book: Heart Leadership: Fostering Coherence to Amplify Impact (available at tapuat.com and on Amazon)

 The Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/

For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/

Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/

Want to be a guest? Send your request to [email protected]

What does it really take to build a life well lived and a successful career? Marty Holleran spent over 25 years as a corporate officer at GE working alongside Jack Welch, ran a three billion dollar global business, and was CEO five times, and he says it all comes back to character.

In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer sits down with Marty Holleran, author of A Life Well Lived, to talk about the leadership lessons, integrity, and family moments that shaped a career spanning GE, multiple CEO roles, and decades of executive coaching.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- How his mother's intentional parenting built self confidence and leadership skills into her four sons

- What Jack Welch taught him about toughness, risk, and driving performance at GE

- Why correcting people in private, not in public, usually gets the better result

- The night he resigned from a CEO track rather than compromise his integrity, walking away from millions

- How his family's fight for his grandchildren became the true story behind the book The Cure and the film Extraordinary Measures (starring Harrison Ford)

- Why Marty believes legacy has nothing to do with money

- What he asks every CEO he mentors before he'll talk strategy with them

This episode is perfect for leaders, business owners, and teams looking to build stronger character, integrity, and resilience into their leadership.

Topics covered include: leadership development, executive coaching, character and integrity, legacy, work culture, business leadership, CEO mentoring, resilience, and work-life balance.

Connect with Marty Holleran: Marty is active on Facebook and LinkedIn and welcomes people to reach out. https://www.linkedin.com/in/marty-holleran-0106249/
His book, A Life Well Lived, is available wherever books are sold.

 The Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/

For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/

Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/

Want to be a guest? Send your request to [email protected]

Want to close the skills gap on your team without a four-year degree or a six-figure training budget? This episode breaks down how flexible, human-centered professional development builds stronger leaders at every level.

In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer sits down with three leaders from UNC Charlotte's School of Professional Studies: Anna Mullen (Business Development Director, Corporate Training and Executive Education), Taylor Faulkner (Program Director, HR and Learning & Development), and Krystle Kunnathur (Program Director, Leadership Development). Together, they dig into how certificate programs, corporate training, and a lifelong learning mindset help leaders and organizations close the skills gap, beat burnout, and build a vibrant culture.

This conversation covers work culture, organizational culture, leadership development, communication, career growth, AI in the workplace, and the flexibility adult learners need to actually thrive.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why communication and emotional intelligence are still the biggest skill gaps in the workplace, no matter how advanced the technology gets
• How flexible, human-centered programs help adult learners push past fear, financial barriers, and busy schedules
• Why AI should be a tool, not a crutch, and how human judgment keeps it in check
• What UNC Charlotte's new Certified Financial Planner certificate means for organizations building out financial planning talent
• How one fire and EMS system built leadership development directly into its promotion process
• The two qualities Anna, Taylor, and Krystle each believe future leaders need most

This episode is for HR leaders, learning and development professionals, and anyone building a team of lifelong learners who wants to invest in their people (and in themselves).

Topics covered include: Work culture, organizational culture, leadership development, professional development, certificate programs, workforce development, career growth, AI in the workplace, and burnout.

Connect with Anna Mullen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-mullen-88921a81/

Connect with Taylor Faulkner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-faulkner-a80552260/

Connect with Krystle Kunnathur: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystle-kunnathur/

Bonus: Nicole is co-hosting a free live webinar with UNC Charlotte, Leading Without Authority: How to Influence, Inspire, and Lead From Where You Are, September 14, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern. Register: https://charlotte-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/7217827384850/WN_GsHNcxOSRTGv6zqxXS4eJA#/registration

The Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/

For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/

Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/

Want to be a guest? Send your request to [email protected]

Michael J Lopez helps organizations make change actually stick, which is one of the hardest problems in business
In this episode, Nicole Greer sits down with Michael, founder of Michael J Lopez Consulting and author of Change: The 6 Science-Backed Strategies to Transform Your Brain, Your Body, and Your Behavior, to unpack the neuroscience behind why change is so hard and what it actually takes to build habits and culture that last.

Michael has spent over 20 years guiding Fortune 500 leaders at companies like Entergy, Clorox, Vanguard, and Meta through major transformations. He is also the lead researcher behind Rethinking Change Management 2026, a national workforce study on why change initiatives keep failing.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why roughly 47% of what you do every day is habit, and what that means when you want to change
• The six science-backed strategies behind lasting change: Shift environment, initiate movement, embrace stress, create focus, generate repetitions, and reward effort
• Why "Quitter's Day" happens every January, and how to avoid it
• How the anterior midcingulate cortex (the brain's "air traffic control center") grows stronger every time you do something hard
• Why culture designs itself, whether you're intentional about it or not

This episode is perfect for leaders, business owners, and teams who want to build habits and culture that actually stick.

Topics include change management, the neuroscience of habits, organizational culture, leadership development, resilience, and employee motivation.

 The Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Learn more about training, coaching, and courses at https://vibrantculture.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/

For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/

Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/

Want to be a guest? Send your request to [email protected]

Selecting the words you use and how you use them can make a huge difference in building more trust and loyalty on your team. This episode breaks down why your chosen words shape how people feel, perform, and why they stay.

Nicole Greer welcomes Genice DeCorte, President and CEO of HealthShare Credit Union in Greensboro, North Carolina, to explore how intentional communication builds trust, loyalty, and a stronger workplace culture. With nearly four decades of experience leading credit unions, Genice shares hard-won lessons on feedback, consistency, and connection that any leader can apply.

This conversation dives into key topics like leadership communication, employee feedback, organizational culture, and team accountability. You’ll learn how words shape how people feel about their work and their leader.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why a two-minute text or handwritten note can outlast a paycheck in people's memory
• A simple feedback framework Genice calls the Celebratory C3
• Why one-on-one lunches with her team changed how she leads
• How to communicate consistently across a growing organization
• Why explaining the "why" behind policies builds buy-in instead of resentment

This episode is for leaders, managers, business owners, and professionals who want to improve communication, strengthen organizational culture, and build a workplace where people feel valued.

 The Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/

For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/

Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/

Want to be a guest? Send your request to [email protected]

Struggling with burnout on your team, or in your own work? In this episode of the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole Greer sits down with entrepreneur and author Mitch Russo to share the simple mindfulness method he used to turn around a burned-out team, plus lessons on resilience, ethics, and purpose-driven leadership.

Mitch built a software company in his garage and sold it for eight figures, then went on to build a $25 million company alongside Tony Robbins and Chet Holmes. He is a two-time Inc Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year nominee and the author of four books, including his latest, Sacred Profits: From Meditation to Domination.

In this conversation, you will learn:

• The simple mindfulness method Mitch used to fix burnout on his sales team 
• The real difference between resilience and stubbornness 
• Mitch's framework for building organizational culture from the ground up 
• Why embracing your uniqueness is key to sustainable success 
• How ethical decision-making and heart-based leadership build trust

This episode is for leaders, business owners, and teams who want practical tools to fight burnout and build a stronger, more resilient culture.
Connect with Mitch:

Website: https://mitchrusso.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchrusso/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialmitchrusso

The Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast helps leaders improve work culture, communication, and business performance through real-world leadership strategies and practical insights.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/build-a-vibrant-culture-nicole-greer/

For speaking inquiries: https://vibrantculture.com/speaker-kit-request/

Download our training catalog: https://vibrantculture.com/catalog-request/

Want to be a guest? Send your request to [email protected]