On this episode of Coalescence Podcast with Jessica Culo, Jessica sits down with Zach Zinn, science communicator and creator of Scribble Mouth, for a fascinating conversation about science, human perception, evolution, curiosity, and the hidden forces that shape how we think, behave, and work together.

The conversation takes a deeper look at what we perceive as truth and why our brains are not necessarily designed to experience objective reality, but instead create simplified models that help us navigate the world. Jessica and Zach explore how perception, imagination, and storytelling influence the way we understand ourselves and others, including why humans became highly collaborative and how our ability to imagine possibilities can be both a powerful strength and a source of rumination and anxiety.

For leaders and entrepreneurs, Zach offers a thought-provoking perspective on uncertainty, confidence, and decision-making. Rather than treating certainty as the goal, they explore what it means to act with confidence while remaining open to being wrong. They also examine why people often look for simple explanations or someone to blame when things go wrong, and how stepping back to consider the larger systems, assumptions, and stories at play can lead to greater curiosity and understanding.

Whether you're a leader, entrepreneur, curious thinker, or simply interested in understanding why humans think and behave the way we do, press play for a thought-provoking conversation that challenges assumptions about truth, certainty, anxiety, collaboration, and perception — and invites us to become more curious about the patterns underneath what we believe to be real.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to Coalescence

00:01:26 Meet Zach Zinn

00:04:06 Understanding the Overview Effect

00:07:06 Bringing the Overview Effect Down to Earth

00:09:59 Are Humans Built for Truth?

00:12:22 How Our Brains Construct Reality

00:17:35 Why Humans Are Wired for Collaboration

00:20:13 Dunbar's Number & the Power of Stories

00:25:25 Human Imagination: Our Greatest Strength & Challenge

00:30:24 Understanding Our Thoughts & Anxiety

00:35:14 The Entrepreneurial Mindset

00:37:44 Why Uncertainty Can Be Harder Than Adversity

00:41:19 Confidence vs. Certainty in Leadership

00:46:07 Decision-Making, Mistakes & Blame

00:49:24 We Don't Live in Truth — We Live in Stories

00:50:26 What Zach Zinn Is Exploring Next

00:55:00 Closing Thoughts

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Coalescence Podcast so you never miss a conversation exploring the intersection of leadership, human behavior, emerging technologies, and the future of work.

Connect with Jessica Culo

Website: www.axiomintelligence.ca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-culo-b365806/

🎯 Take Action & Connect with Phil Houston & Simon Phillips

Inspired by this conversation? Challenge one assumption you currently take for granted. When making a decision, consider the evidence, stay open to being wrong, and remember that uncertainty is part of the process.

When you catch yourself spiraling, pause and question the story your imagination is creating. And when something goes wrong at work, look beyond blame and consider the larger systems, relationships, and circumstances at play.

The goal isn't to eliminate uncertainty—it’s to become more aware of how we think, question our assumptions, and use curiosity to lead, collaborate, and make better decisions.

Connect with Zac Zinn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-zinn-a7b583355/

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

Substack: https://substack.com/@scribblemouth?r=53p5y1&utm_medium=ios

Website: https://www.scribblemouth.com/

On this episode of Coalescence Podcast with Jessica Culo, Jessica sits down with Phil Houston and Simon Phillips, experts in deception detection, behavioral science, and artificial intelligence, for a fascinating conversation about human behavior, bias, decision-making, and what we can learn by asking better questions.

Drawing from decades of experience in high-stakes interviewing and intelligence work, Phil and Simon explore why even highly trained professionals can be influenced by their own assumptions when evaluating people. They explain how quickly we form impressions of others, how those biases can shape the questions we ask and the answers we hear, and why staying objective is much harder than it sounds.

Jessica, Phil, and Simon explore the fascinating intersection of behavioral science and AI through CyberQ. Simon explains how their technology is designed to reduce bias by analyzing each response independently rather than allowing previous answers to influence the interpretation of what comes next. The discussion offers a thought-provoking look at how AI could potentially help humans make better decisions without replacing human judgment.

The conversation goes beyond the workplace as Jessica asks how these principles can apply to parenting and everyday relationships. From difficult conversations with teenagers to knowing when to dig deeper into someone's story, Phil and Simon share practical insights into how curiosity, observation, and the right follow-up questions can help us better understand the people around us.

Whether you're a leader, entrepreneur, recruiter, hiring manager, parent, or simply interested in understanding people more effectively, press play for a compelling conversation that challenges how we think about bias, deception, AI, and the assumptions we make about others.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to Coalescence

00:01:26 Meet Phil Houston & Simon Phillips

00:04:04 Building an AI Version of Human Expertise

00:06:11 Why Humans Struggle With Bias

00:08:55 How AI Can Reduce Bias in Analysis

00:12:44 The Danger of Charisma in Hiring

00:14:18 When Interviews Reveal What Others Miss

00:15:08 The O.J. Simpson Case & High-Stakes Interviewing

00:18:52 Why We Avoid Difficult Questions

00:21:19 Asking the Right Questions at the Right Time

00:22:59 Recognizing Clusters of Deceptive Behavior

00:24:04 Powerful Questions to Ask in Interviews

00:26:13 Digging Deeper Without Becoming Confrontational

00:27:13 “Could You Have Stayed If You Wanted To?”

00:28:08 Deception Detection in Virtual Interviews

00:30:37 Applying These Techniques to Parenting

00:33:18 Teaching the Next Generation to Detect Deception

00:34:08 Closing Thoughts

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Coalescence Podcast so you never miss a conversation exploring the intersection of leadership, human behavior, emerging technologies, and the future of work.

Connect with Jessica Culo

Website: www.axiomintelligence.ca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-culo-b365806/

🎯 Take Action & Connect with Phil Houston & Simon Phillips

The next time you're evaluating a candidate, navigating a difficult conversation, or trying to understand someone's behavior, resist the urge to rely on your first impression.

Ask the difficult question. Listen carefully to the answer. Look for patterns rather than isolated behaviors. And most importantly, recognize the biases you bring into the conversation yourself.

Better decisions don't necessarily come from asking more questions—they come from asking better questions and being willing to follow the answers wherever they lead.

Connect with Simon Frechette:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-frechette-75808b68/

Connect with Phil Houston

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-houston-4050347/

On this episode of Coalescence Podcast with Jessica Culo, Jessica sits down with Dr. Samantha Jones, Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary, for a fascinating conversation about workplace psychology, safety, leadership, and the complex systems that influence how people behave and perform at work.

Drawing from her research and nearly 250 interviews with frontline workers and leaders, Sam explores why workplace challenges and safety incidents are rarely the result of a single person or isolated decision.

Jessica and Sam unpack the concept of the psychological contract — those often-unspoken expectations employees have about what their organization should provide — and how breaches in those expectations can affect trust, wellbeing, relationships, and performance. They also explore psychological safety and why creating an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up, admitting mistakes, and challenging unsafe practices can have a profound impact on both workplace culture and safety.

The conversation takes a deeper look at what leaders can learn by listening to their people. Sam shares powerful insights from conversations with workers who expressed surprisingly simple but fundamental needs: to be recognized, to understand why their work matters, and to see how their role connects to the larger system. The discussion also highlights how seemingly small interactions between leaders and employees can have significant downstream effects on focus, wellbeing, and safety.

Jessica and Sam also explore the gap between research and real-world application, the importance of interdisciplinary teams, and why technical expertise alone doesn't automatically create an effective team.

Whether you're a leader, entrepreneur, safety professional, researcher, or simply interested in the human side of work, press play for a compelling conversation that challenges us to look beyond individual mistakes and uncover the systems, relationships, expectations, and patterns underneath them.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to Coalescence

00:01:26 Meet Dr. Samantha Jones

00:03:48 Bringing Human Behavior Into Safety Systems

00:09:27 AI, Leadership & The Importance of Staying Human

00:12:28 Understanding Psychological Contracts

00:17:12 What Psychological Safety Really Means

00:22:28 The Story of Brandon Nelson & Workplace Safety

00:25:14 Bridging the Gap Between Research & Real-World Work

00:30:13 Map the System: Understanding Safety as a System

00:32:45 The 3L Survey: Learning, Leading & Looking After Your People

00:34:32 What Dr. Jones Is Working On Next

00:36:16 Closing Thoughts

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Coalescence Podcast so you never miss a conversation exploring the intersection of leadership, human behavior, emerging technologies, and the future of work.

Connect with Jessica Culo:

Website: www.axiomintelligence.ca

LinkedIn: Jessica Culo

🎯 Take Action & Connect with Dr. Samantha Jones

Inspired by this conversation? Start by looking beyond the individual when something goes wrong in your organization. Ask what expectations, relationships, team dynamics, processes, leadership behaviors, and organizational conditions may have contributed to what happened.

Building safer and healthier workplaces isn't simply about more training or better technical systems. It's about creating environments where people feel heard, understand why their work matters, can speak up without fear, and have the relationships and support needed to learn from mistakes.

Connect with Dr. Samantha Jones

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

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

On this episode of Coalescence Podcast with Jessica Culo, Jessica sits down with Jon Lakefish, founder of Lake Fish Group and one of North America’s most in-demand AI keynote speakers, for a timely conversation about how organizations can embrace AI without losing the human element at the heart of work. Drawing from more than 125 AI sessions with business leaders, Jon challenges the idea that AI is about replacing people and instead explores how it can empower teams, eliminate tedious work, and create more space for strategic and meaningful work.

Jessica and Jon explore how AI is already transforming marketing, finance, HR, communication, and strategic thinking, sharing real-world examples of businesses using AI to solve problems in minutes that once took months.

They also unpack the rapidly evolving AI landscape, the rise of agent-based systems, and why leaders need to develop an “AI muscle”— learning not just how to use these tools, but how to question them, challenge assumptions, and keep human judgment in the loop.

The conversation goes beyond business to explore the future of work, education, and the skills the next generation will need. From becoming AI-ready to strengthening the uniquely human abilities technology can't replace, Jon offers a compelling perspective on what comes next.

Whether you're a leader, entrepreneur, professional, educator, or simply curious about AI, press play to discover how the right use of AI can help us work smarter, think differently, and create more room for people to thrive.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to Coalescence

00:01:26 Meet Jon Lakefish: AI, Leadership & Practical Innovation

00:03:43 AI Should Empower People, Not Replace Them

00:05:56 Where Should Businesses Start With AI?

00:07:26 The Rapidly Changing AI Landscape

00:12:10 Why Human Creativity Still Matters

00:16:01 How AI Transformed Jon's Website in One Hour

00:18:16 AI Beyond Marketing: Finance, HR & Sales

00:21:26 AI in HR, Communication & Legal Work

00:23:49 Can We Trust AI? Keeping Humans in the Loop

00:26:39 Challenging AI to Explain Its Reasoning

00:31:17 Keeping Your Human Voice in AI-Assisted Communication

00:33:20 From LLMs to AI Agents: What's Changing?

00:34:30 The Surprising Ways People Are Using AI

00:37:33 AI, Sustainability & The Environment

00:40:57 Developing Your "AI Muscle"

00:42:01 Preparing the Next Generation for an AI-Driven Future

00:45:29 AI, Education & Personalized Learning

00:47:47 Helping Schools Embrace AI Beyond Cheating

00:49:05 Jon's New AI Platform for Speakers

00:51:19 Closing Thoughts

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Coalescence Podcast so you never miss a conversation exploring the intersection of leadership, human behavior, emerging technologies, and the future of work.

Connect with Jessica Culo:

Website: www.axiomintelligence.ca

LinkedIn: Jessica Culo

🎯 Take Action & Connect with Jon Lakefish

Inspired by this conversation? Start by looking at your own workday and asking a simple question: Where could AI give you and your team time back? Instead of thinking only about what technology can replace, consider what it could make possible—more creativity, deeper thinking, stronger relationships, and more time focused on the work that truly matters.

The future of AI isn't simply about having access to better tools. It's about learning how to use them thoughtfully, keeping humans in the loop, and creating more space for people to thrive.

Connect with Jon Lakefish

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-lakefish/

On this episode of Coalescence Podcast with Jessica Culo, Jessica sits down with founder of the Patron Group, entrepreneur, commercial finance expert, and Pinnacle Guide Ryan Risling for an insightful conversation about one of the biggest challenges facing today's organizations: the gap between how we interpret people and what's actually happening beneath the surface.

Drawing from decades of leadership experience, Ryan explores why so many workplace frustrations stem from assumptions rather than facts. Together, Jessica and Ryan unpack why leaders often label systemic issues as people problems, how unclear expectations create unnecessary conflict, and why slowing down to seek understanding is becoming one of the most valuable leadership skills in an increasingly fast-paced and technology-driven world.

The conversation also examines generational misconceptions, hybrid work, neurodiversity, and the growing complexity of modern organizations. Ryan shares practical perspectives on creating role clarity, defining success more effectively, and building cultures where difficult conversations become opportunities for growth rather than sources of tension. Jessica adds her insights from more than two decades in the employment industry, highlighting why curiosity, communication, and intentional leadership remain essential despite rapid advances in technology.

Whether you're a business owner, executive, people leader, or someone who simply wants to improve communication and build stronger relationships at work, this episode offers practical strategies and thought-provoking insights that will help you lead with greater clarity, empathy, and confidence.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to Coalescence

00:01:26 Meet Ryan Risling: Leadership, Entrepreneurship & Making Complexity Simple

00:03:34 Why Leaders Misinterpret People at Work

00:07:17 Fact or Feeling? Avoiding Assumptions in Leadership

00:10:26 Creating Role Clarity Instead of Managing Confusion

00:12:00 Hiring the Right People — Not the Perfect People

00:16:06 Reactive vs. Proactive Leadership

00:18:05 Technology, Human Connection & The Future of Work

00:21:24 Breaking Down Workplace Assumptions

00:24:43 Asking "Is That a Fact or a Feeling?"

00:30:11 Understanding Strengths, Trade-Offs & Team Dynamics

00:32:34 Why Great Leadership Starts on the Front Lines

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Coalescence Podcast so you never miss a conversation exploring the intersection of leadership, human behavior, emerging technologies, and the future of work.

Connect with Jessica Culo:

Website: www.axiomintelligence.ca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-culo-b365806/

🎯 Take Action & Connect with Ryan Risling

Inspired by this conversation? Take a moment to reflect on the assumptions you make as a leader. Where could greater clarity, curiosity, or a more intentional conversation unlock stronger performance within your team? Sometimes the biggest breakthrough isn't finding better people—it's creating a better environment for people to succeed.

Connect with Ryan Risling:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ryanrisling9780

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan.risling.22?igsh=Ym5yZTBvbW5vYzNo

LinkedIn: ca.linkedin.com/in/rrisling

On this episode of Coalescence Podcast with Jessica Culo, Jessica welcomes Lisa Daijo, co-owner of multiple award-winning staffing and recruiting organizations in Hawaii, for an insightful conversation about leadership, human behavior, and the power of truly understanding people at work.

Drawing on nearly two decades of building one of Hawaii's Best Places to Work, Lisa shares why culture isn't created through policies or perks alone—it comes from intentional leadership, meaningful relationships, and taking the time to understand what motivates each individual. From personality assessments and appreciation styles to coaching conversations and employee development, she reveals the practices that have helped her build high-performing, deeply connected teams.

The conversation also explores the complexities leaders face in today's workplace, including disengagement, generational differences, neurodiversity, and the assumptions that often prevent leaders from seeing the real reasons behind employee behavior. Lisa shares personal stories about how raising her son with autism transformed her perspective on leadership, empathy, and the importance of asking better questions before jumping to conclusions.

Whether you're leading an organization, managing a team, or simply trying to better understand the people around you, this episode offers thoughtful and practical insights into creating workplaces where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to Coalescence

00:01:27 Meet Lisa Daijo: Building Award-Winning Workplace Cultures in Hawaii

00:04:47 Creating an Ohana Culture and Understanding Employee Motivation

00:08:29 The Power of One-on-One Conversations and Human Connection

00:11:00 Asking Better Questions to Empower Employees

00:13:22 Understanding Disengagement: Is It Will, Skill, or Something More?

00:16:14 Why Great Hiring Requires Patience and Intention

00:17:07 Generational Differences and Leading with Curiosity Instead of Assumptions

00:20:26 Neurodiversity in the Workplace and Seeing People Differently

00:24:08 How Motherhood and Autism Shaped Lisa's Leadership Philosophy

00:28:05 The Dangers of Assumptions and the Need for Deeper Understanding

00:30:13 Advice for New Leaders: Know Yourself First

00:32:48 AI, Curiosity, and Preparing for the Future of Work

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Coalescence Podcast so you never miss a conversation exploring the intersection of leadership, human behavior, emerging technologies, and the future of work.

Connect with Jessica Culo:

Website: www.axiomintelligence.ca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-culo-b365806/

🎯 Take Action & Connect with Tom O’Neill

Inspired by this discussion on teamwork, feedback, and high-performance organizations? Take a moment to reflect on the dynamics within your own team. What opportunities exist to improve communication, strengthen accountability, and create a culture where people can perform at their best?

Connect with Lisa Daijo:

Website: www.expresspros.com/us-hawaii-pearl-city-honolulu/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-daijo-7a9a06b/

On this first episode of Coalescence Podcast with Jessica Culo, Jessica welcomes Dr. Tom O’Neill, one of the world’s leading experts on teamwork and organizational effectiveness, for a fascinating conversation about what truly drives high-performing teams. Despite advances in technology, communication tools, and workplace flexibility, organizations continue to struggle with collaboration, trust, and alignment — and Dr. O’Neill explains why.

Drawing on decades of research and insights from more than one million team assessments worldwide, Tom shares what separates exceptional teams from average ones, how leaders can create environments where people thrive, and why understanding human behavior remains one of the greatest competitive advantages in business today.

From psychological safety and accountability to communication and performance measurement, the discussion uncovers the often-overlooked factors that shape success at work.

Whether you're leading a team, building a business, managing employees, or simply interested in understanding the human side of work, this episode offers valuable perspectives that can help you navigate today's increasingly complex workplace.

Chapters

00:00:00 Welcome to Coalescence

00:01:27 Meet Dr. Tom O'Neill: Decades of Research on High-Performance Teams

00:04:21 The Origin Story of ITP Metrics and Real-Time Team Feedback

00:07:13 Social Loafing: Why Teams Struggle Even When Everyone Means Well

00:11:22 The Power of Instant Feedback and Team Self-Awareness

00:14:12 Why Most Organizations Get Feedback Wrong

00:18:46 Building a Culture Where Feedback Becomes Normal

00:19:37 Psychological Safety, Mental Health, and Modern Workplaces

00:21:36 Personality Assessments: Helpful Tool or Hidden Trap?

00:24:58 Turning Self-Awareness into Better Team Performance

00:25:45 Why Leaders Can't Ignore Toxic Behavior

00:26:52 Aligning Strengths, Roles, and Team Success

00:28:19 The Dynamic Nature of High-Performing Teams

00:29:10 Technology, Gen Z, and the Future of Workplace Relationships

00:32:10 Key Leadership Lessons for Building Better Teams

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Coalescence Podcast so you never miss a conversation exploring the intersection of leadership, human behavior, emerging technologies, and the future of work.

Connect with Jessica Culo:

Website: www.axiomintelligence.ca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-culo-b365806/

🎯 Take Action & Connect with Tom O’Neill

Inspired by this discussion on teamwork, feedback, and high-performance organizations? Take a moment to reflect on the dynamics within your own team. What opportunities exist to improve communication, strengthen accountability, and create a culture where people can perform at their best?

Connect with Dr. Tom O'Neill:

ITP Metrics: https://itpmetrics.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-o-neill-53bbb321/