July 16, 2025

Episode 105: Startups, Burnout & Boundaries: The Realities of Culture at Speed with Tannum Sullivan

42 minutes

What does Drag Queen Bingo have to do with employee engagement? In this episode, Joel catches up with Tannum Sullivan, Senior Manager of People, Experience & Culture at RentSpree — a prop-tech startup that’s redefining how people rent (and how employees stay engaged). They dive deep into the real reasons engagement is hitting all-time lows and why the old HR playbook isn’t enough anymore.

Tannum shares what it’s really like building culture from the inside — not the sidelines — and why true engagement means showing up for your people in ways that matter (spoiler: drag queen bingo might be your new secret weapon). They unpack what startup life actually feels like (hint: multiple hats, daily chaos, and lots of autonomy) and why it’s not for the faint of heart.

They also get real about burnout, boundaries, and why leadership must lead by example if they want employees to take PTO guilt-free. Plus: how to talk to leadership in their language (data!) and why guiding principles are more than corporate wallpaper — if you know how to test them.

Packed with practical advice, fresh ideas, and honest takes, this episode is for anyone trying to make work work again in 2025.

In this episode:

(00:00:03) Podcast introduction

(00:01:15) Catching up with Tannum and RecFest memories

(00:02:19) Tannum’s new role at RentSpree and focus on culture

(00:03:42) Why engagement is at historic lows — and what’s really going on

(00:06:08) Remote work, rethinking employee connection & drag queen bingo

(00:07:06) How to really listen to employees (hint: skip the surveys)

(00:09:20) Why knowing the business matters for HR & TA pros

(00:12:02) The great generational divide — and the power of autonomy

(00:16:08) Startup culture: chaos, multiple hats, and finding the right fit

(00:21:04) Testing if “guiding principles” are real — smart questions for job seekers

(00:28:30) Burnout & overwork: how to set boundaries in a startup

(00:33:34) Getting leadership buy-in: speaking their language with data

(00:36:03) Real metrics to watch: pulse surveys, Slack emojis & reposts

(00:39:35) How to connect with Tannum & final thoughts

About Tannum Sullivan

Tannum Sullivan is the Senior Manager of People, Experience & Culture at RentSpree, a fast-growing property tech startup. A true culture builder, she believes engagement can’t happen from the sidelines — it takes rolling up your sleeves, knowing the business, and sometimes hosting a drag queen bingo night to keep remote teams connected.

Resources

RentSpree

About Joel Lalgee

Joel Lalgee is an internationally known recruitment leader and coach who has helped thousands of recruiters build their brands online. In 2015, Joel started recruiting for a small start-up agency in Milwaukee. He quickly found his passion for recruitment. In 2019, he discovered content marketing, publishing his first posts on Linkedin. Since then, he has grown to over 400k followers, and his content has been seen over 1 billion times. In 2023, he started a business specializing in coaching recruiters, marketing consulting, and influencer partnerships.

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