Gut + Science

Culture does not change because someone put new values on a wall. It changes when leaders decide who owns it, how it gets measured, and what behaviors get reinforced every single day.

Nikki sits down with Brett Hoogeveen, leadership and culture strategist at BetterCulture, to unpack why culture initiatives often stall and what it really takes to make culture a measurable, intentional business practice.

Brett shares his five-pillar model for continuous culture improvement, why HR cannot carry culture alone, how executive alignment shapes everything, and why core values only matter when they actually change behavior. For people-first leaders ready to turn culture from a buzzword into a competitive advantage, this conversation is a must-listen.

Additional Resources:

Get the free resource at Betterculture.com/gutscience

Connect with Brett on LinkedIn

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

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Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• Culture is attitudes and behaviors, not perks.
• Healthy culture can and should be measured.
• HR supports culture, but cannot own it alone.
• Executive alignment drives sustainable culture change.
• Core values must shape daily employee behavior.

Service is not just a feel-good initiative. It can be a culture strategy.

Nikki sits down with Alex Grande, co-founder of Recognize, to explore how gamification can turn volunteering, recognition, and employee engagement into experiences people actually want to join. Alex breaks down why many workplace volunteer programs fall flat, how leaders can simplify participation, and why visibility, friendly competition, and shared purpose help teams feel more connected.

From Slack recognition channels to A/B testing engagement programs, this conversation is packed with practical ways to build belonging without overcomplicating the employee experience. For people-first leaders looking to strengthen culture, this one is a clear reminder: start small, make it visible, and let momentum grow.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Learn more about Recognize ---> click "Create Your Program" to get to know his team and demo!

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• Start small before scaling engagement programs.
• Gamification works when motivation is intentional.
• Visibility turns participation into cultural momentum.
• Recognition helps remote teams feel connected.
• Measure participation, adoption, reach, and consistency.

When the world feels divided and overwhelming, how do we lead well?

David sits down with Katie Donovan, CEO of CAMP Digital, for an honest conversation about navigating fear, tension, and uncertainty in real time. No politics. No sides. Just a focus on people.

Katie shares what it's like leading 80 employees through emotional highs and lows, creating space for disagreement without dehumanizing each other, and choosing small acts of care that ripple outward. Together, they explore how grounding yourself, reaching out, and leading with love can transform your corner of the world.

If you've felt unsure how to show up lately, this conversation will remind you that compassion is still the strongest leadership move you can make.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn

Follow Addicted to Betterment wherever you listen to podcasts!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Connect with David on LinkedIn

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Lead with love, especially in tense moments.
• Ground yourself before engaging hard conversations.
• Disagreement requires curiosity, not hostility.
• Small actions create meaningful community impact.
• Look for helpers and become one.

Technology can move fast, but trust still moves people.

Nikki sits down with Raina Fryer, Head of Talent Strategy, and Jeff Boucher, Senior Director at Titus Talent Strategies, to explore why relationships still win in the age of AI. Together, they unpack how leaders can use technology to create more capacity without losing the human connection that builds culture, trust, and belonging.

From strategic HR influence to relational business development, Raina and Jeff challenge leaders to stop treating people problems like automation problems. This conversation is a reminder that AI can summarize, organize, and accelerate, but it cannot build trust, spot human potential, or make someone feel truly seen.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Raina on LinkedIn

Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn

Learn more about Titus Talent Strategies

Learn more about Titus Strategic Network

Listen to the podcast: Talent Talks

Explore Live Events with Titus

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• Technology reveals culture, it does not build it.
• AI should enhance relationships, not replace them.
• Human connection is a competitive business advantage.
• HR must shape strategy, not just support it.
• Soft skills are now critical leadership skills.

AI is moving fast, but the real leadership test is not the technology. It is whether your culture can keep up without losing trust, clarity, and human connection.

Nikki sits down with Regent Cornell, leadership expert, executive advisor, and longtime Fierce Conversations leader, to unpack what AI is revealing about the way we communicate, manage change, and lead people through uncertainty. Regent shares why AI adoption often fails when organizations skip the human side, from unclear expectations and fear of loss to over-reliance on tools that were never meant to replace real conversations.

Together, Nikki and Regent explore how people-first leaders can create buy-in, preserve authenticity, strengthen accountability, and use AI as a powerful assistant without outsourcing the work that builds culture. This conversation is a timely reminder that innovation should never come at the cost of humanity.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Regent on LinkedIn

Learn more about Fierce Inc.

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• AI change requires trust, clarity, and human connection.
• People fear loss more than they fear change.
• Communication breakdowns quietly derail transformation efforts.
• Leaders must govern AI before it governs culture.
• Never outsource accountability, empathy, or tough conversations.

High performance has a hidden price tag, and most leaders don't notice it until their body, relationships, or sense of self starts waving the red flag.

Nikki sits down with coach, speaker, and performance expert Lo Myrick to unpack the invisible bottlenecks that keep high achievers stuck. Together, they explore identity, nervous system regulation, boundaries, decision fatigue, people-pleasing, and what it really means to lead from alignment instead of pressure.

Lo brings a powerful blend of science, strategy, and spirituality to help people-first leaders understand that the next level is not just about doing more. It is about becoming the version of yourself who can hold more without losing yourself in the process.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Lo on LinkedIn

Engage in a 90-Minute Performance Breakthrough Session: https://www.lomyrick.com/executive-coaching-consulting

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• Invisible bottlenecks limit even high-performing leaders.
• Boundaries create respect, not disconnection.
• Breath is a leadership regulation tool.
• Alignment outperforms pressure every time.
• Identity work unlocks sustainable performance.

A leadership baton is being passed, and Katherine Coble is stepping into the CEO role at Borshoff with gratitude, clarity, and a deep commitment to people-first leadership.

Nikki sits down with Katherine to celebrate the legacy of Karen Alter, the evolution of Borshoff, and what it means to steward a company with more than 40 years of history. 💛

Katherine shares how her mindset shifted from account leadership to ownership to CEO, why relationships are at the heart of great communication, and how servant leadership shapes her vision for what comes next. Together, Nikki and Katherine also reflect on the growth of In the Loop, the communication series now expanding into its own podcast on PeopleForward Network.

This conversation is a celebration of legacy, leadership, communication, and the kind of business growth that keeps people at the center.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Listen to In the Loop with Katherine Coble

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• Leadership is stewardship, not ownership alone.
• Relationships shape stronger communication and better business.
• Succession works best with intentional transition time.
• Healthy organizations create space for bold thinking.
• Great leaders keep learning from everyone.

The dream is calling, but so are the doubts, the expenses, the uncertainty, and maybe even the outhouse. Nikki and David get real about chasing a big life vision while standing right in the messy middle of it, unpacking what it means to believe that "the obstacle is the way." From vision boards and growth mindset to panic moments and perspective shifts, they share how reconnecting to your deeper why can turn fear into fuel. 🧡

This conversation is a powerful reminder for people-first leaders and dreamers alike: if you can see it, feel it, and stay connected to the meaning behind it, you can keep climbing through the hard parts.

Additional Resources:

Follow Addicted to Betterment wherever you listen to podcasts!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Connect with David on LinkedIn

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Your vision must be stronger than the obstacle.
• Big dreams require daily mindset practice.
• Fear fades when you reconnect to your why.
• Perspective can shrink even the biggest challenges.
• Dreams need action, not just imagination.

The best donor stories are not always wrapped in sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. Sometimes, the real power comes from telling the truth about what worked, what didn't, and what still needs to change.

Katherine sits down with Angela White, President and CEO of Eskenazi Health Foundation, to explore how transparent communication, whole-person care, and authentic leadership can move people from awareness to action. Angela shares how Eskenazi is addressing social drivers of health through programs like Food is Medicine, community-based care, mental health support, and data-informed philanthropy.

From donor storytelling to self-awareness as a leader, Angela reminds us that people-first communication starts with listening, honesty, and the courage to be yourself. This conversation is a powerful reminder that when leaders communicate with both heart and clarity, they build trust that lasts.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Angela on LinkedIn

Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn

Learn more about Borshoff

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Listen first, then lead with clarity.
• Donors give from head and heart.
• Transparency builds deeper trust with stakeholders.
• Self-care creates sustainable leadership stamina.
• Authentic leaders cannot fake connection.

The old HR playbook is cracking, and Mindy Honcoop and Marnie Robbins are here to build something more human in its place.

Nikki sits down with Mindy and Marnie to explore the origin of altHR, a people-first community and movement designed for HR leaders who are tired of doing the work alone.

Together, they unpack what it means to evolve the future of HR through mindset shifts, friendship, co-creation, and the courage to ask for help. From launching The Hive to building the SIGNAL framework, Mindy and Marnie share how human-centered design can help people leaders move from isolation and overwhelm into possibility, experimentation, and meaningful connection.

This conversation is a reminder that HR professionals were never meant to carry culture, change, and people strategy alone. The future of work will not be built by perfect playbooks, but by curious leaders willing to rethink, collaborate, and evolve together.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Mindy on LinkedIn

Connect with Marnie on LinkedIn

Join the AltHR Hive Hub!

Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Nikki's Key Takeaways:

• HR leaders need community, not more isolation.
• Mindset shifts create new possibilities for HR.
• Friendship can be a powerful business foundation.
• Human-centered design helps solve real business problems.
• The future of HR requires co-creation and curiosity.