“I believe culture is cash. I think our company culture always delivered at least 10 percent extra in revenue. I believe 10 percent on top was always due to the culture because they really wanted to be successful. They really wanted to see the company succeed… When you have high-quality people that feel really good about the company they work for, you're going to feel it at the customer level. When you walk into a business and you're not being treated right, I can guarantee you there's a manager not treating that person right or there's an owner not treating their staff right.”

S04E10 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Eric Malka. Eric is a visionary entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of The Art of Shaving, a luxury grooming brand that grew to 150 stores and global distribution before being acquired by Procter & Gamble. In this episode, Eric shares how he and his wife built a brand rooted in natural ingredients, obsessive customer focus, and a culture of ownership. He reflects on the importance of hiring passionate people, training them deeply, and creating a workplace where employees felt like owners. Eric also discusses his leadership evolution, the philosophy of “culture is cash,” and why the art of shopkeeping is fading in today’s retail landscape. His insights offer a masterclass in building businesses people love to work for and buy from.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here:www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:

· Why Eric believes “culture is cash” and how it added 10% to revenue.

· How obsessive customer focus shaped every decision at The Art of Shaving.

· Why Eric spoke to every new hire, even with hundreds of employees.

· How training and purpose created a “cult-like” culture of ownership.

· Why retail is like a Broadway show and how that mindset drives performance.

· How Eric’s leadership evolved through emotional regulation and self-awareness.

Further resources:

· Eric Malka’s Website: https://www.strategicbrandinvestments.com/

· Eric’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-malka-9071529/

· On the Razor’s Edge: The Story of the Art of Shaving, by Eric Malka: https://www.amazon.com/Razors-Edge-Story-Art-Shaving-ebook/dp/B0D7ZT6QYY

· Good to Great, by Jim Collins: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76865.Good_to_Great

· The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36072.The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People

· Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, by Gino Wickman: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8256620-traction

· Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don’t, by Verne Harnish: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23441052-scaling-up    

Chapters:

00:00 — Introduction to Eric Malka & The Art of Shaving

01:47 — The Humble Beginnings of The Art of Shaving

03:24 — Creating a Unique In-Store Experience

06:12 — The Role of Intangibles in Brand Success

07:12 — Scaling Customer Experience Across 150 Stores

10:16 — Building a Culture of Ownership Among Employees

12:47 — Cultural Practices Worth Replicating in Other Companies

14:01 — How Culture Directly Drives Revenue

18:55 — Evolving Leadership Through Emotional Awareness

21:10 — The Decline of Shopkeeping and Customer Service

27:18 — Advice for Entrepreneurs on Building Strong Foundations

28:19 — Recommended Books for Conscious Business Leaders

29:50 — Where to Learn More About Eric Malka

“The way we define happiness at work is that it's about how you feel in the workplace. Does work typically make you feel good or does work typically make you feel bad? And of course, nobody's happy at work every single day. If somebody's happy all the time, there's something wrong with them. We all have good days and bad days at work.”

S04E09 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Alex Kjerulf, Chief Happiness Officer at Woohoo Inc., a global thought leader in workplace wellbeing. With a background in tech and a passion for happiness at work, Alex shares insights from over 20 years of experience helping companies like Microsoft, IKEA, and Hilton build cultures people love. From the dangers of toxic leadership to the power of emotional check-ins, Alex offers practical strategies for creating workplaces that foster joy, purpose, and performance. He also shares personal stories, from swing dancing to launching a comedy show, that reflect his belief in leading with humanity.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Why toxic leaders harm people and kind leaders drive results
• The two drivers of happiness at work: results and relationships
• Why effort deserves recognition, not just outcomes.
• How storytelling gives even routine jobs deeper meaning
• Why emotions matter and how to check in with them
• How peer accountability builds trust and performance

Further resources:
• Alex’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiefhappinessofficer/
• Woohoo Inc.: https://www.woohooinc.com
• Blog: https://positivesharing.com
• Comedy Show: https://becomedanish.com
• Happy Hour is 9 to 5: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20642240-happy-hour-is-9-to-5
• Leading with Happiness: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36629449-leading-with-happiness 
   
Chapters
00:00 — Introduction to Alex Kjerulf
01:58 — Introducing Alex’s journey to Woohoo
03:00 — Reflecting on a career turning point
03:44 — Getting leaders to care about happiness
04:52 — Toxic success stories in business
06:54 — Comparing leadership styles
09:32 — Who seeks help for toxic culture
10:31 — Who drives change in organizations
11:37 — HR’s limits in shaping culture
13:16 — Defining workplace culture terms
16:40 — Happiness as a performance driver
17:07 — What leads to happiness at work
18:16 — Actions that build results & relationships
19:51 — Effort vs. results in recognition
21:05 — Rewarding what truly matters
24:38 — Creating purpose in any industry
31:15 — Lessons from leadership mistakes
32:43 — Exploring personal growth and impact
34:35 — Leadership lessons from swing dancing
37:18 — Building accountability through peers
40:32 — Emotions as a workplace compass
46:04 — Where to connect with Alex online

"No leader should lead alone... they need a peer group, they need people they can share with, they need to be continually learning and developing, and they need… a support network."

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" featuring Sandy Hall, resilience specialist and founder of re/cognition. With a background in neuroscience and years leading IBM’s Best Workplace Program in New Zealand, Sandy brings a unique blend of science, soul, and strategy to leadership.

In this episode, Sandy opens up about her early experiences in a Pentecostal church, her time as Head of People & Culture at Leading Edge, and how she helps leaders build cultures rooted in compassion, clarity, and connection. From brain chemistry to feedback frameworks, this conversation is packed with timeless insights.

This episode is a masterclass in human-centered leadership. If you missed it the first time, or just need a reminder that leadership can be both kind and high-performing, this one’s for you.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
· Why leaders need safe spaces to grow

· The 3 elements of effective feedback

· Empathy vs. sympathy: what really matters

· The neurochemistry behind great leadership

· What the Daily D.O.S.E. means for your team

· How to lead with care and drive results

Further resources:

· Sandy Hall's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-hall-recognition/

· re/cognition Website: https://www.recognition.co.nz/

· Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, by Nassim Taleb: https://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incerto/dp/0812979680

· The Great Game of Business, Expanded and Updated: The Only Sensible Way to Run a Company, by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Game-Business-Expanded-Updated/dp/0385348339

“I'm always surprised that nobody seems to be worried that we're investing since 70, 80 years, huge amounts of money in training and development, leadership courses... And despite that, we only have... 23% engaged employees around the world, 11% if you go to Europe... So either managers are stupid, or they do it on purpose, or we don't give them what they need... The managers... the ones that I thought were losing a lot of impact, were most of the time, ego-system driven... Those guys, however good they were, systematically got less than the managers... who were... actually putting the employee at the centre, looking for empowerment... the eco-system ones, the respectful, the servant leader kind of ones...”

S04E08 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Reggy-Charles Degen to explore the intersection of HR, leadership, and scalable frameworks for people success. Reggy is the founder of Q7Leader, a professor at Solvay Business School in Brussels, and author of The People Model Canvas. With over 20 years in international HR and 12 years as an entrepreneur in HR tech, Reggy shares how his legal and academic background shaped his mission to bridge the gap between managers and employees. He introduces the seven dimensions of the People Model Canvas, explains why HR must evolve from theory to engineering, and challenges traditional views on leadership, performance, and culture. This episode is a masterclass in rethinking how organizations support their people.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Why HR needs an engineering mindset, not just empathy
• The 7 core elements every HR system must include
• How the People Model Canvas helps managers scale support
• Why competence is the true asset of an organization in the age of rapid change and AI
• The difference between ego- and eco-system leadership
• Why performance enablement beats performance evaluation
• How to equip managers with simple, scalable frameworks
• Why HR must prove value in attracting, developing, and retaining talent
• How open-source tools can democratize great HR practices
• Why HR must master the basics before leading culture work

Further resources:
• The Q7Leader Website: https://www.q7leader.com/
• Reggy-Charles on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdegen
• People Model Canvas: https://www.peoplemodelcanvas.com/

Chapters:
00:00 — Introduction to Reggy-Charles Degen
01:58 — Reggy’s journey from law to HR
03:18 — Transitioning from HR to entrepreneurship
05:16 — Why HR fails to support managers effectively
06:53 — Overview of the People Model Canvas
10:41 — Aha moments from using the framework
12:25 — Lessons from building the model over 12 years
13:58 — How HR professionals can use the Canvas
16:12 — Leadership mistakes and best practices
18:17 — Ego-system vs eco-system leadership
21:13 — The undervalued role of HR in strategy
24:54 — HR vs culture: where the lines blur
27:57 — Why managers need frameworks to scale
31:33 — What students thank Reggy for
35:13 — What Reggy had to rethink personally
37:00 — What's stopping Reggy from the best work of his life
38:36 — What CEOs should hear about people-first leadership 

"Culture is not about popcorn, peanuts, ping pong. It's about having a heart of gold and a backbone of steel... Be a caring organization... It's a balance between being tough minded and tenderhearted... It's simple, it's not easy, and time is not your friend."

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" featuring Garry Ridge. Garry is a “champion-of-hope” leader and has defined culture at the WD-40 Company for an impressive 35 years, where he is currently serving as Chairman Emeritus. As the founder of The Learning Moment and an executive coach, Garry has dedicated his career to making the world a happier place by consulting leaders on how to create caring organizations. 

There is so much to unpack in this episode. Get ready to be inspired and acquire valuable knowledge from one of the industry's most respected leaders.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
· The ingredients that should go into the Petri Dish of Culture

· Who is The Soul-Sucking CEO of Fear Inc

· The Four Pillars of Care

· What is The Learning Moment

· What are The Habits of a Servant Leader

· Garry's four values: Hope, Harmony, Optimism, and Confidence

· The influence of Garry’s Dad, Mom and his employer Mr. Lambert

· Why we should rename HR into Culture & Capabilities

· The tribal culture of WD-40

Further resources:

· Garry’s Website: thelearningmoment.net

· Garry Ridge on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/garryridge/

· The One Minute Manager, by Dr. Ken Blanchard

· Helping People Win at Work, by Garry Ridge and Ken Blanchard

· Multipliers, by Liz Wiseman

· All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum

· To Be Honest, by Ron A. Carucci

· What Got You Here Won't Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith

· The Song of Significance, by Seth Godin

“A huge catalyst for growth, a huge accelerant, a huge way to improve the business on every dimension is to be a more people-oriented company… The more you support people and the things they want to do with their lives outside of work, the more people are going to cherish the relationship with their employer, the more loyal they're going to be, the harder they're going to work. It becomes this symbiotic harmonious relationship that makes the employee's life better, it makes the business more successful... Stop looking at your employees as a resource that you need to extract as much value out of as possible.”

S04E07 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Geoff Roberts, co-founder of Outseta, an all-in-one membership platform and a company that puts people first. In this episode, Geoff shares how Outseta’s unconventional approach to compensation, equity, and organizational structure is rooted in a deep commitment to people-centric values. He explains why every team member earns the same salary, chooses their own work schedule, and receives equity on equal terms, creating a culture of ownership and trust. Geoff also reflects on the importance of life profitability, encouraging leaders to consider how work enriches life beyond financial gain. Geoff makes a compelling case for rethinking traditional business norms in favour of cultures that prioritize autonomy, transparency, and personal growth.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Why everyone at Outseta earns the same salary and equity terms.
• How flexible schedules, ranging from 1 to 5 days per week, support different lifestyles.
• Why all team members, including senior staff, handle customer support.
• Why Geoff believes in “life profitability” as a measure of success beyond financial metrics.
• How open finances and shared ownership guide company decisions.
• How quiet generosity and servant leadership shape the culture at Outseta.
• How investing in people’s lives outside of work builds deep loyalty and long-term commitment.

Further resources:
• Outseta’s Website: https://www.outseta.com
• Geoff Roberts on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrobertsmarketing/ 

“We‘re a service business that just happens to collect waste. I never get out of the bed in the morning thinking I’m in the waste industry. Never, ever, ever. I don’t go to the waste management trade shows. Personally, I can’t think of anything worse to do. It doesn’t inspire me. But I will read every book about the service industry. I want to know what’s the best service industry in Asia. I want to know what’s the best service industry in the US. What’s the latest thinking in service? And then apply them to our little waste industry.”

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" featuring Gene Browne, founder of The City Bin Co., a standout in waste management and a five-time Deloitte Best Managed Company winner in Ireland.

In this episode, Gene shares how City Bin began in 1997 as a bold experiment in service excellence, driven by his obsession with delivering exceptional customer experiences. He reflects on the mix of luck, naivety, and resilience that shaped his journey, including surviving a ruthless competitor who literally burned down his warehouse. From expanding into the Middle East to watching middle management struggle with a culture of autonomy, Gene doesn’t hold back. More than two decades in, his fierce commitment to customer service still drives everything, from tying bonuses to customer satisfaction to sending flowers as apologies. For Gene, company values aren’t posters on the wall. They’re as personal and specific as a fingerprint.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
· How City Bin started as a customer service experiment
· What it took to rebuild after a competitor burned down his warehouse
· The cultural tensions of expanding internationally
· Why autonomy can challenge traditional middle managers
· Aligning employee incentives with customer satisfaction
· Real-life gestures that build customer trust (like sending flowers)
· Why "aspirational values" miss the mark, and what to focus on instead
· Gene’s pledge to support his team’s educational dreams

Further resources:
· Gene Browne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genebrowne100/
· City Bin Website: https://www.citybin.com/
· Good strategy Bad Strategy, by Richard Rumelt: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11721966-good-strategy-bad-strategy
· Building the Happiness-Centred Business, by Paddi Lund:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10088113-building-the-happiness-centred-business   
· Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, by Verne Harnish: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16120.Mastering_the_Rockefeller_Habits

“AI will put humanity in the centre, and we will value that. We'll value the connections, even for companies, the level of service, the attention that you pay off, that will be at the centre. And I'm convinced it's going to have a big effect.”

S04E05 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on David Tomás, founder and CEO of Cyberclick, a successful digital marketing company and one of Spain’s most people-centric workplaces. David is an entrepreneur, author, and business angel with over 15 years' experience mentoring and investing in startups. 

In this episode, David shares the story of a life-changing skydiving incident that pushed him to reevaluate how he worked and led others. He highlights the importance of transparency, treating employees as adults, and involving them directly in decision-making, including goal-setting. David reflects on how AI, when used intentionally, can support more human, empathetic leadership by freeing up time to focus on people. His vision for the future is rooted in helping more companies adopt a people-first mindset and cultivating meaningful, purpose-driven work cultures.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here:www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:

· Why workplace culture should start with a clearly defined purpose.

· How participative leadership and transparency unlock motivation and performance.

· What happens when employees are invited to co-create company goals.

· How AI can enhance, not replace, human-centred leadership.

· The long-term impact of treating employees as responsible adults.

· Why David believes great cultures scale when leaders focus on people, not just profit.

Further resources:

· Cyberclick’s Website: https://www.cyberclick.net/ 

· David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-tomas/

· The Happiest Company in the World, by David Tomás: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43077648

· The Millennial Diary, by David Tomás: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43580064-diario-de-un-millennial

· Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6828896-delivering-happiness

Chapters

00:00 — Introduction to David Tomás

01:43 — The Parachute Incident & Outlook Change

03:58 — The Current Company Culture Wasn’t Fun

04:51 — First Steps Toward Cultural Transformation

06:46 — Rituals & Habits David is Proud Of

10:42 — Creating Psychological Safety & Embracing Failure

12:54 — Family Values Shaping David’s Leadership Style

14:07 — Embedding Personal Values into Company Culture

18:31 — Customer Reactions to Employee Happiness

21:13 — Leadership vs. Team Responsibility

23:33 — Micro-Cultures within Traditional Organizations

24:11 — The Nonlinear Path to a Fulfilling Culture

24:55 — Leadership Mistakes & Lessons Learned

26:53 — Common Mistakes Founders Make

28:17 — Adult-to-Adult Workplace Relationships

30:53 — High Performers vs. Underperformers

33:10 — The CEO’s Role in Driving AI Adoption

36:55 — AI, Humanity, & the Future of Work

39:12 — What CEOs Should Rethink About Culture

40:41 — David’s Vision & Hopes for the Next 10 Years

41:38 — Where to Find Out More about David

“The thing to be careful about, which always worried me, was just drinking your own Kool-Aid too much… “strong convictions, loosely held” the value of the company, which means that this is our culture, this is how we do things. We're very, very committed to this... if you come along and you speak a truth that's going to improve or… invalidate something in here we are not attached to it. We will throw it out and adopt your truth... So I think it's extremely important… when creating your culture to make sure you don't become so attached to it that it's just one big group thing.”

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" featuring Byron Darlison, founder of Rise, a cutting-edge Canadian content management firm for digital signage. Byron has spent decades fine-tuning culture and operational efficiency, and in under 45 minutes, he shares hard-earned lessons from 30 years in leadership.

In this episode, Byron breaks down how he blends frameworks like Peter Drucker’s performance agreements with Kim Scott’s radical candor, transforming planning into play with gamified quarterly themes and Slack shoutouts. He also reflects on building a team of experts, fostering autonomy, and leading with focus, humility, and discipline.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:
· Why Rise employees either leave after a year or stay long-term

· Why “strong convictions, loosely held” matter for culture

· How Rise empowers experienced employees to thrive

· What “focus, discipline, and cadence” mean at Rise

· How to fight the Peter Principle with radical candor

· Byron’s twist on the “Rocks and Sand” concept

· Why a functional accountability chart works

· Byron’s go-to frameworks (EOS, Scaling Up, 3HAG, and more)

· What Shannon Susko’s hiring swimlanes look like

· How Byron gamifies quarterly themes

· Byron’s top leadership lesson: focus + punctuality

Further resources:

· Radical Candor, by Kim Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Revised-Kick-Ass-Humanity-ebook/dp/B07P9LPXPT/ 

· 3HAG WAY, by Shannon Susko: https://www.amazon.com/3HAG-WAY-Strategic-Execution-Wild-Ass-Guess-ebook/dp/B07C7RGVD2 

· Topgrading, by Bradford D. Smart, Ph.D.: https://www.amazon.com/Topgrading-Hire-Coach-Keep-Players-ebook/dp/B09GS9GT25/ 

· Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller: https://www.amazon.com/Building-StoryBrand-Clarify-Message-Customers-ebook/dp/B06XFJ2JGR/ 

· The Six Week Cycle, by Basecamp: https://3.basecamp-help.com/article/35-the-six-week-cycle 

“The number one thing that I hear business owners complain about is my employees don't think, care, or work like I do… The profit-sharing program that I use is for the leadership and the people making the decisions every day that affect profit the most... the goal is to bridge that gap… the thinking, caring, and working like an owner. An owner is going to be… very effective with his time because he's extremely motivated for the success.”

S04E03 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Rob Gallaher, a dynamic entrepreneur leading five companies across diverse industries with innovative profit-sharing schemes he designed.

In this episode, Rob unpacks how effective profit sharing can cultivate ownership thinking, unity, and motivation in leadership teams. He reflects on past mistakes and shares how shifting to a $1,000 monthly threshold made rewards feel substantial and transformative. Rob emphasizes that true culture-building happens when leaders align incentives with decision-making responsibility and avoid using profit sharing as a substitute for fair wages. He also champions teamwork, communication, and recognition as essential levers in shaping a culture where people push the boulder forward, together. Rob challenges us as leaders to take full responsibility for whether our people act and think like owners.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Why profit sharing only works when it's designed to truly change lives.
• The power of linking financial incentives to decision-making roles, not just job titles.
• How over-rewarding individual performance can harm team unity.
• Why base pay must be competitive before layering on culture-driven incentives.
• How clear communication and shared goals unify a leadership team like a winning sports team.
• Why a strong culture means leaders take the blame and share the glory.

Further resources:
• Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-gallaher-42489374/
• ProfitX Website: https://profitx.phonesites.com
• Profit Sharing: The Power of Shared Success, by Rob Gallaher: https://www.amazon.com/Profit-Sharing-Power-Shared-Success/dp/B0DSSTNR3L

Chapters:
00:00 — Introduction to Rob Gallaher
01:39 — Rob’s Journey to Entrepreneurship
05:52 — Early Reactions from the Team
07:52 — The Impact of Profit Sharing on Behaviour
09:34 — Real-Life Examples of Cultural Shifts
12:38 — When Profit Sharing Is a Good Fit
15:02 — Teaching Financial Literacy in the Workplace
18:02 — Key Steps to Implementing Profit Sharing
21:59 — Balancing Delegation with Validation
25:52 — Allocating Profit in a Practical Scenario
29:43 — Equal vs. Tiered Profit Distribution
34:20 — Inclusion of Lower-Level Roles in Profit Sharing
39:12 — The Unintended Signals of Incentive Structures
45:14 — Where to Learn More About Rob and His Work