Rethink Culture

“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

“The first thing that I needed to do was to start creating a safe space for my staff to challenge me. The harder part was for my staff to fail. And sometimes when they failed, we lost clients. And that was really bitter, bitter pills to swallow. But I realized very quickly that if I was to create the safe space, I had to stop micromanaging. Because the minute I started micromanaging, the space was no longer safe.“

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" featuring Dillon Jearey, a Cape Town-based serial entrepreneur known for his transformation from micromanager to heart-led, empathic leader. Dillon is the founder of several innovative ventures:

• Kilowatt: a live events production powerhouse
• 180 Digital: an animation and digital content studio
• Three Peak Studio: a virtual broadcasting company
• Circle Forward: a consultancy specializing in purposeful team-building experiences

In this episode, Dillon gets real about what it takes to build a thriving company culture. He shares how he evolved as a leader, the systems he’s put in place to protect culture as his companies scale, and why emotional safety, flexibility, and trust aren’t just buzzwords, but business strategy. Dillon believes “culture is what happens when no one is watching,” and he backs that up with actions: giving factory workers flexible hours (a radical move in his industry), prioritizing mental health, and putting power in the hands of a culture committee made up of his own team. Whether you're building a business or leading within one, Dillon’s story offers a masterclass in creating companies people love to work for.

📢 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 Dillon transformed from a micromanager into an empathic, heart-forward leader

· Why culture became a priority only after his team hit 30 people

· What it means to create a workplace where it’s safe to fail and speak up

· How Dillon uses a culture committee to address tough team issues

· The surprising ways Dillon brings flexibility into factory work

· Why mental health is non-negotiable for team performance

· The secret to attracting top young talent and keeping them

· How a culture of accountability and trust strengthens the entire business ecosystem

Further resources:
· Dillon Jearey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillon-jearey/
· Dillon Jearey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DillonJearey
· Kilowatt: https://kilowatt.co.za/
· Humankind, by Rutger Bergman: https://www.amazon.com/Humankind-Hopeful-History-Rutger-Bregman/dp/0316418536

“Your team will always only perform to right here. They're never going to perform above you. They're not going to run faster around the track than you are. They're only going to run as fast as you're running. If you're showing up early, they're going to show up early. If you show up late, they're going to show up late. If you do two extra calls, they're going to do two extra calls… So if we want a higher and higher and higher performing team, then we have to have higher and higher and higher performing leaders of that particular team.”

S04E01 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Andy Bailey, bestselling author and founder/CEO of Petra Coach and Boundless.me that inspire, transform, and scale teams and organizations through a no-nonsense entrepreneurial coaching approach.

In this episode, Andreas and Andy explore why people, not products or capital, are the true bottleneck to growth and how unlocking individual potential drives collective success. Using “rock-to-rock” mountaineering metaphors, Andy shows how small, focused wins overcome comfort-seeking and build belief. He also explains why leaders must manage both performance and cultural fit in real time, and defines leadership as the ongoing art of setting clear goals, owning outcomes, and inspiring others to join the climb.

📢 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 people are the true growth engine and how limiting beliefs block organizational scale
• The “rock-to-rock” philosophy for conquering big challenges through micro-wins
• How immediate, balanced feedback fuels high performance and strengthens culture
• The importance of dual grading scales: measuring both output and core-value fit
• How servant leadership and genuine appreciation notes drive significance and engagement
• Practical steps to define clear expectations, own results, and inspire teams to follow

Further resources:
• Boundless’ Website: https://boundless.me/ 
• Boundless Farms’ Website: https://boundlessfarm.com/ 
• Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybailey/  
• No Try Only Do: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34895649-no-try-only-do 
• Vitamin B (For Business): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50347786-vitamin-b-for-business 
• Boundless Journal & Guide: https://boundless.me/journal/

“I always think of culture like a garden... We're always in the middle of the journey. There's no real finish line to culture. It's always like that garden. You're always replanting it. You're always finding new crops. You're finding a new kind of seed to plant. And sometimes it doesn't work out and it's a failure. That's okay, too. There's learning in that as well.”

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" featuring Erik Lilla, founder and CEO of Metro Star Gymnastics, a powerhouse program that celebrated its sweet 16 in January 2023 and now teaches over 3,000 students every week. Erik’s “why” is simple: to coach and inspire others so we can celebrate their success. And the culture he’s built? So strong that some staff members are getting the Metro Star logo tattooed on their bodies!

📢 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 clear values and customer-focused welcome boxes attract the right team and customers.
 · How EO’s Master's Program turned Erik into a culture champion.
 · How “learn and grow” shows up through monthly training and an annual summit.
 · How the High Five board builds appreciation and highlights values.
 · Why Erik’s staff members want Metro Star Gymnastics logo tattoos!
 · How Erik tracks “confidence with humility” using monthly NPS.
 · Why culture, your “why” statement, and authenticity should drive everything.
 · How shared decision-making makes everyone a culture keeper. 

Further resources:
·  Erik Lilla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriklilla/
·  The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams, by Seth Godin: https://www.amazon.com/Song-Significance-New-Manifesto-Teams/dp/0593715543

“I think that when your people really believe that you care for them, they show up every single day, and they give you 110%... Your people are your business. At the end of the day, as a leader or owner you're just one person. Your people are the face of your company. And if you really breathe life into them and you support them and you actually care for them and see them as more than just a worker, I think it can completely change the experience of your customers or clients.”

S03E20 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Tracy Marlowe, CEO and founder of Creative Noggin, a purpose-driven marketing agency that provides women a meaningful career and the support of a family-first culture. Tracy, an avid horseback rider and firm believer of the mind-empowering benefits of meditation and visualization, believes that nurturing has an exponential impact of positive change, as women support so many around them.

In this episode, we unpack how Tracy forged Creative Noggin’s culture rooted in authenticity, both in marketing and in treating team members like family. She reflects on launching the company as a six-month-old-baby mom, a journey that transformed her into a servant leader who values clear standards and utilizes the EOS framework to keep her crew aligned, motivated, and accountable. Tracy also shares how volunteering together, celebrating personal dreams, and leading with intentionality fuel both her team’s fulfilment and the company’s success, and inspires leaders to put people first.

📢 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:
• Tracy’s journey from six-month-old mom to confident steward of a growing team.
• How authentic marketing and family-first values can coexist and reinforce each other.
• Why clear standards and EOS rituals fuel accountability without sacrificing care.
• The impact of giving back together on team pride and purpose.
• Creative Noggin’s unique practice of dreaming big and celebrating every win.
• The role of intentionality in crafting a high-performance, high-fulfilment culture.

Further resources:
• Tracy’s Website: https://www.tracy-marlowe.com/ 
• Creative Noggin Website: https://www.creativenoggin.com/ 
• Tracy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-marlowe/

“Is it companies who put employees first? Do they perform better than companies who put customers first? Or those that put stakeholders first? I thought it was a fundamental question needed to be answered. And the answer [that came through John Kotter’s research] surprised everybody… The companies that outperformed by a factor of 10 were those that treated all 3 equally. That the employees, customers, and shareholders were all like a 3-legged stool.”

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" featuring Verne Harnish, founder of the world-renowned Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) with over 18,000 members worldwide. Verne serves as CEO of Scaling Up, a global executive education and coaching company, and has authored influential business books including "Mastering the Rockefeller Habits" and "Scaling Up Compensation."

📢 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 Verne would structure a book on culture, and his vision for the first three chapters.
· Why successful companies embrace their "strangeness" to attract the right talent.
· The danger of changing company culture after the critical first five years.
· How "careship" outperforms traditional leadership in modern organizations.
· Why coaching resonates with today's workforce more than managing or leading.
· The power of intentional language in shaping effective organizational culture.

Further resources:
· Verne Harnish on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verneharnish/
· Scaling Up: https://scalingup.com/
· Entrepreneurs Organization (EO): https://growth.eonetwork.org/
· Change to Strange: Create a Great Organization by Building a Strange Workforce, by Daniel M. Cable: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Strange-Organization-Building-Workforce/dp/0131572229
· Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't, by Verne Harnish: https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Up-Companies-Rockefeller-Habits/dp/0986019526
· Corporate Culture and Performance, by John P. Kotter and James L. Heskett: https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Culture-Performance-John-Kotter/dp/1451655320
· Culture Renovation: 18 Leadership Actions to Build an Unshakeable Company, by Kevin Oakes: https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Renovation-Leadership-Actions-Unshakeable/dp/1260464369
· The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism, by Hubert Joly: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Business-Leadership-Principles-Capitalism/dp/B09156FL17/ref=sr_1_1?crid=E77JU5VTTTZH
· Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, by Jeff Sutherland and J.J. Sutherland: https://www.amazon.com/Scrum-Doing-Twice-Work-Half/dp/038534645X

“People are always looking for three things. They look for something to believe in, which is the vision. They look for someone to believe in, which is a leader, and then they're looking for someone to believe in them, which is their self-worth.”

S03E18 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Shivani Gupta, engineer-turned-entrepreneur-turned-educator, TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and mentor for female entrepreneurs and leaders.

In this episode, Shivani dives deep into how conscious leadership and self-awareness form the bedrock of a thriving workplace culture. Shivani shares how balancing ego with clear values and even meditative rituals helps leaders stay connected to their teams and foster trust. She outlines the power of “tough love” conversations and the 4:1 praise-to-constructive-feedback ratio for fast-tracking cultural health. Finally, she emphasizes the manager’s coach mindset, teaching that regular, direct feedback and empowering employees to own decisions breaks down bottlenecks and scales high-performance 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:
• How self-awareness and self-management anchor authentic leadership
• Why “tough love” conversations rooted in care, not fear strengthen team bonds
• The 4:1 feedback ratio for catching people doing things right and accelerating cultural buy-in
• How shifting from authority to a coaching mindset unlocks team autonomy and growth
• Balancing masculine and feminine energies for more nuanced leadership
• Turning passion into discipline with Shivani’s ASK framework for goal-aligned culture building

Further resources:
• Shivani’s Website: https://www.askshivani.com/ 
• Shivani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/askshivani/ 
• Passion Institute: https://www.passioninstitute.global/ 
• You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise L. Hay: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129603.You_Can_Heal_Your_Life
• Atomic Habits, by James Clear: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40121378-atomic-habits 
• Leaders Eat Last, by Simon Sinek: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16144853-leaders-eat-last 
• Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/318431.Long_Walk_to_Freedom

“I think that culture has always been there… There are two fish swimming in a pond, and a bigger fish swims past them and says, “How's the water?” And when he swims away, the fish look at each other and say, “What's water?” Culture is always there. It's always around you. You can feel it, but you don't even realize you're in it.”

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" with Miren Oca, the visionary behind the Ocaquatics swim school in Miami, a business whose primary customers are its own employees and for whom culture is the real competitive advantage.

In this episode, Miren talks about founding Ocaquatics after an unexpected life change at age 19, drawing on her restaurant upbringing to instill strong customer service values. She shares insights into Ocaquatics' distinctive hiring approach and her biggest firing mistake, while explaining why she views her organization as a high-performance sports team rather than a family. Miren discusses the Leadership Ocademy, which teaches vital skills including meditation, financial literacy, and emotional intelligence, and emphasizes the importance of intentional culture-building. She recounts Ocaquatics' journey to B Corp Certification and explains how they creatively transformed a negative online review into numerous five-star ratings. Throughout the conversation, Miren reveals her long-term vision: creating a workplace so exceptional that employees would want their own children to work there someday.

📢 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 Miren founded Ocaquatics when her life took an unexpected turn at 19.
· How growing up in a restaurant shaped Miren’s commitment to customer service and her passion to teach people
· What makes Ocaquatics' hiring process unique, and Miren’s worst firing mistake
· Why Ocaquatics is not a family but a high performance sports team
· The Leadership Ocademy, providing leadership skills like meditation, financial literacy, and soft skills like emotional literacy.
· Why it’s important to really be intentional about the kind of culture that you want
· What steps Ocaquatics took to attain their B Corp Certification, failing first before succeeding
· How Miren and her team turned a one-star Google review into a wealth of five-star feedback while having lots of fun
· The long term commitment to culture: “we want to have such a great business that you would want your children to work with us”

Further resources:
· Miren Oca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miren-oca-80561261/
· Ocaquatics: https://www.ocaquatics.com/
· "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh: https://www.amazon.com/Delivering-Happiness-Profits-Passion-Purpose/dp/0446576220
· "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280
· "Integrity" by Henry Cloud: https://www.amazon.com/Integrity-Courage-Meet-Demands-Reality/dp/006084969X
· "Atomic Habits" by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
· "The Infinite Game" by Simon Sinek: https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Game-Simon-Sinek/dp/073521350X