In this episode of the BetterCulture Podcast, Brett and his brother, Blake Hoogeveen, have a conversation focused on the complexities of employee engagement surveys and the surprising ways organizations can either boost or damage their culture through the survey process. Their discussion explores why seemingly simple tools like engagement surveys often fail to produce actionable insights and how bad questions, poor communication, low trust, and weak follow-through can erode employee trust and morale. Listeners will learn best practices for designing effective surveys, the importance of using normative data, and how critical it is to follow up on survey results with clear communication and concrete action plans. This episode also unpacks common mistakes organizations make, the risks of DIY survey tools, and offers actionable steps for leveraging surveys to drive real cultural improvement. Whether you’re an HR leader, a culture driver or a business owner, this episode provides expert advice to ensure your next survey strengthens—not weakens—your workplace culture.

In this episode of the BetterCulture Podcast, Brett Hoogeveen explores why kindness is among the most powerful forces for building healthy, resilient, and high-performing teams. The message focuses on breaking down common misconceptions, showing how kindness isn’t about being soft or lowering expectations—instead, it requires real strength and awareness.

Through relatable scenarios and practical advice, Brett challenges listeners to notice moments where a little humanity can transform pressure into connection, mistakes into growth, and accountability into opportunity. Learn why the best leaders know how to pair kindness with high standards, and discover easy steps to put kindness into action at work.

Ready for a fast, uplifting burst of insight? Tune in for actionable tips that will help you build a culture—and a career—where people remember how you made them feel, not just what you achieved. Don’t miss this episode about the real power at the heart of Better Culture's 20 Tenets: Kindness is not weakness—it's strength.

Get an inside look at what it takes to build and scale a powerful workplace culture in today’s fast-moving business world. In this episode of the BetterCulture Podcast, Rick Knudtson, co-founder and CEO of Workshop (and previously Flywheel) joins Brett Hoogeveen to share hard-earned lessons from building high-performing teams—and the modern tools that make employee communication a true driver of engagement and results. Hear why most large organizations still struggle to connect with their people, how Workshop changes the game with smarter internal comms, and the non-negotiable role of core values, hiring standards, transparency, and meaningful rituals in shaping culture. With practical stories, leadership insights, and a peek behind the curtain of a fast-growing tech company, this episode is a must for leaders aiming to unite, inspire, and elevate their teams.

In this dynamic episode of the BetterCulture Podcast, Brett Hoogeveen welcomes back co-founder and leadership expert Dr. Kim Hogeveen to uncover the hidden potential of both formal and informal mentoring and how it's a powerful, yet often misunderstood, engine for growth in the workplace and beyond

Discover why most mentoring programs fall flat—and how to avoid common pitfalls that can hinder the success of your people and your organization. From strategic frameworks for effective mentor-mentee pairings to the game-changing concept of "micro mentoring," you'll learn actionable tactics to supercharge professional development without heavy investment or complex processes.

Whether you're an executive shaping culture or an individual eager to accelerate your own growth, this episode will equip you with practical insights to harness the power of mentoring at every level.

Are you unknowingly shutting down creativity in your organization? In this episode, we get straight to the heart of why innovation often stalls—not because of budgets, but because of subtle habits and mindsets that leaders tolerate every day. Discover the three invisible behaviors that are killing new ideas faster than you realize, and learn the practical, powerful shifts you can make to bring innovation back to life. It’s a high-impact dose of insight designed to spark change—all in 10 minutes or less. Tune in to find out if you’re fueling progress or quietly putting out the spark.

What if your company could support employees beyond the workplace—and see real results in engagement, retention, and well-being? In this episode of the BetterCulture Podcast, we dive into a revolutionary approach to workplace culture: investing in your people’s whole lives. Guest Chad Mares, Founder, President & CEO of The Work Lab, reveals how embedding work life coaches on-site is helping organizations address the personal challenges that affect performance and motivation. Explore practical ideas, surprising stories, and a new model that’s reshaping what it means to care for employees. Discover why helping your team thrive outside of work is the culture advantage you can’t afford to miss.

In this BetterCulture Podcast episode, Brett explores the relationship superpower of "Assume Positive Intent"—Tenet Number Three from Better Culture's 20 Tenets of Culture. You'll learn why most conflict doesn't start with bad intent, but with bad assumptions. Listen and learn practical ways to improve your emotional intelligence, including:

• Slowing your reaction and not responding immediately
• Getting curious before becoming critical
• Separating impact from intent

Discover how simply pausing and asking, "What if there's more to the story?" can protect relationships, lower stress, and help you show up with greater maturity, both at work and in life.

In this episode of the BetterCulture Podcast, host Brett Hoogeveen and his colleague Kevin Hensel tackle one of the most transformative truths in personal and professional growth: nobody is coming to develop you. Together, they share real-world stories, practical steps, and motivating insights on what it takes to take full responsibility for your own leadership development. If you’ve been waiting for a promotion, a class, or someone else to tell you it’s time to grow, this conversation is your wake-up call to stop waiting and start moving forward—one intentional action at a time.

Special Offer: Ready to accelerate your development and join a community of growth-minded leaders? As a listener of this episode, you get 50% off the brand new Better Culture Virtual Leadership Academy launching July 2026! Use coupon code POD50 at checkout to lock in your exclusive rate. Don’t miss your chance to invest in yourself, connect with peers, and access a year-long, interactive leadership journey—this offer is only available until the end of June 2026! Virtual Leadership Academy - BetterCulture

Ever left a leadership workshop energized, only to find nothing really changed? In this episode, host Brett Hoogeveen together with Dr. Kim Hoogeveen, dissect the six common pitfalls that make leadership training ineffective in most organizations. Learn what separates memorable, impactful training from “book-of-the-month” fluff—and how to get better results for yourself or your team.

You’ll learn:

• The danger of the "Book of the Month Club" approach
• How misalignment with company systems kills progress
• Why applied, functional content beats TED Talk inspiration
• The power of team-based leadership growth
• How repetition cements real-world leadership skills

Discover how third-generation leader Jenn Barlund is infusing purpose, connection, and care into Falcon Plastics, transforming it from a traditional manufacturing business into a company where relationships, well-being, and fun drive performance. Brett Hoogeveen explores Jenn’s personal journey with imposter syndrome, her commitment to values-driven decision-making, and actionable strategies for building a workplace where people love to show up. Tune in for stories of empowerment, learning from failure, and what it really means to make culture a strategic priority.