The Culture Coach

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Fresh off a week in Reno and Lake Tahoe working with Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) leaders, Wendy reflects on conversations with founders, CEOs, and franchise leaders navigating growth, change, and transition—and why alignment, not reinvention, is the real work leaders are being called to do in 2026.

Building on her recent newsletter and Substack article, “2026 doesn’t need a new you—it needs an aligned you,” Wendy unpacks how misalignment quietly shows up inside organizations long before leaders consciously name it themselves.

She also weaves in her CORE Culture Framework—Clarify, Operationalize, Reinforce, and Evaluate—to explain how leaders can intentionally operationalize culture and prevent teams from carrying the weight of unspoken ambiguity.

This episode is especially relevant if:

• You’re successful but sensing that something feels “off”
• Decision-making feels heavier than it used to
• You’re tolerating behaviors that no longer align with your values
• Your culture feels inconsistent, even though your values are documented

Resources & Next Steps

✨ Free Resource:
Download Wendy’s alignment workbook to help you clarify what matters most right now and identify where misalignment may be showing up in your leadership and culture.

✨ The Aligned Leader Program:
If you’re a successful leader navigating growth, transition, or recalibration—and want a structured, supportive space to realign without reinventing yourself—learn more about Wendy’s Aligned Leader Program:

👉 https://go.culturecoachwendy.com/aligned

This is a collective for leaders who want clarity, alignment, and intentional culture—without forcing change that doesn’t fit who they are now.

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With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

Get the new book, C.O.R.E. Culture by Wendy McCauley Brand, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07T2s89k

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

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In this solo episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy Brand is bringing awareness to leadership habits that may be quietly draining your culture — and holding your organization back.

If you feel like everything is urgent, you’re constantly stepping in to do work that isn’t yours, or every decision still has to run through you, this episode is for you.

Wendy breaks down three common leadership patterns that erode clarity and momentum inside organizations and explains how each one connects back to mission, vision, core values, and role clarity. Drawing on 30 years of leadership experience and culture consulting work, she shares practical ways leaders can simplify priorities, clarify ownership, and empower teams to make confident decisions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “everything feels urgent” is often a clarity problem — not a workload problem
• How unclear roles and responsibilities create burnout and role creep
• Why decisions bottleneck at the top when core values aren’t defined as behaviors
• How mission, vision, and values can become daily decision-making tools
• Where leaders can take immediate action to strengthen culture in 2026

Wendy also shares the different ways leaders can work with her this year — including culture consulting, leadership cohorts and retreats, and the Culture Strategy Lab, a monthly group experience for those responsible for building intentional culture inside their organizations.

If you’re a CEO, founder, executive, HR leader, or people manager who wants more clarity, alignment, and trust inside your organization, this episode will give you practical insight you can apply right away.

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

Get the new book, C.O.R.E. Culture by Wendy McCauley Brand, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07T2s89k

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

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In this episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy Brand sits down with Steven Puri —former senior executive at major motion picture studios, startup founder, and the creator of Sukha, a platform designed to help knowledge workers access flow state and protect deep work.

Steven makes a bold case: companies don’t win because TPS reports are filed on time or everyone hits inbox zero. They win because someone takes uninterrupted time to think, create, and solve meaningful problems—then brings back the insight that changes the trajectory of the business.

Together, Wendy and Steven unpack what “high-performing teams” really need right now: a culture that values deep work, clarity, and trust, not just busyness, meetings, and legacy processes.

Try these this week:

1. Protect deep work: Block 60 minutes, 3x/week where no meetings and no interruptions are allowed.
2. Normalize focus: Make it culturally safe to decline non-urgent pings during deep-work windows.
3. Use the chronotype grid: Have your team track energy + output patterns for 5–10 days, then align deep-work time accordingly.
4. Reward outcomes, not motion: Praise thinking, experimentation, and meaningful progress—not just responsiveness.

Connect with Steven

• Email: [email protected]
  
  
• Website (free 3-day trial): thesukha.co

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

Get the new book, C.O.R.E. Culture by Wendy McCauley Brand, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07T2s89k

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

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Greetings! This is a replay of an episode from this past summer on my CORE Culture™ Framework. Happy Holidays and I hope you enjoy.

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This week, I'm diving deep into my signature CORE Culture™ Framework, a proven model for helping leaders stop culture from happening by accident and start building one that drives retention, productivity, and purpose.

After a busy season of speaking at SHRM conferences in New Mexico and Alabama, I reflect on why I built the CORE Culture™ model and how it’s helping CEOs and HR leaders operationalize their culture in practical ways.

Whether you're building from scratch or refining what’s already there, this episode gives you the tools to make culture work for your business—not against it.

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

Get the new book, C.O.R.E. Culture by Wendy McCauley Brand, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07T2s89k

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

Today on The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy sits down with Erika Sinner, Founder & CEO of Directorie, a $15M healthcare commercialization company and two-time Inc. 5000 honoree. Erika also serves as the Chief Empathy Officer of TinySuperheroes, a nonprofit empowering critically ill children through play and courage, and is the bestselling author of Pets Are Family.

Erika is a powerful, fresh voice in modern leadership — championing pet-inclusive policies, psychological safety, and building cultures where people feel genuinely seen and supported.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Pets Are Family (https://www.erikasinner.org/buy-book) by Erika Sinner — available on Amazon and major retailers
• Directorie (https://www.directorie.com/) — Healthcare commercialization services
• TinySuperheroes (https://tinysuperheroes.com/)— Support, donate, or get involved: tinysuperheroes.com
• Erika’s website: https://erikasinner.org
• Follow Erika on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/erika_sinner/), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikasinner/), and other social platforms

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

Get the new book, C.O.R.E. Culture by Wendy McCauley Brand, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07T2s89k

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

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In today’s episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy sits down with tech executive and author Kae Williams for a candid conversation about the invisible barriers women and marginalized leaders face at work—and the strategies that actually help you navigate them with confidence, clarity, and impact.

Kae has spent decades leading in male-dominated environments across startups, scale-ups, and global tech companies. Throughout her career, she noticed a repeated pattern: women being spoken over, their ideas being dismissed or “hepeated,” their credibility questioned, and their contributions overlooked—regardless of company size or culture.

These patterns inspired her to write her book, Not Made for You Now, a powerful guide for women who want to succeed without having to shrink, smile more, or tolerate bias.

Kae Williams is a seasoned tech executive, marketer, and advocate for equity in the workplace. Her book, Not Made for You Now, offers practical tools for women navigating biased systems—and guidance for leaders ready to reimagine culture with intention.

👉 Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads
👉 Connect with Kae: https://www.kaewilliams.com/

👉 Follow Kae:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaekronthalerwilliams/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaekwilliams/

🎧 Don’t Miss This Conversation If You Are:

• A woman in leadership (or aspiring to be one)
• A CEO or CHRO committed to building an intentional, inclusive culture
• A manager who wants to create more equitable team dynamics
• Someone who has felt dismissed, talked over, or undervalued at work
• An ally ready to understand and support underrepresented voices

✨ Continue the Conversation

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend or colleague. These stories spark dialogue—and dialogue is where cultural transformation begins.

Ready to build a culture where clarity, belonging, and aligned leadership are the norm?
 Join Wendy at CultureCoachWendy.com for tools, frameworks, and programs that help leaders operationalize culture—intentionally and sustainably.

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

Get the new book, C.O.R.E. Culture by Wendy McCauley Brand, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07T2s89k

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

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In this week’s episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy sits down with Farrah Mitra — executive coach, former Bain consultant, Cornell alum, and one of only fifteen Radical Candor™ coaches worldwide. Farrah's career has been built at the intersection of people, performance, and communication, and she brings a rare blend of strategic clarity and deep humanity to the conversations leaders fear most.

Together, Wendy and Farrah break down:

• Why communication is often the true bottleneck inside organizations — and how it silently shapes trust, culture, and retention.
• The thin line between “getting it right” and “getting it wrong” when messaging is high-stakes, emotional, or tied to people’s livelihoods.
• How two companies approached layoffs — one creating confusion and trauma, the other creating advocates even in the midst of hard decisions.
• Farrah’s 3-step Communicating Challenges & Change Framework used by executives across industries:
  • Identify the facts
  • Check your mindset
  • Deliver with care
• Why mindset is the hidden variable — and how unspoken frustration or dread leaks into every message we deliver.
• A practical formula for empathy that leaders can use without diluting clarity, over-apologizing, or losing authority.
• How leaders can shift from fear of difficult conversations to skillful, confident delivery.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders navigating performance conversations, reorganizations, role changes, or any situation where the stakes are high and emotions are real.

Connect With Farra Mitra

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farrah-mitra-executive-coach/
Email: [email protected]

Links & Resources

✨ Sign up for The Culture Roadmap Workshop Series
A 3-part November experience for leaders who want clarity, energy, and ownership heading into 2026.
Register at http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

🎙️ Subscribe to The Culture Coach Podcast for weekly leadership and culture insights.

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

Get the new book, C.O.R.E. Culture by Wendy McCauley Brand, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07T2s89k

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

In this week’s episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy Brand unpacks the power of conscious leadership—a philosophy popularized by John Mackey (Whole Foods), Steve McIntosh, and Carter Phipps—and how it connects directly to the CORE Culture™ pillars of Clarity, Energy, and Ownership.

Wendy explores what it truly means to lead above the line—where fear is acknowledged but not in control—and how awareness, alignment, and accountability fuel intentional cultures. Drawing from The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, Dare to Lead, and her own coaching work with CEOs and leadership teams, Wendy breaks down three essential dimensions of conscious leadership:

• Vision & Virtue (Clarity): Defining purpose beyond profit and leading with integrity.
• Mindset & Strategy (Energy): Managing your inner world before you manage others—protecting focus, curiosity, and long-term perspective.
• People & Culture (Ownership): Empowering teams through trust, shared accountability, and continual growth.

This episode offers practical ways to integrate these concepts into your daily leadership practices—helping you move from reaction to intention, and from managing chaos to shaping culture consciously.

🔍 Key Takeaways

• Conscious leaders balance vision and virtue—they know where they’re going and why.
• Leadership energy sets the tone: grounded focus fuels creative, high-performing teams.
• The “above the line” framework helps you recognize and recover from reactive, fear-driven responses.
• Ownership isn’t control—it’s co-creation. Trust is the foundation of a self-sustaining culture.
• When clarity, energy, and ownership align, culture becomes your greatest strategic advantage.

🧭 Next Steps

If you’re ready to stop reacting to culture and start shaping it with intention:
 👉 Join Wendy’s free 3-part Culture Roadmap Webinar Series — begins November 11.
Get the full experience (or access replays) at culturecoachwendy.com/webinarseries

And if you’re a CEO ready for deeper transformation, join the waitlist for The Empowered CEO, a 6-month coaching program designed to help you lead with confidence, clarity, and conviction.
🔗 culturecoachwendy.com/ceo

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

Get the new book, C.O.R.E. Culture by Wendy McCauley Brand, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07T2s89k

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

This week on The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy sits down with Dave McDonald, founder of the Better Together Group and host of the WTF Podcast, to talk about the unconventional path that led him from being “fired from every good job he ever had” to running a thriving family of staffing agencies dedicated to feeding families one shift at a time.

Dave’s story is full of humility, humor, and heart. Together, Wendy and Dave unpack:

• How early experiences shaped Dave’s people-first leadership philosophy
• The challenges of building culture across remote and on-site teams
• The importance of clarity, consistency, and communication in leadership
• Why understanding individuals — not just roles — is the key to sustainable culture
• How leaders can balance compassion with accountability

This is a must-listen for any entrepreneur or leader who’s ever questioned whether they were “cut out” for leadership — and a reminder that great cultures aren’t built by accident; they’re built through intentional connection and consistency.

🔗 Connect with Dave McDonald:

Website: https://wtftalks.work/
 Email: [email protected]

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

Get the new book, C.O.R.E. Culture by Wendy McCauley Brand, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07T2s89k

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

What’s the real difference between a strong leader and a tough one?
In this solo episode, I’m unpacking one of the biggest shifts in leadership today — moving from command-and-control to human-centered leadership.

After 30 years in corporate leadership, I’ve seen both styles up close. The truth? The leaders who build loyalty, trust, and high performance aren’t the ones barking orders — they’re the ones balancing clarity, accountability, and empathy.

In this episode, you’ll learn the five key shifts that separate strong leaders from tough ones — and how to apply them to your own leadership style:

1. Empathy is a strength, not a softness
2. Clarity and accountability are non-negotiable
3. Dependability builds trust
4. Flexibility drives results
5. Fallibility fuels growth

We’ll explore how these traits define modern leadership — especially as we move into a more technology-driven, AI-powered workplace where human connection matters more than ever.

If you’re leading a team, running a company, or shaping culture from any seat — this episode will help you lead with strength that inspires, not fear that controls.

 💡 Join the FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series kicking off November 11: culturecoachwendy.com/webinarseries

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

Get the new book, C.O.R.E. Culture by Wendy McCauley Brand, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07T2s89k

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/