The CultureCon Podcast

Some people enter a room and change the energy simply by being fully themselves. For 2026 CultureCon Impact Award recipient Izzie St. John, that impact starts with helping people feel seen.

Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Izzie, Philanthropy Coordinator at the American Cancer Society, to explore how purpose, curiosity, and human connection have shaped her path. Izzie shares how her grandmother taught her the power of making someone feel like they matter, how her work at Hope Lodge transformed a job into a calling, and why bringing light to others sometimes requires understanding the darkness within yourself.

From navigating anxiety and uncertainty to finding purpose beyond a job title, Izzie reminds people-first leaders that impact often lives in the smallest moments. When you know what matters to you and choose how you want to show up, your influence can create a ripple far beyond the room.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Izzie on LinkedIn

Connect with Rod on LinkedIn

Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Purpose matters more than the title you hold.
• Curiosity helps leaders understand what people truly need.
• Making people feel seen can create lasting impact.
• You cannot navigate joy by ignoring the darkness.
• Authentic self-acceptance creates freedom to serve others.

Leadership gets real when dignity becomes more than a value on the wall. It becomes something people can actually feel.

Live from CultureCon 2026, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Dr. Isa Karabed, Founder and CEO of Karabed Leadership Group and recipient of the Culture Impact Award, for a deeply human conversation about recovery, homelessness, technology, and the moments that shape how we lead. Isa shares how her own recovery journey taught her the power of being seen, why every interaction can restore someone's sense of dignity, and how leaders can create spaces where people feel welcomed instead of judged.

They also explore the changing role of AI in the workplace and why technology should give us more capacity for presence, curiosity, and genuine human connection, not less. From navigating fear and uncertainty to leading with transparency and lifting up unheard voices, this conversation is a reminder that the smallest moments can carry enormous impact.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Isa on LinkedIn

Learn more about Karabed Leadership Group

Connect with Rod on LinkedIn

Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Dignity can transform someone's entire experience of seeking help.
• Human connection remains essential as technology reshapes the workplace.
• AI should create more time for meaningful human interaction.
• Transparency helps leaders navigate fear and uncertainty around change.
• Every interaction is an opportunity to make someone feel seen.

Sometimes the most important leadership shift starts with changing the song in your own head.

Live from CultureCon 2026, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, USA Today bestselling author of "Be Yourself at Work", and a pioneer of people-first leadership. Claude shares how a 93-day Outward Bound experience helped her find her voice, challenge the limiting beliefs she carried for years, and ultimately recognize the kind of leader she was meant to become.

From building a culture rooted in empathy to taking accountability for how we show up, Claude explores why great leadership requires both heart and ownership. She also opens up about the trust that changed her career, the importance of knowing when you are not at your best, and why people should never have to shrink themselves to succeed at work.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Claude on LinkedIn

Get Claude's book "Be Yourself at Work"

Learn more about Claude's work

Connect with Rod on LinkedIn

Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Change the story playing inside your own head.
• Empathy and accountability can exist at the same time.
• Great leaders coach people instead of rescuing them.
• Stop shrinking yourself to fit the workplace.
• Trust gives people permission to stand in their strengths.

CultureCon 2026 is officially in the books, and somehow the smoothest conference Nick and Zach have ever hosted also delivered some of the most unexpected moments. From keynote karaoke and Red Ball Tennis to unforgettable connections across 21 countries, this one was about much more than what happened on stage. 🎤

Nick and Zach recap the moments that made CultureCon feel uniquely human, including the Impact Awards, the Longer Table experience, a virtual audience that felt fully part of the room, and a remarkable full-circle connection decades in the making. They also reflect on what happens when you intentionally create spaces where people can drop the professional armor, have fun, and actually connect.

Plus, they share an early look at the next chapter: CultureCon will become WorkPossible in 2027. The name is changing, but the mission to build better, more human workplaces is only getting bigger. ✨

Additional Resources:

Learn more about WorkPossible, coming soon!

Watch the CultureCon 2026 Welcome Video!

Check out the CultureCon 2026 Recap Blog

Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Connection is the experience people remember most.
• Great culture creates room for joy and play.
• Inclusion means designing equally for every attendee.
• Rewarding mistakes can dismantle fear-based workplace cultures.

Recognition is not about the gift. It is about the moment someone realizes, "They truly see me."

Nick and Zach sit down with Tray Ross of Corporate Traditions to explore how meaningful appreciation builds stronger relationships, deeper loyalty, and cultures people want to stay in. Tray shares why personalization matters, how freedom of choice makes recognition scalable, and why unexpected gestures often leave the greatest impact.

From a manager bending the rules to support an employee during a crisis to the surprising retention cost of a delayed gift card, this conversation reveals why speed, thoughtfulness, and human connection matter more than expensive programs. For people-first leaders, the message is simple: see your people, recognize them quickly, and never underestimate the power of a small moment.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Tray on LinkedIn

Learn more about Corporate Traditions

Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Recognition begins by genuinely seeing people as individuals.
• Employee choice makes personalized appreciation easier to scale.
• Unexpected recognition creates memorable moments and stronger loyalty.
• Delayed rewards can undermine trust and employee retention.
• Great leaders recognize potential, not only current performance.

AI is moving fast, but the real opportunity is not doing more work faster. It is making more room for the human work that matters most.

Nick and Zach sit down with Emily Mabie, Senior AI Automation Engineer for HR and People at Zapier, to explore how leaders can use AI with more intention, less anxiety, and a stronger people-first lens.

Emily shares why AI should not simply be bolted onto old processes, how leaders can decide what to automate, delegate, or keep human, and why the future of work may look more like vinyl records than endless digital acceleration. From ethical AI use to burnout, human connection, and building solutions from the seat closest to the problem, this conversation is a hopeful, practical guide for leaders navigating the AI reset. 🧠

Additional Resources:

Connect with Emily on LinkedIn

Learn more about Zapier

Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• AI should redesign work, not just speed it up.
• Saved time must be reinvested in human connection.
• Ethical AI starts with intentional human decision-making.
• Automation works best when built closest to the pain.
• The future needs both AI and analog humanity.

Sometimes the most meaningful recognition starts as a mug, a T-shirt, or a pin, then becomes a symbol of belonging over time.

Nick and Zach sit down with Nick Phillips, Senior Director of Sales at Brilliant, to explore why appreciation only sticks when it is rooted in real care. Nick shares how leaders can move beyond transactional recognition and create moments that prove people are truly seen. From intentional gifting and ERG-aligned recognition to the rising value of human gestures in an AI-driven world, this conversation is a reminder that connection is not something you automate, it is something you earn.

For people-first leaders, this episode offers a practical lens on building trust, loyalty, and culture through specificity, presence, and meaningful human effort.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

Learn more about Brilliant

Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Recognition sticks when it proves people are truly seen.
• Generic praise feels transactional, not meaningful.
• Trust grows when leaders stay close to the work.
• AI makes human connection even more valuable.
• Thoughtful gifting can reinforce belonging and culture.

The higher you go in leadership, the harder it can be to get honest perspective. And when you're leading through transition, growth, or culture change, going it alone can limit what you're able to see.

In this episode, CEO Heather Haas and leadership consultant BJ McKay are joined by John D'Addario III, CEO of D'Addario, for a conversation about leadership transition, culture clarity, and the value of outside perspective.

What does it take to honor a company's legacy while leading it into the future? Heather and BJ talk with John about stepping into the CEO role after a founder-led era, revisiting values, and partnering with ADVISA to build alignment across the organization.

Additional Resources:

Connect with John on LinkedIn

Learn more about D'Addario and their products at https://www.daddario.com/

Get Your Culture Check!

Connect with Heather on LinkedIn

Connect with BJ on LinkedIn

Learn more about Advisa

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Leaders grow faster when they seek outside perspective.
• Culture can become a lasting competitive advantage.
• Succession requires preparation, responsibility, and earned trust.
• Values matter most when reinforced through behavior.
• Candid conversations protect families and businesses from conflict.

Some workplace "rules" are written in handbooks. The most powerful ones often aren't written anywhere.

Live from CultureCon, Jasmine Bellamy sits down with Bryetta Calloway for a powerful conversation about meritocracy, marginalization, and the invisible barriers that keep people on the fringes at work. Bryetta unpacks how leaders can confuse sameness with safety, why inclusion has to come before diversity and equity efforts can truly work, and how workplace harm does not stay neatly contained inside the office.

This episode is a call for people-first leaders to pause, get curious, and stop asking marginalized employees to carry the emotional labor of fixing cultures they did not break. From mirror-tocracy to repair, allyship, trauma, and the real cost of bad managers, Bryetta offers language for what so many people have felt but could not name.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Bryetta on LinkedIn

Connect with Jasmine on LinkedIn

Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Unspoken rules often shape workplace advancement.
• Inclusion must come before true equity.
• Workplace trauma is still real trauma.
• Allyship requires emotional investment and action.
• People-first leaders pause before reacting.

Alignment sounds simple until Monday happens.

Nick and Zach sit down with Kate Zappitelli, Principal Consultant at Karrikins Group and Chair of the Alignment Institute, to unpack why agreement is not enough for people-first leaders.

Kate shares how real alignment requires clarity, connection, commitment, and courage, especially when teams are stuck in side conversations, unclear expectations, or old habits. From AI adoption to intentional optimism, she challenges leaders to model the behaviors they want to see, name what is getting in the way, and build the muscle of alignment every day.

If you have ever left a strategy session energized only to watch the work fade by Monday, this conversation will help you turn good intentions into consistent leadership action.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

Get the book: "Make HOW Matter"

Learn more about Karrikins Group

Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

Learn more about CultureCon

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Agreement is not the same as alignment.
• Side conversations weaken trust and team alignment.
• Leadership requires consistent communication and intentional energy.
• AI adoption starts with leaders experimenting personally.
• Sustainable alignment depends on clear team commitments.