In a world starving for real connection, what if the answer is as simple and as radical as pulling up more chairs? 🍽️

Nick and Zach sit down with Tim Jones, Founder and Executive Director of Longer Tables, to explore how shared meals can break down barriers, spark belonging, and remind us what it means to truly see one another.

Tim shares the heart behind Longer Tables and why the table has become such a powerful symbol in his work. From creating spaces where job titles are left behind to helping leaders model vulnerability first, this conversation is a masterclass in building cultures where people feel safe, valued, and fully human. Along the way, Nick, Zach, and Tim reflect on memorable meals, meaningful leadership, and the moments that stay with us long after the table is cleared.

If you care about connection, belonging, and leading people in a more human way, this episode will leave you challenged, encouraged, and ready to set a longer table.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn

Learn more about Longer Tables

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:

• Belonging begins when leaders model vulnerability first.
• Shared meals create space for deeper human connection.
• Job titles often block authentic relationships at work.
• Presence and storytelling help people feel truly seen.
• Great leaders set tables, not just agendas.

What happens when storytelling stops being scripted and starts being deeply human 🎥

Nick and Zach sit down with Curtis Gilbert, Co-Founder and Executive Producer of p3 mediaworks and a creative force behind some of the most authentic culture storytelling happening today. From launching a video agency with one camera and zero investors to shaping how organizations emotionally connect with talent and customers, Curtis shares the journey that turned purpose into powerful visual impact.

Together they explore why culture is every company's true superpower, how short form video is changing employer branding, and what leaders often misunderstand about storytelling. Curtis also offers a refreshingly grounded perspective on AI, reminding us that while tools evolve, meaningful stories will always start with human vision, passion, and connection.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Curtis on LinkedIn

Learn more about p3 mediaworks

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:

• Human stories drive emotional connection more than polished messaging
• Culture storytelling builds trust with talent and customers
• AI enhances creativity but never replaces human vision
• Short form video maximizes storytelling investment and reach
• Validation from mentors can launch lifelong purpose

BJ McKay hosts a roundtable of ADVISA Leadership Consultants, who discuss the biggest problems they're hearing in the workplace today, and actions companies can take to help solve them.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Mandy on LinkedIn

Connect with Kye on LinkedIn

Connect with Tyler on LinkedIn

Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn

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:

• Culture equals repeated behaviors and shared language
• Activation from above drives sustainable transformation
• Data cuts through assumption and subjective storytelling
• Leadership is a job requiring defined skills
• Training alone rarely produces lasting behavior change

What if culture wasn't something you fixed after it broke, but something you strengthened before it ever cracked?

Live from CultureCon West in Las Vegas, Nikki sits down with DraftKings Chief People Officer Linda Bukata Aiello for an honest, energizing conversation about culture transformation done right. From eliminating performance ratings to rolling out radical candor, Linda shares how DraftKings chose to get ahead of potential culture drift instead of reacting to crisis. The result? Stronger executive alignment, empowered remote employees, and surprising data that revealed culturally aligned women were among the company's top performers.

This isn't about fluffy values on a wall. It's about human connection, courageous transparency, and building a high-accountability culture rooted in trust. If you're a people-first leader wondering how to create meaningful change at scale, this episode will challenge and inspire you to lead with both clarity and heart.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Linda on LinkedIn

Connect with Nikki 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:

• Leadership evolves from hierarchy to humanity
• Transparency builds trust during uncertainty
• Culture should be proactive, not reactive
• Remote employees can be deeply culturally aligned
• Radical candor strengthens performance and connection

Culture is happening whether you design it or not. The real question is, is it accelerating your strategy or quietly sabotaging it?

Live from CultureCon 2024, Jasmine Bellamy sits down with Jeff Lindemann of WD-40 Company to unpack what it truly means to create the culture you want. Jeff shares why culture is not an HR initiative but a CEO responsibility, how belonging became the foundation of their global organization, and why they run the business from the strategy down instead of the spreadsheet up. 🌎

From a 9x return on value creation to a market cap growth from 350 million to 3.5 billion, Jeff makes a compelling case that employee engagement is not a soft metric. It is a competitive advantage. If you are a people-first leader who wants culture to fuel long term value, this conversation will challenge and inspire you to lead with intention.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Jeff 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:

• Intentional culture accelerates business strategy execution
• Belonging drives engagement and long term value
• Culture is a CEO responsibility, not HR task
• Strategy down beats spreadsheet up leadership
• Engagement directly correlates with financial performance

From NFL locker rooms to global change room, Rachel Breitbach has mastered the art of leading through chaos with heart.

Rachel joins Nick and Zach to unpack what fearless leadership really looks like, not as bravado, but as a willingness to step into the unknown and bring others with you. From her early career in sports broadcasting to guiding massive organizational transformations, Rachel shares powerful lessons on staying grounded, earning trust, and creating the kind of culture where people actually want to grow.

She introduces her TIE model (Transparency, Inclusion, and Empathy) a simple but game-changing framework for leaders navigating uncertainty. You'll hear how curiosity can trump control, why community accelerates learning, and why in a tech-saturated world, human connection is the real differentiator.

If you're leading change (or change is leading you), this conversation is your anchor.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn

Learn more about FarWell

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:

• Fearlessness means action, not absence of fear
• Calm leadership creates clarity during uncertainty
• Change thrives with transparency, inclusion, empathy
• Community builds trust, then shared accountability
• Technology rises, human connection must rise higher

ADVISA CEO Heather Haas and leadership consultant BJ McKay share favorite highlights and key takeaways from the conference every leader should know.

Plus, they explain how each topic relates to the ATLAS framework for achieving cultural competitive advantage.

Additional Resources:

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:

• Culture is a feeling, backed by strategy and spine.
• Coaching access reduces emotional burdens on managers.
• Listening isn't agreement; it's creating connection.
• Mindset drives leadership, resilience, and adaptability.
• Culture lives in daily conversations, not corporate posters.

What if the real conversation around returning to the office isn't about space, but about trust, clarity, and courageous leadership?

In this live episode from CultureCon West, Nikki sits down with Dennis Richter for a powerful, no-fluff conversation that challenges the "Return to Office" status quo. Dennis brings his signature skeptical curiosity to unpack why many leaders default to blanket mandates without truly thinking them through. Together, they explore what it means to lead with transparency, define success through role clarity and KPIs, and make decisions that reflect purpose, not pressure.

This episode is a must-listen for people-first leaders ready to reflect deeply, act intentionally, and create workplaces built on trust, respect, and real impact.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Dennis on LinkedIn

Connect with Nikki 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:

• Rethink RTO: Start with transparency, not tradition
• Leadership begins with honest self-reflection
• Trust and clarity drive remote success
• Impact matters more than presence
• Role clarity empowers, mandates erode trust

What if the reason culture isn't working is because leaders think they've already figured it out?

Elaine and Hattie sit down with Karen Richards, founder of Uniquely Global and executive coach to top global leaders, to expose what's really going on in boardrooms when it comes to culture, and what's not.

Karen brings decades of experience across industries, from elite sports to global brands, to reveal the truth about leadership blind spots, emotional intelligence, and the quiet gap between performance and people. Through real stories and hard-won insight, she shows why coaching isn't just about behavior change, it's about identity, instinct, and owning your shadow.

This isn't a conversation about soft skills. It's about the hard work of leadership. Karen challenges every leader to stop outsourcing culture and start doing the internal work that changes everything, from how you show up in a room to how people show up for you.

No scripts. No safe answers. Just honest conversations about what's possible when we stop doing things by default and start doing them by design.

Tune in for fresh perspectives, future-focused thinking, and ideas bold enough to actually change things.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Karen on LinkedIn

Connect with Hattie on LinkedIn

Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn

Learn more about Fauna

Follow Fauna on LinkedIn

Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel!

Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Culture is the fuel behind sustainable performance.
• Leaders must embrace emotional intelligence to grow.
• Self-awareness unlocks team and business potential.
• Coaching reveals the gap between knowing and leading.
• Ask: "What am I missing?" regularly.

What if the most untapped leadership skill isn't found in a boardroom, but in the power of a well-told story?

Nick and Zach officially welcome Dr. Rod Berger as CultureCon's newest storyteller-in-residence. With a doctorate in psychology and thousands of interviews with global leaders under his belt, Rod brings a rare lens to leadership, one rooted in the belief that storytelling isn't fluff, it's fuel.

From his book "The Narrative Edge" to his conversations with executives and veterans, Rod shares how narrative shapes identity, unlocks empathy, and fosters true connection inside our organizations. The trio dives deep into how story helps us meet the moment, why leaders must understand their own role in the plotline, and how authentic storytelling builds stronger cultures, especially in a digital-first world.

Whether you're a seasoned leader or just discovering your voice, this episode invites you to see yourself as a character in a story worth telling.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Rod on LinkedIn

Buy the book: "The Narrative Edge"

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:

• Storytelling is a strategic leadership skill.
• Your story influences how others experience you.
• Authenticity builds trust within workplace culture.
• Empathy grows when stories are shared.
• Leaders must define their role in the narrative.