The CultureCon Podcast

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.

Belonging isn't a soft skill, it's a performance strategy. 💡

Live from CultureCon West, Nikki sits down with Latesha Byrd to explore why people can't reach their highest potential when they're masking, code switching, or questioning whether they're truly valued at work. Latesha breaks down how belonging connects directly to innovation, engagement, wellbeing, and business results, especially in a world shaped by burnout, restructuring, AI, and constant change.

Together, Nikki and Latesha challenge HR leaders to think beyond "human resources" and step into "human potential." From onboarding and ERGs to strengths-based leadership and C-suite alignment, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the future of performance starts with helping people feel safe, seen, and supported.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Latesha on LinkedIn

Learn more about Perfeqta

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:

• Belonging fuels stronger team performance.
• Inclusion creates the conditions for belonging.
• HR must prioritize human potential.
• AI can support more human leadership.
• ERGs reveal real employee sentiment.

Culture only eats strategy for breakfast when the culture isn't aligned with the strategic aims of the business.

In this episode, ADVISA CEO Heather Haas and leadership consultant BJ McKay discuss with special guest Joey Williams, Engagement & Development Specialist at Healthpeak Properties (NYSE: DOC), how organizations can achieve competitive advantage when their leaders are able to consistently activate the intentional culture that will fuel business growth.

This is what organizational resiliency and agility is today, leaders continual monitoring and aligning of culture with strategy by celebrating and coaching the right things and not tolerating the wrong things.

A healthy culture that's in service of the goals of the business acts as shock absorber for employees as uncertainty and tumult abounds.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Joey 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 feeds strategy when both are aligned
• Values need behaviors, not just wall posters
• Stay interviews uncover what people really need
• Leadership buy-in makes culture work sustainable
• Trust matters most during messy business moments

Helping others is noble work, but who helps the people everyone turns to when things get hard?

Live from CultureCon West in Las Vegas, Nikki sits down with Sam Simmons to unpack what it really means to "help the helpers." Inspired by the wisdom of Mr. Rogers, Sam brings a fresh and deeply human lens to HR leadership, reminding people-first leaders that their behavior gives others permission to stay calm, take action, and care for themselves too. 💛

Together, Nikki and Sam explore boundaries, balance, burnout, blank checks, and the micro-moments that protect wellbeing in a constantly changing world. This conversation is a powerful invitation for HR and culture leaders to stop normalizing overextension and start building systems of care that include themselves.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Sam 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:

• Helping others starts with caring for yourself.
• Boundaries protect your clarity, energy, and leadership.
• Avoid giving blank checks on your time.
• Balance shifts with every season of work.
• Micro-wellness moments create meaningful leadership ripple effects.

The AI conversation just got real, and Nick and Zach are taking us inside the inaugural CultureCon AI Summit to unpack what actually happened in the room. From hope and hesitation to leadership buy-in, ethical responsibility, and the very human need for connection, this episode explores why AI is not just a tech topic, it is a culture topic. 🤖

Nick and Zach reflect on what surprised them most, including the wide range of AI maturity across organizations, the tension between experimentation and regulation, and the big questions leaders cannot afford to ignore. They also get honest about their own relationship with AI, from productivity breakthroughs to the anxious pull of immediacy.

At the heart of it all is a reminder people-first leaders need right now: AI may change how we work, but creativity, connection, and human judgment are becoming more valuable than ever. This is a grounded, timely conversation for anyone trying to lead with both curiosity and responsibility in the age of AI.

Additional Resources:

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 is now a workplace culture conversation.
• Leaders must balance innovation with ethical responsibility.
• AI maturity varies widely across organizations.
• Human connection remains the heart of work.
• Creativity and people skills are increasingly valuable.

What pulls people in more than polished leadership? Presence that feels real.

Live from CultureCon West in Las Vegas, Nikki sits down with Scott Floyd for a conversation that gets beneath the surface of leadership and into what actually makes people feel seen, heard, and moved. Scott shares how his own journey helped him stop performing leadership and start embracing authenticity, generous listening, and deeper human connection.

Together, they unpack why small talk can leave us empty, how presence changes the way teams experience trust, and why AI should never replace the human heartbeat of leadership. This episode is a powerful reminder that when leaders listen generously and show up authentically, they do more than communicate. They create connection that moves people forward.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Scott on Linkedin

Learn more with Cisco

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:

• Authentic leadership starts by shedding performative habits.
• Generous listening builds trust, care, and connection.
• Presence means giving people your full attention.
• Connection before content strengthens teams and culture.
• AI should enhance, not replace, human leadership.

AI is changing how work gets done, but it's also raising the bar for leadership.

In this special live episode, hosted by Jason Cochran of People Forward Network, Heather Haas and BJ McKay explore what it means to lead when AI is reshaping the workplace.

While much of the work people are paid to do can now be automated, leadership is not one of those things. Together, they unpack what they're seeing across organizations today, from the growing gap between high-performing leaders and everyone else, to the lack of clarity many teams face around how AI should be used.

The conversation centers on a simple idea: Leadership isn't being replaced. It's being revealed. And the leaders who bring human connection, empathy, creativity, and critical thinking to their work will shape what comes next.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about ADVISA's new Leading with AI training experience!

Get Your Culture Check!

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn

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:

• Leadership remains deeply human despite AI advancement
• AI raises expectations, not reduces leadership responsibility
• Human connection drives meaning, trust, and performance
• Slowing down improves long-term strategic decision making
• Self-awareness separates thriving leaders from struggling ones

A water bottle might look like swag, but it could actually be shaping your company culture.

Live from CultureCon in Las Vegas, Nikki sits down with branded merchandise expert Crissy Manwaring, who has spent more than 25 years helping organizations turn everyday items into powerful cultural symbols. From new hire kits that create belonging before day one to simple artifacts that inspire behavior change across massive organizations, Crissy reveals why physical objects carry emotional weight far beyond their price tag. ✨

Together they unpack the psychology behind why humans attach meaning to objects, how great companies design merchandise people actually value, and why the right piece of swag can turn employees into proud brand ambassadors. If you care about culture, connection, and creating moments that stick, this conversation will change the way you think about company merch.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Crissy on LinkedIn

Learn more about Robertson Marketing

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:

• Humans anchor meaningful memories to physical objects
• Branded merchandise can reinforce identity and belonging
• New hire kits reduce uncertainty before day one
• Quality swag strengthens culture; cheap swag damages trust
• Choice and personalization increase employee connection to brand

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