The CultureCon Podcast

Culture Starts Here: What If Culture Didn't Eat Strategy? with Joey Williams

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-williams-15528090/] Get Your Culture Check! [https://www.advisa.com/ceo-cultural-competitive-advantage-advisa-atlas/] Connect with Heather on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-haas/] Connect with BJ on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjmckay/] Learn more about Advisa [https://www.advisa.com/] Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel! [https://youtube.com/@cultureconusa?si=zqUNk5JF3XFzHJe9] Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/posts/?feedView=all] Learn more about PeopleForward Network [https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/] 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

Live from CultureCon West 2025: Helping the Helpers with Sam Simmons

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssimmonsgpc/] Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkilewallen/] Connect with Zach on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyblumenfeld/] Connect with Nick on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nlombardino/] Learn more about CultureCon [https://www.cultureconusa.org/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ccpodcast] Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel! [https://youtube.com/@cultureconusa?si=zqUNk5JF3XFzHJe9] Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/posts/?feedView=all] Learn more about PeopleForward Network [https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/] 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.

Why AI Is a Culture Conversation | The AI Summit 2026 Recap

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyblumenfeld/] Connect with Nick on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nlombardino/] Learn more about CultureCon [https://www.cultureconusa.org/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ccpodcast] Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel! [https://youtube.com/@cultureconusa?si=zqUNk5JF3XFzHJe9] Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/posts/?feedView=all] Learn more about PeopleForward Network [https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/] 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.

Live from CultureCon West 2025: Generous Listening in a Distracted World with Scott Floyd

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-d-floyd/] Learn more with Cisco [https://www.cisco.com/] Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkilewallen/] Connect with Zach on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyblumenfeld/] Connect with Nick on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nlombardino/] Learn more about CultureCon [https://www.cultureconusa.org/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ccpodcast] Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel! [https://youtube.com/@cultureconusa?si=zqUNk5JF3XFzHJe9] Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/posts/?feedView=all] Learn more about PeopleForward Network [https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/] 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.

Culture Starts Here: To Lead is Human with Jason Cochran

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! [http://advisa.com/ai] Get Your Culture Check! [https://www.advisa.com/ceo-cultural-competitive-advantage-advisa-atlas/] Connect with Jason on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-d-cochran/] Connect with Heather on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-haas/] Connect with BJ on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjmckay/] Learn more about Advisa [https://www.advisa.com/] Subscribe to CultureCon's YouTube channel! [https://youtube.com/@cultureconusa?si=zqUNk5JF3XFzHJe9] Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/posts/?feedView=all] Learn more about PeopleForward Network [https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/] 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