#189 | Kindness Is Not Weakness with Shola Richards

#191 | Innovation Needs Laughter with Kathy Klotz-Guest

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Kathy Klotz-Guest [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyklotzguest/], keynote speaker, author, comedian, LinkedIn Learning instructor, and creator of BoldNet. [https://www.keepingithuman.com/] Kathy shares how humor, improv, and authenticity can help leaders build trust, reduce fear, and create cultures where people feel safe enough to take risks. She explains why many organizations get stuck in “innovation theater,” where teams talk about innovation but never create the conditions for real creativity, experimentation, or change. Kyle and Kathy also discuss psychological safety, leadership vulnerability, positive humor, the power of “yes, and,” and why leaders must model the courage they want to see in their teams. Key Topics: * Why humor builds trust and psychological safety * What “innovation theater” looks like inside organizations * How fear blocks creativity and risk-taking * Why leaders must model vulnerability and experimentation * The role of laughter in healthy team culture * How improv principles like “yes, and” strengthen collaboration * Why teams need support systems to be bold * How leaders can become one percent bolder every day Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:18 — Meet Kathy Klotz-Guest 01:22 — Who Kathy is beyond the titles 02:48 — Reclaiming humanity inside corporate spaces 03:00 — How Kathy’s work began 05:45 — Moving from fragmentation to integration 06:20 — Courage, comedy, and stepping outside your comfort zone 08:40 — What innovation theater means 10:44 — Fear, support, and the role of humor 12:45 — Laughter as a measure of trust 13:30 — How leaders can model psychological safety 15:00 — Ritualizing mistakes and learning from failure 16:20 — Building the ensemble through “yes, and” 18:00 — Why old leadership models no longer work 20:00 — Becoming one percent bolder every day 21:45 — The meaning of “yes, and you” -- Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference [https://spreadcontagiousculture.com/] Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contagious-culture/id1829207363] 📞 Schedule Your Call Here [https://links.theculturelab.org/widget/booking/DmipbO4FF6aXtbSgzwlQ] 🖥️ Join the #1 Community for Leaders and Change Makers [https://the-growth-lab-community.lovable.app/] 👉🏽 Apply to Be in the Growth Alliance [https://growth-alliance-2026.lovable.app/] 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King [https://meet-kyle-s-king.lovable.app/]

#190 | Why Every Organization Needs a Succession Plan With Naomi Hattaway

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Naomi Hattaway [https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomihattaway/], founder of Leaving Well, for a timely conversation on workplace transitions, succession planning, board leadership, and what it means to leave an organization with intention. Naomi shares why organizations often talk about hiring, growth, and vision, but avoid the harder conversations around departure, transition, termination, retirement, and succession. She explains why leaving well is not just about the person leaving. It is about protecting the mission, honoring the people, and creating continuity for the organization. Kyle and Naomi also discuss board responsibility, documenting systems, proactive succession planning, interim leadership, and how organizations can create more humanity, clarity, and even joy in the process of transition.   Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:39 — Meet Naomi Hattaway and Leaving Well 01:00 — Can workplace transitions include joy? 02:00 — Why people leaving should not surprise us 03:00 — Practical ways to add humanity to departures 04:30 — How personal history shapes our relationship with transition 05:00 — Hattaway’s background and personal connection to leaving well 06:00 — Moving, change, and learning how to say goodbye 06:45 — Interim leadership, succession planning, and board development 08:45 — Why succession planning matters in nonprofits 09:45 — Defining what it means to leave well 10:45 — Leaving a legacy through documentation 12:00 — Why organizations struggle to document processes 13:00 — The value of after-action reviews 14:00 — Creating transition binders and archives 15:45 — Where boards and leaders should begin 17:30 — How to introduce succession planning without creating fear 18:30 — The danger of starting from scratch after a leader leaves -- Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference [https://spreadcontagiousculture.com/] Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contagious-culture/id1829207363] 📞 Schedule Your Call Here [https://links.theculturelab.org/widget/booking/DmipbO4FF6aXtbSgzwlQ] 🖥️ Join the #1 Community for Leaders and Change Makers [https://the-growth-lab-community.lovable.app/] 👉🏽 Apply to Be in the Growth Alliance [https://growth-alliance-2026.lovable.app/] 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King [https://meet-kyle-s-king.lovable.app/]

#189 | Kindness Is Not Weakness with Shola Richards

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Shola Richards, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sholarichards/] international keynote speaker, founder of Go Together Global, [https://sholarichards.com/] bestselling author, and host of the Kindness Extremist Podcast. Shola shares the personal story behind his work and explains why kindness is not weakness. He opens up about pain, depression, imposter syndrome, and how his own wounds became the foundation for a global movement rooted in kindness, courage, and humanity. Kyle and Shola also discuss the difference between being nice and being kind, why kindness requires boundaries and difficult conversations, and how leaders can create cultures where people feel safe, seen, and valued. Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:24 — Meet Shola Richards 03:25 — The person behind the platform 06:30 — Why Shola does this work 08:30 — Pain, depression, and choosing kindness 10:54 — Why perfection is not required to lead 12:07 — Nice vs. kind 15:20 — How to embody kindness daily 16:24 — Boundaries, behavior, and difficult conversations 18:32 — Finding your voice through pain and healing 20:00 — Practical tools for the inner critic -- Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference [https://spreadcontagiousculture.com/] Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contagious-culture/id1829207363] 📞 Schedule Your Call Here [https://links.theculturelab.org/widget/booking/DmipbO4FF6aXtbSgzwlQ] 🖥️ Join the #1 Community for Leaders and Change Makers [https://the-growth-lab-community.lovable.app/] 👉🏽 Apply to Be in the Growth Alliance [https://growth-alliance-2026.lovable.app/] 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King [https://meet-kyle-s-king.lovable.app/]

#188 | How Strategic Partnerships Create Opportunity With Natalie Brown

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Natalie Brown [https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-brown-6479514/], Head of Strategic Workforce Partnership at Ally Financial, [https://www.ally.com/] for a conversation on leadership, workforce development, strategic partnerships, and preparing the next generation for success. Natalie shares how her work connects business goals, community priorities, and talent pipelines to create real opportunities for students, professionals, and future leaders. She also discusses the importance of mentorship, relationship-building, financial education, AI readiness, and partnerships rooted in shared values. Kyle and Natalie explore what meaningful partnerships look like, why relationships matter in career growth, and how companies can build ecosystems that help people thrive. Key Topics: * What strategic workforce partnerships really mean * How companies can build stronger talent pipelines * Why partnerships must be rooted in shared values * Preparing students for corporate America * The role of AI skills in the future workforce * Why mentorship and relationships matter * How young professionals can build meaningful networks * The importance of excellence, trust, and paying it forward Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:12 — Meet Natalie Brown 01:30 — Who Natalie is beyond the title 03:10 — What keeps Natalie excited about the work 04:34 — Defining strategic workforce partnerships 06:20 — What meaningful partnerships look like 09:17 — Preparing students for future opportunities 11:20 — AI, prompting, and workforce readiness 13:20 — Why partnerships sometimes fail 16:30 — Mentorship, leadership, and advice that shaped Natalie 19:30 — The leadership traits young professionals need 21:30 — How to build and nurture relationships   -- Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference [https://spreadcontagiousculture.com/] Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contagious-culture/id1829207363] 📞 Schedule Your Call Here [https://links.theculturelab.org/widget/booking/DmipbO4FF6aXtbSgzwlQ] 🖥️ Join the #1 Community for Leaders and Change Makers [https://the-growth-lab-community.lovable.app/] 👉🏽 Apply to Be in the Growth Alliance [https://growth-alliance-2026.lovable.app/] 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King [https://meet-kyle-s-king.lovable.app/]

#187 | Adults First: Lindsey Fuller on the Culture Crisis No One Can Afford to Ignore

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Lindsey Fuller [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseynfuller/], Executive Director of The Teaching Well, leadership coach, keynote speaker, and organizational wellness consultant. Lindsey shares why strong adult culture is the engine of strong student outcomes. She explains why schools cannot expect students to regulate, learn, and thrive if the adults leading them are burned out, unsupported, and disconnected from their own wellness. Kyle and Lindsey also discuss educator burnout, adult behavior in schools, restorative leadership, the need to invest in teachers and school leaders, and what it would take to build school systems that are more human-centered, healing-centered, and sustainable. Key Topics: * Why adult culture shapes student outcomes * How educator burnout impacts school communities * Why schools need to invest in adults, not just programs * The difference between a broken system and a sick system * Why most school problems are adult problems * Restorative leadership and repairing relationships * The importance of therapy, coaching, and stronger benefits for educators * Why school leaders need support, training, and accountability * How philanthropy can better support educator wellness * Building schools where adults stay whole so students can thrive Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:20 — Meet Lindsey Fuller 01:15 — Lindsey’s background and love of learning 02:30 — Childhood, trauma, and becoming a leader 03:30 — Teaching as inheritance 04:30 — School as both sanctuary and harm 05:30 — What it means to build human-centered schools 06:00 — Why the education system is sick, not broken 07:30 — What practices need to be preserved or reimagined 08:45 — Critical hope and why children keep Lindsey hopeful 09:30 — Where school change begins 10:30 — Why most school problems are adult problems 11:30 — Adult behavior, regulation, and school culture 13:00 — Why schools must invest in educators 14:30 — Educator mental health as a public health crisis 16:30 — Caring for the caregivers 17:00 — What Lindsey would change if she had the keys 18:00 — Coaching, therapy, benefits, and professional development 19:30 — Funding, accountability, and philanthropy 20:30 — Why teachers and school leaders are the key levers 21:30 — Seeing the full puzzle of school transformation Lindsey Fuller is the Executive Director of The Teaching Well, a leadership coach, keynote speaker, and organizational wellness consultant. Her work focuses on helping schools and districts build strong adult culture, improve educator wellness, strengthen leadership practices, and create environments where adults can stay whole so students can thrive.   -- Learn More About the Contagious Culture Conference [https://spreadcontagiousculture.com/] Subscribe & Leave a Review to The Contagious Culture Podcast Subscribe to Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contagious-culture/id1829207363] 📞 Schedule Your Call Here [https://links.theculturelab.org/widget/booking/DmipbO4FF6aXtbSgzwlQ] 🖥️ Join the #1 Community for Leaders and Change Makers [https://the-growth-lab-community.lovable.app/] 👉🏽 Apply to Be in the Growth Alliance [https://growth-alliance-2026.lovable.app/] 👉🏽Connect with Kyle S. King [https://meet-kyle-s-king.lovable.app/]