#202 | Cultural Humility, Belonging, and the Courage to Lead Differently W/ Dr. Joel Perez

#202 | Cultural Humility, Belonging, and the Courage to Lead Differently W/ Dr. Joel Perez

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Dr. Joel Perez [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelperezphd/], award-winning author, executive coach, belonging consultant, Gallup Strengths coach, IDI Qualified Administrator, and author of Dear White Leader: How to Achieve Organizational Excellence Through Cultural Humility. Dr. Perez shares how leaders can create cultures of belonging by practicing cultural humility, leading with clarity, and learning to operate in ambiguity. He explains why leadership begins with self-awareness but must move beyond the individual into the organization, community, and systems leaders influence. Kyle and Dr. Perez also discuss work-life integration, cultural humility, psychological safety, identity as a leadership superpower, mental health, intent versus impact, leading across difference, and what it takes to become a belonging-centered leader in a turbulent world. Key Topics: * Why leadership requires comfort with ambiguity * The difference between work-life balance and work-life integration * What cultural humility looks like in practice * Why leaders must look in the mirror first * Leading with clarity and self-awareness * The four dimensions of a belonging-centered organization * Psychological safety and healthy conflict * Systems that work for everyone * Accountable leadership and daily habits that build belonging * How identity can become a leadership superpower * Why mental health matters for exceptional leadership * Intent versus impact in leadership * Leading across difference with curiosity instead of judgment Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:15 — Meet Dr. Joel Perez 01:00 — Dear White Leader and award recognition 01:30 — Balancing multiple roles and work-life integration 02:30 — Holding things loosely and living in the gray 03:30 — Why better people lead better teams 04:00 — How leaders can operate in ambiguity 04:30 — Leading with clarity 05:30 — Cultural humility and nonprofit leadership 06:30 — Looking in the mirror as a leader and organization 07:30 — Turning philosophy into practical frameworks 08:00 — The belonging-centered organizational framework 08:30 — Psychological safety 09:00 — Systems that work for everyone 09:30 — Accountable leadership 10:00 — Daily habits that build belonging 10:30 — Exceptional leadership in a turbulent world 11:00 — Identity as a leadership superpower 11:30 — Mental health and leadership 12:00 — Nostalgia is not a strategy 12:30 — Leading through turbulence 14:00 — Dr. Perez’s first-generation college story 15:00 — Growing up as the son of Mexican immigrants 16:00 — Learning to lead across difference 17:00 — Cultural humility coaching 18:00 — Identity, code switching, and belonging 19:30 — What belonging-centered leadership means 21:30 — Intent versus impact 22:30 — Apologies, accountability, and leadership repair 23:30 — Why belonging is both moral and strategic Guest Bio Dr. Joel Perez is an award-winning author, executive coach, belonging consultant, Gallup Strengths coach, IDI Qualified Administrator, and founder of a coaching and consulting practice focused on helping leaders and organizations create cultures of belonging. He is the author of Dear White Leader: How to Achieve Organizational Excellence Through Cultural Humility, which was recognized with the Silver Award for Best New Voice Nonfiction by the Independent Book Publishers Association. Through his work, Dr. Perez helps leaders practice cultural humility, lead across difference, build psychological safety, and create organizations where people 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/]

#201 | How Purpose-Driven Teams Create Unforgettable Experiences With Mark Maynard

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Mark Maynard, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-maynard-acc-b8a2976/] keynote speaker, author, advisor, coach, and former managing partner at Union Square Hospitality Group. Mark shares how hospitality, clarity, purpose, and community shape unforgettable customer and team experiences. He explains why great service is not just about a product, meal, or transaction. It is about helping people feel like they belong to something bigger. Kyle and Mark also discuss why service teams need clarity, how purpose creates buy-in, why complaints are gifts, and how leaders can build organizations where every action connects back to the mission. Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:26 — Meet Mark Maynard 01:30 — Mark’s connection to hospitality and service 03:00 — Why entertaining and hosting matter 04:00 — Customers versus guests 05:35 — Why your product is community 07:30 — Building loyalty through belonging 08:45 — Mark’s journey into hospitality 10:00 — Why teams need clarity, not another pep talk 12:25 — Purpose, buy-in, and shared direction 15:25 — Where leaders should begin 17:30 — Why complaints are gifts 19:30 — Receiving feedback with humility 21:30 — What extraordinary service teams do differently 23:00 — Connecting people to purpose -- 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/]

#199 | Building Pathways for Underrepresented College Students with Dara Ashley

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Dara Ashley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dara-ashley/], founding executive director of the Dara Ashley Foundation, researcher, and nonprofit leader working to close the access and exposure gap for underrepresented college students. Dara shares how her own experiences, mentorship, and time at Howard University shaped her passion for helping students see what is possible. She explains why exposure matters, why students cannot pursue opportunities they have never seen, and how mentorship can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. Kyle and Dara also discuss the difference between access and ability, the power of one-on-one mentorship, data-driven program design, Leadership U, and what it means to build an organization that helps students gain the skills, networks, and confidence they need for life after college. Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:40 — Meet Dara Ashley 01:00 — Dara’s mission and infectious spirit 01:30 — Closing the access and exposure gap 02:30 — Helping students identify what they do not know 03:15 — The power of exposure 04:00 — Dara’s origin story and early mentorship experience 05:00 — Where to start if you want to serve your community 06:00 — Former mentees returning as mentors 07:15 — Access versus ability 08:45 — Why exposure also shows students what they do not want 10:00 — Dara’s path into research 11:00 — Why leaders must mentor and reach back 12:00 — Staying connected to the audience you serve 13:00 — What Dara saw missing in the system 14:30 — What leaders get wrong about mentorship 15:30 — The power of one-on-one mentorship 16:00 — What success looks like for Dara 17:00 — The ten-year vision for the Dara Ashley Foundation 18:00 — Growing into 42 states and going deeper locally 19:00 — Leadership U and student-centered program design 20:00 — Using data to measure and build impact 21:00 — Turning vision into systems and deliverables   -- 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/]

#198 | From Grant Dependency to Financial Independence with Pedro Jose Rivera

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Pedro Jose Rivera [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pjrivera66/], a nonprofit fundraising strategist working at the intersection of law, philanthropy, wealth management, and nonprofit leadership. Pedro shares how Latino-led nonprofits can move from grant dependency to deeper financial independence by building diversified fundraising systems. He explains why organizations need to focus on individual giving, planned giving, corporate support, board engagement, and community-based fundraising instead of relying only on restricted grants. Kyle and Pedro also discuss the role of faith, family, generosity, board responsibility, peer-to-peer fundraising, and why asking for support is not begging. It is inviting people to invest in the mission. Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:45 — Meet Pedro Jose Rivera 01:30 — Pedro’s Puerto Rican roots, family, faith, and education 03:40 — How generosity was modeled in Pedro’s childhood 06:00 — What Pedro hopes to give through his work 06:45 — Moving Latino-led nonprofits beyond grant dependency 07:40 — Understanding individual giving, planned giving, grants, and events 09:15 — Where new nonprofits should start fundraising 10:15 — Why nonprofits must think like entrepreneurs 11:30 — Why organizations become grant dependent 13:30 — Creative funding strategies and peer-to-peer fundraising 15:30 — What executive directors often overlook 16:50 — The role of the board in fundraising 18:45 — Why passion without systems is dangerous 20:30 — The fundraising truth leaders need to hear -- 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/]

#197 | Why Teams Avoid the Conversations That Matter With Whitney Siders

In this episode of the Contagious Culture Podcast, Kyle King sits down with Whitney Siders [https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneysiders/], executive team advisor, coach, speaker, offsite facilitator, and founder of The Modern Inc. Whitney helps leaders and teams get beneath the surface of what is really happening so they can strengthen alignment, accelerate action, and lead with greater clarity. She shares why fear, resistance, avoided conversations, and unclear first steps often keep leaders and teams stuck. Kyle and Whitney also discuss emotional intelligence, leadership awareness, hard conversations, team patterns, real alignment, and why creating space to pause can help teams move forward with more honesty and effectiveness. Episode History 00:00 — Introduction 00:18 — Meet Whitney Siders 01:10 — Why Whitney does not love being called fearless 02:15 — Fear, resistance, and clarity 03:20 — Avoiding hard conversations 05:00 — Solving symptoms instead of root issues 06:10 — Awareness, clarity, and emotional intelligence 08:45 — Looking at patterns under pressure 09:30 — Caretaker leadership and avoided feedback 10:50 — Creating space to pause 12:45 — Why teams solve surface-level problems 13:20 — The problem with fake alignment 14:30 — Building tools, language, and accountability 16:15 — Whitney’s slingshot moment 17:00 — The accident that changed her life 20:30 — Recovery, mindset, and small goals 22:45 — Choosing work that helps people show up fully -- 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/]