Culture, Coffee & Common Sense

Hi, friend! The weekend is almost here—and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find a little extra breathing room in it. Maybe you’ll be traveling, tackling errands, taking a walk, sitting by the pool or finally getting to something on your “I’ll catch up on that later” list. If that sounds like you, I’ve put together a little leadership listening menu! Whether you have five minutes to spare or time for a deeper conversation, there’s an episode waiting for you. Choose your leadership listening mood: If...

Your Culture Has a Shadow The culture you describe isn’t always the culture people experience. ☕ Coffee Conversation I’ve visited and worked with enough organizations over the years to know that you can often feel a workplace culture before anyone explains it. Sometimes leaders proudly describe a culture built around teamwork, trust, communication, and putting people first. The website says all the right things. The mission statement is framed beautifully on the wall. The onboarding...

The Habit Ripple Effect I recently led a workshop on professional habits that build better teams, stronger client relationships, and greater professional success. And one idea really seemed to land in the room: Professional habits don’t stay in their lane. We may talk about habits in separate buckets — team habits, client habits, and personal professional development habits — but in real life, they are all connected. The habits you bring to your team impact the way your clients are served....

Hi AI can help us create faster. It can draft the email.Summarize the meeting.Generate the ideas.Polish the post.Maybe even sound a little bit like us. But can it replace your voice? Your lived experience?Your values?Your ability to read the room?Your discernment?Your empathy?The trust you build with people over time? That’s the heart of the conversation I had with Mike Kim on this week’s episode of the Culture Secrets Podcast. The episode is called: What AI Can’t Replace: Leadership Brand,...

My dad owned a beauty shop for most of my life. People came through his door because they needed a haircut, a new style or a little help covering the gray. But that wasn’t all they brought with them. They brought stories about their marriages. Concerns about their children. Financial struggles. Work frustrations. Hopes, disappointments and dreams they might not have shared in many other places. My dad wasn’t a marketer. He wasn’t a public relations professional. He didn’t have a customer...

This week's Culture Secrets Podcast episode started with a journalist panel, a national news story, and a memory from my newspaper days that I hadn't thought about in years. It involved a fast-food restaurant opening, an angry phone call, a frustrated publisher, and a lesson about trust that has stayed with me for more than three decades. In a world where people can see more than ever before, trust is no longer automatically granted because of a title, organization, or reputation. It's proven...

You’re Not Meant to Make Everyone Happy ☕️ I saw a sign recently that made me laugh: “You can’t make everyone happy. You’re not tacos.” It’s funny. But it’s also true. And nowhere is that more obvious than in leadership. Most leaders genuinely want to do right by their people. They want to be supportive. Fair. Encouraging. They want people to feel valued. But somewhere along the way, that desire can quietly turn into something else: the pressure to keep everyone happy. So leaders: soften...

You Never Know What You’ll Encounter ☕️ A couple of weekends ago, I was out running errands when I came across something I didn’t expect. Actually… two things. One was a series of speed bumps that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The other? A giant chicken. (Yes… an actual, larger-than-life chicken.) It made me laugh — but it also made me think. Because leadership feels a lot like that some days. You can plan. Prepare. Map out your schedule. And then suddenly… Something unexpected shows up....

Delete the Word “Just” From Your Vocabulary ☕️ Over the last two editions, we’ve talked about the signals leaders send and how people eventually internalize those signals into beliefs about their worth. This is where the work becomes deeply personal. Because sometimes the person most likely to minimize your value… is you. I hear it all the time from incredibly capable professionals. “I just wanted to share an idea.” “I’m just checking in.” “I just thought this might help.” “I’m just the one...