Growth Hacking Culture

In this essential episode, we dive deep into one of the most critical and challenging topics in the modern workplace: the powerful resistance to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Our guest is global corporate leader, former Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Merck, and author of the vital new book, The Truth About Equity: What it really is, what it isn't, and why everyone wins when we get it right. Celeste Warren is uniquely qualified to help us talk through the noise and confront the root causes of fear and resistance.
Key Takeaways You'll Learn:
The Problem: Learn why a significant number of employees view their employer's DEI efforts as divisive and why many fear losing their job in a more diverse organization.
Equity vs. Equality: Celeste breaks down the core misconception that equity means preferential treatment. She uses the powerful "rocks and fences" analogy to distinguish between equality and true equity.
Reframing the Narrative: Discover how to reframe the conversation to show that equity is not about unfair advantage, but about ensuring everyone has a fair shot at the starting line.
Addressing the Fear of Loss: Learn the strategy for engaging leaders and employees who fear that equity means giving up their privileges. The approach is to acknowledge the fear but reframe equity as an expansion, not a subtraction.
The Cost of Exclusion: Understand the immense liability for corporations and society when people feel a lack of belonging, leading to reduced contribution and social unrest.
Beyond Box Ticking: Celeste provides a clear roadmap for embedding equitable practices—not just counting people, but making people count by leveraging their full cultural awareness.
This conversation offers a clear, practical roadmap for turning every employee into an ambassador for true win-win equity.
About my Guest:
Celeste Warren is an internationally recognized leader and the author of The Truth About Equity. She shares how we can collectively move past the resistance and build organizations where everyone is able to succeed.
 
Timestamp Breakdown:
Time
Topic
0:37
The resistance: Employee backlash and divisive perceptions of DEI programs.
3:12
The confusion between equality and equity.
3:48
The "rocks and fences" analogy to explain true equity.
10:50
Reframing equity: How to position it as expansion, not subtraction.
11:12
Appealing to business leaders: Why DEI is a good business and not just a moral imperative.
15:35
The cost of a lack of belonging and how it harms society and the workplace.
21:30
Removing bias from hiring processes and selection practices.
24:05
Addressing the misconception that equity lowers performance standards.
25:13
The best way to tackle arguments from DEI skeptics: dialogue vs. compliance.
33:32
An inside-out approach to measuring DEI success and embedding it into company values.
35:58
Beyond "butts in seats": Measuring success by making people count and getting feedback.
46:19
How to address inappropriate behavior with conversation and dialogue instead of punishment.
 
Connect with Celeste Warren:
Website: www.crwdiversity.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestewarrenllc/
Her book: https://amzn.eu/d/iCDW5Er

This is an essential conversation for any leader, manager, or entrepreneur who wants to build a high-performing, sustainable culture.
We're joined by Kyle McDowell, a former Fortune 10 senior executive and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Begin with We: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence. Kyle is candid about the dysfunctional "me-oriented" mindset that plagues most workplaces and shares his practical, principle-based framework for transforming it into a "WE powerhouse."
 
Why You Need to Hear This:
The evidence is clear: an unhealthy work environment is a slow-motion disaster.
A toxic culture is costing American companies an estimated $223 billion annually.
Kyle reveals that a fifth of American employees have quit a job in the last five years because of a toxic culture.
Conversely, we-oriented companies are seeing a 23% spike in profitability and a 21% boost in productivity.
 
Inside the Episode: From Me to WE
Kyle gets raw and transparent about the first 20 years of his 30-year corporate career, where he was completely "stuck in the me zone"—a leader focused only on his own wins. He shares the profound epiphany that changed his entire approach to leadership and life, leading him to develop the "10 We" principles as a guide for building true connection and legacy.
 
Key Takeaways & Actionable Insights:
The Courage to Change: Is it human nature to be "me-oriented"? Kyle challenges this idea and explains why it takes immense courage and a mindset shift to break the cycle of toxic, command-and-control leadership.
Values are Bullshit (Why Behavior is King): Most company values are meaningless words on a poster. Kyle explains why focusing on observable, documentable behaviors is the only way to genuinely shift and sustain culture. "Values are bullshit"—but principles and behaviors are currency.
The Leadership Cycle Breaker: Learn how bad behavior from one boss creates a dysfunctional cycle that perpetuates toxic leaders, and how one person can find the "better way" and create a positive, unstoppable momentum from the ground up.
Handling Accountability with Empathy: How do you address underperformance and mistakes in a "we culture" without resorting to shame or the "get your results up or else" approach? Kyle offers his proven method for setting expectations and giving people the support they need to succeed.
The Power of Self-Reflection: We discuss why few companies promote self-awareness training, and why self-reflection is the non-negotiable first step in the entire cultural transformation.
Connect with Kyle McDowell:
Kyle McDowell's book, Begin with We: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence, is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller.
Website & Social Media: https://kylemcdowellinc.com/ or @KyleMcDowellInc
The Book: Begin With WE: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence 
Episode Timeline
1:01 The ROI on a Healthy Culture: Profitability & Productivity Spikes
3:03 Kyle's Personal Confession: 20 Years Trapped in the "Me Zone"
4:13 The Gut Punch: Why a Leader Loathes the Environment They Created
7:44 Why Leading Differently Requires Courage and Why the "We Shift" is Rare
10:10 How Toxic Bosses Create a Cycle of Bad Leadership Behavior
15:39 The Tough Choice: Staying or Finding a Better Environment
18:08 Kyle’s Leadership Hero: Harry Kramer and the Power of Values-Based Leadership
20:35 Tackling Self-Reflection: Why It's Simple, Not Easy
26:18 The Momentum of Principle-Based Leadership and the Naysayers
34:22 Accountability Without Shaming: Handling Underperformance in a We-Culture
44:42 Why Corporate Values Are "Bullshit" and the Truth About Behaviors
 

The conventional leadership advice is a lie: Don't show fear. Suppress the anger. Keep your cool. But what if that intense energy behind frustration or rage is the most potent fuel you're wasting?
 
In this thought-provoking deep dive, author and executive coach Greg Stewart (drgregstewart.com) introduces his radical concept of unleashing the rage of negative emotions —not at your team, but against the internal and external obstacles holding you back. This isn't about becoming an irrational boss; it’s about transforming raw, negative energy into highly disciplined, goal-directed action.
 
Listen to Greg unpack his three-part framework, I³ (Information, Interpretation, Intensity) , a system for leaders who are ready to stop managing their inner life and start maximizing their impact.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
The I³ Framework Decoded: How this critical thinking system acts as a "Panama Canal" for your emotions, ensuring you are operating from a place of rational truth, not immediate reaction.
The Uncomfortable Truth of Inflation: Greg details the three reasons why negative emotions become inflated (e.g., believing a lie, taking things personally, or unaddressed trauma) and why a true leader must look in the mirror before leading others. The issue isn't the negative emotion itself, but the inflation of it.
 
From "Have More" to "Become More": Why even successful VPs and directors hit a wall in their mid-thirties, and how finding the Iron Man Core—a mission, calling, and purpose—is the only way to be a leader, not just "a machine managing other machines".
 
Mandatory Leadership Growth Rituals: Discover the simple, high-impact practice of Proactive Teachability—a weekly check-in designed to relentlessly eradicate your blind spots, thereby skyrocketing your "referent power" and leadership credibility.
 
The Test of Truth: Greg explains that productive growth is about constantly treating your beliefs as a hypothesis you must validate, using your family as the toughest training ground for your emotional intelligence.
This episode of the Growth Hacking Culture Podcast challenges the psychological taboos in modern leadership and delivers a practical manual for turning your most difficult feelings into your greatest strategic advantage.
Connect with Greg Stewart:
Website: becomingmore.com 
Discover his book I3 for Leaders: Unleash the Rage of Negative Emotions Against the Obstacles of Becoming More
 
This episode is sponsored by Binôme+
Structuring succession. Securing transmission of Swiss SMEs

Are you a business leader or HR professional frustrated by the lack of measurable return on investment (ROI) from your leadership coaching programs?
You are definitely not alone. Industry reports indicate that a staggering 70% of organizations struggle to effectively measure the ROI of their leadership development initiatives.
This massive disconnect leaves companies feeling like they have invested in a solution without a clear problem, or worse, a problem without a tangible outcome. The market is saturated with providers, and the challenge goes beyond finding a coach—it’s about selecting the right approach for your specific business needs and ensuring it delivers a measurable, lasting impact.
In this deep-dive interview, we pull back the curtain on why so much corporate coaching falls short and what truly moves the needle. To guide us, we host a true expert in the field: Andrea Caldwell, Vice President of Consulting and Coaching at FranklinCovey, a global leader in performance improvement.
The Science of Change: Moving Beyond "Soft Skills"
Andrea shares her deep expertise in corporate leadership and human behavior, explaining that effective leadership coaching is far from a "soft skill." It is deeply rooted in neuroscience and behavioral psychology. We discuss the key scientific principles that make coaching work, including the ability to create new neural pathways in the brain. People change when they feel psychologically safe, achieve small wins, and receive regular feedback. Critically, the change must be intrinsically motivated; it cannot be imposed or come from external pressure.
A major pitfall we uncover is the common corporate mistake of positioning coaching as a punishment—telling an underperforming employee to "go see a coach." This instantly kills intrinsic motivation and sets the entire program up for failure. Effective coaching is about growth, development, and broadening a leader's positive impact on their team and the organization's strategic goals.
The ROI Blueprint: Getting Hardcore Data
The conversation tackles the "Disneyland calculations" often seen in measuring coaching ROI. Andrea provides the facts: studies by the International Coaching Federation show anywhere from a 400% to 800% return on investment on coaching dollars spent. This return comes in the form of improved productivity, expanded skills, and increased confidence in navigating disruption and change. Gallup also reports a 59% lower turnover in organizations with highly engaged teams—a direct outcome of effective leadership coaching.
The key to achieving this high ROI is beginning with the end in mind, as taught in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Before starting any program, you must define clear, measurable objectives that align with business goals, whether they involve culture transformation or specific skill adoption.
The Future of Coaching: Integrating AI and Tackling Culture
We explore the challenges in implementation, notably the lack of executive sponsorship and the inability to effectively apply training. When coaching is paired with a learning experience, implementation boosts up to 400%. To solve the scalability problem, we discuss the role of AI in coaching. AI is an essential tool, acting as a low-stakes practice partner for skill development (e.g., navigating difficult conversations) and helping with accountability, but it is not a replacement for the human element.
Finally, we address the influence of company culture. A toxic culture—like the "firefighter syndrome" where people intentionally wait for a crisis to be the hero—can completely destroy a coaching program. Andrea offers advice on how corporate leaders should evaluate coaching providers by focusing on proven methodology, data tracking, scalability, and cultural fit.
If you want to stop guessing and start getting real, measurable results from your leadership coaching, this episode provides the practical framework you need.
About the Guest: Andrea Caldwell Andrea Caldwell is the Vice President of Consulting and Coaching at FranklinCovey, bringing over two decades of experience in leadership development and organizational effectiveness. She leads teams dedicated to helping organizations build high-trust cultures, develop world-class leaders, and achieve exceptional business results.
Connect with Andrea Caldwell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreacaldwell3/
Franklin Covey Profile: https://franklincovey.ca/engage-with-us/andrea-caldwell/
 
Want to ignite your curiosity? 📍Check INSPO, the social network for thought leadership 👇
 

Welcome to the Growth Hacking Culture Swiss Made Edition! In this episode, we host a truly inspiring discussion with Muriel Favarger, founder and director of Ma Table & Co, an intergenerational ecosystem based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Muriel shares her incredible journey of resilience, detailing how she navigated immense personal and professional challenges—including a serious health diagnosis and job loss—to launch a successful, human-centered business.
Listen to discover:
Why the ecosystem's roots date back 17 years to 2008.
Muriel's unique approach to addressing the "hidden computing market" by building bridges between senior and junior professionals.
How her motto of putting the "human being at the center" drives her entire business model.
Her insights on how to maintain an entrepreneurial mindset through difficult times, and why you must "choose life."
The power of sustainable relationships—not just methods or tools—as the foundation for a thriving business.
Muriel's philosophy on fostering an environment of peace and joy where people can meet “human to human.”
Her analogy of "one connection at a time," which she compares to building a painting or a building.
What it takes to be a successful founder and leader in Swiss entrepreneurship.
Why she believes we shouldn't live the life of another person—you have to own your own life.
This conversation is essential listening for any leader, founder, or curious mind interested in the intersection of personal resilience, authentic leadership, and business scaling in the Swiss market.
Connect with Muriel Favarger:
Ma Table & Co Website: https://matableandco.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mf777/
 
Want to ignite your curiosity? 📍Check INSPO, the social network for thought leadership 👇
 

Are your OKRs and KPIs actually holding your team back? In this episode of the Growth Hacking Culture podcast, we challenge the traditional approach to goal setting with Radhika Dutt, author of "Radical Product Thinking." Radhika argues that our obsession with traditional performance metrics is deeply flawed and actively damages our products and culture. We explore why these systems, which were revolutionary in the 1940s, are failing modern, complex businesses and leading to "performance theater" instead of true innovation.
The conversation delves into the history of goal-setting, tracing its roots back to Peter Drucker's management by objectives in the 1940s. This approach was designed for an era of unskilled labor working on assembly lines, where performance was easily measured by output. However, applying these same ideas to today's complex, creative problems can lead to significant issues, such as those seen at Boeing. Radhika highlights that for complex problem-solving, research shows that simply saying "do your best" is more effective than setting rigid targets.
Radhika introduces her groundbreaking framework: Objectives, Hypotheses, and Learnings (OHLs). This new mindset shifts the focus from hitting metrics to solving puzzles, fostering a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and genuine accountability. This approach works by asking three key questions: How well did it work? What did you learn? What will you try next? This invites teams to act as detectives, looking at both good and bad numbers to truly understand what's happening, a muscle that often atrophies with traditional goal setting. The OHL framework is built to align with human psychology, tapping into our innate desire to solve problems rather than just complete tasks.
Guest Information
Learn more about Radhika Dutt and her work:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhika-dutt/
Her Book: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Product-Thinking-Mindset-Innovating/dp/1523093315
Website: https://www.radicalproduct.com/
 

In this eye-opening episode of the Growth Hacking Culture podcast, we dive deep into the often-misunderstood world of the employee experience. Forget the free snacks and meditation apps; we're here for the naked truth about what genuinely drives engagement, loyalty, and a thriving company culture. Our host sits down with Jordan Peace, CEO and co-founder of Fringe, a company built on the radical idea of giving employees real choice over their benefits. Jordan exposes the flaws in traditional HR strategies and reveals why so many companies are failing to retain their best talent. He argues that the problem isn't just about what you are paid, but how you are treated and how you feel about your work.
 
Low employee engagement is costing the global economy more than $8.8 trillion, proving this isn't just an HR issue—it's a massive economic challenge. Jordan argues that many well-intentioned programs, like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or one-size-fits-all benefits, fail because they don't treat employees like the individuals they are. Instead, he advocates for a system of choice, where employees are empowered to select the benefits that best suit their changing needs, whether it's for childcare, mental health, or personal development. This approach fosters a sense of respect and autonomy, which are far more valuable than superficial perks.
 
Join us as we discuss why many corporate "wellness" programs are just virtue signaling, the crucial role of leadership vulnerability, and why giving employees real choice is the only way to build a culture of trust and respect.
If you're a leader, HR professional, or simply curious about building a better workplace, this episode will challenge your assumptions and provide a new perspective on what it means to truly invest in people.
Topics Covered:
The true cost of low employee engagement
Why big companies play too much defense
The difference between knowledge and wisdom
The most common and wasteful employee initiatives
The power of giving employees choice over their benefits
Redefining performance reviews and management
The importance of vulnerability in leadership
Connect with the Guest:
Jordan Peace, CEO & Co-founder of Fringe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-peace-fringe/ 
 
#EmployeeExperience #CorporateCulture #HR #EmployeeEngagement #Leadership #CompanyCulture #Workplace #JordanPeace #Fringe #EmployeeBenefits #EAP
Connect with The Growth Hacking Culture:
Website: https://podcast.ivanpalomino.net/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7283793344915206144/ 
Don't miss a single episode! Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform.
 
Want to ignite your curiosity? 📍Check INSPO, the social network for thought leadership 👇
 
 
 

In this powerful episode, we challenge the outdated notion that disability inclusion is just a "feel-good" initiative. We're joined by expert Rachel Shaw to dive into the compelling business case for a robust disability inclusion program and expose the true costs of ignoring this critical conversation.
Rachel reveals that the average workplace accommodation costs surprisingly little—often between $0 and $300—while the return on investment in talent retention, innovation, and psychological safety is massive. This isn't just about compliance; it's about unlocking profitability and creating a more stable, effective, and human-centric workplace. We discuss how companies are getting it wrong and provide a roadmap for change, backed by hard data and powerful stories, including one about a teacher who returned to work for just $69.
If you're a leader, entrepreneur, or HR professional, this episode will transform how you think about building a truly inclusive and profitable company culture. We also dive into the rising rates of neurodivergence and mental health issues like burnout, offering insights on how your organization can proactively address these challenges.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why the disability employment gap is a global issue.
The tangible business benefits of disability inclusion, from talent retention to increased profitability.
Powerful case studies that prove accommodations are more affordable than you think.
How to shift from a compliance mindset to a culture of genuine support.
Practical ways to remove unconscious biases in hiring and talent management.
The connection between burnout, mental health, and disability.
Guest Info: Rachel Shaw is an expert on disability inclusion and helps organizations build intentional, inclusive programs. You can find her at https://rachelshaw.com/ .
Connect with The Growth Hacking Culture:
Website: https://podcast.ivanpalomino.net/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7283793344915206144/ 
Don't miss a single episode! Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform.

Welcome to The Growth Hacking Culture Podcast. In this episode, we challenge the conventional wisdom that being a "nice" boss is always a good thing. We dive deep into a hidden source of workplace chaos: the overly nice leader.
Join us as we talk with leadership expert Andrea Wanerstrand about the critical distinction between being merely "nice" and being genuinely kind. We explore how an overemphasis on niceness can create an environment of confusion, low performance, and burnout for your team.
Discover the neurological effects this has on employees and, most importantly, learn how to break free from the kindness trap. Andrea, with her experience at top companies like Microsoft and Meta, shares actionable strategies for becoming a truly effective and compassionate leader.
This episode is packed with insights on:
The difference between niceness (being liked) and kindness (showing true care).
The surprising consequences for both the leader and the team.
Why being too nice can lead to burnout.
A simple, powerful framework to change your mindset and behavior.
Whether you're a manager, a team member, or an aspiring leader, this episode will help you understand the power of courageous kindness in building a high-performing and authentic work culture.
 
How to contact Andrea:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreawanerstrand/
Website: https://a3culturelab.com/
About Andrea Wanerstrand:
Andrea Wanerstrand is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and cultural transformation expert with 25+ years inside some of the world’s most complex organizations—including Microsoft, Meta, T-Mobile, and Hitachi. As the Founder & CEO of A3 Culture Lab, and the creator of the Mindset Maven Method, Andrea helps leaders make bold shifts—from control to connection, performance to presence, and burnout to bold cultural influence.
 
This episode is sponsored by Binôme+
Structuring succession. Securing transmission of Swiss SMEs
 
Keywords: leadership, work culture, kindness, management, employee engagement, burnout, business strategy, professional development, corporate culture, effective leadership, career growth, authentic leadership, mindset, coaching.
 

Are we approaching the age of AI all wrong? While headlines champion the latest algorithms and ever-expanding large language models, a critical component is being overlooked: the human element. The real challenge of digitalization isn't found in the code, but in the culture, strategy, and people tasked with implementing it. Research indicates that while over 90% of companies are increasing their AI investments, the most significant hurdles they face are about bridging the gap between leadership expectations and on-the-ground readiness. This disconnect, coupled with an over-reliance on AI, risks a decline in the very critical thinking skills that drive innovation.
In this in-depth episode of the Growth Hacking Culture Podcast, we sit down with Evan J Schwartz, a veteran of enterprise technology and the acclaimed author of "People, Places, and Things," a foundational framework for pain-free technology implementation. Evan brings his decades of experience—witnessing the painful, multi-million dollar ERP rollouts of the 2000s—to the current AI gold rush, offering a sobering and invaluable perspective. He argues that despite twenty years of technological advancement, many organizations are repeating the same fundamental mistakes, just with a new set of tools.
Evan deconstructs the common but flawed "peanut butter spread" approach to AI, where companies simply "rub some AI on it" and hope for the best. He reveals why this often fails, starting with the critical importance of a well-defined use case. Without one, you've already lost. He illustrates this with the "99-to-1" fallacy: a scenario where a company might build a brilliant AI to catch the 1% of customers abusing a free service, only to spend more on the AI's operational costs than they would lose by simply letting the 99% of honest customers continue as before. It's a powerful lesson in ensuring the solution doesn't cost more than the problem.
Delving deeper, Evan explains the inherent risks of today's AI models. He unpacks the stochastic, or random, nature of LLMs, which leads to the phenomenon of "hallucinations." An answer might be right 99 times, but that one incorrect response could be catastrophic. This is why relying on an AI's encoded knowledge without guardrails is a dangerous game. He critiques the trend of brute-force prompting—crafting 25-page documents that look more like complex code—which defeats the very purpose of intuitive, natural language interaction with technology.
So, what is the path forward? Evan introduces the powerful "Person + AI" strategy. This framework positions AI not as a replacement for human workers, but as a force multiplier that alleviates the burden of monotonous, repetitive tasks. He draws a compelling parallel to the industrial age, where the tractor didn't just eliminate the need for 198 men to plow a field; it enabled two men to farm thousands of acres, playing an infinite game of growth and possibility. In the information age, AI can do the same for our minds, taking on the "repeatable excellence" that our modern education and corporate systems demand.
This shift, Evan argues, allows us to reclaim and cultivate the skills that make us uniquely human: creativity, strategic intuition, fearlessness in the face of failure, and the ability to learn and adapt. He shares a personal and passionate story about his son, observing how the educational drive for "honor status" and straight A's can inadvertently stifle risk-taking and innovation. Imagine, he posits, a future generation that learns to command AI from a young age, retaining their innate creativity and curiosity throughout their lives.
This evolution will redefine roles across every industry. Using the profound analogy of an artist, Evan explains that while AI might be a revolutionary new "camera," it still requires a human photographer's vision to describe the lighting, the mood, and the emotion to create a masterpiece. The tool changes, but the intent and expertise remain human-driven. Similarly, he addresses the future of programmers and architects, explaining that while they may not be hand-jamming lines of code, the core principles of good application design, architecture, and logic are more crucial than ever.
This conversation is an essential guide for any leader, manager, or professional navigating the complexities of modern business. It moves beyond the technical jargon to address the core of successful transformation: understanding the journey, preparing your people, and building a framework where technology serves and amplifies human ingenuity, rather than attempting to replace it.Connect with Evan https://www.evanjschwartz.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-schwartz-live/
Check his book on Amazon: People, Places, and Things: A Framework for a Pain-Free ERP Implementation