Love as a People-Centered Strategy with Kristi Pittman

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Kristi Pittman
Be direct, you know, tell people what they need to do to be successful. Don't hold back, but you can do it in a way that's not disrespectful or degrading, you know, but people need that feedback to also learn how to grow and to recognize their weaknesses.

Jeff Ma
Hello and welcome to Love as a Business Strategy, a podcast that brings humanity to the workplace. We're here to talk about business, but we want to tackle topics that most business leaders shy away from, and we believe that humanity love should be at the center of every successful business. I'm your host, Jeff. Ma and as always, I'm here to have conversations and hear stories from real people about real business and real life. My guest today is Kristy Pittman. Kristy is a seasoned Human Resources executive currently serving as Vice President of Human Resources for Daikin comfort technologies. Her career trajectory with Daikin is truly remarkable, beginning in 1990 at Goodman Manufacturing, she witnessed firsthand the company's evolution from a modest operation with only 500 employees to the industry giant that it is today, now posting over 14,000 employees across North America. Kristi journey encompasses a wide range of HR disciplines, from foundational roles and benefits and payroll to leadership positions overseeing talent acquisition, organizational development and total rewards. This breadth of experience provides her with a unique and holistic perspective on the strategic importance of human capital in today's business landscape. Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Kristi is a graduate of the Daikin executive program and actively contributes to the community through her involvement with the Centers for Houston future. Kristi Pittman, so nice having you here. How are you doing today?

Kristi Pittman

Oh, thank you. It's so nice to be here. I'm doing great.

Jeff Ma
So I like to start every interview with a simple question, and it's always Kristi, what is your passion and how did you find it.

Kristi Pittman
So my passion is cliche as it sounds, is really people. And you would hope that your HR leader is going to care about people, right? But for me, it truly is. And I think, you know, growing up Goodman, if you will, I was, you know, just right before my 21st birthday, when I started working at Goodman. And I tell folks I was the gopher, so I had the pleasure of running around all over the factory and the company, and got to know all the people that I worked with for years. I did group insurance. So everybody came through me whenever they have a need for their insurance, or a health issue, life insurance, things like that. And and I think throughout my time with the company, I've just developed a love for not just our people, but, you know, their families. And you know, whether it's new employees, long term employees, I just it's what motivates me and keeps me here as long as I've been here.

Jeff Ma
I mean, I know that sounded cliche, and I even said it for the episode called people centered strategy. So it'd be, it'd be a shame if I got a guest that didn't have that answer, so you nailed it. But let's dive into that little bit. I guess, you know because people we are we are complex, we are many, we are difficult at times. What does it mean to kind of, I guess, put people first or center around people. What does that mean to you?

Kristi Pittman
So I think I could start with that. You know, working for a company like Daikin, where people centered, management is truly a thing, right? There's a lot of companies that say, oh, yeah, we believe in people, but Daikin has created a philosophy where people is actually front and center of everything we do. And so I think for me, personally, as an HR leader, my role is to make sure everything we're doing in HR helps each employee to reach their infinite potential, whether that's through training programs, whether that's through insurance products that help support their families, whether that's looking at compensation all aspects of work life, balance. You know, it really is about thinking about people. And you know, we teach that a lot here at Daikin, that in everything you can you do, if you think through the lens of the person, and not just the action or the activity, you'll have a different outcome and a lot better relationships and collaboration, which then means we'll dig in and work harder and get things done together, you know, at a greater level. And so I think for me, personally, in the HR space, really my responsibility is to make sure that our leaders know what their roles are, and that they're, you know, doing those actions that really do put people first. And it's not just about the business and making money and selling product or, you know, manufacturing our products. It's about the people's roles and in our responsibility for developing them. You know, throughout their career, is what really what's most important, and the other stuff will come right? So that's kind of the way we look at it.

Jeff Ma
How do you address from an HR perspective? I guess these elements of. Of, I guess, the softer side of putting people first, because you mentioned a lot about policy. You mentioned a lot about having ways of the company, supporting work, life, balance, all these things, which I love, absolutely amazing. But there's this other side that I'm always very curious about, especially from HR, what about like, the behaviors, what about treatment of others, and kindness and these things? How does that show up? I

Kristi Pittman
think there's a couple of things. I think, in the first way, it's really about, you know, whenever there's a, just, for example, if there's a disciplinary issue, or some, you know, you get a leader that says, oh my goodness, this person's just not being successful. They're, you know, not doing what I asked them to do, we always go back to the leader first and say, What have you done to make this person successful? You know, from your communication style to making sure that the objectives are clearly identified, that you've spent time with them, you've recognized their weaknesses, and you've created opportunities to help them overcome that. You know, and so often the leaders will be like, Huh? I guess maybe I haven't done all that right. And so our my HR team, and even a lot of our top leaders now really embrace that concept of asking, you know, the managers first, what have you done? And whether that's, you know, a first time disciplinary issue, or we're contemplating some kind of termination. Those are always the questions that we ask first, you know, even if there's a policy violation, we go back to, did the individual understand the policy? Did we communicate it in the right way? Did we train them in the right way, you know, to make sure that they had every chance to be successful before they end up here? And I tell you, there are often times we're able to turn those situations around, if we reflect inward and think about our part first, which is what Daikin expects us to do. You know for so many reasons, because you know, if you are able to kind of save a person, if you will, from being on the brink of losing their job, and you know, you have humanity in the way that you handle that situation. That's likely going to be your next best employee that's going to want to stay with the company for such a long time because they recognized you. You had grace, you had, you know, humility and you had humanity, but you can also be firm. You know, hey, you know you're awfully close, but you know, we've got to make sure we don't get ourselves here again. And how do we do that? Right? But it's all about how we want to be talked to as human beings. And you know, how are we helping people really understand what their obligations are for Daikin, and in doing so, they'll be successful if they choose to be

Jeff Ma
Yeah, absolutely. And I and I can't help but as you're as you're explaining all this, I'm thinking about how much I agree with everything you're saying. But then I started thinking about the scale, because you've spent over 34 years with this company, like starting from a much smaller space to where it is now. And when I think of that many humans and that many people, and that much emotion and drama. And you know, with that, with those numbers, you know you're bound to have all kinds of situations and conflict. I mean, 14,000 employees, you're bound to have a lot of stories. And so I'm curious, what is it? What is having been through this growth? How is it? How did you maintain, I guess, the humanity through it all, because the easy way is to kind of go to process and go through more. I think a lot of corporations who grow to those sizes rely on these more cold and calculated HR policies, and kind of put business first, because that's more controllable. People are harder to control. So what has been your approach?

Kristi Pittman
So I'm going to reach over and grab a tool, but it starts really at the top right. So this is our dyke and group philosophy booklet. And in this booklet, it talks about people centered management, and really lays out, in a very simple way, the expectations of both employees and leaders about what it means to exhibit and practice people centered management. So it starts at the top. And just recently, Daikin celebrated their 100 year anniversary across, you know, the parent companies in Japan. So this is their 100 year anniversary. And we went to Japan in May, and they had their big global managers meeting, in addition to the 100 Year celebration, and people centered management and group philosophy were the main topics where they were talking to leaders across the globe. It was so important to them with a revised document, you know, in line for the anniversary, for us to spend two days in groups talking about the document, our interpretation of it. What does it mean, real world examples, and so it's really a mandate from the parent company in Japan. And we're even tracking like all of the activities at our at our regional levels. What are we doing to get PCM further? Understood in our business. So I think it starts there with having alignment on the goal. We want everybody to get an understanding, and then once everybody understands, hey, this is our culture, then for us in HR, we've developed programs for different levels of leadership to go through, to reinforce the values, reinforce the tenet. It also includes round tables, where we bring in leaders who can share some of these examples. HR is very big, you know, very big part of that where we share what we think it means for you to be successful as a manager with some of these scenarios. And it's just continuous affirmation of the goal and the expectations, and they're pretty strong for leaders. And we have had leaders where we've had to, I use chastise in a very loose way, but hey, you're just not cutting it as it relates to how you're developing your people. What does that plan look like? And I'll just lastly, add, with our HR structure, we have two departments that help reinforce this. So of course, our business partner function, which we have aligned business partners in every region, not just business units, but even underneath business units. The regions, you know, South Division, Central Division, there's an HR dedicated partner that helps with these messages. And then lastly, we have a dedicated employee relations department who hear from the employees when there's issues, and we look at those through a lens of we're getting a lot of complaints on a manager. Okay, let's go get some education for that leader. Let's figure out what's going on and help them understand, you know, what it means to really lead this these departments. And so I think it's those kinds of efforts that really help reinforce this on a company of our size.

Jeff Ma
Yeah, I'm curious to does people center management, is it formally kind of ingrained in your performance evaluations as well? So

Kristi Pittman
that's an interesting question, because we use PCM kind of as a guide post, but our Japanese parent company has been very clear that they don't want it to be so rigid in the performance management, because everybody practices PCM based upon their personality. You know, you can have these tenants and, okay, go do these things. But if it's not from the heart, if it's not natural, it's just a checklist, it's really not PCM. And so we monitor, you know, through our leadership, you know, interactions, hey, this is one you really should lean into. You know, spend six months talking to people about how they exhibit this, you know, this tenant. And so it is something that we we continuously reinforce. Whether it's posters on the walls, it's short video clips town halls where PCM is always present. It's kind of like safety, right? We're going to have a safety moment. We do those too, but we also have PCM moments. And, you know, we incorporated as much as we can, but we really try not to make it official, kind of, you know, counterpoint or point that we say, Hey, you're not doing your PCM Very good. We're going to ding you, or we're going to reduce your salary or, you know, increase. It's more of from the philosophical side. Hey, we really feel like you need to dig into this a little bit more, because we're not really seeing those behaviors on some of these actions that you've encountered the last few months. So more coaching and, you know, kind of helping people learn how to do things as it fits their personality and Dil our parent company, they'll say, lean into those that you really don't understand or you don't do well, because those would be the ones that you really are going to need the most time with.

Jeff Ma
Yeah, I think it's much easier to think of these things as, like, punitive moments of not doing it, but the things of like with treating each other better, and things of the heart and things like that, tends to work better with positive motivation, or at least getting people to care enough or want to participate. Do you all kind of see it that way as well? And do you is there anything that you do intentionally to try to get people more bought in, not just kind of seeing the words on the wall, but not living it out?

Kristi Pittman
Yeah, no, I think that's a great question, and it really does. Start with, we have a couple of really high level premier training programs that are focused on our VPs and directors. It's very intense training for three sessions over eight months, and it's a lot of, you know, just in intense learning about what it means to be a leader that exhibits PCM, and then we hold those leaders accountable to their learning. You know, we do have some, you know, our Gallup surveys that we can kind of gage how well somebody's doing. So there's factual data that does, you know, help contribute toward the understanding of an individual's understanding of it. There's one thing I wanted to add, though about PCM is that there's kind of this misnomer that we kind of have to work through, where people think PCM is very, I always say warm and fuzzy, right? Oh, it's all about people. We should all be happy and treat everybody so friendly. But there are elements about PCM that are very paternal. Like, you know, but you but it starts from a place of trust. If you build the trust with the employee, then you can say, Hey, I know you had good intentions, but this really didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. What can we do to help, you know, make this better, or can move forward, you know? So you, you know, it does talk about, admonish, you know, but in a caring way. Be direct, you know, tell people what they need to do to be successful. Don't hold back. But you can do it in a way that's not disrespectful or degrading, you know, but people need that feedback to also learn how to grow and to recognize their weaknesses. So it's kind of a balance of encouraging and, you know, and helping people, you know fulfill their potential. But there's also, you know, kind of like a father, you know, don't do that, because it's going to get you in trouble, kind of thing as well.

Jeff Ma
Absolutely, how do you incorporate people centered management into the hiring process. I'm curious, how do you find people who will, and I won't just say, fit in, but will in, who will embrace this and make sure that they have, I guess, the qualities that are necessary to to practice?

Kristi Pittman
I think that's a really great question, and honestly, it's something we're still tackling from a kind of a larger scale in the short term, what we've done is we've incorporated some of the right questions in the interview process. We're really looking for folks from a cultural perspective that want to work for a company like Daikin. And you know, it every company is unique, and so I think it's in, you know, it's in your hiring managers best interest to recognize traits within individuals that really want to embrace a culture like this, you know, the Japanese culture sometimes can be somewhat slow in the decision making process, you know, and you get folks that want a little more autonomy. And so we kind of ask those questions about, hey, this is our environment. This is what the culture is like. Recently, we hired a new CIO and and I spent time with him in my interview, really just talking to him about our culture. And hey, this is the process it takes to get things approved, and it's not a bad thing. It's just it's the way Daikin does things. And let's make sure you're going to be comfortable with this level. And then we talk about PCM. And honestly, the PCM aspect of it is very attractive to most of our candidates, you know, and that we really do, as you will, put your money where you put our money, where our mouth is, in terms of how we develop people. And we've got a long way to go, but the intentions are going in the right direction. But I think it's having those right Interview Questions getting to the heart of how someone will fit into your culture, not just from a technical or educational perspective, but is this some place they want to finish their careers? That's the type of people we want to hire and invest in.

Jeff Ma
One of my favorite sayings is it goes like this, honesty without kindness is brutality

Kristi Pittman

I love that.

Jeff Ma

But kindness, kindness without honesty, is manipulation.

Kristi Pittman

I totally agree

Jeff Ma

that was my question. Do you agree with that? And how does that? How does that play out? Because you mentioned earlier about having those, I guess, those moments and those conversations and those relationships. So I always look for that, that that if that's present, and I'm curious how people achieve that or struggle with that when it comes to this balance of honesty and kindness, because it's, it's in many places, it's just kindness. It is just kindness at all costs. So we're not saying the things that need to be said in other places. There's a little too much, it can be too much honesty in terms of just blunt feedback with no care for how it comes across. How do you balance those things?

Kristi Pittman
You know, I think it's a great question, and I think it's things that we still have to work on all the time, right? Because we're not perfect, and situations will arise where people get really, whether it's really passionate or people are frustrated, or, you know, something's not going right, and it comes with practice, knowing that that's the expectation. And you know, if you look at Daikin's core values, one of their core values is harmonious personal relationships, the value of building the relationships. You know, from the very beginning in our CIO, for example. So one of the first pieces of advice I gave him was, as soon as you get on boots on the ground, these are the 10 people you need to go meet, and you need to start building those relationships with them. When you do that, you come from a place of trust. Once you have that place of trust, you can have vigorous discussions, and you can do it in a respectful way. You know, PCM is not about not having those discussions, and and you need to be direct, if that's what we need to solve the problem, because we still need to get results within the company. It's not just about having a great place to work if we're not, you know, meeting the results. And so I think it really does come with the education and the emphasis on the relationships. And once you go build those, and I can say that throughout my whole. Career. What's made me successful is building relationships with not just who the people I think are going to help me come up in my career, but everybody you know, and getting to know everybody, and building those relationships and creating that trust, that people know who you are, they can trust to come and have a conversation with you. And if you have to say something harsh, you can do it in a kind way, but it doesn't stop you from being able to have that discussion. And so I think that's the root of it all, is really building those relationships in a space of trust,

Jeff Ma
beautiful. Couldn't agree more. I have a hypothetical if, if you have a a leader or a manager, who is, I'll paint them as, like, almost comically, kind of stereotypical, kind of, kind of very loud, very demanding, a little demeaning, again, hypothetical, but you Have this person who's getting things done very effective, but kind of leaving a lot of dead bodies in their trail, like this type of classic trope, what about your approach is different, and how you're going to handle this person? Or how do you where do you start? So I

Kristi Pittman
always start with a conversation, hold them in my office, and then it's facts, right? You know. Let me share with you the dozen complaints I've received this week because of your style, you know, or, you know, I'm hearing that people are really, you know, demotivated and turned off by how you're approaching things in a meeting, you know. Can we talk about that, right? And, you know, and then it really does come down to, like, what is their response? If it's, if it's negative, and it's just, you know, you don't know what you're talking about. And I've got to back be this way to get things done. Then there's, you know, I will go back to PCM, you know, you recognize you're in a culture that does not really reward, you know, reward that type of behavior, right? And it does come down to, no matter what level you are, if you're, if you're acting in a way that is not representative of a Daikin executive. You're not special, and you're not like above, you know, reproach. And if those tactics and you know, don't work, then sometimes I'll engage a peer, hey, can you have a conversation from your perspective with this person and see if you can help me kind of turn them around. And then if that doesn't work, then I go to the CEO. But even that is not a you need to fire this person. It's Hey, I've had a couple of conversations. I'm getting a few complaints. I've tried to go this approach, can you have a conversation in or together? Can we have a conversation? And usually that gets it done, because at that point they recognize the seriousness of the discussion, but we don't hold back. You know, you can have, even with the top executives, you can have very, you know, harsh discussions, but in a very kind way, but also very direct, where they recognize, hey, I don't want to kind of throw the HR card at you, but, you know, we need to have a serious discussion here. So in the worst case scenario, if people are leaving, then I always say, I go green and I pull out the data. Here's the 20 people who have left your organization this month. You know, is this the trend that you want to be responsible for? So I think those are just some ways that, you know, we can manage it in this culture.

Jeff Ma
Awesome. Last piece I want to touch on is kind of just closing the loop on all this, because what I learned today is that while you have a handbook and you have a all these great really cemented from the top down, kind of approaches to people and people present people centered management, like you mentioned, it's still, at the end of the day all about relationships and making sure that you build that Trust. How does that shape? What would you consider HR for you and the HR department at Daikin unique and different, because of that is relationships a bigger part of your job, or why? Or why not? I'm curious to see that element kind of as it shows up in your work.

Kristi Pittman
So I think that's a great question. And having been here 34 years, it's hard for me to speak about what other HR departments are doing, right, but I can tell you, for me personally, you know, even as I've grown in my career, I've always said I want to be that same person that I was 30 years ago with just a bigger job, right? I want to be approachable. I want people to feel like, if they come to me or they come to HR, we're going to be here for them. We're going to help them. And people still come to me because they've known me for so long, and I redirect them to a reliable source that's going to help them, because that's what we're supposed to do. And I can tell you that the best part about the relationship building is the trust that it gets on across the aisle. So, you know, in hard times, you know, if they're hearing a message from me, oh, well, Kristi Pittman said it, and it's not about Kristi, I'm the person that they know. And it's like, okay, we can trust that she's not going to lie to us. She's not going to tell us, you know, anything that's you know, that's not true. And we can trust that whatever the message is, she's, she's thought about the impact to us, because that's what I do, and it's what I've always done. And then within my own age. HR team. We're a very collaborative team, and I feel like we've got such a great opportunity to hear all of our voices, with all of our like directors and COEs, that everybody's got an opportunity to give their opinion, because their opinions are valuable. They're in the trenches. They see what's going on every day, and they could be the person that brings a solution that I'm not seeing because I'm not in those places anymore. So I think when you think about the importance of relationships within HR, I think it's the number one, you know, thing that an HR department has to have. It's the trust of the the individuals that they know you're looking out for their best interest, and they can trust that you're you're going to think about them, even if we have to make hard decisions as a company.

Jeff Ma
Beautiful Kristi, can't thank you enough for joining me today. I had such a good conversation, and I many of the questions. But as I've mentioned, as I've mentioned the listeners before, I am slowly moving reducing my episode length Time. As science has shown that people want shorter episodes. So if that's not that, that's not true, somebody email me. Let me know that you want longer episodes, and I'll do it. But in the meantime, Kristy, again, thank you so much, and it's been very insightful. I know you're very busy, so I really appreciate the time you took today. It's been

Kristi Pittman
my pleasure. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to join you in your in your your group today. Awesome

Jeff Ma
to the listeners. Thank you so much as always. We appreciate it. If you haven't checked out the book Love as a business strategy still out there. Check it out. Subscribe and rate the podcast. We appreciate all of it. And with that, we'll be signing off and we'll be seeing you in two weeks. See everybody you

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19 Sep 2024

Love as a Difficult Conversation Strategy with Michele Phillips

Michele Phillips has over two decades of experience working with some of the biggest companies, guiding leaders with her expertise in happiness and performance. She sits down with the show to zoom in on a topic that many leaders struggle with. This was a great conversation… about difficult conversations.

Check out her book: https://a.co/d/4cSDt4x

EPISODE 172

04 Sep 2024

Love as a Feedback Strategy with Meredith Bell

Meredith Bell is an author, podcast host, and expert in transforming how humans connect with one another. And when it comes to personal interactions, few topics are more discussed and overanalyzed than FEEDBACK. We sit down with Meredith on this episode and pick her brain on what the key to giving and receiving feedback is. You’re gonna love this one.

Check out more of Meredith’s work, along with her books and her podcast: https://growstrongleaders.com/

EPISODE 171

21 Aug 2024

Love as a BizLove Strategy with Diane Hare

Diane Hare founded BizLove to solve problems in a different way, and she believes that business and love go hand-in-hand. (imagine that!) She joins the podcast to share her story, her approach, and her success - and it’s an amazing perspective that reinforces everything Love as a Business Strategy believes in.

EPISODE 170

07 Aug 2024

Love as a Life Strategy with Jacob Baadsgaard

Jake has had a long and winding road to success, and through it all he’s learned how to completely transform his perspective on life, work, and relationships. In this episode, he shares his story of having to break down before breaking through, and talks about how you can’t help others if you’re not working on yourself.

EPISODE 169

24 Jul 2024

Love as a Listening Strategy with Noah Asher

Noah’s story is filled with highs and even more lows. He joins the podcast to share his journey, personal and business - and offers his perspective on what it means to truly listen to others.

EPISODE 168

11 Jul 2024

Love as a Belief System Strategy with David Greer

David Greer is a lifelong entrepreneur who specializes in helping other entrepreneurs overcome challenges and obstacles in their lives. At the core of so much of his work is the concept of our belief systems, and how our beliefs drive our mindsets and behaviors. David breaks it down expertly for us in this episode.

EPISODE 167

27 Jun 2024

Love as a Mental Strength Strategy with Scott Mautz

Scott Mautz literally wrote the book on Mental Strength. If you’re looking to level up your self-awareness, and better understand your mind vs your heart - this is the episode for you.

Be sure to get Scott’s free PDF download here: http://www.scottmautz.com/mentallystronggift

EPISODE 166

13 Jun 2024

Love as a Conversational Strategy with David Bell

David Bell is the Chief Encouragement Officer of Discovery Zone Coaching, and in this episode, he shares what he’s learned (and what he helps others learn) about having meaningful conversations.

EPISODE 165

30 May 2024

Love as a Culture Transformation Strategy with Jasmine Bellamy

Jasmine Bellamy is a pioneer in applying LOVE to business. She is not only a scholar, but also a practitioner - creating the “Courageous Conversations” platform, founding Love 101 Ministries, and being named among Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 Influential Black Women in Sports. In this episode, she shares her LOVE framework, and how to apply it for ourselves.

EPISODE 164

15 May 2024

Love as a Disney Strategy with George Kalogridis

Oh boy are we excited about this one. Frank is back, and he joins the show to talk about his favorite thing in the world: Disney. We are joined by the former President of Walt Disney World Resort, George Kalogridis. George shares his amazing journey from busser to president, and let’s us in on how love plays a role in creating the magic at Disney.

EPISODE 163

02 May 2024

Love as a Wellness Strategy with Kathy Gregory

In honor of mental health awareness month, we’ve invited Kathy Gregory to the show. Kathy is a workplace wellness specialist, and she focuses on instilling a culture of health, well-being, and positive transformation in the workforce. In this episode, we dive into the many aspects of wellness, and how we can improve our mindsets around it.

EPISODE 162

17 Apr 2024

Love as a Stepping Through Fear Strategy with Megan Billnoske

So much of our life, from daily decisions to big moments, is controlled or affected by fear. It’s a natural and unavoidable part of being human, but how we decide to address and face our fear can really change the way we understand love as a business strategy. Megan Billnoske is no stranger to fear, as she shares her story with us in this episode.

EPISODE 161

01 Apr 2024

Love as a Self-Discovery Strategy with Jesse Hernandez

Jesus “Jesse” Hernandez brings a perspective we haven’t had on the show yet - he started his career as a plumber and has worked his way up through the construction industry. And today, he applies his own brand LOVE to help revolutionize the industry.

EPISODE 160

18 Mar 2024

Love as an Unconscious Bias Strategy with Amber Ontiveros

Amber Ontiveros has a one-of-a-kind story, and a unique perspective that has helped her understand the neuroscience of unconscious bias in a totally different way. In this episode, she takes us on a journey that travels through spirituality, science, and life.

EPISODE 159

07 Feb 2024

Love as a Purpose Strategy with Jonathan Bennett

How do you find purpose in your life and in your work? Jonathan Bennett is a leadership coach who specializes in helping people do that. In this episode, he shares some incredible perspective and insights that are sure to help you think about your purpose in a brand new way.

EPISODE 158

23 Jan 2024

Love as a Narrative Strategy with Guillaume Wiatr

Guillaume has been sharing his expertise with CEOs and entrepreneurs to help them build successful businesses that they love. In this episode, he dives into how narratives impact our mindsets, and ultimately our behaviors.

EPISODE 157

11 Jan 2024

Love as an Imposter Strategy with Tiffany Houser

We’re kicking off 2024 with a topic that many can relate to: Imposter Syndrome. Except, Tiffany Houser, an expert on that very topic, doesn’t like to use that term. Listen in to find out exactly why.

Learn more about Tiffany at http://selfworthadvantage.com

The HBR article she references in the episode: https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome

EPISODE 156

20 Dec 2023

Love as a Self-Awareness Strategy with Joni Goodman

As we’ve so often said, self-awareness is the key to transforming ourselves and our behaviors. But what does the journey to self-awareness look like, and how do we embark on that journey? Joni Goodman specializes in exactly that topic, and joins the show to share her thoughts and perspectives.

EPISODE 155

06 Dec 2023

Love as a Core Value Strategy with Jay Steinfeld

Jay Steinfeld is the founder and former CEO of the legendary business blinds.com - one of the most successful e-commerce businesses of all time. Today, he takes the learnings from his success and shares that secret with the world through his book, “Lead from the Core: The 4 Principles for Profit and Prosperity”. In this episode, he joins the show to break down what “core values” really mean, and to share the 4 principles that every business should aspire for.

EPISODE 154

02 Dec 2023

Love as a V.A.L.U.E. Strategy with Chellie Phillips

Chellie Phillips has developed Culture Secrets - secrets any leader can use to build a V.A.L.U.E. Culture. Listen in as she shares what each of these letters stands for, and how you can use them to build the right kind of culture around you.

EPISODE 153

09 Nov 2023

Love as an Inspirational Strategy with Ally Stone

Ally Stone has an incredible story to share. Founder of “The Inspired Leader”, Ally takes the experience of her own life, along with her learnings in developing numerous successful businesses and teams, to help other leaders understand what it means to go beyond, to lead from a place of presence and connection, creating an opportunity to experience their careers in ways that previously had not been deemed possible. Learn more here.

EPISODE 152

26 Oct 2023

Love as a Green Beans and Ice Cream Strategy with Bill Sims Jr.

Green beans? Ice cream? Love? If none of this makes sense, you’ll just have to listen to the episode to find out what Bill Sims has to say about the NUMBER ONE driver of employee engagement.

EPISODE 151

11 Oct 2023

Love as a Fearless Strategy with Cedric Bertelli

So much of what motivates us in the workplace, and even in our lives, is driven from a place of fear. Cedric Bertelli has dedicated his career to helping people overcome stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other negative emotions using powerful tools and techniques - and today he joins the podcast to talk about the fear that manifests at work, and how to face these fears and grow from them.

Learn more about Cedric’s work: http://cedricbertelli.com

Find out more about the Emotional Health Institute: http://Emres.com

EPISODE 150

27 Sep 2023

Love as an Adversity Strategy with Robin Osborn

Robin Osborn knows a thing or two about facing adversity. From the challenges in her youth, to removing a baseball-sized tumor - she has channeled her adversity into what she calls the "Frustration to Freedom Framework." In this episode, she share her story, and her philosophy.

EPISODE 149

21 Sep 2023

Love as a Human Resources Strategy Strategy with John Baldino

John Baldino has been in the Human Resources game for over 30 years, and he sits down with the podcast to share about what he’s seen change over time, what hasn’t worked, and how to do it right. This isn’t just for HR professionals, with all the wisdom he shares, there’s something here for everyone.

EPISODE 148

13 Sep 2023

Love as a Purpose-Driven Strategy with Gayle Lantz

In the workplace, love and purpose go hand-in-hand. But what does it mean to be truly purpose-driven? Gayle Lantz specializes in shaping cultures and igniting transformation - and she shares her expertise around finding and understanding purpose within ourselves.

EPISODE 147

07 Sep 2023

Love as a Forgiveness Strategy with Dena Patton

For 22 years, Dena Patton has been coaching and training leaders on her world-class Greatness Methodology. She joins the show in this episode to dive into one of the most important (and yet rarely discussed) aspects of leadership: Forgiveness.

EPISODE 146

01 Sep 2023

Love as a Marketing Strategy with Christina Frei

Christina Frei is a branding and marketing professional that specializes in what she calls “marketing for humans.” In this episode, she shares about the different marketing archetypes that people fall under, and how to harness the humanity in us all for great marketing results.

Take Christina’s free marketing archetype assessment here: https://www.innatemarketinggenius.com/archetype/

EPISODE 145

24 Aug 2023

Love as a Faith-focused Strategy with Precious Azuree

Precious Azuree wants you to know that you are worthy, you are intelligent, and you are necessary. She authored “The Faith Focus Formula” to help people unlock their full potential and create a life of purpose, fulfillment, and abundance. In this episode, Precious shares her journey and perspective with us - and connects faith, love, and business together.

Learn more about Precious Azuree: https://www.theclaritycoach.co/

EPISODE 144

16 Aug 2023

Love as an Indigenous Tech Strategy with Jeff Ward

Jeff Ward is the founder and CEO of Animikii Indigenous Technology, a leading digital agency that pioneers social innovation through Indigenous technology. In this episode he shares his vision and passion with us, and highlights the amazing impact that can be made when love and purpose come together.

EPISODE 143

10 Aug 2023

Love as an Equal Opportunity Strategy with Marina Guerra

While many businesses prefer not to have a run-in with the EEOC, (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) many people don’t understand what the EEOC actually does. Marina Guerra talks to us about all of the ways the EEOC works to truly help people and businesses, especially when it comes to the prevention of negative workplace experiences.

EPISODE 142

02 Aug 2023

Love as a Success Strategy with Bessi Graham

Bessi Graham specializes in a very important concept: Bringing “doing good” and “making money” together. In this day and age, where greed and profit drive so much of our decision-making process, Bessi helps us understand what real success could look like - and how doing good is at the center of it.

EPISODE 141

27 Jul 2023

Love as a Career Development Strategy with Beth Ridley

We all want to be the very best version of ourselves, especially at the workplace - but that’s often easier said than done. Beth Ridley is an expert in just that, and in this episode she highlights what it takes to find and achieve success in our careers by tapping into our best authentic selves.

EPISODE 140

19 Jul 2023

Love as a Non-Negotiable Strategy with Paul ter Wal

Joining us from the Netherlands, Paul ter Wal shares with us his concept of “Non-Negotiables” in the workplace - and why our individual core values are the key to passionate, creative, and engaged employees.

EPISODE 139

14 Jul 2023

Love as an Authentic Leader Strategy with Candice Hung

What does it take to become an “Authentic Leader”? Why does it matter? Candice Hung helps us explore this concept, and really dives deep into the elements that make up true self-awareness. If you’re looking to start really owning your own story, you won’t want to miss this conversation!

EPISODE 138

05 Jul 2023

Love as a DEI Strategy with Maria Morukian

DEI continues to be an important topic, but it’s reached a point where so much of it is assumed, overlooked, or performative. This refreshing conversation with Maria Morukian takes a closer look at why DEI should still be focused on - and thought about differently.

EPISODE 137

28 Jun 2023

Love as a Sustainability Strategy with Dieter Schultz

In this episode, Dieter Schultz helps connect the dots between sustainability, leadership, behaviors, and love. He not only helps define what sustainability means, but really paints the picture of what it should look like.

EPISODE 136

21 Jun 2023

Love as a Psychological Safety Strategy with Janine Hamner Holman

Janine Hamner Holman’s mission is simple: to create the world of work where everyone can thrive. Well that sounds a lot like bringing humanity back to the workplace - so we had to get her on the show to find out more! This episode is full of incredible perspective and wisdom - you won’t want to miss it.

EPISODE 135

07 Jun 2023

Love as a Time Management Strategy with Miriam Meima

This episode finds the intersection between business and psychology, where we explore the workplace from a culture and psychological angle. Miriam Meima is a passionate and energetic executive coach, who shares with us some valuable perspective and advice around how to manage our mindsets and approaches in the workplace.

EPISODE 134

25 May 2023

Love as an Ego Management Strategy with Christie Garcia

Christie Garcia works with leaders every day on building authentic confidence. Many of us may have some preconceived notions about “ego”, and in this episode, Christie breaks down what our egos really are and how we can begin to understand and address them better.

EPISODE 133

10 May 2023

Love as a Generational Strategy with Lata Hamilton

While the generation you were born into doesn’t completely define you as a person, today’s workplace has shown some undeniable trends in how different people from different generations interact. Lata Hamilton is a Change Leadership and Confidence expert, and her experience in working with teams across global transformations has taught her a thing or two about the trends and gaps in workplace generations.

EPISODE 132

29 Apr 2023

Love as a Possibility Strategy with Darrin Tulley

Darrin Tulley’s perspective completely changed at one point in his career, when he discovered a new world of possibilities for himself. Since then, he’s been hard at work, sharing his message of “Live Your Possible” with the world, and in this episode, he tells his tale and talks about how we can all find possibilities in ourselves.

EPISODE 131

19 Apr 2023

Love as a Generosity Strategy with Sarah Fontenot

Sarah Fontenot is a CFP (Certified Financial Planner), but what she does is unique: Sarah helps people manage their wealth with generosity in mind. Her focus is not just on building and maintaining wealth, but also on how to maximize the amount of good that wealth can impact on the world. In this episode, she shares her story and the role that love plays in her business.

EPISODE 130

12 Apr 2023

Love as a Purposeful Growth Strategy with Mark Mears

Best-selling author Mark Mears is no stranger to building and growing people and teams in business. After a whole career helping major brands and companies build innovation and value, he now channels his experience and knowledge into helping people fulfill their true growth potential while making a positive, lasting difference in the world. Listen in as he explains how you can find and fulfill your purpose.

EPISODE 129

05 Apr 2023

Love as a Local Government Strategy with Paulina Valero

Love as a Business Strategy is important across all kinds of workplaces - especially in government. Paulina Valero is the Community Engagement Manager for the City of Sugar Land, and she shares her story and perspective about what workplace culture looks like for public servants in local government.

EPISODE 128

29 Mar 2023

Love as a Leadership Strategy with Diane Maben

Diane Maben is the Chief Operating Officer at Amegy Bank. As a self-made leader, she’s learned and developed her style as a leader through her years of experience. In this episode, she shares her story, her journey, and her philosophy, and gives insights on how she leads her team to success.

EPISODE 127

23 Mar 2023

Love as a Financial Industry Strategy with Kasia Siwosz

As a former professional tennis player turned investment banker and entrepreneur. Her experience in professional sports has actually played a huge role in her understanding of how the financial industry needs to evolve today. She shares her unique story and perspective in this episode.

EPISODE 126

15 Mar 2023

Love as an Honesty Strategy with Steven Gaffney

You might think that “honesty” is a pretty simple and straightforward concept, but in practice, true and genuine honesty might look a little different from what you’d expect. Steven Gaffney has been helping leaders and teams build high-achieving teams for over 25 years, and in this episode, he shares his powerful approach and philosophy with us.

EPISODE 125

08 Mar 2023

Love as a Belonging Strategy with Paul Haury

What is the difference between “feeling a sense” of belonging, and actual belonging? This is a must-listen episode with Paul Haury, who is an executive coach that specializes in belonging. Paul shares an incredible mind-expanding perspective on what belonging is, and what it looks like when it’s truly practiced.

EPISODE 124

01 Mar 2023

Love as a Safety Strategy with Nat Beuse (Aurora Tech)

Nat Beuse is the Vice President of Safety at Aurora, a self-driving vehicle technology company. Most people understand the importance and priority of safety, but not everyone goes about it the same way. In this episode, Nat shares his mindset and approach towards safety, and helps illuminate the role that culture plays in being successful.

EPISODE 123

22 Feb 2023

Love as a Profit Strategy with Samantha Varner

Somehow, when we talk about love in business, it’s always placed directly opposite of profit. And yet, profit is why we get into business to begin with - without profit, why do business at all? Sam Varner helps us connect the dots, and understand how love and profit go hand-in-hand.

EPISODE 122

15 Feb 2023

Love as a Breakthrough Leadership Team Strategy with Mike Goldman

How do you build a great company, or develop a great team? How do you build a resilient culture? Mike Goldman says it starts with what he calls a “Breakthrough Leadership Team”. He coaches leadership teams to become stronger, leading to great things for the company. In this episode, he shares incredible insights on how to start thinking and building towards a Breakthrough Leadership Team. Spoiler alert: Love has something to do with it. Find his free course here.

EPISODE 121

01 Feb 2023

Love as a Human Connection Strategy with Nanci Appleman Vassil

Nanci Appleman-Vassil joins the show to share from her 25+ years of experience in training, consulting, coaching, and developing high-performing teams. This episode is filled to the brim with her take on our favorite topics: From self-awareness and mindsets, to vulnerability, trust, and feedback. There are a lot of insights and takeaways here, as she helps break down what human connection really looks like in the workplace.

EPISODE 120

25 Jan 2023

Love as a Lovescaping Strategy

Irene and Debbie are on a mission. As much as we talk about Love on the podcast, we rarely get a chance to discuss exactly how and where we learn to love. With Lovescaping, Irene and Debbie have set out to bring learning and practicing love to the education system. With an educational framework that’s been successfully incorporated into schools, they walk us through exactly how we can put love into action.

EPISODE 119

18 Jan 2023

Love as a Business Strategy with Room 3

This week, we sit down with Ed Cuervo and AJ Ferrer, who followed their heart and passion to create their own creative production company, Room 3. Their story gives a great example of how Love as a Business Strategy can be grown naturally when people come together with purpose.

EPISODE 118

11 Jan 2023

Defining Love with Marty Levine

We’re back in the new year, and it’s a great time for us to reset, reflect, and redefine. It’s the perfect time to speak with Marty Levine, who shares some truly interesting ways to define (and redefine) LOVE.

EPISODE 117

21 Dec 2022

Love as a Performance Review Strategy with Noah Pusey

Noah Pusey wants to do away with something that plagues almost all of us: The annual review. Nobody likes to give them, nobody likes to receive them, and it doesn’t actually make anyone better. He started Ripple Analytics to fix this problem. What makes the annual review such a bane to workplace culture? Is there a better way to go about it? Noah thinks so. In this episode he shares his approach to a more timely and effective way to do reviews at w

EPISODE 116

14 Dec 2022

Love as a Law Enforcement Strategy with Chief Jack Cauley

Chief Jack Cauley is a pioneer in the Law Enforcement industry - with his One-By-One Policing philosophy, which promotes building a safe and secure environment for officers and staff so they are better equipped to serve each person they encounter individually. His police department in Castle Rock puts a focus on compassion and treating others like family, and he’s hoping to spread this culture to more and more departments across the nation. He joins us on the podcast to share his story, and why he believes Love should be a Law Enforcement Strategy.

EPISODE 115

07 Dec 2022

Love as a Partnership Strategy with Anthony Marinos

Chris is back on the podcast, and he gets a chance to catch up with his old friend, Anthony Marinos. Anthony leads business development and creator relationships at charity: water and knows a thing or two about forming strong partnerships in business. While the banter here is lighthearted, the lesson is very serious: You can’t build partnerships without forming real relationships.

Be sure to check out all the amazing ways they’re changing the world at: https://www.charitywater.org/

EPISODE 114

30 Nov 2022

Love as a Wall Street Strategy with Wais Achikzad

We sit with Wais Achikzad to discuss leadership, actual experiences and how our world today more than ever needs humanity in the workplace and in general.

EPISODE 113

23 Nov 2022

Love as a Mentorship Strategy with Debbie Richards

By any measure, Debbie Richards has achieved amazing growth throughout her successful career. But what sets her apart from others is her fierce passion for coaching, mentoring, and talent development. She’s someone who puts so much of her own time and energy into others, and has done so for a very long time - we get to sit down with her and find out why she does it, how she does it, and where love comes into the equation.

EPISODE 112

16 Nov 2022

Love as a Business Strategy with Austin Habitat for Humanity

As the CEO of Austin Habitat for Humanity, Phyllis Snodgrass has been been putting her heart into her work for her entire career. She sits down with us today to talk about what Love looks like in her leadership, in Austin Habitat for Humanity, and for non-profit businesses in general. She talks about the importance of relationships and how it connects to success and business results.

EPISODE 111

02 Nov 2022

Love as a Digital Era Strategy with Isabella Wang

In this episode, we sit down with the author of “The Digital Mind of Tomorrow”, Isabella Wang. As we all continue to push forward through digital transformation, what does it look like to incorporate love and business? Isabella shares her insights and more.

Find your copy of her book on Amazon.

EPISODE 110

19 Oct 2022

Love as a 5-star recruiting strategy with Danielle Mulvey

Danielle Mulvey is the pioneer of unique way of recruiting in business - something she calls the 5-star employee rating system. Her method is tried and true, and she’s got proven results - but of course we invite her on the show to ask: What role does LOVE play in finding a 5-star employee?

EPISODE 109

12 Oct 2022

Love as a Business Strategy with Ripple

While still in school, Joe Knopp decided to start a business that would make a real difference in the world. In this episode, he joins us to share his amazing journey, what drives him, and how he sees LOVE play out in his business. Find out more about his incredible business here.

EPISODE 108

05 Oct 2022

Love as an Entrepreneur Strategy with Paul Baron

Paul Baron has done it all. Having started numerous successful businesses throughout his career, from software to retail to restaurants, he joins us for a deep dive into what he’s learned as a serial entrepreneur. So we have to ask: What role does LOVE play in entrepreneurship?

EPISODE 107

28 Sep 2022

Love as a Business Strategy with Maura Barclay

Maura Barclay has spent over a decade consulting and training on business cultures. She is passionate about helping people find their fit, and where they belong. In this episode, we share a profound conversation around what love as a business strategy really looks like.

EPISODE 106

21 Sep 2022

Love as a Recruitment Strategy with Michael Yinger

Michael Yinger has been in the business of talent acquisition for over 20 years, so it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about humans in the workplace. So we ask the million-dollar question: “What role does LOVE play in recruitment and talent acquisition?” Michael fills this entire episode with great nuggets of wisdom that will change the way you see things.

EPISODE 105

14 Sep 2022

Love as an ESG Strategy with Ighosime Oyofo

What is ESG? Why is it important? How is it practiced? How is it measured? Ighosime Oyofo works to bring sustainable capital market solutions to less-utilized markets in Africa, and he shares his expertise in investment banking, finance, and all things ESG in this episode.

EPISODE 104

07 Sep 2022

Love as a Well-Being Strategy with Jessica Grossmeier

What is "well-being" and how do we ensure that our workplaces are accounting for it? Jessica Grossmeier has done the research, and in this episode, she shares what works and what doesn't.

EPISODE 103

29 Aug 2022

Love as a Trust Strategy with Dr. Mike Armour

Throughout his storied career, Dr. Mike Armour gained a lot of wisdom and insight about what it takes to be successful in business. In this episode, he shares some of his stories and lessons - dropping gems of wisdom centered around what trust looks like in the workplace.

EPISODE 102

28 Jul 2022

Love as a Forgiveness Strategy with Vani Rao

In this episode, we are joined by Vani Rao, Executive Coach to talk about heart-centred forgiveness.

Vani shares real stories from a place of vulnerability you can relate to at the workplace and in life and practical tips on how forgiveness can become a regular practice towards empowerment when it's done with love.

EPISODE 101

21 Jul 2022

Love as a Digital Empathy Strategy with McKenna Sweazey

In this episode, we are joined by McKenna Sweazey, Author & Marketer to talk about an interesting topic — Digital Empathy!

McKenna dives into some quick tips that allow for a balanced consideration of feelings in conversations and decisions that create positive outcomes. Listen in!

EPISODE 100

13 Jul 2022

Love as a Disability Inclusion Strategy with Hugh Breland

In this episode, we are joined by Hugh Breland, CEO of U&I to talk about Disability Inclusion in the corporate world. We look at how LOVE can be a game-changer in bridging gaps that lead to better outcomes across humanity—including business. Listen in to learn how you can be a catalyst of change.

EPISODE 99

09 Jul 2022

Love as a Sustainability Strategy with Manuel Vexler

In this episode, we are joined by Manuel Vexler, Executive Director of the Actionable Knowledge Foundational Institute on a discussion about including the human factor, sustainability and resilience into the profitability equation.

EPISODE 98

30 Jun 2022

Love as a Leadership Strategy with Janine Bensouda

In this episode, we are joined by Janine Bensouda, the Founder and Managing Director of Bensouda Consulting. She talks with us about her framework of how to Lead with Love and we hold it against our framework here at Love as a Business Strategy. We love encountering people out there doing things similar to us, so you won't want to miss this discussion!

EPISODE 97

22 Jun 2022

Love as a Connection Strategy with Matthew Woodward

Can love be a strategy in the world of teaching? Find out on this interesting episode with Matthew Woodward, Choir Director at MacArthur HS as he shows us how connection, love, and respect create a solid foundation for their success as a choir.

EPISODE 96

08 Jun 2022

Love as a Business Strategy with Evolv Consulting

In this episode we talk to Eric Neef, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Evolv Consulting Consulting on some of the ways to practice and adopt and apply the culture within a company.

EPISODE 95

01 Jun 2022

Love as a Leadership Strategy with Brittany Heflin

In this episode we talk to Leadership Coach, Consultant and Enthusiast at Boston Consulting Group, Brittany Heflin on the heart of leadership. We dig deep into how empathy helps strike the right balance between intent and impact . Join us!

EPISODE 94

25 May 2022

Love as an Inclusion Strategy with Kristin Ekkens

A lot of companies find that their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts fail. Kristin Ekkens, the CEO of Exponential Inclusion, is an expert that helps leaders figure out how to create more inclusive cultures that will last. She focuses not on the task-oriented aspects, but the impact that efforts will make. Check this one out for some really helpful tips!

EPISODE 93

18 May 2022

Love as an Asynchronous Strategy with Liam Martin

Whether we like it or not, the workplace is shifting. Remote work environments are becoming more and more common creating a need for asynchronous management. Liam Martin is the author of _Running Remote_ and an expert at managing teams without actually being with them. Check it out!

EPISODE 92

11 May 2022

Love as a Sales Strategy with Jason Marc Campbell

To some, Sales is a nasty word with a bad reputation. But our guest this week, Jason Marc Campbell, is determined to bring humanity back to the selling process. He talks with us about how caring for your buyer will lead to a more fulfilling career and better business outcomes.

EPISODE 91

04 May 2022

Love as a Faith Strategy with Mushfique Shams Billah

Surprisingly, there are still topics that feel taboo in the workplace. Religion is one of them. Mushfique Shams Billah is an attorney that specializes in Islamic finance and a practicing Muslim. He opens up to us about how he is able to bring his full self to work and the importance of inclusion. You won't want to miss this episode where we explore ESG, ethical finance, the workplace and boardrooms.

EPISODE 90

27 Apr 2022

Love as a Business Strategy with Charity Water

We often get asked about what Love as a Business Strategy means and people will mistake it for businesses that are not-for-profit. Today, we actually get to sit down with Ben Greene, Chief Development Officer at Charity: Water to talk about not only bringing humanity back to the workplace, but bringing humanity back to the world.

We have set up a unique donation link in partnership with Charity: Water for this episode. If you would like to donate to their cause, you can do so here: charitywater.org/LAABS

EPISODE 89

20 Apr 2022

Love as an Inspiration Strategy with Tony Martignetti

This week we are joined by Tony Martignetti, Chief Inspiration Officer of Inspired Purpose Coaching to talk about (you guessed it) inspiration! How do we stay inspired in our careers and how do we inspire others? Check it out now!

EPISODE 88

13 Apr 2022

Love as a Recruiting Strategy with Casey Hasten

Like it or not, we are living in a candidate's market when it comes to hiring and recruiting. Casey Hasten is a seasoned recruiter and talks to us about how she seeks first to love her candidates so that they can find their dream job.

EPISODE 87

06 Apr 2022

Love as a Networking Strategy with Frank Agin

To expert networker, Frank Agin, networking and leadership are closely related. We have a fun conversation this week about how success as a leader and success as a networker both come down to one thing: serving others. Check it out!

EPISODE 86

30 Mar 2022

Love as a Spiritual Strategy with Mark Silver

This week we turn our philosophy of 'Love as a Business Strategy' on its head and discuss what 'Business as a Love Strategy' would look like. Business healer, Mark Silver, gets vulnerable with us about how having a spiritual practice has not only benefited him, but many other business leaders.

EPISODE 85

23 Mar 2022

Love as a Resilience Strategy with Dr. Trish Berg

This week we are joined by Dr. Trish Berg, a professor at Heidelberg University and author with a rich career in business. We dive into the topic of resilience and try to understand what makes a company and an individual truly resilient. You won't want to miss this one.

EPISODE 84

18 Mar 2022

Love as a Gig Worker Strategy with Trevor Theunissen

We're always talking about love as a business strategy in terms of the "standard workplace", but this week's guest brings a totally different perspective. Trevor Theunissen discusses with us the impact that love can have on the countless people in the gig economy based on his experience at Shipt and Uber.

EPISODE 83

10 Mar 2022

LAABS Bookclub: Chapter One

This week, we take you behind the scenes of Chapter One from our Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Love as a Business Strategy. Maggie and Chris go over their little episode on vulnerability. Tune in!

EPISODE 82

03 Mar 2022

Love as a STEM Strategy with Suna Lumeh

This week we are joined by Suna Lumeh, the co-founder and scientist at Aja Labs. We discuss how love is incorporated, or not, in the world of research and development. You won't want to miss this one.

EPISODE 81

23 Feb 2022

Love as a Dramatic Strategy with Katie McLaughlin

This week, we are joined by Katie McLaughlin, the creator of the McLaughlin Method, to talk to us about her unique approach to executive coaching. Katie uses her background in theatre and acting to build empathy and emotional intelligence within organizations. We think you're going to enjoy this one.

EPISODE 80

16 Feb 2022

Love as a Great Strategy with Audrey Lloyd

This week we are joined by Audrey D. Lloyd, a transformation expert and author. We get to talk about her upcoming book and dissect the question 'what are you great at?' in order to increase engagement in the workplace. We hope you enjoy!

EPISODE 79

10 Feb 2022

LAABS Bookclub The Foreword

Join us for a new series that we're kicking off called LAABS Bookclub where we deep dive into every chapter of our Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Love as a Business Strategy. We go behind the scenes into what inspired each chapter and offer never-before-heard insights and stories that you won't want to miss.

EPISODE 78

02 Feb 2022

Love as a Middle Management Strategy

This week we are joined by our own Maggie McClurkin and Chelsie Atkinson. They join us in a conversation around what culture looks like from the perspective of middle management and what unique challenges that come with these types of roles. It's a conversation that gets deep real fast, so you won't want to miss it.

EPISODE 77

27 Jan 2022

Love as a Compassion Strategy with Gissele and David Taraba

We always love getting to talk with people who are working alongside us to bring humanity back to the workplace. Gissele and David Taraba are co-owners of the Maitri Centre for Love and Compassion. They bring the concept of compassion to the equation along with some insights that you won't want to miss.

EPISODE 76

19 Jan 2022

Love as an Inclusion Strategy with Gena Cox

This week's guest is Gena Cox, an organizational psychologist and executive coach. She brings her wisdom to a very insightful conversation we had around leadership, inclusion, and organizational culture in today's workplace. Her stories are extremely applicable and her expertise is undeniable.

EPISODE 75

12 Jan 2022

Love as a Psychological Safety Strategy with Mehmet Baha

If you've been looking for a deep dive on psychological safety, then look no further. We were joined by Mehmet Baha who has trained hundreds of leaders across the globe on the importance of psychological safety. Take a listen in order to gain some practical tips that you can apply to yourself and your teams

EPISODE 74

05 Jan 2022

Love as an Emotional Intelligence Strategy with Stephen Barth

This week we are joined by Stephen Barth, a professor, lawyer, and founder of HospitalityLawyer.com who shares some incredible insights with us from his over 30 years of teaching leadership. He breaks down with us why emotional intelligence in the workplace is so important, and we promise you, you'll want to take notes.

EPISODE 73

29 Dec 2021

Love as an Empowerment Strategy with Adette C. Contreras

Today's episode is a conversation with Adette C. Contreras, a CEO and entrepreneur who runs two companies at once. We dig into the conversation of culture in her roles and, specifically, what genuine empowerment looks like within both of her organizations. This is a particularly great listen if you work in a service-based industry. We hope you enjoy!

EPISODE 72

22 Dec 2021

Love as a Women in Leadership Strategy with Johanna Pagonis

Johanna Pagonis is the Founder and CEO of Sinogap Solutions. She is a podcaster, author, and entrepreneur and she joins us today to discuss an important topic: women in the workplace and women in leadership. Johanna is passionate about helping people understand the number of challenges that women face every day in the corporate world. We hope you enjoy this important discussion as much as we did.

EPISODE 71

15 Dec 2021

Love as a Reliability Strategy with James Kovacevic

When we say that we believe in bringing humanity back to the workplace, we mean to any and all workplaces. Today's guest, James Kovacevic, is an expert in maintenance and reliability in the world of manufacturing. In this week's episode, we have a conversation about what love in the workplace looks like from his lens.

EPISODE 70

08 Dec 2021

Love as a Change Strategy with Loubna Noureddin

Today's episode is focused on change and how to create sustainable change that sticks. We invited Loubna Noureddin, an expert in change, to share her wisdom from living through two civil wars and working within healthcare systems.

EPISODE 69

01 Dec 2021

Love as an Unstuck Strategy with Jon Dwoskin

If you've ever felt stuck in your business or leadership, today's episode is for you. Jon Dwoskin is a business coach who helps leaders get unstuck and grow their business. We ask him what role love plays into that equation.

EPISODE 68

17 Nov 2021

Love as an Adversity Strategy with Dustin DeVries

Dustin DeVries is a business owner who went through a life-changing event that put his business and its people to the test. In this episode, Dustin shares his personal struggle through that adversity and how it shaped the way he leads his business.

EPISODE 67

10 Nov 2021

Love as an Authentic Strategy with Michael Seaver

This week we are joined by Michael Seaver, an award-winning executive coach, leadership consultant, speaker, and author. Just like us, he is working tirelessly to bring humanity back to the workplace through his own data-backed methodology. Check out this episode and find out why we felt like a match made in heaven.

EPISODE 66

03 Nov 2021

Love as a Business Strategy with SHR

In this unique episode, Chris has a reunion with one of his old bosses, Rod Jiminez, who is the CEO of SHR. Rod showed Chris early on in his career what love as a business strategy could look like. Join us as we go on this walk down memory lane.

EPISODE 65

27 Oct 2021

Love as an Authentic Leadership Strategy

This week, we are joined by Roxanne Derhodge, a registered psychotherapist and corporate consultant that specializes in helping senior leaders develop authentic leadership. We get the opportunity to dig into our own personal questions and Roxanne shares her wisdom with us. You won't want to miss this one.

EPISODE 64

13 Oct 2021

How to Be Inclusive in the Hiring Process

We get to sit down with our very own, Chris Pitre, this week to grill him on a question that is plaguing many of us today: how can we be more inclusive in the hiring process? Chris shares with us his insights on how the recruitment process is where to start.

EPISODE 63

06 Oct 2021

Love as a Business Strategy with Jet Dental

This week we are joined by CEO and Co-Founder of Jet Dental, Jordan Smith. Jet Dental is an incredibly unique business that does pop-up dental offices for workplaces. Even more interesting is the values and culture that drive the business forward.

EPISODE 62

29 Sep 2021

It Doesn't Have to Be Lonely at the Top

We've all heard the truth that the higher up you go in a company, the lonelier it gets; but it doesn't have to be that way. We discuss how to avoid finding yourself lonely at the top in this week's episode.

EPISODE 61

22 Sep 2021

Love as a Remarkable Strategy

Denise Cooper specializes in executive coaching and leadership training. In this week's episode she shares some relatable stories with us around the realities of trust in the workplace, what it means to be human, how to look at your own values, and the topic of redemption. Buckle up and enjoy the show.

EPISODE 60

08 Sep 2021

Love as a Work-Life Balance Strategy

If you've ever used the term "work-life balance", this episode is for you. At Softway, we believe in something a little different. In this episode we break down the concept of work-life integration and why it is necessary to building a healthy workplace culture.

EPISODE 59

01 Sep 2021

Love as a Recruitment Strategy

Today we get a chance to sit down with Alka who works with us in our Bangalore office. We have a raw and honest conversation with her about the realities of HR and recruitment not only in our own company, but for all businesses alike.

EPISODE 58

25 Aug 2021

Love as a Tough Strategy

In today's episode we sit down with founder of WGNinHR Consulting, Joanne Rencher where she shares her experience with coaching executive leaders. We dig into what works and what doesn't work and, as always, test our hypothesis of love against what she's seen.

EPISODE 57

18 Aug 2021

Love as a Change Management Strategy

In today's episode, we get to pick the brain of an organizational change management expert, Harlan Hammack. We discuss what it really takes to have a successful culture change initiative inside of your organization. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

EPISODE 56

04 Aug 2021

Love as a DEI Strategy

It's been over a year since businesses all over the world shifted their attention to address diversity, equity, and inclusion issues more seriously than ever before. But the question is, have things really changed? We discuss this and the reality of DEI in the workplace today in this week's episode.

EPISODE 55

28 Jul 2021

Love as a Remote Work Strategy

In today's episode, we come together to take an honest look at the state of the workplace in a somewhat post-pandemic world. With job resignations at an all-time high, we wanted to break it down and share our different perspectives on how businesses and business leaders should be adapting. You won't want to miss it.

EPISODE 54

21 Jul 2021

Love as an Advocacy Strategy

This week we are joined by Katharine English, a leader at Google Cloud. We have some insightful and important conversations around women in tech, inclusion in the workplace, and how DEI should be addressed today. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

EPISODE 53

14 Jul 2021

Love as a Travel Strategy

This week we are joined by Olga and Ivan, founders of the travel company YouTravel.me. They share their story of how a really bad travel experience led to the realization that travel requires empathy and how the love of exploration can bring people together. Check it out now.

EPISODE 52

07 Jul 2021

Love as an Empathetic Healthcare Strategy

This week we sit down with Soojin Jun. She shares a powerful story of personal loss and her deep desire to bring empathy back to every component of healthcare.

EPISODE 51

30 Jun 2021

Love as a Legacy Strategy

This is an episode we have been excited about releasing for a long time. We are joined by Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, the CEO of Harris Health System in Harris County, Texas. He vulnerably discusses with us the legacy of love that he hopes to leave behind in his organization and how he tries to practice love every day.

EPISODE 50

23 Jun 2021

LAABS: Remember the Seneca Pilot?

This week we're joined by two of Softway's Associate Directors who were a part of the inception of our leadership transformation experience, Seneca Leaders. We dig deep into some of our biggest learnings from that time and discuss what real empowerment looks like.

EPISODE 49

16 Jun 2021

LAABS: Remember When Frank Missed That Meeting?

This week we take a trip down Softway's memory lane to discuss an incident that played out, have some fun with it, talk about how that what that meant to us in terms of, of culture, our learnings and our personal growth.

EPISODE 48

09 Jun 2021

Love as a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy with JeVon McCormick

We’re back again this week with a crowd favorite: CEO of Scribe Media, JeVon McCormick. This week, we really dive into diversity and inclusion in the corporate workplace. We talk about what it is and what it isn’t as well as what it helpful and hurtful in business. You won’t want to miss this one.

EPISODE 47

02 Jun 2021

Love as a Business Strategy with Southwest Airlines

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Former Managing Director of Culture at Southwest Airlines, Cheryl Hughey. We had an incredible conversation about how love permeates every facet of business at Southwest and how it has become their competitive advantage.

EPISODE 46

26 May 2021

Love as a Happy Teams Strategy

Owner and Lead Teams Coach of Happy Teams, Catrina Ballard, joined us this week to talk about all things culture. Catrina has vast experience in coaching leaders and entrepreneurs on how to build effective teams. This episode felt like a bunch of old friends gathering around for a chat. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

EPISODE 45

19 May 2021

Love as a Left-Brained Strategy

This week Dr. Andrew Kim, upcoming author and CEO of Culture 'n Strategy, joins us to share his journey on improving culture from a left brain. He turned his journey into a strategy for other leaders who understand and value logic, especially in a landscape that centers on emotion, behavior, and non-linear processes. "Love as a Left-Brained Strategy" gives a good look into how to change culture for those who lean on logic first to solve business problems.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 44

12 May 2021

Love as a Teaching Strategy

Ever heard the phrase "love is the best motivator"? Our guest this week, Mike Yates, has found this to be true first-hand with his experience in education. His philosophy is to get kids to love school and then the rest will take care of itself. 'Love as a Teaching Strategy' may be about school, but we'll guarantee you will find insights for your business. Take a listen now!

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 43

04 May 2021

Love as a Culture Building Strategy

This week we had the privilege of sitting down with James Walker, SVP, Digital Innovation Practice Lead in Weber Shandwick’s Washington, D.C. office and have a conversation about culture and the internal side of things. We were able to dig deep on topics of how a leadership team thinks of their employees, in terms of goals, platforms and outcomes. We hope that you enjoy this episode!

EPISODE 42

27 Apr 2021

Love as a Business Strategy: The Book

Writing a book has been a dream of ours for many years, and we can't believe that we can finally say it has come to fruition. Join us as we discuss and celebrate our new book Love as a Business Strategy: Resilience, Belonging & Success on the day of its launch and make sure to snag your copy today.

For more information and to purchase the book, visit LoveAsABusinessStrategy.com.

EPISODE 41

20 Apr 2021

Love as a Health Informatics Strategy

This week, we're joined by Siraj Anwar, Sr. Vice President and Chief Health Informatics Officer at Harris Health System as well as Dr. Rod Brace and Dr. Michael Shabot of Relia Healthcare Advisors to discuss the role of informatics in driving leadership behaviors for high reliability. And as always, we dive into what love has to do with all of this.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 40

13 Apr 2021

LAABS: Remember Softway's Darkest Day?

It was 2015 and it was a day we would rather never remember. But in true LAABS form, we are going to talk about it publicly. Journey back with us to the day that could have been the end of our business and culture as we now it.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 39

08 Apr 2021

Love as a Business Strategy with Scribe Media

What do the son of a pimp, a publishing company, and love have to do with each other? Find out in this week's episode where we are joined by President and CEO of Scribe Media, JeVon "JT" McCormick. He gets real with us as we discuss why people always come first in his organization. This episode will leave you wanting more.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 38

30 Mar 2021

LAABS: Remember when Jeff was a bad boss?

Continuing our trip down memory lane, we invited two project managers, Ashley and Erin, onto the show this week to revisit their experience with Jeff as their boss before he started his behavior transformation journey. It’s awkward but it’s good. Take a listen!

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 37

26 Mar 2021

LAABS: Remember When That One Email Destroyed Our Culture?

This week, we're kicking off a new series where we all take a trip down memory lane and think back on some of the stories that defined our old culture. Before our transformation, we have moments that we look back on and cringe, and we want to re-live those moments with our listeners. We don't want to give too much away, but this one is about a particular strongly-worded email that Mohammad sent in 2015 (and apparently his CAPS LOCK WAS BROKEN). Take a listen to find out what got him so fired up.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 36

02 Mar 2021

Love as a Behavior Transformation Strategy

The reality is that 70% of culture transformations fail. But why? In this week's episode, we unpack our experiences with leaders and organizations that contribute to failed culture initiatives, and discuss how Softway's products and services bridge the gap and pave the way for real change in your organization.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 35

23 Feb 2021

Love as a Commitment Strategy

While there are a million reasons to invest in your company's people and culture, there are always going to be reasons not to. This week, we dig into some of the common excuses we commonly hear about why business leaders choose not to take on a culture transformation in their organization. This may just be our saltiest episode yet.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 34

16 Feb 2021

Love as an Uncomfortable Strategy

This week we had the privilege of sitting down with Victor Scotti, Chief Inspiration Officer of Moving Mountains LLC and former Google team member, to have a raw conversation about equity and diversity in the workplace. We were able to dig deep on topics of introspection, self efficacy, and opportunity when it comes to race and non-dominant groups. This episode is meant to spark conversation and make you look inward on some of these topics. We hope that you enjoy this episode with an open heart and an open mind.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 33

09 Feb 2021

Love as a System Strategy

Joining us this week is author and consultant, Dan Edds. Dan discusses his research with us on how building a system centered around love, respect, and purpose could be the key to improving a high impact organization's culture and even how it can save lives. From healthcare to the military, Dan has seen how love is the answer to a lot of organization's leadership problems.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 32

02 Feb 2021

Love as a B2E Strategy

You've heard of B2B and B2C, but you've probably never heard of B2E or Business to Employee. At Softway, we create solutions that are employee-first in order to build more resilient workforces and higher performing organizations. In this week's episode, we outline why a B2E solution may just be what your company needs in order to succeed.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 31

26 Jan 2021

Love as a Business Strategy with JMMB Group

This week, we have the Chief Marketing Officer of the JMMB Group, Kerry-Ann Stimpson, joining us to explain how love can be evident in the most unlikely of places: the banking industry. JMMB Group was founded on love and is still practiced daily with their employees, clients, and shareholders. Listen now to this deep dive on the JMMB Group and all that they're doing to spread the love.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 30

12 Jan 2021

Love as an Empathy Strategy

Empathy is at the center of everything we talk about at Love as a Business Strategy. If you don’t have empathy for the person sitting next to you at work, you are potentially missing out on untapped potential and innovation. In this episode, we explore what true empathy looks like in the workplace and why you should start practicing it now.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 29

05 Jan 2021

Love as a Forgiveness Strategy

Why is it important to learn about forgiveness in the workplace? Because it is one of the most important things about our humanity. Unforgiveness in business can lead to inefficiencies, lack of innovation, and profit loss. In this week's episode, we unpack why unforgiveness is the silent killer in an organization's culture.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 28

22 Dec 2020

Love as a Humanizing Initiative Part 3

This week, we are joined again by the Humanizing Initiative to continue our conversation around humanistic leadership. We discuss the process of unlearning and relearning together as we examine how we can bring humanity back to the workplace.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 27

15 Dec 2020

Love as a Humanizing Initiative Part 2

This week, we are joined again by the Humanizing Initiative to continue our conversation around humanistic leadership. We use this episode to examine the problem statement that many businesses are facing: why is what we're learning wrong?

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 26

08 Dec 2020

Love as a Public Health Strategy

Communities are what build up our society, and a strong community is built by looking out for the person next to you. In this week's episode, we talk with Alisa Howard, a public health servant leader, to discuss trust and love within a community. Think this doesn't apply to business? Think again.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 25

01 Dec 2020

Love as a Nice Strategy

This week, we were joined by Marc Effron, best-selling author and founder of the Talent Strategy Group to talk about why "nice" cultures are not good for your business. Sometimes love means saying the tough things to your teammates, and that is often the nicest thing you can do for someone.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 24

24 Nov 2020

Love as an Internship Strategy

In this week's episode, we are joined by Katherine Taylor, Executive Director of Genesys Works Houston, to talk about what love and inclusion have to do with corporate internships. We discuss equity of opportunity, the power of a network, and how major corporations are actually benefitting more from their interns than the interns are from them.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 23

17 Nov 2020

Love as a Growth Strategy

This week, we are joined by best-selling author of "Banking on Digital Growth" James Robert Lay to talk about what successful growth looks like within an organization. Why do processes and technologies often fail and why might being purpose-driven be the answer? Find out the answers to these questions now.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 22

10 Nov 2020

Love as a Humanizing Initiative

This week, we're kicking off an exciting collaborative series with The Humanizing Initiative. Their goal is to humanize leaders and organizations in order to cultivate humanistic leadership. In our first episode of this series, we meet the four co-founders and really dive into why The Humanizing Initiative exists.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 21

03 Nov 2020

Love as a Trust Strategy

In this week's episode, we're talking about the elephant in the room: trust. Without it, you will never be able to have a high-performing team, but how do you build trust amongst your co-workers? We answer this question and discuss our experiences with vulnerability-based trust in 'Love as a Trust Strategy'.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 20

27 Oct 2020

Love as a Vulnerability Strategy

Vulnerability is scary, but in the workplace, it's often unheard of. In this episode, we unpack how being vulnerable with your teams will unlock potential and also foster humanity within your organization.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 19

20 Oct 2020

Love as a Healthcare Strategy

Over the past several months, we've seen a resurgence in the need for patient care and well-being with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe. Dr. Rod Brace, former hospital CEO and founding partner of Relia Healthcare Advisors, joins us to talk about what it takes to create a high-reliability culture.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 18

13 Oct 2020

Love as an Empowerment Strategy

Are you constantly wishing that you had more time in your day? Do you feel like the leaders bear the majority of the workload in your organization? This may not be an issue of time management, but a lack of empowerment. How can you lovingly empower your teams so that you are no longer working late nights and weekend - find out in this episode of Love as a Business Strategy.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 17

06 Oct 2020

Love as a Mentorship Strategy

In this episode, we try to get you to think differently about a simple concept. What makes a good mentor? What role should mentorship play in our lives? What’s the right way to mentor someone, or to be mentored? We dive into all of these things, and share about the role that LOVE plays in all of it.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 16

28 Sep 2020

Love as a Platinum Strategy

Have you heard of the “Platinum Rule”? Our guest in this episode, Kandace Cooks, introduced us to this concept. She has devoted her life and career to following the Platinum Rule, and we have an amazing time diving into this concept - and how we might apply it to our lives. And of course, what’s love got to do with it?

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 15

22 Sep 2020

Love as a Team Strategy

What makes a team effective? How do you build a winning team? We’ve all heard of “High-performing teams”, but what’s the secret-sauce? In this episode, we talk about how we approach building teams, and we also try something different and get into an awkward debate. In the end, of course, we try to uncover the role that LOVE plays in every great team.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 14

15 Sep 2020

Love as a Sales Strategy

How can we have a business podcast without talking about sales? As it turns out, we used to do sales all wrong - so we take this opportunity to really understand the drastic difference between how we used to approach sales vs. how we now apply a little LOVE to the process.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 13

08 Sep 2020

Love as an Equity Strategy

We hear a lot of buzz around diversity and inclusion nowadays, but equity is not talked about as often. How is equity different? Why is it important? In this episode, we have an amazing conversation with the co-hosts of the Dear White Women Podcast, Sara and Misasha. Their expertise, experience, and perspective really shine a light on the topic of equity.

Check out Sara & Misasha's podcast, Dear White Women, at https://www.dearwhitewomen.com/ and everywhere podcasts can be found.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 12

01 Sep 2020

Love as a Feedback Strategy

Let’s talk about the F word. That’s right… Feedback. Something that everybody needs, but not everybody always wants to hear. Why is giving and receiving feedback so hard sometimes? How do we unlock the true potential and benefit of feedback in our life? Through stories and discussion, we try to figure it out together in today’s episode.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 11

25 Aug 2020

Love as a Survival Strategy

In these unprecedented times, many businesses are just looking to survive. But how does a company survive in today’s climate? What’s it going to take? Is just surviving enough? Does love have any role to play in it? We invite an expert in this field, Jeff Brown, to help us answer these questions. With nearly 30 years of experience in building resilient companies, he walks us through his perspective on what surviving as a business really looks like.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 10

18 Aug 2020

Love as a Coaching Strategy

In this very special episode, we get a chance to chat with Jane Figueiredo—World Champion and Olympic medal-winning diving coach and Yulia Pakhalina—European Champion, World Champion, and 5-time Olympic medal-winning diver. We talk about love as a coaching strategy, and draw parallels between performing at the highest level of athletic competition and succeeding in business.

Check out the other episodes, see show notes, transcripts, and more at our website: https://www.softway.com/laabs

EPISODE 9

11 Aug 2020

Love as an Agile Transformation Strategy

Whether you’ve been going Agile for years, or you’re just now starting the transformation - an organization’s journey into Agile is not an easy one. In this episode, we talk about what makes an Agile transformation so difficult and what every business should be focusing on to really make Agile work. Spoiler alert: love might have something to do with it.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 8

31 Jul 2020

Love as a Delicious Strategy

Food is a universal connector of people. Food is at the center of every occasion. Sharing food is akin to sharing a piece of our identity, culture, and affection. When you sit and eat together, and when you eat the same food as others - you grow closer. So how is food connected to business? And what role does Love play in it all? Let's discuss.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 7

24 Jul 2020

Love as an Empathetic Leadership Strategy

How can leaders hold their teams accountable while still maintaining a culture of love? In this episode, we explore what it means to be an Empathetic Leader, and how there’s a very big difference between empathy and sympathy when it comes to the workplace.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 6

17 Jul 2020

Love as an Inclusion Strategy

In this episode, we zoom in on the topic of Inclusion. Specifically, how businesses should be tackling it. D&I is obviously still a hot topic, and many companies are scrambling for actionable results. What’s the right approach to address diversity and inclusion issues in your organization? And of course, where does LOVE fit into the equation? Let’s dive in.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 5

10 Jul 2020

Love as a Technology Strategy

Technology is a part of every modern business, and often an aspect that is approached logically and tactically. So often, it’s made up of zeroes and ones and nothing more. Is there any room for LOVE in something so mechanical? We take on that question and more in this episode!

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 4

03 Jul 2020

Love as a Diversity & Inclusion Strategy

Diversity and Inclusion is at the forefront of many business conversation right now. Not everyone is approaching it the same way. We want to explore the different ways to look at and address D&I in a business - and how LOVE changes the equation.

Addressing D&I in your business might look different from what you'd expect!

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 3

26 Jun 2020

Love as a Digital Transformation Strategy

In this episode, we talk about digital transformation and what it really looks like for companies to go through. And of course, we ask: What role does LOVE play in a business’s digital transformation strategy?

While many companies are focusing on digital strategy, it’s more than just changing your process and tools. The real transformation centers around how your teams work with each other, and how people behave.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 2

12 Jun 2020

How Business Leaders Can Actually Help Black Employees

In this episode, we speak with Chris Pitre, and ask him to share in-depth about 9 questions that businesses leaders can ask themselves to start identifying constructs, biases, and policies that contribute to the mistreatment and mischaracterization of Black employees in their organization.

The article we are referencing (How Business Leaders Can Actually Help Black Employees) can be found here.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

EPISODE 1

12 Jun 2020

Love as a...business strategy?

In our very first episode, we get together and talk about what "Love" means in a business context.

We introduce the concept, and share what our experience has been in making this applicable to our business.

See the video version here.

Find out more about about our show and check out other episodes, transcripts, newsletters, and more at https://www.softway.com/laabs.

Episode 181:

181. Love as a People-Centered Strategy with Kristi Pittman

Speakers

Christnas

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Love as a Generational Strategy with Lata Hamilton

Love as a Possibility Strategy with Darrin Tulley

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