Culture Leaders
Episodes
A bold disruptor with a kind heart: Lessons from e.l.f. Beauty on values-led performance at scale
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
97%. That's the percentage of e.l.f. Beauty employees who say they feel passionate about the people they work with. For most leaders, that number stop...
Bob Sutton on building a workplace with healthy friction and no assholes
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, host Damon Klotz speaks with Bob Sutton, an organizational psychologist, Stanford management professor, ...
Fresia Jackson & Justin Angsuwat on the trends impacting the world of work in 2025
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, host Damon Klotz, along with co-hosts Fresia Jackson, Director of People Science at Culture Amp, and Jus...
Esther Perel on the power of relationally intelligent leaders
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, our host Damon Klotz invited Didier Elzinga, the CEO of Culture Amp, to step into the interview seat and...
Dr. Marcus Collins on why culture is a cheat code for success
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Dr. Marcus Collins, professor and best-selling author of For the Culture: The Pow...
NBA Champion Shane Battier on why data and culture are the secret to success
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Shane Battier. Shane is a two-time NBA champion and former player for the Miami H...
Amy Gallo's Guide to working with difficult people
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Amy Gallo, an esteemed author and workplace expert. Damon and Amy have an in-dept...
Patagonia's Vincent Stanley on creating a purpose-driven work culture
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Vincent Stanley, Patagonia’s Director of Philosophy. They discuss Patagonia’s...
Isabel Berwick on professional growth in uncertain times
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In what ways are today’s workplace expectations shifting, and what does it mean for the future of professional growth? In this episode of the C...
Seth Godin on building a culture of impact
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Seth Godin, renowned author, marketer, and entrepreneur. They delve into the esse...
How people science and people analytics are changing how we work with Amy Lavoie
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First podcast, Damon Klotz interviews Amy Lavoie, VP of People Science at Culture Amp, about the role of people science...
The Surprising Long Term Impact of Layoffs on Company Performance & Employee Experience.
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the second part of a two-part series on layoffs and their impact on the employee experience. The episode focuses on the long-term impact of la...
The Immediate Impact of Layoffs on Employee Experience & Company Performance.
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first part of a two-part series on layoffs and their impact on the employee experience. The episode focuses on the immediate impact of lay...
Modern Managers as Performance Coaches: Secrets from Nascar, Detroit Lions, and Ben Crowe live from SXSW 2024
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First Podcast, we take you on the road with us to give you a front-row seat to an incredible conversation that took pla...
Airbnb's Hospitality Expert: The conditions required to do the best work of your life with Chip Conley
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon Klotz and Chip Conley explore what it means to be a modern elder, ponder the notion of our identity being wrapped up in our wor...
Your invite to hear from Esther Perel, Megan Rapinoe & Ben Crowe at Culture First Global 2024
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join Damon at Culture First Virtual 2024 to hear from Esther Perel, Megan Rapinoe and Ben Crowe. Register here to get your free ticket & a thank y...
Should Activism Enter the Workplace? Insights from DeRay McKesson
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
DeRay McKesson is a civil rights activist, community organiser, and host of Pod Save the People. He started his career as an educator & human capi...
Scott Shigeoka: Activating your curiosity will change the world around you
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do we lose access to curiosity as we age? Or is it like a muscle that's always there, but just needs to be activated and strengthened?Scott Keoni Shig...
World renowned trust expert: How do we access confidence during uncertainty with Rachel Botsman
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you feel like trust works both ways in your workplace?With the sustained rise in remote or semi-remote roles, the importance of trust in the workpl...
Viral Poet Cleo Wade: How to Foster Community in the Workplace
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cleo Wade describes herself as a friend and a community builder. She's the author of bestselling books - Heart Talk, poetic Wisdom for a Better Life a...
Achieving Gender Equality: Insights from Future Women's Jamila Rizvi
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We can't think of a better way to mark International Women's Day than with a crystal clear call to action to all employers, laying out exactly what is...
The 7 trends that will define HR in 2024
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join Damon at Culture First Virtual 2024 to hear from Esther Perel, Megan Rapinoe and Ben Crowe. Register here to get your free ticket & a thank y...
Damon Klotz with the one thing we all need to hear right now…
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're signing off for the year with the one thing we all need to hear right now + some exciting news about 2024.If you enjoy and find value in this po...
Fresia Jackson shares the six behaviors that define a great manager
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The research team at Culture Amp are on the cutting edge of everything people + data science, and in this episode you'll get access to the top finding...
Sarah Walsh on creating the conditions for high performance at the Matildas
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Walsh has been integral in making women’s football in Australia what it is today. Following a club career that saw her play in the NWSL in the...
Susan David on why work feels harder than ever and how understanding emotional agility will help.
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are you stressed? Or could you get benefit from getting a little more specific and looking within to see if something else is happening? Maybe you ide...
Adam Bryant on how to know if you're ready to become a leader.
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Bryant is currently senior managing director at the Ex-Co Group, but you might also know Adam for his work as a columnist on one of the most popu...
What Succession taught us about toxic workplace culture, with Executive Producer and Writer Lucy Prebble - Part 2
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Part II of this special episode with Lucy Prebble, executive producer and writer from the hit tv show Succession. If you’re curious about...
Lucy Prebble: How the Succession writer's room culture changed her life - Part I
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lucy is an award winning British playwright and is the Executive Producer, and writer for the TV show Succession. She is known for her compelling stor...
Garry Ridge: The stunning business impact of WD40’s Culture First strategy
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever doubted the ability of a Culture First company to have their delicious Culture cake and eat it, too - Garry Ridge is about to lay down ...
Jamila Rizvi: making work actually work for women
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jamila's role as Deputy Managing Director of Future Women, an agency that supports governments and organizations that are working towards gender equal...
Simon Sinek on the power of putting culture first
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this Culture First episode, Damon Klotz sits down with the iconic Simon Sinek in a conversation wholly shaped around Simon’s concept of the Infin...
Oliver Burkeman on designing an employee experience for mortals
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever caught yourself saying “Once I’ve achieved this, I’ll have time for that” or “I would love to, but I’m just too busy’?Yes?...
Esther Perel on building a relationally intelligent workplace
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains the never heard before full interview from our very first episode with Esther Perel. It was this sit down conversation that...
Season Preview: Here's what to expect on the latest episodes of Culture First
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Interviews with a curated list of workplace culture experts and thought leaders full of actionable insights to help all of us create a better world of...
Priya Parker and Gary Ware discuss the company culture showdown: Ted Lasso vs. Succession's Logan Roy.
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
‘Pop’ Culture First is a new style of episode and one that we’d love to do more of if you, our audience, agree!In this episode, you’ll hear Da...
How to hold on to your high performing employees, with Fresia Jackson.
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What can 200,000 employees tell us about the relationship between engagement and performance? It turns out quite a lot. On the latest episod...
The current state of mental health in the workplace, with Dr Nick Taylor
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While we all know that the world has changed significantly, what you might not know is that the state of mental health in the workplace has also been ...
Culture First Americas 2022 with Susan Cain, Valerie Jarrett, David Whyte, and Oliver Burkeman
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode of the Culture First Podcast, our host Damon Klotz announces the four keynote speakers for Culture First Americas. Join him...
How Wilson Sporting Goods puts Culture First, with Director of Retail Erin Pelton, Part 3 of 3.
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time on the Culture First Podcast, we are doing a mini-series where we go behind the scenes of a company to learn how they put Culture F...
How Wilson Sporting Goods puts Culture First, with Geoff Watts VP of HR, Part 2 of 3.
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time on the Culture First Podcast, we are doing a mini-series where we go behind the scenes of a company to learn how they put Culture F...
How Wilson Sporting Goods puts Culture First, with CEO Joe Dudy, Part 1 of 3.
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time on the Culture First Podcast, we are doing a mini-series where we go behind the scenes of a company to learn how they put Culture F...
Diving into Culture Amp's data lake - How we uncover insights from 34 million employee experience data points.
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what happens to your survey data after you submit your response? In this episode, we will dive deep into the world of employee ...
How to talk about mental health in the workplace.
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First Podcast Damon sits down with Professor Jane Burns and Adam Smiley Poswolsky to discuss how to talk about mental h...
Designing Culture First Gatherings, with Priya Parker
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon sits down with Priya Parker, master facilitator, and author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters. Priya prov...
Special: Culture First is back for 2022
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to another episode of the Culture First Podcast. In this episode podcast host, Damon Klotz talks about what's to come in the future for t...
Rethinking Trust at Work with Rachel Botsman
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon sits down with Rachel Botsman, a leading expert and author on trust in the modern world, to discuss the positive impact of...
How Carman’s Kitchen achieved 96% employee engagement by focusing on the whole employee experience.
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon sits down with Lainie Tayler the General Manager People at Carman's Kitchen & Founder of HR Squad to discuss reimagining th...
Scaling the employee experience at Asana, with Anna Binder
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon sits down with Anna Binder from Asana to talk about the journey she’s been on as she’s scaled Asana. As the newest board me...
How the Major League Baseball connected the dots between the fan experience and the employee experience
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For years Major League Baseball has measured everything related to the game. From the data that individual teams use for onfield performance to the an...
How Nasdaq built a transformative culture that is both empowering and accountable
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Damon Klotz sat down with Richard Taylor, VP of Employee Experience at Nasdaq, to learn about how they think about building a culture ...
Increasing emotional agility in the workplace with Claude Silver and Susan David
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Culture First Podcast Damon sits down with Claude Silver to provide a sneak preview into their respective upcoming conversation...
How to build an anti-racist organization, with Aubrey Blanche
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon speaks with Aubrey Blanche, Director of Equitable Impact & Design at Culture Amp. Damon and Aubrey discuss building anti-ra...
How to learn, unlearn & stay curious at work, with Chip Conley
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How to learn, unlearn & stay curious at work, with Chip Conley In this episode, Damon Klotz and Chip Conley explore what it means to be a mod...
Special: What did Damon Klotz learn from hosting this podcast during a crisis?
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join our host Damon Klotz as he reflects on the 7 parts of the working through it series and how they’ve helped him work through it during this time...
Special: How will COVID-19 change the world of work for good?
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Damon speaks with Lars Schmidt, one of the leading voices when it comes to modern HR practices, employer branding and open sourcing th...
Special: What is the future of performance management?
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Damon speaks with Srinivas Krishnamurti, VP of Product at Culture Amp and former CEO of Zugata, about the steps we need to take to cre...
Special: How does exclusion impact your ability to perform at work?
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Damon speaks with Rajkumari Neogy, an epigenetic coach and executive consultant focused on the intersection of neurobiology, culture, ...
Special: How to design experiences that increase connection
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon Klotz speaks with Jenny Sauer-Klein. Jenny is an experience designer and masterful facilitator who specializes in designing dyn...
Special: Cleo Wade on connection, community and work culture
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon Klotz sits down with author, poet, and community builder Cleo Wade. This conversation is designed to inspire listeners through ...
Special: How to talk about grief and suffering at work.
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Damon speaks to Kelsey Crowe, Ph.D., author of There is No Good Card for This: What to do and say when life is scary, awful and, unfai...
Special: The new rules of emotions at work
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Damon speaks with Mollie West Duffy, co-author of the book No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power Of Embracing Emotions At Work. She’s a...
Special: How to talk about politics and race in the workplace.
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leaders around the world are trying to help their teams navigate an incredible amount of uncertainty. This can lead to a deep sense of frustration abo...
Special: How to use open source to respond to a crisis.
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The open-source movement has given us an insight into the decisions that organizations around the world have been making to help their employees work ...
Special: The false codes of leadership to deconstruct in turbulent times
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leaders at all levels are faced with an increasingly blurred boundary between personal and professional. As we try to understand exactly how much of o...
Special: Keeping momentum while leading through crisis
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
All eyes are on leaders as the world of work tries to adapt in the face of crisis. Fortunately, this is not the first time we’ve had to do this, and...
Special: Navigating the unknown with resilience
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As most people are trapped at home, forced to grapple with the stress and anxiety from a confined space, there has never been a more relevant time to ...
Special: What happens to our brain during a pandemic
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
COVID-19 has rapidly impacted individuals and organizations around the world. However you’ve been affected, the stress and anxiety from this global ...
Special: Working Through It - A collective, seven-part journey through crisis.
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We are excited to announce a new seven-part series of the Culture First Podcast as we navigate the impacts of the global pandemic and explore the new ...
A seat at the table, with Minda Harts
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon sits down with Minda Harts, founder of The Memo, and author of the book by the same name. Minda has dedicated her life’s work...
Activism at work, with DeRay McKesson
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon sits down with DeRay McKesson, civil rights activist and host of “Pod Save the People”. DeRay works to connect individuals ...
The resilience playbook for leaders, with Tania Luna
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Damon meets with Tania Luna, Co-CEO of LifeLabs Learning, whose work revolves around learning, psychology, and surprise. Together, th...
Empathy, compassion, work: Part 2, with Taryn Hughes
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We believe that compassion is mandatory in the building of a Culture First organization. If like us, you’re passionate about people, there’s a goo...
Empathy, compassion, work: Part 1, with Michael Ventura
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Intuitively, you might get the sense that empathy and compassion play a key part in the making of a Culture First organization. Yet their definitions,...
The death and rebirth of soft skills, with Claude Silver
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The death and rebirth of soft skills, with Claude SilverThey’ve been called fluffy, vital, old school, new age… While few people in the world of w...
The infinite mindset organization, with Simon Sinek
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Simon Sinek identifies two different kinds of games: finite and infinite.Finite games, such as football or chess, have known players, fixed rules, and...
Designing for love and magic, with Oshoke Abalu & Chinedu Echuero
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do we foster love and magic within our organizations? This is the question on which architect Pamela Oshoke Abalu and serial entrepreneur Chinedu ...
Scaling Culture, with Ambrosia Vertesi
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Scaling Culture, with Ambrosia VertesiNumerous organizations face a common dilemma: how to maintain their foundational culture and values while experi...
Relationships at work, with Esther Perel
03 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Culture Amp’s Work Culture Evangelist Damon Klotz sits down with psychotherapist and best selling author Esther Perel to explore wh...
Introducing the Culture First Podcast
27 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Culture First: Stories for a better world of work is a podcast about work culture by Culture Amp, the People & Culture platform.Join host Damon Kl...