Claim OwnershipCulture Over Coffee
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Welcome to Culture Over Coffee, a podcast focused on improving company culture and fostering employee engagement hosted by Beth Sunshine, SVP/Partner at Up Your Culture. Every week we chat with experts and thought leaders about the latest proven practices that succeed in reducing regrettable turnover, increasing productivity and retaining key customers. So, pour a cup of your favorite brew and join us. Up Your Culture, an employee engagement and company culture firm, was designed by The Center for Sales Strategy which has almost 40 years of experience improving business performance.
52 Episodes
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In this episode, Dan Kessler, President of Energage, joins Beth Sunshine to explore how data and action come together to create thriving workplace cultures.
Drawing on insights from millions of employee surveys and thousands of companies, Dan shares how organizations can move beyond measuring engagement to activating it.
Dan has some amazing takeaways, like:
- Why employee engagement data reveals what leaders can’t always see — and how assumptions can quietly derail culture.
- Why “survey fatigue” isn’t real (it’s actually inaction fatigue) and how authentic follow-through restores trust.
- And how middle managers, often caught between leadership and employees, play a pivotal role in turning insights into cultural momentum.
Energage:
https://www.energage.com/
Dan Kessler:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-kessler-40b4a11/
Evaluate Your Company Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/quick-culture-assessment
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture isn’t just something you feel. It’s something you build.
In this short Culture Snapshot episode, we’re breaking down why great cultures aren’t powered by perks or positivity alone. Instead, they run on systems: the intentional habits, behaviors, and leadership practices that create clarity and consistency.
We’ll also walk through the four “engagement elevators” that help organizations turn good vibes into lasting strength, reminding leaders that when culture runs on systems, it can thrive no matter the storm.
Evaluate Your Company Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/quick-culture-assessment
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Career development shouldn’t be a checklist. It should be a catalyst.
In this episode of Culture Over Coffee, Beth sits down with Deb Kuhn who leads Career Development and Programs at TransUnion, to explore how growth pathways can transform company culture from the inside out.
Deb shares incredible insights, including:
- Why TransUnion replaced rigid career ladders with “squiggly careers,” helping employees explore lateral moves, expand responsibilities, and grow in place.
- How focusing on transferable skills (what she calls “superpowers”) creates a culture where people feel valued for their unique strengths, not just their titles.
- Why career development must stay top of mind to drive engagement and how even simple manager conversations can reignite motivation and ownership.
Deb Kuhn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-kuhn-a1520210/
Evaluate Your Company Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/quick-culture-assessment
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
What separates almost leaders from always leaders?
In this Culture Snapshot, Beth explores how small gaps in consistency (missed feedback, delayed recognition, or forgotten check-ins) can quietly erode engagement, and how one extra step can transform trust, culture, and results.
Evaluate Your Company Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/quick-culture-assessment
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
In this episode of Culture Over Coffee, Catherine Badalamente, President and CEO of Graham Media Group, joins Beth to talk about what it really means to lead as listener-in-chief, and how active listening can strengthen trust, reveal hidden cultural challenges, and help employees thrive.
Catherine shares powerful takeaways including:
- Why real listening goes beyond surveys and meetings
- How to make it a daily intentional practice
- How toxic high performers quietly erode the culture
- And what leaders can do to hold people accountable without sacrificing performance.
Catherine Badalamente:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinebadalamente/
Graham Media Group:
https://www.grahammedia.com/
Evaluate Your Company Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/quick-culture-assessment
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
In this quick-hit Culture Snapshot, Beth spends a few minutes breaking down a powerful concept every leader should understand: culture debt.
Much like financial or technical debt, culture debt builds up when we avoid tough conversations, ignore toxic behaviors, or push past early signs of burnout.
Beth shares relatable, real-world examples of how culture debt sneaks into teams and outlines practical ways to start addressing it. You’ll learn why dealing with issues early is the best investment you can make in trust, engagement, and long-term team health.
Evaluate Your Company Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/quick-culture-assessment
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Feedback fuels growth, but most employees aren’t getting enough of it.
In this quick Culture Snapshot episode, Beth takes a few minutes to explore what data from ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report reveals about the frequency and quality of workplace feedback. Also, she offers bits of actionable advice to help leaders make feedback a consistent, impactful habit.
ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Middle managers are the critical link between leadership and employees...but many of them feel disengaged, unsupported, and overwhelmed.
In this episode, Matt Sunshine, CEO of The Center for Sales Strategy, is joining Beth to discuss why managers are struggling to stay engaged and how that impacts the teams they lead.
Matt has some amazing takeaways, like:
- Why the way in which companies “shift the goal posts” in how they measure success makes middle managers feel as though they can never win.
- How when middle managers are disengaged, it spreads like wildfire, transforming employees who were previously “all in” into people who clock in and check out.
- And, finally, why, if managers aren’t involved in navigating the future of your organization, you’ll soon be in a boat that’s rowing in circles
ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report
Matt Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattsunshine/
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Engagement may be strong at the top...but it’s not making its way down the org chart.
In this episode, Beth sits down with Kate Rehling, Senior Talent Analyst and Engagement Specialist at Up Your Culture, to explore the troubling disconnect between executives and employees when it comes to culture and engagement.
Kate shares some amazing thoughts to consider, like:
- How front-line employees can easily feel disconnected if communication is top-down and infrequent
- Why managers are the mirror for how culture is functioning in real-time
- And, finally, why people can’t commit to the present if they don’t see a future.
ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report
Kate Rehling:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-rehling/
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
For many employees, culture is a major reason they say “yes” to a job offer. But, too often, the reality doesn’t live up to the pitch.
In this episode, Beth is joined by Deborah Fulghum, Employee Engagement Specialist and Culture Coach at Up Your Culture, to unpack what happens when the promised culture falls short of expectations (and how organizations can fix it).
Deb offers such great insights, like:
- Why too many organizations use company culture as a marketing tool without doing the actual work of establishing a solid culture foundation.
- How too many managers think of onboarding as a job solely for HR
- How people join a company but leave a manager… often because they feel as though their manager doesn’t really care about them.
ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report
Deborah Fulghum:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahfulghum/
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Many leaders assume their people know exactly what’s expected of them, but the data says otherwise.
In this brief Culture Snapshot episode, Beth spends a few minutes to break down why unclear expectations lead to disengagement, especially among mid-tenure employees. She also shares simple ways to bring clarity and alignment back into focus.
ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
In this episode, we’re exploring why more than a third of employees say they don’t receive enough recognition from managers or peers. We’ll be breaking down why recognition remains so underutilized, what it costs your culture, and how to make it part of your daily rhythm.
And here to help Beth make sense of it all is Kelly George, Culture Coach here at Up Your Culture.
Kelly offers great insights, like:
- How employees who feel recognized are 4X more likely to be engaged at work
- Why offering vague praise is missing the chance to reinforce behaviors that you’d like to see more often
- And, finally, why recognition is one of the most powerful drivers in your toolkit to fuel engagement, performance, and retention
ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report
Kelly George:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyjgeorge/
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
In this episode, we’re digging into the real cost of silence in the workplace (and what it takes to build a culture where people feel safe, heard, and empowered).
You’ll soon see that when employees feel like they can’t be their authentic selves at work, the impact goes far beyond quiet meetings and silent Slack threads.
Joining me to explore this critical issue is Mindy Murphy, Culture Coach here at Up Your Culture.
Mindy makes a ton of great points, like:
- How, when employees aren’t comfortable speaking up, leaders can have a false sense of harmony while resentment builds over time
- Why the most respected leaders aren’t those who claim to know it all, but those who are open enough to keep asking better questions.
- And, finally, why creating a space for candor requires courage
ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report
Mindy Murphy:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindy-murphy-981a1278/
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
In this episode, we’re looking into why the honeymoon phase for new employees is fading so fast and how it’s costing organizations more than they realize.
With half of new hires feeling only somewhat engaged within their first six months, early disengagement is becoming a major threat to retention, morale, and performance.
Joining Beth to help break it all down is Tirzah Thornburg, Senior Talent Analyst at The Center for Sales Strategy.
Tirzah brings so many awesome points to the table, like:
- How a one-size-fits-all onboarding experience can lead to fresh hires checking out early
- Why too many managers expect their more experienced new hires to “hit the ground running,” when, in fact, they still need a firm onboarding plan.
- And, finally, why it’s up to you to ensure that every new member of your team goes home on their first day saying, “I made the right choice.”
ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/company-culture-report
Tirzah Thornburg:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tirzah-bruce-thornburg-35a99150/
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Culture Over Coffee:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/culture-over-coffee-podcast
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
In this brief, Culture Snapshot episode, we’re spending a few minutes to examine what comes after you’ve implemented an Employee Engagement Survey with your team.
We’ll answer questions like, “what happens after the survey results come in?” and “How can companies use the feedback effectively to enact real change?”
By the end of this quick episode, you’ll be equipped with all the steps you need to ensure that the findings from your engagement survey don’t go underutilized.
Grade Your Company Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/grade-your-company-culture-quiz
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Up Your Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/
In this episode, we’re thinking about how leaders can utilize the full potential of their role to help shape the culture of their company.
And we could think of no better person to speak to this topic than Donna Hall, SVP/General Manager at Robertson Lowstuter.
Donna offers great insight about:
- Why leaders who talk more than they listen are culture killers
- How clearly communicating your company’s vision comes in the form of a steady drumbeat
- And, finally, why giving someone feedback is the best way to show them that you care about them (and in turn, why the lack of feedback tells them that you don’t)
Grade Your Company Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/grade-your-company-culture-quiz
Donna Hall:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-hall-mba-5610079/
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
In this episode, we’re taking a look at why psychological safety is a crucial component in all organizations: especially those known for taking risks in pursuit of innovation.
And here to help us break it all down is Adrienne Wilkerson, Co-Founder and CEO at Beacon Media + Marketing.
Adrienne makes a ton of amazing points, like:
- Why you can’t have true innovation without psychological safety
- How being willing to innovate means owning our mistakes from the top down
- And, finally, why you and your team should celebrate both the wins AND what you learn from the losses.
Grade Your Company Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/grade-your-company-culture-quiz
Adrienne Wilkerson:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennewilkerson/
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
In this short, Culture Snapshot episode, we’re taking little time to think about employee retention rates and how you can go about improving them.
On the other side of the brief episode, you’ll see that, to avoid the recruitment merry-go-round, you need to hire the right people, develop them in a way that allows them to grow in their jobs, and create a culture that allows for strong employee engagement.
LINKS:
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Up Your Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/
In this episode, we’re exploring how companies can go about bridging two different cultures following a merger or acquisition.
And helping us break down how to do just that is Miracle Semien, CRO at Veaux Professional Services.
Miracle brings so many great insights to light, like:
- How an aligned culture, or lack thereof, creates a ripple effect throughout the company that is inevitably felt by your customers
- Why the first 90 days are the most crucial time when bridging cultures between two organizations after a merger
- And, lastly, why leaders need to clearly and consistently articulate the behaviors that they want to see exhibited by their people
Grade Your Company Culture:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/grade-your-company-culture-quiz
Miracle Semien:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miraclesemien/
Beth Sunshine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
Up Your Culture:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshine/
In this quick, Culture Snapshot episode, we’re taking a few minutes to dispel the all-too-common myth that company culture is merely about the satisfaction and happiness of your employees.
Now, that’s not to say that those qualities aren’t sure-fire byproducts of a solid company culture. Far from it. In fact, by the end of this episode, you’ll see that by shifting the aim of your company culture efforts, you’ll not only see happy employees, but employees who are engaged like never before.
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