In this conversation, Una & Doug discuss the significance of rituals and habits in fostering a culture of gratitude within teams. They share various creative practices that teams have implemented to enhance appreciation and connection among members, including the concept of the 'golden taco' and the annual 'TacoCon'. The discussion also highlights personal experiences with team rituals, emphasizing the importance of shared meals and fun traditions in building strong team dynamics.Takeaway...
How will countries function in a world without borders?Join Sondre Rasch, Co-Founder and CEO of SafetyWing, as he discusses building a global social safety net for the future of remote work. Sondre explores how evolving trends in remote work reshape industries, social structures, and even the way we view countries as products.Alongside co-hosts Doug and Una, Sondre shares insights into leadership, creating company culture, and why remote work is the inevitable future.Key Takeaways:● &nb...
KeywordsCultureCon, organizational culture, employee engagement, leadership, followership, networking, gratitude, team dynamics, company culture, motivational strategiesSummmaryIn this conversation, Una and Doug catch up on Una's experience at CultureCon, a conference focused on improving organizational culture. She highlights the importance of being a diehard fan in leadership, the ongoing challenge of employee engagement, and shares actionable insights for businesses to foster a culture of ...
What does it take to build a culture of feedback that transforms teams and strengthens client relationships?Francesco Vetica, Head of Design and Employee Experience at Fifth Beat, joins the Amazing Teams podcast to share how his design and business background shape his approach to fostering growth, communication, and collaboration. From embedding feedback into daily operations to creating open, safe spaces for constructive dialogue, Francesco reveals the strategies that drive his team’s ...
Join Una and Doug as they discuss insights from a recent webinar with Eddie Geller of SKOR, where they dive into why traditional employee engagement and pulse surveys may fall short in assessing and fostering company culture. Eddie's unique culture assessment approach goes beyond symptom-based questions to tackle root causes, allowing companies to address issues proactively instead of reacting to lagging indicators. They explore ideas around measuring everyday experiences, fostering happiness...
How can data and technology transform education while keeping the human connection alive?Chris Hull, Co-founder and President of Otus, joins the podcast to discuss his journey from a seventh-grade social studies teacher to leading an edtech company focused on making student data accessible and actionable for educators. Chris shares how Otus centralizes diverse student data—grades, attendance, behavioral insights—to support teachers, districts, and families, creating a complete picture of...
In this episode, Doug and Una dive into the myths and facts surrounding happiness at work. They challenge common beliefs, revealing that workplace happiness goes beyond perks like free snacks and ping pong tables. Instead, they emphasize purpose, recognition, and belonging as the true drivers of satisfaction and engagement. They discuss how productivity and happiness are connected but distinct, exploring research that shows happy employees are 20% more productive and 25% less likely to leave ...
How can companies inspire a culture of proactive learning?In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, Doug and Una welcome Lisa Lie, founder of Learna, to discuss the transformative role of proactive learning in building resilient and adaptable teams.Lisa, who has transitioned from a career in advertising and HR to founding her own company, shares her journey of blending her passions for product development, people operations, and continuous learning. She explores how reframing learning as ...
In this conversation, Doug and Una discuss the concept of unlimited PTO (Paid Time Off) and its implications in the workplace. They explore whether unlimited PTO is a trap or a beneficial policy, with Doug expressing skepticism about its effectiveness. They emphasize the importance of having structured time off to encourage employees to take the necessary breaks without guilt. The discussion also highlights the role of trust and autonomy in high-performing teams, suggesting that a culture bui...
Why should companies prioritize culture in growth? In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, Doug and Una chat with Bryan Christiansen, founder and CEO of Limble, a B2B SaaS company focused on maintenance management. Bryan discusses the pivotal role culture has played in scaling Limble from a small startup to a 250-person company over nine years. He shares insights into Limble’s core values—embodied by the acronym Moth Tacos—which emphasize merit-based success, customer obsessio...
In this short Taco Byte, Doug and Una chat about whether software tools are the answer to reinforcing company values, the role of leadership in living the values and how HeyTaco was designed to encourage meaningful and intrinsic value recognition.
Why should companies rethink compensation strategies? In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, hosts Doug and Una sit down with Lola Han, founder and CEO of Kamsa, a company dedicated to helping businesses create data-driven compensation strategies. Lola, a seasoned expert with experience at companies like Zendesk, shares her insights into how organizations can structure fair, equitable compensation that cultivates employee growth and satisfaction. The conversation dives ...
In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, Doug and Una reflect on the journey since the podcast's inception in September 2023. Having interviewed 15 diverse guests, including entrepreneurs, founders, coaches, and team leads, Doug and Una share their insights from season one, emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to building an amazing team, as each team's path is unique. Empathy emerged as a recurring theme, highlighting the importance of trust and relationships. They di...
Have you considered using improv techniques to improve communication within your organization? After this episode with Jordan Hirsch and Sarah Filman, you’ll want to! Sarah is the Founder of Playful Perspectives, and with experience as a product manager and certified coach, she brings unique insight to team building. Jordan is the Founder and CEO of FishTree who uses his experience in consulting, improv comedy, and public speaking to create “a world where fear doesn’t hold good people back.”&...
Is your organization keeping up with the company culture revolution? Aaron Schmookler is on a mission to engineer healthy company cultures through his company, YesWorks. As CEO of YesWorks, a consulting firm specializing in training and support for world class collaboration, Aaron, along with his team, work with a variety of organizations to improve their company culture. One of the ways this is done is through Teamification, building foundational structures in your business that support a he...
Did you know that a die-hard baseball fan and CEO of a marketing agency took his team on a 24-hour marketing marathon to give back to the community? But here's the unexpected twist: this CEO's team-building strategy involves not just typical team retreats, but real-time, high-stakes client work! Jason Piasecki, the partner and CEO of Revel, brings his unique marketing expertise to his passion for team dynamics. With a love for baseball and a commitment to his company's values of humility, hun...
This week we sat down for a chat with Steve Hedrick, Chairman, President, and CEO of AVN Corporation, right in the heart of South Charleston, West Virginia. Now, Steve's not your average CEO. He's got this cool mix of petrochemical savvy and military know-how from his West Point days. And boy, does he have some stories to share! From the importance of being understanding as a leader to the magic that happens when teamwork kicks in, Steve spills the beans on how he's been steering the AVN ship...
Malia Shoji, the head volleyball coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, really dives deep into what it takes to build a successful team. She talks about how important it is to have strong connections among team members, a commitment to growth, and everyone being on the same page with their goals. Before taking on this role, Malia had a great run at Utah, where she helped lead the team to six NCAA Tournament appearances in a row. She played a big part in getting players recognized as Fi...
Hey friends! Recently, we had the pleasure of chatting with Lloyd Fobi, a senior technology leader and former soccer coach. Lloyd brings a wealth of insight on building empathy and trust within teams. We kick things off talking about Lloyd's leadership approach - caring for people while still holding them to high standards. He shares a story from his first week leading a new team, using engaging questions to break down assumptions and get to know them as human beings. The heart of our convers...
Liz is the head of Wheeling Country Day School, an independent private school in Wheeling, West Virginia, established in 1929, almost 100 years ago. She’s also the founder of EDGE. which is a virtual and campus based tutoring center that specializes in helping students aged 4 to 24 with language-based learning differences. She also was the coxswain for the rowing team at Princeton University.Key Takeaways:Know how to motivate your team to perform beyond their capabilitiesAwareness of your ful...