In this second part, Kevin Schnieders fills in the details of his culture-building experiences at EDSI, and unpacks the title of ‘Chief Servant Leader.’ He and David discuss what it means to be recognized as a “cool place to work.”

In this episode, David welcomes Kevin Schnieders of Educational Data Services, Inc. Kevin started as a training consultant in 1994, working his way up to eventually become CEO in 2007 — or Chief Servant Leader, as he calls it. Under his care, today EDSI is not only a growing organization and provider of customized training and workforce development solutions, but also a top workplace. In part one, Kevin shares his journey into the leadership position, and his experiences in introducing intentional systems of culture in the company.

David continues his conversation with Saul Blinkoff. In this second part, Saul shares more leadership and culture-building experiences across different studios and projects, as well as his biggest learning about culture from his decades-long career in animation.

Here at Culture Architects, we also take time to explore culture from the perspective of other disciplines. For over 20 years, Saul Blinkoff — animator, director, producer, and life coach — has worked with some of the biggest names in media and entertainment. In this episode, he and David sit down to talk about what culture-building is like with creatives.

David continues his conversation with Adam House Sr. In this second part, Adam shares his take on the importance of culture in a growing organization, as well as his culture-building plans for future entrepreneurial ventures.

In this episode, David welcomes serial entrepreneur, executive coach, and professional growth expert Adam House Sr. With over 20 years of experience in launching and scaling companies, Adam's journey towards becoming a serial entrepreneur has taken him across multiple industries — including professional basketball at one point. With each industry and each company comes some new insight into culture-building.

In the second half of their conversation, David and Peter Docker examine Jumpseat Leadership within the context of culture and culture-building. Peter weighs in on how to build an organizational culture that encourages leading from the jumpseat.

Today’s episode features Peter Docker, former Royal Air Force pilot, leadership consultant, and executive coach. In this first half of the conversation, he and David break down the meaning of “Leading from the Jumpseat” — both within and outside the organization setting — and Peter shares the experiences from his 25-year career in aviation that came to shape this outlook.

David resumes his conversation with Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli of Cooper University Health Care. In this second episode, Mazz reflects on mistakes made and lessons learned at the leadership level, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their culture-building efforts at Cooper.

Here at Culture Architects, we’re always curious about what other disciplines can teach us about culture-building, and today the spotlight is on the healthcare industry. In this first of a two-episode conversation, David sits down with Dr. Anthony “Mazz” Mazzarelli to unpack his compassion-driven, evidence-based approach to culture at Cooper University Health Care.

David continues his conversation with Dr. Joey Faucette, creator of the Work Positive framework. In this second part, Joey shares more of his takes on the present-day workplace, the leaders behind them, and the work environments and cultures that they build. (WORK POSITIVE LINK: https://www.workpositive.today)

David welcomes certified Executive Coach Dr. Joey Faucette to the Culture Architects podcast. Long before he was invited to the show, Joey had been referring to himself as a “Culture Architect” — an interesting coincidence that he unpacks in this episode. In this first of a two-part conversation, Joey also walks listeners through the five core practices of a positive work culture.

David wraps up a fascinating conversation with Zarango’s CEO Stephan Wiedner. In this second part, they examine leadership and culture-building within a psychologically safe work environment, and Stephan shares two important things to keep in mind when aiming for psychological safety in one’s organization. (ZARANGO LINK: https://zarango.com/freepsi/)

In this episode of Culture Architects, David sits down with psychological safety expert Stephan Wiedner. Stephan is currently the CEO of two psychological safety-based organizations: the professional coaching network Noomii, which he co-founded in 2007; and the Zarango training program, which he established in 2021. In today’s episode, Stephan takes listeners through the concept of psychological safety — and together, he and David begin to unpack how Stephan’s field of expertise intersects with the conversation around culture.

In this new episode, David and Meg continue talking about intentional hiring practices at Inspirant Group. Meg shares what lessons she’s learned from her mistakes and delves deeper into what it means to lead a people-first company.

Our latest Culture Architect is Meg Newhouse — co-founder and CEO of Inspirant Group. In 2017, Meg was one of three seasoned consultants who started the Chicago-based firm that has since garnered attention for the work it describes as “unconsulting.” In this episode, Meg talks about the origins of “unconsulting,” and walks David through the ways in which she has been intentional about leading the company.

David continues his conversation with Brad Whitchurch. In this second part, Brad shares mistakes made and lessons learned from building the culture at Seal Shield, as well as his hopes and projections for the future of the company.

In this episode, David welcomes Brad Whitchurch, the founder, CEO, and chairman of Seal Shield. In 2006, Brad invented the world’s first dishwasher-safe keyboard and mouse, and grew the company into an internationally recognized provider of infection control solutions. Today, Seal Shield is an award-winning workplace that is intentional about its people and its company culture. At their helm is Brad Whitchurch, a true Culture Architect.

David wraps up part one of his conversation with Zach McLeroy. In part two, Zach discussed how he selected his team members to maintain Zaxby’s company culture, as well as his vision for the future of Zaxby’s.

For this episode of Culture Architects, David sits down with Zach McLeroy, the co-founder and chairman of Zaxby’s. Since opening his first location in 1990, Zach’s leadership has led the way to Zaxby’s becoming the 30th largest restaurant chain in the United States. From humble beginnings, to a billion-dollar franchise, Zach attributes Zaxby’s growth to the intentional relationships made within the company. Zaxby’s company culture is at the core of their success, making Zach a fantastic culture architect.