In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with culture strategist, speaker, and author Nathan Schock for a wide-ranging conversation about culture, clarity, and why sustainable growth always starts with identity.

Nathan reflects on a pivotal season in his life as a father of three adult daughters, sharing the gratitude and perspective that comes from walking through transition with his family. That grounding leads into a deeper exploration of his professional journey—from building a successful customer experience firm to realizing that systems fail when culture is unclear. What began as customer experience work ultimately evolved into a mission to help organizations define who they are before deciding what they do.

Eric and Nathan explore why proximity once carried culture in early-stage companies, why growth exposes what was never documented, and how leaders lose engagement when expectations remain unspoken. Drawing from real-world examples across retail, hospitality, and global brands, Nathan explains why culture isn't enforced through rules or memos, but formed through identity, clarity, and consistent modeling.

The conversation also dives into the role of human connection in an AI-driven world. Nathan challenges the idea that efficiency equals experience, arguing instead that technology should create more space for presence, trust, and relationship capital—not replace them. From Chick-fil-A to Disney to everyday leadership moments, he illustrates how small, intentional behaviors compound into enduring cultures.

They close with a practical discussion on employee engagement, why people don't quit companies but quit confusion, and the importance of giving teams a clear definition of success. Nathan also shares the question he believes leaders should ask more often: where are you going—and what kind of life are you building along the way?

In this episode, you'll learn:

· Why culture must be defined before it can scale
· How clarity drives engagement at every level of an organization
· Why customer experience always reflects internal culture
· The difference between service efficiency and human experience
· How AI should support presence, not replace connection
· Why identity shapes behavior more than policies ever will

This episode is dedicated to Nathan's journey and the lessons formed through leadership, family, and faith. This conversation is a reminder that culture isn't something you install—it's something you live. This conversation is what we make it.

This is Counsel Culture.

Learn more at www.ericbrooker.com | www.nathanshock.com

In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with executive coach, author, and former corporate leader Cory Carlson for a grounded conversation about leadership, burnout, and why success at work eventually collapses when life at home is neglected. Cory reflects on a recent personal loss that renewed his sense of urgency around intentional living and clarified his mission to help leaders win at home first.

Cory shares his path from civil engineer to sales executive to full-time coach, including the season when imposter syndrome and pressure at the top began to erode his health, presence, and priorities. He explains how hiring a coach reshaped not just his performance, but how he showed up as a husband, father, and leader, and why so many high performers mistake busyness for effectiveness.

Eric and Cory explore why leaders can't compartmentalize their lives, how personal stress inevitably shows up at work, and why avoiding personal conversations with team members limits both trust and performance. Cory challenges the idea that leaders at the top have it all figured out, drawing from years of coaching executives who look successful externally but are often struggling internally.

The conversation dives into burnout, purpose, and identity. Cory explains why burnout doesn't come from forgetting how to work, but from forgetting why we work, and shares the framework he uses to help leaders reconnect with purpose and priorities. They close with practical insights on journaling, reflection, and daily rhythms that sustain leaders over decades, not quarters.

In this episode, you'll learn:

· Why winning at home first is essential for sustainable leadership
· How imposter syndrome quietly undermines performance
· The difference between being busy and being effective
· Why personal conversations drive better leadership outcomes
· How purpose anchors leaders during burnout
· Simple habits that build clarity, resilience, and alignment

This episode is dedicated to Cory's journey and the lessons forged along the way. This conversation is a reminder that leadership is not about arrival, but alignment. This conversation is what we make it.

This, is Counsel Culture.

Learn more at www.ericbrooker.com | www.corymcarlson.com

In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric Brooker sits down for a deeply human conversation about hardship, presence, and what it really means to show up for others.

The discussion moves from personal crisis to professional leadership, exploring how adversity reshapes identity, relationships, and perspective. Together, they examine why small moments matter more than we think, how teams and families grow stronger through shared struggle, and what happens when leaders choose clarity, consistency, and care over avoidance.

This is a conversation about resilience without bravado, leadership without performance, and the quiet power of being present—at work, at home, and in the moments that matter most.

This episode is dedicated to Jodi's journey. This conversation is what we make it. This, is Counsel Culture.

Learn more at www.ericbrooker.com | www.exactlywhattosay.com

In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with organizational health pioneer Patrick Lencioni for a rich, honest conversation about work, faith, family, and why leadership is far more about responsibility than reward. Pat shares how, at 59, he hit pause to confront long-buried wounds, and how that season of healing reshaped the way he leads, loves his family, and serves the people around him.

Pat traces the origin story of The Table Group, his longtime fascination with the workplace, and how his Catholic faith now sits at the very center of his work. From parenting moments that involve teenage traffic tickets to power being shut off at home, he uses real life to illustrate why vulnerability, forgiveness, and humility are non-negotiables, whether you're leading a company or a family.

Eric and Pat dig into two of Pat's most influential ideas: meaningful conflict and vulnerability-based trust. They unpack why conflict-avoidant leaders quietly damage teams, how attachment styles show up in meetings, and why the simple words "I was wrong, please forgive me" might be the most powerful leadership tool we have. Pat also explains the Six Types of Working Genius, how his wiring differs from Eric's, and why our gifts and gaps are designed to pull us toward deeper dependence on one another.

The conversation closes with a look at culture, both at work and at home. Pat connects his "chaos family" framework with The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, explains how to spot a company's real values by watching executives, and revisits his book The Motive to ask why we pursue leadership in the first place. He finishes with the simple spiritual disciplines that now bookend his day and quietly anchor everything else.

In this episode, you'll learn:

· What it looks like to surrender your career to God's will and rediscover work as ministry

· How vulnerability, forgiveness, and "owning your stuff" build deep trust on teams and in families

· Why healthy conflict is about the pursuit of truth, not winning arguments

· How the Working Genius model reveals your gifts, your frustrations, and your need for others

· Practical ways to discern the real culture of an organization, beyond the words on the wall

· The five core responsibilities many leaders quietly abdicate (and how to reclaim them)

· Simple daily rhythms of prayer that can transform how you lead, love, and live

This episode is dedicated to Pat's journey. This conversation is what we make it. This, is Counsel Culture.

Learn more at www.ericbrooker.com | www.thetablegroup.com

This week on Counsel Culture, I sit down with Dr. Beth Kaplan, author of Braving the Workplace, for an honest conversation about belonging, leadership, and what it really means to show up as yourself at work.

We explore the tension many people feel between authenticity and fitting in, and why so many professionals silently trade pieces of who they are just to feel accepted. Dr. Kaplan shares practical insights on self-awareness, boundaries, and the role leaders play in creating environments where people feel seen, not just managed.

This episode is a reminder: belonging isn't about blending in. It's about being valued for who you are.

If you're a leader, aspiring leader, or someone simply trying to navigate culture with integrity, you'll want to hear this one.

What You'll Learn

• Why belonging is deeply personal—not one-size-fits-all

• How conformity quietly erodes confidence and connection

• The role self-awareness plays in shaping how we show up

• The power of vulnerability in leadership

• How thoughtful, intentional care builds trust and performance

• Why boundaries and non-negotiables matter in protecting authenticity

This show is dedicated to Dr. Kaplan's journey, this conversation is what we make it, this, is Counsel Culture.

Learn more at www.ericbrooker.com | www.drbethkaplan.com

In this episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with national champion, former UNC head coach, and executive coach Matt Doherty for a candid conversation about leadership, culture, and the kind of personal transformation that only comes through adversity. From playing alongside Michael Jordan to being fired from his dream job at North Carolina, Matt opens up about identity, ego, and what it really takes to rebuild your life and leadership from the inside out.

Together, Eric and Matt dig into why culture is king, why talent without character will eventually break your team, and how the best leaders move from transactional to transformational influence. Matt shares stories from the court, the locker room, and the boardroom, plus the deeply personal decision that changed everything: his journey to sobriety and how it reshaped his marriage, his coaching, and his purpose.

This episode is about truth-telling, accountability, and the courage to be coached, no matter how successful you are on paper. Whether you're leading a team, raising a family, or trying to become the kind of person others can trust, this conversation will challenge you to raise your standards for yourself and the culture around you.

This episode is dedicated to Matt's journey. This conversation is what we make it.
This… is Counsel Culture.

Learn more at www.ericbrooker.com | www.dohertycoaching.com

In this powerful episode of Counsel Culture, Eric sits down with former NFL athlete, author, and speaker Jacob Brown for a raw, vulnerable, and deeply inspiring conversation about redemption, resilience, and faith. From losing his NFL dream to rebuilding a life rooted in purpose, Jacob shares how failure became his fuel—and how being "laid off" can actually mean being launched. Together, Eric and Jacob unpack the lessons of accountability, fatherhood, and leadership through adversity, reminding us that the pressure, heat, and pain we face are what ultimately form the diamond within.

As always, this episode is an invitation to lean in. It's about growth, grace, and finding meaning in the mess. Whether you're navigating loss, reinvention, or the next big leap, this conversation will remind you that you are right where you're supposed to be.

This episode is dedicated to Jacob's journey.

This conversation is what we make it. This… is Counsel Culture.

learn more at www.ericbrooker.com | www.failforwardbrown.com

Today on Counsel Culture, I'm joined by Laura King, executive recruiter, coach, and now published author, who has conducted more than 30,000 executive interviews. Laura has a rare vantage point on leadership and identity: why so many high performers pin their worth to a title, and what changes when we shift from "What do I do?" to "Who am I?" She helps leaders trade burnout for alignment by doing the inner work that fuels real, sustainable impact.

She's here to share insights from her new book, Shine Brighter: The High Performer's Guide to Purpose, Presence, and Peak Living. Inside, Laura lays out her 4A framework; Awareness, Attitude, Action, Alignment, offering practical, human-first tools to build careers that actually fit. If you're navigating transition, eyeing "career 2.0," or simply ready to show up more fully in work and life, this conversation will help you find your spark—and keep it lit.

This show is dedicated to Laura's journey. This conversation is what we make it. This is Counsel Culture.

Learn more at www.ericbrooker.com | www.lauraeking.com