In this powerful episode of the LeadCulture Podcast, Jenni Catron sits down with executive business coach and former product designer Katie Richardson to unpack the intersection of leadership, identity, and faith. Katie shares her journey from designing award-winning products to building a multimillion-dollar international business—all while raising four children—and how she learned to lead without sacrificing what matters most.

Together, Jenni and Katie explore:

• Why your identity—not your hustle—sets the ceiling for your impact.
• How to navigate seasons where personal values and professional ambitions seem in conflict.
• The unexpected lessons Katie learned building and exiting her company, and how they shape the coaching she does with high-performing executives today.
• A peek into her VITAL framework for leaders who want to grow thriving businesses without losing themselves or their relationships in the process.

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a successful career or business without burning out—or how to align your leadership with your deepest values—this conversation will inspire and equip you.

You can learn more about Katie here.

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In this episode of the Lead Culture Podcast, Jenni Catron is joined by Dr. Barry Jones and Camille Holland from Irving Bible Church to explore the “Commit” phase of the Lead Culture Framework—a crucial stage in sustaining organizational culture.

Culture isn’t something you build once and forget. Momentum naturally fades, values get fuzzy, and behaviors can slip if leaders don’t actively protect and reinforce the culture they’ve worked so hard to create. Barry and Camille share how they’ve navigated this challenge over the past two years, keeping their team aligned, engaged, and thriving—even through transitions and the occasional staff departure.

Listeners will hear real stories of:

• How Irving Bible Church identified early warning signs of cultural drift.
• Practical strategies for rebuilding trust and maintaining relational connectivity across a team.
• How cultural convictions—values tailored to the organization—are reinforced through intentional rhythms, surveys, and even playful recognition like staff “trophies.”
• The importance of culture champions in sustaining progress and keeping conversations alive at every level of leadership.
• Lessons learned from maintaining momentum after the initial excitement of culture work fades.

Whether you’re a senior leader, middle manager, or emerging culture champion, this episode offers actionable insights and encouragement for keeping your team’s culture alive, relevant, and aligned with your mission.

We need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:

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Every leader has the power to shape culture—but too often, it’s left to chance, leaving teams disengaged and underperforming. In this episode, Jenni Catron dives into the equip phase of the LeadCulture Framework, showing how leaders at every level can take ownership of culture, equip their teams, and turn values and vision into action.

Jenni shares practical strategies for developing your people managers, building culture playbooks, and onboarding your existing team to ensure your culture isn’t just defined—it’s lived every day. She emphasizes that great leadership is the single biggest factor in team engagement, referencing research from Gallup and Harvard Business Review to highlight how managers shape employee experience and long-term growth.

Why You Should Listen:

• Understand why culture often fails despite good intentions—and what leaders can do to fix it.
• Learn practical ways to equip your leaders with the tools, skills, and confidence they need.
• Discover actionable steps you can implement immediately to strengthen your team’s alignment and engagement.
• Hear stories and examples from organizations successfully operationalizing their culture.

Major Takeaways:

1. Leaders Make or Break Culture – The engagement of your team is heavily influenced by direct managers.
2. Equipping is Key – Leadership development isn’t optional; it ensures vision and values translate into daily behaviors.
3. Simple, Consistent Actions Work – Start with small, repeatable steps to develop leaders, coach your managers, and reinforce culture.
4. Onboarding Matters – Existing and new employees need clear guidance to embody the culture you define.
5. Playbooks Are Your Sideline Guide – Use tools, visuals, and systems to make culture actionable and memorable.
6. Leadership Philosophy is Foundational – Managers must see leadership as sacred work, focused first on developing people.

LeadCulture Framework & Culture Matters Book – Jenni’s roadmap for operationalizing culture

LeadCulture Network – Community, training, and tools for culture champions.

We need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:

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Culture doesn’t protect itself. If you don’t design it, you’ll default to one—and it’s usually not the one you want. In this episode, Jenni unpacks the build phase of the LeadCulture Framework: the rhythms and systems that take culture from aspirational to operational.

Joining her is Carson Pedraza, Executive Director of Operations at Local Church in South Florida. Carson has been instrumental in creating a playbook that protects and reinforces culture across the employee journey—from interviewing and onboarding to staff meetings and even staff transitions.

Together, they’ll explore:

• Why culture unravels without intentional rhythms
• How to weave values into everyday practices and team rhythms
• Practical systems that ensure culture isn’t just written on the wall, but lived in real time

If you’ve ever felt like your team is drifting, rehashing the same issues, or slipping toward disengagement, this episode will help you design rhythms that sustain a thriving culture over time.

We need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:

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In this episode of the LeadCulture Podcast, Jenni Catron dives into the Define Phase of the LeadCulture Framework, where culture clarity becomes the driving force for thriving teams.

Jenni sits down with Angela Shirley, an executive leader overseeing 70+ early childhood educators and 300+ students across multiple campuses. Post-pandemic, Angela faced burnout, high turnover, and the quiet undercurrents of negativity that can sink even the best organizations.

Together, they explore how Angela:

• Discovered the hidden culture gaps affecting engagement, trust, and performance
• Collaboratively defined core values with her entire team, turning abstract ideals into daily behaviors
• Created alignment and ownership across 150 staff members, giving voice to every employee
• Used core values to guide tough conversations, reinforce positive behaviors, and strengthen morale
• Transformed culture into a competitive advantage, reducing turnover and building a thriving, people-focused workplace

Through Angela’s journey, leaders will see how intentionally defining values, beliefs, and behaviors isn’t just “nice to have”—it’s the key to turning hope into results, building alignment, and creating a culture your team chooses to stay for.

If you’ve ever wondered how to move from aspirational culture statements to real, measurable outcomes, this episode is packed with insights you can apply immediately.

Listen and learn:

• How to define your culture
• Align your team
• Lead with clarity, confidence, and intentionality.

Check out Angela's full customer story here.

We need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:

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Every leader wants a thriving culture—but it starts with getting uncomfortably honest about the one you already have. In this episode, Jenni unpacks the LeadCulture Framework with the first and most courageous step: assessment.

She’s joined by pastor, author, and podcast host Adam Weber, who shares his raw and vulnerable journey of discovering how his leadership was unintentionally shaping a culture that wore his team out. From staff turnover and painful lessons in self-awareness to rebuilding trust and creating a healthier environment, Adam’s story is a powerful reminder that culture begins with us as leaders.

Together, Jenni and Adam explore:

• Why assessing culture is deeply personal, not just organizational
• The role of self-awareness in shaping healthy teams
• How feedback (even painful feedback) can become your best ally
• Practical rhythms that foster honesty, care, and long-term faithfulness in leadership

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to create a thriving team culture, this conversation will challenge, encourage, and equip you to take the first step.

Listen to Adam's podcast

Connect with Adam on Instagram

LeadCulture Survey

LeadCulture Services

LeadCulture Network Waitlist

We need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:

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3. Share - let your friends know about the podcast by sharing your favorite episode on social media!

As the summer of leadership series wraps up, we’re diving deep into one of today’s most urgent leadership challenges: effectively leading Gen Z. This special bonus episode features an exclusive conversation between Jenni Catron and Zach Meerkreebs, a seasoned pastor who has walked alongside Gen Z students during their formative college years. Zach brings a unique, frontline perspective on what it truly takes to engage, empower, and inspire this emerging generation in the workplace.

Why does leading Gen Z challenge everything seasoned leaders thought they knew? Because this generation operates with a fresh mix of authenticity, high expectations, and a corrective spirit that’s reshaping organizational culture. Zach unpacks the “why” behind Gen Z’s motivations and the “how” executive leaders can create space for their voices, foster their growth, and cultivate a thriving multigenerational team.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• The defining values and leadership styles of Gen Z that every leader needs to understand
• How empathy and consecrated curiosity can transform your approach to coaching and feedback
• Why paying the “leadership tax” for younger team members is an investment, not a cost
• How to set clear expectations while honoring authenticity and a hunger for meaningful impact
• Real-world insights from Zach’s experience shepherding Gen Z through a powerful moment of revival and transformation in college ministry

About Zach Meerkreebs:
Zach is a pastor, leadership coach, and author who has dedicated his career to developing leaders and mentoring Gen Z students. Most recently, Zach led a historic spiritual movement at Asbury University, engaging tens of thousands of young people in a powerful awakening. His new book, Lower: How Humility Shapes Leaders and Transforms Culture, explores the role of humility as a leadership superpower in today’s complex world.

Where to connect with Zach & learn more:

• Grab Zach’s book Lower to dive deeper into leadership and humility
• Follow Zach on social media for ongoing leadership insights and encouragement. (Instagram)
• Visit the Barnabas Collective, Zach’s nonprofit focused on leader renewal and growth

If you’re leading Gen Z on your team — or preparing to — this episode is an essential listen. Let Jenni and Zach guide you through the challenges and opportunities of stewarding this next generation of leaders with clarity, confidence, and heart.

We need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:

1. Review us on Apple podcasts
2. Subscribe - we’re available wherever you listen to podcasts.
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In this episode of the Lead Culture Podcast, Jenni Catron wraps up our Summer of Leadership series with an essential conversation about the eight leadership skills that truly shape a healthy, sustainable culture — and why your culture plan needs to be as clear and intentional as your budget plan for next year.

If you’ve followed along this summer, you know these aren’t just “soft skills.” They’re the building blocks of influence — practical tools that help leaders inspire trust, clarity, and momentum at every level of the organization.

In this episode, Jenni recaps each skill:

• Self-Leadership:The hardest — and most crucial — person to lead is you.
• Emotional Intelligence:If you can’t read the room, you can’t lead the room.
• Communication:Clear, repeatable messages build trust and alignment.
• Decision-Making:Every choice shows your team what you really value.
• Delegation:Letting go creates trust — and margin.
• Accountability:Expecting the best shows you care.
• Feedback:It’s not criticism — it’s investment.
• Ownership:It’s not a title — it’s an attitude.

You’ll also hear fresh insights on why many leaders know these matter but still struggle to put them into action — and how to align your resources and rhythms to make culture stick for the long haul.

Jenni shares eye-opening Gallup data that reveals just how costly disengagement really is — and how your investment in culture today can fuel retention, profitability, and purpose tomorrow.

Finally, Jenni invites you into the brand-new LeadCulture Network — a community of like-minded leaders who want to keep growing, together.

Ready to close the gap between the culture you have and the culture you want? Listen in — and start building your unstoppable culture today.

We need your help to get the LeadCulture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:

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2. Subscribe - we’re available wherever you listen to podcasts.
3. Share - let your friends know about the podcast by sharing your favorite episode on social media!