In this episode, Lindy Taylor CEO & Founder of 5th Discipline, sits down with Candice Seggie, Chief People Officer at Solar Africa, to explore how truly effective company culture elevates organisations. Learn why culture is more than just a slogan—it's at the heart of your people, your purpose, and the stories that drive success.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

[00:00] – Candice’s journey through recruitment, marketing, and the growth of Solar Africa

[04:12] – The vital role of your people in scaling and sustaining core company values

[09:40] – Managing organisational mergers with change management, clear communication, and trust-building

[14:22] – How to define and live authentic company values for sustainable long-term growth

[18:55] – Recruiting for cultural fit: effective interview methods and promoting diversity

[23:10] – Day-to-day actions that nurture a thriving company culture and employee engagement

[27:45] – Performance management strategies, KPIs, and behaviour-focused reviews

[32:00] – Leadership transparency and its positive impact on overall business performance

💡 Key Topics:

culture at scale - organisational design - employee engagement - authentic leadership - business values - change management - recruitment strategies - solar energy sector - company mergers - performance management - workplace wellbeing - employer branding - scaling in Africa - operational excellence - digital transformation

📌 Connect with Candice Seggie

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candiceseggie/

Website: https://solarafrica.com

Connect with the Host:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindy-taylor-renewable-energy-sustainability-5th-discipline/

Website: https://the5thdiscipline.com

Follow 5th Discipline on LinkedIn.

👍 Like this episode if you found value in it

🔔 Subscribe for more episodes on building strong cultures and business growth

💬 Share your key takeaways or questions in the comments

Full Description:

“Culture at Scale – Building a Business Worth Believing In” features Lindy Taylor and Candice Seggie discussing proven strategies for scaling a thriving business without compromising culture and values. Explore how Solar Africa transitioned from a start-up to a pan-African energy leader by focusing on employee engagement, performance excellence, and meaningful impact.

Get actionable insights on change management, living core values, and recruitment centred on cultural fit. Learn how to build high-performing teams and foster a workplace that attracts and retains top talent. This episode delivers valuable lessons for executives, managers, and HR leaders aiming to strengthen organisation culture, boost team engagement, and drive sustainable growth.

Ready to develop your culture and scale your business? Access custom workshops, audits, and consulting across renewable energy, climate, and sustainability sectors.

#CompanyCulture #EmployeeEngagement #Leadership #SolarAfrica #ScaleUp

🔑 Search Keywords:

company culture - scaling business - organisational design - employee engagement - leadership - purpose-driven business - recruitment strategies - mergers and acquisitions - behavioural KPIs - talent management - operational excellence - African business - sustainable growth - culture champions - business worth believing in

In this follow-up episode, Specioser Mutheu dives into the creative and tactical side of startup marketing — how to build strong visuals, stretch a tight budget, and turn your people into your marketing superpower.

From capturing event photos and building a stock-image library to leveraging interns and brand partnerships, Specioser breaks down how Octavia Carbon grew its reach organically — and why the best brands are built from the inside out.

🎧 You’ll learn about:

– Visuals that work (and why simplicity wins)

– Building reusable brand assets before campaigns

– Leveraging interns, students & partnerships for content

– Making marketing interactive and human

– Attracting top talent through credibility

💬 “When your people speak for your brand, you don’t just grow followers — you grow believers.”

📌 Connect with Specioser Mutheu

LinkedIn: Specioser Mutheu

📲 Follow The 5th Discipline

LinkedIn: 5th Discipline

Connect with the Host: Lindy Taylor

Website: the5thdiscipline.com

#PeoplePoweredMarketing #BrandStrategy #ClimateStartups #VisualStorytelling #The5thDiscipline

🔑 Keywords:

startup visuals • brand asset development • employee advocacy • organic marketing • talent attraction • leveraging interns • startup PR • Octavia Carbon • LinkedIn content strategy • climate innovation marketing

Full Episode Description:

In this episode of The 5th Discipline Podcast, host Lindy Taylor chats with Specioser Mutheu, Communications Manager at Octavia Carbon, Africa’s first direct air capture (DAC) company.

Together, they unpack how startups can build credibility before they have budgets — and why authentic storytelling, team advocacy, and consistency matter more than campaigns.

You’ll hear how Octavia grew from a small Nairobi-based team into a recognised climate-tech brand through people-first marketing and smart partnerships that made their circle wider.

🎧 You’ll learn about:

– Turning credibility into your startup’s strongest currency

– Using your team as brand storytellers and amplifiers

– Building organic traction through partnerships & accelerators

– How consistency (not budget) builds brand trust

💬 “When your people believe in the mission, your story tells itself.”

📌 Connect with Specioser Mutheu

LinkedIn: Specioser Mutheu

📲 Follow The 5th Discipline

LinkedIn: 5th Discipline

Connect with the Host: Lindy Taylor

Website: the5thdiscipline.com

#Leadership #StartupMarketing #ClimateTech #BrandBuilding #The5thDiscipline

🔑 Keywords:

People-first marketing • startup branding • credibility building • organic marketing • LinkedIn strategy • Octavia Carbon • Africa startups • storytelling for founders • climate tech PR • leveraging employees in marketing

In Part 2 of our conversation with Kim Raath, co-founder of Ledgerment and PrimeShore, we dive deeper into the strategies that help founders and teams thrive. Kim shares why storytelling beats facts for connection, how to simplify complex problems for scalability, and why cash-flow mastery and feedback loops are essential for sustainable growth. She also gives candid insights on preparing for investors, protecting your personal time as a founder, crafting a meaningful employee value proposition and leading with authenticity in the age of AI.

Whether you’re building your first startup or scaling your organisation, you’ll get practical tips you can apply right away.

• Using storytelling to inspire trust and action.
• Breaking complex problems into scalable solutions.
• Mastering cash flow and capital readiness.
• Building with customer input and effective feedback loops.
• Crafting employee value propositions that go beyond perks.
• Mentoring and leading authentically, even as AI reshapes work.

• “Storytelling connects people, facts don’t.”
• “Cash is king — know your numbers.”
• “Protect your time; authenticity is leadership.”

00:00 – Storytelling Over Facts: The Key to Connection

03:15 – Simplifying Complex Problems for Scalability

07:30 – Understanding Your Numbers: Cash Flow Essentials

12:10 – Feedback Loops: Building with Customer Input

17:45 – Capital Readiness: Preparing for Investor Engagement

23:05 – Protecting Personal Time: The Cost of Entrepreneurship

28:40 – Crafting an Effective Employee Value Proposition

34:20 – The Human Element: Mentoring Beyond AI

39:00 – Authenticity in Leadership: The Final Word

Catch more episodes on leadership, people, brand and systems

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Kim Raath, entrepreneur and co-founder of Ledgerment and PrimeShore. Kim shares her journey from bootstrapping to leading AI-driven teams, the power of storytelling in business, and how to build trust and culture inside a startup. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling your company, you’ll get actionable tips on leadership, team building, employee value propositions and cash-flow management.

• Why storytelling resonates more than facts in business.
• How AI and team dynamics are reshaping startups.
• Building trust and vulnerability into leadership.
• Creating employee value propositions based on lived experiences.
• Cash flow, bootstrapping and protecting your own well-being as a founder.

• “Fail fast, but fail forward.”
• “Cash is king.”
• “Be authentic. Be you.”

00:00 – Introduction to Kim Raath and Her Journey

03:01 – Transitioning into Climate and Carbon Credits

05:40 – Building Ledgerment and PrimeShore

08:44 – Emerging Trends in Startups: AI and Team Dynamics

11:27 – Leadership Superpowers and Building Trust

14:36 – Navigating Uncertainty and Vulnerability in Leadership

17:21 – Effective Team Building in Remote Settings

20:12 – Creating a Culture of Feedback and Growth Mindset

29:40 – The Importance of Accessibility in Leadership

Remember to subscribe for more interesting conversations with leaders!

In this episode of The 5th Discipline Podcast, host Lindy Taylor chats with Samista Jugwanth, Technical Director at Zutari. Together they explore how engineers can lead with foresight, innovation, and empathy — and why self-awareness and diversity of thought are essential to building the future of infrastructure.

🎙️ You’ll hear about:

– Moving from technical expertise to people leadership

– Using strategic foresight to plan for unpredictable futures

– Creating innovation in highly regulated project environments

– Building trust and openness with teams

– Goal-setting beyond SMART: how “theme-setting” drives growth

📩 Connect with Samista Jugwanth:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samista-jugwanth/

Email: samista.j@gmail.com

📲 Follow The 5th Discipline for more insights on People, Brand & Systems:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/5th-discipline

Visit our Website: https://the5thdiscipline.com/

Connect with the Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindy-taylor-renewable-energy-sustainability-5th-discipline/

If you enjoy this conversation, please rate and review the podcast – it helps more listeners discover these stories.

In part 2 of this conversation, with Lindy Taylor and Wiehahn De Jager - they continue the discussion around the critical role of soft skills in hiring, the importance of company culture, and the impact of AI on recruitment processes. Wiehahn shares insights from his experience at CrossBoundary, emphasising the need for clarity in communication and the significance of understanding candidates' motivations. They explore trends in the climate change sector and how organisations can adapt to attract and retain top talent.

Takeaways

• Soft skills are essential for career advancement.
• A positive relationship with feedback is crucial.
• Being comfortable with ambiguity is a valuable skill.
• Understanding when to influence versus when to execute is key.
• Company culture should be clearly defined and communicated.
• AI can enhance recruitment but requires careful implementation.
• Recruitment metrics should focus on outcomes, not just inputs.
• Assessing past behaviours is more informative than hypothetical questions.
• Understanding candidates' motivations is vital for retention.
• Diversity in hiring leads to better organisational outcomes.

Titles

• Unlocking the Power of Soft Skills in Hiring
• Building a Culture of Success at CrossBoundary

Sound Bites

• "We have a very clear culture."
• "Ask them what they've done."
• "You can't step in the same river twice."

Chapters

32:27: De-risking the Hiring Process

34:00: Assessing Soft Skills in Recruitment

37:00: Evaluating Cultural Fit

38:16: Authenticity in Interviewing

43:02: Understanding Candidate Motivations

47:47: The Importance of Reference Checks

49:49: Red and Green Flags in Interviews

55:51: Retention Strategies for Top Talent

01:01:18: Trends in Climate-Focused Talent Acquisition

In this conversation, Lindy Taylor and Wiehahn De Jager discuss the critical role of soft skills in hiring, the importance of company culture, and the impact of AI on recruitment processes. Wiehahn shares insights from his experience at CrossBoundary, emphasising the need for clarity in communication and the significance of understanding candidates' motivations. They explore trends in the climate change sector and how organisations can adapt to attract and retain top talent.

Takeaways

• Soft skills are essential for career advancement.
• A positive relationship with feedback is crucial.
• Being comfortable with ambiguity is a valuable skill.
• Understanding when to influence versus when to execute is key.
• Company culture should be clearly defined and communicated.
• AI can enhance recruitment but requires careful implementation.
• Recruitment metrics should focus on outcomes, not just inputs.
• Assessing past behaviours is more informative than hypothetical questions.
• Understanding candidates' motivations is vital for retention.
• Diversity in hiring leads to better organisational outcomes.

Titles

• Unlocking the Power of Soft Skills in Hiring
• Building a Culture of Success at CrossBoundary

Sound Bites

• "We have a very clear culture."
• "Ask them what they've done."
• "You can't step in the same river twice."

Chapters

00:00: The Importance of Soft Skills in Hiring

04:33: Understanding CrossBoundary and Its Impact

10:44: The Journey into Talent Acquisition

16:39: Navigating AI in Recruitment

28:33: Measuring Recruitment Success with KPIs