Rooted: A Podcast About Nature & Wellbeing

4 in 5 employees feel emotionally drained from their work, an early sign of burnout. 9 in 10 employees report their workplace stress affects their mental health 3 in 5 employees are not receiving adequate support from supervisors to help manage stress This data from the 2021 Work Health Survey conducted by Mental Health America tells us what we already knew…Humans were stressed before the pandemic...

The future of work looks different and the same.  The actions organizations took to build culture with everyone in the room can and should be utilized to build culture wherever your team sits.  My guest for this episode is Dr. Tracy Brower a PhD sociologist studying work-life fulfillment and happiness. She is the author of The Secrets to Happiness at Work and Bring Work to Life and writes for Forb...

We are knee deep into the great resignation.  Earlier in 2021, surveys said 27% would leave their jobs.  More recent surveys indicate as many at 95% of the workforce are looking for new jobs.   As employees reevaluate their values and commitments, it can be tempting to think the grass is greener somewhere else.  And it might be if an organization doesn't take steps to evolve culture and commit to...

Change and transitions are constants these days. My guest for this episode has a passion for change.  As a former weather man in Michigan – where the joke about the weather is –if you don't like it, wait 5 minutes – Chuck Gaidica understands change from many angles.   So much so that he committed the post-weather man phase of his life to helping others through transitions through his Foundations o...

Some think culture is the soft stuff.  Come in to work, have fun, have happy hours and play ping pong.  My guests for this episode know well culture is about how an organization treats their people as evidenced by how they communicate, develop team members and create opportunities for them to flourish. My guests for this episode are Ron Alvesteffer President and CEO of Service Express and Gretchen...

Life is about personal growth.  My guest for this episode is Joe Hart, the CEO of one of the oldest growth-focused, training organizations in existence – Dale Carnegie.  Dale Carnegie authored popular books - How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and The Leader in You. He grew the lessons into the books into a training company focused on transforming indiv...

As organizations muddle their way toward a post-pandemic work world, the pressure is on for organizations leaders to think differently about their role and the opportunity they have to make a difference in the lives of their employees and the communities they operate in. My guest for this episode understands this challenge at many levels.  Alison Omens is the Chief Strategy Officer at JUST Capital...

The events of the past 15 months have been extraordinarily disruptive to life on our planet.  The way we work shifted for many and the next wave of disruption that seems to be erupting is the 'Why' we work piece.   My guest for this episode understands change and disruption so well she wrote a book about it titled Disrupt Yourself.  Whitney Johnson is CEO of human capital consultancy Disruption Ad...

The talent market is getting interesting as 2021 progresses. The pandemic caused many to pause and consider where they focus their time and energy along with their returns for their efforts.  There is a ripple effect in everything we do. Your employees touch the community, your business uses resources and you influence customers – each with upstream and downstream effects that often go unnoticed. ...

We learn best through experience.  Learning is amplified when we take time to reflect on the experience and capture the lessons learned and then take action with the new information in mind.  My guest for this episode is a pro at learning from his mistakes.  He's not afraid to own it and hopes that others will benefit from learning about the messes he created along the way.    My guest for this ep...

A recent study from IBM shows that 27 of Americans expect to change jobs in 2021.  Many organizations are struggling to find talent and the ongoing-pandemic job market is going to compound these challenges. What if there was a way to draw people to your company? What if it was possible to attract many times more applicants than openings WITHOUT a recruiter? My guest for this episode proves it is p...

The title of this episode is borrowed from Seth Godin, a marketing teacher who like my guest for this episode understands deeply the connection between marketing (going to the people in an effort to get them to adopt behavior) and culture (system of values, symbols and norms that informs who people are and how they behave).  Successful organizations have learned they must be clear on who they are...

You've likely heard the phrase...An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  My guest for this episode knows well the benefits of investing in wellbeing and building supportive environments for individuals at work and in their communities. It is easier to be healthy and well if the spaces we spend time in each day enable healthy choices and provide support in the form of positive relationshi...

What does it take for an individual to be resilient?  Which is more influential...Physical fitness or mental health?  How do the two relate to each other? What happens when an organization places as much emphasis on physical fitness as they do on mental health?   This episode of the Growth Collective Podcast features Chris Macklin, the wellness manager from SouthMetro, a fire and rescue organizati...

Archetypes are stories. They are the shared patterns, themes, and symbols that have universal meanings across cultures and time. They provide structure to the human experience and they can help us understand ourselves too. Through the frame of archetypes, we can see our strengths and shadows – providing us opportunities to grow. When applied in an organization, clarity of archetypes – knowing who...

The brand of an organization is all about how the organization shows up for it's customers...it's their personality and helps to set expectations for customers.  The most successful organizations take the power of a strong brand persona and align their brand and culture.  When culture and brand are in sync, it's easier for employees to engage and know what's expected of them at work and deliver on...

Millions of people in the U.S. are stuck in bad jobs with poverty-level wages, unpredictable schedules, and few opportunities for growth, meaning, or dignity. By making better operational choices and investing in their employees, companies can create good jobs that can build stronger companies and communities. The Good Jobs Institute is on a mission to change the way organizations think about buil...

The COVID pandemic has brought about many revelations...one of the top being that businesses and organizations employ humans with unique and special circumstances and needs.   Long before the pandemic hit, Greenpath Financial Wellness utilized human-centered design to understand and meet the need of their customers and employees.   Gratefully, this focus, in combination with their emphasis on a cu...

The best companies relentlessly focus on their contribution to the world and the humans in it and trust the effects (profitability, growth, lower turnover, etc.) will follow.   Culture and how people feel when they work, directly affects their ability to flourish and make positive contributions.  My guest for this episode is Zach Mercurio.  Zach helps leaders enable the daily experience of purpose...

Providing opportunities to learn and grow is a key element of a healthy culture ecosystem.   Breeze Thru Car Wash's vision is to be an excellently run car wash company that prepares people for the future and provides for the community. With a strong vision, mission and values guiding the way, Breeze Thru has become a solid and growing organization that makes a difference in many ways and defies th...

An organization focused on relationships, trust, reasonable workload, vacation, work-life balance... sounds like a dream job.   A dream that is possible when a goal of the organization is long-term sustainability.   Beyond that, adding joy and recognition that employees have lives outside of work to the recipe has a powerful impact on employee attraction and retention and every measure of business...

This episode features Justin Salisbury, Chief Operations Officer at Breeze Thru Car Wash. His focus is on developing people by empowering them to be successful to prepare them for their future .  The COVID-19 pandemic has had a varied affect on business.  True to form, the Breeze Thru team did not let a pandemic stop them from continuing to find ways to care for and grow their people.  Listen in t...

This episode features Jeff Jamerino, President and CEO of Superior Electric Great Lakes.   The COVID-19 pandemic has had a varied effect on business.  Organizations with healthy, positive cultures seem to be weathering the storm and Superior Electric Great Lakes is no exception as their ESOP structure and values provided a strong foundation through the initial crisis and beyond.  Listen in to hear...

This episode features Rich Sheridan, CEO and Chief Storyteller at Menlo Innovations. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a varied effect on business and Menlo felt the impact of the highly contagious virus right away.   Having survived economic turmoil several times in 19+ years, the first 100 days of the pandemic lock-down were some of the scariest Rich had felt in years.  Despite great fear that Menlo...

Organizational culture can support or destroy an organization and that reality has come to light through the COVID-19 pandemic.  In addition to highlighting weak or unintentional culture, the crisis has put a spotlight on the need for positive leadership.   My guest for this episode is author, leader and culture guru, James Hunter.   Jim is the author of 3 internationally best-selling books used i...