Amazing Teams Podcast

Send us Fan Mail If your people can’t guess what the company’s core values are, how valid are they?  It’s definitely a question that’s been knocked around at Rocket Money, the massively popular personal finance app. Their Head of People, Julie, and VP of Agentic Products, Aaron, took a different approach. They collaborated on a project that revealed what principles reflect Rocket Money’s actual wo...

Send us Fan Mail Want to show your team how to color-code their calendar during a grand old Zoom webinar? Stop. Don’t. From clearing the inbox to blocking out time, these can actually be one-on-one opportunities to build a better company culture. Today, Sarah Russell is the Director of People Strategy Practice at 512Financial. However, her experience in tech and social work informs her unique view...

Send us Fan Mail Ahoy there, ye landlubber! How does your captain help you find your sea legs? Every pirate needs the chance to grow, even if it means eventually jumping ship. Diego Lugli is the Director of Human Resources at Pirate Ship, where he does far more than help maintain the pirate-centric culture on the fully remote team of 200-plus. Pirate Shippers at every level enjoy massive career gr...

Send us Fan Mail Casino Night, Disney World, and custom jackets. Must be a fun, laid-back job. Actually, this is a remote-first team of about 80 people, and three-quarters of them are high-performing engineers in tightly regulated spaces. Sam Reilley, VP of People and Culture at BSC Analytics, calls them the best of the best. Reilley’s done the research, and the most reliable way to build culture...

Send us Fan Mail What does Justin Tsatsa recommend for engagement and employee connection in remote teams? Quality over quantity. When he joined Fetch, one of the globe’s top shopping rewards apps, he had no idea we were mere weeks from a pandemic. Going remote-first and scaling exponentially transformed him from office manager to culture champion practically overnight. Tsatsa dove headfirst into...

Send us Fan Mail When your customer is known as The Warfighter, it’s safe to say your company culture could use a dose of whimsy. That’s why you’ll frequently find Michaela Flatau, Chief People Officer at Defense Unicorns, in a unicorn costume. As the defense technology company has grown to 200, it’s become more by-the-book with organization and transparency, but fun traditions keep morale high. T...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever asked a question at work and once you got the answer, wished you hadn’t? If so, you might not be the right fit on Martin Gourdeau’s team. He doesn’t do performative transparency in the workplace; it’s a true core value. Martin is the CEO of Vacation Tracker, a fully remote SaaS company with a team distributed across seven countries. He finds that being clear and cand...

Send us Fan Mail Ever had an awkward time at a poorly attended Zoom mixer? It’s practically a rite of passage in remote work culture these days.  Camilla Booth has felt your pain. Throughout her eight years as VP of People at Coder, she’s hosted everything from paint-and-sips to tarot card readers, but nothing stuck. All the while, Coder was exploding from a team of 20 to nearly 200. Camilla final...

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually take to make people feel seen at work — and keep it going? In this episode, Una from HeyTaco sits down with Sheena, a longtime culture builder and HeyTaco admin, to share what actually moved the needle for her team. Not theory. Real tactics, real stories, real results. They walk through four pillars of building culture with peer recognition — Connection, Visi...

Send us Fan Mail To celebrate HeyTaco’s 10th birthday, Una sits down with HeyTaco founder Doug Dosberg for a heartfelt and hilarious trip down memory lane. In this special Taco Bytes episode, Doug shares 10 powerful lessons from a decade of building a gratitude-powered business—complete with taco costumes, customer stories, and Beyoncé GIFs. If you’re a startup founder, team builder, or taco enthu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Taco Bytes , Doug and Una dive into what truly makes workplace cultures thrive: givers . Together, they explore why the most impactful people on teams are often the quiet, consistent supporters—the ones who notice effort, celebrate progress, and lift others up without expecting anything in return. The conversation centers on the HeyTaco Hall of Fame , an annual...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of TacoBytes , Una and Doug take you behind the scenes of HeyTaco’s newest feature: Milestones—a fun and effortless way to celebrate your team’s birthdays and work anniversaries, right in Slack. They explore why recognition on these personal milestones matters more than we often admit, how it used to be done (balloons, cakes, and jackets, anyone?), and how HeyTaco...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast , we sat down with Katy Carrigan, CEO of Goody, to explore how thoughtful gifting drives employee engagement and recognition. They discuss the power of personalization, celebrating milestones, and building a culture of appreciation. The conversation also delves into leadership transparency, empowering teams, and how Goody navigates grow...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast , we sat down with Sanket Merchant, a partner at PeakSpan Capital, who shares insights from his career journey in the software investment space. He discusses the importance of culture, clarity, and support in building high-performing teams and organizations. Sanket emphasizes the value of trust, agility, and gratitude in leadership and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast , we sat down with Claire Lew, CEO adn founder of Canopy (formerly Know Your Team), to explore the evolving role of managers and the growing need for leadership development. She discusses the challenges of navigating uncertainty, maintaining morale, and giving honest feedback, while emphasizing the need for clear communication and stron...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast , we sat down with Stephen Lord, discuss the unique role of a Scrum Master, emphasizing the importance of kindness, empathy, and building trust within teams. He shares insights on treating developers as creative artists, fostering a positive team culture, and implementing gratitude practices to enhance team dynamics. The conversation of...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast , we sat down with Hannah Manizza, VP of Marketing at Forge Biologics, to explore the concept of a “wrong rock boss” and the critical role of effective leadership in team dynamics. Hannah shares her personal journey from a structured corporate environment to the fast-paced world of startups at Forge Biologics, highlighting both her prof...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, we sit down with Carl Smith, owner of the Bureau of Digital. Carl shares his journey from agency owner to community leader, reflecting on the role of people, motivation, and creativity in the workplace. He and his guests explore how to balance introversion and extroversion, lead with empathy, and create space for learning through failu...

Send us Fan Mail In this bite-sized episode of Amazing Teams , Una flips the mic and interviews HeyTaco founder Doug about the seven most common "why" questions people ask about the platform. From “Why tacos?” to “Why a daily limit?”, Doug dives into the design decisions that shaped HeyTaco into the gratitude-powered, culture-building tool teams love today. Whether you're a longtime...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast , we sat down with Marc Cenedella, CEO of The Ladders,  to explore the evolving landscape of work culture. We discuss the shift to remote work, the key drivers of productivity, and the power of gratitude in the workplace. Marc shares insights on standing out in a competitive job market, the impact of AI on job applications, and the impo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Amazing Teams: TacoBytes , Una andDoug Dosberg tackle a spicy topic—cringe appreciation messages. You know the ones: "Thanks for all you do," "You're the best," or "Thanks for everything." We’ve all sent them. But are they actually meaningful? Una and Doug break down why these messages often fall flat—and how just a little more...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, we sit down with Morgan Witham, CEO of COLAB, about her journey from investment banking to leading a digital agency and how her team embraced a four-day work week. Morgan shares insights on workplace culture, employee retention, and the power of gratitude in building a thriving company. We dive into: Morgan transitioned from investment...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of TacoBytes , Una Japundza sits down with Doug Dosberg, founder of HeyTaco, to dive into the origin story of everyone's favorite peer recognition tool. From his early days at The Motley Fool to his unexpected leap into building a culture-shaping product, Doug shares the behind-the-scenes moments that brought HeyTaco to life. You'll hear how a frustrating...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In this episode of the Amazing Teams podcast, we sit down with Skyler Birk-Stachon, the go-to-market lead at Optemization, a Notion consultancy that helps startups and businesses organize their Notion pages.  Skyler shares his insights on the importance of enjoying work, the cult following of Notion, and how he built a global team at Optimization. He emphasizes the role o...

Send us Fan Mail In this special "Ask Me Anything" episode, Doug and Una reflect on the journey of the Amazing Teams podcast and the lessons they've learned about teams along the way. They celebrate the podcast’s milestones and engage in a candid discussion about the dynamics that make teams thrive. Together, they delve into the importance of alignment, enthusiasm, and shared goals...