The Culture Builders

A mix of interviews, advice, articles and stories that look at how we create high performing teams and strong cultures within our organisations

The Culture Builders is a business podcast hosted by TheCultureBuilders, with 96 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

TheCultureBuilders hosts The Culture Builders, a business show with 96 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #116

  The Culture Builders - Gold and Beyond

  Sep 21, 202644 min

  An inspiring, high-energy episode exploring high-performance culture, personal growth and resilience. Host, and Senior Consultant with The Culture Builders, Emma Boswell, sits down with two-time Olympic gold medalist turned executive coach and member of our faculty Lizzy Yarnold for an uplifting conversation and investigation into one of sport's most prestigious institutions. Lizzy candidly shares her journey through the extreme sport of Skeleton - from stepping up under immense pressure and overcoming burnout to navigating life transitions and redefining success beyond elite athletics. Packed with actionable wisdom, Emma and Lizzy deliver a grounded yet motivating discussion on the power of growth mindsets, emotional regulation, and prioritising self-care in high-stakes environments, leaving you with practical strategies and the ultimate spark to conquer your goals and thrive at your absolute best.

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  Episode #115

  The Culture Builders - Dialling into Care: High Performance Culture Across the Generations

  Sep 7, 202651 min

  In this episode host Owen Cook sits down with Emma Simpson, Group People Director at Gleneagles and Estell. Drawing on her background in social anthropology, financial services, and occupational psychology, Emma explores how the intersection of people, place, and experience shapes a world-class workplace. The conversation focuses on "The Two-Way Deal" - the vital balance between high performance and robust employee care. Emma details Gleneagles' unique "Moments That Matter" initiative, which supports team members through major life milestones. They also discuss the dynamics of managing a workforce that spans five generations. Emma touches on the concept of "Consciously Unbossing", highlighting how leadership must evolve to attract future leaders, and explains how technology can be used to eliminate routine tasks to create more space for genuine human connection. Whether you are in hospitality or looking to professionalise leadership and elevate psychological safety in your own organisation, this episode offers an abundance of learning for modern culture-building. Learn more and continue the journey at theculturebuilders.com.

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  Episode #114

  The Culture Builders - Lessons from 30 Years Coaching Practice

  Aug 4, 20261h 16m

  In this episode, host Owen Cook, Head of Programmes at The Culture Builders, sits down with inspirational former Chico State head men's basketball coach and motivational speaker, Greg Clink. Drawing on 30 years of collegiate coaching experience, he unpacks what it takes to build championship cultures. He and Owen explore how these high-performance principles translate directly into workplace culture and organisational leadership and they dive into the secrets of effective team building, from vetting for the “right character and team fit” over pure basketball skills, to driving the stubborn, relentless consistency required to establish a truly high-performing culture. Greg also reveals how leaders can navigate tough conversations by "confronting the snowball" early, foster player-led accountability, and help every team member buy into and relish their specific role. Tune in for an energising conversation packed with practical insights on character, connection, and community to help you elevate your team's performance.

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  Episode #113

  The Culture Builders - The Mix Tape: What Makes a High Performance Culture

  Jul 8, 202623 min

  Following on from our recent podcasts looking at our work with ASOS - supporting them to build and sustain a High Performance Culture - we thought it high time to explore the concept more. We talk a great deal about the HPC, which gives a fundamental plan for the creation of an effective culture… But what is it? Our Head of Programmes, Owen Cook, explored the concept with Chris Preston, Co-Founder of The Culture Builders. Putting these two together is always a sure fire way to create a roving and rich discussion. Both are natural storytellers, and they leverage this skill fully on this podcast. Examples, stories and metaphors are littered throughout. Fundamentally, the conversation hinges around two key components (the spools of a cassette tape, to use their language) - the Pillars of Culture, and the High Performance Culture structure. Together they outline how we think about cultures and what should be built within them to create lasting success. You may want a pen and paper ready for this one!

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  Episode #112

  The Culture Builders - Building a High Performance Culture in ASOS

  Jun 12, 202640 min

  What does it take to navigate the balance between people and performance in a fast-moving, high-pressure digital fashion giant? In our latest podcast episode, Emma Boswell, Senior Consultant at The Culture Builders, and Ras Vaghjiani, Executive Vice President of People Experience at ASOS, explore what a true high performance culture looks like when it is built from the bottom up. They share the insights from their work on balancing people and performance to drive transformation whilst ensuring people thrive at work. Reflecting on the path to the C-suite, Ras shares the pivotal moments that taught her that leadership isn't about being the ultimate expert, but about removing roadblocks and holding the space for others to grow. Ras and Emma dive into developing the practical toolkit ASOS uses to raise the bar, from aligning teams through OKRs to the power of a shared ‘leadership compass’. Ras also opens up about navigating today's biggest workplace disruptions, including how she is building a brand-new enablement team to get thousands of employees ‘AI-ready’ for the future. Whether you are looking to tackle a fear of feedback within your team or wanting top tips on how to model culture of continuous learning from the very top, listen in to find out why a truly thriving culture is a marathon, not a sprint.

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