Are your performance reviews actually helping your people grow or just checking a box?

In this episode of Kan Talk Kulture, Kylie Anne Neal and Georgina Walker explore how shifting to a 120-day cadence transforms performance conversations into strategic culture-builders. Learn why traditional annual reviews are too infrequent to catch disengagement, and how this rhythm creates more trust, alignment, and agility in your team.

You’ll hear:

• Why 120 days is the sweet spot between too often and not enough
• The connection between regular reviews and employee retention
• What meaningful follow-up actually looks like post-review
• How leaders can use advice and feedback to improve team culture
• How to embed performance rhythms into your broader people strategy

Ready to stop ticking boxes and start building a stronger culture?

Visit kankulture.com to learn how we help companies design performance rhythms that work.

What happens when a high-performing lawyer walks away from the traditional legal world, only to come back and reinvent it from the inside out?

In this deeply moving and inspiring episode of Kan Talk Kulture, Kylie Anne Neal sits down with Tammi McDermott, Co-Founder and Director of LAWNCH, a professional services firm shaking up how law is done in Australia. Tammi shares her journey from burnout and misalignment in the legal industry to building a values-led legal practice that centres on people, purpose and practical impact.

From confronting gender bias and elitism in law to championing mental health advocacy, Tammi holds nothing back. She speaks candidly about her personal experiences with postnatal depression, her work with the mental health charity LIVIN, and why she believes purpose-led workplaces are not just possible, they are urgently needed.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the traditional law firm model is broken, and how LAWNCH is rewriting the rules
• How to build a legal career without losing your values, authenticity, or mental health
• What it takes to lead quietly and still shake up an entire profession
• How Tammi designed LAWNCH with pay transparency, advisory-first services, and team wellbeing at its core
• The link between toxic work cultures and Australia’s mental health crisis and what leaders can do about it

This is a must-listen for founders, professionals, early-career lawyers, and anyone ready to challenge what’s “normal” in their industry.

💼 Learn more about LAWNCH and their people-first legal services:
👉 https://www.lawnch.com.au

✨ Want to build a safer, stronger, more trusted workplace culture?
Explore practical HR strategies and culture support at
👉 https://www.kankulture.com

If the words “performance review” make you squirm, you’re not alone. In this episode, Kylie Anne Neal is joined by Georgina Walker to explore how Kan Kulture redefines performance conversations, by focusing on energy, trust, and advice over checklists and ratings.

You’ll learn how simple shifts can turn a dreaded HR formality into a meaningful two-way conversation that builds trust, clarity, and connection.

Whether you’re leading a team or sitting through reviews yourself, this episode will challenge what you think performance conversations should feel like, and help you make them better.

In this episode:

• Why energy is the most overlooked metric in performance
• How to flip feedback into advice (and why it matters)
• The 120-day rhythm that keeps growth and goals in sync
• Why trust, reflection and honesty beat outdated frameworks every time

💡 Ready to reshape how performance reviews are done in your business?

Visit kankulture.com to learn how we help leaders move from tick-box reviews to energising conversations that actually improve culture.

From Jet Skis to Hollywood Stunt Shows: The Creative Force Behind Showtime Entertainment Production

In this episode of Kan Talk Kulture, host Kylie Anne Neal is joined by Medhy Menad, the trailblazing founder of Showtime Entertainment Production, whose global stunt shows blend adrenaline, art, and emotion. From Universal Studios to Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and now Movie World Australia, Medhy shares how he built a business at the intersection of storytelling, action, and cultural connection.

This isn’t just a story about stunts. It’s a masterclass in creating unforgettable experiences, on stage and in the workplace.

🎧 Tune in to learn:

• Why every live show starts with emotional connection, not explosions
• What Medhy looks for in high-performing, ego-free teams
• How to manage creative teams across cultures and continents
• The future of entertainment in an AI-influenced world
• Why leading with purpose and presence matters more than ever

Want to experience the magic yourself? Visit Showtime Entertainment Production to see where Medhy’s team is performing next.

For more conversations with culture-first leaders, visit KanKulture.com.

Onboarding isn’t just about laptops, logins, or ticking off checklists. It’s the first true glimpse a new hire gets of your culture, and it has the power to either spark long-term engagement or quietly erode it.

In this episode of Kan Talk Kulture, Kylie Anne Neal and Georgina Walker break down the full six-month onboarding window, sharing what really needs to happen after that warm welcome on Day One. From the 1, 3, and 5-month check-ins to setting clear expectations and building trust early, this is the episode for leaders who don’t want to lose great people due to early missteps.

What we cover:

• The biggest onboarding traps that silently drive early resignations
• Why the “tick-and-flick” mindset undermines culture
• How to create meaningful 1, 3, and 5-month check-ins that aren’t just performance reviews
• What trust-building looks like in the first six months and what gets in the way
• How leaders can stop relying on templates and start leading onboarding with purpose

If your onboarding process stops after the welcome lunch, this episode is your sign to rethink it.

Connect with kankulture.com to transform your company culture.

What happens when we treat digital wellbeing like a side issue, not a shared responsibility?

In this powerful conversation, Kylie Anne Neal sits down with Ingrid Budge, CEO of Mind Shield and Chief Innovation Officer at Cybernetic Shield, to unpack the urgent need for smarter, safer online environments. From escalating cyberbullying incidents to growing digital addiction, Ingrid explains why reactive policies aren't enough, and why prevention, education, and real-time support are essential for schools, parents, and communities alike.

In this episode:

• Why schools are under immense pressure to “fix” online harm, and why they can’t do it alone
• The growing mental health crisis tied to digital exposure, and how to respond
• How Cybernetic Shield protects schools with 24/7 cyber incident support
• How Mind Shield gives parents and individuals a direct line to expert help
• The business case for purpose-led work, and how Ingrid built a culture that genuinely saves lives

Visit cyberneticshield.au to learn more or bring online safety to your school or workplace.

Need to build a safer, more human-first workplace? Visit kankulture.com to explore culture strategy and HR support that actually sticks.

Onboarding isn’t just about setting up a desk; it’s your first big leadership test.

In this episode, Kan Kulture founder Kylie Anne Neal and People & Culture Consultant Georgina Walker unpack what really happens on day one, and why that first week can shape how long someone stays, how deeply they engage, and how connected they feel to the culture you’ve built.

They cover the small moments that matter, what poor onboarding really signals, and how leaders can stop treating induction as a task and start seeing it as a culture-shaping opportunity.

In this episode:

• The difference between onboarding and orientation (yes, they’re different)
• Why the first few days are make-or-break for employee retention
• What great leaders do to create connection from day one
• Simple ways to build cultural rituals into the first week
• How to avoid the onboarding traps that quietly lead to disengagement

If someone regrets joining your team in the first 48 hours, that’s not on them, it’s on you. This episode shows you how to get it right.

If you’re hiring, scaling, or resetting culture, this one’s essential.

Connect with kankulture.com to transform your company culture.

Can a startup scale, win national contracts, and keep its entire team intact, without an office, and without corporate red tape?

In this episode of Kan Talk Kulture, Kylie Anne Neal speaks with Ben Grozier, founder of ClassCover, a fast-growing EdTech company supporting over 3,300 schools and 80,000 teachers across Australia, NZ, and Singapore. Ben shares how he’s built a loyal, high-performing team that’s remote-first, low-ego, and proudly low-turnover, even under serious pressure.

If you think workplace culture fades with distance, this one will challenge everything you’ve been told.

What we cover:

• Why vulnerability, not KPIs, is the foundation of high trust
• The surprising power of “I stuffed up” in shaping great teams
• How ClassCover maintained retention while scaling remotely
• What school sports and startups have in common
• Why founders must learn to lead like humans, not just operators

If you're growing a business and want a team that actually wants to stick around, this episode is your permission to lead with heart.

To learn more about Ben and ClassCover, visit classcover.com.au