"None of us will build great companies. We will lead incredible people who will build great companies. It's a choice. It's a conscious choice." ~Ron Lovett

We’re republishing one of our Culture Classics featuring Ron Lovett, Canadian entrepreneur, author of Outrageous Empowerment and Scaling Culture, and CEO of VIDA Living. Ron built and sold a 3500-person security company before launching VIDA to transform affordable housing across North America. In this episode, he shares how vulnerability, empowerment, and accountability became the cornerstones of his leadership and how they can shape yours.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: http://www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

• The moment Ron realized culture had to be intentional and personal.
• How “instimacy” and “funishments” build trust and connection fast.
• Why vulnerability is a leadership superpower.
• How Ron screens and coaches for values alignment.
• The power of daily huddles and Friday value calls.
• Why culture, not HR, is the future of performance.

Further resources:

• Outrageous Empowerment, by Ron Lovett
• Scaling Culture, by Ron Lovett
• The Song of Significance, by Seth Godin
• Nuts!, by Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg
• Uncommon Service, by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss
• Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, by Phil Knight
• Good to Great, by Jim Collins
• Principles: Life and Work, by Ray Dalio
• BE 2.0 (Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0), by Jim Collins
• HBR's 10 Must Reads on Talent, by Harvard Business Review

Episode Chapters:

• 00:00 — Introduction
• 01:54 — When culture became important to Ron
• 07:41 — Writing Outrageous Empowerment
• 09:32 — Service-first mindset
• 11:42 — Measuring engagement
• 15:34 — Transparent feedback
• 18:48 — Leading misfits with love
• 21:51 — Instimacy: building trust fast
• 25:48 — Lifelines for connection
• 27:17 — Funishments: playful accountability
• 31:26 — Vulnerability & playfulness
• 33:05 — Leadership expectations
• 33:46 — Building someone’s best job ever
• 36:38 — Rethinking culture
• 40:18 — Peer accountability
• 42:57 — Ron’s book recommendations
• 46:42 — From HR to Culture

“I believe culture is cash. I think our company culture always delivered at least 10 percent extra in revenue. I believe 10 percent on top was always due to the culture because they really wanted to be successful. They really wanted to see the company succeed… When you have high-quality people that feel really good about the company they work for, you're going to feel it at the customer level. When you walk into a business and you're not being treated right, I can guarantee you there's a manager not treating that person right or there's an owner not treating their staff right.”

S04E10 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Eric Malka. Eric is a visionary entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of The Art of Shaving, a luxury grooming brand that grew to 150 stores and global distribution before being acquired by Procter & Gamble. In this episode, Eric shares how he and his wife built a brand rooted in natural ingredients, obsessive customer focus, and a culture of ownership. He reflects on the importance of hiring passionate people, training them deeply, and creating a workplace where employees felt like owners. Eric also discusses his leadership evolution, the philosophy of “culture is cash,” and why the art of shopkeeping is fading in today’s retail landscape. His insights offer a masterclass in building businesses people love to work for and buy from.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here:www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:

· Why Eric believes “culture is cash” and how it added 10% to revenue.

· How obsessive customer focus shaped every decision at The Art of Shaving.

· Why Eric spoke to every new hire, even with hundreds of employees.

· How training and purpose created a “cult-like” culture of ownership.

· Why retail is like a Broadway show and how that mindset drives performance.

· How Eric’s leadership evolved through emotional regulation and self-awareness.

Further resources:

· Eric Malka’s Website: https://www.strategicbrandinvestments.com/

· Eric’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-malka-9071529/

· On the Razor’s Edge: The Story of the Art of Shaving, by Eric Malka: https://www.amazon.com/Razors-Edge-Story-Art-Shaving-ebook/dp/B0D7ZT6QYY

· Good to Great, by Jim Collins: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76865.Good_to_Great

· The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36072.The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People

· Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, by Gino Wickman: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8256620-traction

· Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don’t, by Verne Harnish: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23441052-scaling-up

Chapters:

00:00 — Introduction to Eric Malka & The Art of Shaving

01:47 — The Humble Beginnings of The Art of Shaving

03:24 — Creating a Unique In-Store Experience

06:12 — The Role of Intangibles in Brand Success

07:12 — Scaling Customer Experience Across 150 Stores

10:16 — Building a Culture of Ownership Among Employees

12:47 — Cultural Practices Worth Replicating in Other Companies

14:01 — How Culture Directly Drives Revenue

18:55 — Evolving Leadership Through Emotional Awareness

21:10 — The Decline of Shopkeeping and Customer Service

27:18 — Advice for Entrepreneurs on Building Strong Foundations

28:19 — Recommended Books for Conscious Business Leaders

29:50 — Where to Learn More About Eric Malka

“The way we define happiness at work is that it's about how you feel in the workplace. Does work typically make you feel good or does work typically make you feel bad? And of course, nobody's happy at work every single day. If somebody's happy all the time, there's something wrong with them. We all have good days and bad days at work.”

S04E09 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Alex Kjerulf, Chief Happiness Officer at Woohoo Inc., a global thought leader in workplace wellbeing. With a background in tech and a passion for happiness at work, Alex shares insights from over 20 years of experience helping companies like Microsoft, IKEA, and Hilton build cultures people love. From the dangers of toxic leadership to the power of emotional check-ins, Alex offers practical strategies for creating workplaces that foster joy, purpose, and performance. He also shares personal stories, from swing dancing to launching a comedy show, that reflect his belief in leading with humanity.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Why toxic leaders harm people and kind leaders drive results
• The two drivers of happiness at work: results and relationships
• Why effort deserves recognition, not just outcomes.
• How storytelling gives even routine jobs deeper meaning
• Why emotions matter and how to check in with them
• How peer accountability builds trust and performance

Further resources:
• Alex’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiefhappinessofficer/
• Woohoo Inc.: https://www.woohooinc.com
• Blog: https://positivesharing.com
• Comedy Show: https://becomedanish.com
• Happy Hour is 9 to 5: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20642240-happy-hour-is-9-to-5
• Leading with Happiness: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36629449-leading-with-happiness

Chapters
00:00 — Introduction to Alex Kjerulf
01:58 — Introducing Alex’s journey to Woohoo
03:00 — Reflecting on a career turning point
03:44 — Getting leaders to care about happiness
04:52 — Toxic success stories in business
06:54 — Comparing leadership styles
09:32 — Who seeks help for toxic culture
10:31 — Who drives change in organizations
11:37 — HR’s limits in shaping culture
13:16 — Defining workplace culture terms
16:40 — Happiness as a performance driver
17:07 — What leads to happiness at work
18:16 — Actions that build results & relationships
19:51 — Effort vs. results in recognition
21:05 — Rewarding what truly matters
24:38 — Creating purpose in any industry
31:15 — Lessons from leadership mistakes
32:43 — Exploring personal growth and impact
34:35 — Leadership lessons from swing dancing
37:18 — Building accountability through peers
40:32 — Emotions as a workplace compass
46:04 — Where to connect with Alex online