In this insightful episode of Training Unleashed, host Evan Hackel is joined by Brett Hoogeveen, Co-Founder of BetterCulture, to discuss one of the most critical elements of organizational success: company culture.

Together, Evan and Brett explore why “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” how employee engagement drives customer satisfaction, and the pivotal role leadership plays in building a healthy workplace environment. Brett breaks down the five strategic pillars of culture transformation from executive buy-in to frontline empowerment and offers practical steps for creating workplaces where people thrive.

They also dive into challenging real-world scenarios, like dealing with high-performing employees who are toxic to company culture, and share stories and tips for giving meaningful feedback, even on those tricky “soft skills.”

Whether you’re an executive, HR leader, or team manager, this episode offers a roadmap for turning culture into a competitive advantage. Learn how to measure culture, define what it should be, and implement actionable strategies to improve it at every level.

Key Topics Discussed:

  • Culture Drives Results: A strong workplace culture leads to higher employee engagement, better customer satisfaction, and improved business performance.

  • Define Culture Intentionally: Every company has a culture – successful ones design and nurture it rather than letting it happen by default.

  • Start with Leadership: Culture change begins at the top. Executive teams must align on cultural goals and model the behaviors they want to see.

  • Measure What Matters: Tools like employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) and culture surveys provide a baseline and guide ongoing improvement.

  • Don’t Ignore the Impact of One: A high-performing employee who undermines culture can drag down the whole team – coaching, restructuring, or letting go may be necessary.

  • Equip Managers to Lead Culture: Most managers struggle with giving feedback on soft skills – organizations must train and support them to lead culture conversations confidently.

About Our Guest

Brett Hoogeveen is a trained engineer, former healthcare executive, startup investor, and the co-founder of BetterCulture: a prominent leadership development and technology firm with clients spanning from entrepreneurial startups to Fortune 500 companies.

In the past 10+ years, Brett has trained thousands of leaders and worked hands-on with hundreds of organizations and executive teams focused on creating stronger businesses through elevated leaders, stronger teams, and more energized workplace cultures.

An international speaker and Certified Speaking Professional (CSP®), Brett focuses on providing practical and actionable advice on leadership, company culture, and the ‘not-so-secret’ secrets of becoming successful and happy.

Brett lives in Omaha, Nebraska with his wife and three delightfully spunky children. He loves jumping on his trampoline with his kids, is a self-proclaimed personal finance nerd, and believes that he might just be one of the ‘Top 10 Airzooka Marksmen’ in the entire world.

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