Replay: Making Work a Dream Come True | Kate Volman

Sometimes the most productive thing a leader can do is stop doing. Kristi sits down with Rosie Ward, CEO and co-founder of Salveo Partners, to explore what happens when we trade autopilot for intentionality. Rosie shares what she discovered while taking on the 75 Vibes challenge, including why connection is the first thing she loses when life gets busy, how "human doing" gets in the way of human being, and why the practices meant to help us should never become another stressful checkbox. From setting healthier boundaries to creating psychological safety through "F-Up Fridays," Rosie reveals how small, deliberate practices can reshape the way leaders show up for themselves and their teams. The takeaway is simple but powerful: pause before you react, question the story you're telling yourself, and create enough space to lead like a human.   Additional Resources: Connect with Rosie on LinkedIn Learn more about Salveo Partners Listen to Rosie's podcast Connect with Kristi on LinkedIn Subscribe to Kristi's YouTube for more Vibecast content! Learn more about Skutvik Consulting Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network   Key Takeaways: Pause before reacting to disrupt your automatic patterns. Connection often disappears first when busyness takes over. Deliberate practices matter more than rigid habits. Leaders create safety by modeling vulnerability first. Healthy boundaries give teams room to step up.  

Work takes up too much of our lives to feel like a four-letter word. So how do leaders create a workplace where people genuinely want to show up? Kristi sits down with Chris Allaire, founder and CEO of Averity, to unpack what it takes to build a people-first culture rooted in purpose, appreciation, authenticity, and fun. Chris shares the "laws" that shape his company, why he hires people before skill sets, and how celebrating even the small wins can keep a remote team connected and energized. From shifting "I have to" into "I get to" to practicing his simple "feel, think, act" approach, Chris challenges leaders to stop managing numbers and start leading humans. Because when people understand their purpose, feel supported, and actually enjoy the work, the results have a way of following.   Additional Resources: Connect with Chris on LinkedIn Learn more about Averity Connect with Kristi on LinkedIn Subscribe to Kristi's YouTube for more Vibecast content! Learn more about Skutvik Consulting Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network   Key Takeaways: Hire the person before you hire the skill set. Replace "have to" with the mindset of "get to." Celebrate small wins to strengthen connection and momentum. People-first leadership puts systems and results in perspective. Know your purpose before chasing the desired outcome.  

Nam Nguyen is the founder and CEO of Supervillain, a creative marketing agency built on the belief that the boldest voices are often the ones that get misunderstood. Before launching Supervillain, Nam served as Global Executive Creative Director at Intel, where he helped build one of the company's most diverse and innovative creative organizations. In this conversation, Nam gets personal about the experiences that shaped his approach to leadership, from growing up as the heavily bullied son of immigrants in Silicon Valley to the basketball coach who changed everything by simply saying "come play with us." He and Kristi dig into why workplace vibe is about energy, chemistry, and purpose rather than perks, why today's leaders need to think in terms of legacy rather than moments, and why the shift to remote work has made it harder than ever to truly see the people on your team.   Additional Resources: Connect with Nam Nguyen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/namnguyen/ Learn more about Supervillain: https://sv.xyz/ Subscribe to Kristi's YouTube for more Vibecast content! Learn more about Skutvik Consulting Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network   Key Takeaways: Workplace vibe is the energy, chemistry, and purpose underneath the surface, not the free lunches and ping pong tables. Small moments of inclusion can change someone's entire trajectory, and leaders need to pay attention to who is sitting on the sidelines. Legacy-minded leaders ask what they are building that will outlast them rather than chasing recognition in the moment. Remote work makes it harder to pick up on how people are really doing, and leaders have to be more intentional about checking in. Telling your team that you see them and value their work is not optional, it is a core responsibility of leadership.

Big dreams do more than inspire people. They can transform the way people show up at work. Kristi sits down with Kate Volman, CEO of Floyd Consulting, executive coach, author, and certified Dream Manager. Kate shares how supportive leaders helped her pursue bold ideas, discover her strengths, and build a career rooted in creativity, community, and meaningful work. Together, Kristi and Kate explore why people thrive when leaders care about their personal dreams, how the Dream Manager program creates stronger relationships and healthier cultures, and the simple question that can change your next one-on-one: "What are your dreams?"   Additional Resources: Connect with Kate on LinkedIn Learn more about The Dream Manager Listen to Kate's podcast: Create for No Reason Listen to Kate's podcast: Lead with Culture Subscribe to Kristi's YouTube for more Vibecast content! Learn more about Skutvik Consulting Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network   Key Takeaways: People thrive when leaders support their personal dreams. Autonomy creates space for creativity, growth, and ownership. Strong cultures begin with genuine care for people. Dream conversations strengthen engagement, confidence, and connection. Ask employees what they want to achieve.

What happens when the leader who's supposed to set the tone for the whole team is running on fumes, firing off reactive emails, and operating from survival mode instead of strategy? 🎙️ In this episode, Kristi Skutvik sits down with Dianne Armstrong, founder of Armstrong Performance Consulting and a somatic-certified executive coach with a career spanning Big Eight consulting, Pepsi, Neiman Marcus, Flex, and McKesson. Dianne shares her journey from leading massive organizational transformations to discovering that the most powerful lever for change is the leader's own inner state, and why she now dedicates her work to helping executives lead from the inside out. They explore what Dianne calls the "green zone," a state of nervous system regulation where leaders can access creativity, trust, and strategic thinking, versus the reactive fight, flight, freeze, or appease patterns that take over under chronic stress. Dianne breaks down the neuroscience of priming and reframing, explains how emotions get encoded in the body over time, and offers a deceptively simple starting point: five minutes of daily self-observation without judgment. Her turnaround stories show that even small shifts in awareness can transform how leaders show up for their teams, their families, and themselves. Additional Resources: Connect with Dianne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianne-armstrong-5791472/ Learn more about Armstrong Performance Consulting: https://www.linkedin.com/company/armstrong-performance-consulting/ Simon Sinek on Triggers: https://youtube.com/shorts/RDe1c5hXcdI?si=SCs6iDs7ydXeIKin Book: The Body Keeps the Score: https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748 Book: When The Body Says No: https://www.amazon.com/When-Body-Says-Understanding-Stress-Disease/dp/0470923350 Subscribe to Kristi's YouTube for more Vibecast content: https://youtube.com/@kristiskutvik?si=ZzyIX7yyCRukXgNy Learn more about Skutvik Consulting: https://www.skutvikconsulting.com/ Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network Learn more about PeopleForward Network: https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/ Key Takeaways: Leaders set the emotional weather for their teams, and no one around them will operate in a better state than the leader themselves. The "green zone" is a state of nervous system regulation where creativity, trust, strategic thinking, and collaboration become accessible, and chronic stress shuts all of it down. Neuroscience-backed techniques like labeling emotions and reframing stressful situations can physically change the neurochemicals in your body and shift how you experience pressure. Somatic awareness, paying attention to where stress shows up in your body, is a powerful first step toward breaking reactive patterns that have been building for years. Five minutes of daily self-observation without judgment is enough to start rewiring how you respond under pressure, and the awareness naturally moves closer and closer to the triggering moment over time. The defensive mechanisms that got you here (fight, flight, freeze, appease) deserve gratitude, not shame. The goal is not to eliminate them but to bring choice back into the equation.  

What does it take to build a company culture people actually feel when every single person works from home? 🎙️ In this episode, Kristi Skutvik sits down with Jasmine Wilson, Founder and CEO of Moxie Clinical, to explore how she built a fully remote clinical research company with a culture rooted in autonomy, authenticity, and genuine human connection. Jasmine shares how her career journey from big pharma to a scrappy startup shaped the way she leads today, from the corporate leader who taught her discipline and structure to the startup founder who reminded her not to take herself too seriously. They dig into what it really looks like to create psychological safety on a remote team, why treating team members like consultants rather than employees changes everything, and how small, intentional moves like Slack channels for fun, virtual events, and monthly in-person hikes keep people connected when there is no office to walk into. This conversation is a practical look at how leaders can design a remote culture where people feel trusted, valued, and genuinely excited to show up.   Additional Resources: Follow Jasmine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-wilson-292b22a/ Visit Moxie Clinical's website: https://www.moxieclinical.com/ Subscribe to Kristi's YouTube for more Vibecast content: https://youtube.com/@kristiskutvik?si=ZzyIX7yyCRukXgNy Learn more about Skutvik Consulting: https://www.skutvikconsulting.com/ Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network Learn more about PeopleForward Network: https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/   Key Takeaways: Defining the vibe: how Jasmine thinks about the energy and feeling a workplace carries, even when that workplace is fully remote Autonomy as culture: why treating remote team members like trusted consultants rather than monitored employees changes the entire dynamic Two leaders, two lessons: how a buttoned-up corporate mentor and a laid-back startup founder each shaped Jasmine's leadership style Designing connection on purpose: Slack channels, virtual events, and monthly in-person outings that keep a remote team feeling human Psychological safety in practice: creating an environment where people can be themselves without performing a version of professionalism that drains them Fighting remote isolation: why intentional human connection, even once a month, is non-negotiable for a distributed team  

Three words on a sticky note might be the simplest leadership tool you try all week. Kristi sits down with Megan Galloway, founder of Everleader, to explore what it really means to bring humanity back to work. Megan shares how one leader's belief in her changed the trajectory of her career, and how another leader's fear-based approach left her questioning her confidence, her work, and even her path. Together, Kristi and Megan unpack the power of authentic leadership, intentional culture, and the small moments that shape whether people feel empowered or diminished. From Megan's hot pink power suit to her "three words" practice before every meeting, this conversation is a reminder that better workplace vibes start with how we choose to show up. 💛   Additional Resources: Connect with Megan on LinkedIn Learn more about Everleader Consulting Subscribe to Kristi's YouTube for more Vibecast content! Learn more about Skutvik Consulting Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network   Key Takeaways: Intentional leaders shape stronger workplace vibes. Belief can change someone's entire career trajectory. Fear-based leadership quietly erodes confidence. Authenticity and professionalism can absolutely coexist. Three words can reset how you lead.

What does it take to grow a family business from a bootstrapped startup into a multi-generational operation, and how do you protect the family along the way? ✨ In this episode, Kristi Skutvik sits down with Shane Foye, President of DW-1, to explore his journey growing up inside his family's waste management business and the pivotal moments that shaped his leadership. Shane shares how his father started the company after losing his job, the experience of having employees working out of their family home as a kid, and how he went from peeling potatoes and running summer shifts to building an ERP software and eventually stepping into the role of leading the core business. They discuss the challenges of navigating the G1-to-G2 succession, why Shane spent time learning from hundreds of family offices, and how developing a shared mission, vision, and values brought his family through some of their hardest seasons. Shane also opens up about the role art collecting has played in shaping the company's culture and identity, and why intentionality and a willingness to learn are the keys to building something that lasts. Additional Resources: Follow Shane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-foye-663464bb/ Visit DW-1's website: https://dw1.com/ Subscribe to Kristi's YouTube for more Vibecast content: https://youtube.com/@kristiskutvik?si=ZzyIX7yyCRukXgNy Learn more about Skutvik Consulting: https://www.skutvikconsulting.com/ Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network Learn more about PeopleForward Network: https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/ Key Takeaways: Workplace vibe is an energy you can feel, and losing it means losing everything Building a family business requires balancing the needs of the family with the needs of the company The G1-to-G2 transition demands intentional governance, shared values, and multiple anchor points of trust Spending time learning from other family offices and going in without an agenda can reshape how you lead Intentionality and a willingness to learn are the foundation for building something that lasts beyond one generation  

In this episode, Andy Robinson, owner and lead consultant at LFG Mindset Consulting, joins Kristi Skutvik to share the story behind his mindset coaching practice. Andy grew up in a military town in New Jersey and knew from the age of 15 that he wanted to be a Marine. After joining the Marine Corps and deploying twice to Iraq, his second deployment in 2006 ended when his truck was hit by a roadside bomb. Three Marines in the vehicle died that day. Andy survived but broke his neck, ribs, and legs and spent seven months in the hospital. At 23, everything he associated with his identity was gone. Rather than building his future around his limitations, Andy chose to focus on what he wanted his life to look like. He surrounded himself with other veterans who had chosen differently, learned to drive, went to college, started a family, and eventually landed a job in capital markets with no finance background, cold calling Fortune 500 CFOs and treasurers at companies like Amazon, Ford, and Coca-Cola. When he realized his fulfillment was no longer in finance, he discovered mindset coaching and recognized he had been living its principles for years without knowing the language. Now he helps people step into the next version of themselves by reprogramming their self-image, rewriting the stories they tell themselves, and building a vision for the life they actually want. Additional Resources: Connect with Andy Robinson on LinkedIn Follow LFG Mindset Consulting on LinkedIn Subscribe to Kristi's YouTube for more Vibecast content! Learn more about Skutvik Consulting Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network Key Takeaways: Everything in your life is a reflection of the self-image you once held, change the image and the results follow Your subconscious only operates in the present tense, so the language you use about your goals and circumstances directly shapes what you experience The people you surround yourself with influence the choices you make, seek out those who are living the kind of life you want Start reprogramming your mindset with a blank notebook: write about the life you want as if it is already happening, based purely on desire rather than current circumstances Busy is a choice, not a badge of honor, there are people just as successful who are not busy, because they have trained themselves to think differently about time and priorities  

What really brings people back to work? It is not just better furniture, trendy perks, or a polished office. It is trust, energy, and the human experience behind the data. ✨ In this replay episode, Kristi sits down with Sam Julka and Meghan Tooman, the founder and co-owner duo behind Doris Research, to unpack how workplace "vibes" are actually built. With Sam's qualitative lens and Meghan's quantitative expertise, they explore why leaders miss the mark when they focus only on numbers, why culture cannot be created without people, and how curiosity can reveal the real barriers holding teams back. From return-to-office tension to the power of "sitting in the ick," this conversation is a fresh reminder that people-first leadership starts with listening. If you want to create a workplace where people thrive, this one will challenge how you think about data, design, trust, and connection.   Additional Resources: Connect with Sam on LinkedIn Connect with Meghan on LinkedIn Learn more about Doris Research Subscribe to Kristi's YouTube for more Vibecast content! Learn more about Skutvik Consulting Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network   Key Takeaways: Vibes come from values, behaviors, beliefs, and human energy. Data without insight leaves leaders asking why. Trust issues often get mislabeled as space problems. Curiosity unlocks barriers leaders cannot see themselves. Simple changes can create meaningful workplace transformation.