The Culture Works

The Culture Works Helping you build great workplace cultures. Keynote speeches executive coaching leadership consulting

07/13/2026

We asked Carol how you stay transparent when you genuinely don't know what's coming. Her answer: you don't hide it. You say "we're not sure what's going to happen, but here's what we're doing about it."

The moment you start cloaking bad news is the moment you lose the people you most want to keep.

Listen now: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/culture-works

07/13/2026

Carol's team got to 800 people. She thinks they were doing the work of 2,000. That's not a brag, it's a philosophy. Hire fewer people, hire better, and build a place they actually want to be.

It changes how you think about headcount entirely. Listen to Carol's conversation with Chester and Adrian.

Listen now: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/culture-works

07/13/2026

One of the smartest things Carol shared was this: when you're hiring, pull in someone who has nothing to do with the role. Not because they know the job, but because they know what good looks like.

That outside perspective catches things a hiring manager under pressure to fill a seat will miss every time.

Listen now: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/culture-works

07/13/2026

Carol MacKinlay puts it simply: culture comes from the CEO. HR is there to reinforce it, not run it. The programs, the benefits, the policies, they should all underscore what leadership says the company is trying to be.

It sounds obvious, but most organizations get this backwards. Listen to the full conversation with Carol on The Culture Works Podcast.

Listen now: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/culture-works

07/13/2026

She built culture inside a company where revenue could literally be zero the next day.

Carol MacKinlay, now CHRO at Pebl and board member at Exodus, has led people through crypto volatility, regulatory scrutiny, global expansion, and rapid scaling from a handful of employees to 800.

We sat down with her for one of our most practical conversations yet.

A few things that stood out:

- The "gatekeeper" approach to scaling culture fast, find the people who know what good looks like and put them in every hiring conversation, even outside their function.
- Why transparency is non-negotiable when headlines are bad, if you become the people who cloak bad news, you lose exactly the people you most want to keep.
- The future of HR isn't admin or recruiting. It's customization, meeting each employee where they actually are in their life, not where the program assumes they are.

New episode of The Culture Works Podcast is live.

Listen now: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/culture-works

07/13/2026

Strong cultures are built through consistent, intentional moments. When people feel genuinely appreciated, they show up with more trust, care, and commitment. Over time, those moments add up and become the culture everyone experiences.

Subscribe to my Substack and discover how gratitude can transform your leadership and your team.

https://chesterelton.substack.com/

07/13/2026

Your tone, your presence, and your consistency speak long before your title does.

People notice how you listen, how you respond when things are hard, and how you treat others in everyday moments. Those behaviors set the standard for what is acceptable and what is valued.

You do not have to be perfect to lead well. You just have to be intentional about the example you set, because others are always learning from how you show up.

Subscribe to my Substack and discover how gratitude can transform your leadership and your team.

https://chesterelton.substack.com/

07/13/2026

That starts with respect, integrity, and genuine care for the people around you. When leaders listen, recognize effort, and lead with empathy, trust grows naturally.

People choose to follow leaders who make them feel valued, supported, and inspired to be their best.

07/13/2026

Recognition builds energy, commitment, and trust. When people know their efforts are seen and valued, they are more willing to lean in, collaborate, and go beyond what is required.

Appreciation does not just boost morale. It brings out the best in people and teams.

Subscribe to my Substack and discover how gratitude can transform your leadership and your team.

https://chesterelton.substack.com/

07/13/2026

We’re quick to correct.
But great leaders are even quicker to recognize.

Today, look for one thing someone is doing well.
Call it out.

Watch what happens next.

Subscribe to my Substack and discover how gratitude can transform your leadership and your team.

https://chesterelton.substack.com/

Address

Charlotte, NC

Telephone

+17048041054

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Culture Works posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The Culture Works:

Shortcuts

Share

Category