Culture Over Coffee

Culture Over Coffee

Welcome to Culture Over Coffee, a podcast focused on improving company culture and fostering employee engagement hosted by Beth Sunshine, SVP/Partner at Up Your Culture. Every week we chat with experts and thought leaders about the latest proven practices that succeed in reducing regrettable turnover, increasing productivity and retaining key customers. So, pour a cup of your favorite brew and join us. Up Your Culture, an employee engagement and company culture firm, was designed by The Center for Sales Strategy which has almost 40 years of experience improving business performance.

Episodes

The Middle Manager Squeeze

July 28, 2026 • 7 mins
When organizations struggle with engagement, execution, or retention, leaders often look to the top (or the front lines) for answers. But the real pressure point is often in the middle. In this episode of Culture Over Coffee, Beth Sunshine explores why middle managers are the foundation of a healthy workplace culture and what happens when they're expected to drive performance without the support they need to succeed. Drawing on ...
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You Have a Feedback Problem (And You Probably Don’t Know It)

July 21, 2026 • 6 mins
Most leaders believe they're giving enough feedback. The data tells a different story. In this episode of Culture Over Coffee, Kate Rehling explores why feedback is one of the most overlooked drivers of employee growth and engagement—and why many organizations are treating it as an occasional event instead of an everyday habit. Drawing on insights from the ENGAGE 2026 Company Culture Report, Kate discusses: ☕ Why feedback...
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The Trust Deficit: How Accountability Without Credibility Backfires

July 14, 2026 • 6 mins
Does More Accountability Actually Improve Culture? Accountability is essential. But without trust, it can have the opposite effect leaders intend. In this episode of Culture Over Coffee, Beth Sunshine explores why raising expectations alone doesn't create stronger performance. Instead, when accountability isn't supported by trust and consistent leadership, it often leads to compliance, hesitation, and disengagement. Drawing on ...
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Purpose Is Table Stakes (But It's Not Enough)

July 7, 2026 • 6 mins
Is Purpose Enough to Keep Employees Engaged? Most employees say they have a sense of purpose in their work. So why are engagement levels still so low? In this episode of Culture Over Coffee, Kate Rehling explores why purpose is an important foundation—but not enough on its own to create an engaged workforce. Drawing on insights from the ENGAGE 2026 Company Culture Report, she explains why employees can care deeply about th...
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Have Core Values? Your Employees Probably Can’t Recite Them

June 30, 2026 • 7 mins
Do Your Core Values Actually Drive Behavior? Most organizations have core values. But can your employees actually name them? In this episode of Culture Over Coffee, Beth Sunshine explores why core values often become wall art instead of a guide for everyday decisions—and what leaders can do to change that. Drawing on insights from the ENGAGE 2026 Company Culture Report, Beth discusses: ☕ Why knowing your core values is t...
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Why Your Culture Problem Looks Like an Operations Problem

June 23, 2026 • 9 mins
Culture Problem… or Operations Problem? Most leaders don’t think they have a culture problem. Instead, they’re asking questions like: Why is execution so slow? Why are we losing good people? Why does everything feel harder than it should? In this episode of Culture Over Coffee, Beth Sunshine explores why many of the challenges organizations label as operational issues are actually culture issues in disguise. ...
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Culture Metrics: What Engagement Surveys Can (and Can't) Tell You

January 8, 2026 • 38 mins
In this episode, Dan Kessler, President of Energage, joins Beth Sunshine to explore how data and action come together to create thriving workplace cultures. Drawing on insights from millions of employee surveys and thousands of companies, Dan shares how organizations can move beyond measuring engagement to activating it. Dan has some amazing takeaways, like: - Why employee engagement data reveals what leaders can’t alway...
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Culture Snapshot - Culture Isn't a Vibe: The Systems Behind Great Workplaces

December 18, 2025 • 5 mins
Culture isn’t just something you feel. It’s something you build. In this short Culture Snapshot episode, we’re breaking down why great cultures aren’t powered by perks or positivity alone. Instead, they run on systems: the intentional habits, behaviors, and leadership practices that create clarity and consistency. We’ll also walk through the four “engagement elevators” that help organiz...
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Building a Culture of Growth: How “Squiggly Careers” Strengthen Engagement

December 11, 2025 • 27 mins
Career development shouldn’t be a checklist. It should be a catalyst. In this episode of Culture Over Coffee, Beth sits down with Deb Kuhn who leads Career Development and Programs at TransUnion, to explore how growth pathways can transform company culture from the inside out. Deb shares incredible insights, including: - Why TransUnion replaced rigid career ladders with “squiggly careers,” helping employees e...
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Culture Snapshot: Almost Leaders - From Good Intentions to Real Leadership Impact

December 4, 2025 • 5 mins
What separates almost leaders from always leaders? In this Culture Snapshot, Beth explores how small gaps in consistency (missed feedback, delayed recognition, or forgotten check-ins) can quietly erode engagement, and how one extra step can transform trust, culture, and results. Evaluate Your Company Culture: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/quick-culture-assessment Beth Sunshine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsunshin...
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The CEO as Listener-in-Chief: What Executives Really Hear (and Miss) from Employees

November 20, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode of Culture Over Coffee, Catherine Badalamente, President and CEO of Graham Media Group, joins Beth to talk about what it really means to lead as listener-in-chief, and how active listening can strengthen trust, reveal hidden cultural challenges, and help employees thrive. Catherine shares powerful takeaways including: - Why real listening goes beyond surveys and meetings - How to make it a daily intentional practic...
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Culture Snapshot: Culture Debt - The Hidden Cost of Neglecting People Problems

November 13, 2025 • 4 mins
In this quick-hit Culture Snapshot, Beth spends a few minutes breaking down a powerful concept every leader should understand: culture debt. Much like financial or technical debt, culture debt builds up when we avoid tough conversations, ignore toxic behaviors, or push past early signs of burnout. Beth shares relatable, real-world examples of how culture debt sneaks into teams and outlines practical ways to start addressing it. ...
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Culture Snapshot: How Often Are You Actually Giving Feedback?

July 10, 2025 • 6 mins
Feedback fuels growth, but most employees aren’t getting enough of it. In this quick Culture Snapshot episode, Beth takes a few minutes to explore what data from ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report reveals about the frequency and quality of workplace feedback. Also, she offers bits of actionable advice to help leaders make feedback a consistent, impactful habit. ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report: https://uyc.th...
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Managers Are Stuck: The Missing Middle of Engagement with Matt Sunshine

July 3, 2025 • 36 mins
Middle managers are the critical link between leadership and employees...but many of them feel disengaged, unsupported, and overwhelmed. In this episode, Matt Sunshine, CEO of The Center for Sales Strategy, is joining Beth to discuss why managers are struggling to stay engaged and how that impacts the teams they lead. Matt has some amazing takeaways, like: - Why the way in which companies “shift the goal posts” in...
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The Engagement Gap: Why Culture Isn't Trickling Down with Kate Rehling

June 26, 2025 • 22 mins
Engagement may be strong at the top...but it’s not making its way down the org chart. In this episode, Beth sits down with Kate Rehling, Senior Talent Analyst and Engagement Specialist at Up Your Culture, to explore the troubling disconnect between executives and employees when it comes to culture and engagement. Kate shares some amazing thoughts to consider, like: - How front-line employees can easily feel disconnecte...
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The Bait and Switch: When Culture Doesn’t Match the Pitch with Deborah Fulghum

June 19, 2025 • 26 mins
For many employees, culture is a major reason they say “yes” to a job offer. But, too often, the reality doesn’t live up to the pitch. In this episode, Beth is joined by Deborah Fulghum, Employee Engagement Specialist and Culture Coach at Up Your Culture, to unpack what happens when the promised culture falls short of expectations (and how organizations can fix it). Deb offers such great insights, like: - W...
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Culture Snapshot: The Myth of “Just Knowing” Expectations

June 12, 2025 • 4 mins
Many leaders assume their people know exactly what’s expected of them, but the data says otherwise. In this brief Culture Snapshot episode, Beth spends a few minutes to break down why unclear expectations lead to disengagement, especially among mid-tenure employees. She also shares simple ways to bring clarity and alignment back into focus. ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report: https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com...
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The Recognition Deficit: Why So Many Feel Unseen at Work with Kelly George

June 5, 2025 • 23 mins
In this episode, we’re exploring why more than a third of employees say they don’t receive enough recognition from managers or peers. We’ll be breaking down why recognition remains so underutilized, what it costs your culture, and how to make it part of your daily rhythm. And here to help Beth make sense of it all is Kelly George, Culture Coach here at Up Your Culture. Kelly offers great insights, like: - How...
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Quiet Desks, Loud Costs: When Employees Don’t Speak Up with Mindy Murphy

May 29, 2025 • 20 mins
In this episode, we’re digging into the real cost of silence in the workplace (and what it takes to build a culture where people feel safe, heard, and empowered). You’ll soon see that when employees feel like they can’t be their authentic selves at work, the impact goes far beyond quiet meetings and silent Slack threads. Joining me to explore this critical issue is Mindy Murphy, Culture Coach here at Up Your C...
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Lost During the Honeymoon: Why New Employees Are Checking Out Early with Tirzah Thornburg

May 22, 2025 • 26 mins
In this episode, we’re looking into why the honeymoon phase for new employees is fading so fast and how it’s costing organizations more than they realize. With half of new hires feeling only somewhat engaged within their first six months, early disengagement is becoming a major threat to retention, morale, and performance. Joining Beth to help break it all down is Tirzah Thornburg, Senior Talent Analyst at The Cente...
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