Culture Focused Practice

Tara Vossenkemper, PhD
  • 5.0 (3)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Culture Focused Practice is where business and humanity collide. Hosted by Dr. Tara Vossenkemper (group practice owner and consultant), this podcast dives deep into how practice culture drives business success. Learn actionable strategies to shape a thriving team, implement and use the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), and tackle the tough leadership decisions that come with growing your group practice. Whether you’re scaling up or streamlining, this show offers real-world insights to help you build a people-powered practice that lasts. Join Tara for candid conversations, expert interviews, and no-fluff coaching that puts your culture first.

  1. 1D AGO

    The Owner’s Room: When There’s Too Much Input to Tell What Matters

    In this Owner’s Room episode of the Culture Focus Practice podcast, Dr. Tara Vossenkemper sits with a leadership problem most people don’t name because it doesn’t register as a crisis: information overload that leaves leaders inundated rather than uninformed. This episode isn’t about confusion or burnout. It’s about what happens when constant access, visibility, updates, and context quietly erode a leader’s ability to discern what actually matters. Over time, everything starts to carry the same weight, which means nothing stands out, even when it should. Tara works through six unscripted questions and a scenario to explore the cognitive, emotional, and relational cost of staying “in the know” about everything. She unpacks how awareness gets mistaken for effectiveness, why urgency spreads evenly across decisions, and how oversaturation dulls judgment long before leaders realize what’s happening. This is not a productivity episode. There are no systems, hacks, or optimization tricks here. It’s an honest, reflective look at what leadership starts to feel like when your brain never gets a break from intake, and why decision-making feels heavier even when nothing is technically “wrong.” If you’ve been leading competently while feeling oddly flat, resentful, or tired of being needed, without a clear reason why, this episode is for you. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to information overload in leadership02:05 How excessive input erodes discernment08:58 Identifying destabilizing inputs20:02 The cognitive and emotional cost of constant awareness26:09 Mistaking awareness for effectiveness29:37 What happens when leaders track everything32:37 Scenario: Oversaturation and decision fatigue43:09 Final reflections on clarity and leadership weight If you’ve never taken a clarity break, this is your nudge. Tara has documented the questions she uses for this process at taravossenkemper.com/clarity-break. Download them, print them out, and step away from everything that connects you to work. No screens. No notifications. Just dedicated time to think, reflect, and reconnect with the bigger picture.

    44 min

  2. FEB 5

    The Owner's Room: Clawing Your Way Back Up to Baseline

    In this Owner’s Room episode, Dr. Tara Vossenkemper explores what it’s like to keep leading when you’re no longer at baseline — when you’re overstimulated, depleted, compressed by responsibility, and there’s no clean way to stop or reset. This isn’t about burnout in the traditional sense, and it’s not a productivity episode. It’s an honest, unscripted exploration of what happens when volume and constraint crowd out clarity — and leadership continues anyway. Tara works through six real-time questions and a scenario to name the internal pressure that builds when there’s no obvious path forward, no release valve, and no immediate lever to pull. Along the way, she reflects on agitation, maintenance work, overstimulation, and the slow, messy process of figuring out what actually needs to give. If you’ve been leading competently while quietly wondering how much longer your system can hold this — this episode is for you. Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to Leading Without Baseline01:05 Exploring Leadership Under Sustained Pressure01:50 Leading When There’s No Capacity to Move Forward05:13 Recognizing Volume and Constraint08:17 Where Agitation Shows Up in Daily Leadership11:48 Internal Pressure Without a Release Valve14:58 Clawing Your Way Back Without a Clear Path20:27 How Overstimulation Affects Decisions and Tolerance25:19 Scenario: Carrying Pressure While Searching for an Exit37:19 Final Thoughts on Capacity and Sustainability Everything I’m doing runs through my email list. If you want to stay in the loop, you can sign up here:https://www.taravossenkemper.com/work-with-tara

    39 min

  3. JAN 29

    V/I Table: Leading When the Vision is in Flux

    In this episode, Tara and Taylor sit inside a stretch of leadership that almost no one prepares you for: when the old vision no longer fits, but the new one hasn’t fully taken shape yet. Decisions still need to be made. People still need leadership. And the business doesn’t pause just because clarity is still forming. They explore how this season shows up differently in the Visionary seat versus the Integrator seat, why uncertainty can feel unmooring (or activating, depending on your role), and what actually helps teams stay grounded when things look “in flux” from the outside. The conversation weaves together structure, trust, values, and the often-messy reality of building something alive rather than rigid. Using real examples and a live scenario, Tara and Taylor unpack how leaders can hold responsibility without rushing resolution—and why meandering with intention is not the same thing as stagnation. Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Leadership Challenges00:48 Navigating Visionary and Integrator Roles03:17 The Flux of Vision and Personal Growth12:45 The Importance of Values and Purpose17:04 Internal Pressure and Decision Making34:36 Misinterpretations and Trust in Leadership45:38 Embracing the Meandering Process46:44 The Importance of Play and Practice48:16 Trust and Flexibility in Business50:46 Addressing Indecisiveness and Alignment55:07 Navigating Uncertainty with Leadership01:00:07 The Role of Vision and Trust01:06:32 Scenario Discussion: Leadership and Vision Stay in tune with Tara here!

    1h 31m

  4. JAN 22

    The Owner's Room: When You Trust Yourself Enough to Be Quiet

    In this Owner’s Room episode, Dr. Tara Vossenkemper is talking about a weird (and honestly relieving) leadership shift: when the noise inside you gets quiet. Not because you’ve checked out — but because you’ve finally settled. The decision is already made internally, so you stop doing the whole “pre-explaining/pre-justifying/pre-narrating” thing to your team like you’re presenting a legal defense. Tara walks through what self-trust actually feels like in the body (not just in your head), why some leaders feel compelled to explain themselves to death, and what it costs to keep translating yourself so other people stay comfortable. She also digs into the discomfort of letting people have their own interpretations — and what changes when you stop managing reactions in advance while still staying values-led and transparent. If you’ve been feeling that quiet steadiness in yourself and also wondering, “cool, but do I owe everyone a 12-slide explanation?” …this one’s for you. Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Quiet Leadership01:04 Exploring the Owner's Room01:42 Trusting Yourself: Brain and Gut Alignment06:00 Explaining Yourself to Others17:11 The Cost of Translating Yourself22:25 Handling Others' Interpretations24:29 Understanding Misinterpretations25:56 Dealing with Discomfort28:20 Leadership Without Managing Reactions35:17 Scenario: Leadership Shift45:46 Final Thoughts and Farewell Everything Tara is doing runs through her email list. Link is here if you want to stay in the loop!

    47 min

  5. JAN 15

    The Owner's Room: When the Old Vision Stops Working

    There’s a strange, quiet moment in leadership that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. It’s the moment when the vision that once gave you momentum… just stops organizing you. In this Owner’s Room episode of the Culture Focused Practice podcast, I answer unscripted leadership questions about what happens when a vision loses its pull — not because you failed, and not necessarily because the vision was wrong, but because you’ve changed. We explore how to tell the difference between burnout and genuine misalignment, how your body signals when something no longer fits, and why questioning a vision is not the same thing as questioning your competence as a leader. I also talk candidly about the fear of destabilizing your team, the responsibility leaders feel to “know,” and what it actually looks like to lead in the in-between space — when the old vision has dissolved and the next one hasn’t fully formed yet. This episode is for leaders who are still showing up, still leading well, but quietly realizing that the internal organizing principle they’ve relied on is no longer there. Timestamps00:00 Introduction to the Culture Focused Practice Podcast00:32 Understanding Vision Stagnation in Leadership01:17 Question 1: Identifying When a Vision Has Run Its Course10:18 Question 2: Physical Sensations of Misalignment16:02 Question 3: Leadership Identity and Vision Constraints27:35 Question 4: Perceptions of Leaders Without a Clear Vision29:34 The Importance of Vision in Leadership30:33 Navigating Certainty as a Leader31:55 The Dynamic Nature of Leadership Decisions36:00 The Living Practice Framework38:10 Addressing Leadership Challenges42:30 Scenario Analysis: Leadership and Vision53:21 Final Thoughts and Podcast Wrap-Up If this episode resonated, subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future conversations like this — and share it with a leader who might be quietly sitting in this same in-between space and wondering if something is wrong with them.

    55 min

  6. JAN 8

    The Deep Dive: Ethical Visibility and Real Conversations w/ John Sanders

    Marketing is one of those things every practice knows it needs — and almost no one feels confident doing. In this episode, I’m joined by John Sanders from RevKey, a Google Ads specialist who works almost exclusively with mental health practices. Together, we pull apart why marketing feels so murky, emotionally loaded, and ethically fraught for therapists — and why so many practice owners feel like they’re throwing money into a black box and hoping for the best. We talk about the emotional baggage therapists carry around money and visibility, why “doing it yourself” often costs more in the long run, and how marketing is actually made up of multiple distinct professions that too often get lumped together. We also get into ethical boundaries in mental health marketing, what Google actually allows (and doesn’t), and how to think clearly about delegation without spiraling into fear or avoidance. This is not a how-to episode. It’s a how-to-think episode — about clarity, specialization, ethical visibility, and building marketing systems that actually serve both you and your clients. You can also learn more about John and RevKey at http://www.revkey.com/podcasts. Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Marketing and Mental Health00:35 Meet the Guest: John Sanders01:11 The Challenges of Naming a Business02:46 Diving into Marketing Strategies03:48 Emotional Aspects of Marketing for Therapists06:18 Technical Hurdles in Marketing07:09 Common Fears and Misconceptions13:19 The Importance of a Good Website24:14 Ethical Marketing Strategies30:11 Emotional Stories Therapists Carry About Money30:45 Fear and Hesitation in Business Investments36:20 The Importance of Delegation41:08 Questions for Overwhelmed Practice Owners43:49 The Complexity of Marketing for Therapists49:23 Core Focus and Avoiding Distractions56:08 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Books Mentioned in This Episode The Culture Code by Daniel Coylehttps://www.amazon.com/Culture-Code-Secrets-Highly-Successful/dp/0804176981Traction by Gino Wickmanhttps://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837The Legendborn Series by Tracy Deonnhttps://www.amazon.com/Legendborn-Tracy-Deonn/dp/1534441606Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowlinghttps://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Order-Phoenix-Book/dp/0439358078The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencionihttps://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756Enshittification by Cory Doctorowhttps://www.amazon.com/Enshittification-Cory-Doctorow/dp/1250866842If this conversation helped clarify even one stuck place in your thinking, subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes — and share this one with a practice owner who’s quietly overwhelmed by marketing and doesn’t know where to start.

    58 min

  7. 12/30/2025

    Why Avoiding Hard Conversations Is Actually About Self-Protection

    We talk about avoiding hard conversations like it’s a communication issue.It’s not. Most of the time, avoidance is a self-protection strategy — not from the other person, but from the feelings the conversation brings up in us. And while it might buy short-term relief, it quietly erodes trust, clarity, and leadership credibility over time. In this episode, I break down why avoidance feels safer than honesty, how self-protective patterns show up in leadership, and how to stop the cycle without swinging into blunt-force honesty or emotional shutdown. We talk about softening the truth, waiting too long, over-explaining, and the subtle ways leaders manage other people’s emotions to avoid their own discomfort. More importantly, we get into what grounded leadership actually looks like: starting with inner truth, anchoring conversations in structure, and practicing small, everyday honesty so hard conversations stop feeling like landmines. This is about moving from self-protection to consistent, trusted leadership — not being nice, not being harsh, just being real. Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview01:12 Why Avoidance Feels Safer Than Honesty03:50 The Consequences of Avoidance05:53 Personal Anecdote: The Bandaid Story09:27 Leaders' Fear of Being the Bad Guy12:25 How Self-Protection Shapes Leadership Behavior21:34 Overtalking and Overexplaining21:57 Managing Emotional Reactions24:13 Self-Protection and Avoidance24:53 Breaking the Cycle of Avoidance26:56 Inner Truth and Outer Wording31:41 Grounding in Structure35:08 Practicing Small Forms of Honesty39:56 Final Thoughts and Takeaways If this episode hits close to home, subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future conversations like this — and send it to the first leader who popped into your head while you were listening.

    42 min

  8. 12/23/2025

    V/I Table: The Quiet Labor of Leadership

    This episode kicks off a brand new recurring segment on the Culture Focused Practice Podcast: The Visionary–Integrator Table. And we’re starting exactly where leadership actually lives — in the quiet, invisible emotional labor no one warns you about. I’m joined by my integrator, Taylor, for a candid, unscripted conversation about what leadership really asks of you when no one is watching. We talk about the emotional weight leaders carry so their teams don’t have to, the loneliness that comes with responsibility, and how visionary–integrator dynamics hold tension, humanity, and accountability at the same damn time. We unpack the emotional work underneath leadership frameworks like LMA, why emotions are always at the table whether you acknowledge them or not, and how patterns in team emotionality quietly inform decisions long before anything becomes “a problem.” We also get into friendship and power dynamics at work, boundaries in social settings, COVID-era leadership trauma, and why clean systems don’t work unless the emotional landscape is tended to too. This is not a polished leadership highlight reel. It’s an honest look under the hood at how leadership actually functions — emotionally, relationally, and systemically — when it’s done with integrity. Timestamps00:00 Introduction to the Culture Focused Practice Podcast01:07 Introducing the Visionary Integrator Table02:02 The Quiet Labor of Leadership03:42 Navigating Leadership Challenges33:25 Balancing Personal and Professional Relationships37:21 Setting Boundaries in Social Settings38:14 Challenges of Leadership and Friendship39:49 Reflecting on Leadership and COVID-1941:25 The Weight of Responsibility50:16 Emotional Patterns in the Workplace01:00:51 The Emotional Work of Leadership01:14:33 The Impact of Emotions on Data Collection01:14:59 Systems vs. Emotions: A Social Work Perspective01:16:01 Integrating Systemic and Emotional Approaches01:16:47 The Role of Environment in Behavior01:17:54 Balancing Emotions and Structures in Leadership01:19:06 Matriarchal vs. Patriarchal Leadership Approaches01:19:38 Practical Advice for Overwhelmed Leaders01:25:49 The Importance of Emotional Awareness in Leadership01:39:18 Final Reflections and Takeaways If leadership has ever felt heavier than you expected — or lonelier — this episode is for you.

    1h 43m
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About

The Culture Focused Practice is where business and humanity collide. Hosted by Dr. Tara Vossenkemper (group practice owner and consultant), this podcast dives deep into how practice culture drives business success. Learn actionable strategies to shape a thriving team, implement and use the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), and tackle the tough leadership decisions that come with growing your group practice. Whether you’re scaling up or streamlining, this show offers real-world insights to help you build a people-powered practice that lasts. Join Tara for candid conversations, expert interviews, and no-fluff coaching that puts your culture first.

Information

  • Creator
    Tara Vossenkemper, PhD
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    81
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Vossenkemper Consulting, LLC
  • Show Website
    Culture Focused Practice