Evolving Your Workplace

Carol Schultz
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On this workplace podcast, your host Carol Schultz brings on experts to discuss problems many business owners face in real time. Guest experts provide context for the issue and advise those in leadership positions on best practices. Whether you are starting a company, or you lead an established organization-- the podcast is geared toward getting you helpful answers.

  1. -3 ДН.

    Connecting with your Gen Z Workers

    “The stick just doesn’t work on this generation — you can’t give lip service to values. You have to live them, or they won’t engage.” — Jed Meyer In this episode of Evolving Your Workplace, Carol Schultz sits down with Jed Meyer, CEO of St. Cloud Financial Credit Union, to break down what actually works — and what fails — when leading and connecting with Gen Z workers. The conversation centers on a core shift many leaders are resisting: Gen Z is not motivated by fear, hierarchy, or delayed recognition. They respond to clarity, authenticity, and lived values — not slogans on a wall. Jed explains how leadership expectations must evolve from command-and-control to clarity-and-support. He outlines a practical coaching framework built around responsibility on the leader’s side first: clear expectations, real resources, and visible support before accountability. Instead of defaulting to performance warnings, his organization uses retention-focused coaching, frequent recognition, and structured feedback systems designed to keep high-potential young employees engaged rather than managed through pressure. The discussion goes deeper into what Gen Z is signaling to the workforce at large: they will not trade life quality for money alone, they question institutional loyalty based on what they watched happen to prior generations, and they expect culture to be measurable in behavior — not branding. Jed shares specific operational strategies including values-based culture teams, gamified engagement, flexible scheduling experiments, and leadership vulnerability as a performance multiplier rather than a weakness. They close with a leadership reality check: every generation brings value, but connection requires adaptation. Leaders who slow down enough to show up for employees — especially on their worst days — build the trust that Gen Z uses to decide whether to stay, contribute, and grow. Connect With Host Carol Schultz Find more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at Vertical Elevation, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Want to be our next guest expert? Email cat.gloria@verticalelevation.com with your information. And of course, click "follow" to stay up-to-date on new episodes and leave an honest review/rating letting us know what you thought!

    38 мин.

  2. 5 ФЕВР.

    Discovering your blindspots as a leader

    “Know what you know, and assume if you don’t know it, you don’t know it—get help, talk to people, and ask them: ‘What do you see my blind spots are?’” — Dean Hendrickson In this episode of Evolving Your Workplace, Carol Schultz sits down with Dr. Dean Hendrickson, co-founder and CEO of SurgiReal Products and a professor at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, to unpack a leadership reality that quietly derails teams: you don’t know what you don’t know—and the cost shows up in decisions, people, and momentum. Dean shares the founder-side blind spots he ran into while building a company as a career surgeon and educator. He explains why getting pulled into “startup mode” without the right guidance can send leaders down the wrong path fast—and why the smartest move early is to sit with people who’ve actually built startups and ask a simple question: What am I not seeing? What questions am I not asking? The conversation gets practical on how leaders should evaluate advice. Dean and Carol break down why “successful” doesn’t always mean “relevant,” how to do real due diligence on mentors, and why experience in large organizations doesn’t automatically translate to early-stage chaos. Dean also shares what happens when leaders miss people-related blind spots: needing different players at different stages, hiring someone exceptional who unintentionally triggers insecurity in others, and realizing too late that you can’t “coach” certain structural problems into working. They close with a clear playbook for leaders who want fewer blind spots and faster learning: know your risk tolerance, seek outside input early, hire people who are better than you in key functions, and build a system to continuously ask customers and stakeholders what they need that they’re not getting. The goal isn’t to have all the answers—it’s to build the habits that reveal the gaps before they become expensive. Connect With Host Carol Schultz Find more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at Vertical Elevation, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Want to be our next guest expert? Email cat.gloria@verticalelevation.com with your information. And of course, click "follow" to stay up-to-date on new episodes and leave an honest review/rating letting us know what you thought!

    36 мин.

  3. 29 ЯНВ.

    Think of your Company Culture as a Journey

    “Culture… is a critical part of driving growth for your company.” — Marti Nyman In this episode of Evolving Your Workplace, Carol Schultz sits down with Marti Nyman, President and CEO of New Wave Design, to unpack a practical question most leaders face while scaling: how do you keep culture strong, consistent, and real—without turning it into a slogan? Marti explains why culture is more than “values on a wall.” It’s a growth engine that affects how teams collaborate, solve problems, and attract top talent. He shares how culture can quietly weaken during expansion if leaders don’t intentionally reinforce it—especially when priorities shift to hiring, delivery, and day-to-day execution. The conversation gets tactical. Marti breaks down a simple operating rhythm his leadership team uses to keep culture front-and-center, plus an “S-curve” way of thinking about culture initiatives: early momentum, inevitable plateau, then a deliberate reset to keep the culture alive. They also discuss how leadership handles uncertainty, how slow procurement cycles can become a real growth constraint, and what “speed of execution” looks like inside a complex industry. They close with the CEO-level levers Marti focused on early: building predictability, creating scalable systems, and strengthening data-driven decision-making (including a risk-adjusted scorecard). Marti also shares what employees really want from work—being of value, being valued, and being part of something bigger—and why a real culture of feedback starts at the top. Connect With Host Carol Schultz Find more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at Vertical Elevation, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Want to be our next guest expert? Email cat.gloria@verticalelevation.com with your information. And of course, click "follow" to stay up-to-date on new episodes and leave an honest review/rating letting us know what you thought!

    40 мин.

  4. 22 ЯНВ.

    Are you leading or babysitting your company?

    “At some point, founders have to stop babysitting the business — or growth stalls.” — Rohit Kumar In this episode of Evolving Your Workplace, Carol Schultz sits down with Rohit Kumar, Founder and CEO of Chapter Apps, to explore one of the hardest transitions for founders: knowing when hands-on leadership turns into micromanagement — and how that mindset quietly becomes a bottleneck to growth. Rohit shares the evolution of Chapter Apps, from its early days as a mobile-first learning platform to its current focus on enterprise AI solutions for sales and employee assistance. He explains why the pivot toward AI was driven not by hype, but by real customer demand — especially the need for instant, accurate answers in high-stakes sales conversations. The conversation digs into what “babysitting” actually looks like at the CEO level: testing products personally, double-checking team output, and stepping in when managers aren’t driving execution forward. Rohit generously opens up about the deeper reason founders struggle to let go — fear of disappointing customers — and how confidence in the team directly affects a leader’s ability to delegate. Carol and Rohit also discuss scaling across geographies, co-founding a company with a spouse across time zones, and why relocating to San Francisco has accelerated Chapter Apps’ AI innovation through proximity to partners, platforms, and real-time problem solving. They close by examining growth constraints, talent challenges, inbound vs outbound sales, and whether roles like Chief of Staff and Customer Success are luxuries — or necessities — for founders who want to stop reacting and start leading. Connect With Host Carol Schultz Find more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at Vertical Elevation, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Want to be our next guest expert? Email cat.gloria@verticalelevation.com with your information. And of course, click "follow" to stay up-to-date on new episodes and leave an honest review/rating letting us know what you thought!

    35 мин.

  5. 15 ЯНВ.

    Every Sales Team in 2026 Needs to be Doing This

    “Founder-led selling is still the most powerful kind of selling.” — Dave Gulas In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Dave Gulas, Co-Founder and President of EZDC 3PL, to talk about what sales teams must lean into as 2026 approaches: visibility, authenticity, and relationship-driven selling in a world flooded with AI-generated noise. Dave explains why generic cold pitches on LinkedIn are failing, and how personal branding and real opinions help salespeople differentiate and build trust. Dave also shares the origin story of EZDC 3PL, built after seeing “big box” logistics providers become complacent during and after the supply chain chaos of COVID. He breaks down why customer service, communication, and accountability are the real advantage in a market where thousands of 3PLs offer similar “space and labor.” The conversation begins with a timely real-world issue in freight: theft and “burning an MC number,” where bad actors exploit carrier identity loopholes to steal loads fast before anyone can respond. From there, they move into scaling a logistics company, managing a remote warehouse team from a different state, and why hiring the right people (and learning from the wrong hires) is core to building a strong workplace culture. Finally, Dave talks about launching the Beyond Fulfillment podcast as a learning tool during the hardest early stages of growth — and how consistency turned it into 220+ episodes, a growing YouTube channel, and high-level founders reaching out to be guests. Takeaways: Authenticity and visibility are essential for sales in 2026. Cold pitching without relationships is not real selling. AI is making generic outreach worse, not better. Differentiation comes from real opinions and human connection. Great customer service and over-communication build long-term trust. Founder-led selling is difficult to replace at high-stakes moments. Early growth mistakes help define your ideal customer profile. Remote teams work best with strong leaders and clear systems. Hiring the right people is a growth multiplier. Consistency in content can create unexpected opportunities. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome + Why sales teams need this in 2026 00:32 What EZDC 3PL does (warehousing, fulfillment, transportation) 01:04 Real-time supply chain theft and diverted freight 02:27 How freight theft happens + “burning an MC number” 03:22 The #1 sales strategy for 2026: visibility and authenticity 04:33 Why cold pitching on LinkedIn is broken 05:11 The “fake compliment → wild promise → demand a meeting” script 06:01 How AI reinforces bad sales outreach 06:48 Why Dave founded EZDC 3PL 08:17 The meaning behind the name EZDC 3PL 09:23 How COVID changed logistics and created complacency 10:29 Customer service as the real differentiator 12:50 Why Kentucky is a strategic warehouse location 13:15 Managing a remote warehouse team as a founder 14:21 Founder’s “zone of genius” and role clarity 15:40 Why 3PL isn’t just “space and labor” 16:37 Early mistakes: taking the wrong clients 18:06 Bottlenecks to growth: space, timing, inventory transfers 20:34 Will Dave always lead sales? 21:53 Founder presence on sales calls (even at billion-dollar scale) 24:11 Why sales hires often fumble the message 27:56 Building culture through hiring lessons 30:13 Why Dave started the Beyond Fulfillment podcast 31:29 Consistency results: 220+ episodes and 13K YouTube subscribers 32:58 Where to learn more about EZDC 3PL + closing Connect With Host Carol Schultz Find more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at a href="https://verticalelevation.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    31 мин.

  6. 8 ЯНВ.

    What Workplace Sexual Harassment Really Looks Like

    “If something feels wrong, trust your gut.” – Brittany Stevens In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with employment attorney Brittany Stevens (Partner at Phillips & Associates) to unpack the realities of sexual harassment, workplace discrimination, and power dynamics—and what leaders can do to create workplaces where people feel safe speaking up. Brittany explains how harassment is defined under the law (and why it often differs from what people assume), why so many cases come down to evidence and “totality of circumstances,” and how fear of retaliation keeps employees silent—especially when the harasser holds power. They discuss what strong workplace policies and training should actually include, why some organizations make it hard to report, and how employees can protect themselves when a company is focused on protecting itself. The episode closes with practical guidance for both leaders and employees on building safer systems, documenting issues, and knowing when to seek confidential legal advice. TakeawaysSexual harassment isn’t always “obvious”—many cases are subtle and pattern-based.Legal definitions of harassment/discrimination vary across federal, state, and city laws.Power imbalances (boss vs. employee) make reporting feel risky and unsafe.Fear of retaliation is one of the biggest reasons people stay silent.Documentation and internal complaints can significantly strengthen a case.Many companies fail by not having clear reporting policies or trusted processes.Leaders must train managers not only on behavior—but on how to respond to complaints.Discrimination can happen anywhere—industry, company size, and role don’t matter.Some terminations get “hidden” behind restructuring or reductions in force.Consulting a law firm can be a confidential way to understand your options. Chapters00:00 Intro: The taboo topic—sexual harassment & workplace safety 00:49 What Brittany’s firm does (employee-side discrimination law) 02:19 Why the firm was founded & what motivates this work 02:50 Defining harassment vs. what people think harassment is 04:28 Harassment isn’t always sexual: hostile work environments & protected classes 05:15 Evidence, documentation, and why cases are fact-dependent 06:16 Power dynamics: why “just say no” isn’t realistic 07:43 What victims can do when they fear repercussions 08:25 Why policies and reporting systems often fail (or don’t exist) 10:40 Vetting employers: red flags, lawsuits, and research before accepting jobs 11:13 DEI changes and what may shift over time 12:01 Discrimination happens everywhere (yes—even “good” companies) 13:00 What leaders should do: training, reporting, investigations, real support 15:54 Women vs. men: patterns Brittany sees in harassment and discrimination cases 16:46 Disability/medical termination & “restructuring” as a cover 18:35 How Phillips & Associates evolved and expanded over time 20:05 Growth bottlenecks: why jurisdiction/laws matter 21:21 Why expand into less employee-friendly states like Florida 22:58 Client trust: the importance of fast support and connection 23:54 Internal training: listening, empathy, and handling emotional calls 26:10 Choosing a path: quiet resolution vs. litigation 27:03 How to find the firm & their contingency model 29:24 Final thoughts: protecting yourself when the company protects itself Connect With Host Carol Schultz Find more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at Vertical Elevation, a...

    28 мин.

  7. 30.10.2025

    Using Stories to Generate Sales

    "Show up to serve, not to sell." - Maury Rogow In this week's episode Carol Schultz and Maury Rogow delve into the significance of storytelling in sales and marketing. Maury shares his journey from the tech industry to Hollywood, emphasizing the importance of differentiation and relatability in business. They discuss the need for effective communication, understanding audience needs, and the role of emotional engagement in sales. Maury also provides unconventional strategies for generating sales, highlighting the power of personalization and the impact of AI in modern marketing. The discussion culminates with insights from Maury's book, 'Rise of the Entrepreneur', which focuses on leveraging storytelling as a superpower in business. Takeaways Businesses struggle to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. Storytelling is essential for effective branding and sales. Understanding your audience's needs is crucial for success. Effective communication involves asking the right questions. Sales should focus on serving the customer, not just selling. Personalization in marketing can significantly enhance engagement. Emotional connections drive customer loyalty and sales. Unconventional sales strategies can set you apart from competitors. AI is transforming the landscape of sales and marketing. Your unique story can be a powerful tool for business growth. Chapters 00:00 The Power of Storytelling in Sales 03:08 Maury's Journey: From Tech to Hollywood 05:59 Building Rip Media Group: A New Chapter 08:54 The Art of Relatable Storytelling 11:59 Understanding the Why Behind Your Story 15:00 Overcoming Founderitis in Marketing 17:49 Simplifying Complex Ideas for Sales 20:52 Unconventional Sales Strategies 21:49 The Power of Relatable Storytelling 25:32 Emotional Marketing Techniques 25:59 Innovative Sales Approaches 29:55 Personalization in Outreach 34:53 The Rise of the Entrepreneur Connect With Host Carol Schultz Find more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at Vertical Elevation, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Want to be our next guest expert? Email cat.gloria@verticalelevation.com with your information. And of course, click "follow" to stay up-to-date on new episodes and leave an honest review/rating letting us know what you thought!

    37 мин.

  8. 23.10.2025

    How To Rank In AI Search Results

    If you want to learn how AI transformed SEO strategy and how to rank in results, this episode is for you. "The world is noisier than ever." - Melih Oztalay In this conversation, Carol Schultz speaks with Melih Oztalay, CEO and internet marketing expert of Smartfinds Internet Marketing. They discuss the significant changes in marketing due to AI, the importance of adapting to these changes, and the four A's of change: anticipate, accept, adapt, and adopt. Carol and Melih explore the necessity for businesses to invest in marketing to stay competitive. The discussion also touches on the impact of the political climate on business growth and the importance of a strong marketing foundation to navigate these challenges. Takeaways AI is transforming the marketing landscape significantly. Businesses must anticipate and accept changes to thrive. The four A's of change are crucial for adaptation. Notable sources are essential for AI recognition. The competitive landscape is noisier than ever. Waiting to invest can lead to missed opportunities. Chapters 00:00 Navigating Change in Marketing 08:54 The Impact of AI on SEO 16:37 The Evolution of Smart Finds Marketing 20:52 Building a Resilient Team Culture 23:56 Building a Collaborative Culture 25:25 Navigating Political Climate Challenges 28:20 Investing in Growth Amid Uncertainty 29:11 Understanding Client Investment Decisions 31:38 The Importance of Omni-Channel Marketing 34:49 Impact of Political Climate on Business 37:02 Morale and Investment in the Workplace 38:35 Lessons from Historical Business Failures 40:46 The Interplay of Marketing and Sales Connect With Host Carol Schultz Find more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at Vertical Elevation, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Want to be our next guest expert? Email cat.gloria@verticalelevation.com with your information. And of course, click "follow" to stay up-to-date on new episodes and leave an honest review/rating letting us know what you thought!

    43 мин.
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On this workplace podcast, your host Carol Schultz brings on experts to discuss problems many business owners face in real time. Guest experts provide context for the issue and advise those in leadership positions on best practices. Whether you are starting a company, or you lead an established organization-- the podcast is geared toward getting you helpful answers.

Информация

  • Автор
    Carol Schultz
  • Годы выхода
    2021 - 2026
  • Выпуски
    190
  • Ограничения
    Без ненормативной лексики
  • Авторские права
    © Copyright 2024 Vertical Elevation
  • Сайт подкаста
    Evolving Your Workplace