The Culture Coach
I’m Wendy Brand, Your Culture Coach, dedicated to supporting people-first leaders. Each week we dive into strategies and insights to help you build a workplace where employees feel valued, motivated, and inspired. From fostering tribal values and improving core processes to developing inclusive communities and responsive listening strategies, we cover it all. Join me weekly for practical tips, expert interviews, and real-world examples to help you boost productivity, extinguish burnout and cultivate a vibrant organizational culture that reflects your mission, vision and values.
#115: Five Reasons Culture Transformations Fail (and How to Avoid Them)
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This week, I break down each of the five biggest reasons culture transformations fail—straight out of the latest Harvard Business Review article and echoed in my own work with organizations.
Learn practical ways leaders can avoid these pitfalls and build an intentional culture that actually sticks.
And if you’re ready to go deeper:
👉 Join the Culture Strategy Lab ($57/month community launching Sept. 29) for coaching, frameworks, and real-world solutions. https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/
👉 Explore Culture Strategy Sprints (3-month group intensives) if you want to...
#114 Planning for Your Year of Intentional Culture
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In this episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, I’m pulling back the curtain on three powerful programs I’ve created to help leaders design intentional cultures that prevent burnout, increase performance, and create thriving organizations.
All three programs officially open on September 29th, but you don’t have to wait—when you sign up now, you’ll start receiving updates and get immediate access on launch day.
Here’s what I cover in this episode:
Why I created these three programs and how they work to...#113 Strategic Workforce Planning with a Culture Lens
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As 2025 winds down and 2026 approaches, it’s the perfect time to make sure your workforce is ready for the year ahead—not just your business plan. In this solo episode, Wendy Brand shares why workforce planning should go hand-in-hand with your strategic objectives, and how to make sure your people plan supports your business plan.
Tips on how to:
Align your workforce with your top business objectivesIdentify and close skill gaps for future successConduct a “culture gap” analysis alongside your skills assessmentUse a simple grid tool to evaluate individuals, teams, and enga...#112 What Got You HERE Won't Get You THERE
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In this solo episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy dives into a common but critical leadership crossroads: realizing that the leadership style, team structure, and culture that got you this far… may not be what gets you to your next level.
Inspired by a real coaching conversation with a new CEO, Wendy walks through the process of stepping into a broader, more strategic leadership role. She explores questions every senior leader should be asking themselves mid-year:
Is my leadership philosophy still serving me and my team?Do my mission, vi...#111 "Lifetime of Love" Culture with CEO Carson Wagner
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At just 19 years old, Carson Wagner founded Lifetime of Love Nannies with a mission to provide purpose-driven, high-quality care for families and children. What began as a bold leap into entrepreneurship has grown into a nationally recognized agency with three thriving locations and a team of over 75 dedicated employees.
Carson’s unwavering commitment to inclusive, ethical, and relationship-centered childcare has earned her numerous awards and accolades, recognizing her leadership, innovation, and impact on the childcare industry.
In this episode, you’ll hear how she creates a se...
#110 Your Culture Is Talking: What Are You Really Promising New Hires? with Linda Carlisle
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Hello culture fans!
In this week’s episode of The Culture Coach, I’m joined by Linda Carlisle—
Linda is a fractional corporate communications partner, helping business leaders, VCs, private equity firms, and their portfolio companies solve communication and culture challenges in the Moments that Matter™, including mergers, acquisitions, organizational restructuring, leadership changes, turnarounds, business process redesigns, technology implementations, and workforce reductions.
From employer branding and hiring practices to 30-day new hire interviews and intentional exit interviews, Linda shares how to create a culture where people feel seen, he...
#109 Clarity, Coaching, and Emotional Intelligence with Ted Whetstone
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Tired of putting a Band-Aid on your people problems? 🩹
🎙️ On this week’s episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, I sat down with Ted Whetstone—executive coach, systems thinker, and former left-brainer turned whole-brainer.
Ted helps senior leaders stop reacting and start redesigning the way they think, lead, and collaborate.
Here’s a taste of what we covered:
🔁 Why systems thinking is a leadership superpower
⚡ The difference between incremental improvement and breakthrough change
🌱 How to unlock your team’s full potential—without micromanaging
If you’re a CEO or executive...
#108 Introducing the C.O.R.E. Culture Framework
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This week, I'm diving deep into my signature CORE Culture™ Framework, a proven model for helping leaders stop culture from happening by accident and start building one that drives retention, productivity, and purpose.
After a busy season of speaking at SHRM conferences in New Mexico and Alabama, I reflect on why I built the CORE Culture™ model and how it’s helping CEOs and HR leaders operationalize their culture in practical ways.
Whether you're building from scratch or refining what’s already there, this episode gives you the tools to...
#107 Exit Strategy and Culture with Adam Strong
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Adam built his first business as a kid, and today he helps leaders like you identify real strategies for exponential growth and sustainable success This week on The Culture Coach, I’m joined by Adam Strong—a former elite athlete turned successful business strategist who now works with founders and CEOs around the world to help them scale—and exit—on their terms.
In our conversation, Adam and I discussed the importance of purpose and clarity. He shares some of his experience working with leaders
If you're running a...
#106 Culture and Digital Marketing with Kym Insana
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Kym Insana is a multi-million dollar business owner, digital marketing expert, and founder of AlwaysOn Digital, a women-owned agency helping brands like the U.S. Air Force, Enfamil, and Johnston & Murphy scale through impactful campaigns.
With over 20 years of experience, Kym left her demanding NYC advertising career to build a company that offers flexibility and balance—values she champions as a wife and mother of four. AlwaysOn Digital thrives by empowering talented working parents to blend career success with family life.
A sought-after speaker, Kym has shared her journey an...
#105 Part 2: Belonging and the Keys to Inclusion and Connection with Greg Morley
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You don’t “roll out” belonging. You build it—one intentional choice at a time.
In Part 2 of my conversation with Greg Morley, we move past DEI buzzwords and into the real work of creating connection and psychological safety at work.
Greg shares the lessons behind his new book Bond: Belonging and the Keys to Inclusion and Connection, and why true inclusion starts with how leaders show up.
👥 We cover:
The connection between storytelling and trustHow to create space where every voice mattersWhat inclusive leadership actually looks like i...#104 Part 1: Belonging and the Keys to Inclusion and Connection with Greg Morley
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My guest this week is Greg Morley. Greg was most recently Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Moët Hennessy, a division of LVMH. Greg brings a personal and professional passion to the development of talent and to helping others achieve more than they believe they can.
Greg led the HR function for the company’s operations across the Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining Moët Hennessy, he was Vice President, Human Resources Asia Pacific for Hasbro, Inc. and was Vice President, Human Resources for the Shanghai Disney Resort...
#103 The WD-40 Culture with former CEO Garry Ridge
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This week on The Culture Coach, I’m joined by none other than Garry Ridge, Chairman Emeritus and former CEO of WD-40 Company. Over 25 years as CEO, Garry transformed a global household brand not just by growing the business—but by building a culture so strong, it became a competitive advantage.
Now, Garry shares the leadership lessons from what he calls his “CEO apprenticeship,” turning decades of real-world experience into wisdom for today’s business leaders.
In this episode, we go beyond the usual culture conversati...
#102 Employee Resource Group (ERG) Strategies with Lola Adeyemo
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Are you interested in creating a sense of belonging in your organization? If so, I think you are going to enjoy this episode.
If you are familiar with my THRIVE Culture framework, you know that creating inspiring inclusivity and belonging is one of the six key pillars that allow organizations to own their role in employee burnout.
And, my guest today is an expert on the topic.
Lola Adeyemo is just an incredible individual, born and raised in Nigeria and came to the U.S. as an ad...
#101 Relationships as a Driver of Culture with Morag Barrett
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Morag Barrett is founder of SkyeTeam, best-selling author, and was hand-picked from over 16,000 candidates to join Marshall Goldsmith’s prestigious 100 Coaches group.
As I was listening back to this episode before producing I actually took out a notepad and started taking notes!!
Morag is dedicated to proving that success in business isn't just about what you know - it's about who you know, and how you connect. And, we talk about how you can create connection and belonging in the workplace, a much needed skill for you as leaders, bu...
#100 100 Episodes of The Culture Coach
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What started as an idea to spark deeper conversations about workplace culture has now hit a major milestone—the 100th episode of The Culture Coach podcast is live! 🙌
This special episode is a heartfelt compilation of some of my all-time favorite moments—conversations that challenged the status quo, inspired action, and reminded us all why culture isn't just an HR thing... it's a leadership strategy.
To every guest who said “yes” to joining me—thank you for your insights, your stories, and your generosity.
To every listener who’s tuned in on c...
#099 Part 2: Change Management and Culture with Sarena Diamond
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Part 2 of this conversation!! With recent Gallup data showing engagement at its lowest point in a decade, my guest Sarena Diamond and I explore one of the key drivers behind this troubling trend—rapid organizational change.
To connect with or contact Sarena you can find her here:
Website: https://diamondsolutionsgroupllc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarena-diamond
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With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.
T...
#098 Part 1: Change Management and Culture with Sarena Diamond
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With recent Gallup data showing engagement at its lowest point in a decade, my guest Sarena Diamond and I explore one of the key drivers behind this troubling trend—rapid organizational change.
Stay tuned next week for part 2 of this conversation
To connect with or contact Sarena you can find her here:
Website: https://diamondsolutionsgroupllc.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarena-diamond
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With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a weal...
#097 Leading a Multi-Generational Workforce with Hannah Dannecker
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If you’ve ever struggled to find the right people in a labor-driven industry—or felt the pressure of filling high-turnover roles while still protecting your company culture—this episode is for you.
This week, I sat down with Hannah Dannecker, Managing Partner at The Better Together Group, a staffing agency that specializes in connecting skilled workers with companies that truly value their people.
Hannah is on a mission to bridge the gap between previous working generations and Gen Z to create an open environment where we can work Better T...
#096 Final Four Local Organizing Committee Culture with Elena Wells
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Culture Strategy Session Calls: https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategysessions/
I’m thrilled to bring you a special conversation with Elena Wells, Executive Director for the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee for the 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four. And, Vice President of National Events at San Antonio Sports.
With just days to go until tipoff, Elena shares what it takes to lead a high-performing team under pressure — and how to build culture in fast, dynamic environments. We explore how her journey has come full circle from her early days supporting the Final...
#095 Wellness Retreat Culture with Shane Evans
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✅ Take the Culture Compass Quiz: https://culturecoachwendy.com/quiz/
📅 Join me for a free Culture Strategy Session: https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategysessions/
If you’ve ever wondered how to scale a purpose-driven brand without compromising your culture, this episode is for you.
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This week on The Culture Coach Podcast, I sit down with Shane Evans, Co-Founder of Massage Heights (now Heights Wellness Retreat), who shares her incredible journey from solving her own back pain to building a national wellness brand w...
#094 THRIVE Culture to Combat Trending Employee Detachment
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Join the conversation & sign up for the FREE Culture Check-In Strategy Sessions: culturecoachwendy.com/strategysessions
In this solo episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, host Wendy Brand dives into the pressing issue of declining employee engagement and what leaders can do about it. With recent Gallup data showing engagement at its lowest point in a decade, Wendy explores the key drivers behind this troubling trend—rapid organizational change, remote and hybrid work challenges, and shifting employee expectations.
She breaks down how leaders can use the THRIVE Cu...
#093 Instilling a R.A.V.E. Culture with Chuck Salvo
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Today, I sit down with Chuck Salvo, former Disney Institute veteran and self-proclaimed "Chief Happiness Architect," to discuss his new book "RAVE: How to Respect and Value Everyone." Drawing from his 15 years at Disney and extensive experience working with organizations worldwide, you’ll hear Chuck share practical insights on building authentic workplace connections and creating a culture where every voice matters.
Here are a few of my takeaways:
1. Culture isn't just about mission and vision statements - it needs a clear, intentional structure that includes a common purpose and wel...
#092 Building a High Performing Teams Culture
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High-performing teams don’t happen by accident—they’re built intentionally. In this episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, I break down Wiley’s Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team and give you actionable strategies to strengthen trust, encourage healthy conflict, drive commitment, reinforce accountability, and focus on results.
If you’re a CEO or C-suite leader struggling with employee engagement and retention, this episode will give you practical steps to create a more aligned, motivated, and high-performing team. You’ll also hear key stats and insights on why culture is a competitiv...
#091 A Culture of Mentorship with Dr. Deborah Heiser
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Today, I’m sitting down with Dr. Deborah Heiser, an applied developmental psychologist and aging specialist, to explore a topic that every business leader should care about—how aging impacts leadership, career transitions, and workplace culture.
As a CEO, you’re not just growing a business; you’re also evolving as a leader, navigating different stages of personal and professional growth.
Dr. Heiser brings a fresh perspective on aging, showing us how to reframe it as a time of wisdom, reinvention, and impact, rather than decline. We also dive into why m...
#090 The Right People in the Right Seat with Dr. Michael Neal
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If you’re a CEO or leader looking to build a high-performing, engaged team, this episode is full of game-changing insights. Dr. Neal’s journey is proof that hiring isn’t just about filling seats—it’s about building a thriving, scalable, and values-driven business with the right people in the right seats. If you’re struggling with hiring or want to level up your team, this episode is a must-listen!
Here are some of my takeaways from the episode:
The culture of your company isn’t built after hiring—it starts with hi...#089 Leadership Archetypes with Eric Charran
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In this episode of the Culture Coach podcast, I sit down with Eric Charran, author of an upcoming book about workplace leadership archetypes. Through painfully relatable stories, Eric breaks down the various "boss types" we've all encountered (or been guilty of ourselves) and provides practical strategies for not just surviving but thriving under different leadership styles.
Whether you're an early-career professional or a seasoned executive, this conversation offers both comfort and practical wisdom for navigating the sometimes choppy waters of workplace relationships.
Here are a few of my takeaways:
...#088 Kerbey Lane Culture with Rose Ann Garza
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Rose Ann Garza, is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Kerbey Lane. Kerby Lane is a restaurant that was started in 1980 in Austin, Texas. If you’ve been to Austin, you’ve probably been to Kerbey Lane. During Rose Ann’s time at Kerbey Lane, the organization has more than doubled in size and has won several prestigious awards related to their impact on the community and on team members.
In this episode, I sit down with Rose Ann to explore what it truly takes to build and sustain a thriving compan...
#087 Hugging Face 🤗 Culture with Emily Witko
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Emily Witko is a people-obsessed engagement specialist with master’s level DEIB training. In their current role at Hugging Face, they source, recruit, hire, develop, and retain top AI talent, with a dedicated focus on team happiness and growth. Emily thrives in people-centric spaces that prioritize community and belonging.
Here are some of the takeaways:
#086 Culture Case Study on e.l.f. Beauty
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Happy New Year!!
This week I look back at 2024 (and 2023) and look toward the future, sharing my vision and areas of focus for the new year.
One significant part of my mission, which I intend to prove this year is the connection between culture and increased revenue.
In this episode, I highlight a Harvard Business Review article written by CEO Tarang Amin of e.l.f. Beauty on "Maintaining a Startup Culture While Scaling." I break down their Mission, Vision, and Values, the alignment with THRIVE Culture f...
#085 Your Culture is Alive with Shauna Geraghty
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Our episode this week wraps up my interviews during my time at CultureCon in Las Vegas this past November. These were 4 great conversations with leaders who are making a difference in the culture space.
My final guest from the event is Shauna Geraghty. Shauna is the Senior Vice President and Head of People and Talent at Talkdesk.
As the first U.S. employee at Talkdesk, Shauna initially helped scale Talkdesk’s Marketing team, infrastructure, and activities from the ground up. In 2016 Shauna was tapped to build Talkdesk’s Talent Acquis...
#084 High-Growth Culture with Nicci Arsenault
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The Culture Coach Podcast guest this week is Chief People Officer, Nicci Arsenault. This episode was recorded at CultureCon West in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and it is a great conversation. If you are leading culture at a start-up or fast-growth company, you'll appreciate these learnings.
Here are some of my top takeaways:
1. Take the culture pieces from headquarters and make them special to the locations where you’re hiring.
2. In a high-growth company, think through how you operationalize the value system and North Star (the mis...
#083 A Culture of Listening and Engaging with Gianna Driver
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This week’s podcast is episode 2 of 4, recorded at CultureCon in November. You may hear some of the background noise as we were seated right outside the conference hall at the Planet Hollywood Hotel in Las Vegas and there was an event setting up behind us.
My guest is Gianna Driver. Gianna has nearly two decades of experience as a human-centric people leader passionate about the intersection of culture and performance. Gianna has been the Chief People Officer of Lattice, which is a People Platform where over 5,000 of the world’s most st...
#082 THRIVE Culture Maturity Model
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Take the FREE Culture Quiz HERE.
Black Friday SALE Ends Friday 11/29.
This week I take you through my THRIVE Culture Maturity Model. Want to test the maturity of your organizational culture?
There are four levels in the maturity model, and I will discuss each of them in detail in this episode.
LEVEL 1 - REACTIVE: Your organization is in the early stages of culture development. There is little structure or focus on creating a cohesive culture, and work often feels fragmented.
LEVEL 2 - EMERGING: Y...
#081 Modern Work Culture with Mark Cruth
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Grab my Black Friday specials through Friday, November 29th.
From the conference halls of CultureCon West in Las Vegas last week, I bring you my interview with the Principal Modern Work Coach for Atlassian, Mark Cruth.
Listen to the episode for the full conversation, but here are some of the highlights:
1. Culture is the manifestation of behaviors and ways of working. If you don’t have the underlying foundation it doesn’t happen.
2. You can never look at culture directly. You can look at your ways of worki...
#080 The Risk of NOT Becoming Intentional About Culture
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If you don’t create your culture intentionally, it will create itself, and you might not like the result. But when you define culture thoughtfully, you’re not only enhancing your organization’s internal health, but you’re also building a brand that people want to be part of—a place where employees, clients, and partners feel genuinely connected and engaged.
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With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.
The Empowered C.E.O.: ht...
#079 How my Burnout led me to build a T.H.R.I.V.E.-ing business
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On October 31, 2022, I walked into my boss' office in my black-eyed pea costume and announced that I was leaving. Today, my THRIVE Culture Framework allows me to meet organizations where they are and help them create a culture where their employees have an opportunity to thrive, without burning out.
I hope you enjoy this episode.
I'd love to hear your feedback on the framework or what is working for you when it comes to your organizational culture. Email me directly at wendy@culturecoachwendy.com.
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With 25+ years...
#078 Financial Wellness as a Component of Culture with Irma Neal
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This week as we look at organizational culture, my guest and I talk about how an employer has the opportunity to look more at the whole person and meet them where they are in the workplace. This approach can only help your productivity and profitability. During our conversation, we talk about two important topics. Financial Wellness and Inclusivity.
A former Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis and former Director of Human Services in two large urban jurisdictions, Irma Neal has over 30 years of experience in managing human services programs in state and local gov...
#077 Using Processes and Systems to Enhance Culture with Alane Boyd
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If you are already familiar with my THRIVE culture framework then you know that the H in THRIVE stands for Helpful Processes and systems. This is the second episode that I’ve had a guest that has built a business around the use of tools like Asana, but I feel so strongly about the benefits to culture when you have processes in place and if there are tools that can help with that then I’m all for it.
What is unique about my guest today though is that she is a ser...
#076 Culture Insights from a CTO with Corey Spitzer
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My conversation this week was with Corey Spitzer and it was SO good. Corey is a Fractional CTO (or Chief Technology Officer) with over 20 years of software engineering expertise and a decade of startup experience.
Today Corey specializes in providing companies with strategic technical guidance and leadership, ensuring they navigate the complexities of growth and innovation with confidence.
Here are a few of my takeaways:
1. Just like the first customers drive what the product will look like in a start-up, the first set of employees will help shape what t...
