413: How to build a strong culture as a people manager - with Andre Young
Release Date: 03/10/2026
428: How to make your work tech better - with David Noe
The Simplifiers Podcast
Think about how many systems your employees use just to get their work done. One for payroll. Another for benefits, communication, training, expenses, or scheduling. And when those systems don’t work well together, simple tasks become harder than they need to be. Employees waste time searching for answers. Frustration builds. Trust breaks down. And slowly, they start to disengage and care less about the work... and your customers. My special guest today is David Noe of Payroll Partners and he’s simplifying how to make your work tech better. We tackle and simplify all...
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427: How to better understand your team - with Scott Wood
The Simplifiers Podcast
If you lead a team, work on a team, or are trying to build a better one, you’ve probably noticed this: People do not all think, communicate, or make decisions the same way. And that can either create friction… or it can become one of your team’s greatest strengths. The problem is, many leaders say they want diverse teams, but then unintentionally hire, promote, or reward people who operate exactly like they do. Same communication style. Same decision-making style. Same way of solving problems. Same way of showing up at work. And over time, that can create blind spots,...
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B171: How to stop carrying it all (guided visualization)
The Simplifiers Podcast
Time for a guided visualization exercise: How to stop carrying it all. Because maybe right now, you’re carrying more than people can see. The decisions. The details. The emotional labor. The deadlines. The expectations. The invisible mental list that seems to follow you from room to room. Maybe you’re the one everyone comes to. The steady one. The capable one. The one who knows where everything is, what needs to happen next, who needs what, and what might fall apart if you stop paying attention. And maybe lately, it’s been feeling like too much. Not because you’re weak. ...
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426: How to listen like a (real) leader - with Dr. Adam Hickman
The Simplifiers Podcast
We say we want leaders who listen. But if we’re being honest, a lot of what we call “listening” is really just waiting for our turn to respond. Or scanning the engagement survey results and then, do nothing. Or hosting an overly scripted town hall. Or asking employees for feedback once a year, checking the box, and moving on. But real listening? That requires better questions. Simpler questions. Braver questions. Questions like: What’s not working? Where are you stuck? What are we pretending not to see? And maybe the most important one for senior leaders to ask...
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425: How to create a people-first leadership strategy - with Christy Honeycutt
The Simplifiers Podcast
Leadership is easy to talk about when everything is calm. But what about when the system feels stretched? When the team is tired. When the pressure is high. When the old ways of leading are no longer working… but the new way forward still feels unclear. That’s where people-first leadership becomes more than a nice idea. It becomes a strategy. Because if leaders want to build strong teams, close skill gaps, make better decisions, and create cultures where people can actually do their best work, they have to start with the humans in the room. Including themselves. My special...
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424: How to squash burnout at work - with Michelle Hartley (ALL-STAR)
The Simplifiers Podcast
Just checking in… How are you doing? No like, really. On a scale of 1-10 (10 = on the brink), are you feeling a bit frazzled, stressed, or overworked? Answer honestly, friend. How are you feeling these days? My all-star special guest today is Michelle Hartley and she’s simplifying how to squash burnout at work. You see, this insidious little thing called burnout can sneak up on you while you’re not looking. And if you’ve been pounding away the triple iced coffees and burning the candle at both ends, you might not have noticed how it’s wearing down your body, mind, and spirit....
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423: How to not crash out at work - with Hiba Tanvir
The Simplifiers Podcast
Let’s be honest. Work can bring out parts of us we don’t always love. The sharp email. The tense meeting. The moment you feel your face get hot and your patience leave the building. The instant when one more request, one more change, one more “quick question” feels like the thing that might finally push you over the edge. And in those moments, it can feel like your brain has gone offline. You’re not thinking clearly. You’re reacting. You’re defending. You’re spiraling. You’re trying not to say the thing you’ll regret later. In other words… you’re...
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B170: How to reset your energy (guided visualization)
The Simplifiers Podcast
Time for a guided visualization exercise: How to reset your energy. Because maybe you are halfway through the year and already feeling tired. Maybe the first half of the year asked a lot of you. The meetings. The decisions. The constant change. The budget pressure. The AI conversations. The team needs. The invisible emotional labor. The things you handled that no one else even saw. Maybe you have been holding it all together for everyone else. Your team. Your family. Your clients. Your organization. Your people. And somewhere along the way, your own energy...
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422: How to make workforce training stick - with Ryan McCrea
The Simplifiers Podcast
Here’s the thing about workforce training… Most companies are not short on content. They are not short on slide decks. They are not short on smart people teaching smart ideas. But the real question is this: Does the training actually stick? Because we’ve all been in those sessions where everyone nods along in the room… maybe even feels inspired for a minute… and then Monday happens. The inbox fills back up. The meetings stack up. The old habits come roaring back. And suddenly, that great training moment becomes just that. A moment. So how do we help busy...
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421: How to heal your career wounds - with Mandy Tang
The Simplifiers Podcast
Sometimes, the thing we call “career stress” is actually something deeper. It is not just one hard week. Or one bad boss. Or one season of burnout. Sometimes, work leaves a mark. A layoff that shook your confidence. A toxic leader who made you question your voice. A job that trained you to people-please, over perform, stay quiet, or constantly prove your worth. And even after you leave that role… the wound can come with you. My special guest today is Mandy Tang, and she’s simplifying how to heal your career wounds. Here’s how. My special guest today is Mandy...
info_outlineWhen people hear the word culture, they often think of something abstract.
Something owned by HR.
Something written in a values statement or talked about at the annual offsite.
But culture isn’t built in theory.
It’s built in the everyday moments.
In how a manager starts the day.
In how they respond under pressure.
In what they model, reinforce, ignore, and repeat.
Because whether they realize it or not, people managers are shaping culture every single day.
My special guest today is Andre Young, and he’s simplifying how to build a strong culture as a people manager.
Here’s how.
My special guest today is Andre Young and he’s simplifying how to build a strong culture as a people manager.
We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including:
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How culture actually gets built day-to-day by people managers, not just by HR or senior leadership.
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What the “5 Points of Your Day” framework is, and why it matters so much for managers leading people.
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What are you consuming when you wake up? Does it make you bitter or better?
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Organize your day and your calendar. Track and write down your ‘wins’ at the top of your to-do list.
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Focus on relationship building and self-care today. Put you in your calendar, to fill your own cup.
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How we return home after work is everything. Show up at home how you expect your employees to show up at work every morning: engaged, present, and glad to be there.
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At night, ask yourself and your closest person: What was my biggest accomplishment from today? Listen with intention.
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How this framework helps managers stay steady and consistent, especially on stressful or chaotic days, keeping you:
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Positive
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Passionate
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Productive
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Why leaders need to examine the integrity of what they’re offering their teams — and how to tell if their behavior is helping or hurting the culture they want to build.
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And why personal leadership matters so much, because whether you’re at work or at home, you’re always role-modeling behavior, through:
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Communications
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Connection
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Culture
Q: Are you ready to learn how to build a strong culture as a people manager? If yes, this one is for you.
It’s time to #DoTheThing!
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Show notes available with all links mentioned here:
https://www.thesimplifiers.com/posts/413-how-to-build-a-strong-culture-as-a-people-manager---with-andre-young