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In this week’s episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy sits down with Farrah Mitra — executive coach, former Bain consultant, Cornell alum, and one of only fifteen Radical Candor™ coaches worldwide. Farrah's career has been built at the intersection of people, performance, and communication, and she brings a rare blend of strategic clarity and deep humanity to the conversations leaders fear most.

Together, Wendy and Farrah break down:

• Why communication is often the true bottleneck inside organizations — and how it silently shapes trust, culture, and retention.
• The thin line between “getting it right” and “getting it wrong” when messaging is high-stakes, emotional, or tied to people’s livelihoods.
• How two companies approached layoffs — one creating confusion and trauma, the other creating advocates even in the midst of hard decisions.
• Farrah’s 3-step Communicating Challenges & Change Framework used by executives across industries:
  • Identify the facts
  • Check your mindset
  • Deliver with care
• Why mindset is the hidden variable — and how unspoken frustration or dread leaks into every message we deliver.
• A practical formula for empathy that leaders can use without diluting clarity, over-apologizing, or losing authority.
• How leaders can shift from fear of difficult conversations to skillful, confident delivery.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders navigating performance conversations, reorganizations, role changes, or any situation where the stakes are high and emotions are real.

Connect With Farra Mitra

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farrah-mitra-executive-coach/
Email: farrah@greenreedgroup.com

Links & Resources

✨ Sign up for The Culture Roadmap Workshop Series
A 3-part November experience for leaders who want clarity, energy, and ownership heading into 2026.
Register at http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

🎙️ Subscribe to The Culture Coach Podcast for weekly leadership and culture insights.

____________________________
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.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

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In this week’s episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy Brand unpacks the power of conscious leadership—a philosophy popularized by John Mackey (Whole Foods), Steve McIntosh, and Carter Phipps—and how it connects directly to the CORE Culture™ pillars of Clarity, Energy, and Ownership.

Wendy explores what it truly means to lead above the line—where fear is acknowledged but not in control—and how awareness, alignment, and accountability fuel intentional cultures. Drawing from The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, Dare to Lead, and her own coaching work with CEOs and leadership teams, Wendy breaks down three essential dimensions of conscious leadership:

• Vision & Virtue (Clarity): Defining purpose beyond profit and leading with integrity.
• Mindset & Strategy (Energy): Managing your inner world before you manage others—protecting focus, curiosity, and long-term perspective.
• People & Culture (Ownership): Empowering teams through trust, shared accountability, and continual growth.

This episode offers practical ways to integrate these concepts into your daily leadership practices—helping you move from reaction to intention, and from managing chaos to shaping culture consciously.

🔍 Key Takeaways

• Conscious leaders balance vision and virtue—they know where they’re going and why.
• Leadership energy sets the tone: grounded focus fuels creative, high-performing teams.
• The “above the line” framework helps you recognize and recover from reactive, fear-driven responses.
• Ownership isn’t control—it’s co-creation. Trust is the foundation of a self-sustaining culture.
• When clarity, energy, and ownership align, culture becomes your greatest strategic advantage.

🧭 Next Steps

If you’re ready to stop reacting to culture and start shaping it with intention:
👉 Join Wendy’s free 3-part Culture Roadmap Webinar Series — begins November 11.
Get the full experience (or access replays) at culturecoachwendy.com/webinarseries

And if you’re a CEO ready for deeper transformation, join the waitlist for The Empowered CEO, a 6-month coaching program designed to help you lead with confidence, clarity, and conviction.
🔗 culturecoachwendy.com/ceo

____________________________
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.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

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This week on The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy sits down with Dave McDonald, founder of the Better Together Group and host of the WTF Podcast, to talk about the unconventional path that led him from being “fired from every good job he ever had” to running a thriving family of staffing agencies dedicated to feeding families one shift at a time.

Dave’s story is full of humility, humor, and heart. Together, Wendy and Dave unpack:

• How early experiences shaped Dave’s people-first leadership philosophy
• The challenges of building culture across remote and on-site teams
• The importance of clarity, consistency, and communication in leadership
• Why understanding individuals — not just roles — is the key to sustainable culture
• How leaders can balance compassion with accountability

This is a must-listen for any entrepreneur or leader who’s ever questioned whether they were “cut out” for leadership — and a reminder that great cultures aren’t built by accident; they’re built through intentional connection and consistency.

🔗 Connect with Dave McDonald:

Website: https://wtftalks.work/
Email: dave@wtftalks.org

____________________________
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.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/