When 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:
- How culture actually gets built day-to-day by people managers, not just by HR or senior leadership.
- What the “5 Points of Your Day” framework is, and why it matters so much for managers leading people.
- What are you consuming when you wake up? Does it make you bitter or better?
- Organize your day and your calendar. Track and write down your ‘wins’ at the top of your to-do list.
- Focus on relationship building and self-care today. Put you in your calendar, to fill your own cup.
- 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.
- At night, ask yourself and your closest person: What was my biggest accomplishment from today? Listen with intention.
- How this framework helps managers stay steady and consistent, especially on stressful or chaotic days, keeping you:
- Positive
- Passionate
- Productive
- 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.
- And why personal leadership matters so much, because whether you’re at work or at home, you’re always role-modeling behavior, through:
- Communications
- Connection
- 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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<What’s catching my eye this week>
- 3 hours of (free) focus music for deep concentration - Quiet Quest - Study Music
- Hire Mary Baird, PHR to help you run a 30-day Employee Experience Accelerator to listen better to your workforce, rebuild trust in your senior leadership and improve culture at work - The Simplifiers
- 50 powerful questions to help you reflect - The Institute of You
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My challenge for you this week:
How are you going to take what you’ve learned in today’s episode and take action by building a strong culture as a people manager? What’s one thing you’ll do differently? Share it with me, privately or publicly. Snap a photo of you doing the thing, and send me a DM over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesimplifiers) for added accountability and support!
Links, books and apps mentioned:
Resource: Find Andre Young on LinkedIn - click here
Resource: The Human Flourishing Program: Global Flourishing Study - Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science
Book: The Complete Leader: Master the Art of Modern Leadership - Andre Young
Book: Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable...About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business - Patrick M. Lencioni
Podcast: How to be a joy-centered people leader, featuring Sheryl Raphael Whitaker - The Simplifiers Podcast
Podcast: How to be a better leader (guided visualization) - The Simplifiers Podcast
Hire Mary to Teach Your Teams AI at Work
More organizations are bringing me in to teach their teams how to use AI at work — practically, ethically, and strategically.
Whether you’re rolling out ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Gemini, I show non-techy teams across all levels and departments how to use AI in simple, practical ways to use immediately. Your people will walk away clear, confident, and ready to use AI to reduce busy work and drive better results. Great as an ERG workshop, too! Curious? Visit marybaird.co and click “Let’s Talk!” to book a call and see if it’s right for your teams.
Book a 25-minute Discovery Call Here!
About Andre Young:
Andre Young - He is a professional speaker, author, leadership trainer, and Founder of You Evolving Now, LLC. He worked as a Mental Health Therapist for 19 years, played sports at every level from high school to professional, has been an employee, a business owner, and self-employed, and has written 5 books focused on enhancing Leadership & Work/Life Harmony.
As the Founder of You Evolving Now, it's his mission to enhance Leadership and Work/Life Harmony for organizations, leaders, employees, and teams with his high-energy, interactive, culture-impacting leadership training programs and speaking engagements; allowing a professional and personal evolution!
Where Andre hangs out online:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youevolvingnow
Website: https://www.youevolvingnow.com
Andre’s vote for the perfect guest on The Simplifiers Podcast:
Alyse Mitten - She is a marketing strategist and AI consultant, and the founder and president of Interlace Communications. She has spent decades helping small and mid-sized businesses grow through marketing, digital strategy, and practical business support, while continuing to evolve her work alongside changes in technology.
Today, she also helps business owners use AI and automation in ways that feel simple, useful, and approachable. Her leadership has earned national recognition, including Interlace Communications being named a U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO-100 Champion of Adaptability.
