Culture Over Coffee
Welcome to Culture Over Coffee, a podcast focused on improving company culture and fostering employee engagement hosted by Beth Sunshine, SVP/Partner at Up Your Culture. Every week we chat with experts and thought leaders about the latest proven practices that succeed in reducing regrettable turnover, increasing productivity and retaining key customers. So, pour a cup of your favorite brew and join us. Up Your Culture, an employee engagement and company culture firm, was designed by The Center for Sales Strategy which has almost 40 years of experience improving business performance.
Episodes
July 3, 2025 • 36 mins
Middle managers are the critical link between leadership and employees...but many of them feel disengaged, unsupported, and overwhelmed.
In this episode, Matt Sunshine, CEO of The Center for Sales Strategy, is joining Beth to discuss why managers are struggling to stay engaged and how that impacts the teams they lead.
Matt has some amazing takeaways, like:
- Why the way in which companies “shift the goal posts” in how they me...
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June 26, 2025 • 22 mins
Engagement may be strong at the top...but it’s not making its way down the org chart.
In this episode, Beth sits down with Kate Rehling, Senior Talent Analyst and Engagement Specialist at Up Your Culture, to explore the troubling disconnect between executives and employees when it comes to culture and engagement.
Kate shares some amazing thoughts to consider, like:
- How front-line employees can easily feel disconnected if c...
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June 19, 2025 • 26 mins
For many employees, culture is a major reason they say “yes” to a job offer. But, too often, the reality doesn’t live up to the pitch.
In this episode, Beth is joined by Deborah Fulghum, Employee Engagement Specialist and Culture Coach at Up Your Culture, to unpack what happens when the promised culture falls short of expectations (and how organizations can fix it).
Deb offers such great insights, like:
- Why too many organi...
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June 12, 2025 • 4 mins
Many leaders assume their people know exactly what’s expected of them, but the data says otherwise.
In this brief Culture Snapshot episode, Beth spends a few minutes to break down why unclear expectations lead to disengagement, especially among mid-tenure employees. She also shares simple ways to bring clarity and alignment back into focus.
ENGAGE 2025: The Company Culture Report:
https://uyc.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/compa...
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June 5, 2025 • 23 mins
In this episode, we’re exploring why more than a third of employees say they don’t receive enough recognition from managers or peers. We’ll be breaking down why recognition remains so underutilized, what it costs your culture, and how to make it part of your daily rhythm.
And here to help Beth make sense of it all is Kelly George, Culture Coach here at Up Your Culture.
Kelly offers great insights, like:
- How employees who fee...
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May 29, 2025 • 20 mins
In this episode, we’re digging into the real cost of silence in the workplace (and what it takes to build a culture where people feel safe, heard, and empowered).
You’ll soon see that when employees feel like they can’t be their authentic selves at work, the impact goes far beyond quiet meetings and silent Slack threads.
Joining me to explore this critical issue is Mindy Murphy, Culture Coach here at Up Your Culture.
Mindy ma...
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In this episode, we’re looking into why the honeymoon phase for new employees is fading so fast and how it’s costing organizations more than they realize.
With half of new hires feeling only somewhat engaged within their first six months, early disengagement is becoming a major threat to retention, morale, and performance.
Joining Beth to help break it all down is Tirzah Thornburg, Senior Talent Analyst at The Center for Sales ...
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December 19, 2024 • 9 mins
In this brief, Culture Snapshot episode, we’re spending a few minutes to examine what comes after you’ve implemented an Employee Engagement Survey with your team.
We’ll answer questions like, “what happens after the survey results come in?” and “How can companies use the feedback effectively to enact real change?”
By the end of this quick episode, you’ll be equipped with all the steps you need to ensure that the findings from y...
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December 12, 2024 • 31 mins
In this episode, we’re thinking about how leaders can utilize the full potential of their role to help shape the culture of their company.
And we could think of no better person to speak to this topic than Donna Hall, SVP/General Manager at Robertson Lowstuter.
Donna offers great insight about:
- Why leaders who talk more than they listen are culture killers
- How clearly communicating your company’s vision comes in the fo...
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December 5, 2024 • 37 mins
In this episode, we’re taking a look at why psychological safety is a crucial component in all organizations: especially those known for taking risks in pursuit of innovation.
And here to help us break it all down is Adrienne Wilkerson, Co-Founder and CEO at Beacon Media + Marketing.
Adrienne makes a ton of amazing points, like:
- Why you can’t have true innovation without psychological safety
- How being willing to innova...
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November 21, 2024 • 12 mins
In this short, Culture Snapshot episode, we’re taking little time to think about employee retention rates and how you can go about improving them.
On the other side of the brief episode, you’ll see that, to avoid the recruitment merry-go-round, you need to hire the right people, develop them in a way that allows them to grow in their jobs, and create a culture that allows for strong employee engagement.
LINKS:
Beth Sunshine:
ht...
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November 7, 2024 • 28 mins
In this episode, we’re exploring how companies can go about bridging two different cultures following a merger or acquisition.
And helping us break down how to do just that is Miracle Semien, CRO at Veaux Professional Services.
Miracle brings so many great insights to light, like:
- How an aligned culture, or lack thereof, creates a ripple effect throughout the company that is inevitably felt by your customers
- Why the fi...
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October 30, 2024 • 9 mins
In this quick, Culture Snapshot episode, we’re taking a few minutes to dispel the all-too-common myth that company culture is merely about the satisfaction and happiness of your employees.
Now, that’s not to say that those qualities aren’t sure-fire byproducts of a solid company culture. Far from it. In fact, by the end of this episode, you’ll see that by shifting the aim of your company culture efforts, you’ll not only see happy...
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October 29, 2024 • 7 mins
Today, in this Culture Snapshot episode, we’re bringing our coverage of ENGAGE 2024: The Company Culture Report to a close by spending a few minutes to consider what this year’s findings tell us about the immediate future of company culture and employee engagement.
By the end, I think you’ll see that when your employees engaged they will remain steadfast to your organization, maximize their talents, and reach their full potential....
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October 29, 2024 • 32 mins
In this episode, we’re consulting ENGAGE 2024: The Company Culture Report once again as we ponder the question: “Why are so many managers lacking follow-through?”
It’s here that we’ll cover how managers and company leaders can do a better job, every day, of living up to their word.
And joining Beth to provide some great thoughts on this issue is Matt Sunshine, CEO at The Center for Sales Strategy.
Matt provides some truly great ...
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October 29, 2024 • 27 mins
In this episode, we’re continuing our focus on ENGAGE 2024, our latest company culture and employee engagement report, by asking: “Why aren’t employees receiving more meaningful feedback?”
It’s here that we’ll discuss how essential it is for every organization to provide the development opportunities that their employees clearly crave.
Discussing the latest findings on People Development with me is the wonderful Kelly George, Tal...
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October 29, 2024 • 20 mins
In this episode, we’re once again reflecting on the results from ENGAGE 2024: The Company Culture Report. This time we’re wondering: “Why don’t employees have enough information to perform in their roles?”
It’s here that we’ll be discussing clear issues surrounding transparency and psychological safety in the workplace.
Helping Beth explore why employees aren’t receiving enough valuable information is Mindy Murphy, Employee Engag...
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October 29, 2024 • 28 mins
In this episode, we continue the exploration of our latest company culture and employee engagement report, ENGAGE 2024, by asking the question: “Why aren’t more employees inspired by their company’s long-term vision?”
It’s here that we’ll cover the vital importance of clearly establishing and communicating your company’s Shared Mission to each and every employee.
Joining me to discuss and contextualize it all is the great Deborah...
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October 29, 2024 • 20 mins
In this episode, we’re continuing our season-long, deep dive into ENGAGE 2024: The Company Culture Report by asking: “Why are more employees returning to the office?”
As you can probably guess, it’s here that we’ll tackle the ever-shifting attitudes around “where we work.”
Helping me explore these new findings on work preferences is Stephanie Downs, SVP/Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy.
Stephanie makes so many ...
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October 29, 2024 • 22 mins
In this episode, we’re continuing our exploration of ENGAGE 2024: The Company Culture Report by asking the question: “Why are employees less engaged than they were a year ago?”
It’s here that we’ll break down exactly how you can go about stoking the flames of your company campfire to ensure that it’s burning brighter than ever.
And helping this episode shine brighter is Kate Rehling, Talent Analyst/Engagement Specialist here at U...
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