Podcast
The Culture Matters Podcast
Hosted by Jay Doran · EN
The Culture Matters Podcast with host, Jay Doran, is a platform to talk with business owners, executives, and cultural alike to get inside each individual's eco-system in which they practice culture in the workplace. We speak to some of the most interesting people about why culture is important.
48episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Season 92, Episode: 1099: Guest: Mike Husson: The Eight Phases of Mastery
4w ago01:06:34Tap to summarizeSuccess isn't an event. It's a process.In this return appearance on the Culture Matters Podcast, Jay Doran welcomes back entrepreneur, business strategist, and longtime mentor Mike Husson for a powerful conversation on what it truly takes to achieve mastery in business and life. Drawing from decades of experience building companies, coaching leaders, and working alongside some of the most recognizable names in personal development, Mike introduces his framework for The Eight Phases of Mastery—a practical roadmap for turning ambition into sustained excellence. Together, Jay and Mike explore why today's technology may accelerate results, but it can never replace the character, resilience, and wisdom that come from experience. While artificial intelligence can shorten timelines, it cannot shortcut maturity. The reps still matter. The failures still matter. The lessons earned through action remain irreplaceable. In this episode, you'll discover:The Eight Phases of Mastery and how they build upon one anotherWhy desire must begin with knowing exactly what you want—and why you want itThe difference between making a decision and making a commitmentWhy reviewing your performance is one of the most overlooked habits of high achieversHow repetition creates confidence, competence, and ultimately masteryWhy attaching yourself to outcomes often prevents long-term successHow AI should be used as a tool—not a replacement for critical thinkingWhy the fundamentals of business never change, even when the tools doThe importance of balancing timeless principles with modern technologyMike also reflects on lessons learned from producing large-scale events with some of the biggest names in personal development, building businesses through economic uncertainty, and discovering that the path to mastery always circles back to the beginning. Even the greatest performers never stop refining the fundamentals. Whether you're launching your first business, leading a growing organization, or striving to become exceptional at your craft, this conversation is a reminder that success is rarely built through shortcuts. It is earned through deliberate practice, continual learning, and the willingness to keep showing up long after the excitement has faded.Because mastery isn't about arriving.It's about becoming the kind of person who never stops learning.
Transcribe →Season 92, Episode 1098: Guest: Keith Embree: The Financial Plan Is The Product
4w ago00:59:44Tap to summarizeWhat if building wealth has less to do with picking the right investments... and everything to do with having the right plan?In this episode of the Culture Matters Podcast, Jay Doran sits down with Keith Embree, Certified Financial Planner™, MBA, and Financial Advisor at Raymond James, to explore the human side of wealth management. While many people believe financial advisors simply buy and sell investments, Keith reveals that the real value lies in helping families build a framework for life—one that evolves through every season, opportunity, and challenge. Drawing from more than a decade at Raymond James, Keith shares how great financial planning extends far beyond portfolios. The conversation explores discipline, long-term thinking, family legacy, emotional decision-making, and why wealth is ultimately built through consistency rather than chasing the next big opportunity. In this episode, you'll discover:Why the financial plan—not the investments—is the true productHow competitive sports shaped Keith's mindset around discipline and resilienceWhy comprehensive financial planning is much more than managing investmentsThe biggest misconceptions people have about building wealthHow emotions influence financial decisions during volatile marketsWhy starting early matters more than earning moreThe difference between increasing your income and increasing your net worthHow successful families think differently about money, legacy, and future generationsWhy financial advisors often become part strategist, part coach, and part therapistThe importance of making every dollar productiveThroughout the conversation, Keith also reflects on the culture of Raymond James, the mentors who shaped his career, and why serving families—not simply managing accounts—has become the foundation of his approach.Whether you're just beginning your financial journey or thinking about the legacy you hope to leave behind, this episode offers practical wisdom and a refreshing reminder that wealth isn't built overnight. It's built through intentional decisions, thoughtful planning, and the discipline to stay the course.
Transcribe →Season 92, Episode 1097: Culture Is A Leading Indicator: A Monologue Series
Jul 200:28:39Tap to summarizeIs culture something organizations measure after success... or is it the very thing that creates it?In this solo episode, Jay Doran challenges the common belief that culture is simply a byproduct of business performance. Instead, he argues that in today's world, culture has become a leading indicator of organizational success. As technology, workforce expectations, and society continue to evolve, organizations can no longer afford to treat culture as an afterthought. Building on ideas from philosophy, psychology, mythology, and business, Jay explores what culture truly is, how it is formed, how it is transmitted, and why it eventually breaks down when leaders fail to intentionally steward it. He examines the role of stories, rituals, values, leadership modeling, and organizational systems in shaping the internal spirit of a company. In this episode, you'll discover:Why culture is becoming the most important competitive advantage in modern businessHow engaged and disengaged employees shape organizational identityWhy founders must evolve from intuitive entrepreneurs into architects of cultureHow values, stories, symbols, and rituals transmit culture across generationsWhy remote work, changing workforce expectations, and technology are redefining leadershipThe relationship between organizational culture, family life, and society itselfWhy businesses that intentionally design culture will outperform those that leave it to chanceThis episode is an invitation to rethink culture not as a slogan on a wall, but as the invisible operating system that determines how people think, act, trust, collaborate, and ultimately create value together.Because if culture protects the spirit of an organization, then understanding how it's created may be the most important leadership skill of the future.
Transcribe →Season 92, Episode 1096: When Leaders Stop Paying Attention: A Monologue Series
Jun 3000:31:03Tap to summarizeWhat happens when a leader stops paying attention?In this thought-provoking solo episode, Jay Doran explores one of the most overlooked realities of leadership: organizations rarely collapse overnight. They drift. Communication fades. Trust weakens. Purpose becomes unclear. And eventually, culture follows. Drawing from philosophy, mythology, and timeless stories like The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, Jay examines why great leadership is less about authority and more about attention. Leaders don't simply make decisions. They continually bring people back to what matters most, especially during uncertainty. Throughout the episode, Jay discusses:Why leadership matters most during seasons of uncertaintyHow trust erodes when leaders stop paying attentionThe relationship between responsibility, courage, and influenceWhat Frodo's decision at the Council of Elrond teaches us about servant leadershipHow organizations become fragmented when communication breaks downWhy transparency is essential for healthy culturesThe danger of institutions losing sight of their purposeHow mythology reveals timeless truths about leadership and human natureAt its heart, this episode is about a simple but profound idea: leadership is not maintaining control. Leadership is continually helping people remember what is worth sacrificing for.Because when leaders stop paying attention, confusion grows.But when leaders remain present, focused, and courageous, people find the confidence to move forward together.
Transcribe →Season 92, Episode: 1095: The Spirit of an Organization Begins With Its Leaders: A Monologue Series
Jun 2700:43:16Tap to summarizeWhat gives an organization its spirit?According to Jay Doran, it isn't the logo, the mission statement, or the office. It's the people.In this solo episode, Jay explores one of the deepest leadership conversations of the series: if organizations borrow their spirit from the people inside them, then what responsibility do leaders have in protecting, restoring, and strengthening that spirit? Drawing from philosophy, psychology, business, and decades of experience advising founders and executives, Jay weaves together ideas from thinkers like Heraclitus, Peter Drucker, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Pareto, and Price to examine why thriving cultures are never accidental. They're modeled, reinforced, and lived through leadership. Throughout the episode, he discusses:Why organizations don't possess spirit—people doHow leaders shape culture through words, thoughts, and actionsThe connection between trust, accountability, and organizational healthWhy great companies continually develop people while courageously addressing misalignmentThe hidden cost of complacencyThe relationship between leadership, responsibility, and influenceWhy meaningful work is found in the pursuit of shared purpose rather than the pursuit of happiness aloneJay also challenges listeners to think differently about leadership itself. Leadership is not simply a title or position of authority. It is the daily responsibility of bringing people back to what matters most and creating the conditions where individuals can flourish together. This is a philosophical episode for founders, executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and anyone committed to building organizations that people don't just work for—but genuinely believe in.Because culture isn't something you write on a wall.It's something leaders model every single day.
Transcribe →
Season 92, Episode: 1094: Guest: Jason duPont: The Relentless Pursuit of Growth
Jun 2301:19:51Tap to summarizeWhat separates discipline from obsession?And is love actually higher than both?In this thought-provoking and deeply personal conversation, Jay Doran sits down with entrepreneur, speaker, innovator, and longtime mortgage industry leader Jason duPont for a discussion that spans business, human potential, leadership, fatherhood, personal growth, and the meaning of life itself. From his early days delivering newspapers, building giant gumball machines, and working at Bank of America, to becoming one of the mortgage industry's most recognizable voices, Jason shares the experiences that shaped his relentless mindset and his belief that most people stop far short of their true potential. Throughout the episode, Jason explores:Why persistence beats talent every timeThe difference between discipline and obsessionHow fear quietly limits performanceWhy "scared money loses"The role vulnerability plays in building trust and relationshipsHow confidence differs from arroganceLessons learned from sales, entrepreneurship, and leadershipWhy struggle is essential for growthThe danger of complacencyWhat it means to become "indefatigable"Why love may be the highest level of human developmentJason also opens up about his childhood, his marriage, his journey through success and retirement, and the realization that fulfillment doesn't come from having enough money to stop working. It comes from building, growing, contributing, and helping others rise alongside you. One of the most powerful moments comes when Jason challenges conventional wisdom by asking whether the greatest expression of love is comfort... or struggle. That question becomes the thread that ties together a conversation filled with wisdom, humor, philosophy, and practical life lessons. This episode is for entrepreneurs, leaders, dreamers, high performers, and anyone searching for a deeper understanding of what it means to live fully, grow relentlessly, and pursue their highest potential.Because sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't the world around us.It's the limits we place on ourselves.
Transcribe →Season 92, Episode 1093: Why Organizations Lose Their Spirit: A Monologue Series
Jun 1900:38:29Tap to summarizeWhy do organizations lose their spirit?It happens to startups. It happens to family businesses. It happens to Fortune 500 companies. It happens to institutions that once seemed unstoppable.In this solo episode, Jay Doran explores one of the most important questions in business, leadership, and culture: what causes an organization to lose the very thing that made it special in the first place? Drawing from organizational psychology, leadership theory, business history, family enterprise dynamics, and cultural philosophy, Jay examines the invisible forces that shape organizations over time. He explores how founders influence culture, why values must be codified before they disappear, and how the transition from founder-led organizations to future generations often determines whether a company thrives or declines. Topics explored in this episode include:Why every organization eventually faces a loss of spiritThe relationship between founders and organizational identityHow culture survives after leadership transitionsLessons from Sam Walton, Walmart, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, and Berkshire HathawayWhy values matter more than policiesThe role of stewardship versus leadershipThe tension between preserving a legacy and creating the futureHow organizations become bureaucratic, disconnected, or stagnantWhy culture is ultimately carried through people, not documentsThe importance of codifying beliefs before they disappearJay also explores the idea that culture is not something an organization possesses. Culture is something people create, maintain, transmit, and reinvent through their behaviors, relationships, stories, rituals, and decisions. When those feedback loops weaken, the spirit of the organization begins to fade. At the heart of this conversation is a powerful realization:Organizations themselves are not the spirit.People are.The spirit exists in the space between leaders and teams, employees and customers, institutions and society. The challenge is not preventing change. The challenge is carrying forward what matters most while continuing to evolve. If you've ever wondered why some organizations endure for generations while others lose their identity along the way, this episode offers a deeper framework for understanding the invisible forces that shape every culture.
Transcribe →Season 91, Episode: 1092: The Operating System Beneath the Business: A Monologue Series
Jun 1600:28:20Tap to summarizeMost people think a business is its product or service.They're not wrong.But they're not seeing the whole picture.In this thought-provoking solo episode, Jay Doran explores the idea that every organization operates through an unseen system beneath the surface—a hidden architecture that determines whether a business grows, stagnates, evolves, or slowly decays. Drawing connections between culture, leadership, organizational design, customer experience, accountability, incentives, and even ancient infrastructure, Jay examines what truly drives performance beyond products, services, and revenue. Topics explored in this episode include:Why a business is more than what it sellsThe difference between the product and the operating system that delivers itPeter Drucker's idea that the purpose of a business is to create and keep a customerHow culture exists whether it is intentionally designed or notWhy organizations lose their spirit as they scaleThe relationship between vision, mission, values, and executionHow character, skills, capability, and knowledge shape performanceThe hidden costs of misalignment inside organizationsWhy accountability and responsibility are not the same thingHow incentives extend far beyond compensationThe role of leadership in continually clarifying purpose and directionThroughout the episode, Jay uses the metaphor of ancient sewer systems and aqueducts to explain how organizations either create systems that remove friction and dysfunction—or allow confusion, resentment, and bureaucracy to accumulate until they become obstacles to growth. At its core, this conversation is about understanding that culture is not a program, a slogan, or a set of values hanging on a wall.Culture is the operating system.And every result an organization produces is a reflection of the system running beneath it. If you've ever wondered why some organizations consistently create value while others slowly lose their way, this episode offers a framework for thinking deeper about the systems, people, and principles that shape every outcome
Transcribe →Season 91, Episode 1091: From Intensity to Love: A Monologue Series
Jun 1200:35:01Tap to summarizeWhat if your word of the year isn't just a goal, but a reflection of who you're becoming?In this deeply personal solo episode, Jay Doran explores the connection between his word for 2025, Intensity, and his word for 2026, Love, uncovering how one became the necessary foundation for the other. Jay reflects on the evolution of his journey through reading, writing, speaking, and listening, from the early days of 30 Days of Thought to conducting hundreds of interviews on the Culture Matters Podcast. Along the way, he shares how years of learning to listen transformed him as a leader, teacher, advisor, entrepreneur, and student. This episode explores:Why intensity was about reclaiming lost parts of himselfThe lessons learned from recording hundreds of podcast conversationsThe difference between speaking to be heard and listening to understandHow Culture Matters evolved through action rather than theoryWhy great leadership requires knowing when to speak and when to listenThe relationship between identity, responsibility, and personal growthHow connecting people creates meaning and valueThe deeper philosophical and etymological meaning behind both intensity and loveWhy love is not merely a feeling, but a commitment to the growth and good of othersThroughout the conversation, Jay examines the idea that intensity is directed force while love is directed responsibility. One builds capacity. The other determines how that capacity is used. At its core, this episode is about integration. It's about becoming more fully yourself, reconnecting with what matters most, and using your gifts, relationships, and experiences to create something larger than yourself.Because sometimes the next chapter of growth isn't about achieving more.It's about bringing people together.
Transcribe →Season 91, Episode 1090: The Beggar and the Guru: A Monologue Series
Jun 1000:54:30Tap to summarizeIn the first installment of a new solo series, Jay Doran steps away from interviews and into something far more vulnerable: an unfiltered exploration of the thoughts occupying his mind when no one else is in the room. What begins as a reflection on the internal battle between good and evil quickly evolves into a philosophical journey through leadership, capitalism, influence, identity, social media, homelessness, mentorship, success, and truth itself. Along the way, Jay wrestles with a question that many consume content but few stop to ask:What is the difference between the person asking for money on the street and the person asking for your attention online?This episode is not a polished lecture. It is a live thought experiment.Jay explores:Why we idolize certain voices while ignoring othersThe hidden incentives that shape what we say and what we don'tHow success can distance us from truthThe relationship between power, responsibility, and accountabilityWhy compassion may be the foundation of moralityThe danger of worshiping people at the top while dismissing those at the bottomHow leadership eventually shows up on the balance sheetThe tension between ego and humilityWhy mentorship, learning, and personal growth never truly endWhat it means to pursue truth when the outcomes are uncertainAt its core, this episode is a challenge to examine how we relate to people, ideas, influence, and ourselves. It is an invitation to question assumptions, confront contradictions, and consider whether the way we treat those with the least may reveal more about us than the way we admire those with the most. Raw, philosophical, provocative, and deeply personal, this conversation marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Culture Matters Podcast—one where Jay opens the door to the questions he is actively wrestling with in real time.Because sometimes the most important conversations don't start with answers.They start with a question.
Transcribe →