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From The Culture

Dr. Marcus Collins & Amanda Slavin

From The Culture is a brand new podcast from best selling authors and marketing experts, Dr Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin. The podcast explores the power and importance of culture and how it can shape human behaviour. Marcus (the architect of some of the most famous ad campaigns of the last decade) is an award winning marketeer/cultural translator who has spearheaded campaigns for Beyonce alongside successful collaborations with global brands such as Nike and Adidas. Amanda is a bestselling author, educator, and engagement architect expert who is dedicated to shaping the future of engagement. She has also worked with global giants such as Coco-Cola, Google and HubSpot and has also helped to explore and define recognised engagement frameworks that can be applied across industries and sectors.

Thank you to our partner Culture3

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22 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 6 min
English

Episodes 22

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S1 · E34
Thursday · 1 hr 2 min
S1, E34 - From Background to Center Stage
Dancers have powered some of the biggest moments in music, entertainment, fashion, and social media. Their movement travels across culture, often reaching millions before audiences ever learn the names of the people who created it. Connor Lim is helping change that. As Co-Founder, CEO, and League Commissioner of the International Dance League, Connor is building a professional sports structure around dance, with contracts, teams, standings, championships, global broadcasts, and a media rights partnership with ESPN. In this episode of From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin explore what happens when dancers move from the background to center stage. They talk about how incentives shape behavior, why credit determines who gets to participate in the value culture creates, and what professional sports can teach us about recognition, investment, fandom, and ownership. At the center of the conversation is a bigger question: what changes when the people creating culture receive the credit, structure, and opportunity their influence deserves?
S1 · E33
August 20 · 59 min
S1, E33 - Do It Scared: The Lessons That Shape Who We Become
What gives someone the courage to pursue an idea before they know where it will lead? Margot Machol Bisnow became fascinated by that question and went looking for answers in an unexpected place: the childhoods of some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. Through conversations with founders and their families, she discovered recurring lessons about curiosity, independence, resilience, passion, and the power of having someone believe in you. In this episode of From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin sit down with Margot to explore the environments that shape us long before we enter the workplace. They talk about raising entrepreneurial kids, learning to trust yourself, giving people room to find their own path, and developing the courage to move forward even when you’re scared. It’s a conversation about parenting, entrepreneurship, and ultimately something much bigger: how we create the conditions for people to believe in what they might become.
S1 · E32
August 13 · 1 hr 7 min
S1, E32 - The Power of Inconvenience
What if the things that interrupt us, frustrate us, and make our work harder are also showing us exactly where our attention is needed? Anne Morriss and Frances Frei have spent their careers helping leaders and organizations navigate change, build trust, and solve hard problems. They are the co-authors of Move Fast and Fix Things and Unleashed, and the hosts of TED’s Fixable, where they explore what becomes possible when we believe our biggest challenges can actually be solved. In this episode of From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin sit down with Anne and Frances to explore the power of inconvenience and what our problems can reveal about our organizations, our leadership, and ourselves. Together, they talk about trust, change, responsibility, and how leaders can create cultures with the courage and capacity to face what needs attention. Because inconvenience can be more than an interruption. It can be information about where we’re ready to grow.
S1 · E31
August 6 · 1 hr 3 min
S1, E31 - Seen. Heard. Understood. Served.
Throughout his career, Louis Carr has believed that the strongest institutions do more than entertain, inform, or educate. They create spaces where people feel seen, heard, understood, and ultimately served. That philosophy has shaped nearly four decades at BET, where Louis helped build one of the most influential cultural institutions in America and now serves as its President. Along the way, he has helped redefine the relationship between Black culture, media, and business, earning recognition as an inductee into the Advertising Hall of Fame. In this episode of From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin explore the relationship between service and leadership, culture and community, and representation and responsibility. Together, they discuss why lasting institutions are built on trust, how culture creates belonging, and what it means to steward an institution while continuing to move it forward. At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea: the places that shape us most deeply are the ones where we feel seen, heard, understood, and served.
S1 · E30
July 30 · 56 min
S1, E30 - The Power of Cultural Intimacy
Before Arturo Nuñez ever built brands, culture built him. Growing up in Harlem, Arturo was surrounded by communities, identities, music, food, style, and stories that shaped how he understood people, belonging, and connection. Those early experiences became a foundation he would carry throughout his career. That understanding would eventually take him inside some of the world’s most influential brands, including Nike, Apple, the NBA, Coca-Cola, and Nubank. Today, he’s bringing that same perspective to hospitality, creating restaurants and spaces where people can gather, connect, and feel part of something. In this episode of From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin sit down with Arturo to explore the power of cultural intimacy and what becomes possible when we understand people, communities, and culture deeply.
S1 · E29
July 23 · 59 min
S1, E29 - Why We Need More “F It” Energy
Today on From the Culture, we're exploring what it really takes to change a system. Our guest is Sam Rapoport, Senior Advisor of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the NFL and one of the driving forces behind opening new pathways for women in professional football. Through initiatives like the Women's Forum and the NFL Women's Careers in Football program, she's helped redefine who gets to lead, coach, and shape one of the world's most influential sports. Today's conversation goes far beyond football. We talk through how Sam went from feeling like she could never fit into society in her queer youth to being a champion for women in one of the most powerful male-dominated cultural arenas in America. We find out how she learned to say “F it” in the face of potential opposition, we explore how cultures evolve, why representation alone isn't enough, and what it takes to build environments where people don't just gain access—they truly belong. This is a conversation about leadership, opportunity, and the cultures that shape the future. Here's our conversation with Sam Rapoport.
S1 · E28
July 16 · 1 hr 5 min
S1, E28 - The Radical Entitlement of Knowing Your Worth
Today on From the Culture, we're exploring one of the most fundamental human needs: connection. Our guest is Francesca Hogi—coach, speaker, mediator, former corporate lawyer, and author of How to Find True Love: Unlock Your Romantic Flow and Create Lasting Relationships. Through her work, she's helped thousands of people build healthier relationships by first understanding themselves. But today's conversation goes far beyond romantic relationships. We explore what trust, vulnerability, and belonging can teach us about leadership, teamwork, and workplace culture. Because the same skills that help us build meaningful relationships at home are often the ones that help us create healthier organizations at work. This is a conversation about human connection, emotional intelligence, and the cultures we create together. Here's our conversation with Francesca Hogi.
S1 · E27
July 9 · 1 hr 4 min
S1, E27 - Stay In Your Lane
Today on From the Culture, we're asking a simple question: Where does greatness come from? Our guest is Mathew Knowles: music executive, entrepreneur, educator, author, and the visionary behind one of the most successful music careers of our time. For decades, he's developed talent, built high-performing teams, and helped shape moments that have influenced culture around the world. But this conversation goes beyond music. We explore how leaders cultivate excellence, the cultures that allow people to thrive, and why the environments we create at work often determine the impact we have far beyond it. Here's our conversation with Mathew Knowles.
S1 · E26
July 2 · 1 hr 6 min
S1, E26 - Vibe Founding and the Irreducible Human Skills
What does it take to build something people actually want in the age of AI? And as technology lowers the barriers to starting a company, what becomes even more important than the idea itself? Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin sit down with entrepreneur, investor, and UC Berkeley Haas Lester Center Fellow Jim Hornthal to explore how founders can move beyond hype and build organizations that genuinely solve problems. Together, they unpack the mindset behind successful entrepreneurship, why curiosity and resilience matter more than certainty, and how AI is reshaping everything from innovation to leadership. From founder psychology and organizational culture to evidence-based innovation and the future of work, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at what it takes to create products, teams, and companies that people truly value in a rapidly changing world.
S1 · E25
June 25 · 1 hr 13 min
S1, E25 - Who Decides Potential with Gil Winch
What if the people most companies overlook are actually their greatest untapped source of talent? Dr. Gil Winch, founder of a call center, Call Yachol, that employs people with disabilities and others often excluded from the workforce, joins Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin to discuss belonging, culture, and why designing workplaces around human potential can create extraordinary results. Through powerful stories and practical insights, he makes the case that inclusion isn't just the right thing to do. It's a competitive advantage.
S1 · E24
June 18 · 1 hr
S1, E24 - Strike While It's Hot
This week, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin are joined by entrepreneur, craftsman, and Square co-founder Jim McKelvey. Through stories from his life as a glassblower and startup founder, Jim shares lessons on risk-taking, trust, innovation, and what it means to build something that can withstand pressure without losing its integrity. From unbreakable glass to billion-dollar businesses, the conversation explores how great teams create safety for experimentation, why action matters more than perfection, and how purpose can evolve after success.
S1 · E23
June 11 · 51 min
S1, E23 - Building Community Through Empathy
What if the most important leadership skill isn't strategy, charisma, or vision, but empathy? This week, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin sit down with Kathryn Petralia, co-founder of Kabbage, a data-driven company bought by American Express that provides new lending opportunities to underserved communities. They explore how better understanding people’s needs became the foundation of a huge business. Together, they unpack cognitive empathy, building community culture at the office, hiring for self-awareness, and how the best leaders learn to see the world through someone else's perspective. Plus, Kathryn shares her personal philosophy for success.
S1 · E22
June 4 · 1 hr 11 min
S1, E22 - What If Success Isn't Enough?
Blake Mycoskie built one of the world's most influential purpose-driven brands: TOMS. Yet after years of success and accompanying mental health struggles, he found himself asking a difficult question: Is this all there is? In this episode of From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin talk with the industry-shaping entrepreneur about ambition, mental health, conscious capitalism, and the challenge of defining success on your own terms. Blake shares what he learned from his struggles with depression, why achievement alone is never enough, and how leaders can build lives and organizations that stay aligned with their values. A candid conversation about purpose, fulfillment, and what it really means to be enough.
S1 · E21
May 28 · 1 hr 12 min
S1, E21 - Play, Perspective and Solution Diversity
Today we dive into the expansive world of LEGO and what it means to harness the art of play to educate and build a business culture. On this episode, Marcus and Amanda talk with VP of Product Experience at LEGO Education, Andrew Sliwinski about his strategy for creating products that can inspire a diverse array of children with wide interests to learn more while bringing their creativity out in the process. They also discuss the company’s new foray into AI for children, creating products for both students and teachers, as well as how LEGO sees its role in supplementing the U.S. education system.
S1 · E20
May 21 · 1 hr 18 min
S1, E20 - Dr. Becky on Parenthood, Partnership and Emotional Capacity
On this episode of From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin sit down with psychologist and Good Inside founder Becky Kennedy to explore the surprising overlap between parenting, leadership, and workplace culture. Together, they unpack emotional intelligence, invisible labor, modern fatherhood, and why the skills that help people thrive at home are often the same ones that build healthier, more creative organizations.
S1 · E19
May 14 · 1 hr 18 min
S1, E19 - Be the Canary, Not the Coal Miner
This week on From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin sit down with powerhouse executive Najoh Tita-Reid for a conversation much bigger than career advice. Najoh opens up about leaving the corporate mountaintop, raising her children abroad, learning to trust her intuition, and why she sees herself as “the canary in the coal mine” for the future of work. Together, they unpack what it means to use your gifts for something larger than a job title, and why everyone needs to hone their ‘canary’ senses to build a sustainable future for themselves and how to bring humanity with you. It’s part leadership conversation, part spiritual reckoning, part manifesto for surviving the future with our humanity intact.
S1 · E18
May 7 · 1 hr 3 min
S1, E18 - The Album and The Mixtape: Faith, Hip Hop & AI Regulation
This week, Marcus and Amanda sit down with global AI product leader, civil rights attorney, and filmmaker Julie Wenah to explore what it really means to bring your whole self to work. Julie’s religious faith, love of hip hop, and filmmaking passions “outside” of work inform her roles and her life impact in technology and equity. She explains a powerful framework, the “album and the mixtape,” to explain how our professional roles and personal passions coexist to shape who we are and how we lead. Together, they unpack identity, belonging, grief, service, and the courage it takes to show up fully in spaces that weren’t built for you. At its core, this episode is about purpose. About the unseen experiences that shape our “body of work.” And about the responsibility we carry, not just to succeed, but to serve.
S1 · E17
April 30 · 1 hr 1 min
S1, E17 - A Zen Approach to Transformation
This week on From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin sit down with Nick Tran, a veteran brand leader whose career has taken him through some of the biggest moments of disruption in business. After navigating company shakeups at places like TikTok and Hulu, Nick now pursues companies that need help growing through uncertainty, including in his current role as President and CMO of First Round a consortium of brands that includes Cîroc and Lobos 1707. He shares why crisis mode can create unexpected opportunity, why he never wants to lead marketing in the same industry twice, and why change can be the fastest path to growth when you know how to meet it. They also unpack personal resilience, building capacity during stressful seasons, and how to stop fearing change long enough to use it. If your company, career, or life is in transition, this one’s for you.
S1 · E16
April 23 · 1 hr 12 min
S1, E16 - The Double Bind
On this episode of From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin sit down with Felicity Fellows, a global community strategist who has built and scaled cultural ecosystems through her work with TED, TEDx, and her fandom agency Stan—to unpack the hidden dynamics shaping workplace culture. Starting with a striking reality, HR is overwhelmingly made up of women, yet remains one of the most undervalued functions in organizations—they explore how roles rooted in traditionally “feminine” qualities like care, empathy, and nurturing are often dismissed as soft or secondary. From HR to community-building, the conversation reframes these roles not as peripheral, but as foundational, asking what might shift if we treated care and connection as central to how work actually works.
S1 · E15
April 16 · 59 min
S1, E15 - It’s Good to Suck at First
On this episode of From the Culture, Marcus Collins and Amanda Slavin sit down with Courtnee LeClaire, a transformational leader behind iconic moments at companies like Apple, to explore why she started calling herself a Chief “Becoming” Officer. From launching products like the iPod and iPhone to navigating personal upheaval, Courtnee shares a deeply honest look at success, failure, and the myth of having it all figured out. Together, they unpack the tension between helping others and doing the inner work, the importance of trusting your instincts, and what it means to grow and learn while leading. At the center of the conversation is Courtnee’s powerful reframing: we’re never “finished” we’re always becoming. And the real work isn’t perfection, it’s having the courage to keep going, even when you don’t know what you’re doing.

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