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Working Forward: Daily Summaries Delivered
by PeopleForward Network
Working Forward is a future of work podcast exploring the trends, technologies, and ideas shaping how we work and lead.From AI in the workplace and workplace technology to workplace culture and emerging workforce trends, each episode helps leaders understand what's changing, why it matters, and how to prepare for what's next.Featuring insights from experts and thought leaders around the world, Working Forward gives listeners practical perspective for navigating the future of work with confidence.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago19 min
The Psychology of Swag: Using Merch to Connect Remote Teams
Swag isn't just stuff. In a distributed workplace, the right physical object can become evidence that someone belongs. Nikki sits down with Crissy Manwaring of Robertson Marketing to explore how remote work transformed branded merchandise from a nice-to-have into a powerful culture-building tool. From thoughtful home office kits and everyday essentials to the surprising psychology behind a cozy blanket, quality headset, or even a great branded pen, Crissy shares how tangible experiences can create connection when teams aren't sharing the same physical space. They also unpack what makes merch worth keeping, why quality beats quantity, the hidden complexities of global shipping, and how organizations can start measuring whether their merch is actually creating value. For people-first leaders navigating remote and distributed teams, this conversation offers a fresh way to think about belonging, culture, and the physical reminders that tell employees, "You matter here." Additional Resources: Learn how to build your strategy to swag! Connect with Crissy on LinkedIn Learn more about Robertson Marketing Connect with Eric on LinkedIn Subscribe to PFN's YouTube for more insights like this! Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network Key Takeaways: Physical merch can become tangible evidence of employee belonging. Remote work increased the strategic value of branded merchandise. Great home office kits support comfort, boundaries, and connection. Quality and usefulness matter more than trendy promotional products. Global merch programs require thoughtful logistics and local expertise.
- 2 weeks ago18 min
The Psychology of Swag: The Michael Jordan Playbook for Merch
The best branded merch doesn't feel like a giveaway. It feels like belonging you can wear. Using the Michael Jordan and Nike story as a jumping-off point, Nikki and Crissy explore what happens when merchandise becomes more than an expense and starts creating identity, community, and even revenue. From Air Jordan's cultural influence to exclusive merch drops and employee gear people actually want to buy, Crissy breaks down the ingredients that give branded artifacts real meaning: quality, design, community, and exclusivity. For people-first leaders, it's a powerful reminder that when your culture means something, people want a tangible piece of it. Additional Resources: Learn how to build your strategy to swag! Connect with Crissy on LinkedIn Learn more about Robertson Marketing Connect with Eric on LinkedIn Subscribe to PFN's YouTube for more insights like this! Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network Key Takeaways: Treat merch creates identity, belonging, and cultural connection. Strong personal brands can strengthen the larger company brand. Quality and design transform ordinary swag into meaningful artifacts. Exclusivity can dramatically increase merchandise demand and perceived value. Strong cultures create merchandise employees actually want to buy.
- 3 weeks ago22 min
The Psychology of Swag: Making Milestone Recognition Matter
Recognition shouldn't collect dust on a shelf. It should tell a story about belonging, achievement, and why someone matters. Nikki sits down with Crissy Manwaring of Robertson Marketing to rethink milestone recognition. Crissy shares why generic gifts miss the moment and how progressive recognition, personalized merchandise, and coveted cultural artifacts can turn employee milestones into meaningful experiences. From YouTube's Gold Button effect to challenge coins, achievement jackets, and recognition that grows alongside an employee, Crissy reveals how physical artifacts make the invisible visible. When recognition reflects your culture and the individual receiving it, it becomes more than swag. It becomes evidence that says, "You belong here, and what you've contributed matters." Additional Resources: Learn how to build your strategy to swag! Connect with Crissy on LinkedIn Learn more about Robertson Marketing Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn Subscribe to PFN's YouTube for more insights like this! Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network Key Takeaways: Match the merch to the meaning of the milestone. Great recognition makes employees feel genuinely seen and valued. Progressive recognition turns tenure into a visible story. Scarcity transforms recognition into a coveted cultural artifact. Personalization creates tangible evidence of belonging.
- 4 weeks ago27 min
Peering Into the Future | Jason Cochran on Lead the People
The future of work is coming whether we're ready or not. The leaders who thrive won't be the ones with the perfect prediction. They'll be the ones willing to learn, adapt, and bring their people along for the ride. Matt Poepsel sits down with Jason Cochran to explore why mindset must come before strategy when navigating change. Jason shares why "change is kind," how values can make teams more adaptable, and why leaders need to rethink old assumptions before they become barriers to growth. From AI and Generation Alpha to workplace flexibility and the future of meaningful work, this conversation challenges leaders to stop clinging to what worked yesterday and start building the capacity to thrive tomorrow. Additional Resources: Connect with Matt on LinkedIn Listen to Lead the People wherever you get your podcasts! Watch the Working Forward Podcast on YouTube! Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network Key Takeaways: Start with mindset before moving into change tactics. Values make adaptability easier than rigid beliefs do. Successful leaders stay curious as the workplace evolves. Change becomes dangerous when organizations resist learning. Keep your people close while navigating uncertainty.
- Sep 1, 202645 min
Unlocking the Impact of AI on the Future of Work | Jason Cochran on Unlocked with Skot Waldron
AI is moving fast, but the leaders who win won't be the ones who move fastest. They'll be the ones thoughtful enough to protect what makes work human. Skot Waldron sits down with Jason Cochran to explore what people-first AI adoption actually looks like. Jason challenges leaders to move beyond experimentation for experimentation's sake and start asking bigger questions: What should AI do? What should it never do? And how do we bring employees into that conversation before fear fills the communication gap? From reskilling and psychological safety to the tension between profitability and sustainability, Skot and Jason unpack why AI strategy is ultimately a people strategy. The message is clear: use AI to augment what humans do best, not outsource human connection itself. Additional Resources: Connect with Skot on LinkedIn Listen to Unlocked with Skot Waldron wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about Skot Waldron Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-d-cochran/ Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/posts/?feedView=all Learn more about PeopleForward Network: https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/ Key Takeaways: Thoughtful AI adoption starts with people, not technology. Communication reduces fear during rapid workplace transformation. Ask what AI should and should not do. Sustainability matters more than short-term AI-driven profitability. Never outsource emotional intelligence and human connection to AI.
- Aug 4, 202654 min
To Lead is Human | Jason Cochran on Culture Starts Here with Heather Haas and BJ McKay
AI is changing how work gets done, but it's also raising the bar for leadership. In this special live episode, hosted by Jason Cochran of People Forward Network, Heather Haas and BJ McKay explore what it means to lead when AI is reshaping the workplace. While much of the work people are paid to do can now be automated, leadership is not one of those things. Together, they unpack what they're seeing across organizations today, from the growing gap between high-performing leaders and everyone else, to the lack of clarity many teams face around how AI should be used. The conversation centers on a simple idea: Leadership isn't being replaced. It's being revealed. And the leaders who bring human connection, empathy, creativity, and critical thinking to their work will shape what comes next. Additional Resources: Learn more about ADVISA's new Leading with AI training experience! Get Your Culture Check! Connect with Heather on LinkedIn Connect with BJ on LinkedIn Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-d-cochran/ Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/posts/?feedView=all Learn more about PeopleForward Network: https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/ Key Takeaways: Leadership remains deeply human despite AI advancement AI raises expectations, not reduces leadership responsibility Human connection drives meaning, trust, and performance Slowing down improves long-term strategic decision making Self-awareness separates thriving leaders from struggling ones
- Jul 7, 20261h 14m
Leading in the Gray: Human Wisdom in an AI World with Michael Sneed and John Dugan
In this live stream episode of Working Forward, Michael Sneed and John Dugan join host Jason Cochran to explore what it means to lead wisely as artificial intelligence reshapes the business landscape. Michael, a 39-year Johnson & Johnson veteran who rose from summer intern to the executive committee, and John, a retired PwC partner with decades of healthcare consulting experience, share what's really happening in boardrooms around AI adoption. Together with Jason, they discuss why human skills like communication, emotional intelligence, and subject matter expertise are becoming more valuable, not less, and how leaders can navigate uncertainty by placing smart bets, leading with culture and values, and staying curious in a rapidly changing world. Additional Resources: Connect with Michael Sneed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msneed1/ Connect with John Dugan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-k-dugan-cpa-mba-970a47b/ Watch the Working Forward Podcast on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@Jason.Cochran Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-d-cochran/ Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/ Learn more about PeopleForward Network: https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/ Key Takeaways: AI is reshaping leadership, but human skills like communication, emotional intelligence, and deep expertise are more important than ever. Effective AI strategy starts with culture and values, not technology. Smart leaders place many small bets rather than going all in on any single AI approach. The parallels between the early internet era and today's AI moment offer valuable lessons in patience and intentionality. Leading in uncertain times requires curiosity, humility, and a commitment to listening and learning alongside your team.
- Jun 2, 20261h 7m
The Entropy Era: AI, Gen Z, and Why Partnership Is the Only Way Forward with Matt Poepsel
In this episode of Working Forward, Jason Cochran sits down with Matt Poepsel, SVP of Workforce and Talent at The Predictive Index and author of multiple books on talent optimization, to explore what happens when AI disruption, generational shifts, and organizational entropy collide. Matt introduces the concept of entropy in the workplace, the natural tendency of systems to descend toward disorder, and explains why fear-driven leadership only accelerates the breakdown. They dig into why 75 percent of Gen Z workers are interested in entrepreneurship, how AI is simultaneously creating opportunity and eroding foundational skills, and why the employer-employee relationship needs a return to mutuality. Matt makes the case that partnership, not power, is the only sustainable path forward, and that leaders who practice active listening, make concessions, and invest in adaptive skills will be the ones who hold their organizations together through the turbulence ahead. Additional Resources: Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattpoepsel/ Watch the Working Forward Podcast on YouTube! Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-d-cochran/ Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/ Learn more about PeopleForward Network: https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/ Key Takeaways: Entropy is the silent force pulling organizations apart; without intentional leadership, trust and commitment naturally erode over time. 75 percent of Gen Z workers are interested in entrepreneurship, largely because AI has made it easier than ever to start something on your own. The pendulum of power between employers and employees swings in cycles; leaders who squeeze talent during downturns will pay for it when the market opens back up. AI is not just displacing tasks but eroding the foundational adaptive skills that those tasks used to quietly build, and leaders need to protect that development. Mutuality, the practice of genuine partnership between employers and employees, is the antidote to the fear and self-interest that drive organizational breakdown. The pace of technological change is only accelerating; leaders who bet against AI's capabilities in their industry are making a short-sighted gamble.
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About Working Forward
Working Forward is a future of work podcast exploring the trends, technologies, and ideas shaping how we work and lead.From AI in the workplace and workplace technology to workplace culture and emerging workforce trends, each episode helps leaders understand what's changing, why it matters, and how to prepare for what's next.Featuring insights from experts and thought leaders around the world, Working Forward gives listeners practical perspective for navigating the future of work with confidence.
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