“A huge catalyst for growth, a huge accelerant, a huge way to improve the business on every dimension is to be a more people-oriented company… The more you support people and the things they want to do with their lives outside of work, the more people are going to cherish the relationship with their employer, the more loyal they're going to be, the harder they're going to work. It becomes this symbiotic harmonious relationship that makes the employee's life better, it makes the business more successful... Stop looking at your employees as a resource that you need to extract as much value out of as possible.”

S04E07 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on Geoff Roberts, co-founder of Outseta, an all-in-one membership platform and a company that puts people first. In this episode, Geoff shares how Outseta’s unconventional approach to compensation, equity, and organizational structure is rooted in a deep commitment to people-centric values. He explains why every team member earns the same salary, chooses their own work schedule, and receives equity on equal terms, creating a culture of ownership and trust. Geoff also reflects on the importance of life profitability, encouraging leaders to consider how work enriches life beyond financial gain. Geoff makes a compelling case for rethinking traditional business norms in favour of cultures that prioritize autonomy, transparency, and personal growth.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here: www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:
• Why everyone at Outseta earns the same salary and equity terms.
• How flexible schedules, ranging from 1 to 5 days per week, support different lifestyles.
• Why all team members, including senior staff, handle customer support.
• Why Geoff believes in “life profitability” as a measure of success beyond financial metrics.
• How open finances and shared ownership guide company decisions.
• How quiet generosity and servant leadership shape the culture at Outseta.
• How investing in people’s lives outside of work builds deep loyalty and long-term commitment.

Further resources:
• Outseta’s Website: https://www.outseta.com
• Geoff Roberts on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrobertsmarketing/

“We‘re a service business that just happens to collect waste. I never get out of the bed in the morning thinking I’m in the waste industry. Never, ever, ever. I don’t go to the waste management trade shows. Personally, I can’t think of anything worse to do. It doesn’t inspire me. But I will read every book about the service industry. I want to know what’s the best service industry in Asia. I want to know what’s the best service industry in the US. What’s the latest thinking in service? And then apply them to our little waste industry.”

We're republishing one of our "Culture Classics" featuring Gene Browne, founder of The City Bin Co., a standout in waste management and a five-time Deloitte Best Managed Company winner in Ireland.

In this episode, Gene shares how City Bin began in 1997 as a bold experiment in service excellence, driven by his obsession with delivering exceptional customer experiences. He reflects on the mix of luck, naivety, and resilience that shaped his journey, including surviving a ruthless competitor who literally burned down his warehouse. From expanding into the Middle East to watching middle management struggle with a culture of autonomy, Gene doesn’t hold back. More than two decades in, his fierce commitment to customer service still drives everything, from tying bonuses to customer satisfaction to sending flowers as apologies. For Gene, company values aren’t posters on the wall. They’re as personal and specific as a fingerprint.

Listen to this episode to discover:
· How City Bin started as a customer service experiment
· What it took to rebuild after a competitor burned down his warehouse
· The cultural tensions of expanding internationally
· Why autonomy can challenge traditional middle managers
· Aligning employee incentives with customer satisfaction
· Real-life gestures that build customer trust (like sending flowers)
· Why "aspirational values" miss the mark, and what to focus on instead
· Gene’s pledge to support his team’s educational dreams

Further resources:
· Gene Browne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genebrowne100/
· City Bin Website: https://www.citybin.com/
· Good strategy Bad Strategy, by Richard Rumelt: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11721966-good-strategy-bad-strategy
· Building the Happiness-Centred Business, by Paddi Lund: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10088113-building-the-happiness-centred-business
· Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, by Verne Harnish: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16120.Mastering_the_Rockefeller_Habits

“AI will put humanity in the centre, and we will value that. We'll value the connections, even for companies, the level of service, the attention that you pay off, that will be at the centre. And I'm convinced it's going to have a big effect.”

S04E05 of the Rethink Culture podcast shines the spotlight on David Tomás, founder and CEO of Cyberclick, a successful digital marketing company and one of Spain’s most people-centric workplaces. David is an entrepreneur, author, and business angel with over 15 years' experience mentoring and investing in startups.

In this episode, David shares the story of a life-changing skydiving incident that pushed him to reevaluate how he worked and led others. He highlights the importance of transparency, treating employees as adults, and involving them directly in decision-making, including goal-setting. David reflects on how AI, when used intentionally, can support more human, empathetic leadership by freeing up time to focus on people. His vision for the future is rooted in helping more companies adopt a people-first mindset and cultivating meaningful, purpose-driven work cultures.

📢 Do you want to build a high-performance culture? It all starts here:www.rethinkculture.co

Production, video, and audio editing by Evangelia Alexaki of Musicove Productions.

Listen to this episode to discover:

· Why workplace culture should start with a clearly defined purpose.

· How participative leadership and transparency unlock motivation and performance.

· What happens when employees are invited to co-create company goals.

· How AI can enhance, not replace, human-centred leadership.

· The long-term impact of treating employees as responsible adults.

· Why David believes great cultures scale when leaders focus on people, not just profit.

Further resources:

· Cyberclick’s Website: https://www.cyberclick.net/

· David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-tomas/

· The Happiest Company in the World, by David Tomás: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43077648

· The Millennial Diary, by David Tomás: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43580064-diario-de-un-millennial

· Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6828896-delivering-happiness

Chapters

00:00 — Introduction to David Tomás

01:43 — The Parachute Incident & Outlook Change

03:58 — The Current Company Culture Wasn’t Fun

04:51 — First Steps Toward Cultural Transformation

06:46 — Rituals & Habits David is Proud Of

10:42 — Creating Psychological Safety & Embracing Failure

12:54 — Family Values Shaping David’s Leadership Style

14:07 — Embedding Personal Values into Company Culture

18:31 — Customer Reactions to Employee Happiness

21:13 — Leadership vs. Team Responsibility

23:33 — Micro-Cultures within Traditional Organizations

24:11 — The Nonlinear Path to a Fulfilling Culture

24:55 — Leadership Mistakes & Lessons Learned

26:53 — Common Mistakes Founders Make

28:17 — Adult-to-Adult Workplace Relationships

30:53 — High Performers vs. Underperformers

33:10 — The CEO’s Role in Driving AI Adoption

36:55 — AI, Humanity, & the Future of Work

39:12 — What CEOs Should Rethink About Culture

40:41 — David’s Vision & Hopes for the Next 10 Years

41:38 — Where to Find Out More about David