Culture Leaders

Esther Perel on building a relationally intelligent workplace

Culture Leaders

Show Notes

This episode contains the never heard before full interview from our very first episode with Esther Perel. It was this sit down conversation that sparked a friendship between Esther and Damon that continues to this day. We believe in the magic that real conversations can create, so we want to take you back to that moment in time, back to the start and give you access to the first time Esther and Damon sat down together. For the first time ever, we’re releasing the full interview from start to finish. This conversation offers a great opportunity to be reminded of the foundational elements of relational intelligence, and gives you tangible takeaways to help you build a better world of work. Psychotherapist Esther Perel is the New York Times bestselling author of The State of Affairs and Mating in Captivity. Fluent in nine languages, she helms a therapy practice in New York City and serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Esther’s TED talks have garnered more than 20 million views and she is the host of the podcast Where Should We Begin? ​​If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. Learn more about Culture Amp at www.cultureamp.com or @cultureamp on Instagram Learn more about Esther at www.estherperel.com or @EstherPerelOfficial on Instagram.

Show notes: In this episode Esther mentions: John Gottman’s metaphor of the The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The four communication styles, according to his research, that can predict the end of a relationship are criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More from Culture Leaders

Jul 15, 2026

Most companies talk about purpose. Patagonia builds the systems to back it up. Even when that means holding many contradictions. In this episode, Teresita Richard, Chief People Officer at Patagonia, joins Culture Amp's Justin Angsuwat to unpack how the company protects a culture built by climbers and surfers while scaling it across nearly 4,000 employees worldwide. From "liberating structures" that replace bureaucracy with just enough guardrails, to a hiring philosophy built on alignment over "fit," Teresita shares what it really takes to stay radical, human, and honest. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jun 30, 2026

What happens when a philosopher walks into Wall Street? Richard Taylor, SVP of People Experience at Nasdaq, left a near-complete PhD in Buddhist studies to find out. In this episode, he joins Culture Amp's Justin Angsuwat to reveal how one of the world's most powerful financial institutions built a culture of empathy, data-driven people decisions, and radical transparency – with turnover 3x lower than the industry average. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apr 28, 2026

What does it take to lead the people strategy for one of the most iconic and scrutinized sporting brands in the world? Toni Grimshaw, Chief People, Safety, and Wellbeing Officer at New Zealand Rugby, joins us to go behind the curtains of the All Blacks and Black Ferns. She reveals the "Operator’s Playbook" for building a culture that thrives under the weight of a nation’s expectations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apr 14, 2026

How does a global phenomenon like Canva scale a "family feeling" across 5,500 people in eight countries while maintaining its soul? Jennie Rogerson, Global Head of People at Canva, joins host Justin Angsuwat to discuss her unconventional journey from hospitality and executive support to the C-suite in under three years. In this episode of Culture Leaders, Jennie pulls back the curtain on the operator's playbook that keeps Canva agile. She reveals how "crazy big goals," radical transparency, and treating kindness as a competitive advantage fuel a culture where every employee is an active contributor, not just an observer. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mar 31, 2026

97%. That's the percentage of e.l.f. Beauty employees who say they feel passionate about the people they work with. For most leaders, that number stops them cold. In an industry defined by fierce competition and constant reinvention, e.l.f. has built something rare: a company that moves at its own category of speed without sacrificing the human connections that fuel it. So what's actually behind that? In the debut episode of Culture Leaders, host Justin Angsuwat sits down with Kerry Preston, VP of People Development at e.l.f. Beauty, to pull back the curtain on how one of the world's fastest-growing beauty brands is built to last. Kerry makes the case that boldness and kindness aren't in tension, they're the same engine running at full speed. From a CEO who writes over 600 personalized notes a year to an equity program that has generated more than $220 million in employee wealth, this episode is a masterclass in what intentional culture actually looks like in practice. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

See all episodes →