Culture Architects™
David J. Friedman
Most leaders know that a strong culture is a foundation for building a great organization, but great cultures don't just happen on their own. Rather, they're designed and built systematically, brick by brick. Each week, join David J. Friedman, the best-selling author of Culture by Design, as he speaks with extraordinary leaders, from all walks of life, and they share their biggest successes, failures, and lessons learned on their culture journeys. If you're searching for the best insights on building a high-performing culture, then Culture Architects, a production of CultureWise, is for you.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 27, 2025 • 26min
45. Inside Pella's People-First Culture w/ John Bollman (Part 1)
John Bollman, CHRO at Pella Corporation, joins David for a conversation about how leadership and culture shape a company’s long-term success. In Part One, John traces his career from law to HR, the early lessons he learned at Whirlpool, and how Pella set out to define a culture anchored in caring, learning, and results. The episode ends just as David asks about the connection between culture and results — a question John answers in Part Two.
Oct 13, 2025 • 34min
44. Bridging the Divide: Nathan Hall on DEI and Culture Building (Part 2)
Part Two opens with Nathan Hall’s answer to the question: what do people most often get wrong about DEI? From there, Nathan reframes diversity, equity, and inclusion as foundational to all culture work, not separate initiatives. He explains why friction can actually fuel creativity and progress, and he previews Culture Check’s new Work of Us framework — designed to help leaders lower the temperature and align their teams to move forward together.
Oct 6, 2025 • 26min
44. Bridging the Divide: Nathan Hall on DEI and Culture Building (Part 1)
In Part One, David speaks with Nathan Hall, founder and CEO of Culture Check, about his path from sociology student to business leader, and how his turnaround work at Simple Story shaped his approach to culture. Nathan reflects on vulnerability, belonging, and the personal roots of his leadership philosophy. The conversation closes with David asking Nathan to weigh in on the biggest misconceptions about DEI — a question Nathan answers when Part Two begins.
Sep 22, 2025 • 33min
43. Culture as the Catalyst: Dustin Campbell’s Journey from Private Equity to Persistently (Part 2)
In Part Two of their conversation, David and Dustin pick up the story with his leap into entrepreneurship. Dustin explains what it’s like to buy and run a company while writing the playbook in real time, the hard truths he learned along the way, and how that experience ultimately led to the creation of Persistently — and to joining forces with CultureWise.
Sep 15, 2025 • 24min
43. Culture as the Catalyst: Dustin Campbell’s Journey from Private Equity to Persistently (Part 1)
David sits down with Dustin Campbell, co-founder of Persistence Management Holdings and Persistently, to unpack his journey from investment banking to private equity — and the powerful lessons he learned along the way. In Part One, Dustin shares how a turnaround mentor reshaped his thinking about systems and culture, and why those insights convinced him that culture is more than a differentiator — it’s the driver of performance.
Sep 1, 2025 • 28min
42. The Art of Business Anarchy: Ari Weinzweig on Zingerman’s Recipe for Culture and Growth (Part 2)
In this second part of their conversation, David and Ari Weinzweig dive deeper into two specific components of the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses: their training arm ZingTrain, and their company’s 34 beliefs. Ari weighs in on how much a growing organization should reflect the essence of its founders.
Aug 25, 2025 • 35min
42. The Art of Business Anarchy: Ari Weinzweig on Zingerman’s Recipe for Culture and Growth (Part 1)
Since their modest opening in 1982, Zingerman’s Delicatessen has cemented its place as an institution in Ann Arbor, Michigan — rejecting the typical franchise model for food retailers and instead growing into what is today known as the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses. David sits down with Zingerman’s co-founder and co-owner Ari Weinzweig to talk about this incredible journey. In this first of a two-part conversation, Ari distills open-book management and anarchism in business, and explains how he finds culture-building “as much a creative act as cooking.”
Aug 11, 2025 • 30min
41. Leading a Legacy: How Andy Busser Sustains a Century of Culture at Pitcairn (Part 2)
In this second half of their conversation, David and Andy Busser get into the day-to-day teaching and reinforcing of the culture at Pitcairn. Andy answers all the important culture questions around his firm’s historic first acquisition of Brightside Partners.
Aug 4, 2025 • 24min
41. Leading a Legacy: How Andy Busser Sustains a Century of Culture at Pitcairn (Part 1)
For over 100 years now, Pitcairn has served and advised ultra-high-net-worth families on matters of legacy and wealth. In 2023, the firm’s centennial year, Andy Busser was appointed its CEO — and in this episode, he and David discuss honoring a century-old culture while also leading with one’s own vision for the future. Andy offers a unique insight on the returns from investing in the company culture.
Jul 21, 2025 • 29min
40. How Wawa Builds a Culture of Care w/ CEO Chris Gheysens (Part 2)
In this second part of their conversation, David and Chris Gheysens continue to discuss the systems with which they transfer and reinforce the culture at Wawa. Chris expands on the idea of culture as a feedback loop, and shares the advice he would give his younger self.
