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
Jul 14, 2025 • 23min
40. How Wawa Builds a Culture of Care w/ CEO Chris Gheysens (Part 1)
For over 60 years now, the Wawa chain of convenience stores has been supplying the US East Coast with fresh food and consistently positive customer experiences. In the course of this two-part conversation, David takes a deep dive into the company culture behind the success — with the CEO of Wawa himself, Chris Gheysens. In this episode, Chris talks about embedding the culture in new geographies as the company expands to more cities, and finding the balance between results and the welfare of their associates.
Jun 30, 2025 • 28min
39. Scaling Culture: Lessons from Roers Companies’ Rapid Growth w/ Brian Roers (Part 2)
The conversation continues with Brian Roers of Roers Companies. In this episode, he shares with David some of the challenges that come with expanding to now over a dozen states in the US. Brian reflects on the importance of being loud as a leader and having the right team when looking to the future.
Jun 23, 2025 • 27min
39. Scaling Culture: Lessons from Roers Companies’ Rapid Growth w/ Brian Roers (Part 1)
In this first of a two-part conversation, Brian Roers shares his journey of co-founding Roers Companies with his brother Kent, and becoming a culture champion along the way. Roers Companies is a multi-awarded multifamily and commercial real estate development firm based in Minnesota. It was founded in 2012 — and by 2024, was recognized by Inc. 5000 as the 344th fastest-growing private company in America. At the heart of their remarkable growth is their Culture Blueprint, and a daily commitment to their culture.
7 snips
Jun 9, 2025 • 32min
38. Designing Your Family Culture w/ Steven Shapiro & Nancy Shapiro Rapport (Part 2)
Steven Shapiro, co-founder of Our Family Culture and longtime educator, and Nancy Shapiro Rapport, co-founder and family-focused educator, explore designing intentional family culture. They discuss choosing shared fundamentals, using teacher feedback as a lens, building rituals and repetition to form habits, creating a common language at home, and practical tools for embedding values into daily routines.
9 snips
Jun 2, 2025 • 25min
38. Designing Your Family Culture w/ Steven Shapiro & Nancy Shapiro Rapport (Part 1)
Steven Shapiro, educator focused on experiential learning, and Nancy Shapiro Rapport, former school counselor and lifelong educator, share their journey creating Our Family Culture. They discuss building intentional family routines, a library of 44 fundamentals, short weekly practices, and how hands-on experiences and rituals support children’s emotional well-being.
May 19, 2025 • 31min
37. Building a 24-Hour Culture w/ Ed DeAngelis of EDA Contractors (Part 2)
In this episode, David and Ed DeAngelis examine EDA Contractors’ journey to becoming a top workplace. Ed explains how investing in the company’s culture has affected their bottom line, and what it means to build a “24-hour culture.”
May 12, 2025 • 31min
37. Building a 24-Hour Culture w/ Ed DeAngelis of EDA Contractors (Part 1)
Ed DeAngelis founded EDA Contractors in 1999, and for the last 25 years, the company has worked on construction and historic restoration projects throughout the Greater Philadelphia region, New Jersey, and New York. Today, EDA Contractors is recognized as a top workplace and a leader in the industry. Much of it is thanks to Ed, whose intentionality around psychological safety and the overall workplace culture makes him a true Culture Architect.
Apr 28, 2025 • 29min
36. Bridging Generations: Rethinking the Millennial & Gen Z Workforce w/ Dr. Kent Wessinger (Part 2)
The conversation resumes between David and Dr. Kent Wessinger on the millennial and Gen Z workforce. Using insights from his proprietary research, Kent imagines the near future where these younger generations have become their organizations’ leaders and culture-builders.
Apr 21, 2025 • 32min
36. Bridging Generations: Rethinking the Millennial & Gen Z Workforce w/ Dr. Kent Wessinger (Part 1)
David is joined by Dr. Kent Wessinger, researcher and author of Bridges over Ladders: Secure Growth and Fortify Revenue with Millennial Employees, Clients and Members. In this episode, Kent introduces his proprietary research — and breaks down why and how most organizations are ill-equipped to attract, engage, and retain younger employees, even though younger generations already take up the largest share of today’s workforce.
Apr 7, 2025 • 23min
35. Authentic Leadership & the Art of Human Connection w/ Geneviève Retzlaff (Part 2)
In this episode, David and Geneviève Retzlaff continue to explore connections between authentic leadership and high-performing teams — and weigh in on different approaches to the culture-building process.
