The Culture Matters Podcast

Episode 21 marks Part 1 of a reflection on the impact of the 2025 NYE Lollapalooza series.In this episode, Jay begins revisiting select words of the year shared by guests throughout the Lollapalooza, unpacking what those words represent and why they mattered — not only to the individuals who shared them, but to the broader Culture Matters community.Rather than recapping conversations, this episode focuses on patterns: the themes that kept surfacing, the shared language across very different leaders, and what those signals say about where people are headed next.This is the first in a multi-part breakdown, with more reflections, insights, and connections to come as the series continues.

2025 NYE Lollapalooza Episode 20: The Impact This Series Has MadeEpisode 20 serves as the reflection point of the 2025 NYE Lollapalooza, a moment to pause, look back, and name the impact this series has already had.In this episode, Jay Doran discusses why the Lollapalooza exists in the first place, how it has evolved year over year, and what happens when long-form, values-driven conversations are given space to breathe. Rather than recapping individual episodes, Jay focuses on the resonance; the emails, messages, and conversations sparked by the series.A significant part of that reflection includes the influence and example set by Patrick Bet-David, whose approach to dialogue, conviction, and unapologetic truth-telling is referenced throughout the episode. Jay shares how that standard saying the thing that needs to be said, even when it’s uncomfortable has shaped the tone, courage, and clarity of the Lollapalooza conversations.This episode explores:Why people are craving depth over soundbitesHow honest conversation creates ripple effects beyond downloadsThe responsibility that comes with having a platformAnd why impact is measured not in virality, but in alignment, action, and changeEpisode 20 isn’t a victory lap it’s a reckoning. A reminder that when conversations are rooted in purpose, faith, discipline, and truth, they don’t just fill time they move people.This episode closes the loop on the 2025 NYE Lollapalooza and sets the standard for what comes next.If this series challenged you, encouraged you, or helped you think differently — this episode explains why.Share it with someone who values substance over noise, and leave a review to help keep these conversations alive.

Jay Doran’s Word for 2026: LOVEIn Episode 19, Jay Doran closes the NYE Lollapalooza series by sharing his personal word for 2026: LOVE — and redefining it far beyond how the word is commonly used.This episode is not about romance alone, and it’s not about sentiment. It’s about love as a discipline, a standard, and a responsibility.Jay breaks down what love actually looks like when it’s lived out:In partnership In leadership and workIn friendship, boundaries, and commitmentIn the way we choose to show up for people — even when it’s uncomfortableHe challenges the idea that love is passive or conditional, and instead frames it as something that requires intention, courage, presence, and consistency. Love, as Jay describes it, is not weakness — it is alignment. It is choosing truth over ego, service over control, and depth over convenience.This episode serves as a personal declaration and a compass for the year ahead — not just for Jay, but for anyone listening who wants to live with greater clarity, integrity, and connection in 2026.If you’ve ever felt that the word love has been diluted or misunderstood, this conversation restores its weight — and its meaning.This is the final chapter of the NYE Lollapalooza.And it’s an invitation to live the year ahead differently.Share this episode with someone who’s ready to lead — and love — at a higher standard.

In Episode 18, Jay Doran and Jenna Silverman step back and reflect on the full scope of the NYE Lollapalooza — a day-long series of conversations designed to help people close one year with intention and step into the next with clarity.Jenna, who joined as co-host for the final stretch of the day, brings a fresh lens to the recap as they unpack the patterns, themes, and through-lines that emerged across the episodes. Together, they discuss the recurring words, shared struggles, and common realizations voiced by leaders from different industries — and what those overlaps say about where people actually are heading into 2026.This episode isn’t about revisiting every conversation — it’s about zooming out. Jay and Jenna talk about:The dominant ideas that kept resurfacing across guestsWhy certain words and themes appeared again and againWhat surprised them most after hearing so many perspectives back-to-backAnd how the collective tone of the day reflects a deeper shift in leadership, faith, identity, and responsibilityEpisode 18 serves as the bookend to the Lollapalooza — a grounded, thoughtful recap meant to help listeners make sense of what they heard and decide what they want to carry forward into the new year.If you listened to even one episode from the day, this conversation helps connect the dots. And if you listened to many, it brings the meaning into focus.As always, share this episode with someone who needs perspective heading into the year ahead — and leave a review to help us continue building conversations that matter.

Episode 17 closes out the NYE Lollapalooza with a conversation that feels like a final reset before the calendar turns — not just on goals, but on identity, leadership, and what actually drives people to change.Jay Doran is joined by Jenna Silverman, Bill Reiman, Glenn Llopis, and Mark Perkins for a New Year’s Eve roundtable on the words that shaped 2025 and the words they’re carrying into 2026.Jay shares his evolution from last year’s theme — “life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards”— into a deeper truth: life isn’t a problem to solve, it’s a reality to experience. His word shifts from intensity to love, setting the tone for a conversation that’s both grounded and honest.From there, the room opens up:Jenna reflects on her shift from faith into surrender — and why surrender isn’t weakness, it’s alignment.Bill shares that his word for 2026 is faith, and talks through what it looks like to shut out noise, stop letting fear lead, and build life and business from a deeper foundation.Glenn brings the edge with a powerful framework: reinvention (2025) → conviction (2026). He challenges the idea that success is the same as health, and unpacks why so many leaders are exhausted — not from hard work, but from performing instead of truly executing as themselves.Mark anchors the conversation with a simple but relentless word: go — the compounding power of doing business the right way for years, staying decisive without perfect certainty, and continuing to move even when plans break.The group digs into the tension leaders feel every day: how to see potential clearly, how to lead people without carrying them, and how to commit to growth without sacrificing the things that actually matter.This one is a strong finish to the Lollapalooza: deep, real, and full of practical truth you can carry into 2026.If this episode hit home, share it with someone who needs it — and leave a review so we can keep reinvesting back into you.

Episode 16 of the NYE Lollapalooza is one of the most grounded, emotional, and necessary conversations of the entire day.Jay Doran is joined by Jenna Silverman, Bill Reiman, Jonathon Haddad, and Joe Silva for a raw discussion on the words that shaped 2025—and the ones guiding 2026.What begins as a simple reflection on annual themes quickly evolves into something deeper: fatherhood, responsibility, faith, emotional regulation, and perspective. The group wrestles with what it truly means to lead—not just businesses, but families, communities, and themselves.You’ll hear:Why consistency without faith lacks purposeHow strength becomes a blessing when responsibility is embracedWhy balance is not 50/50—but situational awarenessHow perspective is forged through sacrifice, time, and choiceWhat it means to raise children in a world that often avoids discipline, honor, and accountabilityThe conversation moves through personal stories of parenting, marriage, mental health, addiction, recovery, leadership pressure, and cultural erosion—without posturing or performance. It’s honest. It’s emotional. And at times, it’s heavy in the best way.A standout moment includes a reading of Rudyard Kipling’s If, used as a lens to discuss masculinity, discipline, and the responsibility to protect—not dominate—the village.This episode isn’t about resolutions.It’s about choices.It’s about keeping the main thing the main thing.And it’s about understanding that life doesn’t give perspective gently—it teaches it through experience.If you’re stepping into 2026 as a leader, a parent, or someone trying to become steadier in a chaotic world—this conversation will stay with you.🎧 Listen closely. Share what resonates. And if it moved you, leave a review—because that’s how this work continues.

Episode 15 is a different kind of New Year’s Eve conversation—less “resolution energy,” more real life, real leadership, real presence.Jay Doran and Jenna Silverman sit down with Michael Allosso and Joseph Iredell during the 2025 Lollapalooza to unpack the theme:“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”From the jump, it’s personal—Mike Calhoun has officially tapped out after an all-day hosting marathon, and Jenna steps in to co-lead the room. What follows is a layered discussion about the words that shaped 2025 and the words driving 2026:Michael Allosso (2025): Seen & Heard — the ache of invisibility, and the power of making people feel visible.Michael (2026): Intensity — no more passive interactions; every moment becomes an event, with real stakes.Joseph Iredell: moves from Understanding into Dominance for 2026—less introspection, more execution, and refusing to “play defense” after momentum is built.Jenna: reflects on Faith in 2025 and anchors 2026 in Surrender—letting go of forced outcomes while staying disciplined about clarity, communication, and aligned action.The episode also hits a few Culture Matters gold veins: casting vs. hiring, why leaders misplace people into roles that drain them, and why “stakes” change everything—your tone, your preparation, your presence, and the way people remember you.They close by wrestling with a big question: How do you teach values in a way that’s engaging—lived, not lectured?The answer keeps circling back to the same truth: values become real when they show up inside conversations, decisions, and the way we treat people when no one’s watching.If you’re heading into 2026 craving more presence, more purpose, and fewer forced outcomes—this one will land.

Episode 14 of the New Year’s Eve Lollapalooza gets loud—in the best way.Jay Doran and co-host Mike Calhoun are joined by Brad Lea, Jenna Silverman, Anthony Mirarchi, Benny Fisher, and Fobby Naghmi for a rapid-fire, high-trust conversation about the words that will define 2026—and the decisions that will shape everything that follows.The theme that keeps surfacing: you don’t change your life by wanting it… you change your life by choosing it.Here’s what each guest is carrying into 2026:Jay: Love (after Intensity) — bringing people together, leading with courage, and reclaiming parts of himself he shelved along the way.Jenna: Surrender (after Faith) — releasing forced outcomes, tightening clarity and communication, and building Culture Matters with alignment and trust.Benny: Stewardship — honoring what he’s already been entrusted with, shifting from builder to caretaker, and going deeper with fewer relationships.Fobby: Certainty — and the story behind it: how one question from Brad unlocked a decade of weight and redirected his trajectory.Anthony: Enriched / Enriching — getting uncomfortable again, creating new products in commercial insurance, and thinking roll-ups, M&A, and bigger plays.Brad: starts with Unrecognizable… then evolves it into Choice — because free will is the overlooked superpower and better decisions compound into better lives.There are also practical gems throughout: create and publish daily, don’t “make the content content,” stop negotiating with fear, and build real momentum through consistent revenue-generating action.If you’re stepping into 2026 hungry for a reset—this episode is a jolt of clarity. Share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave a review for The Culture Matters Podcast so we can keep building this the easy way.

Episode 13 of the New Year’s Eve Lollapalooza is one of the most personal—and most powerful—conversations of the day.Jay Doran and co-host Mike Calhoun are joined by Jenna Silverman, Tom Bove, Hector Sanchez, Glenn Campbell, and David Yerkes for a roundtable on the words shaping their year, the lessons they’re carrying forward, and what it really looks like to grow without gripping life so tightly.The words set the tone immediately:Jenna: Surrender (after last year’s Faith) — letting go of forced outcomes and building Culture Matters with trust, clarity, and alignment.David Yerkes: Breakthrough (after Perseverance) — after a remarkable final quarter of 2025, stepping into a new season with momentum already in motion.Hector: Momentum (after Foundation) — building something real and now pressing forward through leadership and operational consulting.Tom: Investing — investing in himself, his relationships, and presence after a year that tested him deeply.Glenn: Listening — learning to listen to understand, not to fix; becoming the kind of man people feel safe with.From there, Jay shares the heart behind why believes “love” requires risk—bringing the right people together, even when the instinct is to protect by keeping distance. Mike closes with his word, Different, and challenges everyone heading into 2026 to stop repeating what worked before and start evolving on purpose.You’ll also hear quick snapshots of what each guest is building—leadership consulting, a growing e-commerce headwear company, technology consulting, and longevity/performance medicine—and how faith, discipline, and daily action are the throughline.If you’re stepping into 2026 needing a reset in mindset, relationships, or leadership—this episode is for you. Share it with someone you care about, and leave a review on The Culture Matters Podcast to help us keep growing these conversations.

Episode 12 of the New Year’s Eve Lollapalooza is a masterclass in what actually scales: preparation, consistency, and focus — with zero fluff.Jay Doran and co-host Mike Calhoun are joined by Armand Pinoci, Aaron Scott Young, Michele Schina, Nick Lampone, Yuri Mitchell, and Nathan Knottingham for a fast-moving roundtable on their words for 2026, the lessons they’re taking from 2025, and the real priorities that will shape the year ahead.The words set the tone:Nathan: Preparedness (after last year’s Flexibility) — staying ready for the known and unknown without losing peace.Nick: Reputation — because “it’s not what people shout, it’s what they whisper,” and in finance, trust is everything.Michele: Mastery — sharpening the fundamentals, becoming a better leader, coach, and teacher through the numbers.Aaron: Momentum — shedding the distractions, doubling down on what’s boring, profitable, and scalable.Yuri: Consistency — building structure at home and at work, especially with a new baby and new responsibilities.Armand: Stability — year seven in business, a new house, and the commitment to keep the foundation strong.Mike: Different — because growth requires a new approach, not just more effort.From there, the conversation turns into pure value: how to scale by staying in your lane, why “rejection is protection,” what consistency looks like over six years of showing up, and why patience is often the hidden ingredient behind real stability.If you’re heading into 2026 wanting a clearer focus and a stronger foundation — this is your episode. Share it with someone building something real, and leave a review on The Culture Matters Podcast to help us keep elevating these conversations.