Culture Doesn’t Just Happen, It’s Built With Intention (feat. Sara Escobar and Corinne Murray)
Sara Escobar is a workplace strategist and change leader for global companies including Riot Games, Netflix, and Hulu. She helps organizations solve complex workplace challenges—and believes that improving how we work is the key to improving how we live. Corinne Murray is a work futurist and workplace who has led transformations at WeWork, American Express, and CBRE. She draws on expertise in behavior, hybrid models, and AI’s impact on how and where we work.
HOST
Matt Poepsel, PhD
Vice President & Godfather of Talent Optimization
GUEST
Sara Escobar and Corinne Murray
Authors, WORK Then PLACE
In this episode, workplace culture experts Sara Escobar and Corinne Murray join the show to challenge outdated ideas about culture, design, and how organizations actually function. Drawing from their experience building people-centered environments at scale, they unpack why culture isn’t a vibe; it’s a system, and how thoughtful infrastructure can transform how people show up at work.
From exploring the invisible forces that shape behavior to redefining how we think about belonging, Sara and Corinne share actionable ways leaders can co-create better ecosystems, not just experiences. They also dig into the tension between fast-moving culture and long-term change, the role of physical and digital environments, and why copying Google’s office design doesn’t make your company innovative.
Key Takeaways:
- Culture needs to be intentionally designed, not left to chance.
- Belonging happens when systems and behaviors align.
- You cannot copy-paste another company’s culture.
- Real connection requires more than just physical or digital spaces.
- Sustainable change comes from small, consistent actions.
Additional Resources:
Read WORK Then PLACE: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1960299972
Follow Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraescoux/
Follow Corinne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinnejmurray/
Follow Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattpoepsel/
Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network/posts/?feedView=all
Learn more about PeopleForward Network: http://www.peopleforwardnetwork.com/
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