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You can want your team to care as much as you do… but they can’t. They didn’t live your story. They’re not fueled by your experience. Even if they’ve been through something similar, it still won’t match the fire that drives you. When you project your passion onto them, it doesn’t inspire—it overwhelms. Your role isn’t to make people carry your story. It’s to create space for them to find their own “why” inside your mission. Full episode available on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. 🎙️Founder Culture is the podcast for founders and startup leaders who want to build companies where people actually work well together, not just work hard. This isn’t leadership theory. It’s what happens when real problems create real pressure—and how to build a team that can handle both. Full episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms.
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Projection is sneaky. It’s when you expect people to think like you, care like you, or respond the way you would. You might think you’re setting a standard, but what your team actually feels is pressure. Learn what happens when passion turns into projection in the full episode “I expect my team to care as much as I do.” 🔗Full episode now on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. 🎙️Founder Culture is the podcast for founders and startup leaders who want to build companies where people actually work well together, not just work hard. This isn’t leadership theory. It’s what happens when real problems create real pressure—and how to build a team that can handle both. Full episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms.
🚨New Episode: “I Expect My Team to Care As Much As I Do.” is out now. 🚨 If you’ve ever thought this, you’re not alone. Many founders project their personal story onto their team, expecting the same level of passion, urgency, and commitment they carry. But when you do, your fire actually becomes pressure. In my latest Founder Culture episode, I share how to step out of the projection trap: ✨ Measure by results, not passion level ✨ Inspire without transferring your experience ✨ Pause to ask: “Am I reacting to now—or to my past?” ✨ Let your team connect through their own ‘why’ 🔗Episode now on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. 🎙️Founder Culture is the podcast for founders and startup leaders who want to build companies where people actually work well together, not just work hard. This isn’t leadership theory. It’s what happens when real problems create real pressure—and how to build a team that can handle both. Full episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms.
Culture doesn’t drift because your team is broken. It drifts because your team grew—and no one hit pause to realign. If you’re noticing: 🔸 Missed messages 🔸 Slower decisions 🔸 New hires not quite getting it …it’s time for a reset. In this quick clip, I break down how to realign your team with one powerful move: A Behavioral Reset. It’s simple. It’s strategic. It’s how you keep growth from turning into chaos. Watch and save this for your next team shift. Full episode: “We’ve added great people but something feels off” now available on YouTube and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 🎙️Founder Culture is the podcast for founders and startup leaders who want to build companies where people actually work well together, not just work hard. This isn’t leadership theory. It’s what happens when real problems create real pressure—and how to build a team that can handle both. Full episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms.
Most teams don’t break because of bad hires. They break because no one stops to realign how the team works together after the growth. That moment when things start to feel different and things suddenly seem a lot harder, that’s Culture Drift and it happens fast when new people join and old habits linger. In this clip, I break down why it happens and what to do before the drift becomes a divide. 🔗Full episode available on YouTube and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 🎙️Founder Culture is the podcast for founders and startup leaders who want to build companies where people actually work well together, not just work hard. This isn’t leadership theory. It’s what happens when real problems create real pressure—and how to build a team that can handle both. Full episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms.
🚨New Episode: “We've Added Great People but Something Feel Off” is out now. 🚨 If your team has grown recently and something feels off—you’re not alone. Group chats have gone quiet. Roles feel unclear. Meetings feel heavier. And even you—yes, you—are hesitating before you speak. This is called Culture Drift: The quiet shift in norms, behaviors, and expectations that happens when a team grows. In the latest episode of Founder Culture, I break down: ✔️ Why adding new people changes more than just headcount ✔️ What culture drift looks like when it starts ✔️ How to call a Behavioral Reset and get your team back in sync 🔗Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you enjoy podcasts. 🎙️Founder Culture is the podcast for founders and startup leaders who want to build companies where people actually work well together, not just work hard. This isn’t leadership theory. It’s what happens when real problems create real pressure—and how to build a team that can handle both. Full episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms.
You don’t have to earn your rest. You just have to protect it. 📹 In this clip from our Founder Culture interview, Serita Lewis reminds us that boundaries aren’t about building walls. They are also about keeping the promises we make to ourselves. As a founder, educator, and community leader, Serita has learned how to hold space for others without abandoning herself and that’s a lesson too many leaders learn the hard way. If you’ve been overextending, overcommitting, or over-functioning, this moment is your reminder: Boundaries are a leadership tool. Check out the full episode “The Hero Habit with Serita Lewis of Urbnseek!” available now on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. 🎙️ Founder Culture is the podcast for founders and startup leaders who want to build companies where people actually work well together, not just work hard. This isn’t leadership theory. It’s what happens when real problems create real pressure—and how to build a team that can handle both. Full episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms.
Work-life balance isn’t just about hours—it’s about alignment. 📹 In this powerful clip, my guest Serita Lewis drops a gem that every founder and change-maker needs to hear: "It's ok for you to define your work-life balance as opposed to what other people think it should be.” As the founder of Urbnseek!, Serita knows what it means to lead with purpose while staying rooted in community and well-being. This clip reframes the conversation around finding balance as an entrepreneur in a way that’s personal and practical, especially if you’ve been trying to juggle it all without losing yourself. Catch the full interview in the latest Founder Culture episode: “The Hero Habit, Pt. 2 – Interview with Serita Lewis” available now on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. 🎙️ Founder Culture is the podcast for founders and startup leaders who want to build companies where people actually work well together, not just work hard. This isn’t leadership theory. It’s what happens when real problems create real pressure—and how to build a team that can handle both. Full episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms.
Still trying to do it all yourself? You’re not alone. 🚨In this week’s episode of Founder Culture, I continue the conversation on The Hero Habit—the mindset that convinces founders they have to carry it all, even when it’s clearly too much. But this time, I’m not unpacking it alone. I’m joined by Serita Lewis, founder of Urbnseek!, a powerhouse community-builder and social entrepreneur whose work proves that building strategic relationships is a leadership skill. Together, we talk about:
This conversation is real, refreshing, and full of wisdom for leaders ready to trade exhaustion for elevation. “The Hero Habit with Serita Lewis of Urbnseek!” available now on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts.  Meet Serita Lewis, Founder of Urbnseek!, a social impact organization rooted in West Philadelphia. As an educator, activist, social entrepreneur, and devoted youth advocate, Serita has woven a narrative of impact throughout her journey, leaving a recognizable mark on the city she loves back. Urbnseek! believes community isn’t just where you live - it’s how you live, connect, and grow! Their holistic approach to community betterment helps companies meet their community impact goals through meaningful activations and experiences designed to positively connect with people in underserved neighborhoods. To connect with Serita Lewis, you can find her on Instagram at @urbnseek or drop her an email at [email protected] 🎙️ Founder Culture is the podcast for founders and startup leaders who want to build companies where people actually work well together, not just work hard. This isn’t leadership theory. It’s what happens when real problems create real pressure—and how to build a team that can handle both. Full episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms.
 Photo Credit: Pixabay via Pexels Do you remember those Hair Club for Men commercials from the 80s and 90s? They always ended with: “I’m not only the president, I’m also a client.” That’s how many founders feel about their business. You didn’t just build a company. You built the solution you wish existed when you needed it most. The product. The service. The technology. The thing that would have made all the difference for you. That personal connection is your superpower. It fuels your drive, helps you push through long nights, and gives you the conviction to keep going when others would quit. But it can also set a trap. For you, the business is a calling so when you see your team treating the work as “just a job,” it doesn’t feel like a small issue. It feels personal. The Behavior: Projection What’s happening here is Projection. Projection is when you subconsciously place your own thoughts, feelings, and expectations onto others, assuming they should think, act, or feel the way you do. As a founder, projection shows up when:
Here’s why it hits so hard: when you’ve lived the problem, your standards aren’t just professional, they’re personal. You don’t just want your team to deliver results, you want them to feel it. You want them to carry the same sense of urgency, the same weight of responsibility, the same passion that drives you. But here’s the truth: they can’t. They didn’t live your story. Even if they’ve faced something similar, it’s just not the same and that disconnect convinces you they don’t care when in reality, they may just care differently. Why It Matters When projection takes over, your passion—the very thing that makes you a powerful leader—can backfire. It turns into pressure. Your team feels like they’re carrying your personal wounds instead of building toward a shared goal. Over time, instead of inspiring them, your fire starts to drain them. This is why so many founders end up saying, “I can’t find good help.” It’s not that talent is missing but that passion is being measured in the wrong way. The Reset Here’s how you step out of the projection trap without dimming your fire:
The Takeaway Your story matters. Your passion is the torch that lights the path forward. But leadership isn’t about cloning your fire or demanding your team shows up the way you do. It’s about creating a space where each person can bring their own light. Together, you shine brighter than you ever could alone. 🎙️Founder Culture is the podcast for founders and startup leaders who want to build companies where people actually work well together, not just work hard. This isn’t leadership theory. It’s what happens when real problems create real pressure—and how to build a team that can handle both. Full episodes available on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms.
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