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What if your company culture wasn’t just an HR buzzword but the secret weapon to scaling your business?
Welcome to Kan Talk Kulture, the podcast that dives deep into how remarkable company cultures are intentionally built and how they can transform your team, your business, and your bottom line.
Hosted by Kylie Anne Neal, founder of Kan Kulture and a passionate expert in people, culture, and leadership, this show is designed for business owners, CEOs, HR professionals, and anyone who believes that empowered people are the key to long-term success.
Each episode features real conversations with inspiring CEOs, business leaders, and culture champions who share how they’ve shaped their team environments alongside case studies, practical tips, and bold questions that challenge the status quo.
Whether you're looking to boost employee engagement, create a high-performance team, or align your people with your vision, this podcast will help you connect the dots between culture and growth.
At Kan Kulture, we believe in Kindness, Understanding, Learning, Trust, Uniqueness, Respect, and Evolving, and this podcast brings those values to life.
If you're ready to turn your team into your biggest brand ambassadors and create a workplace people love, this is the podcast for you.
Find out more at www.kankulture.com
Hi, I'm Kylie Anne Neal, founder of Kan Kulture and welcome to Kan Talk Kulture. In this podcast, I sit down with some of Australia's most progressive founders and CEOs to explore the heart of their company cultures. What drives them, what they value, and what it's really like to work for the companies they lead.
You'll also find occasional episodes packed with practical HR insights to help you. Build safer, stronger, and more trusted workplaces. So whether you're a new team member, getting to know your workplace, curious about creating remarkable company cultures, or just wanting to know more about implementing HR best practice, you are in the right place.
Let's dive in.
Hello and welcome back to the Kan Talk Kulture podcast. I'm Kylie Anne Neal, your host, and today I have a very, very, very special guest with me. We're taking a bit of a different approach today, and instead of interviewing a CEO or founder, I'm interviewing an 8-year-old. I wanna hear what my 8-year-old cleaver James Neal has to say about work culture and recess.
Welcome to the podcast Cleaver.
Thank you for having me.
Thank you for joining me. It's an absolute delight to have you here. So, first of all, do you wanna just tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name's Cleaver. I'm in grade three. I go to Eleanor State School. My best friends are, I've got Alfie, who has cerebral palsy and she's a really good friend of mine.
Yes.
And Liam, which is my friend too. He just lives like about 700 meters away from me.
Yes.
So. I've got a lot of friends around me.
Good on you, Cleaver. Good on you. And it's really great to have you here today. 'cause what I'd like to talk to you about is what an eight year old's perception is of work. So mom works, HR consulting, um, dad works, dad's a carer for people with disabilities.
What's your take on. Working parents, what do you think they do all day?
Well, it's kind of easy to understand what my dad does because he's like, I've been to a lot of his work days.
Yes, you have.
And um, he cares for the people with disabilities and I think that's really great. But with my mom, you always try and.
Tell it to me and my dad, but I'm not sure. Dad understands, but I, I don't, I can understand a bit of it, but I can't explain it.
Okay. That's okay. A lot of people don't understand human resources and what we do all day, but what do you, what do you see me do? Because I guess the difference between my job and dad's job is that I'm.
In an office most of the time.
Yeah. The main thing I see you do is there are all these, I'd never read them 'cause there's like such big words in it, but I think there's more like on public holidays, weekends, school holidays, all the days off, I. When I'm having a day off at school, you normally sometimes take me to cafes and normally take me to the beach and you sit down with your, um, whatever they're called
with my clients.
With your clients,
yep.
Or consultants and, um, you talk to them.
Yep.
But I always bring something to entertain me, so I don't normally listen to it.
Okay. Who do you think has more fun at work? Mum or dad.
Dad.
Okay.
Fair. Because what? He always goes to places.
Yep. That's fair. That's fair. If you think about school, and so mom's work is about creating remarkable company cultures.
What do you think a company culture is all about?
I have no idea.
Fair enough. No idea. No idea. Okay. Okay. What do you think the difference is between a good boss and a bad boss?
Well, we always get these, they're called dictation passages, and. I think a good boss is someone who's cruel, who doesn't work with them, doesn't get involved, doesn't talk to them, doesn't answer to them.
If they ask something they don't like, if it was asked to go somewhere to have a chat, they would be like. No, you should be you. It's just, you should be better than this. It's not me, it's not anyone else. It's just you.
Yeah.
So you can improve without talking.
Mm-hmm. What about a good boss? What do you think a good boss looks like?
Well, a good boss is like the exact opposite. It's um, someone who works, gets involved. Answers is nice and like you can do it.
Mm mm
But I don't know how an adult would explain that 'cause I'm just doing that. With all, all the knowledge I know about good bosses and bad bosses.
Yeah. What about if you think about school teachers, what makes a good school teacher and what makes a bad school teacher?
Well, I think a good teacher is like I, my teacher, Mr. J who, who's my teacher right now, I think he's a good teacher. A teacher who gives you breaks, warms you up, um, like gives you. No doubt, but the bad teachers are the ones who are strict and it's like you didn't finish it in time. So you have, there are consequences, but there are consequences anyways.
But like strict and there, the all the consequences that can be
consequences. That's, that's a really good one. 'cause you know, if we translate that to what it would look like in a workplace, we talk about deadlines. If some, if a manager gets angry 'cause the deadlines aren't met, sometimes that can create a bit of a friction in workplaces.
That's, that's starting to make a bit of sense for me.
Okay. I have another question for you. When we're at work, we need to have breaks so that we can concentrate and take a bit of time out. What breaks do you have at school?
Well, we have fruit break. Mr. J, which is my teacher, gives us a warmup. So like 10 star jumps, um, squats and all the, yeah.
Beautiful. At, at Fruit Break. Does he?
No. Before Fruit Break, then we have Fruit break.
Mm-hmm. First
break. Second break. And then we have a little break at the end called Free time.
Cool.
Well, we call it downtime in our classroom.
Cool.
So you can like chill or you can go on an iPad. You can draw and play games.
Great.
And normally that's on fun Friday. My teacher calls it Friday. Yay.
Friday. Awesome.
But we technically have it every day unless we're doing something.
Okay. Do you think people should have to ask to go to the toilet?
Well. I have to go, I, I normally have to ask to go to the toilet in my class or at break.
We don't have to ask unless it's, um, first break or second break and you're sitting down. 'cause you have to ask the teacher for safety reasons,
safety reasons. Mm-hmm.
But normally. You could just go and play time. And so there's a bell two minutes before the actual bell.
Mm-hmm.
Which is a bell. Like to go to the toilet and have a drink, get ready and go to class.
Right.
The second bell is the learning bell, which is to line up. I like say the door was there. Like, imagine a door right there. Um, we line up like in a line across to the door.
Mm-hmm.
So like you open the door like that and everyone's sitting across. On the left hand side.
Mm-hmm. Why do you think that's good to line up before you go back into class?
Well, because if the teacher's not there, you'll still be like, well, my teacher's told me to get inside, so I should just do it. What if someone like breaks their leg or something and your teacher's not there?
Mm.
To call the office?
Mm. So you mentioned safety. And that's the reason why you need to, to ask to go to the toilet for safety reasons.
What do you think that looks like at workplaces?
Well, you wouldn't really do that in, 'cause I, when I go into your office, like I've bent to your office for days, for some days, and I bring like my iPad, my switch, and. You are off. You've got your key on your desk.
For the toilet.
Yeah, for the toilet. And people would just go up and ask Kylie, can I please have the key?
I need the toilet. And you would of course say yes.
Yeah.
And then they'd go to the toilet. Sometimes when I go to the toilet, I find it good that I have a break of class and I have a drink. I normally wet my face to make it cold in case my, I'm really hot.
Mm-hmm. Okay. Okay. Why do you think some people love their job and some people hate it?
Well, hate would be, if you are talking about hating your job, like there's a few different things. There's like disliking your job. There's, I don't like this job and there's hating your job. And like everyone says, hate's a very strong word.
Hate is a very strong word.
And if you hate your job, I reckon that's either a time to quit.
Mm-hmm.
Or a time to be like. I'm getting out of here. Mm. Like just leaving.
Yeah.
And no. And never coming back. And if you love your job, which love's also a really strong good word,
it is.
Then that'd be like, I love my job. Thank you so much for surrounding me with these wonderful people.
Yes.
Which I think's like your job.
Yes.
Because you like all the people that work with you.
Yes, I do. I like my job
and it's like, I really like this.
Yes. Yes, and I, I think as well, there's like, you know, in a lot of adults there's a sense of pride in what we do in our job sometimes.
Yeah. There's like, because if you do like the hard work, it's like riding your bike or the butterfly effect.
If you do something bad that can affect a lot of people. Yes. If you do something good that can, it's like the Butterfly effect is a thing where, um, I've been reading about that lately. Yes. And the Butterfly effect is a thing where like, apparently one butterfly can make a hurricane.
Yes.
Because like a butterfly could flap its wings.
Or even like if you get a pebble and throw it in the pond. That's the butterfly effect. 'cause you can see all the ripples,
the ripple effect. Yes. And how do you think that translates to a workplace?
Well, I think that could translate, as in one of your friends might be trying your job because they really like you.
And they could be like, don't try this boss is bad. And then they could be like, oh no. And then one of their friends could be trying it. And they're like, no, don't do it. 'cause this boss is bad. And then it can keep going, going, going until it gets to the boss, which can get you in a lot of trouble.
Okay, Cleaver.
Let's pretend that we're building your dream company. So you've got your dream company, you've got lots of people working in your company, and you are the boss. Okay. Okay. So you are the boss. You can do what you want in your company. Okay. What, what do you think the working hours should be?
Well, I'd like the working hours, honestly, to be, work for two hours.
Have a breakfast break.
Yep.
Three hours.
Yeah.
Another break.
Yeah.
And then one hour, which is an hour where we can. That's an hour where we talk to each other,
love it,
and help each other.
Love it.
And give each other good words.
Yes.
Like if someone needs help with an email,
yes,
they can help them.
Okay.
And then they pack away.
And when they're finished, packing away. It's a Thank you all for being with me today.
Love it.
Let's have an even better day tomorrow.
Love it. Love it. Okay, so they start at 7:00 AM they work seven till nine. They have a breakfast break, and then they come back and then they work three hours of focus time.
They have a lunch break, and then they come back for an hour, and that hour is about. All of them talking. So they're connecting. They're getting to know their workmates. Workmates. They're building each other up, and they're not doubting each other
and pushing them up, not down.
Yep. Yep.
And then if they all work together, teamwork makes the dream work.
Teamwork makes the dream work. That's very, very true. So in your company, what's the one rule that everyone must follow?
No. Doubting each other. And you have to trust everyone. Or else you're out.
Love it. Trust is a very, very important thing at work.
No negativity.
No negativity. Stamp that out. Thank you.
When someone does a really great job, how would you reward them?
Well, in school, the teachers normally do rewarding with. When I was in prep, I had a sticker chart.
Yeah.
And there were like a few people in my class had it.
Yeah.
But it was like you get a sticker for sitting down.
Yes.
You get a sticker for sitting down in your chair.
You get a sticker for good work.
Yes.
And at the day, at the end of the day,
yes.
Well, at the end of the week, if you have more than 10 stickers,
yeah.
You get a prize.
Love it.
And that prize can be. I forgot the prizes. And at the front we had these, um, things, which is like, there was, um, these charts at the front, which were like high five and then you'd um, like
fist pump?
Yeah, fist pump high five.
Yeah,
because we had these little, there was hug. You fist bump that, and then you get a hug. There's knuckles there, and there were, I forgot the other ones.
Awesome.
And we had a chart, which I feel like that's pushing, pushing them up in somehow. I can't really explain it though.
Yep.
So that's, that's the reward system that you think would make fit people feel good and energized to do their job.
Yeah. But that'd also be, that'd be like a kindie.
Yeah. In your dream company, what happens if someone is grumpy or is mean to their workmates? What, what would the consequence be in your business?
Well, I had, I would have like a system, like I'd have boss, CEO, and, and all the others below.
Mm-hmm.
They're all different offices.
Okay.
Like they could be like a three story office with one has one roll, two roll, three roll. And again, I'm not talking about sausage roll.
Okay.
But, um, the roles are like if someone's negative to someone else, then put them down a roll.
Demote them.
Demote them, and if they're doing good. You can promote them, then promote them. Then promote them. Then promote them.
Okay.
Which would be, I reckon, a good system for school or something.
Okay. Thank you. If you could change one thing about how grownups work, what would it be?
I'd change the negativity.
You'd change the negativity? My child. I'd love that.
What would you do?
I would change the negativity too. I think it's very important that we support each other very
negative physical behavior.
Oh yes, definitely. But there's also a lot, a lot of negativity when people doubt another person, like you've mentioned.
Yeah,
I would cut doubting. 'cause that's,
yeah,
I know it happens a lot because that's just how life works, but I don't think it should.
It does. It does happen a lot. And if you think about your friends at school and everyone that you're in the classroom with, sometimes people don't get along. So sometimes there is some negativity and some tough challenging scenarios to to work through.
'cause we can't all be friends with everyone.
That's true.
It is true. So cutting out the negativity is a perfect response. Okay. I have all of my guests on my podcast. I ask one question at the end, and I'd like to ask you that question. Are you ready for my final question?
I'm ready for your final question.
Okay. Cleaver. If your dream company were a song, what would it be and why?
Well, I forgot how it went, but there was a song I did in grade one. No, what? Was it grade one? Yeah. Oh no. Uh, yeah, grade, grade one. And it was, I think it was called like never give up or something. Okay. And I'd do that because that's saying to not never give up and don't doubt each other.
Do you remember the song? Can you sing me a line of it?
I completely forgot the line.
It's okay. Never give up. Cleaver James Neil. Thank you very much for joining me today on this podcast. It's,
I'm very honored as well.
It's been a great conversation and thank you for your time. Thank you for listening to today's podcast, and I look forward to seeing you next time.
Bye.
Thanks for joining me on Kan Talk Kulture. I'm Kylie Anne Neal. I hope today's episode gave you a clear review into the values driving your workplace. All sparked new ideas about building a remarkable company culture. If you're a founder or CEO interested in sharing your culture story, or if you are looking to build a safer, stronger, and more trusted workplace, let's connect.
Visit Kan Kulture.com. That's K-A-N-K-U-L-T-U-R e.com. To learn more, please hit that subscribe button to hear up more real conversations with founders and CEOs and hands-on episodes full of people. First culture advice. I look forward to connecting with you on our next episode.