Momentum Mode

Most leaders talk about culture. Tom Alexander builds the infrastructure for it. When Corey Ferengul and Mike Shannon sat down with Tom, the conversation cut through the fluff. No slogans. No HR speak. Just a clear-eyed look at how culture actually works when it’s intentional and what happens when it’s not. As CEO of Holistic, Tom sees employee experience as infrastructure. Not a perk, not a vibe, but a system. One that defines how decisions get made, how trust gets built, and how performance gets sustained. The result? A conversation about culture that feels less like theory and more like strategy. One where loyalty is earned, not assumed. And where transparency isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s the baseline. Culture happens with or without you. Tom, Corey, and Mike dig into what it looks like to lead like you know that.

It’s not enough to be ambitious. You need leverage. That means building a network before you need it. Asking for advice before you raise your hand. Learning from the ones who’ve already done it, not trying to figure it out alone. For early-stage founders, the unlock isn’t capital. It’s access. And the fastest way to gain it? Become valuable.

In rule-based industries, AI isn’t just replacing busywork. It’s unlocking real leverage. Law, coding, contracts, ops. What took hours now takes minutes. It’s not about cutting corners. It’s about elevating the work that actually needs a human. The game isn’t over. It’s evolving.

The best shift in modern work culture? We’re finally making space for people to say, “I’m not okay.” Not in whispers. Not with shame. There’s no easy fix for burnout or anxiety. But opening the conversation is how it gets better.

Hiring someone to "own culture" isn't an escape hatch. It's a strategy move. But if you're not already modeling the ethos yourself, it won't land. Culture starts as founder behavior. Then it becomes systemized. Stay interviews. Honest pulse checks. Shared language. The work isn't soft. It's structural.

You don’t win by having more data. You win by creating the right kind. That’s the shift: from data company to data creation company.

Most companies say they have values. Fewer actually live them. If your values aren’t showing up in your all-hands, your onboarding, your recognition systems, they’re not culture. They’re wallpaper. Culture becomes real when it’s repeated, reinforced, and rewarded. Every single day.

The market might feel saturated. The hype may have cooled. But the opportunity? Still wide open. Category leaders don’t emerge at launch. They’re built through version after version, each one closer to what the customer actually needs. Keep building. It’s still your move.

The best people don’t want more structure. They want more trust. Let them own a decision. Let them fall. Let them fix it. That’s how leaders grow. That’s how companies scale.

The real unlock for career growth? Designing yourself out of a job. Too many managers cling to their seat like it’s the prize. But the people who rise are the ones building the bench behind them. You don’t get promoted when you’re indispensable. You get promoted when your team can thrive without you.