Gut+Science explores employee engagement insights you can act on, from CEOs you can trust. Get ready for high energy interviews led by employee engagement evangelist Nikki Lewallen—ones that’ll have you rethinking what it means to build successful people-first cultures.
The strongest leaders know performance starts long before the metrics. It starts in the relationships we build.
Nikki sits down with April Morgan, founder and CEO of Elevate People Ops and author of “Married to the Job”, to explore why work is, at its core, a relationship. April shares how trust, emotional intelligence, honest conversations, and genuine connection shape everything from engagement to retention and performance. 💛
From spotting the subtle signs of a struggling team to navigating uncomfortable conversations and keeping remote employees connected, April offers practical ways leaders can strengthen relationships every day. In a workplace increasingly shaped by AI and automation, this conversation is a powerful reminder that technology can make communication easier, but people still need to feel valued, heard, and cared for.
Additional Resources:
Connect with April on LinkedIn
Grab her book! [“Married to the Job”](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GYPVJHJH?)
Learn more about Elevate People Ops
Watch Gut + Science (and more) on YouTube!
Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn
Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn
Learn more about PeopleForward Network
Nikki’s Key Takeaways:
- Every conversation either strengthens or weakens a workplace relationship.
- Energy often changes before an employee’s performance does.
- Difficult conversations build trust when leaders approach them with curiosity.
- Healthy boundaries help people perform at their best.
- Technology improves communication, but cannot replace genuine human connection.
Nikki Gregory
Gut + Science
Gut + Science is a mentoring platform for people-first leaders of all levels. We talk to exceptional leaders who prioritize culture, get fired up about employee engagement, and are excited to share ideas and tools for bettering employee experiences.
We are on a mission to improve employee engagement by inspiring and equipping leaders to help employees thrive at work. Host Nikki Gregory highlights accomplished, people-first CEOs (and executives) that share their powerful mindsets, experiences and tools that have helped them succeed. Content experts share education and inspiration on topics such as diversity and inclusion, emerging and lucid leadership, and corporate social responsibility. We named the show Gut + Science because leaders need both data and experiences to guide decision making.
Nikki is passionate about helping millions love their work, about giving back, about investing in people. In Gut + Science, these callings come to life in the form of high-energy interviews designed to help pave the way for people-first cultures, and give leaders the inside scoop on how to build winning cultures and companies. Nikki has helped countless executives make meaningful, relationship-oriented investments.