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.
What happens when workplace culture stops being a program and starts becoming a pattern of connection? Nikki sits down with Dr. Iain Smith, Head of Behavioral Science at Sunny, to unpack why connection is not just a nice-to-have at work, but the foundation for meaningful, sustainable performance.
Together, they explore why culture is better understood through behavior, rhythms, and relationships than through buzzwords alone. Dr. Smith shares fresh insights on digital overload, team vibrancy, Gen Z loneliness at work, and why leaders need to stop relying on more tools and start designing better ways for people to connect, contribute, and thrive.
From rituals and team energy to the realities of hybrid work, this conversation is a powerful reminder that when connection comes first, culture follows. If you care about people-first leadership and building workplaces that actually work for humans, this one will stay with you.
Additional Resources:
Learn more about Sunny
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Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn
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Nikki’s Key Takeaways:
- Culture reflects behaviors, not abstract values.
- Connection is designed through rhythms and rituals.
- Digital overload weakens depth, not communication frequency.
- Team energy is everyone’s shared responsibility.
- Young leaders need support, practice, and real 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.