The Culture Advantage
Every organization has a culture, whether by design or by default. The real question is: does your culture give you an advantage… or hold you back?
Hosted by Dr. Michael Baran, cultural anthropologist, speaker, author, and consultant with 30 years of experience, The Culture Advantage helps leaders, teams, and professionals navigate the hidden forces that shape workplace success. From everyday interactions to organizational systems, Dr. Baran uncovers and shares how culture drives engagement, retention, innovation, performance, and well-being.
Each episode delivers practical strategies, compelling stories, and fresh insights to help you create a healthier, more inclusive, and higher-performing workplace. Whether you’re an executive, manager, or team member, you’ll gain the tools to transform your culture and unlock the full potential of your people.
👉 Subscribe and join the movement to make culture your competitive advantage.
Episodes
17 episodes
Everyday Bias, Updated: Insights from Howard and Jake Ross
You’ve heard countless people talking about bias and how it impacts the workplace. But how often do you get to hear about bias from the author of perhaps the single-most influential book on the topic?In this wide-ranging and important ep...
•
1:26:47
Transitioning into Disability: Clear Cane Chronicles with Dr. Cynthia Overton
There is so much misunderstanding and discomfort around people with disabilities. Dr. Cynthia Overton tells about how when she was using a wheelchair, people would lock eyes with her and refuse to break eye contact or even blink so they didn’t ...
•
50:01
Black Fatigue in 2025, with authors Mary-Frances Winters and Mareisha Winters Reese
Black fatigue is not just about Black people being tired. It’s about the real psychological and physical costs of racism, inequity, and exclusion. This is a people issue, and also a business issue. Any organization that ignores Black fatigue is...
•
1:04:00
From Murder Cases to Music Legends: Ethical Documentary Filmmaking with Oscar-winning Producer Caroline Waterlow
I often recommend documentaries as a good way for people to learn more about others who they might not have a lot of experience with. But not all documentaries are created equal. There are so many decisions involved in ethical and responsible s...
•
56:43
Past, Present, Future of Work: Race and culture with Effenus Henderson
It can be a challenge sometimes to get out of the present moment and take a more bird’s eye view of changes in the workplace through time. How have cultures changed over time, especially in terms of culture, biases, and inclusion? Why is this i...
•
1:01:29
“I never leave the pizza boxes:” Ally Actions with Karen Catlin
When you think of being an ally, what comes to mind? Are you thinking that being an ally means being respectful to everyone? Are you thinking about a scenario where someone is being bullied or insulted and you stand up for them or stand with th...
•
1:01:29
Katica Roy: AI Could Eradicate Bias at Work in 10 Years
Would you be surprised to learn that over 300,000 Black women were recently pushed out of the US labor force in just three months? Do you know how that impacts all of us? It was Katica Roy’s research that brought this to our national attention,...
•
1:14:19
The Pro Tips about Pronouns: Understanding and Improving They/Them Use
There’s a lot of misunderstanding about the use of gender-neutral pronouns they/them in the workplace and in the world. Many people in your organization or in your life, especially younger people, would be feeling a lot more inclusion if people...
•
15:44
What is Lurking in Our Minds? Unconscious Biases and What to Do about Them
If you’ve been working for at least a few years, especially in the corporate world, you’ve probably done an unconscious bias training. These trainings can be frustrating and ineffective! They fail to really provide deep understanding about bias...
•
23:21
Silence is Deadly: Giving and receiving feedback around challenging topics
When people are silent about the subtle exclusions that happen in a workplace, the culture suffers. When people speak up but the feedback is ignored or met with defensiveness, the culture also suffers. In this episode, Michael Baran outlines so...
•
20:07
Toxic co-workers? A new way to think about nice people causing exclusion
The people bringing down the culture of your organization are not necessarily the ones you think they are. In this episode, Michael Baran describes the insidious way that all of us, even with the best intentions, can cause our co-workers to fee...
•
23:31
Can We Talk About Charlie Kirk at Work?
It’s been over a week since Charlie Kirk was killed, and it’s still weighing on people, though in very different ways. In this episode, Michael Baran explains how organizations can’t ignore important events like this. He gives practical strateg...
•
21:18
The LIE About DEI: The Real Work that Drives Results – Part 3
DEI isn’t magic, it’s real work. And it’s worth it. In this episode, Michael Baran unpacks what DEI work actually does and how it can make a difference. Along the way, he provides some actionable tips leaders can use right away to create more t...
•
20:06
Is DEI Dead? Why Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Still Matter – Part 2
DEI has been all over the news, as political attacks affect organizations of various types. Host Michael Baran clarifies how the attacks are misleading people about DEI work, explains why the work of DEI isn’t going anywhere, and shares strateg...
•
19:18
The Truth About DEI: Myths, Meanings & Missteps - Part 1
DEI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the foundation of healthy, high-performing cultures. In this episode of The Culture Advantage Podcast, host Michael Baran breaks down what diversity, equity, and inclusion truly mean, why ...
•
19:48
Culture Isn’t What You Think: Foundations for Thriving Workplaces
Culture isn’t about food days, slogans, or posters on the wall; it’s about how people actually experience your organization every day. In the premiere episode of The Culture Advantage Podcast, Dr. Michael Baran unpacks what culture ...
•
18:33