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.
The Culture Advantage
Transitioning into Disability: Clear Cane Chronicles with Dr. Cynthia Overton
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
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 look at the wheelchair.
In this powerful episode, Dr. Michael Baran interviews Dr. Overton, a fellow social scientist. They discuss Cynthia’s transition from a person without a disability to a person with a disability at age 26 when she was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord injury. Cynthia tells the story of what that was like, how people engaged with her, and how she navigates life now. She also provides insights on the health care system, learned from her experiences living in hospitals for seven weeks. This episode will help listeners think more deeply about a wide range of disabilities, think more critically about the health care system, and learn practical strategies to interact with all people and build a culture that is truly inclusive and safe for everyone. We will also discuss more lighthearted topics such as Cynthia’s forays into stand-up comedy and her love for The Golden Girls or K-dramas.
Resources mentioned:
Clear Cane Chronicles book
Crip Camp documentary