Serious Playfulness | Team and Culture

For leaders who care deeply about people and outcomes.Hosted by Kyle Neilson and Stephanie Rivard, Serious Playfulness explores the tensions of leadership, team dynamics, and culture with warmth, clarity, and just enough humour. These are candid conversations on trust, self-doubt, team health, and what it means to lead well, without corporate fluff. If you're building something that matters and want to lead with integrity, you're in the right place.

Serious Playfulness | Team and Culture is a business podcast hosted by Kyle Neilson and Stephanie, with 18 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Kyle Neilson and Stephanie hosts Serious Playfulness | Team and Culture, a business show with 18 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Serious Playfulness | Team and Culture

  The Vocation of the Business Leader: Conversation with Roger Aguinaldo

  Sep 11, 202642 min

  Catholic leaders are rethinking money, mission, and the future of faith‑driven business. In this episode, we explore how Catholic institutions can steward resources more boldly, invest with conviction, and build mission‑aligned businesses that actually thrive. And the big highlight: the upcoming Catholic Faith Investor Summit in New York! A gathering of leaders stewarding Catholic capital and reshaping how the Church engages the financial world. If you want to be part of this movement, the Summit is where it starts.

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  Serious Playfulness | Team and Culture

  Growing Leaders the Right Way

  Jul 7, 202622 min

  In this episode of Serious Playfulness, Kyle and Stephanie dig into the challenges of fast growth, young managers, and multicultural teams. They talk about how to support new leaders, how to use working genius to depersonalize tension, and why mentorship matters when people are learning to manage for the first time. They share stories about communication gaps across countries, the risks of unclear expectations, and the simple tools that help leaders build confidence and clarity. You will learn: Why young managers need more support than most leaders assume How working genius helps teams understand each other What mentorship looks like in a growing organization How cultural differences shape communication Why clarity at the top affects everyone downstream If you want to grow your people while you grow your business, this conversation will give you practical steps to start. Subscribe for more conversations on team health, authentic leadership, and the real challenges facing mission driven organizations, or visit us at teemwork.ca. #teemwork #teamhealth #clarityincommunication

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  Serious Playfulness | Team and Culture

  Beauty, Culture, and the Messy Work of Making Art

  May 26, 202622 minS2

  <p>In this episode of Serious Playfulness, Kyle talks with painter Laurel Dougan about the beauty hiding in everyday life, the pull of technology, and what it means to follow a creative calling.</p><p>They share stories from the Napa conference, the shift from realism to abstraction, and the moment Laurel felt pushed to keep going. It’s a conversation about art, faith, and the courage to keep creating when the path isn’t clear.</p><p>You will learn:</p>How technology shapes our sense of beautyWhat it looks like to nurture a creative vocationWhy value in art has...

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  Episode #5

  How to go on Vacation (for Real)

  Apr 27, 202621 minS2

  <p>In this episode of Serious Playfulness, Kyle and Stephanie dig into why so many leaders struggle to truly unplug, even when they know they need a break. They explore how unclear delegation, constant firefighting, and identity‑driven habits quietly keep leaders tethered to their phones, their inboxes, and their teams.</p><p>They share stories of organizations where leaders became the bottleneck without realizing it, and how that dependency creates stress, confusion, and burnout for everyone involved. You’ll learn why healthy systems and clear authority aren’t just operational tools, they’re what make real rest possible.</p><p>You’ll l...

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  Serious Playfulness | Team and Culture

  Clarity Before Marketing: The Step Most Teams Skip

  Apr 13, 202616 minS0

  <p>In this episode of Serious Playfulness, Kyle and Stephanie tackle the mistake most teams make before launching a campaign: skipping internal clarity.</p><p>They share stories of organizations that “spin out” trying to market without knowing who they are or why they exist, and how that confusion leads to vague messaging, wasted money, and team frustration. You’ll learn why clarity isn’t just about better copy, it’s about cohesion, confidence, and results.</p><p>You’ll learn:</p>Why unclear goals quietly sabotage campaignsHow internal confusion shows up in external messagingSimple clarity questions that save time and money<p>If...

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