Welcome back to Beneath the Transaction.

This week we sit down with Alix Prassas — an organizational effectiveness leader with more than two decades of experience in People & Culture, global organizational development, DEI, and change management.

But this conversation isn’t about frameworks.

It’s about the moments that shape culture quietly and powerfully.

Alix shares her journey from working in a family business to leading large-scale transformation efforts, and what she’s learned about trust, vulnerability, and accountability along the way.

Together, we explore:

• Why culture is formed beneath the surface

• How small leadership moments shape belonging

• Why vulnerability is a prerequisite for trust

• What accountability looks like when it’s rooted in relationship

• Why conversations around diversity require courage and openness

• And what it means to “have the conversation anyway”

This episode is honest. It’s practical. And it reminds us that transformation isn’t about bold declarations — it’s about consistent courage.

It takes a Tribe to practice transformation.

Let’s practice this together.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Culture Change

01:58 Alix's Background and Journey

06:32 The Importance of Culture in Retail

14:34 Building Trust and Vulnerability

20:25 Navigating Difficult Conversations

30:58 The Role of Accountability in Leadership

40:28 Personal Stories and Lessons Learned

50:11 Final Thoughts on Culture Transformation

What if the version of yourself you bring to work… isn’t the real you?

In this episode of Beneath the Transaction, I sit down with Kendra Davenport, President and CEO of Easterseals, to talk about what it really means to lead beyond the surface.

Kendra leads an organization that impacts over 1.5 million people each year, overseeing a national network of 70 affiliates and 38,000 employees across the country. With more than three decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, her leadership has consistently been rooted in one thing:

People.

But what stood out most in this conversation wasn’t her scale—it was her willingness to go deeper.

To be vulnerable. To be transparent. To let people actually know her—and for her to know them.

We talk about the tension so many leaders feel—showing up professionally while leaving the personal at the door—and why the best leaders don’t operate that way.

Because culture isn’t built through policies or processes.

It’s built through relationships.

And the leaders who are willing to show up fully— not perfectly, but honestly— are the ones who create environments where people actually grow.

This is a conversation for leaders who want more than performance.

Who want connection. Trust. And something real.

Because transformation doesn’t happen at the surface.

It happens when we’re willing to be known.

If this resonates, take a moment and ask yourself—where am I holding back as a leader? And what would it look like to show up more fully this week?

Follow Beneath the Transaction for more episodes like this. Thanks for listening!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Nonprofit Landscape 02:56 Kendra's Journey into Nonprofit Leadership 06:00 The Dichotomy of Purpose and Transaction 09:01 Transformational Leadership in Nonprofits 11:51 Creating a Supportive Work Culture 15:05 The Importance of Vulnerability in Leadership 17:58 Navigating Personal and Professional Relationships 21:03 Philosophies of Leadership and Team Dynamics 24:01 Cultural Practices and Their Impact on Relationships 33:47 The Importance of Connection in the Workplace 51:25 Building Relationships Beyond Transactions

When profit becomes the focus, something deeper starts to break.

In this episode of Beneath the Transaction, I sit down with Brian Belliveau, Chief Growth Officer at Columbia Southern University, to talk about what leaders often miss when they’re trying to grow an organization.

Brian brings over 20 years of experience leading growth at scale—but what stands out most isn’t strategy. It’s how he thinks about purpose.

As a U.S. Navy veteran and former Hospital Corpsman, his leadership is grounded in service, discipline, and people. And in this conversation, he challenges a common pattern in leadership:

We move too fast to solutions… without ever asking the deeper question—why.

We talk about how profit can quietly become the driving force behind decisions—and how, over time, that disconnects organizations from their purpose, their people, and their impact.

Because the issue usually isn’t what we’re doing.

It’s that we haven’t gone deep enough to understand why we’re doing it.

This is a conversation for leaders who want to build something that lasts—not just something that performs.

Because profit should never outweigh purpose. And transformation only happens when we’re willing to go deeper.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background of the Podcast 00:57 Chris introduces Brian and the focus on transformation 01:56 Brian's background in higher education and leadership 03:59 The significance of purpose in organizational change 07:04 The analogy of art and understanding the 'why' 14:09 Creating purpose-driven teams and organizations 20:03 Digging deeper: The importance of asking 'why' 29:04 The role of process in reinforcing purpose 37:10 Decision-making guided by purpose 44:01 Staying committed to purpose during challenges 49:45 The deeper 'why' that pulls us forward 55:11 Practical takeaways for leaders and organizations