In just five minutes a day, Dr. Jessica Kriegel, Chief Strategy Officer of Workforce and Labor for Culture Partners, unpacks the latest research, trends and strategies shaping workplace culture, and driving business results. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom.
In today's episode: How ‘missing’ a meeting without noticing reveals what flexibility actually looks like. The research linking return-to-office mandates to a specific personality, and why it has nothing to do with collaboration or culture. If your best performer finishes an eight hour job in three… who owns those other five hours? CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Jessica explores the debate over flexible work hours, from return to office motivations to who really owns the time employees save through efficiency. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
The 'Prove It' Phase of AI
In today's episode: Two tech giants both bet big on AI this earnings season, but investors rewarded one and punished the other, and the reason has nothing to do with belief in the technology. Every major transformation follows the same arc: vision, investment, then a moment when people stop asking what you're building and start asking what it's actually doing. How a CEO found a clever way to prove progress before there were real numbers to point to. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Jessica breaks down what Microsoft and Meta's earnings reveal about the shifting AI conversation, and what leaders can learn about giving employees proof that a transformation is working. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Generational Labels Are a Lie
In today's episode: Years of research into what different generations want at work led to a surprising conclusion. Why labeling employees by birth year does something to workplace culture that most leaders never intend. What to measure and change about workplace culture that actually works. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Jessica shares findings from her doctoral research and first book, Unfairly Labeled, on why generational stereotypes at work say more about culture than they do about age. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Buy Jessica’s book, Unfairly Labeled Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Hiring Skill Check
In today's episode: Candidates want speed AND personalization. There's a way to give them both without slowing the process down. How a "day in the life" approach lets applicants test drive a job while a company learns everything it needs to know. How a social network built entirely around verified skills could change how people carry their careers with them. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Mike Hudy, Chief Science Officer of Hirevue, returns to discuss how companies can balance hiring efficiency with candidate experience, and why the future of hiring may hinge on their verified skills. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Visit Hirevue Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Just Call Me
In today's episode: Every back and forth email trying to schedule a meeting adds up to far more wasted time than the meeting itself. A simple habit that feels awkward at first could save you an hour of scheduling ceremony. Why the norm of "asking for time" might be a culture problem worth changing. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Jessica makes the case for skipping the scheduling dance altogether: picking up the phone, calling directly, and letting conversations run exactly as long as they need to. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
AI Hiring Arms Race
In today's episode: AI is flooding recruiter inboxes with thousands of applications for a single job, and the old way of sorting candidates can't keep up anymore. Resumes and cover letters are starting to look identical thanks to AI polish, which means companies need a completely different signal to find the right person. There's a new step happening before a recruiter ever looks at a resume, and it changes who gets noticed first. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Mike Hudy, Chief Science Officer of Highervue, joins Jessica to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping hiring for both companies and candidates, and why measuring actual skills is replacing resume screening. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Visit Hirevue Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Disagreeing with Your Peers
In today's episode: How executives should treat their peer group, and why it flips the instinct to protect your own team first. Budget cuts reveal who's really aligned at the top, and the wrong response can create cracks employees notice before anyone says a word. When three executives each offered something remarkable to protect their company. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to discuss what leaders should do when they disagree with their peers, and why alignment at the executive level matters more than most people realize. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Connect with John Frehse on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Can You Handle the Truth?
In today's episode: The one reason you hold info back from your team, and it has nothing to do with protecting feelings! When leaders stay quiet, something else fills that silence, and it's rarely good. How employees have a built in radar for dishonesty, and why ignoring it can cost you. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to discuss where the line sits between healthy transparency and oversharing, and why keeping people in the dark often backfires. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Connect with John Frehse on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Trusting Your Intuition
In today's episode: Success can rewire how leaders make decisions. Why trusting past wins might be a big mistake. Not all intuition is created equal. Discover the difference between grounded instinct and ego dressed up as confidence. The simple rule for moments of uncertainty that runs against everything corporate culture teaches about speed and decisiveness. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to unpack whether success makes leaders more confident or more complacent, and how to tell the difference between intuition worth trusting and intuition that's just ego in disguise. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Connect with John Frehse on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Guest Appearance: The Jacquelyn Social Exchange Podcast
Check out this exclusive clip of Jessica with co-owner of The Jacquelyn, Mary Daffin, speaking about the meaning of culture and what taking real accountability looks like in our modern workplace. For the full conversation, watch Activating Change on The Jacquelyn’s YouTube channel. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Mary Daffin is co-owner of the Jacquelyn, a private social club in Sacramento. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn The Jacquelyn’s Homepage Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
The Art of Workplace 'Divorce'
In today's episode: Why some relationships, habits, and beliefs need the same break as a bad marriage. How a little "preventative divorce" at work can free up energy for the things that actually move you forward. The 'George Costanza' trap that keeps people chasing approval from coworkers who will never give it. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to talk about applying the idea of divorce – not from marriage – but from toxic habits, relationships, and beliefs, as a tool for personal and workplace growth. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Connect with John Frehse on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Employee Alignment & Recognition
In today's episode: How you REALLY measure alignment and know if your team is on the same page. The results pyramid trick that tells you if a goal is truly on track. The public "reply all" celebration habit that does more for the sender's ego than for the person being praised. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to unpack how to tell real alignment from polite agreement, why small wins and honest celebration keep teams moving toward big goals, and why authentic, personal recognition often lands better than a company-wide shout out. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Connect with John Frehse on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
IBM: No Safe Bets
In today's episode: IBM just posted its steepest single-day stock drop since 1968, and the story behind the sell-off says more about corporate tech spending than about IBM itself. Where companies’ IT budgets are actually headed. How a research report that predicted AI’s reshaping of software sales is starting to come true. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to unpack IBM's historic stock drop and what it signals about how companies are rethinking technology investment in the age of AI. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Connect with John Frehse on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Fighting in the Workplace
In today's episode: How a hostile comment on LinkedIn sparked the use of “The Mirror Exercise.” Two very different ways of handling conflict at work and why only one actually leads to lasting peace. How a six-month standoff with a boss ended, not with an apology, but through a single, deliberate choice. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. In this episode, Jessica explores what happens when people fight – whether in the workplace or online – and how to approach these situations in the right way. It might make the difference between healing a work relationship or leaving your job! Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
The Room Where It Happens with Mary Daffin
In today's episode: Mary introduces her private social club in Sacramento built around one core belief: that who is in the room matters more than ever. AI has made resumes look flawless on paper. The one thing it can't fake, and why face-to-face connection has become the real differentiator. Curating community on purpose, not by accident, and why diversity of voices at the table changes the conversation entirely. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Mary Daffin, co-owner of the Jacquelyn, a private social club in Sacramento, joins Jessica to discuss why physical community matters more in an AI-driven world, and how thoughtfully curated spaces bring people together in ways remote work and algorithms cannot replicate. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn The Jacquelyn’s Homepage Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Positive Productivity with AI
In today’s episode: Why working long hours may no longer be the mark of a top performer. John’s story of how one data scientist turned six hours of client notes into two slides that nailed the message in minutes. How you use AI will determine who multiplies their output and who gets left behind. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica this week to discuss how AI is breaking the long-standing link between hours worked and productivity, and what leaders should do with the time they get back. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Connect with John Frehse on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Cruise Culture
In today's episode: A six month contract, no days off, and a shared cabin: what one crew member's story reveals about pay and value on a cruise ship. How being stuck on a boat strips away the polish that hides workplace inequity. Dealing with DJ rules and regulations at a private party. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to unpack what a week at sea taught her about compensation, fairness, and the assumptions we make about the people serving us. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Connect with John Frehse on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Excuses, Lies, & Accountability
In today's episode: A simple mental model that separates leaders who drive results from those stuck making excuses. Which side of the line are you on? The most common workplace coping mechanisms that can kill careers. Just how much of your corporate meeting time is spent on blame, denial, and avoidance? CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. Jessica breaks down the accountability model and the excuses, from "wait and see" to finger pointing, that keep people and teams stuck below the line. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Is AI (Still) Coming for My Job?
In today's episode: New research reveals a strange contradiction with employees who believe AI could take over much of what they do, while still feeling personally safe. The line between preparing for change and ignoring it. Falling birth rates and rising AI capability are colliding in ways that could reshape the labor market. Is that collision good news or bad news? CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica weekly to discuss new SHRM research on AI, job security, and why almost everyone believes they are the exception to the rule. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Connect with John Frehse on LinkedIn Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
Living Your Core Values
In today's episode: Ask three executives at the same company what the core values are, and you'll likely get three different answers. Why that gap matters and how to fix it! How JM lives his core values in his home and how that affects his corporate work. Why building a new habit always feels awkward and the mindset shift that makes that discomfort worth it. CEO Daily Brief with Dr. Jessica Kriegel is a 5-minute daily podcast where business pragmatism meets inner wisdom. In this selection from a longer conversation, JM Reyerson, entrepreneur, author, and founder of Let's Go Win, joins Jessica to talk about authenticity, leadership, and culture, and why none of it works unless you actually live it. Connect with Dr. Jessica Kriegel on LinkedIn Connect with JM Reyerson Learn More about JM’s book “Let’s Go Win” Other Ways to Connect: Jessica Kriegel Website Jessica Kriegel Instagram Jessica Kriegel Newsletter Culture Partners Website Culture Partners LinkedIn
