- 10
- Episodes
- Bi-weekly
- Cadence
- 2026
- First episode
About #Rewarding Relationships
Rewarding Relationship
- Publisher
- Incentivesmart
- Category
- business · business · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 25 May 2026
- Latest episode
- 21 Sept 2026
Latest episodes
10 episodes in the feed.
21 Sept 2026
Narrative as a Growth Lever: Why the Stories You Tell Shape Performance | Culture Rewired
Narrative as a Growth Lever: Why the Stories You Tell Shape Performance | Culture Rewired Everyone tells stories. Very few organisations understand the commercial consequences of the ones they choose to tell. In this episode of the #RewardingRelationships® Learning Series, David Ventura is joined by Erika Clegg to explore the role of narrative in shaping culture, behaviour and performance. From media influence to internal communication, this conversation challenges leaders to think more critically about the stories driving their organisations. This episode is for commercial and marketing leaders looking to influence customer behaviour with clarity, and for HR and people leaders focused on building trust, alignment and belief inside their teams. Because when narrative is unclear, behaviour fragments. When it is intentional, it becomes a growth lever. Key Topics Covered → Why narrative is not communication support, but a core driver of behaviour and performance → How unchallenged stories and beliefs quietly limit decision-making and growth → The link between trust, belonging and the stories leaders consistently reinforce → Why values without narrative fail to translate into consistent action → How storytelling builds clarity, alignment and “win belief” across teams and organisations About the Host David Ventura is CEO and Front Man of Front&Centre® and host of the Rewarding Relationships® learning series and podcast. He brings together HR, commercial and growth leaders to explore how trust, loyalty and performance are intentionally designed. With over 12 years’ experience across Retail, IT and Telecoms, David is known for translating behavioural insight into practical, commercially grounded action. About the Guest Erika Clegg is the author of Junk Values and a specialist in performance-enhancing culture and organisational clarity. She works with businesses navigating change, helping leaders define principles, values and narratives that drive consistent behaviour and long-term performance. Her work focuses on moving organisations away from surface-level messaging towards meaningful, actionable culture design. About Incentivesmart Incentivesmart is a B2B loyalty and engagement platform that helps organisations strengthen relationships with customers and employees through intentional, behaviour-led reward strategies. We support marketing, commercial and HR leaders to drive retention, advocacy and measurable growth.
7 Sept 2026
Quiet Quitting Is a Symptom: What Leaders Are Getting Wrong About Engagement | Culture Rewired
Most leaders think they have an engagement problem. In reality, they have a design problem. In this episode of the #RewardingRelationships® podcast, David Ventura sits down with Rachel Collar to unpack the real drivers behind “quiet quitting” and why disengagement is rarely about effort, and almost always about alignment, clarity and leadership behaviour. This conversation is for HR and people leaders focused on retention, culture and performance, and for commercial leaders who understand that disengaged teams directly impact productivity, customer experience and revenue. If behaviour drives results, then engagement is not a perk. It is a performance lever. Key Topics Covered → Why quiet quitting is not new, but a rebranded signal of long-standing disengagement patterns → How misalignment between employer promise and employee reality drives early attrition → The commercial cost of disengagement across productivity, recruitment and customer experience → Why recognition, feedback and leadership capability directly influence retention and performance → How poor onboarding, unclear expectations and lack of cultural connection erode emotional investment About the Host David Ventura is CEO and Front Man of Front&Centre® and host of the Rewarding Relationships® learning series and podcast. He brings together HR, commercial and growth leaders to explore how trust, loyalty and performance are intentionally designed. With over 12 years’ experience across Retail, IT and Telecoms, David is known for translating behavioural insight into practical, commercially grounded action. About the Guest Rachel Collar is the founder of Haus of HR and widely known as the HR Rockstar. With over 20 years’ experience, she supports SMEs to strengthen leadership capability, improve engagement and design people strategies that drive performance. Her work focuses on simplifying HR into practical, behaviour-led action, helping organisations move beyond process to create cultures where people contribute, stay and grow. About Incentivesmart Incentivesmart is a B2B loyalty and engagement platform that helps organisations strengthen relationships with customers and employees through intentional, behaviour-led reward strategies. We support marketing, commercial and HR leaders to drive retention, advocacy and measurable growth.
24 Aug 2026
Radical Honesty: The Leadership Lever Most Organisations Avoid | Culture Rewired
Most organisations say they value honesty. Few design cultures that can actually handle it. In this episode of the #RewardingRelationships® podcast, David Ventura sits down with Ife Thomas to explore Radical Honesty through her Three Mirrors framework and what it really means for leadership, culture and performance. This is not a conversation about soft skills. It is about how truth, self-belief and communication directly impact engagement, retention and results. This episode is for HR and people leaders building psychologically safe, high-performing cultures, and for commercial leaders who recognise that behaviour drives revenue. If people cannot be honest, they cannot improve. And if they cannot improve, growth stalls. Key Topics Covered → Why psychological safety is a prerequisite for performance, not a wellbeing initiative → The Three Mirrors framework and how it creates a shared language for honest feedback → How environments that suppress truth lead to disengagement, quiet quitting and burnout → The link between self-belief, internal dialogue and consistent performance outcomes → Why allyship and clear communication are critical to sustaining trust and behaviour change About the Host David Ventura is CEO and Front Man of Front&Centre® and host of the Rewarding Relationships® learning series and podcast. He brings together HR, commercial and growth leaders to explore how trust, loyalty and performance are intentionally designed. With over 12 years’ experience across Retail, IT and Telecoms, David is known for translating behavioural insight into practical, commercially grounded action. About the Guest Ife Thomas is an author, speaker and creator of the Three Mirrors of Radical Honesty framework. Drawing from her background in performance, psychology and neuroinclusion, she equips leaders and teams with practical tools to build self-belief, strengthen communication and create environments where people can operate with clarity and confidence. Her work focuses on turning honesty into a repeatable behaviour that drives both individual growth and organisational performance. About Incentivesmart Incentivesmart is a B2B loyalty and engagement platform that helps organisations strengthen relationships with customers and employees through intentional, behaviour-led reward strategies. We support marketing, commercial and HR leaders to drive retention, advocacy and measurable growth.
10 Aug 2026
Neuroinclusion at Work: Turning Perceived Weaknesses into Performance Drivers | Culture Rewired
Most organisations talk about behaviour as something to fix. Few stop to ask whether what they are trying to fix is actually a strength misread through the wrong lens. In this episode of the #RewardingRelationships® podcast, David Ventura sits down with Stewart Desson, Founder and CEO of Lumina Learning, to explore neuroinclusion, personality bias and the commercial cost of mislabelling people. This is a conversation about shifting from deficit thinking to strength activation and what that means for performance. This episode is for HR and people leaders focused on engagement, inclusion and culture, and for commercial leaders who recognise that growth depends on unlocking the full capability of their teams. If behaviour drives results, then how you interpret behaviour determines the performance you get. Key Topics Covered → Why “bad behaviour” is often misinterpreted strength viewed through a bias lens → The commercial risk of labelling, projection and the negativity bias in teams → How neurodivergent traits drive creativity, innovation and quality when correctly positioned → The link between self-awareness, psychological safety and high-performing teams → Why culture design, not individual correction, determines whether people perform or disengage About the Host David Ventura is CEO and Front Man of Front&Centre® and host of the Rewarding Relationships® learning series and podcast. He brings together HR, commercial and growth leaders to explore how trust, loyalty and performance are intentionally designed. With over 12 years’ experience across Retail, IT and Telecoms, David is known for translating behavioural insight into practical, commercially grounded action. About the Guest Stewart Desson is Founder and CEO of Lumina Learning and creator of the Lumina Spark psychometric model. His work focuses on helping organisations understand personality as a dynamic, contextual system rather than a fixed label. Drawing on decades of experience in behavioural science and leadership development, he helps leaders unlock performance by reframing difference as strength and building environments where people can operate at their best. About Incentivesmart Incentivesmart is a B2B loyalty and engagement platform that helps organisations strengthen relationships with customers and employees through intentional, behaviour-led reward strategies. We support marketing, commercial and HR leaders to drive retention, advocacy and measurable growth.
27 Jul 2026
From People Strategy to Board Buy-In | Culture Rewired
Exploring how engagement, culture, and recognition connect directly to business performance and ROI. Most organisations say people are their greatest asset. Few can prove it when budgets are on the line. In this episode of the #RewardingRelationships® podcast, David Ventura is joined by Dawn Simpson-Lane and Harley Kneafsey from Lanes HR to unpack why people initiatives consistently struggle for board-level buy-in, and what HR leaders must do differently to change that. This conversation is for HR and people leaders under pressure to demonstrate ROI, and for commercial leaders who recognise that performance gaps, disengagement and underutilised teams directly impact revenue, margin and growth. If behaviour drives results, then people strategy must be framed as a commercial decision, not a cultural nice-to-have. Key Topics Covered → Why people initiatives fail at board level and how poor framing undermines their perceived value → How to translate engagement, training and development into commercial impact, cost and risk → The role of HR as business leaders first, not support functions, and why that shift matters → How underperformance, disengagement and capability gaps directly affect productivity and profit → The importance of influence, presence and stakeholder alignment when securing investment in people About the Host David Ventura is CEO and Front Man of Front&Centre® and host of the Rewarding Relationships® learning series and podcast. He brings together HR, commercial and growth leaders to explore how trust, loyalty and performance are intentionally designed. With over 12 years’ experience across Retail, IT and Telecoms, David is known for translating behavioural insight into practical, commercially grounded action. About the Guest Dawn Simpson-Lane is a seasoned HR leader and founder of Lanes HR, with over 30 years’ experience across corporate and SME environments. She specialises in helping organisations translate people strategy into measurable business outcomes, supporting leaders to align engagement, performance and commercial impact. Harley Kneafsey brings a non-traditional route into HR, with a background in entertainment and hospitality. His perspective focuses on employee expectations, engagement and real-world experience, helping organisations rethink how they build trust, connection and performance from the ground up. About Incentivesmart Incentivesmart is a B2B loyalty and engagement platform that helps organisations strengthen relationships with customers and employees through intentional, behaviour-led reward strategies. We support marketing, commercial and HR leaders to drive retention, advocacy and measurable growth.
13 Jul 2026
Neuroinclusion at Work: Turning Awareness into Performance | Culture Rewired
Most organisations talk about inclusion. Few design environments where people can actually perform at their best. In this episode of the Rewarding Relationships® podcast, David Ventura sits down with Sharon Wallerson to unpack neuroinclusion beyond labels, and what it really means for performance, culture and commercial outcomes. From late diagnosis in senior leaders to the reality of everyday workplace adjustments, this conversation reframes inclusion as a practical lever for growth. This episode is for HR and people leaders focused on engagement and belonging, and for commercial leaders who recognise that performance is driven by how people experience work. If behaviour drives results, then understanding how people think, process and respond is not optional. It is foundational. Key Topics Covered → Why neurodiversity is a universal reality and what that means for leadership and performance → The commercial impact of small, practical adjustments that unlock individual productivity → How lack of clarity and poor feedback loops drive anxiety, disengagement and burnout → The role of psychological safety in improving confidence, creativity and measurable output → How to move from labels and compliance to behaviour-led performance management About the Host David Ventura is CEO and Front Man of Front&Centre® and host of the Rewarding Relationships® learning series and podcast. He brings together HR, commercial and growth leaders to explore how trust, loyalty and performance are intentionally designed. With over 12 years’ experience across Retail, IT and Telecoms, David is known for translating behavioural insight into practical, commercially grounded action. About the Guest Sharon Wallerson is Managing Director of Evolve, a consultancy specialising in neurodiversity, leadership development and executive coaching. She works with organisations to build awareness, strengthen self-understanding and implement practical adjustments that improve performance. Her approach focuses on helping individuals and teams thrive through better communication, psychological safety and behaviour-led change. About Incentivesmart Incentivesmart is a B2B loyalty and engagement platform that helps organisations strengthen relationships with customers and employees through intentional, behaviour-led reward strategies. We support marketing, commercial and HR leaders to drive retention, advocacy and measurable growth.
29 Jun 2026
Pricing Isn’t a Number. It’s Your Biggest Growth Lever | Loyalty Rewired
Exploring how pricing shapes customer perception, positioning, value, and long-term business growth. Pricing is often treated as a number. In reality, it is one of the most powerful drivers of revenue, positioning and customer behaviour. In this episode of the #RewardingRelationships® podcast, David Ventura sits down with Mark Peacock to unpack why pricing is not a finance exercise, but a strategic growth lever. From perceived value to renewal conversations, this discussion reframes pricing as an ongoing exchange of value, not a one-off decision. This episode is for commercial and marketing leaders looking to protect margin and reduce discounting, and for founders and service-based businesses who know their pricing does not yet reflect the value they deliver. If growth is the goal, pricing is not optional. It is foundational. Key Topics Covered → Why pricing is the most underused lever for both revenue and profit growth → How context, comparison and perception shape what customers are willing to pay → The role of confidence and internal alignment in how pricing is communicated → Why value is defined by benefit minus price, not cost plus margin → How to manage renewal conversations to reinforce value and protect long-term retention About the Host David Ventura is CEO and Front Man of Front&Centre® and host of the Rewarding Relationships® learning series and podcast. He brings together HR, commercial and growth leaders to explore how trust, loyalty and performance are intentionally designed. With over 12 years’ experience across Retail, IT and Telecoms, David is known for translating behavioural insight into practical, commercially grounded action. About the Guest Mark Peacock is Founder and Managing Director of PriceMaker, a pricing and revenue growth consultancy supporting B2B technology and consulting firms. A recognised global pricing leader and author of “Pricing for Success”, Mark helps organisations move beyond guesswork to build pricing strategies that strengthen positioning, improve confidence and drive measurable growth. About Incentivesmart Incentivesmart is a B2B loyalty and engagement platform that helps organisations strengthen relationships with customers and employees through intentional, behaviour-led reward strategies. We support marketing, commercial and HR leaders to drive retention, advocacy and measurable growth.
15 Jun 2026
From Engagement to Evidence: Making People Strategy Pay Its Way | Culture Rewired
Most organisations believe engagement drives performance. Few can prove it in a way the board will actually buy. In this episode of the #RewardingRelationships® podcast, David Ventura is joined by Nicole Dunn to unpack why people initiatives so often fail to secure investment, despite overwhelming evidence linking engagement to profitability, productivity and retention. The conversation challenges the gap between research and reality, and explores how HR and commercial leaders can reframe engagement as a measurable business driver. This episode is for HR and people leaders under pressure to demonstrate ROI, and for commercial leaders who recognise that performance is driven by behaviour, not headcount. If engagement cannot be translated into commercial impact, it remains a cost. This discussion shows how to change that. Key Topics Covered → Why engagement fails at board level when it is not tied to commercial metrics like retention, productivity and margin → The disconnect between executive perception and employee reality, and how it impacts culture and performance → How to shift from activity-based HR initiatives to behaviour-led performance strategies → The role of recognition in identifying and reinforcing the behaviours that drive measurable outcomes → Building a business case for engagement using risk, opportunity and financial impact About the Host David Ventura is CEO and Front Man of Front&Centre® and host of the Rewarding Relationships® learning series and podcast. He brings together HR, commercial and growth leaders to explore how trust, loyalty and performance are intentionally designed. With over 12 years’ experience across Retail, IT and Telecoms, David is known for translating behavioural insight into practical, commercially grounded action. About the Guest Nicole Dunn is Head of Strategic Projects at Incentivesmart, where she focuses on designing and delivering initiatives that connect engagement, recognition and performance to measurable business outcomes. Her work centres on helping organisations translate people strategy into commercial impact, ensuring culture and behaviour directly support retention, productivity and growth. About Incentivesmart Incentivesmart is a B2B loyalty and engagement platform that helps organisations strengthen relationships with customers and employees through intentional, behaviour-led reward strategies. We support marketing, commercial and HR leaders to drive retention, advocacy and measurable growth.
1 Jun 2026
Designing Customer Experience That Drives Loyalty, Not Discounts | Loyalty Rewired
Customer experience is not a service layer. It is a growth lever that shapes revenue, retention and reputation long before and long after a sale is made. In this episode of the Rewarding Relationships® podcast, David Ventura is joined by Alexandra Sutton to challenge how organisations design customer experience across the full journey. From overlooked touchpoints to the behavioural consequences of discounting, this conversation reframes experience as something that must be intentionally engineered, not left to chance. This episode is for commercial and marketing leaders looking to protect margin and drive advocacy, and for people leaders focused on consistent, high-performing behaviours. If customers decide emotionally and justify logically, then experience is not a soft function. It is a commercial strategy. Key Topics Covered → Why customer experience starts before the sales process and continues long after delivery, shaping long-term retention and advocacy → How small, intentional moments influence emotional response and drive word of mouth at scale → The hidden risk of neutral experiences and why they quietly erode engagement and loyalty → Why discounting reinforces transactional behaviour and weakens long-term commercial value → How to design touchpoints that influence perception, strengthen relationships and reduce reliance on price competition About the Host David Ventura is CEO and Front Man of Front&Centre® and host of the Rewarding Relationships® learning series and podcast. He brings together HR, commercial and growth leaders to explore how trust, loyalty and performance are intentionally designed. With over 12 years’ experience across Retail, IT and Telecoms, David is known for translating behavioural insight into practical, commercially grounded action. About the Guest Alexandra Sutton is Head of Marketing at Incentivesmart, where she focuses on designing customer engagement strategies that drive loyalty, advocacy and measurable commercial growth. She specialises in connecting marketing, customer experience and behavioural insight to help organisations move beyond transactional relationships and build long-term value through intentional engagement. About Incentivesmart Incentivesmart is a B2B loyalty and engagement platform that helps organisations strengthen relationships with customers and employees through intentional, behaviour-led reward strategies. We support marketing, commercial and HR leaders to drive retention, advocacy and measurable growth.
25 May 2026
Junk Values: Why Most Company Values Fail and What Actually Drives Behaviour | Culture Rewired
Turning values into meaningful behaviours that improve trust and performance. Most organisations claim to have values. Very few can prove they change behaviour. In this episode of the #RewardingRelationships® podcast, David Ventura is joined by Erika Clegg, author of Junk Values, to challenge why most organisational values fail and what it actually takes to make them commercially useful. This is a direct, practical exploration of how values influence trust, decision-making and performance. This conversation is for HR and people leaders focused on engagement and culture, and for commercial leaders who understand that behaviour drives results. If your values are not shaping actions, they are not just ineffective. They are actively eroding trust. Key Topics Covered → Why most organisational values fail to influence behaviour and what that costs in trust and performance → The concept of “junk values” and how generic language creates confusion rather than clarity → How behaviour, not words, determines whether values are real or performative → The role of values as a commercial asset that drives accountability, alignment and better decision making → Practical ways to diagnose, refine and activate values so they work harder across teams and functions About the Host David Ventura is CEO and Front Man of Front&Centre® and host of the Rewarding Relationships® learning series and podcast. He brings together HR, commercial and growth leaders to explore how trust, loyalty and performance are intentionally designed. With over 12 years’ experience across Retail, IT and Telecoms, David is known for translating behavioural insight into practical, commercially grounded action. About the Guest Erika Clegg DL FRSA is the author of Junk Values, a speaker and a consultant specialising in performance-enhancing culture. She works with established organisations, particularly those navigating generational change, helping them develop the behaviours, tools and clarity needed to strengthen performance and trust. Through her Slow Values approach, Erika challenges superficial value setting and focuses on building cultures that deliver long-term resilience and measurable outcomes. About Incentivesmart Incentivesmart is a B2B loyalty and engagement platform that helps organisations strengthen relationships with customers and employees through intentional, behaviour-led reward strategies. We support marketing, commercial and HR leaders to drive retention, advocacy and measurable growth.
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