Home
Categories
EXPLORE
True Crime
Comedy
Society & Culture
Business
Sports
History
Technology
About Us
Contact Us
Copyright
© 2024 PodJoint
00:00 / 00:00
Sign in

or

Don't have an account?
Sign up
Forgot password
https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts211/v4/3c/70/70/3c707055-87b2-5593-08eb-fa86bbde5a3b/mza_17478699219016096080.jpg/600x600bb.jpg
Culture Focused Practice
Tara Vossenkemper, PhD
75 episodes
3 days ago
The Culture Focused Practice is where business and humanity collide. Hosted by Dr. Tara Vossenkemper (group practice owner and consultant), this podcast dives deep into how practice culture drives business success. Learn actionable strategies to shape a thriving team, implement and use the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), and tackle the tough leadership decisions that come with growing your group practice. Whether you’re scaling up or streamlining, this show offers real-world insights to help you build a people-powered practice that lasts. Join Tara for candid conversations, expert interviews, and no-fluff coaching that puts your culture first.
Show more...
Entrepreneurship
Business,
Society & Culture
RSS
All content for Culture Focused Practice is the property of Tara Vossenkemper, PhD and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
The Culture Focused Practice is where business and humanity collide. Hosted by Dr. Tara Vossenkemper (group practice owner and consultant), this podcast dives deep into how practice culture drives business success. Learn actionable strategies to shape a thriving team, implement and use the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), and tackle the tough leadership decisions that come with growing your group practice. Whether you’re scaling up or streamlining, this show offers real-world insights to help you build a people-powered practice that lasts. Join Tara for candid conversations, expert interviews, and no-fluff coaching that puts your culture first.
Show more...
Entrepreneurship
Business,
Society & Culture
Episodes (20/75)
Culture Focused Practice
Why Avoiding Hard Conversations Is Actually About Self-Protection

We talk about avoiding hard conversations like it’s a communication issue.
It’s not.

Most of the time, avoidance is a self-protection strategy — not from the other person, but from the feelings the conversation brings up in us. And while it might buy short-term relief, it quietly erodes trust, clarity, and leadership credibility over time.


In this episode, I break down why avoidance feels safer than honesty, how self-protective patterns show up in leadership, and how to stop the cycle without swinging into blunt-force honesty or emotional shutdown. We talk about softening the truth, waiting too long, over-explaining, and the subtle ways leaders manage other people’s emotions to avoid their own discomfort.


More importantly, we get into what grounded leadership actually looks like: starting with inner truth, anchoring conversations in structure, and practicing small, everyday honesty so hard conversations stop feeling like landmines.

This is about moving from self-protection to consistent, trusted leadership — not being nice, not being harsh, just being real.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
01:12 Why Avoidance Feels Safer Than Honesty
03:50 The Consequences of Avoidance
05:53 Personal Anecdote: The Bandaid Story
09:27 Leaders' Fear of Being the Bad Guy
12:25 How Self-Protection Shapes Leadership Behavior
21:34 Overtalking and Overexplaining
21:57 Managing Emotional Reactions
24:13 Self-Protection and Avoidance
24:53 Breaking the Cycle of Avoidance
26:56 Inner Truth and Outer Wording
31:41 Grounding in Structure
35:08 Practicing Small Forms of Honesty
39:56 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

If this episode hits close to home, subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future conversations like this — and send it to the first leader who popped into your head while you were listening.

Show more...
1 week ago
41 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
V/I Table: The Quiet Labor of Leadership

This episode kicks off a brand new recurring segment on the Culture Focused Practice Podcast: The Visionary–Integrator Table. And we’re starting exactly where leadership actually lives — in the quiet, invisible emotional labor no one warns you about.


I’m joined by my integrator, Taylor, for a candid, unscripted conversation about what leadership really asks of you when no one is watching. We talk about the emotional weight leaders carry so their teams don’t have to, the loneliness that comes with responsibility, and how visionary–integrator dynamics hold tension, humanity, and accountability at the same damn time.

We unpack the emotional work underneath leadership frameworks like LMA, why emotions are always at the table whether you acknowledge them or not, and how patterns in team emotionality quietly inform decisions long before anything becomes “a problem.” We also get into friendship and power dynamics at work, boundaries in social settings, COVID-era leadership trauma, and why clean systems don’t work unless the emotional landscape is tended to too.


This is not a polished leadership highlight reel. It’s an honest look under the hood at how leadership actually functions — emotionally, relationally, and systemically — when it’s done with integrity.


Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Culture Focused Practice Podcast
01:07 Introducing the Visionary Integrator Table
02:02 The Quiet Labor of Leadership
03:42 Navigating Leadership Challenges
33:25 Balancing Personal and Professional Relationships
37:21 Setting Boundaries in Social Settings
38:14 Challenges of Leadership and Friendship
39:49 Reflecting on Leadership and COVID-19
41:25 The Weight of Responsibility
50:16 Emotional Patterns in the Workplace
01:00:51 The Emotional Work of Leadership
01:14:33 The Impact of Emotions on Data Collection
01:14:59 Systems vs. Emotions: A Social Work Perspective
01:16:01 Integrating Systemic and Emotional Approaches
01:16:47 The Role of Environment in Behavior
01:17:54 Balancing Emotions and Structures in Leadership
01:19:06 Matriarchal vs. Patriarchal Leadership Approaches
01:19:38 Practical Advice for Overwhelmed Leaders
01:25:49 The Importance of Emotional Awareness in Leadership
01:39:18 Final Reflections and Takeaways

If leadership has ever felt heavier than you expected — or lonelier — this episode is for you.

Show more...
2 weeks ago
1 hour 43 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Owner's Room: When You Feel a Shift Before You Can Name It

This episode dives into a part of leadership most people avoid talking about because it feels too internal, too quiet, too unproductive to name out loud: the winter dormancy period. That long, muted stretch where nothing on the outside is changing, but internally you can feel the ground shifting, the roots thickening, and the old structures sloughing off.

I explore what happens to your leadership identity when growth stops being a performance and starts becoming something denser, truer, and far less dramatic than we think transformation should look like. We talk about the strange sensation of sensing something before it has shape, the difference between rest-as-a-strategy and rest-as-a-state, and the relief (and disorientation) that comes from letting old roles, expectations, and ambitions fall away.

And in true Owner’s Room fashion, I answer listener questions and unpack a scenario where a practice owner steps into stillness for the first time… only to find that the quiet raises more questions than it answers.

If you’re in your own winter right now, or you can feel one coming, this episode will help you name what’s happening beneath the surface.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Winter Dormancy in Leadership
00:56 Exploring the Internal Experience of Leadership
02:55 Shifts in Leadership Identity
10:47 The Sensation of Forming Ideas
15:16 Rest as a State, Not a Strategy
19:04 Sloughing Off Old Structures
23:12 Leadership Guided by Felt Sense
27:31 Changing Internal Pace Without Deadlines
31:28 Scenario: Navigating Quiet Seasons
40:10 Conclusion and Call to Action

Show more...
3 weeks ago
41 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
Deep Dive: Visionary and Integrator - How We Actually Work Together (Special Guest: Taylor Yeagle)

This deep-dive episode pulls the curtain all the way back on a relationship most people think they understand but absolutely do not: the visionary–integrator dynamic. I sit down with my integrator, Taylor—one of my favorite humans and also the person who makes sure my ideas don’t spontaneously combust—and we have an unfiltered conversation about what really happens behind the scenes.

We talk about the messy middle of leadership, the emotional transparency required to make big decisions, the friction that actually makes things work, and the real-life process of evolving into aligned roles. There’s no glossy “best practices” list here. It’s just two people who run a company together, telling the truth about how the sausage gets made.

We cover identity, delegation, trust, resentment, bottlenecks, clear roles, protecting your time, and how many times I should stop putting things on my own damn to-do list.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Visionary and Integrator Dynamics
01:34 Meet Taylor: The Integrator
02:34 Taylor's Journey and Role Evolution
04:32 Challenges and Growth in the Visionary–Integrator Relationship
05:19 Navigating Workplace Dynamics and Emotional Transparency
11:13 The Importance of Intentionality and Conflict in Leadership
35:09 Personal Reflections on Communication
36:18 Navigating Professional Roles and Responsibilities
37:52 Challenges in Delegation and Trust
41:09 Defining Leadership Roles
42:31 Visionary vs. Integrator: A Dynamic Relationship
55:41 The Importance of Regular Meetings
01:06:34 Practical Tips for Visionaries and Integrators
01:11:34 Understanding To-Do Lists and Small Projects
01:12:09 Dealing with Burnout and Resentment
01:12:50 Prioritizing Tasks and Visionary Work
01:13:13 Optimizing Your Schedule for Productivity
01:14:04 The Importance of Protecting Your Time
01:15:19 Visionary and Integrator Dynamics
01:16:00 Effective Leadership and Delegation
01:19:13 Encouraging Open and Honest Communication
01:27:03 Reflections on Leadership Roles
01:34:00 Closing Thoughts and Final Remarks

If you're a visionary, integrator, leader, or you’re still trying to figure out which the hell you are—subscribe. These deep dives are basically free leadership therapy.

Show more...
4 weeks ago
1 hour 37 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Owner's Room: On Winter and (Finally) Embracing Dormancy

Winter isn’t just a season—it’s a leadership cycle, and one most of us try to outrun. In this Owner’s Room episode, I get honest about what it means to stop forcing spring and finally accept dormancy on purpose. Not collapse. Not burnout. Not defeat. Intentional hibernation.

We explore the fear of slowing down, the terror of “nothingness,” the pressure to keep producing, and the identities that keep us performing long past the point of resonance. Through six exploratory questions and two grounded scenarios, this episode digs into why winter feels so threatening—and why it might be the most important season for long-term sustainability.


Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Metaphorical Winter
01:09 Embracing Dormancy and Purposeful Hibernation
02:22 Question 1: Admitting I'm in Winter
06:58 Question 2: Overriding Internal Seasons
09:32 Question 3: Performing Spring vs. Dormancy
13:42 Question 4: Winter as Collapse vs. Winter as a Choice
17:56 Question 5: Responsibilities and Identities
19:36 Question 6: Producing Out of Obligation
24:16 Scenario 1: The Exhausted Practice Owner
30:58 Scenario 2: The Overwhelmed Consultant
39:24 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

CTA: If you’re navigating your own winter season—or suspect it’s creeping in—subscribe. Owner’s Room episodes drop regularly, and subscribing helps them reach the leaders who need them most.

Show more...
1 month ago
40 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Owner's Room: When You're Proud of the Team, But Still Burned Out as the Leader

Leadership fatigue is real—and it doesn’t care that your practice looks damn good on paper. In this Owner’s Room episode, we explore the complicated middle space between pride and depletion, where your team is thriving but you feel empty, overextended, or quietly resentful. Through six reflective questions and one deep-dive scenario, I unpack the emotional, physical, and existential layers of burnout, the tension of “enoughness,” the fear of slowing down, and what healing from leadership fatigue might actually mean.

If you’ve ever wondered why arriving doesn’t feel like arriving… this one’s for you.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: Balancing Leadership and Burnout
00:47 Exploring the Owner's Room Concept
01:30 Question 1: Reflecting on Business Emotions
05:07 Question 2: Understanding Exhaustion
12:06 Question 3: Defining Enoughness
20:29 Question 4: Fears of Slowing Down
23:05 Building Confidence Through Methodical Steps
23:47 Addressing Personal and Team Dynamics
24:31 The Concept of Dormancy and Personal Reflection
27:37 Role Alignment and Externalizing Processes
30:36 Healing from Leadership Fatigue
33:58 Scenario: Resentment in Leadership
42:01 Final Thoughts and Reflections

CTA: If this episode hits you right in the leadership nervous system, subscribe. New Owner’s Room episodes drop regularly, and staying subscribed helps the people who need these conversations actually find them.

Show more...
1 month ago
43 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Owner's Room: When You Notice Your Reputation Doesn't Match Reality

In group practice leadership, you can be doing a hell of a lot right—and still feel wildly misunderstood. In this Owner’s Room episode, I dig into the emotional and practical mess of reputation: what it feels like when your intentions don’t match how people experience you, what to do with criticism that feels unfair, and how to repair without over-explaining yourself into oblivion.

We walk through six questions and two real-life scenarios about external perceptions, internal reality, humility, trust, and how to use dissonance as data instead of letting it drag you into shame.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
01:13 Question 1: Misreading Intentions as a Leader
07:53 Question 2: Perception vs. Reality
09:23 Question 3: Image Protection vs. Business Leadership
10:24 Question 4: Humility in Reputation Repair
14:18 Question 5: Turning Dissonance into Data
15:52 Question 6: Reestablishing Trust
20:57 Scenario 1: Corporate Perception
26:17 Scenario 2: Leadership Visibility
30:05 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

CTA: If you want more Owner’s Room episodes and honest leadership conversations in your ears on the regular, make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss what drops next.

Show more...
1 month ago
30 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
Your Brand Isn't a Logo - It's the Story Your Practice Actually Lives

Brand ≠ your logo. Brand = the lived story your people and clients tell about you—every email, intake, tone, and repair. In this episode, I make the case that culture is the engine of brand (and why pretty design can’t save a crappy experience). We’ll unpack how internal behavior becomes external reputation and the simple audits to align what you say with what people actually feel when they interact with your practice.

You’ll hear about:

  • Why clean design is the wrapper, not the product
  • How everyday interactions write your brand story in public
  • The Living Practice lens: culture as the organism; marketing as the glow
  • A quick self-audit to align inside story with outside perception

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Branding and Culture
01:45 Why Branding Isn't About Design
05:07 How Your Culture is Your Brand
08:00 Aligning Your Story Inside and Out
10:39 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

CTA: Want more episodes like this without hunting for them? Subscribe so you get new drops automatically—then share with the practice leaders who need it.

Show more...
1 month ago
12 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Owner's Room: When Your Team Sees You More Clearly Than You See Yourself

If you’ve ever thought, “My team sees me more clearly than I see myself,” welcome to The Owner’s Room—where we stop pretending and actually look. This episode is exploratory on purpose: real-time answers to five uncomfortable leadership questions plus two scenarios that hit nerves (inconsistency and burnout). Expect candor, not polish; usefulness, not theory.

You’ll hear about

  • Perception vs. intention (and what to do when they don’t match)
  • Asking for truth over validation—then surviving it
  • How to accept painful feedback without losing authority
  • Tactical moves for inconsistent comms and real-life burnout

    Timestamps:
    00:00 Introduction to the Culture Focused Practice Podcast
    00:14 The Owner's Room: An Exploratory Episode
    00:45 Understanding Team Perception
    01:25 Five Questions: Diving Deep into Leadership
    01:28 Question 1: Team's Perception vs. Intention
    05:28 Question 2: Stories Leaders Tell Themselves
    10:23 Question 3: Gratitude for Painful Feedback
    12:32 Question 4: Craving Validation vs. Seeking Truth
    14:47 Question 5: Defensiveness and Resistance
    18:13 Bonus Question: Letting Your Team Be Right
    19:51 Scenarios: Real-Life Leadership Challenges
    20:01 Scenario 1: Inconsistent Communication Style
    23:39 Scenario 2: Addressing Burnout and Morale
    28:53 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

CTA: Want peers and structure while you evolve (without the performative leadership nonsense)? Join Inside the Living Practice—monthly live Q&A + trainings with me, a tight-knit community, and only-the-useful resources: http://www.taravossenkemper.com/the-membership


Show more...
2 months ago
29 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
Accountability ≠ Assholery - How to Address the Problem Without Wrecking the Person

If your “accountability” strategy is thinly veiled public shaming, congratulations—you’re not building culture, you’re building silence. In this episode, I break down how to call people on their bullshit without being a dick about it. We dig into why shame backfires, what accountability actually is, and how to hold a line with clarity, curiosity, and respect. Fewer hot seats. More alignment. Better results.


You’ll hear about:

  • Why shame triggers hiding, defensiveness, and retaliation (aka: zero learning)
  • Accountability as a feedback loop, not a punishment ritual
  • Scripts and moves for realignment: clarity → curiosity → next step
  • Dignity over dominance: holding standards and the human

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Welcome
01:37 The Problem with Shame in Accountability
07:00 Understanding True Accountability
12:24 Holding Standards with Respect
17:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

CTA: Want a practice where accountability feels normal, not nuclear? Join Inside the Living Practice—monthly live Q&A + trainings with me, a tight-knit community, and only-the-useful resources: http://www.taravossenkemper.com/the-membership

Show more...
2 months ago
18 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Owner's Room: When You Start to Question If You're Still the Right Person for the Role

When your practice outgrows the old version of you, it’s equal parts thrilling and nauseating. In this Owner’s Room episode, I sit in that tension—identity vs. evolution, connection vs. necessary detachment—and walk through five un-prepped questions and two painfully common scenarios leaders hit as their businesses scale. This one’s honest, messy, and useful on purpose.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
00:21 The Owner's Room Concept
01:25 Question 1: Shifting Roles
06:37 Question 2: Resisting Growth
11:32 Question 3: Leading the Current Business
13:02 Question 4: Fear of Replacement
16:36 Question 5: Gratitude and Grief
19:13 Scenario 1: Feeling Detached
23:26 Scenario 2: Business Growth Discomfort
28:47 Conclusion and Membership Invitation

CTA:

Want a real-deal space to process this stuff with peers (and me), get monthly live Q&A + trainings, and grab only-the-useful resources? 

Join Inside the Living Practice → http://www.taravossenkemper.com/the-membership

Show more...
2 months ago
30 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Myth of the "Natural Leader" - Why Good Leaders Are Made, Not Born

In this episode of The Culture Focused Practice Podcast, Dr. Tara Vossenkemper calls BS on the idea of the “natural-born leader.” Leadership isn’t something you have — it’s something you build. Through failure, feedback, and that elusive beast called self-awareness, leaders are made, not born.


Tara breaks down the myth of the charismatic “natural,” digs into the actual skills that define quality leadership (emotional regulation, communication, and accountability), and makes the case that self-awareness is your real superpower.


If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “cut out” for leadership — this episode will reframe that entirely. You don’t need to be perfect; you just need to practice.


Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Leadership Myths
01:49 The Natural Leader Myth
03:32 Key Traits of Quality Leadership
07:53 Leadership is Learned, Not Innate
14:55 Growing into Your Unique Leadership Style
19:47 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

CTA:
Ready to evolve your leadership and build structure that actually supports you (and your team)? Get first dibs access to the next EOS Mastermind at www.taravossenkemper.com/eos-mastermind.

Show more...
2 months ago
22 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Owner's Room: When Systems Start Running You

In this Owner’s Room episode of the Culture Focused Practice podcast, I’m walking through something a little different: that feeling of being trapped by the very systems that are supposed to set you free. (👀 IYKYK.)

This is a real-time, unscripted exploration where I’m asking myself — and you — the hard stuff. Things like:

  • Am I actually free in my own business?
  • Am I clinging to systems too tightly?
  • Where the hell did my spontaneity go?

Across six questions and two real-life scenarios, I dig into the very real tension between structure and soul. I talk EOS (yes), rigidity (yep), creative suppression (ugh), and how to course-correct when your well-oiled machine starts feeling like a cage.

This one’s a grounded, reflective traipse through what happens when leadership growth meets system fatigue — and how to recalibrate without burning it all down.


Timestamps
00:00
Introduction and Episode Overview
00:31 The Owner's Room: Feeling Trapped by Your Own System
01:45 Question 1: Do I Still Feel Free Inside My Own Business?
04:49 Question 2: Following the System Too Tightly
07:38 Question 3: Losing Spontaneity and Creativity
11:31 Question 4: Tension Between Organization and Authenticity
17:07 Question 5: EOS as a Framework, Not a Religion
18:18 Question 6: The Freedom I'm Chasing
19:29 Real-Life Scenarios and Solutions
27:49 Conclusion and Call to Action

👉 Want more grounded structure without losing yourself in the process?
 Get first dibs access to the next EOS Mastermind cohort:
 www.taravossenkemper.com/eos-mastermind

Show more...
3 months ago
29 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
Why Numbers Don't Fix Fear - The Emotional Side of EOS

Okay, so the numbers look good… but your nervous system didn’t get the memo.

This episode goes straight into the emotional undercurrent of EOS (that no one seems to talk about). I’m breaking down why clean data ≠ internal calm — and how to use scorecards and structure without bypassing your actual lived experience as a leader.


Here's the three-part lens I'm offering up:
 – Data gives you clarity, but not courage
 – Why fear sticks around even when the metrics say you're doing great
 – How to use EOS tools without turning into a robot


If you’ve ever looked at a perfect scorecard and still felt like everything was about to fall apart — this one’s for you.


Timestamps
00:00
Introduction and Welcome
00:22 The Emotional Side of EOS
01:24 Agenda Overview
01:55 Data Gives Clarity, But Not Courage
04:53 Why Fear Persists Despite Good Numbers
08:39 Using EOS Tools Without Ignoring Emotions
13:37 Final Thoughts and Resources


👉 Grab the free Scorecard Starter Kit if you want a plug-and-play way to track what actually matters.
👉 Or join the EOS Mastermind to do this kind of work with other brave, badass practice owners.

Show more...
3 months ago
15 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Owner's Room: When the Data Tells You What You Don't Want to Hear

In this Owner’s Room episode of the Culture Focused Practice Podcast, Dr. Tara Vossenkemper sits with the messy middle of leadership — those moments when the data says what you don’t want it to. 

She works through five questions and two scenarios that expose how easy it is to avoid, rationalize, or overwork our way around uncomfortable numbers. Instead of teaching or prescribing, Tara opens up her own thought process, weaving in honesty, candor, and the hard-earned reminder that metrics are signals, not sentences.


Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Culture Focused Practice Podcast
00:40 The Owner's Room: When Data Tells You What You Don't Want to Hear
01:38 Question 1: Am I Ignoring Data or Hoping It Self-Corrects?
04:29 Question 2: Do My Feelings About the Numbers Reflect Fear of Failure or Fear of Being Seen?
07:24 Question 3: What Conversations Am I Avoiding Because of These Numbers?
11:53 Question 4: How Do I Separate the Story in My Head from What's on Paper?
13:35 Question 5: What Does My Team Need from Me When the Numbers Look Bad?
16:37 Scenario 1: Client Retention Numbers Dropping
21:33 Scenario 2: Revenue Projections Not Lining Up
28:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts


If this episode hits home, subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future Owner’s Room conversations — and share it with a friend who might need to hear this too.

Show more...
3 months ago
28 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
Scorecards Aren't About Numbers - They're About Trust

In this episode of the Culture Focused Practice podcast, Dr. Tara Vossenkemper flips the script on how we think about scorecards. Spoiler: it’s not about tracking for the sake of tracking — it’s about meaning-making, alignment, accountability, and (surprise!) trust.


Tara breaks the episode into three key buckets:

  • Why metrics are just shorthand for behaviors (attendance % = reliability, anyone?)
  • How trust is the often-ignored foundation of scorecard success
  • What it takes to build scorecards your team actually believes in

You’ll walk away with practical strategies for keeping metrics simple, tying them back to vision and values, and using them as a pulse check on your practice culture. Plus, she drops a not-so-subtle reminder that if you're not tracking culture... your numbers will lie to you.


Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Welcome
00:07 Understanding Scorecards: Beyond Numbers
01:11 Agenda Overview
01:34 Scorecards for Meaning Making
06:26 Trust: The Hidden Foundation of Metrics
13:37 Building Believable Scorecards
19:28 Quantifying Culture and Final Thoughts
22:05 Conclusion and Additional Resources

💥 Want to dive deeper into running your practice like a living, breathing organism instead of a burnout factory?
Join the Inside the Living Practice membership for monthly trainings, tools, and templates that actually make your systems work for you.

🚀 Ready to implement EOS in a way that doesn’t feel robotic or overwhelming?
Get on the waitlist for the next EOS Mastermind cohort. It’s structured support with a side of sass and strategy.

Show more...
3 months ago
23 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Owner's Room: When You're More Frustrated Than You're Letting On

In this Owner’s Room episode of the Culture Focused Practice Podcast, I get into the messy stuff: what happens when you’re more frustrated than you’re letting on. 

I talk about how hidden frustration shows up (for me it’s resistance and irritability), how it sneaks into meetings or silence, and why it almost always ties back to accountability. I share the leadership lessons that shaped how I carry frustration now, walk through my “intensity × duration” rule for deciding when to act versus when to ride it out, and riff on a scenario where accountability is missing in leadership. EOS makes a cameo, of course, because structure always matters.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Culture Focused Practice Podcast
01:29 Exploring Hidden Frustration in Leadership
04:06 Identifying Sources of Frustration
07:54 Naming and Addressing Frustration
10:56 Impact of Past Leadership Experiences
15:36 Distinguishing Actionable vs. Passive Frustration
18:58 Scenario: Handling Accountability Issues
26:34 Conclusion and Final Thoughts


Subscribe to the Culture Focused Practice Podcast so you don’t miss the next Owner’s Room drop.

Show more...
4 months ago
27 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Accountability Mirror: How Culture Falls Apart Without It

In this episode of the Culture Focused Practice podcast, I dig into accountability - not the “feet to the fire” kind, but the real kind that acts like glue for your culture. Enter the accountability mirror: the tool that forces us as leaders to ask, “What role did I play here?” before we go pointing fingers.


I’ll unpack why accountability is essential for trust, safety, and clarity, what happens when it goes missing (spoiler: resentment, over-functioning, and lowered standards), and how to bake it into your practice through systems and feedback. It’s messy, human, and necessary.


Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
01:16 The Concept of the Accountability Mirror
04:09 Why Accountability Matters
05:50 Consequences of Missing Accountability
14:50 Building Accountability into Your Practice
21:26 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Want more support? Join Inside the Living Practice at www.taravossenkemper.com/the-membership. And if EOS is your jam, come hang out in the free EOS Collective for Group Practices on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/eoscollective

Show more...
4 months ago
22 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Owner's Room: When You Realize Your Business Is Alive (and Not a Machine)

In this episode of the Culture Focused Practice podcast, Dr. Tara Vossenkemper steps into the Owner’s Room — her unfiltered space for talking about the real, raw side of leadership. No polished playbooks. No bulletproof strategies. Just the messy truth of what it feels like to lead when your business isn’t a machine but a living, breathing organism.


Through five self-reflective questions and two honest scenarios, Tara explores what happens when you feel bogged down, disconnected, or stagnant in your leadership role. She digs into identity shifts, decision-making, team dynamics, and that gut-punch moment of wondering if the practice you built still feels like yours.


This episode is for every leader who’s ever thought, “What the hell am I even doing?” and needed a reminder that leadership isn’t about fixing all the time — sometimes it’s about listening, stepping back, and remembering your practice is alive.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:08 Owner's Room Special: Unfiltered Leadership Talk
01:06 The Two-Part Structure of Owner's Room
01:53 Question 1: Decisions That Feel Alive
05:31 Question 2: Team Behavior Reflection
11:04 Question 3: Leadership Frustrations
13:41 Question 4: Business as a Living Organism
16:08 Question 5: Fixing vs. Listening to Your Business
23:21 Scenario 1: Disconnected Tasks and Vision
31:24 Scenario 2: Leadership and Culture Alignment
41:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts


👉 Don’t miss future episodes that go deep into leadership, culture, and the messy middle of practice ownership. Subscribe to the podcast now!

Show more...
4 months ago
41 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Living Practice Framework™ (How I Actually Lead a Group Practice)

In this episode of the Culture Focused Practice Podcast, we’re talking about why your group practice is not a machine (no matter how “well-oiled” you think it is) — it’s a living, breathing organism.


I introduce the Living Practice Framework™ — my way of blending the structure of EOS with the cultural, leadership, and people pieces EOS doesn’t fully capture. I walk you through the origin story, the five main elements, a real-life scenario of what it looks like in action, and the ridiculously small, doable steps to start implementing it without burning your practice down in the process.


Whether you’re running on EOS, winging it, or somewhere in between, this is about nurturing your practice’s ecosystem so you’ve got more clarity, trust, and alignment — and way less “what’s missing?” energy.


Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Culture Focused Practice Podcast
00:08 The Concept of a Living Practice
01:08 Agenda Overview
01:33 Origin of the Living Practice Framework
04:51 Five Elements of the Living Practice Framework
10:58 Scenario: Applying the Living Practice Framework
14:28 Steps to Implement the Living Practice Framework
17:34 Recap and Membership Invitation

➡️ Want to actually build a living practice — not just think about it? Join me inside the Inside the Living Practice Membership at www.taravossenkemper.com/the-membership. Twice-monthly live trainings + Q&As, on-demand resources, and a community of group practice leaders doing business with humanity at the center.

Show more...
4 months ago
19 minutes

Culture Focused Practice
The Culture Focused Practice is where business and humanity collide. Hosted by Dr. Tara Vossenkemper (group practice owner and consultant), this podcast dives deep into how practice culture drives business success. Learn actionable strategies to shape a thriving team, implement and use the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), and tackle the tough leadership decisions that come with growing your group practice. Whether you’re scaling up or streamlining, this show offers real-world insights to help you build a people-powered practice that lasts. Join Tara for candid conversations, expert interviews, and no-fluff coaching that puts your culture first.