Workplace Innovator Podcast | Enhancing Your Employee Experience | Facility Management | CRE | Digital Workplace Technology

David Dewane is Chief Experience Officer for Physical Space at Geniant where he is passionate about exploring the intersection of space, people and technology in the workplace. Mike Petrusky asks David about understanding the needs and experiences of employees, the evolution of workplace design, and the role of technology in creating more effective and engaging work environments. David says that by understanding the reality of the experience your teams are having and getting real intelligence through research, FM and CRE leaders can evolve their approach to workplace design, rather than reverting to outdated models. Mike and David discuss helping people move from a defensive mindset to a discovery mindset so they can foster innovation and adapt to changing workplace strategies. David also makes a distinction between functional and performative spaces, with the latter being more effective in enhancing productivity and well-being, so he encourages listeners to focus on making people happier while offering the inspiration needed to help you be a Workplace Innovator in your organization! Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daviddewane/ Learn more about Geniant: https://geniant.com/ Watch Mike’s “On My Way To Work” video series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4E39sM-pNaGhLoG0dkM947o Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://www.workplaceinnovator.com/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/  

Jamie Woolf is Co-Founder and CEO of Creativity Partners, a renowned innovation cultivator, speaker, and the first Director of Culture at Pixar Animation Studios where she has inspired thousands worldwide to embrace innovation as a catalyst for personal and organizational transformation. Mike Petrusky asks Jamie about her time at Pixar and they explore how physical environments and organizational culture can facilitate or hinder creative thinking and collaboration. Jamie believes that infusing play and creativity into the workplace can enhance problem-solving and overall well-being as we move away from a strict focus on efficiency and profitability. Good ideas can come from anyone, regardless of their position in the organization, and leaders should be curious and open to all ideas. Mike and Jamie discuss how the physical work environment can facilitate casual collisions and interactions between different departments to foster creativity and they offer the inspiration you need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization! Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-woolf-a41416b/ Learn more about Creativity Partners: https://www.creativity-partners.com/ Watch Mike’s “On My Way To Work” video series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4E39sM-pNaGhLoG0dkM947o Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://www.workplaceinnovator.com/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/  

Todd Davis is a Senior Consultant and Thought Leader, the former Chief People Officer at FranklinCovey, and author of the book “Get Better: 15 Proven Practices to Build Effective Relationships at Work”. Mike Petrusky asks Todd about the importance of understanding employees, creating engaging work environments, and the principles of effective leadership as outlined in the book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". Todd emphasizes how leadership involves understanding employees and their needs and the timeless principles that Dr. Stephen Covey explored continue to be relevant in today's changing workplace environment. The physical workplace plays a critical role for employee engagement and productivity, so facility managers can lead their teams and leverage their understanding of change management to create great experiences in our built environment. Mike and Todd explore building effective relationships in the workplace and they offer practical advice to help you be a Workplace Innovator in your organization! Connect with Todd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todddavisfc/ Learn more about Todd’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Get-Better-Practices-Effective-Relationships/dp/1501158309/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Register for The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People™ course: https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/ Watch Mike’s “On My Way To Work” video series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4E39sM-pNaGhLoG0dkM947o Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://www.workplaceinnovator.com/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/  

Rex Miller is a renowned expert in optimizing human and team performance, strategic foresight, and organizational transformation with a long history of serving the facility management and corporate real estate communities. Mike Petrusky asks Rex about their recent time together in Dallas at the IFMA / CoreNet North Texas Tech Symposium where they shared some of the challenges facing workplace leaders in 2025 and explored how the industry needs to shift its focus from technical skills to human and leadership skills. There's a lack of emphasis on curiosity, experimentation, and building stakeholder coalitions, so Rex shares his insights about workplace culture and how companies can understand the new attitudes, habits, values, and behaviors of their employees. Leadership is about influence, not positional power, so facility managers and corporate real estate professionals can lead by using their influence. Mike and Rex agree that we have a great opportunity to lead the future of work and the workplace and they offer practical advice to help you be a Workplace Innovator in your organization! Connect with Rex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexmiller/ Learn more about Rex and get his books: https://rexmiller.com/rex-miller-1 Listen to Rex talk about “Genius Spark”: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcast/workplace-innovator/reignite-your-life/ Watch Mike’s “On My Way To Work” video series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4E39sM-pNaGhLoG0dkM947o Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://www.workplaceinnovator.com/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/  

Albert De Plazaola is Senior Principal of Global Workplace Strategy at Unispace where he is passionate about design strategy, workplace strategy and change management with the intent to bring design thinking to solve business problems. Mike Petrusky asks about the opportunity FM and corporate real estate leaders have today to think differently about the workplace and address legacy issues in office design and strategy. They explore the importance of leadership when creating the culture and workspaces that will meet the needs of the hybrid workforce, while also enhancing productivity. Albert explains that the “perception paradox” reveals a gap between management and employee views on returning to the office, but offers hope for workplace leaders as he shares innovative ideas that can help you create more effective workspaces as you seek to be a workplace innovator in your organization! Connect with Albert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-de-plazaola-976b51/ Learn more about Unispace: https://www.unispace.com/ Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/  

Michelle Gladieux is President of Gladieux Consulting and Author of the book “Communicate with Courage: Taking Risks to Overcome the Four Hidden Challenges” where she focuses on leadership and communication, strategic planning facilitation, and building creative tools that yield personal and professional development. Mike Petrusky asks Michelle to share her views on communication and how it applies to challenges we face in managing the built environment today. Communication involves risk, engaging in a new mindset or behavior with no guarantee of the result, so Michelle offers strategies to confront the four hidden challenges in communication: hiding from risk, defining to be right, rationalizing the negative, and settling for good enough. Mike and Michelle agree that having a physical presence in the workplace, at least occasionally, is essential for developing trust and connection among our teams, so they share practical tips for better communication that will inspire you to be a workplace innovator in your organization! Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellegladieux/ Buy Michelle’s book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Communicate-Courage-Taking-Overcome-Challenges/dp/152300312X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Subscribe to the BREAKDOWN newsletter: https://gladieuxconsulting.com/BREAKDOWN/ Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/  

Dean Stanberry, SFP, CFM is Immediate Past-Chair on the IFMA Global Board of Directors where he is passionate about applying his collective skills and experience toward advancing the FM profession. In early January, Mike Petrusky hosted Eptura’s first webinar of 2025 where he asked Dean about the findings in a recently released report from IFMA titled "Gamechanger: A Facility Manager's Guide to Building a Relationship with AI”. Dean shared how artificial intelligence can automate repetitive tasks, augment human capabilities, and offset workforce shortages as we seek to care for the built environment. Mike and Dean explore specific ways that AI will impact FM, including areas like predictive maintenance, energy management, space utilization, fault detection and diagnostics. They offer practical insights and encourage you to learn more about how you can be a workplace innovator in your organization! Connect with Dean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanstanberry/ Download the IFMA Gamechanger Report on AI in FM: https://ifma.foleon.com/research-reports/ai-in-fm/ Watch the full hour-long video with Mike and Dean: https://lp.eptura.com/webinar-workplace-registration-january-25.html Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/  

Tom Ryckaert is Founder of consultancy & advisory firm 2nRich and the author of "Disruptive Workplaces: How to Create Your Sustainable & Future-Proof Work Environment". He has over 20 years of experience in the facility market and currently serves as a board member at IFMA Belgium where he leads innovation and technology initiatives for Belgium. Mike Petrusky asks Tom about his new book and they explore how data management is becoming increasingly important in providing services and managing facilities. Smart building solutions and technology can greatly enhance the operation and maintenance phase of buildings and Tom believes that change management is an essential skill for facility managers, especially when designing new workplace strategies. Mike and Tom discuss the power of networks like IFMA and encourage FM professionals to look to the future and stay updated with industry trends as they seek to inspire you to be a workplace innovator in your organization! Connect with Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomryckaert/ Buy Tom’s book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Disruptive-Workplaces-Tom-Ryckaert/dp/9401405395 Learn more about IFMA: https://www.ifma.org/ Check out the “On My Way To Work” video series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4E39sM-pNaGhLoG0dkM947o Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/  

Ed Buckley is Vice President of Facilities Operations at TDIndustries in Dallas, TX where he is passionate about supporting his clients and serving his teams. Mike Petrusky asks Ed about the role of the FM and CRE leader in 2025 and they explore how the industry must continue to adapt to the changing nature of work and the built environment. Understanding and addressing the challenges faced by frontline teams is crucial for effective management and technology can be used to improve their work experience. Ed shares his view of A.I. in facility management and how our teams can have significant impact on creating healthy hybrid work environments and the need for productivity in all spaces. Mike and Ed agree that understanding behavioral economics and change management is essential to drive behavior change and they offer practical advice to help you be a workplace innovator in your organization! Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edbuckley/ Register for the CoreNet / IFMA North Texas Tech Symposium:  https://resources.corenetglobal.org/Meetings/Meeting.aspx?ID=16037 or https://dfwifma.org/meetinginfo.php?id=129&ts=1736227306 Learn more about TD Industries: https://www.tdindustries.com/facilities-management Check out the “On My Way To Work” video series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4E39sM-pNaGhLoG0dkM947o Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/  

Mike Petrusky reflects on the past year and the lessons learned hosting the show, speaking with industry thought-leaders, and exploring new technologies in the world of work and the workplace. He shares an update on plans for the New Year while giving a summary of a recent speech where he was asked to inspire a team of facility management professionals. Mike encourages his listeners to continuously evaluate and be open to new ideas, technologies, and skills while embracing change as an opportunity rather than a threat. The power and paradox of technology, the importance of inspiring leadership and understanding human behavior are essential when trying to build a culture of collaboration and innovation. So, tune in to get the encouragement you need to be a workplace innovator in your organization in 2025 and beyond! Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/ Check out the “On My Way To Work” video series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4E39sM-pNaGhLoG0dkM947o Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/