Beneath the Transaction
Chris Pineda, Founder of Groundwork Leadership
Every organization has a system. But not every system transforms people.
This podcast uncovers what leaders are doing beneath the transaction—the daily decisions, intentional rhythms, and invisible structures that build cultures of depth, trust, and transformation. If you lead people, build culture, or develop leaders, this is where we ask the questions that matter.
Beneath the Transaction is a podcast for leaders who know that culture is more than pizza parties and birthday shoutouts. Hosted by Chris Pineda, PhD Organizational Psychologist and author of Beneath the Transaction, and Taylor Steele, a filmmaker and storytelling strategist, this show explores the deeper layers of leadership—where transformation really happens.
Each episode features conversations with leaders, founders, and culture-builders who are doing the hard work of leading with intention. We ask:
👉 What are you doing beneath the surface—beyond the performance metrics, perks, and programs—to truly shape your people and culture?
Rooted in indigenous wisdom and modern psychology, we introduce tools like The Culture of One™ and The 7 Conditions of Transformation™ to help reimagine how leadership development actually works. But this isn’t a one-way street—we don’t just teach, we learn. Every guest brings something powerful to the table, and we believe that when we listen deeply, we all walk away transformed.
This podcast is for people who believe that every organization has the potential to become a place where leaders grow, teams thrive, and people become more of who they’re meant to be—not just better producers, but better humans.
This podcast uncovers what leaders are doing beneath the transaction—the daily decisions, intentional rhythms, and invisible structures that build cultures of depth, trust, and transformation. If you lead people, build culture, or develop leaders, this is where we ask the questions that matter.
Beneath the Transaction is a podcast for leaders who know that culture is more than pizza parties and birthday shoutouts. Hosted by Chris Pineda, PhD Organizational Psychologist and author of Beneath the Transaction, and Taylor Steele, a filmmaker and storytelling strategist, this show explores the deeper layers of leadership—where transformation really happens.
Each episode features conversations with leaders, founders, and culture-builders who are doing the hard work of leading with intention. We ask:
👉 What are you doing beneath the surface—beyond the performance metrics, perks, and programs—to truly shape your people and culture?
Rooted in indigenous wisdom and modern psychology, we introduce tools like The Culture of One™ and The 7 Conditions of Transformation™ to help reimagine how leadership development actually works. But this isn’t a one-way street—we don’t just teach, we learn. Every guest brings something powerful to the table, and we believe that when we listen deeply, we all walk away transformed.
This podcast is for people who believe that every organization has the potential to become a place where leaders grow, teams thrive, and people become more of who they’re meant to be—not just better producers, but better humans.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 1, 2022 • 1h 1min
Servant Leadership: The Pathway to Leadership is Through Service
A Samoan proverb was recently shared with us: "o le ala i le pule o le tautua." It translates as, "The pathway to leadership is through service." On this episode, we're joined by Matt Hawkins, Administrative Services Director of Polk County. With colleague Kasha Coombs, we dive into the concept of servant leadership--an idea that is much easier to discuss than actually apply. We talk about its benefits as well as its challenges and even potential failures. Your understanding of servant leadership will be expanded, and maybe even challenged, in this episode.
Mar 15, 2022 • 1h 3min
Unlocking The Potential In Others (and Ourselves) with Fellow Podcaster, Jacob Espinoza
Our friend and fellow podcaster just down the road from us, Jacob Espinoza, joins us in studio. Jacob and Chris have both learned a great deal from podcasting--particularly the amazing potential every human being has to unlock their potential through their ideas, what they are capable of, what they can overcome, and who they can become. We dive into some key elements that we've noticed, from the abstract to the practical, when it comes to helping others (and ourselves) actualize.
Learn more about Jacob at https://jacobespinoza.com/ and listen to one of his popular podcasts, Salem Emerging Leaders, on iTunes and Spotify.
Mar 8, 2022 • 1h 13min
Owning Your Organizational Culture With Seamus Fitzgerald
Seamus Fitzgerald, Senior Manager of Leadership Development at doTERRA and a cultural change expert from the Polynesian Cultural Center, shares his insights on organizational culture. He emphasizes the importance of truly 'owning' workplace culture rather than just discussing it. Seamus discusses embracing the Māori concept of the Hongi for deeper connections, the role of mentorship in leadership, and the impact of genuine relationships. He highlights how service-focused leadership can nurture a thriving organizational culture that uplifts individuals and promotes lasting change.
Mar 1, 2022 • 1h 3min
Learning About Leadership From High Schoolers
We had two amazing high school students join us to discuss their journey of leadership. In the short span of just a couple years, these two students, Brody and Delaney, have learned lessons about leadership that take a lifetime for most. When you hear two 17-year-olds say that they want every kid who walks through their high school doors to feel like they belong . . . it catches your attention. You will enjoy every minute of this episode!
Special thanks to Delaney, Brody, their leadership teacher Chris Trammell, their parents, and anyone else who has taken part in shaping these amazing young people. Truly inspiring.
Feb 22, 2022 • 1h 2min
How The Term Innovation Gets Highjacked and Robs Us of Transformation
A current leader in Groundwork, Jasmine White, shares key realizations she has made over the past two months participating in the program. Innovation emerged as a focal point of our conversation--especially the contribution it has in creating conditions for transformational change. Jasmine is the Executive Director of Capital Community Media and has moved to Salem from the opposite side of the country to fill that role. We are excited to have her as part of our community and our Institute as we strive for excellence together!
CCM Website: https://www.capitalcommunitymedia.org/
Feb 15, 2022 • 54min
The Merlin Advantage Part 2: Leadership On a Continuum
With us again is Seth Elliott, author of The Merlin Advantage. Seth joined our show last year through a mutual connection for one of our listeners' favorite episodes (#33), to discuss ideas from his book. He was in town to speak at one of our monthly leadership sessions recently, so we had to get him in studio again and go deeper into his book. Seth is a joy to be with and this episode delves further into the nuances of leadership.
Jan 5, 2022 • 48min
The Difference Between Transformation and Change: A Conversation With Jim Ferrell
Jim Ferrell, bestselling author and Founder of Withiii Leadership Center, visited Groundwork to speak at our end-of-year banquet. We had to get him in studio for the second time to discuss concepts that are pertinent to what we teach within our institute. Jim has a vision for bridging divides and bringing people together, which is in line with our desire at Groundwork to create "conditions" for transformational change. We go deep in a fairly short amount of time in this episode--it is a must-listen, and probably one you will want to come back to. Enjoy! A big thank you to Jim and the Withiii Leadership Center.
Dec 29, 2021 • 60min
Organizational Change and Leadership Transitions
The average school superintendent serves for about 5 years at a time, which makes education a breeding ground for organizational change and leadership transitions. Mary Paulson has served as the Chief of Staff for many superintendents; she has seen the reality of change up close. Change is difficult and the majority of people resist it. Mary provides such a great perspective from what she has learned over the years regarding change and transitional periods. If you are going through change or any type of transition, this episode is for you.
Dec 22, 2021 • 1h 4min
Understanding Your Community is Part of Understanding Your Leadership
The CEO of our local Chamber of Commerce, Tom Hoffert, joins us in studio. Together we discussed the interplay between what we know and what we learn. We talked about our community and what leadership means within a community; the principles of leading at the community level apply at all levels. Leaders bring people together, unite them, and galvanize them toward a common goal. Strong leadership is needed in every community, and it starts with you.
Dec 14, 2021 • 1h 10min
Growing People vs Problem Solving
Too many of us, especially leaders, get caught up in problem-solving, day in and day out. This is not necessarily bad--problems need to be solved, after all. The question we should be asking is, who should be solving them? As a leader, getting caught up in continuous problem solving can lead to days that feel consistently busy, without much closure or direction. If we can learn to give people the tools they need to solve their own problems, not only are solutions found, but leaders know exactly what they have done at the end of each day. Their role is to develop people. Are you developing the people you influence in your life? Justin Allen, COO of Neighborly Ventures, joins us this episode to discuss.
