Powered by Instinct

In our first episode of 2026, we dive into the inspiring journey of Azure Standard, and the details behind their transformative journey with Kolbe. Karen Slusher, Chief Experience Officer of Azure Standard, sits down with Eric Herrera to share how Azure Standard embraced Kolbe’s principles to unlock the full potential of their team, foster a culture of conative excellence, and drive organizational growth. This commitment recently earned Azure Standard the Kolbe Enterprise Award for Organizational Leadership in Building Conative Excellence—a recognition of their dedication to empowering people and building a thriving workplace. If you’re curious about how Kolbe...

In this episode of the Powered by Instinct podcast, Kolbe CEO David Kolbe sits down with Bill Isaacs, Founder of Dialogos. They delve into the core principles of organizational communication, the essence of dialogue, and how to unlock individual and team potential. Learn how to turn conflict into opportunity, the transformative power of genuine dialogue, and the groundbreaking impact understanding instinctive strengths can have to propel your organization to new heights. Don't miss out on these insider tips to supercharge your leadership and team performance! 

Host: David Kolbe,CEO at Kolbe Corp (Kolbe: 8273) 

What if the chaos in your business wasn’t a problem—but a sign of opportunity? 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host David Kolbe sits down with Chris Ronzio, founder and CEO of Trainual, to talk about entrepreneurship, scaling businesses, and why every company needs a playbook. From his early days running a video production company as a teenager to building Trainual into a platform used by thousands of businesses, Chris shares the lessons he’s learned about operations, leadership, and letting go as a founder. 

Chris doesn’t hold back on the tou...

Two-thirds of US businesses are family-owned. Most won't survive to the third generation. But what if we've been blaming the wrong people? 

In this eye-opening episode, Amy Bruske sits down with family business expert Sara B. Stern to challenge everything you think you know about why family businesses fail. Spoiler alert: it's not the entitled grandkids who kill the company—it's the founders themselves. 

Amy and Sara dive deep into the messy realities of mixing blood with business, sharing war stories from the trenches (including Amy's legendary "pizza fight" with Kathy Kolbe that changed everything). You...

What makes great leadership teams tick? 

Few people understand the answer to that better than CJ DuBe’, an Expert EOS implementer and experienced Kolbe Certified™ Consultant. 

In this conversation, she and Amy Bruske bring us into the room where it happens, by exploring the work CJ does in leadership team sessions. They discuss the importance of understanding team member strengths, building intentional cultures, and enhancing leadership team dynamics to optimize performance. They delve into real-world examples of how different Kolbe strengths affect teamwork and problem-solving, emphasizing the importance of open, honest, and vulnerable communication. In additi...

Nothing great is done alone, so finding the perfect assistant is essential for any top executive. And what makes the perfect assistant? Someone who matches your needs in all three parts of the mind! 

In this episode of the Powered by Instinct podcast, Eric interviews Jenna Spencer, the CEO and founder of AssistPro®, a company that matches entrepreneurs with executive assistants. Together, they explore the significance of effective delegation, the evolution of Jenna's role as a visionary leader, and the impact Kolbe has in both professional and personal relationships. They delve into the importance of understanding one's Ko...

Imagine a world where productivity is easy and performance is effortless.  

David Kolbe and Amy Bruske break down the 'Do More, More Naturally' concept from their best-selling book and introduce the Three C's of Sustainable Performance —Clarity, Commitment, and Collaboration—as essential components for effortless success. 

They explore how to attain sustainable high performance by aligning work and personal goals with one's natural strengths, discuss the common pitfalls of traditional productivity advice, and highlight the significance of balancing productivity with natural instincts. David and Amy also offer insights into leveraging conative strengths for better...

Everyone has natural ways in which they take action. These are measured in four areas — Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start, and Implementor — called Kolbe Action Modes®. 

In this fourth and final episode of our Kolbe Action Mode series, Kolbe experts Stephanie Clergé, Eric Herrera, and Nicole Loucks break down the Implementor Action Mode and discuss the different strengths within it: envisioning, restoring, and demonstrating. 

Our Kolbe experts will take you through what it means to have these different Implementor strengths as they address common misconceptions, break down how to work with people across the Implementor...

Everyone has natural ways in which they take action. These are measured in four areas — Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start, and Implementor — called Kolbe Action Modes®. 

In this third episode of our Kolbe Action Mode series, Kolbe experts Stephanie Clergé, Eric Herrera, and Nicole Loucks break down the Quick Start Action Mode and discuss the different strengths within it, such as stabilizing, modifying and innovating. 

Whether you naturally initiate change and improvise solutions (like Eric), participate in experiments and adjust deadlines (like Stephanie), or minimize risk factors and protect the status quo (like Nicole), you’ll get t...

Everyone has natural ways in which they take action. These are measured in four areas — Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start, and Implementor — called Kolbe Action Modes®. 

In this second episode of our Kolbe Action Mode® series, Kolbe experts Stephanie Clergé, Eric Herrera, and Nicole Loucks break down the Follow Thru Action Mode and discuss the different strengths within it, such as adapting, maintaining, and systematizing.  

Whether you naturally create systems for everything (like Nicole), maintain flexibility and create shortcuts (like Stephanie and Eric) or find yourself in between keeping those systems running, you’ll benefit gre...

If you're a parent, a grandparent, a caregiver, or even a kid yourself, we’ve got a very important message for you! In this very special episode of Powered by Instinct, we'll share a game-changing webinar with guidance on how to empower your kids with the freedom to be themselves. 

You’ll join Nicole Loucks, VP of Education and Youth Programs at Kolbe Corp, as she breaks down how to:  

1. Help kids be more successful by leaning into their natural strengths  

2. Empower youth to be creative, even when their creative approaches are different from yo...

Gino Wickman has done as much for entrepreneurs as anyone walking this planet. A celebrated leader, founder, and author, he is the mastermind behind incredible systems that countless businesses around the globe use every day. Join Gino and Kolbe Corp President Amy Bruske as they discuss how critical understanding your MO can be to long-term success, and how Gino’s MO and his unique ability to see patterns and trends shaped his path to creating EOS® and including Kolbe in the EOS Toolbox™. In addition, they discuss Gino’s journey as a driven person, the figurative mountain he felt compell...

Why do we take assessments? What type of assessments should people and businesses use? How can you use assessments to effectively grow your business? 

In this conversation, Amy Bruske and Shannon Waller from Strategic Coach provide the answers to these pressing questions and more. They explore the different types of assessments and how they can provide insights into an individual's cognitive strengths, motivations, and natural ways of taking action. Shannon shares her favorite assessments, including Kolbe, CliftonStrengths, Print and Working Genius, and explains how they complement each other.  
 
They also discuss the effective use of ass...

What’s the number one thing keeping entrepreneurs up at night? People problems.  

So, we asked the President and Integrator of the company helping hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurial companies around the world how to turn their worst personnel nightmares into a dream scenario. 

In this conversation, you’ll hear Kelly Knight of EOS Worldwide and Amy Bruske, President/Integrator of Kolbe Corp dive into the best ways to solve your biggest people issues and ensure maximum productivity from your team. You’ll learn about the importance of Right People Right Seats, how building an intentio...

Everyone has natural ways in which they take action. These are measured in four areas — Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start, and Implementor — called Kolbe Action Modes®.  

In this episode, Kolbe experts Stephanie Clergé, Eric Herrera, and Nicole Loucks break down the Fact Finder Action Mode and discuss the different strengths within it, such as specifying, simplifying, and explaining. They provide coaching tips for each strength and address common misconceptions.  

They also explore how different Fact Finder strengths can work together in a workplace setting and how you can maximize your Fact Finder strength for more pro...

Nobody is asked to make more decisions, more difficult decisions, or more important decisions than executives. So anything that gives leaders an upper hand in making those decisions more efficiently and effectively is pure gold.  Enter our guests: Susan Spritz Myers and Whitney Capps. Susan and Whitney are both incredible leadership coaches who know how to help executives achieve amazing results and build remarkable teams.  In this episode, they discuss the impact of knowing your MO (Modus Operandi) and how it can shape your personal and professional life. They share specific case studies of how th...

How do you ensure you’re equipped to grow as a business leader? As a family member? As a trusted member of your community? And how can you help others do the same? 

In this episode, Stephanie Clergé, VP of People and Product Development at Kolbe Corp, and Rob Castaneda , Founder and CEO of ServiceRocket, discuss how to infuse Kolbe Wisdom™ into a business in in ways that will empower team members and clients alike. Rob shares his experience with taking the Kolbe A™ Index and how it has helped him understand himself and others better. Learn how Serv...

When Kari Gillenwater first integrated Kolbe into her practice, she had no idea the level of impact it would have for her clients. In this episode, Kari shares how discovering her Kolbe strengths has improved both her life and her business. She explains how she uses Kolbe to help top business owners build teams and empower their employees. She also offers advice for coaches and consultants looking to incorporate Kolbe into their practice at the highest levels.  

If you’re a consultant or coach looking to make a bigger impact on your clients’ businesses and lives, then this...

 “Technology can only do so much. At the end of the day, it’s people who need to use that technology.”  - James Robert Lay 

 Season 4 of Powered by Instinct kicks off with a look at the importance of human relationships when dealing with complicated industries like finance and technology. In this episode, host Eric Herrera explores the intersection of human behavior and digital finance with James Robert Lay and Audrey Cannata from the Digital Growth Institute.  

James Robert emphasizes the importance of people in leveraging technology for financial growth, while Audrey shares her transition from teachi...

Kolbe Corp annually honors the organizations that display exceptional creativity and leadership when it comes to the use of conation and Kolbe Wisdom™. The award honoring organizational leadership in building conative excellence, called the Kolbe Enterprise Award, is our way of signaling that a strengths-based business is doing incredible work using their knowledge of instinctive strengths and application of that knowledge. 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host Toby Phillips engages with Kolbe Certified™ Consultants representing two of the finalists for the Kolbe Enterprise Award and dives into the integration of the Kolbe System™ within their organiz...

Action Starters are a series of shorts from the Powered by Instinct podcast. These are bite-sized clips with easily accessible knowledge for you to enjoy.

This clip comes from David Kolbe’s interview with EOS® Worldwide Visionary Mark O’Donnell back in season 1.

It’s a great recap on why Kolbe and EOS work so well together, and delivers insight into how you can incorporate both into your company culture.

"Kolbe helps you make a big leap in team health in less than an hour’s worth of time.” – Mark O’Donnell

...

Every year, Kolbe Corp honors the individuals who display exceptional creativity and leadership when it comes to the use of conation and Kolbe Wisdom™. The award honoring individual leadership in building conative excellence, called the Kolbe Professional Award, is always hotly contested due to the wealth of incredible Kolbe Certified™ Consultants doing incredible work. 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host Toby Phillips engages with the three finalists for the Kolbe Professional Award. Sarah Gillet Couto shares her transformative journey from banking to coaching, highlighting how Kolbe's theory reshaped her career and personal understanding. 

M...

In this special episode of Powered by Instinct, we bring you a webinar from EOS Worldwide’s Strong in Six™ Business Challenge. As part of People Week, Kolbe Corp President Amy Bruske was asked to speak on how to master the People Component™ of your business.

The result is “The Easy Button for Team Health,” a candid discussion on how to make your most pressing people decisions easier to handle. You'll discover the secret to making the biggest impact on team performance in the quickest amount of time, get a better understanding of the Kolbe System™ and how you can...

Action Starters are a series of shorts from the Powered by Instinct podcast. These are bite-sized clips with easily accessible knowledge for you to enjoy.

This clip comes to us from Season 1, Episode 3, when Kolbe Corp CEO David Kolbe sat down with Jessica Mogill of Crisp.

In this short clip, they discuss why using Kolbe in hiring is a non-negotiable for Crisp, one great mindset to have when using Kolbe to hire, and a specific time where using Kolbe helped a member of the Crisp team become the right person in the right role.

How do you travel for 17 days across 16 states with your family of 4 in a cramped vehicle and live to tell the tale? 

If you’re Tashyna Wingo, Director of Operations at Kolbe Corp, you survive by understanding and accounting for everyone’s instinctive needs! 

In this episode, Tashyna recounts her 5,800 mile long “great American family road trip” in a conversation with Nicole Loucks, VP of Youth & Education Programs at Kolbe. They delve into the dynamics of a family road trip, highlighting the unique ways each family member's instinctive strengths played out during the journey and how Tashyn...

"My passion is opening lines of communication in a broken and hurting world, and that's where I see Kolbe as being so powerful." – Mari Martin 

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, Amy Bruske is joined by Mari Martin, “The Mother of Kolbe in West Michigan.”  Mari brings the type of insight you can only get from a dedicated Kolbe Certified™ Consultant for over 30 years. 

Mari shares how her MO, and her knowledge, has been instrumental in both her career and her personal life, through the good times and the bad. She covers how she used Kolbe...

Getting a Kolbe A™ Index for everybody on the team is a great first step towards building a strengths-based culture. But, building a sustainable culture where people feel valued and have the freedom to be themselves doesn't happen overnight.   

In this episode of Powered by Instinct, host Stephanie Clergé and guest Shara Wokal, CFO/CHRO of Riff Agency, dive into the world of Kolbe and discuss how Riff Agency integrates Kolbe into their hiring, onboarding, and team-building processes. Shara emphasizes the importance of consistency and intentionality in infusing Kolbe into the company culture and gives tips and insig...

Action Starters are a series of shorts from the Powered by Instinct podcast. These are bite-sized clips with easily accessible knowledge for you to enjoy.

This clip is an important one for understanding the basics of how Kolbe can work for you.

It’s the 4 components of the Kolbe System in under 4 minutes.

Not only does Kolbe Corp President Amy Bruske break down how you can use Kolbe to identify, align, optimize and expand, but you’ll also learn of some innovative approaches to using Kolbe from Stephanie Clergé, Kolbe’s VP of P...

Action Starters are a series of shorts from the Powered by Instinct podcast. These are bite-sized clips with easily accessible knowledge for you to enjoy.

This clip comes from the first season of Powered by Instinct, when Stephanie Clergé and Eric Herrera discussed an important step in understanding your instinctive strengths:

Comparing your Kolbe result with others.

Listen to Stephanie and Eric discuss the power being understanding the strengths of others and learn how you can use that information to improve your productivity and your ability to collaborate.

"We n...

Action Starters are a series of shorts from the Powered by Instinct podcast. These are bite-sized clips with easily accessible knowledge for you to enjoy.

This clip comes from the very first episode of Powered by Instinct, where we asked acclaimed theorist and founder of Kolbe Corp, Kathy Kolbe, a very important question:

What separates successful teams from teams that struggle?

Kathy shared a story about how she was able to identify which of three teams within a corporation was the most effective, simply by looking at their Kolbe results.<...