Episode 40

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Published on:

20th May 2025

How an Internal Podcast is Unlocking True Connection at Work with Karen Rieck

Join Jason for a deeply engaging conversation featuring Karen Rieck, the Vice President of Human Resources at Farm Bureau Financial Services, as she shares her journey on building “presence with a purpose” work.

Karen’s inspiring approach to employee connection, especially through their innovative “Real Stories” internal podcast, offers real-world lessons every manager should consider. They talked about how powerful it can be when people are encouraged not just to do their jobs, but to show up fully as who they are, even with everything they’re carrying.

Key lessons from our conversation include:


👉 The game-changing shift from “return to office” mandates to designing intentional in-office experiences that fuel genuine human connection.


👉 Practical, low-cost ways to foster community that make the workplace a destination.


👉 The transformative effects of storytelling through initiatives like the “Real Stories” podcast, which invites employees to share impactful experiences


👉 How inclusion is amplified not by policy statements, but by allowing people to own their stories and truly be known by their colleagues.


👉 Strategies for balancing work-life integration with organizational productivity, especially as employee expectations evolve in today’s workplace.


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Connect with Karen Rieck:

Website: www.fbfs.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-rieck-6148446/


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JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK.

Subscribe to our newsletter:

https://jasonlauritsen.ck.page/950d3cff1f


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Connect with Jason:

Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/


#HRLeadership #EmployeeExperience #WorkplaceCulture #FutureOfWork #Inclusion #HumanConnection #RealStories #PeopleFirst

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About the Podcast

Unlocking High Performance
How leaders unlock performance by creating the conditions for people to do their best work
Unlocking High Performance is a podcast for leaders who want strong results without burning their people out in the process.

Hosted by Jason Lauritsen, the show explores how clarity, alignment, and connection shape performance at work. Jason draws from his work with CEOs, executive teams, and leaders to examine why work so often becomes heavier, slower, and more frustrating than it needs to be and how to fix it.

Some episodes are solo reflections. Others are conversations with leaders and practitioners navigating real constraints and consequences. Each conversation looks beyond tactics to understand the leadership and organizational conditions that make performance possible.

The podcast focuses on the systems that drive performance, not leadership theory or quick fixes. Listeners will walk away with a clearer understanding of how work actually gets done and how to build environments where people perform at their best.

About your host

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Jason Lauritsen