The Hidden Variable in Workplace Culture: How Energy Shapes Engagement, Leadership, and Results

What if the "vibe" in your workplace isn’t just a feeling—it’s a measurable force impacting employee engagement, team cohesion, and productivity? And what if your leaders could learn to shift it?

In this episode of The Learnit Lounge, host Mickey Fitch-Collins sits down with Lindsay Brecht, a longtime HR leader and passionate student of energy and leadership, to explore the surprising ways quantum physics intersects with workplace culture. Lindsay brings nearly two decades of HR experience and a deep curiosity for how unseen forces shape human behavior to this wide-ranging, thought-provoking conversation. From the physics behind emotional energy to the leadership practices that truly uplift teams, this episode offers HR and learning professionals a compelling new framework for thinking about engagement, wellbeing, and organizational effectiveness.

This Episode Covers:

• How the “holograph effect” explains that weird vibe you sometimes feel in meetings (yes, even on Zoom).
• The one leadership lesson Lindsay learned from her most difficult boss—and how it changed everything.
• Why your VP and your brand-new manager need the same training—and what HR should do about it.
• What energy-aware hiring might look like in the future—and how to start asking better questions today.
• A practical morning ritual Lindsay uses to stay centered and lead with clarity and intent.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Kicking off the episode: Lindsay Brecht joins to discuss how energy shapes employee engagement and culture

02:22 – Lindsay’s background: HR, biotech, and a passion for quantum physics, meditation, and the unseen

05:10 – The "vibe" in the room: How energetic imprints linger in physical spaces

07:29 – Words as energy: How language, stories, and micro-expressions imprint on others

11:02 – Why we can’t separate “home self” and “work self” anymore

12:23 – Energy drains in the workplace—and what leaders can do about them

16:05 – The hidden cost of alcohol on workplace energy and coherence

17:20 – Can leaders shift energy fields? Yes—if they hold a high-frequency presence

18:49 – Mirroring energy: Why team vibes often match the leader’s unspoken signals

20:08 – Training managers in energy awareness: A major L&D opportunity

24:00 – Energy literacy in interviews: How to trust your intuition when joining a new team

26:06 – Future of HR tech: Biofeedback tools, frequency measurement, and intuitive hiring

32:25 – Biggest leadership lesson: Conflict is a mirror—use it for growth

34:57 – Uncomfortable truth: Senior leaders need the same training as new managers

36:21 – Final advice: Learn basic quantum physics and examine whether your external world reflects your inner intentions

38:41 – How to connect with Lindsay and keep the conversation going

About Lindsay

Lindsay Brecht has worked in HR for nearly 20 years across higher education, healthcare, and biotech, bringing strategic, high-spirited, people-centered energy to every team she supports. She currently leads HR at Arcus Biosciences and is known for...

The ROI of Curiosity: How Learning as a Daily Habit Pays Off

Are your employees learning because they have to or because it’s who they are?

If you’re in HR or L&D, you already know learning can’t just live in the LMS. But how do you build a culture where it isn’t a line item or an afterthought but a daily reflex?

In this episode of The Learnit Lounge, Mickey Fitch-Collins sits down with Roxy Reynolds, talent development specialist at Hunt Oil, to explore what learning really looks like in practice—and how you can help your people make it a habit, not a chore.

In their energizing and insightful conversation, Mickey and Roxy unpack what it means to create a culture of learning not just with strategies and programs, but through small, intentional daily behaviors. HR and L&D professionals will come away with actionable ideas for turning learning from a “nice-to-have” into a daily, people-powered engine for engagement, growth, and retention.

This Episode Covers:

• What a learning culture looks and sounds like in a workplace
• The mindset shift that makes learning feel less like a burden and more like a benefit
• How to respond when employees say, “I don’t have time to learn”
• What it takes to get senior leadership bought into learning as a business driver—not just a perk
• A simple way to start building a daily learning habit today (no new tools required)

Timestamped Highlights

00:00 – Welcome to the lounge: Mickey introduces Roxy and frames the conversation around “learning as a daily habit”

02:41 – Roxy joins the conversation and shares excitement for the topic

03:39 – What a learning-rich workplace looks and sounds like: questions on whiteboards, bookshelves, conversations

04:30 – Evidence of curiosity and problem-solving as signs of embedded learning culture

06:25 – Learning through hallway conversations, shared reading, and class participation

08:03 – The role of comfort and environment in encouraging vulnerability and learning

12:24 – Microlearning through intentional interactions (even at the coffee machine)

13:48 – Reflection as a powerful tool for making learning stick

18:00 – Shifting mindset makes habit-building easier and more authentic

19:14 – Getting senior leaders to buy in: Learning is not a nicety—it’s a business necessity

23:29 – Learning from mistakes is just as important as learning from successes

24:44 – The “spider web” analogy: making connections across levels to embed learning

27:13 – What to say to someone who says they “don’t have time to learn”

31:25 – Learning isn’t about two-hour sessions—it’s micro shifts and intentional behaviors

33:09 – What changes first when learning becomes a habit? The mindset—then the people

35:00 – Process change without mindset change won’t stick

36:35 – Roxy’s biggest leadership lesson: know your “why” and share it

39:29 – Another big lesson: it’s okay to change your mind

41:47 – The uncomfortable truth: people still think learning must be a big formal event

43:30 – The myth of learning as a “tomorrow problem” and how to counter...

In a world eager to digitize, many organizations have leaned hard into virtual training—but what’s getting lost along the way? In this episode of The Learnit Lounge, host Mickey Fitch-Collins sits down with Barbara Trumbly, Senior Vice President of Operations and Events at the Surplus Line Association of California, to unpack what it really takes to create impactful, people-centered blended learning. From peer-to-peer programs to structured onboarding and reverse mentoring, Barbara shares honest insights into what’s working, what’s not, and how HR and L&D leaders can meet employees where they are—without sacrificing effectiveness or engagement.

This Episode Covers:

• Why treating all employees the same in training is a costly mistake
• How to balance virtual, in-person, and on-the-job training—without overcomplicating it
• What it means to “train to strengths” and why it boosts morale
• Why some employees don’t want to grow—and why that’s OK
• The key question Barbara asks her staff to drive career ownership
• What HR leaders must define before they can measure training impact

Timestamped Highlights

00:00 – Intro: Meet Barbara Trumbly, SVP of Operations & Events at Surplus Line Association

01:35 – What blended learning really means—and the biggest misconception about it

02:56 – Why face-to-face interaction still matters in a digital-first world

03:43 – A controversial opinion: why tech can’t replace relationship-driven learning

05:07 – The mistake companies make: assuming everyone learns the same way

06:30 – Tactile learning, note-taking, and the power of doing vs. listening

07:37 – What ideal blended learning looks like in practice—Barbara’s real-world example

09:30 – The power of breaking bread: why lunch matters in learning

10:26 – How to structure on-the-job training without micromanaging

11:30 – Peer-to-peer learning: how teaching others reinforces learning

12:57 – Reverse mentoring: why newer employees can make great trainers

13:57 – The tough question: how do you measure training impact?

14:35 – Start with a clear definition of employee success—then build training around it

16:27 – Biggest leadership lesson: manage to strengths, not weaknesses

18:15 – Why feedback should focus on what people do right

19:15 – Uncomfortable truth: not everyone wants to grow their career (and that’s okay)

22:10 – Final takeaway: personalize development and let employees chart their path

23:34 – Barbara’s favorite question to ask her team: “What do you want to achieve, and how do you plan to get there?”

24:15 – How to connect with Barbara + outro and listener call to action

About Barbara

Barbara Trumbly is the Senior Vice President of Operations and Events at the Surplus Line Association of California where she oversees operations, HR, administration, and learning and development. Barbara leads the charge in building training programs that actually fit her people—balancing structured onboarding, budget management, and the human element of learning. She believes in strengths-based leadership, the power of...