In this solo episode of the I Fired My Boss podcast, host Dan Claps dives deep into the topic of company culture—a subject he believes is at the heart of building successful businesses. Fresh off his birthday weekend and just before heading to Wisconsin for the first-ever Voda 1 annual conference, Dan reflects on why culture is so central to his excitement for the event. He shares practical, real-world strategies that he implements at Franchise Playbook and Voda to create a thriving work environment, including promoting psychological safety, fostering healthy debate, and ensuring team members—especially junior ones—are empowered to speak up first in meetings.

Dan breaks down the five core responsibilities of a CEO when it comes to building culture: casting a vision, securing buy-in, providing resources, celebrating wins, and holding people accountable. He also emphasizes the value of feedback—calling it a gift—and shares how being "caringly candid" helps cultivate trust and performance across teams. From solving everyday inefficiencies to helping teammates build toward their long-term personal and professional goals, this episode is a masterclass in intentional leadership and the power of putting people first.