The Culture Matters Podcast
The Culture Matters Podcast with host, Jay Doran, is a platform to talk with business owners, executives, and cultural alike to get inside each individual's eco-system in which they practice culture in the workplace. We speak to some of the most interesting people about why culture is important.
The Culture Matters Podcast
Season 88, Episode 1051: 2025 NYE Lollapalooza Episode 4: Alignment, Stewardship, and the Power of Proximity
Episode 4 of the NYE Lollapalooza is what happens when the conversation stops being theoretical—and turns into action in real time.
Jay Doran and co-host Mike “Mike Drop” Calhoun are joined by a stacked room: Robert Frehafer, Bill Mervin, Brian McNally, Chase Gallagher, and Matt McHale—a group built on years of trust, shared history, and a common obsession with growth, leadership, and doing life with intention.
The episode opens with introductions that feel more like tributes: stories of discipline, vision, resilience, and friendship. From mortgage leadership and development (Bill), to high-performance home services and coaching (Chase), to entrepreneurship, community building, and brand growth (Brian), to deep relationship-first leadership and long-term thinking (Matt and Robert), the room quickly locks into the theme that defines the entire Lollapalooza series: proximity changes people—if you show up ready.
You’ll hear:
- Why simplifying systems is the fastest path to sustainable scale
- How leaders evolve from “doing everything” to building processes that last
- Brian McNally’s 2026 word (Alignment) and the philosophy behind F** Average*
- Matt’s emphasis on service and mission, and Robert’s commitment to faith, family, and impact
- A powerful pivot from reflection to execution: the “Referral Party.”
In the final stretch, Mike introduces the Board of Advisors-style “referral party,” where each guest calls out what they need next—connections, partnerships, speaking opportunities, brand support—and the room immediately starts building bridges. From getting Brian a Dana White foreword, to creating referral pipelines between landscaping, roofing, and pavement, to linking business growth with mission-driven service, this episode becomes a live demonstration of what real networks actually do.
If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like when relationships stop being small talk and start becoming strategy—this is it.
If you’re listening, share this with someone building in 2026—and leave a review so this community keeps finding the people it’s meant to find.