Trevor Rappleye, CFE’s Post

🎃 🎃 We all need a moment to step away from the day-to-day, let go, and just have a little fun. That’s exactly what our Halloween celebration was—a chance to connect, recharge, and enjoy each other’s company in a different way. 🎃 🎃 It’s easy to get wrapped up in the work grind, but moments like these remind us of the importance of balance and fun. Moments like these remind us that while work keeps us moving, it’s these shared experiences that truly bring us together. So here’s to keeping that balance, finding joy in the little things, and showing up for each other with energy and positivity. How does your team bring balance and fun into the workplace? Love, Jason

Costume parties do not equal company culture. Now, let me preface this with a few things: - I’m In a costume today - I absolutely love Halloween - I’m a big advocate of having fun at work But, many “leaders” hide company issues behind things like costume parties. Same bucket as free snacks, bean bags, ping pong tables and crazy hat Fridays. Great team and company cultures have nothing to do with these things. What is culture? It’s clear standards and expectations across the organization around activity, performance and outcomes. Its alignment to core values that don’t just get policed by executives or first line leaders - but everyone holds everyone accountable to them. It’s candor in day to day interactions, particularly in hard conversations. And ultimately, it’s what people in the organization do when nobody is looking. And yes, it’s having fun in the process of all of this. But the “fun” can’t cover for lack of these things and be called culture. All that said - Happy Halloween. PS - I dressed up as Elvis legit 5 years in a row. He’s still The King of Rock n’ Roll. #AllGasNoBrakes #DialedIn

The person I set daily intentions with is presently playing with puppets, taking selfies with Kermit and lounging under palm trees while giraffes roam nearby.   He’s in Disney World, on vacation with his daughter.   They’re mostly having a great time. However, with all the activity it’s been hard for him—understandably—to keep routines and our regular morning check-ins have been temporarily interrupted.   Daily intention-setting means that we speak briefly most mornings and say out loud what we intend to focus on our accomplish that day. Sometimes it’s a specific action, sometimes it’s a state of mind. Having an accountability partner supports our long-term goals and frames our day. This tangible check-in means we commit to carrying out the activity or mindful practice we’ve named.   My friend’s absence this week has made me realize it’s not just stating the intention that has value. It’s the presence of the person on the other end, actively listening, and reciprocating.    This reciprocity creates a healthy tension between naming, and doing. It creates flow and continuity. Good habits, both personal and professional, are essentially built on continuity. Repetition is the magic sauce.   We rarely ask the other, “Hey, did you actually do the thing you said you were going to do?” It goes without saying that this is the goal. We want that for each other, but we are less concerned with perfection.   The point really is to “put it in the vortex,” as one author calls it. It’s the practice that matters because, if I miss the mark today, I’ll get another chance to do it again tomorrow. I can course-correct.   Our morning calls typically range from 5 to 15 minutes and they set my mind on a particular track: I’m less focused on what I won’t do and more focused on what I will. It keeps me feeling connected to my purpose, and moving in the direction of my values.   In Disney World the focus has been on play. We need that too. Fun also helps us thrive. But I’ll be glad when my accountability partner returns from his excursion and our daily pre-work calls resume, sans Kermit. Or, perhaps the wise frog will make a guest appearance and have something profound to say about productivity. I wouldn’t mind picking his brain. #productivity #goals #goalsetting #accountability #collaboration

🎃 As Halloween approaches, we're reminded of the power of rituals in both personal and team environments. Just as we carve pumpkins, enjoy spooky costumes, and share treats, high-performance teams thrive on daily habits and rituals that strengthen bonds and enhance productivity. Rituals foster a sense of belonging, promote accountability, and create a culture where everyone feels valued. In the spirit of Halloween, why not embrace your teams traditions—whether it’s daily check-ins, shared meals, or recognition shout-outs. These consistent rituals can ignite a team's passion and drive success. What habits or rituals have made a difference in your teams performance? 🎉 #HighPerformanceTeams #TeamRituals #Halloween

''जो दिखता है वही बिकता है' 🥱🥱 . . . . 𝐈𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰? Some people seem to thrive on #constantAppreciation. It’s almost as if they need their egos fueled🔥 by hearing #praise regularly. 🙊 These individuals are constantly seeking attention and always want to be the '𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯' 𝘰𝘳 '𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯' - But here’s the dangerous part—when we see some organizations thrive on #appearances, it becomes a toxic cycle. 🔁 -There’s nothing more concerning than an entire #workplaceCulture built on #showmanship. 🤡🎪 -Scrolling through my LinkedIn feed, I often notice how even the smallest activities, festivals, or minor achievements are #exaggerated. 🙊 - It’s like an ongoing race for validation through posts. -𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐑 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 “𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬”? - 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝? And even if they are showcased, their tired faces tell a different story. 🙂 -These companies aren’t creating a “𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲” culture, of greatness. 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒂 𝒇𝒂ç𝒂𝒅𝒆..!! What’s more disheartening is watching #CEOs and #COOs making it a rule to be tagged in every post, just to reinforce their “greatness.” 🥴🙆♀️ - 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲..?? As Simon Sinek said, “𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆. 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆.” True workplace culture should elevate employees without needing to broadcast every move. 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥, 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬. 📌 🙏 #Showoff #Workplace #Toxic #Showman #Dictatorship #EmployeeEngagement

Throughout my daughter’s schooling, I let her choose what she wanted to do. Except when it came to marching band. I forced her to join the marching band for at least two years. As a former marcher myself, I knew three things would keep her coming back: • 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 – Working together - and suffering together - forms an indomitable team that is rewarding. • 𝐕𝐢𝐛𝐞 – Band students know how to have fun in the best of times (football games) and the worst of times (6 am practices). • 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 – Their hard work pays off with each performance. These same qualities apply to successful companies. Leaders set the tone, keep everyone on the same beat, and push the team toward a common goal. Employees are the musicians, each with a unique role, but all contributing to the bigger picture. How is instilling a Tribe-Vibe-Pride mentality at a company similar to conducting a marching band? 1. 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫) – The drum major leads the band onto the field, sets the pace, and keeps the band in sync. When employees understand the company’s direction, they can march in step toward the same goal. 2. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐑𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥) – Band members rehearse the same music and formations until everything is second nature. A company’s consistent communication reinforces the core values and mission, ensuring everyone knows the "song" by heart. 3. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 (𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬) – Before every performance, band members tune their instruments. In the workplace, feedback serves as this tuning process—ultimately creating harmony in the company. 4. 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 (𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰) – The halftime show is a moment to shine after countless hours of practice. Recognizing employee successes, big or small, boosts morale and creates pride. Within three weeks of her freshman year, despite all the long hours and hard work, my daughter was hooked. Now as a senior, she is a leader continuing to build that Tribe-Vibe-Pride culture that helps her bandmates feel connected, motivated, and ready to perform at their best. A skill that will continue to serve her well when she enters the business world. #Communications

Day 2: Bring a colleague coffee (or tea!). A simple cup of coffee or tea can be a powerful gesture. It says, “I see you, and I appreciate you.” Today, surprise a colleague with their favorite drink. It’s a small act that can brighten their day, spark a conversation, or even build a connection you didn’t know was there. Kindness in the workplace isn’t just about grand gestures; it’s the small, thoughtful actions that create a positive culture. Question: When was the last time a small gesture made a big impact on your day? Let’s share those moments of kindness.

Today is Halloween—the scariest day of the year! 🎃 And yet, one of the most common fears I hear from business owners is far more haunting than ghosts or ghouls: it’s the fear of being cancelled. The fear of saying or doing something unintentionally hurtful and facing backlash. Although we are collectively moving away from cancel culture, it is objectively true that customers favour businesses that openly share their values and are inclusive. So today I'll give you three tips, inspired by the many posts online reminding us to avoid Cultural Appropriation when picking our Halloween costume. What are the Top 3 Dos and Donts for businesses when it comes to Cultural Appropriation? 1. Steering clear of stereotypical representations of Cultures, Peoples and Nations 2. Avoiding the use of religious or sacred symbols of a culture that is not your own and wearing of such symbols 3. Understanding the difference between Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Appreciation This is just the beginning, but it's a great first step! If you want to keep going and make sure you don't get accidentally cancelled for having postponed your Inclusivity Training one day too long, here's a link to my Inclusive Business Mastery Course. https://lnkd.in/gc9kb4Vh Studied to support busy small business owners understand and embrace diversity with easy, practical steps, language guides, and much more. Let’s make that shift together and leave those fears in the shadows. Happy Halloween! 👻

Whenever I walk through a door, I instinctively hold it open for the next person. It’s such a simple gesture—quick, effortless, and polite. Yet, what should be common courtesy often feels like a rare act of kindness these days. As I left a store this morning, I held the door for a gentleman and noticed a senior approaching. I stayed and held it open for him too. His reaction stopped me in my tracks: his eyes widened in surprise, and he said, “Wow, why thank you!” with such a big smile and genuine appreciation that I was taken aback. I walked away feeling so sad. Why was he so surprised by something so simple? Holding the door open shouldn’t be extraordinary—it should be expected. Have we, in our busyness, forgotten the impact of small, thoughtful gestures? Like holding the door, small, thoughtful actions can go a long way in professional relationships. Checking in on a colleague, recognizing someone’s efforts (Thank you Paul Danek!) or simply offering a kind word of encouragement can create a culture of trust and respect. And especially now, during this season of giving, where folks are still being laid off, it’s a good reminder that kindness doesn’t cost a thing—but its value is immeasurable. Here’s the takeaway for all of us: Be the one who “holds the door”. Whether it’s mentoring someone new, staying late to help a teammate, or acknowledging someone’s hard work, small gestures build stronger teams, better cultures, and more meaningful connections. And one more thing—for those who hold the door open, for the love of G-d, say thank you! A little appreciation goes a long way, too. Kindness is contagious. Just hold the damn door, literally and figuratively. #Kindness #Team #Respect #Culture #BeNice #Trust