Our Purpose
We exist to rid the world of toxic cultures so that people can lead more impactful and fun lives.
Our Values
These values make our company unique. We believe that every employee wants to make a difference and wants their work to matter. Our work helps to foster that belief - we create cultures that work.
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We're Responsive
We appreciate your lived experiences and adapt our approach to directly support where you’ve come from, where you’re at, and where you ultimately want to go.
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We're Results-Focused
We bring a proven rigor to our process and systematically measure cultural improvements, so you can validate your investment and sleep easier.
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We're Fun
We skip the pretense and ego so that you can comfortably show up as yourself, have disarmingly good conversations, and walk away thinking, “Well, I didn’t hate that.”
We Believe…
You have a culture, whether you have designed it or not.
Your values really freaking matter.
Your culture doesn’t have to be squishy.
Your culture is a critical element of success.
Your culture is more than Ping Pong tables and happy hours.
Your culture is not an initiative you can “fix” with a retreat.
Our Team
J. Forrest
FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL CULTURE CONSULTANT
J. has spent his career working in organization development. He believes bringing teams together on purpose, values and plans creates togetherness which results in making work more impactful and fun.
He has been employed by the two-time World Champion Minnesota Twins, St. Olaf College, inSOURCE HR Consulting and Xcel Energy Inc. In 2006, he started our firm – Employee Strategies to rid the world of toxic cultures. What that really means is, J. helps growth-minded leaders and their employees create cultures that work.
J. holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College in Political Science and Speech Communication & a Master’s degree from the University of Minnesota in Human Resource Development. His primary clients have included Surly Brewing Co, CaringBridge, the City of Minneapolis, SuperClean and Family Offices. But make no mistake about it, you are all his favorites.
A dad, a husband, a son, an uncle and a neighbor, J. lives with his family in Minneapolis, Minnesota. J. serves on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Twins Community Fund and while it took 26 years, he has seen a game at each Major League Ballpark.
Lauryn Petersen
PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
Lauryn enjoys bringing creativity to her work as the principal designer. She believes thoughtful design is essential for shaping workplace culture and aligning organizational values with a strong employee brand. Lauryn takes pride in making good ideas look just as good as they sound.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids, relaxing at the family cabin and traveling.
Andy Zimney
PRINCIPAL CULTURE CONSULTANT
Andy focuses on leading and guiding teams to create cultures that work. He has found that every team shares three basic truths: every team exists to create a result, every team wants to succeed and every team has a unique culture at work.
Over the last 20+ years, Andy has worked as a senior executive, entrepreneur, and professional improviser. He’s worked with clients from a wide range of industries and sectors including Lifetouch, Blue Cross Blue Shield, the City of Minneapolis, National Children’s Alliance, and the Shannon Leadership Institute. As an experienced facilitator and stage performer, Andy is a firm believer in the power of transformative experiences and approaches every project with collaboration, reflection, and meaning change in mind.
Andy is a proud graduate of St. John’s University, a Certified Team Performance Coach, and a highly rated keynote speaker specializing in presentations on developing Innovative Cultures.
In his free time, you can find Andy camping with his wife and three kids, out for a run, at the ball field cheering on the Twins or his son, or maybe even in his neighbor's garage singing some karaoke.
Listen to Andy speak about creativity, change, & innovation.
Margaret Pendleton
CULTURE CONSULTANT
Maggie’s career began with a love of stories — as an English major, she was fascinated by the power of language to elicit emotion and move people. That spark led her into marketing and PR agencies, where she spent over a decade helping brands in food, health, and education spaces tell their stories. Along the way, she began to recognize that her favorite part of the job wasn’t just the storytelling — it was the team behind it: the chance to grow people, build trust, and unlock potential.
As a former Division I Hockey Captain and Agency Director, Maggie brings a team-first mindset. She’s led cross-functional teams across a range of industries, helping grow brands and lead multi-million dollar marketing campaigns with clarity and heart. Beyond the work itself, she was equally as focused on creating environments where people felt seen, supported, and empowered to do their best work. She’s most energized by helping others see what they’re capable of, and then helping them get there.
Outside of work, you’ll find Maggie out on the hiking trail, deep in a new sewing project, or spending time with her beloved mini dachshund, Goof. She geeks out on all things holistic wellness and believes the best kind of work is part strategy, part soul — and always grounded in the belief that when people feel connected and valued, big things happen.
Spencer Nierenhausen
CULTURE CONSULTANT
Spencer believes in helping others in meaningful ways and doing the right thing even when it’s hard. She welcomes the challenge of creating order out of a messy situation or project to ultimately improve workplace culture.
On the weekends, Spencer enjoys spending time with her husband & kids, biking and hiking, and doting on their two rescue dogs, and hell-cat, Boo.