Why Culture Can’t Be a Program—It Has to Be a Daily Practice

About 10 years ago, I left my job as a school principal to start Culture Cre8ion. My mission was to help leaders across schools, Head Start programs, and organizations of all kinds who were grappling with the challenge of creating and maintaining a positive culture.

I quickly learned: culture isn’t a program you roll out once a year. It’s a daily practice.

Culture Can’t Be Put on Pause

A healthy culture is something we work on every single day. Yet so many leaders are buried in policies, compliance, reports, meetings, and emails. With so much on their plate, they often feel like they don’t have time for something that isn’t a top-down initiative.

But here’s the truth: without a healthy culture, everything else suffers. Teams lose motivation, people feel disconnected, and the mission takes a back seat.

How We Became Intentional About Culture

When I was a principal, I decided to emphasize culture every single day. I remember teaching lessons not just to students, but to my staff—lessons on self-awareness, taking responsibility, and how our energy impacts others.

Because we only had all-staff meetings once a month, I had to get creative about how these lessons were taught. We wove them into our newsletters, morning announcements, huddles, emails, and even visual displays around the building. Culture became part of our daily rhythm, not just a once-a-month conversation.

The result? Our organization became a place where people wanted to be. Families re-engaged. Staff were more invested. Energy shifted in ways that attracted people back to our community.

How did we do this? We became intentional about the behaviors we wanted to see—not only in new hires but also in our current team. I remember sitting down with my leadership team, looking over our mission statement, and identifying the specific behaviors that would help us live out our goals.

This wasn’t just a list we pulled out during interviews. We introduced these behaviors in meetings. We practiced them. We held each other accountable.

Over time, we created alignment between our goals, our values, and our daily actions. And slowly but surely, our workplace became a safe, positive environment where people thrived.

The Question That Keeps Coming Up

Fast forward ten years. Today, I travel across the country, helping schools, agencies, and organizations kick off the year with high-energy trainings and keynotes. And almost without fail, when I finish a session, someone asks me:

“Niki, how do we keep the energy going?”

It’s the number one question I hear.

And the truth is, without someone inside the organization tending to culture every day, the energy fades. That spark we feel in a training or kickoff quickly disappears if no one is responsible for keeping it alive.

The Need for a Culture Specialist

That’s why I believe every organization needs someone—or a team—dedicated to teaching and modeling what positive culture looks like. A person who can remind others of the values, lead intentional practices, and sustain the energy long after the keynote is over.

Introducing the Certified Culture Coach Program

This is exactly why we created the Certified Culture Coach Program.

Over six weeks, I’ll personally guide a small group of leaders, staff, and team members to become in-house culture experts. Together, we’ll dive into practical tools like the Energy Map, create rituals that stick, and practice coaching strategies that inspire long-term change.

But it doesn’t stop there. Me and my team will be checking in along the way and will be available to support you as you implement these practices in real time.

And here’s the exciting part: this is a pilot cohort—only 25 seats are available with special Founding Cohort recognition. Those selected will be recognized as Founding Certified Culture Coaches, complete with a certificate and a digital badge they can proudly share.

Even better, you’ll become part of a Culture Forum—a national community of coaches supporting one another on the culture journey. This forum will give you a place to share wins, troubleshoot challenges, and stay connected long after the program ends.

Be Part of the Founding 25

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do we keep the energy going?”—this is your answer.

Join me in the first-ever Certified Culture Coach Program and become part of a movement that is shifting organizational culture, one interaction at a time.

📩 To learn more or reserve your seat, email me directly at info@nikispears.com.

🎥 Still wondering if this is for you? Watch this short message from me.

The spark of culture begins with one person—maybe that person is you.

With something to think about,

Niki Spears,

Chief Culture Cre8or