podcast 010: when culture is revealed, not announced
Deb sits down with Kevin Wood, a leading healthcare attorney and longtime friend, for a conversation that’s been a decade in the making.
Kevin brings listeners behind the scenes of law firm life, where leadership decisions, personal values, and human flourishing collide.
“Sometimes the most compassionate thing you can do is to say: this is not the right fit for you.”
Through a moving story from early in his career, he shares the moment that permanently shaped his belief that culture is built through how you invest in people when it would be easier not to. Together, Deb and Kevin unpack the tension between compassion and accountability, the courage it takes to choose the “right-fit” culture at different life stages, and the practical habits leaders can use to make people feel seen without losing the business.
The episode closes with a powerful hope for the next decade: a workplace (and society) where disagreement doesn’t turn people into enemies and where listening becomes a leadership skill again.
Key Highlights:
What “culture” really means in a law firm and why it’s the container for everything else
The leadership lesson that reshaped Kevin’s view of investing in people (and why it still matters)
Compassion with accountability: why clarity is part of being human
Culture fit isn’t moral it's alignment (and it can change as your life changes)
Why firms get stuck in productivity metrics (and what gets lost when the “people part” disappears)
Practical leadership habits that build trust over time: intentionality, listening, and follow-up
“Getting paid in a different currency”: joy, relationships, and sustainable work
Kevin’s 10-year vision: workplaces that can hold difference without division
About Our Guest:
Kevin Wood is a healthcare attorney based in Austin, Texas and a partner at Nichols, Weisner & Thomas (NWT), a boutique health law firm. Known for his thoughtful leadership and deep commitment to people-first culture, Kevin brings decades of experience advising healthcare organizations while staying grounded in faith, family, and community.
About The HX Collective:
The HX Collective is a movement to elevate the human experience—at work, in relationships, and with ourselves. Through honest conversations and strategic insight, we explore how connection, context, and compassion can create a more flourishing world, starting right where we are.
