Episode 11: Culture Cake: The recipe for great culture starts below the icing with Sarah Chadbourne

In this inspiring episode of Tom’s Life Lab, Tom sits down with Sarah Chadbourne, a seasoned HR leader and emerging author, to talk about her bold new project: writing a book called 'Culture Cake'. Drawing on nearly two decades in HR, much of it in the fast-paced world of tech, Sarah shares her unique take on what truly shapes workplace culture. Using the metaphor of baking, she explains why organisations often get distracted by the “icing” (the shiny perks and branding) and miss what really matters: the ingredients of the cake itself. Things like leadership behaviour, trust, communication and inclusion. They dive into what makes a culture thrive, why employee experience is the output, not the input, and how Sarah’s combining practical stories, research, and reflection into a resource that’s as useful as it is relatable. This conversation is full of energy, humour, and encouragement for anyone thinking of taking the leap into something new. Sarah’s mantra? “There’s no better place to start than to just start.” Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn.