Shaping Your Culture: An Interview with Rian Finnegan
We’re thrilled to have Rian Finnegan, a leading Employer Brand Strategist who has significantly influenced major B2C tech companies such as Snap Inc., Peloton, Instacart, as a key speaker at Culture Summit 2024!
We interviewed Rian to learn more about their Culture journey and why Rian’s session focused on building an employer brand at any stage of a company is unmissable at this year’s event!
Q: Could you introduce yourself to our audience and provide them with an insight into your work in the Culture Space?
A: My work has always centered on creating meaningful connections, whether it’s between bands and their fans, candidates and the right opportunities, employees and company missions, companies to causes, or local community members to each other via tasty vegan pastries.
Over the past decade, I’ve dedicated myself to building and leading employer brand teams at large B2C tech companies (Snap Inc., Peloton, Instacart, Squarespace, Pandora Music), particularly during periods of significant transformation and scaling.
In 2021, my partner and I embarked on a new adventure, co-founding Little Loaf Bakeshop in the Hudson Valley, New York. We focus on sparking joy through delicious, creative, and high-quality vegan pastries that incorporate as many local ingredients as possible. In our two short years, we have become known as a community-centric business that facilitates connection and provides a warm and welcoming place for all—with a specific lens on the LGBTQ+ community.
I’m also deeply committed to advocacy and volunteer work. I serve on the executive board of Lesbians Who Tech, an organization that champions LGBTQ+ representation and visibility in the tech industry. Additionally, I volunteer as a marketing lead for Work on Climate, a non-profit dedicated to building the workforce humanity needs to address climate change in an equitable and just manner.
Q: What initially sparked your passion for the HR/Culture/People domain, and how has it evolved throughout your career?
A: Earlier in my career, I was an event/concert producer at Pandora Music. My boss at the time transitioned from an external events role to an internal culture role, and given how much I loved working for the company and the relevant skills I had developed in event production and marketing, I pitched her on a job and we worked together to bring me over to her team. The rest is [employer brand] history!
Q: Can you recount the most valuable piece of work or culture-related advice you’ve received in your journey?
“When it comes to shaping your culture, involve your employees early and often. They are the ones who truly shape and carry the culture, and taking their input seriously will help them feel recognized for the critical role they play.” – Me (I’m sure others have said something similar).
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” – Life advice, quote by Epictetus.
Q: We would like to delve into the session you’ll be presenting at this year’s Culture Summit. What motivated you to choosing the topic of building an employer brand at any stage of a company?
A: The world we live in—including the world of work—is evolving faster than we can keep up with. As a result, we are in an incredibly volatile work climate and job security and stability are not guaranteed. I believe this will lead to the continued normalization of professional “gig work,” aka consulting, freelancing, or fractional leadership, as well as the rise of individuals starting their own small companies, or even completely reinventing what they do for a living.
This shift provides a pause that allows you to think about the kind of business owner or leader that you want to be, the kind of company you want to build, and how you want to show up in the world of work (and beyond).
For those embarking on a freelance or fractional journey, this is an opportunity to look inward and articulate your values and operating principles, identify what you are uniquely positioned to bring to the table, and take ownership of your career narrative.
For leaders building a new company, you are called to connect deeply with your team members as you define what kind of business you want to be, how you engage with each other and with customers and clients, and what is most important to look for when you hire.
For those working full-time within a company, this exercise will help you more clearly understand your values and principles and how they connect with those of the organization, allowing you to be true to yourself and how you lead, drive projects forward, and engage with others.
I am passionate about this topic, having recently transitioned from leading internal Employer Brand teams to owning a business with employees in a completely different field, in addition to doing professional gig work. There is immense power in these exercises that can help you grow your business, make tough decisions, and ultimately feel proud of the work you are doing—and how you show up when you do it.
Q: If you had to highlight one compelling reason why attendees shouldn’t miss your session, what would it be?
A: My session Building an Employer Brand at Any Stage Company, will be designed to get folks thinking about their own purpose, values, and EVP, regardless of whether they are working at a company, starting their own, or consulting. Doing so will help inform the kind of leader they want to be, the kinds of companies they want to work for, the types of clients they agree to work with, and, ultimately, how they move through the world.
Q: Finally, what aspects of the Culture Summit in San Diego 2024 are you personally looking forward to the most?
A: Seeing so many friends and meeting so many more! Also, learning about how leaders and teams are navigating this challenging job market and pushing their companies not to forget the human element of their workforce.
Conclusion
Rian’s session, “Building an Employer Brand at Any Stage Company,” is an unmissable opportunity for anyone looking to enhance their employer brand and foster a positive company culture. This session will provide invaluable insights and practical exercises to help you define your company’s values, purpose, and culture.
Don’t miss out on this inspiring session on Monday, October 7, from 2:00pm to 2:45pm PT. Mark your calendars and join us at the Culture Summit 2024!
