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Marco Labs is our podcast series that puts a spotlight on the people shaping the future of work, culture, and community. Hosted by the Marco team, each episode features in-depth conversations with founders, people leaders, and culture builders who are rethinking how teams connect.
As a company that plans hundreds of offsites and retreats every year, we're constantly meeting extraordinary people - leaders who've figured out something about building culture that most companies are still struggling with. Marco Labs is our way of sharing those conversations with you.
Why We Started Marco Labs
The idea was simple. Through our work planning retreats and offsites, we kept encountering leaders with fascinating perspectives on culture, community, and connection. A CEO who transformed their company's retention by making retreats non-negotiable. A people leader who ritualized team gatherings in ways that actually stuck. A founder building community through unexpected mediums.
These weren't just interesting conversations - they were playbooks that other leaders could learn from. So we started recording them.
What You'll Find on Marco Labs
Each episode dives deep into a single guest's approach to building culture and connection. These aren't surface-level interviews - they're extended conversations that explore the philosophy, tactics, and hard-won lessons behind great team culture.
Topics we cover include:
- Building culture in distributed teams - how to create connection when your team is spread across time zones
- The role of rituals - why recurring experiences build stronger bonds than one-off events
- Leadership vulnerability - how showing up authentically transforms team dynamics
- Community building at scale - lessons from people who've built thriving communities of hundreds or thousands
- The future of work - what the shift to hybrid and remote means for how we gather
Featured Episodes
Episode 7: Culture in Early-Stage Startups with Leslie Crowe
Leslie Crowe, formerly of Bain, breaks down how early-stage startups can build culture from day one - before they have a People team, before they have an office, before they have the budget for formal programs. This is one of our most comprehensive episodes, packed with frameworks you can implement immediately. Listen now.
Episode 6: Ritualizing the Process with Jenn Cornelius
Jenn Cornelius shares her approach to turning one-off team experiences into recurring rituals that compound over time. If your team does offsites but struggles to maintain momentum between them, this episode is essential. Listen now.
Episode 9: Building Transformative Communities with Andrew Yeung
Andrew Yeung has built communities that bring strangers together and turn them into collaborators. His insights on what makes a gathering transformative vs. merely pleasant apply directly to company retreats and team events. Listen now.
From The Hustle to Hampton: Sam Parr on Building Community Through Gathering
Sam Parr built The Hustle into a media empire and then founded Hampton, a community for high-growth founders. His take on why in-person gathering is irreplaceable - even in the age of Slack and Zoom - is a must-listen for anyone building culture at scale. Listen now.
Arthur Woods on Belonging and Vulnerability in the Workplace
Arthur Woods explores the connection between psychological safety, vulnerability, and team performance. This episode gets into the deeper why behind retreats and offsites - and what happens when leaders create space for genuine human connection. Listen now.
Who Should Listen
Marco Labs is for anyone responsible for building culture in their organization:
- People Ops and HR leaders looking for fresh approaches to engagement and retention
- Founders and CEOs who want to build culture intentionally from the start
- Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff who plan team gatherings and offsites
- Community builders interested in the art and science of bringing people together
Where to Listen
Marco Labs episodes are available on our blog as full transcripts (great for skimming) and on YouTube for the full video experience. Each episode runs 45-90 minutes - designed for a long commute, a workout, or a deep-focus listen.
Want to stay in the loop? Subscribe to Marco updates and we'll let you know when new episodes drop.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often are new Marco Labs episodes released?
We release episodes on a rolling basis, typically 1-2 per month. Each episode is a substantial deep-dive rather than a quick hit, so we prioritize quality and depth over frequency.
Can I suggest a guest for Marco Labs?
Absolutely. If you know someone doing exceptional work in culture, community, or the future of work, we'd love to hear about them. Reach out to our team at marcoexperiences.com/contact.
Are full transcripts available for Marco Labs episodes?
Yes. Every episode is published as a full transcript on our blog, so you can read through the conversation at your own pace. Many listeners use the transcripts to find specific quotes or frameworks they want to reference.
Is Marco Labs connected to Marco's retreat planning service?
Marco Labs is our content arm - it's the ideas and conversations that inform the experiences we plan. If an episode inspires you to rethink how your team gathers, our retreat planning team can help you put those ideas into action. Start with our retreat quiz.