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The Situation

When Lisa Mulligan joined me on the Business Podcast Spotlight, she’d already recorded close to 150 episodes of A Dog Called Diversity. The show had helped her build her personal brand, expand her understanding of inclusion, and even bring in new clients who felt like they already knew her. But as her consulting business, The Culture Ministry, started focusing more on senior leaders and board-level work, Lisa realized the podcast she loved wasn’t quite reaching the people she most wanted to connect with. Now, with a book in the works and a new show on the horizon, she’s making the brave choice to close one chapter and open another.

About Lisa Mulligan

From steel plants to boardrooms, Lisa Mulligan has seen workplace culture from every angle. She’s the founder and CEO of The Culture Ministry, where she helps organizations build more inclusive, human-centered environments. With a background in global corporate leadership, she brings practical know-how to senior teams, employee groups, and executives who want to lead better. Lisa is also the host of A Dog Called Diversity podcast, where she’s recorded nearly 150 conversations about what it really means to be different at work and in the world. Outside of her work, she’s based in New Zealand with her family, loves to travel, and enjoys the constant energy of raising two teenage boys.

What’s Happened So Far

Looking at Lisa’s journey, she’s built something really special with A Dog Called Diversity. Close to 150 episodes, hundreds of meaningful conversations, and an entire network of people she now considers friends. Along the way, the show has done double duty: expanding her own knowledge of inclusion and culture, while also bringing in clients who felt like they already knew her before they ever booked a call. Not bad for a podcast that started as a side project during lockdown brainstorming on WhatsApp.

Like most of us, Lisa started with curiosity and a desire to learn. She knew her own perspective was limited and decided the best way to fill in those gaps was by listening directly to people whose experiences were different from hers. Turns out, that instinct was exactly right – not only did it deepen her own understanding, it gave her language and tools she could bring into boardrooms and workshops around the world.

To get an example of the kind of learning and connection that can come from a podcast, listen to “I’m exhausted and I want to know why with Michael Lints” “Mum, am I Black” with Sarah Hempstead and Megan Karigambe and “The Best Diversity and Incluson Energy with Devon Michelle.” These episodes are well worth a listen to expand your own understanding, and for if you ever find yourself in positions where you need help finding the words to communicate different viewpoints to those who, despite being well intentioned, don’t quite get it.

Now, while the show has been generous, insightful, and great marketing tool, her business has shifted. These days, Lisa is focusing less on broad conversations about inclusion and more on senior leaders, boards, and executives who need to learn how to lead differently. Which raises a few big questions:

Is the current podcast still the right vehicle to reach those people?

Can the audience that loves A Dog Called Diversity follow her into this new chapter?

And maybe most pressing: how do you gracefully wrap up a project that’s still working, but no longer aligned with where you’re going?

As Lisa put it herself, it might be time to celebrate what’s been built and then have the courage to start fresh.

The New Plan

As you’ll have heard in the conversation, after reflecting on what’s worked with A Dog Called Diversity and what she needs for her business now, Lisa has decided it’s time to sunset the show and start something new. The next podcast will be closely tied to her upcoming book, giving her a clear structure to build from and a natural way to reach the senior leaders and boards she wants to connect with.

The plan is to create a first season that mirrors the book – short solo episodes built around each chapter or theme, with a few guest conversations sprinkled in to show what these ideas look like in practice. Keeping episodes around 10–15 minutes means busy executives can actually fit them in, and Lisa can record the whole batch in just a few sessions, leaving her free to focus on the book launch.

Once the foundation is set, later seasons can feature leaders who’ve already made the shift from “talking at” to listening and leading differently. These stories will not only resonate with Lisa’s target audience, they’ll also help her build relationships directly with the kinds of clients she wants most.

And while it’s never easy to close the door on a show you love, Lisa’s taking the best parts of what she’s learned so far – the intimacy of podcasting, the power of a good story, and the ability to spark real change – and channeling them into something that’s aligned with the next stage of her business.

How to Use This Strategy

So if you want to follow a Thought Leadership strategy like Lisa, here are a few questions to guide you:

• What are the big ideas or frameworks you want to be known for in your industry?
• Do you already have a book, keynote, or workshop that could provide a structure for your first season?
• Who are the people you most want to influence, and what format or length of episode would make it easiest for them to actually listen?
• Which guests could reinforce your credibility by showing how your ideas play out in the real world?

That’s the foundation of a Thought Leadership show. You don’t need dozens of episodes to start, just a focused first season that clearly demonstrates your perspective and expertise.

If you’re short on time, batch recording is your best friend. Write and record your solos in a couple of sessions, then add in a handful of interviews with people whose stories support your main themes. Once you’ve got the season ready, package it neatly alongside your book or other IP, and you’ve instantly got both a thought leadership platform and a marketing tool.

Done well, this kind of podcast positions you as the person others want to call when they need real answers.

If you’re looking for a partner to help you figure out and deploy a strategy that will work for your business, we can help! Book a call, and let’s talk!

How to Track Success

Here are the numbers to keep an eye on for a Thought Leadership podcast built to raise your profile with senior leaders and boards:

1. How many executives, boards, or leadership teams invite you to speak, coach, or consult after engaging with the show.
2. The number of new relationships you form directly through guest interviews.
3. Mentions, backlinks, or interview requests that come your way because of the podcast.
4. Invitations to panels, events, or media appearances tied to the ideas you’re sharing.
5. And if you’re curious, you can still track downloads but the real measure of success here is whether the show gets you into the rooms and conversations that matter most.

Connect with Lisa

Lisa is moving ahead with the wrap-up of A Dog Called Diversity and the early stages of her new podcast and book and we’ll be inviting her back to the Spotlight once it’s live so we can hear how it all comes together. In the meantime, check out her work at The Culture Ministry, and if you’re a leader looking to build stronger, more inclusive teams, she’s absolutely someone you’ll want to connect with.

Follow Lisa on LinkedIn, The Culture Ministry LinkedIn, and catch up on past episodes of A Dog Called Diversity while they’re still available!