Wes Love on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Wes Love shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Wes, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
When I first heard this question, I felt a mix of emotions. From the outside, I don’t think consulting is misunderstood at all—consultants have earned the reputation they have. The misunderstanding, in my view, lies within the profession itself: in how we as consultants see our role and what we believe we’re here to do.

I’ll be honest, I’ve always been a bit ambivalent about being a consultant because the reputation isn’t entirely undeserved. I know and deeply respect many people in this field, but as a whole, consultants are often seen as either know-it-alls who swoop in with prepackaged solutions or as paper-pushing thought leaders who complicate things rather than help.

What’s truly misunderstood about consulting is the belief that we’re here to help businesses grow through systems, processes, and tools. Those things absolutely have value, but too often they’re implemented without the training, knowledge, or accountability leaders need to make them actually work.

Tools and processes are important, but without equipping leaders with the skills and mindset to guide their teams effectively, the same behaviors persist. You can reorganize, implement new systems, and roll out all the change initiatives you want, but if the people leading the work don’t change, neither will the culture or the outcomes.

At the end of the day, most consulting feels like reshuffling the deck and playing the same card game, expecting a different result. The real work is changing the game itself, and that starts with changing how people lead.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Wes Love, an organizational development consultant, adjunct professor, and co-founder of CultureStoke, where we help organizations build cultures people actually want to be part of. My work lives at the intersection of leadership, psychology, and organizational transformation. Helping people become people-first leaders and assisting teams to rediscover what it feels like to be inspired by the work they do.

What makes my approach unique is that I don’t start with systems or tools; I start with people.

I believe culture isn’t something you fix; it’s something you cultivate. The best leaders don’t just manage performance; they spark enthusiasm, connection, and a sense of purpose.

I recently released a book called Culture Catalyst: The Revolutionary Re-thinking of Organizational Culture, which explores how gratitude, trust, and authentic leadership can reshape workplaces from the inside out. It’s a passion project that grew out of years of working with teams that wanted to do good work but were hindered by poor culture.

Right now, I’m focused on expanding our leadership development programs and onboarding frameworks. Helping organizations not just hire great people, but grow great leaders.

My story is really about helping people lead with more intention, build workplaces that feel human again, and rediscover why they started doing this work in the first place.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Oof, what an important and timely question.

I think what breaks the bonds between people is when we put something before the word “person.”

One of my personal values is People First. In every interaction, whether or not I agree with someone’s worldview, I try to remember that at the beginning and end of it all, this is a person first and foremost.

Adam Grant recently shared a “word of the day” post with the word sonder: the realization that every random passerby is living a life as complex and vivid as your own. That definition hit me hard. Everyone we encounter carries their own story. They are full of ambition, worry, and experience, and they are the main characters in their own lives.

I think we’ve created a culture that values labels over humanity. We’ve become more focused on how we identify than on how we connect. However, the truth is that we are far more complex than any label can capture. We’re shaped by our upbringing, molded by our culture, and our behaviors are learned responses to the worlds we’ve lived in.

What restores the bonds between people, then, is self-awareness—the humility to see nuance and the courage to stay curious. When I move through the world trying to make everyone see things my way, I not only cut myself off from growth, but I also assume I know better than they do.

The older I get, the more I realize none of us really have this life thing figured out. We’re all just trying to find our way, like a dumpster fire searching for self-actualization. But even dumpster fires can light torches for others.

People first. Always.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Ha! “What fear hasn’t held me back?” might be a shorter list.

If I had to name one, though, it would be the fear of not being enough. The trendy label for it today is “impostor syndrome.”

When I was a kid, I was a pretty terrible student. I was disorganized, easily distracted, and spelling has never been my strong suit. Parent-teacher conferences were full of comments like, “He’s such a nice, funny kid,” followed by, “…but he really struggles with learning, testing, and staying focused.” Somewhere along the way, I internalized that feedback as I’m not smart or I’m not capable.

Those thoughts still visit me every day. I still have moments where I feel like a fraud. Thoughts that make me question whether what I know is actually true or whether I’ve just got lucky. Compliments are hard for me to accept, and achievement often feels like something I just stumbled into.

But I’m working on it.

On my bathroom mirror, there’s a note that says, “I will stop discounting me.” It’s a reminder that I’ve done real work, personally, professionally, emotionally, and mentally, and that I shouldn’t overlook the growth just because I’m still in progress.

The real turning point for me has been letting go of the fear of being “found out.” I’m okay with being wrong. I’m okay with learning out loud. And honestly, there’s something incredibly freeing about that.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Is the public version of me the real me? I think so, or at least, as real as I can be on any given day.

I’ve done a lot of deep work over the years to understand myself better and grow. Part of that journey was accepting who I am, who I want to be, and letting go of the shame or worry about how others think I should be.

I’ve come to realize that authenticity isn’t an on/off switch; it’s more like a volume knob.

I can turn it up or down depending on the context, but it’s still the same song. I show up the same way in a boardroom, a classroom, or a kickboxing gym.

Recently, one of my Muay Thai students found out I’m also an adjunct professor. Apparently, “college professor” and “kickboxing coach” aren’t two roles people usually picture in the same person. They said they couldn’t imagine what I’d be like as a professor. Before I could answer, another student who had trained with me and taken my class spoke up:

“He’s exactly the same!”

I’m not going to lie, that felt really good.

He didn’t say whether I was good at either of them, but I took pride in knowing that whether I’m teaching leadership or throwing hands, I’m showing up as me.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Am I doing what I was born to do—or what I was told to do?

Honestly? Probably neither.

I want to think I’m doing what I was born to do, but I believe that has more to do with my purpose than my profession. I don’t think I was called to be a consultant; that’s just the vehicle.

What I am called to do is help people. More specifically, to help people lead fuller, more inspiring, more enjoyable lives. And I could do that as a consultant, sure, but also as a cook, a comedian, or a therapist.

I think we put too much emphasis on what we do and not enough on why we do it. We chase job titles and career ladders, but often forget to ask what actually gives us a sense of purpose. To me, purpose isn’t something we’re born with; it’s something we create. It evolves as we do.

So, am I doing what I was born to do? Maybe. But I know I’m doing something I love, something that helps people, and something that (hopefully) makes the world a little better.

And as the great philosopher Coolio once said, “If hip hop didn’t pay, I’d rap for free.” That line has always stuck with me.

Because, honestly, I’d probably be doing this work even if no one was paying for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.culturestoke.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.wes_love/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr#
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-love-ba9b66212/