Culture Over Currency: The Psychology Behind Recognition with Rick Rubin

In this episode, Shivani speaks with Rick Rubin, founder of iRewardify and a pioneer in the rewards and recognition (R&R) industry with 25+ years of experience.

Together, they explore:

💡 The difference between value-based and performance-based rewards

💡 Why rewards should never be just a transaction

💡 How personalization, empathy, and timing change the game

💡 The evolving role of gift cards, swag, and experiences

💡 Common R&R misconceptions HR leaders fall into

Rick shares hard-won lessons from scaling a business from $6M to $800M, why recognition must be intentional, and how to drive impact without relying on cash alone.

🎧 Whether you’re building culture from scratch or rethinking your existing recognition strategy—this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.