[Leadership Vault] John Duisberg: Prioritizing Employee Recognition And Appreciation

by Jeff Bond

I'm the Co-Founder of Chat With Leaders Media and People First Elevation Team, where my team and I help values-driven businesses create content that strengthens relationships, fuels engagement, and drives high-performing cultures. We partner with communications, marketing, and people teams to produce thought-leadership podcasts, executive messaging, and event content. My team and I also work with leaders to transform company meetings into culture-defining moments—ensuring they align teams, elevate key voices, and inspire action. As a board member of Conscious Capitalism Atlanta, I advocate for business as a force for good. Outside of work, I’m passionate about faith, family, and using influence to create lasting impact.

John Duisberg is the co-founder of Cooleaf in Atlanta, GA, which is an employee engagement platform that helps leaders build a culture of appreciation and performance for their organization. At Cooleaf, John leads revenue generation and overall customer operations. John is married to his wife and best friend, Lauren, and has two awesome dogs! John is also a leader in High Tech Ministries and leads a local Grace@Work Bible study group.

Chat Highlights

What originally motivated you to build your business around improving employee and customer engagement?
Why do you think modern-day leaders need to be hyper-focused on demonstrating their genuine appreciation for their team and customers?
Can you share an example of a company or customer you’ve seen setting a high bar in their culture around engagement and appreciation? What kind of impact on performance is this having?
For leaders who want to build a better culture around employee appreciation, what’s a good starting point?
Employee appreciation day is right around the corner on March 5th and John’s team is generously offering a Free 90 Day Trial of their recognition program. Don’t miss out on a great opportunity!