Fostering Employee Engagement and Culture Through Fun and Connection with Michael Wasick
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Michael Wasick
About Michael Wasick
Born in Long Beach, California, Michael Wasik made the move to Boise, Idaho, nearly two decades ago to pursue his education at Boise State University. After graduating, he embarked on a successful real estate career, but his passion for fostering connections in the workplace led him to a new venture.
Three years ago, Michael founded Wobali, a company dedicated to enhancing employee engagement and well-being. Recognizing that many employees feel disconnected from their colleagues and undervalued by their organizations, he set out to create opportunities for teams to bond outside of work. By organizing enjoyable activities, Michael helps facilitate camaraderie and open communication among employees.
His innovative approach not only cultivates happier and healthier workplaces but also reduces turnover and boosts productivity, ultimately saving companies significant costs. With a focus on building meaningful connections, Michael is committed to transforming workplace culture for the better.
Topics discussed in this episode with time stamps
00:00 – 00:35 “We know that culture happens whether we want it to or not in companies and so if you can do things like this to help shape the culture that your company has, that will then make happy campers, happy employees. Happy campers make happy employees. Happy employees can make happy customers.” — Rhea Allen
00:36 – 00:54 Welcome to Peppershock Media’s Marketing Expedition Podcast
00:55 – 02:02 About Michael
02:03 – 03:17 Marketing Essentials Moment: Culture, Branding, and Gameplay
03:18 – 04:29 Defining Company Culture
04:30 – 05:34 The Role of Branding
05:35 – 09:55 The Concept of Gameplay in the Workplace
09:56 – 11:39 Welcome to the show, Michael!
11:40 – 14:20 The Catalyst for Starting Wobali
14:21 – 17:09 The Importance of Employee Relationships
17:10 – 21:31 The Value of Diverse Interests
21:32 – 24:25 Planning Events and Avoiding Pitfalls
24:26 – 26:41 The Financial Impact of Employee Loneliness
27:18 – 29:29 Engaging Potential Clients
29:30 – 30:59 The Importance of Word of Mouth
31:00 – 32:10 Employee Engagement Issues
32:11 – 34:42 Engaging Remote Teams
34:43 – 35:53 Reach out to Michael
35:54 – 36:47 Fostering Connections in the Workplace
36:48 – 38:43 Thank you so much, Michael! Share this podcast, give us a review, and enjoy your marketing journey!
38:44 – 39:30 Join the Marketing Expedition Community today!
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Full Transcript
263 — Fostering Employee Engagement and Culture Through Fun and Connection with Michael Wasick
Michael Wasick: Culture happens whether we want it to or not. If you do things intentionally to shape culture, you create happier employees. Happier employees create happier customers.
You can feel it when you’re talking to someone who doesn’t want to be there or is having a rough day. And there’s a real business cost: about $154 billion in lost revenue in the U.S. due to loneliness.
Intro: Welcome to the Marketing Expedition podcast, an auditory journey through the latest in marketing, branding, and advertising. Now, here’s your Marketing Expedition guide, Rhea Allen.
Rhea Allen: On this episode of the Marketing Expedition podcast, I get to speak with Michael Wasick. He was born in Long Beach, California, and moved to the Boise, Idaho area about 20 years ago to attend Boise State University. After graduating, he started a real estate career.
About three years ago, he started Wobali, which we’ll talk about today.
Employees regularly quit because they don’t feel connected to the people around them and don’t believe their companies care about their well-being. That leads to lower productivity and higher turnover, which costs companies millions each year.
Michael brings employees together outside of work for activities they actually enjoy. As camaraderie and communication grow, teams become healthier and happier—and companies spend less time replacing employees and more time building profit.
We’re going to dig into Michael’s work, plus culture, branding, and a lot of fun ideas.
But first, it’s time for your Marketing Essentials Moment: the basics you need to help you build your brand and your bottom line.
Rhea Allen: Today I want to do a quick deep dive on three words that get thrown around a lot: culture, branding, and gameplay. They’re not “nice-to-have” concepts—they’re the difference between a team that’s surviving and a team that’s building something strong together.
This is also the perfect way to introduce my guest, Michael Wasick from Wobali—built to help companies create meaningful employee engagement and connection.
Let’s define these in practical terms.
Culture isn’t a mission statement on a wall. Culture is what gets modeled, rewarded, and repeated. It’s how people treat each other when things are busy and deadlines are tight. It’s what happens when someone makes a mistake—and what happens when someone wins. How do you celebrate?
At Peppershock, culture matters because our work is collaborative: creative, strategic, and production-driven. When culture is off, the work suffers. Our role is to make sure we’re working together, with the right people in the right seats.
Branding is the promise people experience. It’s what clients, partners, future employees, and vendors feel when they interact with you. It’s not just your logo—it’s your standards, tone, follow-through, and consistency.
Brand is built from the inside out. Culture and branding work together. You can’t control every perception, but you can build an internal experience that supports the brand promise—so people feel connected and want to be part of it.
And then there’s gameplay—the “how” behind team connection. It’s the rituals, rhythms, and small moments that build trust over time. It can also be shared experiences outside of work.
One simple example at Peppershock: we get together once a month—usually the last Monday—and we call it Munch. We celebrate work anniversaries (“workversaries”), birthdays, milestones, appreciations, and we also create space to talk through frustrations. Sometimes we go to a local restaurant; sometimes we bring food into the office. Sometimes we watch videos or review work not everyone gets to see.
It’s not mandatory, but people don’t want to miss it.
There are lots of ways companies can build culture intentionally. We’ll talk with Michael about listening to employees and creating experiences aligned with what they actually want to do.
All right—let’s get into the interview.
Rhea Allen: Welcome to the Marketing Expedition podcast. I’m your host, Rhea Allen. I’m the President and CEO of Peppershock Media and the founder of the Marketing Expedition Community.
Today’s guest is Michael Wasick. Welcome to the show, Michael.
Michael Wasick: Thank you for having me.
Rhea Allen: I like to start with more than what we find in a bio. Share a little about you and what got you to where you are today.
Michael Wasick: I grew up in Long Beach, California. I’ve been in Boise for 20 years this summer—so I’ll officially have lived here longer than I lived in Long Beach.
I went to Boise State and graduated there. I’ve also known you for several years through Aired Club. We worked on the events committee, which ties into what we’re talking about today.
Rhea Allen: One of my favorite events was the murder mystery we did. That was so fun.
Michael Wasick: It was. I also just saw a post for the horse racing event, so that’ll be coming up in May.
Rhea Allen: Do you pick a favorite horse when you watch the race?
Michael Wasick: I usually bet something. When we had the track here, I did more of that. Now we’ve got soccer, which is great. We went to the first two games and saw the first win—so we’re going strong.
Rhea Allen: That’s exciting. Lots of construction going on over there too.
Michael Wasick: Yeah, still a lot of work to be done, but the stadium looks good.
Rhea Allen: Let’s talk about the business you started about three years ago. What was the catalyst, and what do you do?
Michael Wasick: The business is called Wobali. It’s employee engagement, but with a different approach.
A lot of companies, if they do anything at all, default to something like a golf outing. I enjoy golf—but if you don’t golf, it can be miserable. It’s hot, you feel awkward, and you’re stuck with whoever’s in the cart next to you for four hours.
Instead, we survey employees to learn what they actually enjoy in their spare time, then bring them together throughout the year for those activities.
It can be anything: golf, movies, comedy shows, bowling, plays, Dungeons & Dragons, or even online video games. Different people like different things.
We focus on real engagement because engagement and loneliness are huge problems—and they affect companies in ways many leaders don’t fully see.
Rhea Allen: That makes sense. One time our team went on a trip and played Catan late into the night. I’d never played before, and we didn’t go to bed until 4 a.m. People still talk about it. Those shared memories matter.
People work with coworkers all the time—why not do something fun together?
Michael Wasick: Exactly. About 89% of employees want a friendly or close relationship with coworkers. People assume it’s the opposite, but it’s not.
And for the other 11%, that’s fine. We don’t do “forced fun.” If someone wants to keep work relationships strictly professional, no problem.
But for the 89%, we help build connection.
Rhea Allen: I love that—no forced fun. One of our core values is fun. We also host Word of Mouth Mixers once a month, and that’s how you ended up on the show.
We’ve also had Dr. Fun, Megan, come in with interactive gameplay. Trivia nights are another favorite—especially with multiple generations on a team. My dad is basically a walking Jeopardy contestant.
Michael Wasick: Having a wide range is great. People know different things, have different experiences, and enjoy different activities. That’s why we start by asking what people actually want.
Rhea Allen: We’ve done escape rooms too—Titanic themes, sword quests, even saving the U.S. from a missile crisis. We had to learn Morse code.
Michael Wasick: Escape rooms are a big one. If you look at ratings, they’re almost always 4.8 and up. People love them.
Rhea Allen: My family did one in Arizona and we almost finished—but the lock was backwards. None of us could override the muscle memory.
Michael Wasick: That’ll do it.
Rhea Allen: We’ve also done paint-and-sip, and a group painting where everyone paints a block and it comes together. On our annual retreat—PepperShockpalooza—we even painted rocks for our 90-day goals. It poured hail at the same time. Resilience is one of our core values, so it fit.
Michael Wasick: That’s also where companies can get into trouble. Events often get dumped on a manager, HR, or a receptionist—someone who doesn’t have time or expertise to plan it. They wing it, pick something outdoors, and then weather ruins it. Now it’s wasted time and money.
Our approach is consistent throughout the year: smaller events, smaller groups. It’s not always the whole company. It’s the five people who want to go to a comedy show, the three who want to go to hockey, the group that wants to play a game.
Rhea Allen: How do you structure it? A company hires you, you plan it out, and you make the arrangements?
Michael Wasick: We survey employees and see what they enjoy. Then we focus on teams first and expand outward.
Teams that work together need better communication and collaboration. If people don’t feel comfortable talking to each other—or don’t even know each other—you get friction. And we don’t get the “water cooler moments” like we used to, especially with remote and hybrid work.
We also ask in the survey if someone wants to lead an activity. If someone wants to run poker night, video games, D&D, or a fantasy football league, we connect people. I’m not running your fantasy football league—but I’ll help set it up and connect the right people.
Rhea Allen: How do you charge for this?
Michael Wasick: It’s based on the number of employees—like a consulting fee. We also ask the company to contribute toward events, like $20 per employee per month. If someone goes to a movie, that might cover the ticket and a drink. The company is essentially supporting something employees already want to do—now they’re doing it together.
Rhea Allen: It’s a commitment to team bonding. Culture happens whether we want it to or not. If we shape it intentionally, we create happier employees—and happier customers.
Michael Wasick: You can feel it when someone doesn’t want to be there. And loneliness has a measurable cost. There’s about $154 billion in lost revenue in the U.S. due to loneliness-related absenteeism.
A survey asked people how they felt the day before—about 19% said they felt very lonely. When you bring people together, you can lower anxiety and reduce sick days. Even immune systems improve when people feel better mentally.
Rhea Allen: And retention too—keeping people longer.
Michael Wasick: Yes. Employees are much more likely to stay if they have one to five best friends at work—it increases the likelihood by about 62%, even against a job offering more money and better benefits.
If they have five to 25 friends, it goes up to around 70%.
Replacing an employee typically costs about six to nine months of their salary, once you factor in recruiting, onboarding, and lost productivity. If you can increase retention by building connection, you save a lot of money.
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Rhea Allen: There’s also something to be said when employees share on social media about their workplace. That helps recruiting and referrals.
Let’s talk about your marketing. What are you doing to get the word out?
Michael Wasick: A lot of it is online marketing—statistics and facts. The concept isn’t brand-new, but the approach is different. Most companies do employee engagement a couple times a year. Very few ask employees what they want to do and bring them together regularly in smaller groups.
So I focus on that mental “flip”: not one big forced event, but consistent, employee-led connection.
I also do word of mouth, networking groups, chambers, and direct outreach. Often you’re trying to reach managers who get tasked with planning engagement events—because that’s usually not their core job. I help them see why this benefits the company and their team.
Rhea Allen: That’s smart. It’s not always the CEO or HR—it’s often the person responsible for coordinating the experience. They can influence the decision-maker.
Michael Wasick: Exactly. The people on the front lines see the team every day.
Even simple things like a movie can work. You’re not talking during the movie, but we follow up with nearby places to connect afterward—like grabbing a drink or food.
Rhea Allen: Looking ahead, do you see this expanding into other areas?
Michael Wasick: Yes. It’s a global issue. It’s not just Boise. It’s gotten worse in the last five years, but it’s not new. The book Bowling Alone came out in 2000 and talked about the loss of shared spaces. COVID made it worse, and “third spaces” have declined.
People spend a lot of time with coworkers—even remote. It’s helpful to actually know who you’re working with.
We can also do one-time events, like for retreats, and split activities so different people can choose what fits them.
Rhea Allen: I’m organizing my 30th class reunion, and it’s the same challenge—some people want golf, some want a winery dinner, some want something else.
Michael Wasick: If you want to feel better about what not to do, look up event fails. There are stories where companies planned “Survivor”-style trips—people got bitten by fire ants, ate weird stuff, and had a terrible time. No one thinks to ask employees what they actually want.
Rhea Allen: That’s wild.
Michael Wasick: It is.
Rhea Allen: If people want to work with you, how can they reach you?
Michael Wasick: Go to wobali.com or email me at michael.wasick@wobali.com—W-O-B-A-L-I.
Rhea Allen: Where did the name Wobali come from?
Michael Wasick: It was originally “Balanced,” then I changed it to Wobali—“work-life balance” jumbled together. Work-life balance isn’t always a reality, but the concept matters. If work is all you have, life gets harder over time. You need fun, connection, and a way to reset.
Rhea Allen: Any last words of wisdom?
Michael Wasick: Focus on connection and camaraderie. It’s overlooked, but it’s important. Health researchers and financial institutions have studied it. There are even stock portfolios focused on “happy companies,” and they outperform the general market. There’s a lot to this—companies just don’t prioritize it.
Rhea Allen: Thank you for coming to the Peppershock Poderific podcast recording studio.
Michael Wasick: Thank you for having me.
Rhea Allen: And we’ll see you at the next Word of Mouth Mixer.
Michael Wasick: For sure. I meant to buy my ticket yesterday, but I didn’t have my wallet. It’s saved on my phone so I remember.
Rhea Allen: Have you made connections through the mixers?
Michael Wasick: Yes. After one of your events, I went to Megan’s place—she was testing her gameplay experience at home. I went once with friends and again with my parents to get different age groups. And this week we had another fun event.
Rhea Allen: That’s the best part—relationships. It’s not just who’s in the room, it’s who they know. Ratings, rankings, referrals, reviews, and rewards.
Michael Wasick: It’s a good system.
Rhea Allen: For those listening: share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review—reviews are gold for podcasters.
Thanks again, Michael.
Michael Wasick: Thank you for having me.
Rhea Allen: Until next time, enjoy your marketing journey.
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