00:00:00:00 - 00:00:20:06
Jason Taylor: Today's guest on The People's Playbook is Chloe McKenzie. She is the SVP of People and Culture at Salt XY. I can't tell you how impressed I am with Chloe and what you've done. You built the people function from—and let's be honest—from the ground up. The company has become the number three best workplace to work in Canada.

00:00:20:09 - 00:00:41:16
Jason Taylor: And on the side—if she actually has a side because she works so much—she's also the creator of Co-Leads, a leadership platform supporting ambitious women and women of color navigating leadership as the only one in the room. Her work sits at the intersection of culture, emotional intelligence, identity, and the future of leadership. Chloe, welcome to the podcast.

00:00:41:19 - 00:00:45:23
Chloe McKenzie: Jay, what a glowing introduction. I appreciate you so much. Thanks for having me.

00:00:45:26 - 00:00:50:24
Jason Taylor: No problem. Isn't it amazing when somebody introduces you and you think, “Oh wait, I did accomplish all that?” It's crazy.

00:00:50:24 - 00:00:53:21
Chloe McKenzie: Right? You're like, “What's that mean? Was that me? Do they have that right?”

00:00:53:23 - 00:01:02:21
Jason Taylor: I've had it before, too. And people seize on the name just like, “Oh man, that sounds pretty good.” And it's good because you think, “Hey, this has all been worth it along the way.”

00:01:02:24 - 00:01:15:10
Chloe McKenzie: Gives perspective, especially when you're in it. You can't really lift up to see, “What's the progress? What's the impact?” But it's nice to have a bio that looks back and says, “Yeah, I've made some steps along the way.”

00:01:15:10 - 00:01:18:18
Jason Taylor: I said, “Okay, I'm getting up in the morning and doing some stuff during the day.”

00:01:18:18 - 00:01:19:28
Chloe McKenzie: Right. You got it.

00:01:20:01 - 00:01:35:08
Jason Taylor: Hey, let's talk about Salt. What a success story. You're leading the People and Culture function, and you led that from ground zero. What was the first leadership principle you refused to compromise on when you were building this?

00:01:35:10 - 00:02:07:05
Chloe McKenzie: I love that as a place to start. When I joined Salt almost five years ago, I came with zero HR experience. I came from agency life—client service, XM, B2B—so I knew I had to love whatever I was making and consider myself employee number one. For me, it was uncompromising on what it should feel like to work in a place I would love, using myself as litmus test number one. The values were already strong, so building from them was fun and easy.

00:02:07:07 - 00:02:29:09
Chloe McKenzie: I knew the business side from my agency experience, even if I didn’t yet know HR law or technicalities. People need a place to express themselves and feel valued—especially in an agency, where people are our product.

00:02:29:12 - 00:02:59:22
Chloe McKenzie: The values at Salt were already established, so designing around them was natural. Even without HR experience, I could lean into culture, identity, and engagement to get the most out of our people.

00:02:59:24 - 00:03:17:08
Jason Taylor: Wow, I never knew that about you. You had no HR experience, yet built Salt into the number three place to work in Canada. That’s amazing.

00:03:17:08 - 00:03:34:29
Jason Taylor: Culture gets talked about loudly but designed quietly. One invisible decision you made that shaped Salt culture and had the most impact?

00:03:35:02 - 00:04:14:21
Chloe McKenzie: Being courageous in how I show up. As a visible minority and typically the only Black woman in the room, I lead by example. I talk about identity, lived experience, and how it influences leadership, creative ideas, and talent decisions. I had to be open and authentic first, so others could feel safe to do the same.

00:04:14:25 - 00:04:59:29
Chloe McKenzie: Leading by example—showing courage, vulnerability, and authenticity—was non-negotiable. Not being able to show up as myself would have made Salt miserable for me.

00:05:00:06 - 00:05:39:23
Jason Taylor: I love leaders who take it personally. Work is personal—it’s tied to identity, purpose, and worth. The details that matter in a workplace aren’t small—they’re massive. Taking them personally makes a difference.

00:05:45:05 - 00:06:18:16
Chloe McKenzie: Exactly. Work is where people find purpose. You can’t separate identity and worth from work—it sticks with us, regardless of how tough we appear externally.

00:06:18:23 - 00:06:43:11
Jason Taylor: We spend more time with coworkers than family sometimes, so emotional intelligence is key. You’re incredibly self-aware. Can you share a moment where emotional intelligence mattered more than being “right”?

00:07:09:08 - 00:08:20:14
Chloe McKenzie: I’ve learned to read the room, understand dynamics I’m not part of, and sometimes sit with discomfort rather than immediately solve a problem. Curiosity and asking questions, giving space for others to process, has been one of the biggest learnings in my career.

00:08:20:16 - 00:09:54:18
Jason Taylor & Chloe McKenzie:
Jason: Curiosity lets leaders get to the root of issues.
Chloe: I ask lots of questions, lean in when I don’t know, and connect with people as humans first. People carry their personal life and challenges into work—it’s essential to address that.

00:10:05:22 - 00:11:19:06
Jason Taylor: Leadership is hard. Self-awareness is missing. Leaders think they know how to act, but behaviors resonate differently with different people. Awareness of style and impact is critical.

00:12:21:18 - 00:13:41:20
Chloe McKenzie: Outdated leadership tools overcomplicate. Best leadership now is listening, asking good questions, and authentic presence. Awareness of yourself and others helps adapt your approach.

00:14:06:01 - 00:18:06:19
Jason Taylor & Chloe McKenzie:
Jason: Leaders are always “on stage.” How do you integrate identity into leadership in daily moments?
Chloe: Remove assumptions, find commonalities, and embrace cultural nuances. Ask questions about experiences you may not share. Connection and curiosity build safety and trust.

00:20:38:02 - 00:22:44:08
Jason Taylor & Chloe McKenzie:
Jason: What leadership behaviors had to change to make Salt a top workplace?
Chloe: Leadership had to be kind, clear, and direct—not just “nice.” Radical candor and honesty, giving tough feedback respectfully, made growth possible.

00:25:19:14 - 00:26:01:05
Jason Taylor & Chloe McKenzie:
Jason: Humility in leaders is powerful—they don’t have all the answers.
Chloe: Ultimate respect.

00:26:01:07 - 00:28:27:12
Jason Taylor & Chloe McKenzie:
Jason: Advice for your younger self?
Chloe: Life comes in chapters. Enjoy each chapter, learn from it, manage expectations, and trust that answers will appear.

00:30:01:24 - 00:32:52:06
Jason Taylor & Chloe McKenzie:
Jason: Human skills—critical thinking, discernment, humility—are more valuable than ever with AI.
Chloe: AI handles information, but human judgment, culture awareness, connection, and humility are irreplaceable.

00:33:22:00 - 00:34:14:08
Jason Taylor & Chloe McKenzie:
Jason: Three words for young leaders?
Chloe: Human. Humility. Connection.

00:34:14:09 - 00:34:32:29
Jason Taylor: Thank you, Chloe. The world needs more leaders like you—leaders who give permission, stretch voices, and create better workplaces.