Neuroscience Workplace Impact For Leaders

Rockstar drummer Mark Schulman and neuro-performance coach Heather Crider use neuroscience to boost workplace impact.

Club Management Association of America and Cline Design

When Mark Schulman steps onto a keynote stage, he brings the same electrifying presence that once powered the world’s biggest music tours. For over three decades, Schulman was the driving beat behind stars like Cher, Foreigner, Billy Idol and Pink, with whom he toured for 14 years. A force of energy on the drums, Schulman played to sold-out arenas worldwide. Today, he channels that experience into helping organizations unlock neuroscience workplace impact – showing leaders and teams how to perform at their best. “You might have noticed me,” he joked in our interview. “But the reality is, the audience is there to see Pink. I’m an unsung hero.”

That humility now fuels a very different kind of performance. These days, Schulman plays to conference halls and ballrooms instead of sold-out stadiums. He’s teamed up with Heather J. Crider, a neuro-performance and mindset coach, to deliver a high-octane presentation that fuses rock concert theatrics with actionable neuroscience. Their shared platform, “Everyday Rockstar,” challenges audiences to show up as their best selves – not for ego or accolades, but for the benefit of others and their organization.

The result is more than just a motivational talk. It’s what Schulman calls an “activational experience:” part concert, part behavioral science workshop and all designed to rewire how people think about purpose, performance and presence. “When you activate somebody,” Schulman explained, “you’re inspiring them to take action as opposed to simply be motivated.”

“Motivation is fleeting,” Schulman added. “But when you take action, motivation follows.” That insight forms the foundation of what Crider calls “MMA” – motivation, momentum and action. “You have to act to get and sustain motivation,” she said. “It doesn’t come from just thinking about something. Your brain is designed to build motivation and momentum through action.”

The duo’s framework of C.R.E.D. – clarity, resilience, effort/energy/empathy and delivery – focuses on maximizing impact through value and effect. Their content draws on validated neuroscience research from Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and MIT. But it’s not a lecture. It’s an immersive rock performance-turned-keynote filled with storytelling, live drumming and audience participation that makes abstract concepts inspiring and immediately actionable.

C.R.E.D.: Neuroscience Workplace Impact Framework

Each element of C.R.E.D. is built to be intuitive yet grounded in science:

• Clarity is about radical self-awareness. “It takes a lot of vulnerability to try to figure out your blind spots to become a better version of yourself,” Crider said, “and then strengthen your impact drivers or find somebody to complement them to have better success together.”
• Resilience includes practical strategies for reframing adversity. “We talk about the three ways people deal with adversity: resist it, endure it or harness it,” said Schulman. “We teach people how to harness adversity.”
• E³ – Effort, Energy and Empathy adds nuance. “There are two types of empathy that deplete you: dormant empathy and empathetic distress,” Crider said. “When you understand the right kind of effort and energy behind empathy, you create more connection, more success, and significantly reduce stress and burnout.”
• Delivery is where it all comes together. “Taking action is where you create impact,” Schulman said. “How you deliver helps you strengthen your impact drivers and really be of service with the least amount of stress, reduce burnout, increase fulfillment and increase success” Crider added.

The keynote is participatory, not theoretical. Attendees leave with custom tools, including a practical playbook tailored to their unique profile and online video training and workshops, leading to sustained behavioral change.

Neuroscience Workplace Impact

The corporate environment can be plagued by burnout, disconnection and uncertainty, and Everyday Rockstar offers an inspiring science-meets-show solution with measurable outcomes. “Our brains are built for service,” said Crider. “So when motivation is only self-serving, you’ll give up. When you have a goal, a why, a mission that includes the success or fulfillment of other people, then your brain is more resilient when you have adversity.”

That message hits home in business environments that demand both agility and empathy. Crider and Schulman developed their “Impact Index,” a statistically validated assessment that helps individuals measure and improve how they show up for others. “Value plus effect equals impact,” Schulman explained. “How much impact can you have for the benefit of others, for your teammates, for your customers, for everyone on the planet?”

The assessment provides a baseline measurement for individuals across the four C.R.E.D. pillars, followed by personalized coaching and training to help improve those scores. Organizations can even benchmark progress over time, allowing teams to tangibly demonstrate growth in areas like resilience and empathy – qualities that aren’t always easy to quantify.

Turning Neuroscience Into Business Impact

Everyday Rockstar clients range from Fortune 500 companies such as Dell Technologies and Cisco Systems to educational institutions and healthcare systems such as Kaiser Permanente, all of which share a desire to elevate leadership, improve morale and build a culture of meaningful contribution. Clients describe the presentation as inspirational and approachable, as Schulman and Crider help attendees bring their best to their organizations.

The keynote’s flexibility is part of its strength. It’s suitable for executive retreats, leadership development programs, large-scale sales conferences and internal culture transformations. Pre-event assessments enable customization, while post-event coaching and content can extend the experience beyond the 75-minute keynote.

And of course, with a real live rockstar on stage, there’s music. About twelve minutes of the keynote features live drumming and exclusive concert footage, but it’s always in service of the message. After years of doing educational drum clinics at music stores and colleges, Schulman realized that music helps people remember stories and lessons. Combining both with a neuroscience framework allows him and Crider to create a learning experience people don’t forget.

Unleashing Everyday Rockstars

Ultimately, Everyday Rockstar aims to help everyday workers access the impact they can make. “It’s about tapping into that best version of yourself for the benefit of others,” Crider said.

That philosophy is what makes their approach resonate across so many industries and demographics. Whether you’re an accountant, receptionist, engineer or CEO, the neuroscience of performance applies to how you work, lead, follow, communicate and recover from setbacks.

“Impact is not given. Personal impact is created, and you are responsible,” Schulman said. “When I create my impact and the intensity with which I show up, it empowers me. It makes me who I am.”

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