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The Starbucks Turnaround Has a Simple Secret: Protect the Human Moment
Read more: The Starbucks Turnaround Has a Simple Secret: Protect the Human MomentWhile so many companies are automating their way to efficiency, Starbucks just spent $500 million to put more humans in their stores, and it’s working. In a video a from a year ago, I talked about how Starbucks’ wildly popular app was quietly killing the company. Howard Schultz called it the “biggest Achilles heel.” It wasn’t because the technology was bad, but because it severed the connection between…
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The Event for Leaders who want to Love their Work
Read more: The Event for Leaders who want to Love their WorkOn October 7, the Sioux Falls Orpheum Theater becomes the room where great leaders get better. The Love the Work Event is a full-day experience built around the two things that separate thriving businesses from struggling ones: culture and customer experience. And this year, we’ve assembled a speaker lineup that is, frankly, hard to believe…
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Culture Before Customer Experience: My Conversation with Eric Brooker
Read more: Culture Before Customer Experience: My Conversation with Eric BrookerThat’s exactly what happened when Eric Brooker invited me onto his podcast. What started as a connection at the Purpose Summit turned into a powerful conversation about gratitude, culture, AI, leadership, and what really drives business success. I’m grateful to Eric for creating space for meaningful dialogue — he has a gift for drawing out…
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The Transformative Power of Mentorship
Read more: The Transformative Power of MentorshipSome of the most powerful business strategies aren’t found in boardrooms or spreadsheets. They’re found in relationships. On this episode of Building Loved Businesses, I had the privilege of sitting down with Jay Justin, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley, and Lynsey Engels, President of the Real Estate Brokerage…
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Building a legacy on persistence and talent
Read more: Building a legacy on persistence and talentOn Building Loved Businesses, I’ve had the privilege of hearing some remarkable stories—but this one spans nearly a century of reinvention, resilience, and disciplined entrepreneurship. In this episode, I sat down with Joe Slavens, steward of a multi-generation family enterprise based in Davenport, Iowa. Over almost 100 years, Joe’s family has built—and rebuilt—businesses across banking,…
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How a focus on culture doubled revenue at Two Men and a Truck
Read more: How a focus on culture doubled revenue at Two Men and a TruckOn Building Loved Businesses, we look for companies that don’t just perform well—they’re genuinely loved by their customers, employees, and communities. This week, I had the opportunity to talk with someone who is proving every day that a strong culture and clear expectations build more than revenue. They build loyalty. I’m talking about Jeremy LaCamera,…
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Hiring for Heart, Serving with Purpose: Inside Matt Fitzpatrick’s Customer-First Culture
Read more: Hiring for Heart, Serving with Purpose: Inside Matt Fitzpatrick’s Customer-First CultureMost people don’t grow up dreaming of running an insurance agency, and Matt Fitzpatrick was no exception. After college, he bounced through sales jobs, then spent years coaching basketball. Life changed when he got married, had kids, and needed more stability. That’s when a familiar name reached out: a State Farm leader connected through Matt’s…
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My New Podcast: Building Loved Businesses
Read more: My New Podcast: Building Loved BusinessesToday is the launch of my new podcast, Building Loved Businesses. This podcast for small and medium-sized business leaders who want to build a company their employees are pround to work for, their customers rave about, and they love leading. Each episode features a conversation with an under-the-radar business owner who has built a thriving…
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Podcast Interview: Growth Without the Chaos – Scaling the Right Way
Read more: Podcast Interview: Growth Without the Chaos – Scaling the Right WayI had an amazing time joining Joshua Jurkovich on The Making of a Coach podcast to dive deep into what it really takes to grow a business without losing your culture, clarity, or sanity. We talked about: In other words, we talked about the stuff that I get to do every day. Want to watch…
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The one question that created Southwest Airline’s culture
Read more: The one question that created Southwest Airline’s cultureIn an industry where 90% of airlines have filed for bankruptcy, Southwest Airlines maintained profitability for 45 consecutive years. Their secret? A culture built around one simple question that transforms conflict into strength. Through operational efficiency and a distinctive employee-first culture, co-founder Herb Kelleher and his successors led Southwest Airlines on a remarkable 45-year profitability…
