The Culture Fix® Podcast with Will Scott

Culture is crucial for any organization. It keeps team members in check, with their decisions and actions aligned towards reaching the company’s goals and staying true to its vision. According to David Snelson, culture is crucial because it is an agreement between members of the team that they will take deliberate actions to keep their culture robust. And he also says that culture is the reason why everybody at Waer Systems knows to do the right thing instinctually, and this includes highlighting great examples of behavior that shine the light on their culture during their core values week. 

According to David, they put in the work to keep their culture and core values alive because it keeps the team connected, drives productivity, and helps them make better hiring decisions. The problem is, not all core values are well thought-out. 

So how do you know that it’s time to reset your culture and redefine your core values? For Waer Systems, they re-examine their core values every year-end. They choose three of their top-performing employees and try to determine what made them stand out and used this as their basis in deciding on the changes that they will impose on their company culture and core values. It may all seem like a lot of work but the benefits of having a positive culture that espouses productivity and camaraderie are undeniable.

According to David, one of the benefits that Waer Systems enjoys as a by-product of their culture is having the advantage of having clients appreciate their core values which reassure these same clients that they will be in good hands. David also expounds that it is this positive culture in the company that also helps them attract some of the best people for their team.

David Snelson is the Managing Director of Waer Systems Limited. He leads the business development function and is primarily responsible for setting, and delivering against, the company strategy. Waer is a cloud software company behind the Warehouse Management System called WAERlinx. 

If you’re someone who wants to build a strong culture in your organization that does not take the fun away from work and generates returns at a low cost but is not sure how to move forward, be sure to tune in to this episode of Culture Czars. 

In this episode, of Culture Czars, Will Scott talks to David Snelson who is the Managing Director of Will’s company, Waer Systems. Tune in to gain insights on the return on culture, the importance of developing a valued organizational culture, how to maintain a positive culture, and how to have fun along the way.

There’s never been a better time when companies needed their culture to come alive than now when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is raging. Dan Arriola knows everything about it as his company, Inktel, has had to pivot from working in an office to working from home. Inktel was not only able to avoid the downturn caused by the pandemic but turned it has also turned the situation into something positive and it has in fact increased their business.

According to Dan, the secret is being deliberate about your company’s culture and making the necessary small investments to make it come alive. But many companies focus on the features of their office rather than developing a valued culture, which is the exact opposite of what needs to be done in times of crisis. Sometimes, they do the complete opposite of what they claim to be their culture which is why, for Dan, the company culture must be memorable and actionable through their core values because this is what keeps their essence going even when things change abruptly.

So what do you do to make your core values stick and come alive? For Dan, they have an acronym for their six core values that everybody at the company knows and owns. It’s STRIVE. And so far, Dan says their investment in building a valued culture has paid off. Now that your culture is identified and embedded into every member, how then can you measure the ROI from investing in your organization’s culture?

Dan Arriola is the President of Inktel, a contact center solutions company that provides call center, email, chat, and social media support for fortune 1000 brands. They’ve been in business for over 20 years and they have seven locations throughout the U.S. 

If you’re someone who wants to build a strong culture in your organization that does not take the fun away from work and generates returns at a low cost but is not sure how to move forward, be sure to tune in to this episode of Culture Czars. In this episode, you’ll glean insights on how to develop a valued organizational culture, maintain it, generate ROI, and have fun along the way.

Businesses all over the world have been hit hard by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It came fast and it came so abruptly that it caught nearly everyone off guard. Today’s guest, Gino Wickman, says that this is all part of an entrepreneur’s life. The highs and lows of business are almost predictable and the only way to weather each storm is by making sure you’ve got your reserves, your wits, and your grit intact so that you can pick up the pieces and begin anew.

This is also the reason why for Gino, now is actually a pretty good time to ask yourself whether you’re meant to be an entrepreneur or not. He tackles this question and all the things that come with it in his book, The Entrepreneurial Leap. For Gino, worst-case scenarios will always play out in some form or another, what you need to do is to make sure you’ve got the things well prepared on your end so that you’re ready to push back and keep things steady.

Here’s the kicker: not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur and that’s absolutely okay. This is why Gino encourages people to take part in his 16-day Entrepreneurial Leap Challenge so that you can start charting the course of your future today.

Gino Wickman is the creator of the Entrepreneurial Leap but he is best known as the Founder of the Entrepreneurial Operating System or EOS Worldwide. Gino is also the author of the best-selling book Traction, the book that popularized the business management system. He has written many other books in the series including Get A Grip, Rocket Fuel, How To Be A Great Boss, and What The Heck Is EOS?

If you’re someone interested in business, if you’re just starting out as an entrepreneur, or if you’re already an entrepreneur but don’t really know how to go forward, stay tuned to this episode of Culture Czars where you can get insights and learnings that will make you think and carefully consider the choices you’ve made and will be making in the future as an entrepreneur.

If you’re looking to build a company that stays profitably in business even after you exit the daily operations, you want to pay close attention to building valued company culture across the board and taking your brand where it needs to go. So what is your company culture? Where is your brand trying to? 

Scott Silver is here to help companies find out where they are going with their brand and help suggest product ideas and ways to bring them to market. Whether it be trade show giveaways, employee recognition, gifts, and custom logo merchandise. 

Scott Silver is the President of Printable Promotions, an ad agency that focuses on promotional items and helping brands take their products to markets. Scott started his company over 25 years ago and the company has won industry awards for its website, marketing, use of technology, and a five-time winner of the Best Places to Work award in its industry. This week host Will Scott is joined by Scott to talk about his company, the importance of building a valued culture in his company.

When a new employee is brought in to a company, the first few days can be critical. This time can make or break the experience for both the company and employee alike. Andrew Blickstein has a very unique and effective onboarding process that is focused on getting things off to a great start.

Andrew Blickstein is the Founder of Home Run Media, which helps companies utilize TV advertising to increase client acquisition by driving customers to their websites. Andrew is also an advisor for Shopping Gives, which creates a positive social impact by connecting consumers, retailers, and nonprofits for charitable donations.

In this episode, host Will Scott is joined by Andrew Blickstein to talk about Corporate Culture, Home Run Media’s unique onboarding process for new employees, and getting a return on the investment into Culture.

As technology has changed, so has our culture. The result is a new breed of worker in the Millennial generation, with their own unique set of values. The traditional styles of management and employee retention are no longer useful to much of the workforce. So what are the best ways for companies to adapt to this change?

Aaron Levy is here to help companies adapt to the changing times.

Aaron Levy is Founder and CEO of Raise The Bar, a management training company that has set out to transform the managerial role. Aaron is also a speaker and author of the book Open, Honest, and Direct. This week host Will Scott is joined by Aaron to talk about his company, writing his new book, and the importance of a strong culture in his company.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

[1:12] Background on Raise The Bar

[4:48] How the training system at Raise The Bar works

[7:54] Discussion on Aaron’s new book, Open, Honest, and Direct

[10:31] Aaron’s experience defining the culture at his company

[15:10] Extending the Culture of Raise The Bar to their clients’

[16:29] What are some of the Core Values at Aaron’s company?

[23:09] Why “having fun” is a Core Value

[31:04] An example of living the core values from Aaron’s work history

Resources Mentioned on this Episode

Raise The Bar

Open, Honest, and Direct, by Aaron Levy

LinkedIn for Aaron

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The return on investment in Corporate Culture can be huge for a company’s bottom line.

For Jaime Neely, it’s a full-time job.

Jaime Neely is the Chief Culture Officer for Trend Hunter, the world’s number one largest trend-spotting platform. Trend Hunter has over 300,000 articles published, covering everything from fashion, to tech, to marketing campaigns. Trend Hunter helps powerful brands to identify new opportunities and validate successful ideas through the company’s innovative algorithm. 

In this episode, Will Scott is joined by Jamie Neely to talk about how she came to be the Chief Culture Officer, the seven “Core Competencies” at Trend Hunter, and how the company maintains a successful Culture.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

[1:03] Background on Trend Hunter

[3:01] How Jaime came to be Chief Culture Officer

[4:19] Why Culture is a priority at Trend Hunter, and how Jaime defines Corporate Culture

[7:55] What is the Culture like at Trend Hunter

[10:00] Examples from the company’s seven Core Competencies and how Jaime applies them

[16:31] Getting employees to live the Core Competencies

[20:15] The reward system for employees at Trend Hunter

[22:21] The interview process for onboarding new employees

[26:04] The end-of-year assessment process, and reviewing performance throughout the year

[30:02] Advice for companies that struggle with Corporate Culture

Resources Mentioned on this Episode

Trend Hunter

LinkedIn for Jaime Neely

Connect with Will

About Me

Culture Czars

The Culture Fix

Linked In

As listeners of this podcast know, Culture is more than just words on a wall, it is lived. 

Our guest this week knows how to bring it into the heart.

Claude Silver is the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, a modern, full-service global agency. She is a mentor, coach, and manager, and the company’s first CHO. The position was created to help scale Gary Vee and make sure that the over 800 employees feel they have a home in the company.

Join Will Scott as he welcomes Claude Silver to talk about the Culture and guiding principles of VaynerMedia, and why culture is not a ping pong table. 

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

[2:01] The Culture of VaynerMedia

[10:45] Where Claude and VaynerMedia ranks Culture in the company focus

[12:10] VaynerMedia lives their Core Values, not lists them

[15:14] Claude’s recommendations for upcoming entrepreneurs

[18:45] The Guiding Principles for VaynerMedia

[25:05] Gary Vee is a very genuine guy

[29:10] Valuing empathy

[32:55] Culture isn’t a ping pong table

[36:15] Final thoughts from Claude

Resources Mentioned on this Episode

VaynerMedia

Claude Silver

LinkedIn for Claude

Connect with Will

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Culture Czars

The Culture Fix

Linked In

Life can always take a turn when you least expect it.

Anthony Vidergauz had a professional law degree but was not fulfilled by the career. So when the opportunity came up to get involved with a young company he jumped at the opportunity.

This week Will Scot is joined by Anthony Vidergauz who is the former owner and CEO of California Closets, which offers custom storage solutions for their closets and beyond. Anthony is an experienced advisor and has extensive experience in the franchise and home service industries. He is skilled in business development, entrepreneurship, and branding strategy, and has a professional law degree from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Listen in as they talk about Anthony’s decision to become CEO of California Closets, the power of Culture in the success of a business, and how major scandals have eroded trust in some large corporations.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

[1:35] How Anthony got involved in California Closets

[7:15] California Closets needed to differentiate itself

[16:40] Core Values need to be practiced

[23:25] How visible were California Closets Core Values?

[27:09] The Values have to be who you are, so Anthony had franchisees contribute to their creation

[30:10] Recent major scandals by large corporations has led to a lack of trust in those institutions by their customer base

[34:50] The Return on Investment for investing in Culture

[43:48] Final thoughts and advice from Anthony

Resources Mentioned on this Episode

California Closets 

LinkedIn for Anthony Vidergauz

Connect with Will

About Me

Culture Czars

The Culture Fix

Linked In

A company can put Core Values on the wall, but the important question is: do they live them?

So what can a company do to define their Core Values, and what are the best ways to implement them?

In this episode, Will is joined by Steve Gumm, who is VP of Marketing at AssociaDirect. Steve helps organizations get from where they are to where they want to be, utilizing smart strategy and well-crafted game plans. Listen in as they talk about how Will defines Culture for new clients, some examples of bad culture, and why defining Culture makes an organization run more smoothly. 

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

[1:03] Steve Gumm asks Will for the Cliff Notes of Will’s story

[3:49] Background for Steve Gumm and what he is passionate about

[5:31] How Will defines Culture when he begins working with a new client

[7:20] What Will looks for when he is assessing a new company and what some of Will’s red flags are

[13:01] Techniques to ensure a company’s Core Values are followed through

[19:32] What to do when there is a problem employee

[20:45] Is a strong Culture as critical in organizations that are not businesses?

[25:50] If a company has their culture defined, everything is easier

[30:00] Will’s passion for building environments began in his youth

Connect with Will

About Me

Culture Czars

The Culture Fix

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