Growing with Purpose

Building Trust. Guarding Your Time. Getting Back to the Basics. In this episode of Growing with Purpose, Jean Moncrieff speaks with Larry Levine, Author, Podcast host, and Co-Founder of the agency Selling from the Heart, all of which speak to the issue of founder development, and how they can modernize their approach to sales without losing their authenticity and personal touch. Drawing on more than three decades in sales, Larry explains why nobody should be able to “out-care” you and why trust, empathy and genuine connection produce real business results. He shares how he built Selling from the Heart from scratch, the discipline of prospecting every day, and why founders should prioritize consistent communication with their ideal customers over chasing trends. Jean and Larry also explore how leaders can guard their time for revenue-generating work, uncover what truly motivates their salespeople, and use data to avoid costly hiring mistakes. At the heart of the conversation is a simple message: future-proofing sales does not require another shortcut or shiny object. It starts with doing the fundamentals exceptionally well and making business development non-negotiable. Key themes include: Building trust through empathy and genuine relationships Why nobody should be able to “out-care” you Cutting through noise and avoiding shiny objects Making prospecting a daily non-negotiable Guarding time for revenue-generating activities Helping salespeople strengthen their heartset and mindset Using data to make better sales hires Future-proofing sales by getting back to the basics

On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman sits down with Amy Courter, the Principle of Azimuth Centers of Excellence and a Certified EOS Implementer. Amy grew up outside of Flint, MI with humble beginnings and parents who lived out their heart-first, community values. She adopted those same values and wanted to find ways to be a part of and give back to her community. After excelling at a law enforcement program in high school and wanting to stay involved, she enrolled in the Civil Air Patrol, and has been a member ever since. From the Civil Air Patrol and beyond, Amy has found ways to marry career and community. While working for a large tech company, she found purpose and alignment in her small, entrepreneurial clients. And now, as an EOS implementer, she appreciates working with a wide array of clients, many of which do meaningful work. Tune in to this episode to hear Amy and Paul discuss how she’s adapted her experiences to fit many different roles, how being an athlete influenced her professional life, and why she took theater classes in college. Show Notes: 2:35 - EOS and culture 8:57 - Early influences 18:37 - Joining the Civil Air Patrol 24:00 - Not a career path, but a scavenger hunt 30:15 - Sports and community involvement

On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman sits down with Bill Roark, co-founder of Torch Technologies, Inc., as well as the founder of Starfish Holdings, Inc. and Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC. He is also the author of Built with Purpose. Bill grew up in the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky, in a small community where people looked out for one another. From a young age, he learned the importance of a strong work ethic and treating people with kindness and respect. By the time he had gained some defense work experience and started Torch Technologies, he knew that if he took care of his employees, they would in turn take care of the company and their customers. With this employee-focused mindset, as well as his desire to create a long-term, sustainable company, it felt like the natural decision for Bill to turn Torch into an ESOP right away. And that has proved to be a crucial component of the company’s cooperative culture, especially in a competitive contracting industry. Listen to this episode to hear about Bill’s passion for employee ownership, why he emphasizes integrity in his companies’ cultures, and the very important lesson that carpet samples taught him. Show Notes: 7:20 - What is a defense contracting business? 10:27 - Employee-focused napkin manifesto 15:50 - “The mountain people are good people” 21:40 - Life lessons from carpet samples 32:10 - Define your principles

On this live recorded episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with David Friedfeld, president of ClearVision Optical, one of the largest family-owned eye distributors in North America. The Clear Vision story starts with David’s father, a Navy veteran who was looking for his next chapter in life, and found it in a six-week optometry program. After becoming licensed and working for someone else for several years, he began his own business, looping family in along the way. Now the company is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and with David and his brother Peter at the helm, it remains a family affair. And while working with family naturally comes with its tough moments, ClearVision is a testament to how a family can come together to create a successful, healthy, and welcoming business that positively impacts a community far larger than their own family tree. Tune in to this episode to hear Paul and David bond over being failed-attorneys-turned-entrepreneurs, the highs and lows of scaling culture alongside a growing business, and David’s fragrant race routine from his track days. Show Notes: 4:08 - A culture that's 75 years strong 16:35 - Getting the real family stories 27:53 - Scaling culture

On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Mikel Berger, a self-proclaimed uncertified entrepreneur and Chief of Staff of Little Engine Ventures. Mikel grew up on a farm in northern Indiana, and while his upbringing taught him to love building things and problem solving, he also wanted to distance himself from that lifestyle. He saw his father, a farmer, as somebody whose livelihood was reliant on the weather and other things out of his control. So Mikel went into software engineering, or “typing for a living”, and eventually wound up creating Little Engine Ventures alongside his business partner. What he realizes now is that his father was a small business owner all along, and that every single career path has elements that will inevitably be out of your control. Tune into this episode to hear Paul and Mikel discuss the delicate act of transitioning a business to a new owner, the good kind of pressure needed for businesses to thrive, and why Mikel likes working in the skydiving industry. Show Notes: 10:05 - “It’s really your people” 12:30 - The good kind of pressure 17:58 - Early days of leadership learning 30:46 - Humbling experiences

It’s hard to believe that it has been 15 years since Bo and Paul started the Small Giants Community! Like many of us, Paul was inspired by Bo’s book and that started a series of conversations, leading to them bringing purpose-driven leaders together as a Community. Years later, the principles Bo wrote about in his book are stronger than ever, and we’ve seen the focus on culture and values become company differentiators. All of us continue to benefit from relationships and learnings with like-hearted leaders. In this episode - a special live recording of the Growing with Purpose podcast - Paul and Bo take a walk down memory lane, share stories and challenges, and reflect on what’s changed over the last 15 years. From what happened to the original companies Bo wrote about, to how the Community has evolved and what lies ahead, we hope you enjoy this touching celebration and fireside chat! Show Notes: 1:50 - It all began with a book 10:40 - Why Small Giants fail 15:10 - Paul and Bo's first interaction 25:05 - Endurance of Small Giants companies 33:40 - Making tough choices as Small Giants

On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Ron Alvesteffer, President and CEO of Service Express, a data center solutions provider. While they started as a small IT company in Grand Rapids, MI, Ron has led Service Express to become an international team of over 1,000 employees, all while sustaining a unique performance-driven and care-focused culture. Ron didn’t start with a background in IT. Rather, he had a teaching degree and experience in sales. But when he was hired on as a sales manager at Service Express, he felt there was something special about the company, and quickly connected with Mike, the then-owner. After five years of being with the company, Ron proposed to Mike that he become president, and that Mike act as his investor. Mike challenged Ron to embody a president first, without the title in place. In a bold move on both their parts, Ron rose to the occasion, and transitioned into officially becoming president. As a self-aware and passionate leader, Ron has taken his enthusiasm for growth and propelled Service Express to new heights. But he’s never lost sight of the company’s core values, and a focus on caring for each employee. Through vision talks and a whole set of accountability tools, Ron strives to keep Service Express a place where people feel taken care of, and that it is a mutually beneficial fit for every employee. Tune into this episode to hear Paul and Ron discuss how growth and culture don’t have to be competing priorities, the importance of careful hiring, and how Ron is constantly striving for progress rather than perfection. Show Notes: 7:08 - Making his mark on the company 16:30 - Service Express’ culture toolkit 25:09 - Early influences 41:40 - “Decide who you want to be”