Growing with Purpose

From Corporate to Founder. Navigating Growth. Building with Intention. In this episode of Growing With Purpose, Jean Moncrieff speaks with Nenuca Syquia, Founder and CEO of Better Organizations by Design (BOxD), about building a business that grows without losing sight of what matters most. Nenuca shares her journey from corporate leadership to launching BOxD just before the pandemic, stepping into entrepreneurship without a network and building a client base from scratch. What began as a desire to do more meaningful work quickly became a test of resilience, as she navigated uncertainty, rejection and the realities of scaling a business. This conversation explores what it takes to grow with intention, how to avoid “success disasters” where growth outpaces delivery, and why building systems and teams is more important than relying on the founder. Nenuca also reflects on the personal side of leadership, from pressure and fear to learning how to trust others and not carry everything alone. Key themes include: Intentional growth vs growth for its own sake Scaling without compromising delivery Reframing sales from selling to helping Building systems and reducing founder dependency Handling rejection and making tough people decisions Aligning business growth with personal purpose A grounded and honest conversation for leaders who want to build something meaningful and sustainable over the long term.

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”

On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Britt Wiedemann, president and owner of IWI Ventures, a company that runs various organizations in the hospitality industry. Britt is also a mentor in the Small Giants Sounding Board program. Britt grew up in an entrepreneurial family and was raised on a horse and tobacco farm. Early on, he began adding more and more tools to his toolbox by way of new experiences. From working on his family’s farm, to being an English teacher in Korea, to being a mountain guide for Outward Bound, Britt never shied away from the opportunities that were presented to him. And along the way, he kept an open mind, remained humble, and sought out like-hearted people. With a mix of hard work, curiosity, and luck, Britt’s winding path led him into the hospitality industry. Today, he remains appreciative of all the varied experiences that have led him to where he is today, and continually strives to be the best leader he can be. Tune into this episode to hear Paul and Britt talk about how Britt came to discover the importance of good culture, what growing up on a farm taught him about entrepreneurship, and why he considers himself the luckiest guy on the planet. Show Notes: 3:23 - Getting in on the ground floor of fast casual 10:35 - “It turns out, good people won’t serve garbage” 17:45 - Growing up with entrepreneurial DNA 28:00 - How the pandemic changed the hospitality industry 36:35 - “Put tools in your toolbox”