In this episode of the Culture From The Heart Podcast, hosts Larry Levine and Darrell Amy are joined by Kip Miller, CEO of Eastern Industrial Supplies. Kip shares his journey from starting his career in the 1980s to leading a company that emphasizes caring for employees, customers, communities, and cultures. He introduces the 'four C's' strategy for building a heart-centered workplace culture, discusses the implementation of chaplain services, and recounts the significant impact of community involvement both locally and internationally. Kip offers practical advice for leaders on how to develop a caring culture by starting with small, actionable steps and maintaining intentionality, consistency, and discipline. This episode is a masterclass in operationalizing empathy and compassion within a corporate environment.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Focus on Caring: Creating a culture centered on caring for employees, clients, community, country, and global cultures is vital for long-term success.
• Intentional Actions: Initiatives like chaplaincy services, emergency assistance funds, and community involvement are practical ways to demonstrate care.
• Personal Growth: Leaders must look inward and be vulnerable to set an example for their teams.
• Perseverance: Overcoming difficult times and persevering builds character and shapes a stronger organizational culture.
• Consistency and Intentionality: Commitment to consistent actions and intentionality in caring ensures that a heartfelt culture thrives over time.

QUOTES

• "Do you really love your neighbors as you do yourself? And do you look after their interests just like you look after your own?"
• "We want to care for people in our company. How can they be the best version of themselves that they can be?"
• "It's about being vulnerable and admitting flaws—people relate to leaders who are genuine and open."
• "We can work on building a world-class culture, which we're not there yet. But you can take good and go to better and go to great."
• "Intentionality and consistency in caring actions can transform and uplift organizational culture."

Learn more about Darrell and Larry:

Darrell's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellamy/

Larry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrylevine1992/

Connect and learn more about Kip Miller.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kip-miller/

Ready to begin realizing the full potential of your sales team? Hire Great Salespeople with Confidence. SCHEDULE YOUR EXECUTIVE BRIEFING.

https://sellingfromtheheart.net/hiring

Unlock The Power of Team Growth with Learnit’s Live Training Platform. CLAIM your 45-day trial of unlimited training now!

https://www.learnit.com/lp/culture

In this rewind episode of the Culture From The Heart Podcast, we revisit a thought-provoking conversation with Damon Lembi, CEO of LearnIt. The discussion centers around building a heart-centered culture within organizations, emphasizing the importance of leading with integrity, practicing transparency, and setting a clear vision. Damon shares his experiences and strategies for handling tough conversations, fostering emotional maturity, and maintaining a practice mindset. He also delves into the significance of a learning culture, highlighting the need for continual personal and professional development, and the role of management in driving this culture. The episode concludes with actionable advice for CEOs on cultivating a learning environment and leading with empathy and purpose.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Lead with Integrity: Always be transparent, set clear visions, and assist your team in achieving goals.
• Importance of Difficult Conversations: Address tough issues promptly to avoid a toxic culture.
• Practicing Tough Conversations: Rehearse difficult conversations to handle them effectively.
• Transparency with Boundaries: Share relevant and important information but with measured boundaries.
• Living the Values: Leaders must model the behaviors and values they expect from their team.
• Learning Culture: Encourage continuous learning to adapt to rapid changes and foster personal and professional growth.
• Emotional Intelligence: Essential for effective leadership and building a supportive, transparent culture.

QUOTES

• "Your culture is going to erode if you don't address and have these hard conversations."
• "Lead with integrity, be transparent, and set a clear vision."
• "Transparency with a little bit of boundaries is critical."
• "You have to be adaptable and you have to be willing to grow to go and move forward."
• "The more you invest, the more you collect as a CEO, as a leader."

Learn more about Darrell and Larry:

Darrell's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellamy/

Larry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrylevine1992/

Connect and learn more about Damon Lembi and his works.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonlembi/

https://www.learnit.com/

Ready to begin realizing the full potential of your sales team? Hire Great Salespeople with Confidence. SCHEDULE YOUR EXECUTIVE BRIEFING.

https://sellingfromtheheart.net/hiring

Unlock The Power of Team Growth with Learnit’s Live Training Platform. CLAIM your 45-day trial of unlimited training now!

https://www.learnit.com/lp/culture

In this episode of Culture From the Heart Podcast, hosts Larry Levine and Darrell Amy are joined by Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX. Claude discusses the principles of 'kind candor' and emotional intelligence, emphasizing the importance of creating a workplace culture rooted in empathy, authenticity, and human connection. She shares personal stories and practical strategies for how leaders can foster an environment where employees feel valued and safe. Claude also introduces her new book, 'Be Yourself At Work,' which offers actionable advice for individuals and teams to cultivate genuine self-awareness and a sense of belonging.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Culture is built in micro-moments - Not grand gestures like foosball tables, but daily human interactions like saying hi in the hallway or acknowledging someone's engagement

• Kind candor over harsh feedback - Combining kindness with honest accountability creates forward momentum and trust

• Employees are humans first - Recognizing that everyone has a full life outside work is essential to creating psychological safety

• Retention through belonging - Creating a culture where people feel seen, valued, and safe leads to loyalty, innovation, and organic referrals

• Scale empathy through culture champions - Identify people with "heart to help" DNA in every office who can extend care and connection

• The cost of masking - Hiding your authentic self at work has a real personal and organizational cost

QUOTES

• "Culture isn't built in these grand moments. We don't need to have a foosball table. We're gonna be human."
• "It's very rare that you'll ever hear me use the word employee. It's because we're human."
• "What is it costing you to put your real self in your backpack and put on a mask and walk through the door? Because it is costing you something."
• "We're building the single greatest human organization in the history of time."
• "I want every single person in this company to trust you, and I want you to create safety for every single person in the company."
• "People stay when they're happy. What's not the ROI of taking care of your humans?"
• "Kind candor - kindness is who we are. The candor is the accountability, the honesty."

Learn more about Darrell and Larry.

Darrell's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellamy/

Larry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrylevine1992/

Connect and learn more from Claude Silver.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/casilver/

Ready to begin realizing the full potential of your sales team? Hire Great Salespeople with Confidence. SCHEDULE YOUR EXECUTIVE BRIEFING.

https://sellingfromtheheart.net/hiring

Unlock The Power of Team Growth with Learnit’s Live Training Platform. CLAIM your 45-day trial of unlimited training now!

https://www.learnit.com/lp/culture

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