After studying Dr. Bob Nelson’s work on employee recognition, we learned that we could create a useful and effective employee recognition program with a small budget. So in an effort to “practice what we preach,” we initiated our first employee recognition program event.

Ideally, we wanted this event to be a day of recognition where we honored employees for exemplifying our company values. We named the event WOW Day to reflect our brand Home of “The WOW Effect”® and because we wanted our employees to feel “The WOW Effect”™ for themselves.

Our first WOW Day in 2005 honored a group of amazing employees for doing their work in a way that could Turn Emotions Into Memories™ and make others say “WOW!” Continue reading…

Would you believe me if I told you that our core purpose, plus the Hedgehog Concept, plus a bunch of fun parties helped our company take the next step on our way from good to great?

It was at our next meeting that Smartie-Pants introduced the concept of the Flywheel Effect to us. It is another idea offered by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great. Continue reading…

In business and in life, actions speak louder than words. This is especially true at the start of the culture-building process. Our first crack at this did not go as well as I had hoped. But I took my wife’s advice and chose to take the next step in the journey. If you missed my previous post, you can read it here.

After the feeling of defeat at my first all-company meeting, I went to work the next day and honestly felt that my desire to be a company that created emotions and memories and glimmering crystal awards was just a load of smoke. To be totally transparent, I was tapped out. Keeping up with each day and the new building completely depleted my energy reserve.

Continue reading…

As I noted in my last post, the days surrounding Crystal D’s move to the new facility and meeting with Smartie-Pants about our future were very, very busy.

Our company culture was under the magnifying glass. In just a few short months, my leadership team and I had reconsidered just about every detail as to who we are and what we do. We also physically moved each item from one place to the next. This was a very energizing time filled with optimism and speculation. We asked ourselves:

• “How do we make our core purpose and values part of daily life at work?”
• “How do we recognize our employees in a meaningful way?”
• “How do we continue to provide “The WOW Effect”® to ourselves and our customers?” 

Continue reading…

You know the saying, “When it rains, it pours.” Well, it does. It seems that the busier you are, the more you can do. This was the case with me at this time of my life and for my business too.

I love being busy and having a distinct purpose to each day. The feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing one task helps motivate me to take on things that are even harder, more complex, or more challenging. Continue reading…

In the midst of all this analysis-work with Smartie-Pants, I remember coordinating a grill-out lunch for my employees. I’d planned to grill up a bunch of chicken and burgers, while the employees provided sides. Potluck style. Simple, casual, relaxed, delicious.

I had been internalizing our company mission – To Turn Emotions Into Memories™ – when I came up with an idea. I wanted to surprise our employees and give them a small reward for their hard work the past few months. I didn’t have a ton of money to spend, and I only had 4 hours before the grill-out began. Continue reading…

I’ve never really understood the grip that academia has on some people. I’d much prefer to be out in the world doing business, then sitting in a campus classroom, lecturing about business. Why is it so attractive to choose a title like ‘professor’ when you could carry a title of CEO?

The only answer I’ve been able to surmise that satisfies this question is that some are just made for academia while others are made for real-world business. It is not necessarily a good answer, but it is the best answer I can provide. Continue reading…

We continue Our Story today by moving from brand promises to brutal facts.

Wife: “Hon, can you grab the ketchup from the refrigerator?”

Husband: “I don’t see it, are you sure it’s in here?”

Wife: “Yes, I bought it yesterday. I put it on the top shelf in the door.”

Husband: “It’s not here.”

Wife: Reaches past the husband, grabs the ketchup, “It’s right here dear.”

These scenarios happen all the time; we miss the obvious. But have you ever been in this state of disillusion about your business?

Continue reading…

If you are just joining our story, don’t miss our earlier posts. Find how we fight like hell every day to do what we do best. Read it here!

What can you break but not touch?

What gets broken without being held?

The answer – a promise.

As I am sure you know, marketing wizards advise business owners to avoid breaking a brand promise at all costs. A brand promise is like a vow or a pledge from a company to its consumers. For example, if you shop at Walmart, you are promised that you will save money which will make you feel smart, spend more time with your family, and live better.

If you eat at Applebee’s, you are promised a family-friendly atmosphere, food of exceptional value, and a neighborhood feel.

When you drink a Coke, you will be refreshed and have fun. Continue reading…

Before I get started, I’d like to thank you for your encouragement as I continue to share my journey as a business owner. The positivity and enthusiasm I have received from readers is humbling.
If you missed it, my last post discussed the strategy we used to get the right people in the right seat of the bus. You can read it by clicking here!

Rodents are not my favorite thing; however, I’ll make an exception for the hedgehog.

What exactly is a hedgehog? Well, a hedgehog is a small rodent-like creature that has prickly quills similar to a porcupine. It can roll up into a ball and ram a predator. It has this one and only defense mechanism. Collins talks a lot about these clever little creatures in his book Good to Great. He explains how hedgehogs are able to fool a cunning fox!

I will paraphrase the concept here…

The fox spends all day scouting and plotting to attack and kill the hedgehog. When he attacks he is met with the same defense over and over as the hedgehog rolls up into a tight ball of sharp quills. The fox sees the defense and retreats. Despite the greater cunning of the fox, the hedgehog always wins the battle. Turns out hedgehogs have a simple, effective line of defense – they keep things very simple by paying attention to what is important and ignoring the rest of the fox’s attempts to distract and attack (pg. 90-92).

Continue reading…