Taco Bout It Season 2 is already almost done! Just a few more episodes left before we’re all taco’d out, but don’t worry, we’ll be back for thirds.
For Episode 8, Michael’s joined by Sam Struthers at Crest Exteriors. This week, they’re discussing Sam’s history as an insurance adjuster, his journey to working in roofing and exteriors, and what he’s learned about creating a solid culture from starting his own businesses.
We’ve talked about culture before on our blog and with other guests, but it’s always worth coming back to. Culture is the breeding ground of all things, good and bad, within your company, so it’s worth taking the time to take it seriously.
When Sam talks about creating a good culture in his business, you can see he takes that responsibility seriously. As he said in the episode, culture starts with leadership, and you can see how he takes that to heart in the way he’s built his team. Culture, for Sam, starts with the personality of the leader(s) of the team or business and it bleeds into everything else. His biggest tips on creating a culture that builds your business? Be positive, be intentional, and be diligent.
1. Be Positive
The overarching theme of Crest Exteriors’ culture is positivity. When you create a work environment that’s positive, engaging, and rewarding you’re able to build a team that busts their but because they believe in what they’re doing and they feel appreciated and valued in that space. Acknowledging great work, ‘ringing the bell,’ and doing right by your team are all paramount to fostering a culture that benefits the business, the business owner(s), and the team. As Sam stated in the episode, positivity is contagious and it goes a long way, so create a place where there’s a mob mentality of positivity and you’ll go farther than you ever expected.
2. Be Intentional
Developing your culture with intent is huge. As a leader in your company, be intentional in the way you delivery praise and feedback. Use the sandwich method Sam mentioned — frame negative or corrective feedback in between positive notes on what that team member is doing. Being positive and intentional in everything you do creates a space where people want to stick around, they want to grow, and they want to do great work.
3. Be Diligent
Rome wasn’t built in a day and culture doesn’t happen overnight. As a leader you have to be on the ball at all times, working toward the culture and environment you want to create. Small slip ups and inconsistencies create cracks in that foundation and that’s where things can crumble. Consistency creates culture, and that starts from the top down. Take stock of your actions, the way you speak to your employees, and the value you place on different aspects of your business. To borrow from Crest, their mission statement is “integrity before profit” and this drives all aspects of what they do. When you build that solid foundation on clear principles, you give your team something to go off of, something to grow from, and something to aspire to.
Creating a great culture isn’t quite as complicated as some people make it seem, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It takes attention and work, it takes being intentional and diligent, but it’s more than worth it when you’re creating a business.
Huge thanks to Sam Struthers and Crest Exteriors for joining us this week on Taco Bout It!
Stay tuned for more episodes and blogs this season.
