Building a Culture That Lasts with Mitch Smedley

Keywords

Mitch Smedley, entrepreneurship, company culture, leadership, customer experience, plumbing business, core values, employee empowerment, family business, trade wins

Summary

In this episode of the Habitual Growth Podcast, Nathan interviews Mitch Smedley, a successful entrepreneur and owner of Smedley Plumbing. Mitch shares his journey from being a plumber to starting his own business, emphasizing the importance of building a strong company culture, core values, and empowering employees. He discusses the balance between family and business, the significance of customer experience, and his future plans for Smedley Plumbing and his new venture, Trade Wins, which aims to help small trades-based businesses grow. Mitch's insights on leadership, failure, and the human touch in business provide valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and leaders alike.

Takeaways

• Mitch emphasizes the importance of understanding people in order to drive business success.
• He believes in building a culture that encourages accountability and self-improvement.
• Mitch transitioned from employee to entrepreneur by gaining experience in various roles.
• He focuses on retention bonuses to keep employees rather than hiring bonuses.
• Mitch promotes a culture of learning from failure rather than fearing it.
• He encourages employees to take risks and learn from their mistakes.
• Mitch's leadership style is about developing people rather than just managing them.
• He prioritizes customer experience through unique and thoughtful interactions.
• Mitch's family values influence his approach to business and leadership.
• He aims to have a positive impact on as many people as possible through his ventures.

Sound bites

"I want to be a leader and not a manager."
"I love how much you care for people."
"Let your kids do dangerous things safely."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Mitch Smedley and His Journey
02:58 The Path to Entrepreneurship
05:46 Understanding People and Market Dynamics
09:03 Branding and Marketing Strategies
12:12 Building a Strong Company Culture
15:05 Core Values and Their Implementation
17:58 Growth and Team Dynamics
21:06 Learning from Mistakes and Cultural Missteps
24:04 Balancing Family and Business Life
27:12 Teaching Entrepreneurship to the Next Generation
29:39 Empowering Decision-Making in Youth and Employees
30:09 Encouraging Risk-Taking and Learning from Failure
33:09 Transitioning from Manager to Leader
40:29 Building a Supportive Team Culture
43:40 Balancing SOPs with Personal Accountability
48:13 Enhancing Customer Experience through Personal Touch
54:48 Future Aspirations and Impact on Others

Link

https://www.habitualgrowth.com/newsletter
Website: https://www.habitualgrowth.com/
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