The Executive’s Purpose: Recent Episodes
Grant Botma
Being a manager, leader, or business owner isn’t always easy. That is why many business executives burn out and eventually struggle to truly enjoy their work. The Executive’s Purpose Podcast was created to help restore joy in business through sustainable growth strategies. The host, Grant Botma, is the founder of a two time Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Company In America and a best-selling author. In each episode he shares practical advice on how to manage people, effectively increase market share, and lead a company. Subscribe and tune in weekly to reconnect with your purpose as a leader and sustainably grow your business.
Today on this episode we are answering one of the most frequently asked questions! It has to do with the Purpose Statement. We talk about how you can create a Unified Purpose that you are creating as a team that not only meets the needs of the clients but also motivates your team so you are heading in the right direction.
Mike Brouwers comes on to the podcast & creates a conversation where we talk through what his mission statement was & makes a completely new one by the time the podcast is finished.
Vanessa Kimball is one of our Culture Course students. In this episode, she asks some questions about merit-based pay, specifically with a background where a paycheck is the incentive. We talk about how to do merit-based pay, and how to find a way that works for your team. Check it out!
If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I own many businesses, wrote a best selling book & I am in the process of writing another book, yet I take two months off during the year. How do I take two months off & style manage all of those businesses? In this episode I will give you insight into what those month off times look like and why they are so important.
When you are starting your business you will take any customer. As you get good at serving your community and finding a need and filling it with excellence, you end up growing. The number of customers gets bigger. The problem is you can’t serve everyone. This episode talks about the ideal customer to work with, and how working with a customer who is different than your usual customers can actually hurt your business in the long run. Check out this podcast to hear why!
If you are a business leader, you know the importance of creating goals. Have you ever created a goal and it never happened? In this episode I talk about some secrets in creating goals. I will also tell you about a language that you should put together when creating goals to make sure that the goal gets met.
Over the last three episodes we talked about business partnerships. In each of the conversations with my business partners, we talk about Founders Weekend. We have received many questions about what Founders Weekend is! Listen to this episode to learn what it is and why it is so important for our business.
Have you ever talked with someone and thought, “Wow! I am excited for this persons future!” This is how I feel after talking with today’s guest, Jeremy Powers. He made a huge decision from jumping from a retail business to doing something on his own. This wasn’t easy, but he is thriving! His future is brighter than his past. He asks a few questions about business ownership, & what a new business owner should be thinking about. Listen to this episode to hear the answers to these questions!
This is the last episode in our three-part series on Business Partnerships. We have a fellow podcaster and special guest, Jeremy Sharp! He is the host of the Defining Stewardship podcast, and one of my business partners. In this episode, he talks about his perspective of being in a business partnership. He shares transparently and candidly some things that may surprise you! Check out this episode to learn from Jeremy.
This is the second episode in this series with Business Partners! Jake Norton has been my business partner for over five years. I love the relationship I have with Jake. He is very different than my other partners. Tune into this conversation! You will love his perspective especially as it pertains to knowing yourself and knowing your business partnerships to see how well it shaped our partnership.
We are back with another interview with Brandon Ream! In this episode, we start a new series on Business Partnerships. Should you have a business partner? What should you do and not do to make business partnerships work well? Listen to this episode to learn from Brandon Ream.
This is our last episode in the Hiring You Friends series. Brandon Ream has been with me from the beginning, he is one of my best friends and our families are extremely close. He has a different perspective than the first three episodes. Brandon and I share a lot of the same passions, and our purpose and life was unified when we became business partners.
We are continuing our series on Working with Friends! In this week’s episode, we have a conversation with Mike Zins. Mike has been working for Stewardship off-and-on throughout a decade. I have learned so many things about being a manager and business owner by having Mike as an employee. Check out this episode to hear his perspective!
If you missed the first two episodes, make sure to go back and listen to them here!
Matt Curtis: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/culturecourse/Episode22_MattCurtis.mp3
Marshall Tague: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/culturecourse/Episode23_MarshallTague.mp3
We are continuing our series on Working with Friends and Hiring Friends. Marshall Tague is a good friend of mine, and the friendship is fairly deep. He’s been working for me for about two years now. Our wives and kids are very close as well. Some people may ask, “Are you sure you want to hire someone who is that close to you? If something goes bad that could all blow up!” Listen to this episode to hear Marshall’s perspective and see some things that have gone well and have not gone well in the working relationship.
We will be starting a new series about Hiring Your Friends. I will be interviewing my friends who work for me! This first episode is with my friend from college, Matt Curtis. Matt and I were in each other’s weddings, and I recently hired him at Stewardship. In this episode, he talks about what it is like in an environment where your boss is a close friend, and the employees are also friends. Matt talks about one topic throughout this episode, which is Humility. Check out this episode to learn from Matt.
This is a special episode. This is a short monologue sharing from my heart. Something I am extremely thankful for is the ability to be a business owner, manager and leader. Leading others is one of the greatest privileges. If you are thinking of hiring more employees or managing people, listen to this episode. There is no better way to bless people than to hire them.
Chris Greene is an amazing leader, and creative in the insurance world. In this episode he talks about emotional connections with his team and clients. Here in the interview with Chris, we have a conversation about questions we get asked about all the time, and it has to do with changing company culture. Chris outlines the transformation that he went though himself in this episode. Listen to it on the Apple Podcast app or on Spotify!
Sam Isner is business owner, leader and a culture course student! Sam asked how he can provide feedback to someone who is asking for it. As humans, we are wired to want to know if we are doing something right. This question turned in to really good conversation about leading and affirming your team, and provides helpful tips that you can learn from!
Should you pay someone with a W-2 or a 1099? In today’s episode, Joey Vitale shares some simple tips that you can filter through to help answer this question.
Kimberly Spencer has a unique experience in coaching people, and getting them from point A to point B. She asked to come on this show to talk about celebrating people. In this week’s episode, we talk about how to celebrate your team. The call to action this week is simple. Listen to this episode to feel encouraged and to hear Kim’s perspective!
Nick Ayers was at a coffee shop. I asked him what he was doing there and he replied with “I needed a change of scenery and work from a different location.” Not everyone can thrive in the exact same work location for every single day. Nick’s insight and feedback about changing location and how it helps him work more was so interesting. Listen to this podcast through the lens of how much freedom am I giving to my team and are we encouraging them to change up the location based on the type of work they are doing so they can thrive?
We are back with Part 2 of a conversation with Ryan Hanley. In this episode we continue the conversation from last week. This second part is sharing who your first hire should be, no matter what stage of business. Check it out to learn who it should be!
Ryan Hanley is a new business owner and is an excellent communicator. He wisely and genuinely helps so many people in the independent insurance space. This interview was so good that it is broken up into 2 parts. He talks about a secret on how to build teams. Listen to this episode to see what this secret is, and make sure to listen next Tuesday for Part 2.
This Hiring Hack is often missed by people. It is this: Ask your prospected employees to ask you questions! Turn the tables in the interview process. It is important because someone who has questions ready, and who asks really great questions is someone who has thought this through. This is the ability to think several steps ahead, and these are the people you want on your team.
Hiring Hack Number 1:
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/culturecourse/Episode12_HiringHack1.mp3
Hiring Hack Number 2:
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/culturecourse/Episode13_HiringHack2.mp3
This Hack is more about a mindset. This episode teaches that Character is more important than any experience. Experience is helpful, but who they are as a person is way more important. Listen to this episode to learn why character over resume is so important.
If you missed Hiring Hack Number 1, listen here https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/culturecourse/Episode12_HiringHack1.mp3
For our next three-part series we'll be talking about Hiring Hacks. This is a highly requested topic for the podcast. The hack this week is this: Have your prospected employees send you a video of themselves prior to meeting them. Ask them to record themselves sharing why they should work for you. Listen to this week’s episode to learn why this is important and how it can benefit your company.
My team broke records while I was out of town for the second year! Many managers feel like they can’t leave the office because they think their employees will not perform. You may be asking, “How are you able to get your team to not only perform but break records while you’re out of town?” It has to do with this: I want my employees to have an ownership mentality, so I treat them like owners or entrepreneurs. Listen to this podcast to see what this looks like.
Jim Desmarchais is a leader at Gilbert Christian Schools. Jim wanted to revamp what is going on with his team and his culture. He asked the question, “How should I make my mission and core values? Should it be focused on my customers or on my team?” Listen to this episode to hear the answer to this question.
Travis Weathers is this week's special guest! He leads a team of remote employees. He wants to learn how to engage with his team so they feel like they’re in an office together, and feel connected, but in reality they only get on a video chat once a week. This is a conversation that a lot of people are having now because of the Coronavirus. Listen to this episode to learn what you can do to connect your team of remote employees. If you know someone with a remote team, share this episode with them!
This week’s special guest on the Culture Course show is Beth De La Forest. She is the owner of Inspire Insurance Group. She bought a business through merger and acquisition. She now has two separate cultures and groups of people to lead and manage. Beth and her team were able to grow through a merger and acquisition, and that’s a big deal! But there is more work ahead to make sure the team thrives and makes an impact in the community. To listen to the conversation with Beth, listen to this week’s podcast episode!
I enjoyed my conversation with David so much the first week we decided to continue with another episode addressing David’s second question. This question is about incentivizing your team, compensation structures, and performance results. There is one thing that can be done to make your team change their actions and it may surprise you. While this change is apart of compensation, it doesn’t necessarily have to do with monetary adjustment. Check out this week’s episode with David Archibald now!
This week’s special guest is David Archibald. He is extremely wise and I have nothing but respect for him. He is trying to add more merit-based pay as an incentive to motivate his employees to be able to give their customers more products and services. In this episode he talks about how he pays his employees and asks how to change compensation. Listen to this week’s video to learn how to pay employees and see if merit-based pay is right for your company!
Mark and Christine Bailey have done a great job at creating a great company culture. They did not want their team to dread going into the office. Their business is known for being a great place to work which attracts people to come work for them! In this episode they asked the questions, “How do you deal with conflict?” “What can you do to give someone an attitude adjustment?” I walk through a three step process on what to do with employees who need that adjustment. Listen here!
Mike is in a family business. He has been in charge of leading people that have been at the business longer than he has been at the business. This presents its own set of challenges. In this episode he talks about some things he’s done well and the transformation he has been able to make with his team because they focused on the unified purpose. Mike was able to turn things around by showing them that the work they do matters to make an impact on the community.
Paul Middleton is employed at Sun Valley Community Church. He has taken his team to a new level since Covid 19. In this episode we talk about creating a Sub Purpose for smaller teams. He talks about the importance of relationships and trust within a team. His propensity to let his team know that he really cares about them is one of the reasons why his team has done so well even with Covid. Check out this episode to learn about Sub-Purpose and remember to rate the Podcast!
Have you ever though “I don’t know how i am going to turn this around. My team is so bad and it seems like an uphill battle. I don’t know how i can make things better.” This week's guest star is Randee Heer. She is amazing. She decided that she was going to make a change, & it paid off for her. She talks about her journey to get her to where she is now. Listen to this podcast to hear the conversations about reprimanding & hiring as well as how to change office culture.
Brandon Smith is a public speaker, manager and author. He does a great job casting vision. He intentionally creates “Wow Moments” for his team. In this episode, Brandon asked, “How do you create social engagement while the whole team is out of the office at a team meeting?” This is an important aspect of company culture and addresses Opportunity Cost. Check out this episode to learn more and to hear the answer to Brandon’s question.
This is the last episode on the series on How to Pay Employees. This video we are talking about how to pay employees with Flexibility. Statistics say that graduates with high attractive degree are willing to take up to a 25% pay cut if they know their employer has flexibility. How can you add flexibility where your team can have flexibility in their work life style and encourage it?
We are continuing the talk on How to Pay Employees. In this episode we will talk about how important it is to add Purpose to the income. Autonomy is tied to the Unified Purpose. They need to know that the dollar they receive makes an impact in someone else's life. See how you can implement this into your business this week by listening to this episode
How to pay employees is a popular question among businesses. Pay structure needs to encourage freedom and autonomy.
The call to action this week is to ask yourself, “Does this compensation plan have freedom and autonomy in it?” Watch this video to learn more about how to pay your employees
As leaders we need to Be Curious. Curious Leaders help create a great company culture. Watch this video to learn how to be a curious leader, but not a nosy leader. Listen to this episode to learn how to be a leader that creates a high performing culture
Part 1 of this Podcast is here
https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/culturecourse/Episode_8.mp3
It starts with understanding your management style and choosing the right one. There are a few different kinds such as Manager, Pleaser, Supporter and Elevator. Listen to this episode to learn which one is most important and why!
It starts with understanding your management style and choosing the right one. There are a few different kinds such as Manager, Pleaser, Supporter and Elevator. Listen to this episode to learn which one is most important and why!
Should you be giving your employees time off and unlimited vacation time? In this week's episode we will tell you why Stewardship does it, and tell you maybe why you shouldn't. The number one question asked is how Stewardship offers unlimited vacation time. Listen to this podcast to learn that it is not just about vacations.
One way to be a good leader is to knowing yourself and act on it well.Don't copy exactly what some other company is doing. Know yourself and create a company culture that is authentic to you! Listen to this podcast to see how giving freedom is super important as a leader.
Every business leader and employee wants to be on a team of people that fights for each other and die for their customer. One mistake is assuming that their team sees the world the same way that the leader does. Listen to this episode to learn how to be a good leader through knowing yourself and know not everyone sees things the way they do.
The most important words you can say to your employees are “I am with you.” Your Team Need to Hear these from you. “I Am With You” As a leader you should not just be barking commands. Let them know you are there for them. They want to feel supported. They should know that you care about them and that you are with them.
Supporting your employee’s endeavors outside the office is crucial. Everyone has a life outside of work, and that is okay! Forbes said over 50% of currently employed people have a side hustle. To retain top talent, support the side hustle! Listen to this episode to learn more!
Listening!
To move in the direction you want and to collaborate, you need to listen. Check our this video to learn more
Is pay what they want? Motivation is less to do about money, and more about their purpose. Check out this episode to listen some examples!
How do you do that effectively?
It can be awkward, but having an intentional plan can help the disciple be done well. Check this episode out to learn how to discipline well!
Having a great trusted relationship with the team make things happen efficiently, effectively, and in an exceedingly amazing way. How can you earn trust from your employees quickly? Check it out to learn how!
Here Is What Smart Bosses Do—
Mindset of encouraging mastery! This is more motivating than money. Check it out!
Connect the why of the business through their actions. Listen to this episode to learn how to do this!
The best way is to show them what you want them to become, and to be a good example. Check out this episode to learn more!
Listen to this episode to learn how to manage your team in a way so they act on what you tell them to do, and do it correctly.
Don’t act on your emotions
Everyone is on the search to be a better leader. Controlling emotions is such an important thing when being a good leader. Check our the episode to learn how to do this!
Leaders in management get a process backwards. Check out this episode to learn what that process is.
In this episode you will learn about a study done by the CEO of Chick-Fil-A that shows what “A” players want. Check it out and learn that all they really want is to know that their boss cares for the
This is a very popular question among businesses. In this week’s episode we talk about what not to do when figuring out how to pay an employee, and a call to action that will help you and your employees thrive. Check it out!
Google analytics says that this question is asked a lot. Employees want to watch Netflix and March Madness games while working, so there are tools out there to make it look like you’re working when you’re actually not. Listen to this episode to learn how to get the best out of your employees. There’s one secret that you will want to know. Check it out!
Listen to this weeks episode to learn who you should hire first. It will challenge you, and cause you to know yourself. Donald Miller said, “Staff your weaknesses.” Check out this episode to learn why.
This week’s episode WILL challenge you. Dave Ramsey said, “Organizations are never held back by opportunities or their team. Organizations are only held back by their leader.” The leader is responsible for the team, and you as a leader must grow. Check out this weeks episode to learn how to be a good leader and strategies that you have to implement.
This week we will talk about that one thing that most people aren’t doing, but is simple. Listen to this episode to learn what to do to let your employees know that they are winning. There are three steps to win.
This week we are highlighting something that most businesses aren’t doing when recruiting great team players. Listen to this podcast to learn what practical, everyday things you can do to in your recruitment strategy
Forbes listed four ways to deal with conflict in a business, but doesn’t focus on primary issues. Listen to this podcast to learn what the main thing to do when dealing with conflict
As a business owner, you tend to get a lot of resumes. How do you filter out the ones you don’t want and find the diamond in the rough? Listen to this episode to learn what to focus on when reading resumes. It will probably surprise you
Leadership is like a muscle and can always grow. In this episode you will learn how to lead well and to have your employees do what you want them to do. Check it out and complete the simple call to action this week to help your business thrive!
“Does your team know if they are about to be fired or would they be surprised?” -Kim Scott from the book Radical Candor. Listen to this podcast to learn how to go about the firing process, and what not to do when firing employees.
How can you do that in business while still keeping people accountable with goals? A servant leader asks question about how they can manage themselves better, and add value to the employees. Listen to this podcast for practical examples of how to show your employees that they are valued!
In this podcast, we share one thing that you need on your new employee checklist and to focus on within the first week of them working. Forbes, talks about this and says it is crucial for your employees to perform at higher levels. Check it out!
Listen to this podcast and learn how to have a Self Managed Team! The call to action is simple and will help you move into more of a CEO role and will bring the self managed team on
In this episode, you will learn what the one thing is in order for you to be a leader in the work place This one thing can play into everything in the business.
Success becomes because of employees. In this episode you will learn what to look for in employees, and three simple calls to action on how to find great employees and what to do when you get them on your team!
Being a "listenary" is someone who listens intentionally and it is something that makes a big difference in your company’s culture. Forbes Magazine conducted a study with over 10 million employees and found that they were more productive with one action their boss was implementing. Take a listen to this week's episode, to find out how these employees were performing so much better.
In an article written by www.clearcompany.com, they determined that 96% of employees said that receiving feedback regularly is a good thing. What does this mean for you? It means letting your employees know how they are doing in real time, every day! You may think that this is impossible to do this every day, but by implementing this, you are going to instill a ton of confident in your employees to perform at their best. To learn more about some helpful tips to give real time accountability, take a listen to this week’s episode.
In this week’s episode, we talk about an article from Forbes Magazine titled, “Performance reviews are pointless and insulting--so why do they still exist?”. People want to know how they are doing and if they are doing it right. Wouldn’t you like to know that if you are doing something the right way, that you ARE doing it the right way? Listen to this week’s episode to learn about the effects of real time responses and why performance reviews are dumb!
As a leader, it is so important to make sure your company culture has recognition weaved into every single part of it. Affirmation can go a long way and can also motivate your employees. In this week’s episode, I talk about one of the triggers I use in order to give my employees recognition. Take a listen and find out how recognition can make an amazing positive impact in your company’s culture!
In this week’s episode, we look at statistics from both INC magazine and from the Gallup Scientists. Both sources state the number one reason people are leaving their jobs. If you want to shift from being just a paycheck to your employees, to an employer where someone wants to stay and be with your company long-term, then take a listen to figure out how!
We all know how important it is to hire someone who is a good fit for your team, but there is always the chance that you hire someone who is not! Bad hires not only cost you a lot of time, but it can also cost you a lot of money. To find out how much money a company loses when you make a poor hire, listen to this week’s episode, as we look at an article from Zenefits and dive into these statistics.
People are not only wired and designed to make an impact in the world, but they also want to do things that matter. Everyday work tasks can become so mundane, but if you are connecting your products or services to something with meaning and excitement, it can greatly improve your teams feelings towards what they are doing for your company's success. Listen to this weeks episode to learn more about how to tie your business directly to people, in order to make an impact in others lives.
Passion is different from purpose: One is about enjoyment and the other about impact. The real question is this: Who would you rather have on your team? Someone who is passionate and self centered, or someone who is purposeful and others centered? Passionate people are great, but passions change and life changes. Listen to this weeks episode to learn about what the number one focus should be in your hiring process.
Trust is a big deal and it plays a big role in your company! If you cannot trust your employees and the people you work along side with, then it makes it difficult to delegate tasks to others. This leaves a huge responsibility to get everything done yourself, which essentially takes you away from focusing on the future of your business and taking your business to the next level. In this weeks episode, I talk about an article from INC.COM, and how to work ON your business, rather than IN your business. I’ve also included a couple exercises to try, in order to help you with delegating tasks!
ERC defines culture as the character and personality of your organization. Do you feel like your company has a great mission statement and great core values, but still lacks in a successful culture? Take a listen to this weeks episode, and find out how companies are seeing 756% more revenue in their company, by implementing some practical steps.
In this week's episode, Grant discusses an article from Inc Magazine that details the 10 things top producing employees want. Number 3 on the list is one that increases employee retention. Upon initially listening to this episode, you will likely have a rebuttal, but how that knee jerk reaction is refuted will surprise you!
This week's episode includes one simple tip that increases employee performance, and it doesn't cost you any money. This is something that multiple HR companies have validated, and the Harvard Business Review has confirmed. The simplicity and ease of implementation will surprise you!!!
Everyone wants the best of the best employees. But how can you attract the top talent? In this week's episode, Grant shares studies from the Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine, Deloitte, and others. Each of these leading publications reveal one common thing that your business must have to attract the best of the best. HINT - it the answer is not money. The answer will likely surprise you.
As a successful business owner you are likely great at providing a product or service. New business opportunities is not a huge problem. The real problem is you do not have a team of trusted employees that take an ownership mentality. This means you engage in activities and complete tasks that are not the best use of your time. You work in the business instead of working on the business. You are overwhelmed with day to day stuff and do not have time to execute the big picture ideas. You are an Owner AND an Operator instead of a legitimate CEO. Each day you work on what you HAVE to work on rather than what you WANT to work on. This makes you feel frustrated and likely has zapped any of the joy and excitement you once had about your business. Or worse, puts a glass ceiling on your profit and limits the impact your business can have.
I believe that employees should be your greatest asset. That you should have a trusted team of people that passionately pursue your business purpose. A group of employees that allow you to delegate day to day operation so you can focus your time and effort on not only what you want but what is most valuable.
My name is Grant Botma and I am like you. I am a business owner. But I have an amazing team. My employees do great things. That is not hyperbole. That is a fact. They literally win awards like "Top 20 in the state" "Top 1% in the Nation" "Top 100 in the Nation" "Elite Producer" and more. And as a result, I have won awards like "Top Entrepreneur" and qualified for "Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Company".
So, how did I do it? How does my team break performance records when I am out of the office? How am I able to spend more time away from the office each year and focus my time on only the most valuable things? How do I find the right talent? How do I have a thriving company culture?
Those are the questions we will answer in this show. We will do it simply, quickly, and consistently.
Be sure to hit subscribe, and make sure you have you turn on the notifications. That way you can get this weekly management advice that is explained simply in under 15 minutes.
Your ideas, your skills, your dreams, your desires as a business owner are WAY too valuable. You should not be drowning in the day to day and the impact your business makes should not have limits. Your business deserves to have a thriving team of employees that you are proud of. So subscribe, and tune in, so we can get going on building your company culture.