Brian Gottlieb, who transformed his company from 0 to 600 employees, shares his insights on empowering employees for success. He discusses how an empowerment-based workplace outshines a policy-driven one, fostering genuine engagement. Training is portrayed as crucial for retention and growth, highlighting how it can create a valued company culture. Gottlieb also emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision and nurturing a supportive environment, allowing employees to feel ownership and truly understand the impact of their work.
Brian Gottlieb's entrepreneurial journey illustrates that a strong vision and determination can enable rapid business growth even in challenging economic climates.
Embedding continuous training and empowerment into the company culture is essential for employee engagement and retention, fostering a sense of value and ownership.
Deep dives
Navigating Market Challenges
High interest rates are currently impacting the real estate market by reducing both demand and prices for properties. In response to these conditions, the Fundrise flagship fund is planning a strategic buying spree to expand its real estate portfolio. This situation highlights the difficulty of the common investment wisdom of 'buy low, sell high,' as the market landscape shifts and presents unique challenges. The Fundrise approach underscores the necessity for adaptability in investment strategies during fluctuating economic climates.
The Journey of Entrepreneurship
Brian Gottlieb's entrepreneurial success began modestly in 2009 with a small investment and a vision to create a home improvement company that made a genuine impact in its communities. Over 12 years, he grew his businesses significantly, ending with nearly 600 employees and close to a billion dollars in sales. His journey emphasizes the potential for rapid growth even during financially challenging times, showing that a strong vision coupled with determination can yield impressive results. This trajectory validates the notion that with a solid mission, businesses can thrive against the odds.
Business as a Force for Good
One of the key themes in Gottlieb's approach to business is the concept of making a decent profit decently, intertwining profitability with social responsibility. He founded his company with the mission of positively affecting the community, believing that businesses should do well financially while also doing good. This philosophy led to initiatives like 'Bask for the Brave,' which provides bathroom safety installations for veterans, showcasing how businesses can fulfill social needs while simultaneously fostering a strong team culture. By embedding purpose within their business model, organizations can generate employee pride and community engagement.
The Power of Training and Empowerment
Gottlieb advocates for a culture of continuous training and empowerment as essential for employee engagement and retention. He emphasizes that organizations must not only invest in developing talent but also ensure that training is integrated into the company's fabric to overcome workforce challenges, especially in industries facing labor shortages. His experience highlighted the importance of equipping managers with the skills to effectively lead their teams, creating environments where employees feel valued and involved. This focus on training not only builds individual capabilities but strengthens the overall business by fostering a sense of ownership and accountability among team members.
Brian Gottlieb enjoys his motorcycle rides and his cigars, but most of all he’s passionate about empowering his employees to find purpose in their work. Brian is our guest on the show today and he’s here to tell us about his new book, “Beyond the Hammer.”
In just over 10 years, Brian grew from a business of 0 employees to 600 employees and over $1 billion in lifetime sales. How? By having an empowerment-based workplace instead of one ruled by policies. Not only did his employees get excellent, ongoing training, but they understood why their work mattered.
If Brian’s motto of “doing well and doing good” resonates with you, you’re really going to enjoy this episode. He infuses our conversation with warmth and no-frills humor. You can see how he created a company that made everyone feel seen and valued.
Discover your ONE Thing through world-class coaching, training, and resources. Connect with a ONE Thing coach today at the1thing.com.
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We talk about:
The difference between a workplace that is policy-driven versus one that is empowered
Why people leave their jobs
How training is the foundation to a successful business, no matter what kind of business it is