S5 | Ep. 49: Dina Dwyer-Owens

"Profits are the applause you get for taking care of your employees and customers."

Dina Dwyer-Owens learned this lesson early when she took her first job working at her father's car wash at age 13.

Years later, she took her lessons from the car wash and a leap of faith to drop out of college and join her dad at his new company: The Dwyer Group. She has never looked back. Today, Dina is co-chairwoman, has more than 3,000 franchisees across North America and appeared on the CBS hit Undercover Boss.

On Live Inspired Podcast Episode #49, learn how Dina runs her business by focusing on clients, employees and an clear core value system. Even better: Apply this 3-part focus in your life so you can live and work inspired.

SHOW NOTES:

• Lessons Dina learned from working with her dad:
  1. Never be afraid to ask.
  2. Always be honest with people.
  3. "Have clear goals and go for them. He squeezed 100 years of life into his 60 years because of this."
• To keep the special culture her dad created alive, they established, operationalized and gamified a code of values, so their employees got into it.
  • 90-day beep game: Employees "beeped" executives as they tried to maintain values. Employees loved it + said let’s make it this our code of values!
• RICH CULTURE:
  • Respect
  • Integrity
  • Customer focus
  • Have fun in the process
• "We must re-earn our positions every day in every way."
• Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you + be okay with that.
• Know when it's time to step out of a role and let someone else step in. Our new CEO has grown the company 100%.
• Lessons from Undercover Boss:
  • She gained even more respect for her front-line employees, the work they do and the care they give her clients.
  • Just be you. Sometimes as we chase success, we pretend to be somebody we are not. People see right through it.
• Faith is what gives me the confidence to do what I do every day.
• Get a free Create Your Culture Workbook – to create clear values at work or at home - at www.DinaDwyerGroup.com.
• Keep up the God work.
• Order Dina's books: Values Inc.: How Incorporating Values into Business and Life Can Change the World and Live R.I.C.H.

DINA DWYER-OWEN'S LIVE INSPIRED 7  

1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? The Bible – the more I read the more I need to read. Right now I am studying the gospel of Luke.

2. Tomorrow you discover your wealthy uncle shockingly dies at the age of 103; leaving you millions. What would you do with it? I would contribute to organizations that my husband and I care about, and get my kids involved by finding organizations they care about, too. Dynamic Catholic is one that I am really passionate about because it is helping Catholics to make bigger impacts in their communities and neighborhoods.

3. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? My father’s globe pendent because he wore it so proudly. To him, it represented his company’s original mission: Providing a world of specialty services.

4. You are sitting on a bench overlooking a gorgeous beach. You have the opportunity to have a long conversation with anyone living or dead. Who would it be? Mother Teresa she would humble me and I need to be humbled sometimes. The first question I might ask her: What could I be doing better?

5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Mother Teresa's quote, about how we worry about what others think about us… but do it anyway. I carry it in my purse.

6. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at age 20? Why don’t you do more to support mom around the house.

7. It’s been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read? I pray for this everyday: That Dina was a good and faithful servant.

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I can’t wait to see you here next Thursday! Today is your day. Live Inspired.

Live Inspired with John everyday on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest and get his Monday Motivation email: www.JohnOLearyInspires.com/Monday-Morning