Cultureproof with Sam Gembel

This episode is personal.

Long before Cultureproof, before the stages I get to teach from, and before I ever had the opportunity to coach and mentor other business owners, Blake Crawford was pouring into me.

Blake was one of my first real mentors in business and leadership. He taught me how to understand a P&L, know my numbers, build systems, develop people, and create a culture worth being a part of. But what impacted me most wasn't just the business he built. It was the man behind it.

Blake spent 18 years building Crawford Landscape Group in Naples, Florida, before ultimately selling the company in 2021. Along the way, he learned some hard lessons about leadership, culture, faith, marriage, fatherhood, money, and what success actually looks like.

In this episode, we go deep!

We talk about the season when Blake thought his company might not survive, the decision to completely surrender his business to God, why culture became his greatest competitive advantage, why every business owner needs to know their numbers, and why technology will never replace leadership and discipline.

But some of the most powerful moments have nothing to do with business.

Blake shares what 31 years of marriage taught him, what raising three daughters taught him about leading people, why our kids need our time more than our money, and what he believes matters most now that he's on the other side of building and selling a successful company.

Today, Blake spends his time mentoring Christian business owners and writing Before the Lord, a daily devotional designed to help people know and experience God on a deeper level.

This isn't just an episode about building a successful business. It's about building a life you won't regret when the business is gone.

And for me, getting to sit across from someone who helped shape the leader I became made this one a true full-circle moment.

Everybody says they want to become a better leader. But do you REALLY?

Because the higher you climb, the problems don’t get smaller. The decisions get heavier. The pressure increases. More people depend on you. And the version of you that got you HERE may not be capable of taking you THERE.

In this episode of the Cultureproof Podcast, I’m breaking down John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership through the REAL journey of building a business - from hiring your very first employee, to breaking through $1M, $3M and $5M, all the way to leading a $10M+ organization.

We’re talking about comfort zones. Accountability. Becoming the bottleneck. Developing leaders. Carrying weight. Making painful decisions. And why small problems can absolutely cripple leaders who say they want bigger opportunities.

I’ll also take you inside some of my own leadership journey - from the early days of Atlas to building a $10M+ company, and now stepping into an entirely new season of leadership.

Here’s the question at the center of this episode: If you were already the leader capable of running the organization you say you want someday… would the problem you’re dealing with right now still have this much control over you?

Maybe the problem doesn’t need to get smaller. Maybe YOU need to get bigger.

If you’re serious about growing your company, growing your people, and becoming the leader your future organization is going to require…

DO NOT MISS THIS ONE.

In this episode of the Cultureproof Podcast, Sam Gembel discusses the often unspoken challenges of leadership, particularly the feeling of emptiness that can accompany success. He explores the concept of the moving goalpost in leadership, emphasizing that as leaders achieve their goals, new ones emerge, leading to a constant sense of incompleteness. Sam highlights the shift from being an operator to a builder, where leaders must learn to find fulfillment in developing others rather than just completing tasks. He provides actionable takeaways for leaders, including the importance of creating short-term wins, building personal finish lines, and scheduling recharge time to prevent burnout. Ultimately, he stresses that success without a sense of completion can lead to dissatisfaction and urges leaders to celebrate their progress and achievements. Get the notepad ready!

**Bonus inside**

In episode 15 of the Cultureproof Podcast, Sam Gembel sits down with serial entrepreneur and operator Brandon Vaughn to tackle one of the biggest growth constraints in business: people in the wrong seats in our organizations. 

Together, they unpack why most hiring problems aren’t talent issues - but expectation, alignment, and leadership clarity issues. From paycheck-driven vs. mission-driven employees to defining what an A-player actually looks like by role, this conversation gives owners and leaders a practical framework for building stronger teams and healthier culture.

Brandon shares real-world insights from scaling companies, using performance reviews effectively, and leveraging tools like HireBus to improve recruitment, onboarding, and employee development. They also dig into the real cost of keeping the wrong people too long, when underperformance is actually a leadership issue, and how the “First Who, Then What” mindset changes everything.

If you’re serious about leadership, hiring, team building, and organizational growth - this episode will challenge how you think about people decisions. Buckle up! 

Brandon also has a special offer for our Cultureproof community which you can find here…

https://hirebus.com/cultureproof

https://bit.ly/culture-proof-growth

As we close the door on 2025 and look ahead to a new year, this episode asks a question every leader has to answer - whether they realize it or not:

What are you choosing to focus on first… people or processes?

In Episode 14 of the Cultureproof Podcast, Sam Gembel digs into a tension most leaders feel but rarely articulate. When things feel messy, inefficient, or frustrating, our instinct is often to fix the process. But what if the real issue isn’t the system at all?

This episode challenges the idea that better processes automatically create better outcomes. Sam unpacks why most “process problems” are actually people problems in disguise - and why caring deeply about your people can feel exhausting, misunderstood, and even risky as a leader.

You’ll hear why compassion is often mistaken for passivity, why AI can build workflows but not leaders, and why culture is formed in conversations - not binders, SOPs, or software. As we step into a new year, this is a moment of reflection: who is better because of your leadership?

As you plan for what’s next, this episode invites you to decide what comes first - building tighter systems, or developing stronger people. Because when you get the people right, the processes tend to follow.

In this episode of the Cultureproof Podcast, Sam Gembel breaks down one of the most overlooked - and most powerful positions in any organization: the middle leader. Forget titles. Forget hierarchy. Leadership is about influence, and the people in the middle carry more influence than they often realize.

Sam dives deep into what it really means to lead from the middle, how middle leaders serve as the bridge between ownership and the field, and why the overall health of a company lives or dies by the strength of its middle leadership team.

You’ll learn how to influence up by bringing solutions, vision, and clarity to the owner - and how to influence down by setting the tone, lifting standards, and shaping how your team feels under your leadership. Sam also unpacks the challenges middle leaders face, the traps they fall into, and the practical habits that separate true leaders from people simply holding a position.

From championing culture, to training their replacements, to becoming the kind of leader A-players want to follow - this episode is a blueprint for anyone who wants to expand their impact, regardless of their title.

If you’re in the middle, this one’s for you: you are already leading, now it’s time to lead well.

Get those notepads ready!

This episode of the Cultureproof Podcast is a powerhouse conversation on leadership, culture, and building a team that thrives - and it just so happens to mark the 1-year anniversary since we launched the podcast! 

Greg Wittstock breaks down the early days of his pond building and vlogging journey, how he started sharing the day-to-day of the jobsite, and what it taught him about leadership in real time. 

We dive into the moment he made the bold decision to step off the jobsite, fully trusting his foreman to take the lead - even when the projects were messy, chaotic, or downright horrendous! Greg also shares his approach to leading as a CEO today, how he cultivates a strong company culture, and why empowering others is the KEY to growth. 

This episode is packed with insights for anyone looking to level up their leadership, build trust in their team, and create a culture where people thrive.

In Episode 11 of the Cultureproof Podcast, Sam Gembel sits down with Dr. Travis Parry, the bestselling author of Marry and Grow Rich and founder of the Make Time Institute. Dr. Parry shares his groundbreaking insights on how personal growth, shared vision, and a balanced marriage can fuel both business success and family harmony.
 
 Dr. Parry brings a unique perspective on how couples can work together to grow their businesses while nurturing their relationships. They dive deep into the importance of aligning values, supporting each other's personal growth, and the power of communication to overcome adversity - both in marriage and in business.
 
 Dr. Parry discusses how shared goals - financial, personal, and spiritual, can help couples navigate life's challenges and come out stronger. He also highlights the importance of inspiring rather than requiring your children to follow in your footsteps, offering a powerful example of how he’s leading his eight children.
 
 This episode is packed with actionable advice, personal stories, and the wisdom of a seasoned leader who’s learned how to balance business, family, and faith.
 
 Whether you're navigating the complexities of marriage, business, or both, this episode will equip you with the tools to grow rich - relationally, spiritually, and financially!

Cheers! 

In this power-packed episode, Sam sits down with Josh Latimer to unpack the real war every entrepreneur must win - the battle of the mind!
 
 From a trailer park beginning to selling multiple businesses, including Conquer, Josh shares his raw and honest journey of entrepreneurial growth, mindset shifts, and redefining identity beyond success. Together, they reflect on how their paths crossed through Conquer, the value of accountability groups, and why some of the most impactful business growth happens in small, deeply connected circles.
 
 Josh dives into the evolution from an "orphan mindset" to an ownership mentality, sharing lessons learned from mentors like Myron Golden and his own experiences scaling businesses. They explore how subconscious beliefs shape actions, why identity determines success, and how self-sabotage shows up when business owners let their bank account balance dictate their worth.
 
 Sam opens up about his own discomfort with the CEO label and the tension between business success and personal identity - leading to a rich dialogue on legacy, leadership, and truth practices that reset your mindset daily.
 
 This episode is for the entrepreneurs and leaders who know the biggest obstacle isn’t the market - it’s the mirror! Get those notepads ready!

Ready to build an unstoppable team? In this episode of the Cultureproof Podcast, Sam Gembel dives deep into what it really takes to attract, recruit, and retain A players - the kind of talent that will elevate your organization to new heights. You’ll learn how to identify A, B, and C players on your team and why settling for anything less than an A player is holding your business back.
 
 Sam challenges you to look at your leadership and ask, “Are you an A Leader?” If you want a team of high performers, you need to step up and lead like one. This episode will push you to rethink your approach to hiring, leadership, and creating a culture where A players thrive.
 
 If you’re ready to disrupt the comfort and build a powerhouse team, hit play now!