Today’s episode is a departure from learning how to pivot well from one career to the next. Instead it’s about an accidental entrepreneur who has found his career satisfaction helping others effectively find their own personal success. His thoughtful approach to the structure of the work culture is a model worth studying for anyone, be they owner or employee. He shares with us some of the formula for creating a business environment that is stimulating, encouraging and ultimately high achieving. Amy introduces us today then to Bill Harper, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of wmHarper, a marketing and advertising house based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Listen to his story and you will have an entire plate of food for thought when the interview concludes.

Bill started at Northern Illinois University thinking that he would major in mechanical engineering. He found that major too limiting and switched to business. He tried that on, but it didn’t fit either. A serendipitous walk by an open classroom door led him down yet another path. He overheard a presentation on product marketing and he knew this felt like it was the direction he’d been searching for. He graduated from Northern Illinois with a BFA in Visual Communications.

His first job after college was in St. Louis at the major firm, D’Arcy, Masius, Benton & Bowles. At that time, they counted among their clients Sega, M&M Mars, Purina, Pillsbury and others. This was a great learning opportunity because the company was both large and successful. As he progressed, Bill found himself attracted to the work to be done at smaller firms. He enjoyed the closer community and the increased project ownership they offered. Eventually he took an opportunity to join a small startup. This was the point where he found his true calling as an entrepreneur. He learned a lot and as you’ll hear him emphasize, he’s always learning. Most significantly, he learned that creativity and productivity didn’t spring from him while delivering solutions and answers to employees. Instead, creating a culture where the employees were given the freedom and expectation to find their own answers changed everything for him as a company owner and for the people he would hire. He learned that if employees had the same values that the company espoused, everyone would experience more satisfaction, and their work would reflect their mutual trust as well as a cohesive sense of harmony. So how do you find the ideal employee? Bill explains how he threw traditional interviewing techniques out the window. His questions to potential hires changed. In job interviews, he looks for those working towards something rather than running away from something.

Bill’s philosophy and advice speak to everyone who works in a group situation. He provides a provocative slant on why you may not be achieving your personal best either as the boss or the employee.

 

Topics in this episode:

• How to empower employees to be their creative and productive best
• What elements make up an ideal work culture
• The art of curating employees
• How to stimulate team synergy and create a safe environment for risk taking
• How to answer the question “Do you know where you’re going and why you want to go there?”
• What to do if you mess up an interview
• How to get out of a rut and propel yourself forward

Links:

• wmharper.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/wmharper/