How I Turned The Corner

What matters more when you’re hiring - experience or character?

Scott Capelin, founder of InLife Wellness Pilates, believes skills can be taught, but character is much harder to change.

In this episode of How I Turned the Corner, Scott joins Kendra to explore how a people-first leadership philosophy helped InLife Wellness grow to nearly 80 franchise locations.

They discuss why accountability matters more than perfection, how to distinguish ownership from blame and excuses, why technical ability doesn’t automatically make someone a strong manager, and how developing people from within can create stronger leaders and healthier organizations.

Scott also shares an important principle every leader should consider:

Culture is defined by what you tolerate.

You’ll hear how InLife Wellness develops members into instructors, managers, and even franchise owners - creating a leadership pipeline of people who already understand and believe in the company’s culture.

They also discuss:

• Hiring for character instead of résumé credentials
• Ownership, accountability, and responsibility
• Developing managers instead of simply promoting them
• Employee retention and career pathways
• Creating consistency across franchise locations
• Ongoing leadership training
• Customer experience and franchise culture
• Scaling through systems, processes, and people
• Why growth should have a purpose beyond simply getting bigger

If you’re building a team, developing managers, expanding into multiple locations, or trying to protect your culture as your organization grows, this conversation offers practical leadership lessons you can put to work.

Learn more about Scott Capelin and InLife Wellness at inlifewellness.com.

Subscribe to How I Turned the Corner for more conversations about leadership, people, workplace culture, and building organizations where both businesses and employees can grow.

What does it really take to build a high-performing team—especially when that team is fully remote?

In this episode of How I Turned the Corner, Kendra Prospero sits down with Tim Huelskamp, CEO of 1440 Media, the bootstrapped news and knowledge company reaching nearly 5 million readers across the United States.

Before building 1440, Tim spent a decade in private equity, where he learned a lesson that would shape the way he leads today: the team you build can be one of the biggest drivers of a company’s value.

Tim shares how 1440 creates a culture built around intellectual curiosity, ownership, transparency, flexibility, and trust—and why leaders should hire exceptional people, invest in their development, and then get out of their way.

You’ll also hear the three qualities 1440 looks for in every hire, how the company makes remote work actually work, and the unusual “mock board meeting” Tim uses during the interview process to see candidates in action before making an offer.

In this conversation:

• Why hiring the right people can transform an entire company
• The three qualities Tim looks for in every 1440 hire
• Why passion for the work matters so much
• How transparency helps employees think beyond their individual roles
• How 1440 builds connection across a fully remote workforce
• Why autonomy and trust are central to its culture
• How remote work dramatically expands the available talent pool
• Why small businesses can’t afford to get hiring wrong
• The mock board meeting 1440 uses to evaluate candidates
• How to assess culture fit based on behaviors instead of predictable interview answers

Whether you’re a founder, business owner, people leader, or hiring manager, this episode offers a practical look at how intentional hiring and leadership can create a team where talented people are equipped to do their best work.

Most leaders think better policies create better companies. Scott Lewis believes the opposite.

As co-founder of Spartan Investment Group, Scott has helped grow the company to more than $800 million in assets under management while building a culture centered on trust, accountability, and recognition instead of bureaucracy.

In this conversation with Kendra, Scott shares why he rejects unnecessary workplace rules, why companies should think like teams instead of families, and how simple recognition practices can dramatically improve performance.

Whether you're leading five people or five hundred, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can implement immediately.

In this episode you'll learn:

•  Why policies often replace good leadership 
•  The difference between managing assets and leading people 
•  How recognition drives performance without huge budgets 
•  Why Scott says companies are teams—not families 
•  The leadership principles he learned from the military 
•  How autonomy, purpose, and mastery create stronger cultures 
•  Practical ways to build accountability without micromanaging 
•  How AI can increase productivity without replacing great employees 

If you're serious about creating a workplace where people thrive and businesses grow, this episode is for you.

What happens when you lose everything?

In this episode of How I Turned the Corner, Jay Wilkinson returns to share the profound lessons he learned after a devastating house fire destroyed nearly all of his possessions—and how that experience deepened his commitment to helping businesses become a force for good.

Jay, founder of FireSpring and the Do More Good Movement, discusses the upcoming ROI of Why Conference, conscious capitalism, purpose-driven leadership, and the research behind what makes organizations truly thrive.

Together, Kendra and Jay explore:

• Why purpose-driven companies outperform profit-only organizations
• The three pillars of successful workplace cultures
• How leaders can align employees with meaningful work
• The future of work in the age of AI
• Why businesses should aspire to be "the best company for the world"

Whether you're a CEO, entrepreneur, people leader, or simply someone interested in meaningful work, this conversation offers practical insights and inspiration for leading with greater purpose.

#Leadership #PurposeDrivenBusiness #ConsciousCapitalism #CompanyCulture #FutureOfWork

What if the biggest barrier to landing a life-changing job was simply not having the right outfit?

In this episode of How I Turned the Corner, host Tim Rhodes sits down with Amara Martin, CEO of Dress for Success Denver, to discuss how the organization is helping women build confidence, careers, and economic independence.

While many people know Dress for Success for providing professional clothing, Amara explains how the organization has expanded far beyond the suit. Through career coaching, leadership development, networking opportunities, and community support, they help women navigate every stage of their professional journey.

Amara also shares powerful lessons for leaders about empathy, flexibility, belonging, and the importance of seeing employees as whole people. Drawing from her own experiences as a nonprofit leader and cancer survivor, she offers practical insights on vulnerability, advocacy, and building workplaces where people can truly thrive.

In this episode you'll learn:

•  Why confidence often starts before the interview 
•  How belonging impacts workplace performance 
•  The hidden challenges many employees face 
•  Why rigid workplace policies often fail 
•  How leaders can use their influence to create positive change 
•  The role vulnerability plays in effective leadership 

Learn more about Dress for Success Denver: https://denver.dressforsuccess.org

#Leadership #WomenInBusiness #WorkplaceCulture #CareerDevelopment #NonprofitLeadership #DressForSuccess

Sleep isn’t just wellness advice — it might be your greatest competitive advantage.

In this conversation, entrepreneur Matt Smith shares how he built Snooze Mattress into a people first franchise empire, focusing relentlessly on people, culture, and servant leadership.

From hiring philosophy to franchise scaling to the science of better sleep, this episode offers practical leadership lessons and a refreshing perspective on what sustainable success really looks like.

Matt shares:

• His journey from mattress salesman to international franchise owner
• The leadership lessons behind scaling to 40+ locations
• The 3 traits he looks for in every franchisee
• Why communication drives business success
• How sleep impacts performance, wellness, and longevity

This episode is packed with insights for entrepreneurs, leaders, franchise operators, and anyone interested in building businesses centered around people and purpose.

In this special 100th episode of How I Turned the Corner, we sit down with Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis, CEO of Craig Hospital, a nationally recognized leader in spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation.

From her early days as an OB-GYN to leading a world-class healthcare organization, Dr. Allen-Davis shares a powerful perspective on what leadership really looks like when people are at their most vulnerable.

She discusses the importance of presence over position, why culture is something you protect—not just build—and how compassion fuels high performance. We also explore the evolving landscape of healthcare, the challenges of scaling without losing your organization’s soul, and her commitment to building more inclusive leadership pipelines.

This is a conversation about purpose, people, and the kind of leadership that leaves a lasting impact.

Key topics:

• Human-centered leadership in healthcare
• Building and protecting organizational culture
• Leading through change and growth
• Representation and leadership pipelines
• Creating commitment vs. compliance

If you're interested in leadership that actually connects—this episode is for you.

Caleb Polley, founder of Cubby Beds, joins the show to share how he built a mission-driven medical technology company helping children with complex disabilities sleep safely.

Starting with prototypes in a garage, Caleb scaled Cubby into a fast-growing company serving families across the country. In this episode, he explains why intentional hiring and structured onboarding became critical to building a strong culture and scaling the organization.

We explore: 

• Why hiring should be treated as a core business process
• How mission-driven companies attract great talent
• Designing roles and competencies before posting a job
• The power of structured interviews and scorecards
• Creating 30-60-90 onboarding plans that set new hires up for success
• The real cost of a bad hire

If you’re building a team, scaling a startup, or leading a mission-driven organization, this episode is packed with practical insights.

In this live episode from the Rocky Mountain Total Rewards Conference, Kendra Prospero speaks with culture futurist Theo Edmonds about the future of innovation—and what’s really holding organizations back.

Theo argues that creativity isn’t soft. It’s measurable. And it’s one of the most powerful performance drivers in today’s AI-driven economy.

They discuss:

• How unprocessed grief reduces innovation capacity
• Why AI may be creating a “race to the bottom
• The shift from solutions to better question
• Measuring creative brain capital as a leading KPI
• Building balanced teams that thrive under uncertainty

If you’re a CEO, HR leader, or innovation strategist, this conversation will change how you think about performance.

In this episode of How I Turned the Corner, host Kendra Prospero sits down with Dr. Michelle Corman, employee research leader at Mercer, to explore the powerful connection between employee experience and business performance. Recorded live at the Rocky Mountain Total Rewards Conference, this conversation breaks down how data can be used to prove what many leaders intuitively know: when people feel valued, organizations perform better.

Michelle shares how organizations can use workforce data to reduce turnover, increase productivity, strengthen leadership teams, and build cultures where employees become brand ambassadors. From the hidden cost of disengagement to why recognition is the most cost-effective retention strategy, this episode offers research-backed insights leaders can act on immediately—without breaking the budget.

Listen for Key Takeaways: 

• Employee Experience Is a Financial Issue
• Turnover Is One of the Most Expensive “Hidden Costs”
• Data Is the Bridge Between Culture and Credibility
• Recognition Is the #1 Predictor of Retention
• Leadership Teams Need Role Balance
• HR Belongs at the Executive Table
• The Employee Voice and Bottom Line Are Not Separate

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WHEN YOU’RE READY, HERE’S HOW TURNING THE CORNER HR CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS:

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