Make My People Better

Episode 31: Donna Kelsey, CEO, American Senior Communities

Donna Kelsey, CEO of American Senior Communities (ASC), oversees more than 10,000 employees at the Hoosier-based senior healthcare company.

A 26-year veteran of the U.S. Naval Reserve, Donna is responsible for driving strategic plans to carry out the vision, mission, and values of ACS.

In this episode, you’ll hear how the company’s core values [which spell out the word ‘CARE’] are instilled in the culture. Investing in things such as committees focused on employee engagement and Care Companion, a program where employees are assigned to a ‘partner’ patient to get to know them better, have been key in ASC’s talent attraction and retention strategy.

Service is at the core of Donna’s being. She joined the military to serve our country and now she has dedicated her life to the service of seniors.

“I see a spirit in them. I see life through their eyes,” she says.

If you’re interested in dedicating more of your time and energy into service, this episode is for you. Plus, you don’t want to miss Donna’s advice when it comes to hiring the RIGHT people.

Episode 30: [BONUS] Cynthia Pizarro, President, CSpring

Following a ‘rebirth’ of the company, Cynthia Pizarro (@cynthiapizarro), President of CSpring, was focused on building a best-in-class consulting firm - and a great place to work.

“We wanted to attract people who were energetic and positive, and interested in being part of something great,” Cynthia said.

The foundation of CSpring’s culture started there, driven from the top-down.

As CSpring evolved as a business, the executive team realized the company - and its employees - were capable of far more, so the values and direction of the firm began to change.

Cynthia and her team used the book The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni to differentiate between a ‘healthy’ company and a ‘smart’ company and quickly found out why organizational health trumps everything else.

So, how can you keep your employees focused on the purpose of your business? Plus, how are CSpring’s core values reflected in the day-to-day to nurture its culture? Listen in to find out.

Episode 29: Jacob Houk, President, Hays and Sons

Reducing turnover and increasing employee retention. It’s a goal almost every company in today’s world strives to achieve.

When Jacob Houk became President of restoration company Hays and Sons in 2015, the turnover rate was 55%. Fast forward to 2019, the company is now an industry leader in employee retention, and turnover has reduced by more than half.

Through employee surveys, Jacob quickly learned his highly engaged offices were the most profitable offices. It wasn’t always that way, though. He fully admits he struggled to get his team on the same page back when he first stepped into his role at Hays and Sons.

In this episode, you’ll hear why Jacob believes if you provide your people with the right opportunities and tools, they will want to grow, to become better versions of themselves.

How can you create a culture where every employee - no matter what their title - feels respected and empowered? Plus, how did Jacob gain these tangible retention results [in just three years]? Find out on this week’s episode of the Make My People Better podcast.

Episode 28: Erik Cooper, Vice President, Community Reinvestment Foundation

“Purpose, clarity, and healthy culture don’t just randomly happen. If we aren’t intentionally focusing on those things - we will not have them.”

Erik Cooper (@erikcooper) serves as the Vice President of Community Reinvestment Foundation (CRF), an affordable housing business that owns, sustains, and rehabs homes for people in need.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Erik, a former pastor, weaves faith and work into this mission-based company - and how it impacts CRF’s organizational purpose.

What is the organizational purpose? How can you, as a leader, bring it to life within your company?

Erik believes all businesses have a purpose whether they know it or not. What is behind your why? Why do you do what you do? This purpose not only guides you on how to do things, but it also tells you what you shouldn’t do.

Listen in as Erik gives his advice on building strong leadership [humility is key], and why you first must be clear with your personal ‘why’ before you develop an organizational ‘why.’

Episode 27: Joe Reitz, Associate Wealth Management Advisor, Northwestern Mutual

From college basketball to the NFL to an advisor at Northwestern Mutual, Joe Reitz’s (@JoeReitz76) career is anything but traditional  

Joe recently traded in his football uniform for a suit and tie after graduating from the IU Kelley School of Business with his MBA. Before that, he could be found playing on Sundays in front of millions of people.

“When life gets really tough, God is always there - life, football, whatever. It’ll all bring you to your knees at some point.”

In our conversation with Joe, he discusses how persistence paid off when he ended up playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He believes there’s no substitute for simply showing up.

Whether you’re struggling with work-life balance, looking to strengthen your faith or just a football fan, you’ll find this episode of Make My People Better invaluable.

Episode 26: Mike Kelly, Managing Partner, DeveloperTown

As a leader, Mike Kelly (@michael_d_kelly), Managing Partner at DeveloperTown, is constantly reflecting and aiming to grow and improve, both personally and professionally.

In this episode, you’ll hear why DeveloperTown, an employee-owned company that helps launch new digital products in the marketplace, created a physical environment conducive to creative thinkers.

“People doing creative work need privacy, and they can’t be interrupted every 15 minutes,” Mike says.

The solution? Each employee works in a tiny house on wheels, complete with a porch light that can be turned on to  serve as a “do not disturb” signal. It’s just one of the ways the leadership team has intentionally woven values like respect into its culture.

Over the years, Mike has developed a resilience by figuring out what really matters to him, and pushing through to achieve goals.

Listen in as Mike explains how he uses multiple peer groups to help him grow and re-evaluate the way he interacts with his family, friends and employees. If you’re in a new leadership role, this episode is for you.

Episode 25: Tom O’Neil, Owner, OfficeWorks

How can you ‘win the workplace’ and dominate your marketplace?

In this week’s episode, you’ll hear how a company’s physical office environment and its culture are woven together.

That’s right, your actual workplace - from the desks to the chairs to the whiteboard space - can define your culture, which is where Tom O’Neil, Owner of OfficeWorks, comes in. Tom’s company works directly with clients to tailor their office furniture needs, improving workspaces and consequently, cultures and teams.

Tom discusses his company’s ‘open book’ management style, including the transparency of displaying monthly financials at all-staff meetings - allowing his employees to see the direct impact they have on the performance of the business.

You’ll want to hear Tom’s leadership advice on being your true, authentic self [your employees can sense ingenuity quickly] because when employees trust you, engagement goes up.

Listen in to learn how you can build a stand-out culture, starting right at your front door.

Episode 24: Dave Smitson, President, Crosspoint Power & Refrigeration

How are you setting the tone for your business? What’s your vision? What do you hope for?

“It’s hard to define success if you don’t have an end goal or objective,” Dave says.

On this episode of Make My People Better, we’re talking to Dave Smitson, President of Crosspoint Power & Refrigeration.

You’ll hear about how Dave integrates faith into his leadership style - and his evolution as a steward not only for his employees, but also his customers.

Dave is deeply passionate about developing the leaders in his company into great leaders, and he’s embraced his legacy by partnering with like-minded organizations to leverage this.

If you want to learn more about how you can embody stewardship for growth this episode is for you.

Episode 23: Marcia Barnes, CEO, Valve+Meter

The idea of tying your own team’s success to your client’s success can seem daunting, right? Not for Marcia Barnes (@HoosierMarketer), CEO of Valve+Meter.

On this episode of Make My People Better, you’ll hear why the performance marketing company uses love as a core value in business - and how Marcia leads to unlock transformational changes in both her employees and clients.

“When we love and serve well, and people experience that in an authentic way - they give us permission to lead them,” Marcia says.

If you’re in any type of leadership role, tune in for Marcia’s valuable advice on how loving, serving and leading go hand in hand.

Episode 22: Matt Rolfsen, President, Renovia

This week on Make My People Better, we’re talking to Matt Rolfsen, President of construction company Renovia.

You’ll hear Matt’s take on how he invests in his employees while showcasing the company values, such as all-staff mission trips.

At Renovia, it’s ingrained in the culture that little pieces of improvement over time can create great change - a Japanese phrase called Kaizen.

“There’s always a way to improve what we do,” says Matt.

Renovia also focuses on helping employees understand their “why” as they believe if the staff knows why they’re doing what they’re doing, they will ultimately perform better - not only in work, but in life.

This is an episode you don’t want to miss. Tune in for more of Matt’s advice on how to “do life together as an organization.”