By EVOLving toward a flat organizational structure and creating self-empowered teams over the past 15 years, Optimax has grown from $3 million to $40 million in revenue and now employs more than 400 people. EVOLving that culture also takes a personal EVOLution as a leader, with a willingness to let go of the reigns, distribute decision-making and forgo rigid plans to instead sense and respond to opportunities as they arise. Tune in to the latest episode to get a peek inside a radical new paradigm for business, plus a few tips on how to get started on your own journey:

-What to do instead of consensus-based decision-making

-What to do instead of strategic planning

-How to align benefits packages and reward systems to reinforce your culture

-How to scale your culture to support "astronomical" growth (even if NASA isn't sending your products into space)

Rick Plympton is the CEO of Optimax located in Ontario, NY. During his 22 years at Optimax, he has held several roles including Quality Manager and VP of Sales and Marketing, before taking on the role of CEO. Optimax manufactures precision optics for research and industry, serving a wide variety of applications for semiconductor, medical, defense and aerospace, including the optical equipment for the Mars Rover and other NASA projects! Founded in 1991, Optimax currently has 300+ employees sharing a corporate culture of continuous learning and employee empowerment; and continues to grow at an average rate of 20% per year. He was named the 2012 Small Business Person of the Year in New York State by the SBA and in 2018 was inducted into the Rochester Business Hall of Fame.