In this deeply personal episode, Kevin Patrick shares his raw, unfiltered story of battling addiction for over three decades while building a successful career in manufacturing and consulting. From starting substance use at age 12 to becoming a "high-functioning addict" who solved million-dollar problems for Intel while his personal life crumbled, Kevin reveals how his journey through addiction, recovery, relapse, and redemption uniquely qualified him to understand the disengagement crisis plaguing organizations today.

Discover the profound parallels between addiction recovery and organizational transformation, why 77% of disengaged employees are experiencing their own version of "high-functioning dysfunction," and how addressing the "hole in the soul"—whether personal or organizational—is the key to sustainable success. Kevin's story proves that our greatest failures can become our most powerful assets when we're willing to integrate all parts of ourselves in service of transformation.

This episode is for anyone who's ever felt empty despite external success, any leader trying to understand why their employees are checked out, and any organization ready to address the root causes of disengagement rather than just the symptoms. Sometimes the best consultants are those who've been broken and rebuilt—because they understand transformation at the cellular level.

Warning: This episode contains discussions of addiction and recovery that some listeners may find triggering.

Send us a text

What happens when a failing manufacturing company decides to invest in employees' personal dreams instead of cutting costs? A revolutionary business transformation that defies conventional wisdom.

In this remarkable case study, we follow an Ohio-based precision manufacturing company that was bleeding $300,000 annually despite having solid contracts. With turnover at a devastating 32% and quality issues mounting, the owner faced a breaking point when his best machinist resigned because he couldn't afford time off for his son's surgery.

Rather than implementing traditional cost-cutting measures, the owner made a counterintuitive decision—investing in a "Dream Manager" program to help employees achieve personal goals across twelve life dimensions. The initial $20,000 investment for ten employees seemed risky, but the results were extraordinary. Within months, the company saw engagement soar as employees found new purpose connecting their work to personal aspirations.

The financial impact was staggering: turnover plummeted to 6%, productivity increased by 28%, and quality defects decreased by 41%. Over two years, a $140,000 investment in employee dreams yielded measurable returns exceeding $2.1 million—a 2,040% ROI. Beyond numbers, the company transformed into a "destination employer" with a waiting list of applicants and secured their largest-ever contract worth $2.4 million annually.

This episode reveals how investing in human potential creates a sustainable competitive advantage that competitors can't easily replicate. When you help employees achieve their dreams—whether paying for a daughter's wedding or supporting educational aspirations—they invest their full potential in your company's success. 

Ready to unlock the untapped potential in your workplace? Visit our website for resources to start your own dream management journey and join us next week as we explore how a small accounting firm solved their succession planning crisis through dream investment.

Support the show

Send us a text

Episode 5: The Neuroscience of Dreams at Work

What if supporting your employees' personal dreams could transform your business? In this powerful episode, we explore the surprising brain science behind why some small businesses outperform their bigger competitors – and it has nothing to do with technology or capital.

Through the intimate stories of Roberto (an HVAC technician saving to bring his parents from Mexico), Sarah (a single mom dispatcher secretly finishing her accounting degree), and Tom (a manufacturing worker restoring his grandfather's 1967 Mustang), we discover how supporting employee dreams literally rewires their brains for better performance.

Learn why employees carrying unfulfilled dreams operate at only 25% capacity, how one small gesture of support can trigger neurological changes that improve problem-solving by 40%, and why companies that invest in personal dreams see zero turnover and 34% revenue increases.

This isn't feel-good management theory – it's hard neuroscience that shows when you support the whole person, not just the employee, you unlock competitive advantages big corporations can't match. Discover the simple conversation that could transform your business and why your employees' dreams aren't a distraction from business goals – they're rocket fuel for success.

Perfect for small business owners ready to build unstoppable teams through the power of human connection.

Key Takeaways: • Why cognitive load from personal stress destroys workplace performance • How supporting dreams triggers measurable brain chemistry changes • The real ROI of investing in employee personal goals • Simple ways to start supporting dreams without breaking the budget • Why small businesses have massive advantages over corporations in building loyalty

Send us a text

The Dream Manager Revolution: Transforming Business Through Employee Dreams

Discover how a simple question revolutionized organizational transformation: "What if companies systematically helped employees achieve their personal dreams?"

This isn't another feel-good corporate program - we're talking about 400% ROI, companies cutting turnover from 38% to 14% in 18 months, and engagement scores jumping 34 points.

Starting with Matthew Kelly's groundbreaking work at a janitorial company with 400% annual turnover, we explore how focusing on employees' complete lives - not just their professional development - creates extraordinary business results.

Learn about the 12-dimension framework that addresses physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and financial dreams. Hear real stories like Sarah, the receptionist who became a top sales performer, and Maria, the nurse whose homeownership dream transformed an entire healthcare system.

We dive deep into implementation strategies for SMBs, the role of fractional Dream Managers making this accessible to smaller organizations, and why this approach works when traditional benefits fail.

From sports teams to nonprofits, manufacturing to tech companies, discover how helping employees achieve personal dreams creates engaged, loyal, innovative teams who bring their whole selves to work.

This episode reveals practical frameworks, measurement systems, and the neuroscience behind why dream achievement literally rewires brains for success - transferring directly to workplace performance.

The revolution isn't coming - it's here. Join the movement transforming how we think about the employer-employee relationship.

Perfect for business leaders, HR professionals, and anyone interested in creating workplaces where human potential thrives.

haGcaDZd5S9Q1V7xXGfk

Send us a text

What if the technology that's supposed to save your small business is actually killing it?

In this eye-opening episode of The Dream Dividend, Kevin Patrick reveals why 60% of small businesses fail within three years of implementing a major system – and it's not because the technology is bad. Through compelling real-world stories, including a family distribution business that lost its soul after an ERP implementation and a landscape company that achieved 35% revenue growth by taking a radically different approach, you'll discover why traditional system implementations are particularly devastating for SMBs.

Kevin explores the three fatal mistakes small businesses make when implementing new systems: trying to act like big companies, ignoring their employees' invaluable knowledge, and underestimating the true human cost of change. But this isn't just a cautionary tale – it's a blueprint for transformation.

Learn how one business owner turned potential disaster into triumph by discovering his crew leader wanted to start his own landscaping business and then designing the system implementation to teach him how. Discover why an accounting firm that helped its receptionist pursue her CPA while implementing new software saw their revenue triple. Understand the neuroscience behind why connecting systems to personal dreams creates 40% better task performance.

This episode is essential listening for any SMB owner, manager, or employee who has lived through a painful system implementation or is about to embark on one. Kevin shares practical strategies specifically designed for small businesses.

You'll also hear the surprising story of what happened when a business owner told his best employee, "I want you to start your own company someday, but I want you to learn everything here first."

Whether you're considering new software, struggling with adoption of existing systems, or watching your culture erode under the weight of "enterprise-level capabilities," this episode provides a roadmap for using technology to amplify what makes small businesses special rather than destroying it.

The difference between survival and success isn't in the system you choose – it's in how you implement it. And for small businesses, the Dream Manager approach isn't just beneficial; it's essential for survival.

Kevin closes with a powerful reminder: "Your small business has something large enterprises will never have – the ability to truly know your people, the flexibility to adapt to their dreams, and the agility to implement change that matters. Don't waste these advantages trying to be a mini-corporation."

Join us for this transformative episode that will fundamentally change how you think about technology, people, and the future of your business.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why SMB system implementations fail at alarming rates
• The true cost of ignoring employee dreams and knowledge
• Real stories of transformation through the Dream Manager approach
• Practical implementation strategies for resource-constrained small businesses
• The neuroscience of engagement and system adoption
• How to create competitive advantage through human-centered technology implementation

Who Should Listen:

• Small business owners facing technology decisions
• SMB managers dealing with change resistance
• Employees frustrated with systems that don't work for them
• Consultants serving the SMB market
• Anyone interested in the intersection of technology and human potential

Remember: In small business, every person matters, every dream matters, and when you align systems with dreams, extraordinary things happen. Not sometimes. Not usually. Always.

Send us a text

What if the key to solving your biggest business challenges—high turnover, low productivity, and employee disengagement—was hiding in plain sight? In this inaugural episode of The Dream Dividend, we explore the staggering cost of employee turnover for small and medium businesses and reveal a revolutionary approach that's transforming how SMBs compete for talent.

Discover how one manufacturing company saved their best employee from walking out the door—not with more money, but by caring about his dreams outside of work. Learn why traditional retention strategies are failing and how the Dream Manager approach is delivering 20:1 ROI for businesses across every industry.

Key Topics: • The true cost of SMB employee turnover (it's worse than you think) • Why your biggest competitor advantage isn't salary—it's caring • Real case studies: How a construction company, accounting firm, and manufacturer transformed their cultures • The 12 areas of human development that impact workplace performance • How to level the playing field with Fortune 500 competitors

Perfect for: SMB owners, managers, and entrepreneurs who are tired of losing good people and want to build a business where employees choose to stay, grow, and thrive.

The Bottom Line: When you invest in your employees' dreams, they invest their hearts in your success. That's the Dream Dividend—and it starts with a simple question: What do you really know about the whole person behind each job description?

Ready to discover your competitive advantage? This episode shows you exactly how to get started.

Tags: employee retention, small business, SMB, employee engagement, Dream Manager, workplace culture, business growth, human resources, leadership, entrepreneurship