Zero to Unicorn

There comes a point in every company’s history when you have to make a difficult decision. 

For Norhart, that decision was who they hire, and how they grow. 

In this episode, you’ll hear Mike share his experience building Encore, a heartfelt tribute to his father, Ed, that served as a transformative milestone for their burgeoning company. Drawing inspiration from this endeavor, he shares how they began to adopt a "grow or die" philosophy.

Through the voices of early employees, you’ll hear stories about the lack of workplace safety in those days, and how certain incidents served as a wakeup call for how they were operating. You’ll also learn how Norhart’s hiring mindset shifted—it was no longer enough to hire good employees, they had to hire the best, even if it cost them more.

With this shift, they soon realized the incalculable worth of employees who radiate passion for their craft, have ceaseless hunger for learning, and an unwavering commitment to self-improvement. 

Join us for this next chapter as we explore the stories of employees leaping beyond their comfort zones, seizing possibilities, and transforming obstacles into springboards to success.

Many companies are able to plan for a transition in leadership. For Norhart and the Kaeding family, that wasn’t the case. 

With Ed suddenly gone, Mike and Alyssa are forced to wrap their arms around the business in ways they’ve never had to, all while starting a family of their own. 

In this episode, you’ll hear how they struggled, and how an almost devastating car accident forced Mike to realize where his priorities needed to be. From confronting personal and familial obstacles to complexities of integrating new technology into their business operations, this next chapter shines a light on the hardships that come with entrepreneurship. 

Join us as we delve into the raw and unfiltered realities of navigating the unpredictable waters of the business world for a new leader growing a business and a family.

The leadership torch will always get passed to the next generation of leaders, but for some, it happens sooner than expected.

In this episode, Ed Kaeding, Norhart’s fearless leader, unexpectedly passes away, leaving the rest of his family to pick up the pieces and continue to push forward. 

We’ll uncover the significance of laying a strong foundation, not only in business but also in life, and discover how Ed played a transformative role in multiple people’s lives—leaving a lasting impact that extends far beyond the realm of work.

As the narrative unfolds, we come face-to-face with the challenges that the Kaeding family encountered in the aftermath of Ed’s passing. With their leader absent, Ed’s son Mike and his wife Alyssa are thrust into unfamiliar territory, compelled to take on the responsibility of completing ongoing projects, and pushed to survive amidst feelings of loss and grief. 

Join us in this next chapter where we witness Norhart’s miraculous transformation as the new generation of leadership emerges from the ashes.

Every hero has a mentor. 

Mike Kaeding’s was Ed. 

In this episode, you’ll hear how Ed poured into Mike to make him the leader is today and how they laid the foundation for what would evolve into an expansive enterprise.

However, the road to prosperity was not without its obstacles. You’ll hear stories of the Kaeding’s resilience in the face of challenges such as economic recessions and bureaucratic hurdles, and you’ll hear how Mike and Alyssa wrestled with the idea of planting roots in Minnesota to go all-in on family.

Join us in this next chapter as we see how faith and love can be the biggest mentors of all.

Is a hero born a hero…or do they become one along the way?

Or, maybe it’s a bit of both. That if you look closely enough, you’ll see that there were hints of what they would become present in them all along. 

At least, that’s the case for Mike Kaeding, Ed’s son.

Whether it was creating video games or making movies with special effects, he was the kind of person you couldn’t help but follow, even if you knew nothing about the project. Those close to him would say it was their belief in Mike that made them want to be a part of the project, not the other way around.

But Mike’s leadership wasn’t gifted overnight. It was discovered and refined through college and high school as Ed gave Mike more ownership in the business.

On this episode of Zero to Unicorn, we explore the power of belief and the impact of choices, and we get to know the next generation of Kaedings. You’ll hear how Mike met his wife, Alyssa, how he unwittingly cut his teeth as a leader (thanks to some strategic pushing from his father), and how Norhart slowly started to become an organization on its way to a billion-dollar valuation. 

Every story worth telling begins with characters worth following.

In our story, that character is Ed Kaeding. 

Ed and his wife Brenda have always had the desire to help others. They opened their homes to strangers in need of a place to rest. They opened their hearts to children not biologically theirs. They gave financially to people in need, even when they struggled to make ends meet themselves.

In this episode, you’ll get an intimate look at what it was like to be a part of the Kaeding family in the early years of the business, and how they persevered through financial struggles, personal struggles, and an attempted kidnapping–all because they knew what they were building was worth it.

This is the origin story of a unicorn.

Join us as we learn more about Ed and Brenda, the resilience of the human spirit, and the importance of hard work, determination, and community support in achieving success.

A unicorn is a magical creature shrouded in mystery known for its ability to make the impossible possible. In modern times, the word “unicorn” has come to mean something intrinsically valuable and difficult to obtain, whether that be a business with a $1 billion dollar valuation, or the love of a special someone. 

This season of Zero to Unicorn, we’ll hear directly from the Kaeding family as they recount their history of founding and operating Norhart, a unicorn-level business in the construction industry with a mission to positively impact the way people live. 

But don’t think that this is a story of how to grow a business to a billion dollar valuation. This tale is centered around a special group of people who are coming together to create something bigger than themselves. Despite several trials, the people of Norhart seek to make a positive impact on the world—and, ultimately, to do what every unicorn is born to do: make the impossible possible. 

Join us weekly for this limited series chronicling the Kaeding family’s journey, from starting a family-owned business to achieving unicorn status with a business determined to do good.