Podcast

In our inaugural episode for 2023, Joel chats with Said Elkhodary, SVP of Professional Dining at Elior North America, one of the world’s leading operators in contract catering and support services. Said reveals the pivot he made from mechanical engineering to the service industry at the beginning of his career, he reflects on the biggest challenges in corporate dining now, the generational differences in the workforce, what he loves most about his job, and much more.

Joel wraps up the 2022 podcast season with a meaningful conversation with Barb Rooney, SVP of Lodging, Spa and Owner Services at Boyne Resorts. Barb talks about running Big Sky Resort lodging at just 24 years old and the painful but important learnings she experienced, how her change-agent personality has evolved over the years, the important transition Boyne made to focusing on servant leadership, the legacy she wants to leave behind, and much more.

Joel continues his talk with Davin Salvagno, the globally recognized inspirational speaker and author known for connecting purpose, people, and performance. Learn about the “ROI” of focusing on purpose in your company, but how it’s also not the most important reason to pursue it, fulfilling dreams as the number one KPI at a multi-billion dollar company, the decision you can make each day that change the world, and much more. If you’ve been looking for something life-changing to noodle on over your holiday breaks, this will certainly do the trick.

Joel has a deep and meaningful conversation with Davin Salvagno, the globally recognized inspirational speaker and author known for connecting purpose, people, and performance. We hear a lot about “purpose”, but what does purpose really mean? Davin reveals the answer, and the businesses and leaders who are living out purpose well like WD-40 and Costco, how to self-diagnose if you AREN’T leading well or pursuing purpose the right way, how much pay actually matters to employees, and much more. You won’t want to miss this one, and make sure you tune in to Part 2 for the enthralling and remarkably inspiring conclusion.

Joel has a wonderful conversation with the iconic and inspiring Jennifer Lemcke, CEO of Weed Man, an international network of locally owned and operated lawn care businesses across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Jennifer talks about the family story of Weed Man, her powerful life purpose, the importance of active listening as a leader, how to build a great brand, the value of being owner operated, the future of robotics in landscaping, and so much more.

On our first two-guest episode, Joel has a candid chat with Josh Sevick, President of The Grounds Guys, and John Dobelbower, Director of Franchise Development at The Grounds Guys, a Neighborly company.

Hear about the hard life lesson that changed John’s career path, the Code of Values that guides their company culture and is reviewed daily by their frontline teams, who is the most important role in the company and how they’re identified, and a lot more neighborly advice as well. You won’t want to miss this one.

Joel sits down for a transformational discussion with Jeff Oddo, owner and CEO of City Wide Facility Solutions, providing over 20 facility solutions, from handyman services to janitorial to parking lot repairs. Jeff shares the divine intervention of Mr. Cho, who inspired their pivot to the franchise model, leading his household how he leads his business, his advice to his younger self, how to chase and pursue the right things in life, and much more.

Joel has a deep discussion with Jackie Ishimaru Gachina, owner of Gachina Landscape Management, one of the most awarded landscape companies in the Bay Area. Jackie shares the incredible challenge of taking over the business when her husband passed, creating a strong culture and winning mentality at the frontlines tied to tangible reward, what she’s most passionate about now, and much more.

Joel has an incredibly engaging talk with Mary Miller, author, speaker, and CEO of JANCOA, a commercial cleaning company run by her, her husband, and soon the next generation. Through efforts to create an environment to attract the best in the industry, they created The Dream Manager program, popularized by Matthew Kelly’s bestselling book by the same title. To date, this has been the most life-changing podcast for Joel, and we expect it’ll be the same for you. Don’t miss it.

This week Joel sits down with Jarrett Walters, President and COO of Hawaiian Building Maintenance, to hear him talk about how basketball created authentic relationships with his employees, how he builds company culture across islands and locations, the way bolstering middle management transformed his business, what motivates him, and much more.