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The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast with Brian Gottlieb
In this episode, I interviewed Brian Gottlieb, founder of Tundraland Home Improvements and author of "Beyond the Hammer." He transformed a $3,000 investment into a multi-state enterprise with nearly $1 billion in lifetime sales. Gottlieb, an inspirational business leader and Harvard Business School executive education alumnus, champions a leadership philosophy centered on strategy, empowerment, and consistent execution while founding charitable initiatives like "Windows for a Cause" and "Baths for the Brave."
We discuss Brian’s journey in building a successful business from the ground up, emphasizing the importance of belief in leadership, creating a positive company culture, and the impact of community initiatives. Brian shares insights on effective feedback techniques, the significance of employee engagement, and how to align a team around a common mission. The conversation highlights the role of training and development in fostering a motivated workforce and the importance of understanding employee perspectives through stay interviews.
Key Takeaways
- Starting a business with limited resources can lead to innovative solutions.
- Belief in people is crucial for leadership and team success.
- Aligning a team around a joint mission enhances performance.
- Creating a positive employee experience is essential for retention.
- Feedback should be constructive and encouraging to foster growth.
- Stay interviews provide valuable insights into employee satisfaction.
- Company culture is shaped by the behaviors tolerated within the organization.
- Community initiatives can enhance employee engagement and brand reputation.
- Recruitment should focus on finding individuals who align with the company’s mission.
- Training and development are vital to building a skilled workforce.
Chapters
- [00:00] Introduction and Background
- [03:10] Belief as the Foundation of Leadership
- [10:11] The ‘Center and Sphere’ Approach to Feedback
- [16:27] Engaging Employees Through Mission-Driven Initiatives
- [19:20] Creating a Positive Employee Experience and Attracting Top Talent
More About Brian Gottlieb
- Check out Brian’s website
- Follow Brian on LinkedIn
- Grab a copy of "Beyond the Hammer"
Testimonial
I was like this. Found it. I found it. This is what I’ve been looking for. I can honestly say has genuinely changed the way I run my business. It’s changed the results that I’m seeing. It’s changed my engagement with clients. It’s changed my engagement with the team. I couldn’t be happier. Honestly. It’s the best investment I ever made.
John Jantsch (16:22): I mean, it really kind of disempowers the people that say, Hey, I’m doing this and doing that, and look what they’re getting away with. I guess they don’t care.
Brian Gottlieb (16:31): It sends a wild ripple effect through the entire organization.
John Jantsch (16:35): Yeah, yeah. So you briefly mentioned Windows for a cause. You had another one, baths for the Brave or for the Brave. Talk a little bit about, you started talking about where they came from. What impact did they have really on your business to the point where you probably sought out my next business, we’re going to do X, right?
Brian Gottlieb (16:54): Yeah, yeah. It’s interesting because the thing about Windows for cause is as it makes an employee, a co-producer in the mission statement, it also makes the customer a co-producer. And that’s really powerful when you can create a co-producing customer. IKEA does that really well. If you buy anything from ikea, everything comes in a little skinny box and you got to put it together. You know that going into ikea, but IKEA customers are co-producers.
John Jantsch (19:34): Yeah. A lot of people just think it’s lead generation or something. It’s like you run an ad and people show up, and it’s really, if we’re talking about all the things being true, people want to work a place with purpose. I guarantee you some percentage of a performers that you want, they’re looking for that first.
Brian Gottlieb (19:52): That’s right. And then if an organization can also create upward mobility, because as long as I’ve been in this industry, there’s been a labor shortage, and so let’s not even worry about that. Let’s just be a training organization where we can take people right out of high school that didn’t want to go to college, and let’s teach them a skill where they can do quite well and have a wonderful life with great benefits and raise a family, and all those things that are really cool in life. But you have to believe in people to do that,
John Jantsch (20:21): Get good at their craft. Did you start apprentice programs? Was that part of your
Brian Gottlieb (20:25): We did, yeah. We were able to bring anybody in and just if they were willing, if they had the right mindset, if they were hungry and trainable and all those sort of things, yeah, we can put ’em on a path of success and didn’t mean just because we hired them for this role, that’s where they ended up. Sometimes we move ’em into another role inside of the business. Again, it really does come down to just taking a moment and trying to find the best fit for somebody and not just kicking ’em to the curb in the role they’re in. It’s not working out.
John Jantsch (20:51): Yeah. Awesome. Well, Brian, I appreciate you taking a few moments to stop by the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast. You want to tell people where they might connect with you and find more about Beyond the Hammer?
Brian Gottlieb (21:02): Yeah. You can always connect with me on my website, which is brian gottlieb.com and beyond. The Hammers available on Amazon, the audio version, Kindle, and of course the hardcover book. It’s a great read. I think you really enjoyed it. It’s a fun story. It’s a parable, and it’s also actionable, so you can plug it into your business very quickly.
John Jantsch (21:20): Awesome. Well, again, I appreciate you stopping by, and hopefully we’ll run into you one of these days out there on the road.
Testimonial (21:36): I was like this. Found it. I found it. This is what I’ve been looking for. I can honestly say has genuinely changed the way I run my business. It’s changed the results that I’m seeing. It’s changed my engagement with clients. It’s changed my engagement with the team. I couldn’t be happier. Honestly. It’s the best investment I ever made.
John Jantsch (21:52): What you just heard was a testimonial from a recent graduate of the Duct Tape Marketing certification intensive program for fractional CMOs marketing agencies and consultants just like them. You could choose our system to move from vendor to trusted advisor, attract only ideal clients, and confidently present your strategies to build monthly recurring revenue. Visit dtm.world/scale to book your free advisory call and learn more. It’s time to transform your approach. Book your call today, DTM World slash Scale.