Growing with Purpose Podcast

On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Zach Mercurio, a researcher, author, and leadership development facilitator specializing in purposeful leadership, mattering, meaningful work, and positive organizational psychology. His latest book, The Power of Mattering, is available now. 

Zach is an expert in the importance and implementation of mattering in the workplace, but it’s a path he had to carve out for himself. The desire to explore this topic was sparked in him after his first job out of college. Working in advertising sales, he noticed the jarring fact that he and his team treated their clients as a resource rather than people with their own lives and interests. When he went on to complete his PhD research, he befriended the custodians who were in the school buildings late at night like him. This led him to focus his research on people in overlooked (and often underinvested in) professions like cleaning, and how they experience meaning in their work. 

Listen to this episode to learn Zach’s practical methods for scaling mattering in the workplace, the difference between mattering and belonging, and why Zach sees now as a time when people want to feel that they matter at their work more than ever.

Show Notes:

2:35 - What is mattering?

9:27 - “Work was always an act of community”

14:37 - Early influences & Zach’s PhD research

24:40 - “Common sense is not common practice”

39:00 - How to scale mattering

On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Greg Toback, Founder and CEO of Resolute Dental Partners. 

As a periodontist and member of the healthcare community, Greg has seen various areas of the industry become consolidated over the years. In 2018, he decided to do his part in keeping practices doctor-owned. When two fellow dentists in his community felt they had no other option but to sell to a private equity organization, Greg stepped in and purchased their practice. This eventually led to Resolute Dental Partners, and they now have seven locations, all with strong leaders who can implement the company’s values while still leading with their own style. It took years of learning (and reading the Small Giants book!) to get to where they are now, but Greg is passionate about keeping the ever important doctor-client relationship at the core of their culture. 

Tune in to this episode to hear Paul and Greg discuss the changing landscape of the healthcare industry, Greg’s near career shift into telecommunications, and much more.

Show Notes:

6:13 - A changing industry

17:09 - Implementing Small Giants ideas

25:06 - Early influences

37:00 - Difficult decisions

41:33 - Advice to young people

On this very special episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, I sit down with Hamsa Yaqo, formerly the Executive Director of the Small Giants Community, and now a board member. Hamsa is also the Co-Founder of Kintsugi Village, a non-profit hub in Detroit that will provide a childhood education center, artist incubator, culinary kitchen, and more to the local community. 

Many of you likely know Hamsa as the bright, caring leader who helmed the Small Giants Community operations for nearly a decade. But you may not know about her previous time in the education and tech sectors, as well as her journey with her family from Iraq to the US when she was 12 years old. All of these experiences have shaped Hamsa into the leader she is today; ready to embark on a new journey in the non-profit space and give back to a city that she loves.

Listen to this episode to hear Hamsa and I discuss what it was like for her to be the eldest child of an immigrant family, how learning a new language in a new country made her resourceful, the tough lessons she’s learned as a leader, and so much more. 

Show Notes:

3:32 - A serendipitous Small Giants journey

5:45 - Moving fast at Mango Languages

10:05 - A childhood on the move

20:06 - Building bonds in academia 

29:10 - Areas for improvement

34:18 - “You have to enjoy what you do”

On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Kevin Schnieders, Chief Servant Leader and CEO at Educational Data Systems, Inc. (EDSI). 

From sports broadcaster to English teacher to owner of the family business, Kevin has tried on several seemingly different careers, but he’s always had a throughline: a passion for connecting with people. When he stumbled into working for his father’s business, he realized he could make an impact, and enjoyed the opportunity to work with his dad. EDSI has grown from a team that was in the single digits to an employee population of 900 over the decades. Kevin still finds purpose in the work the company does to help people who are economically disadvantaged, and has successfully scaled their people-focused culture.

Tune into this episode to hear how Kevin was one of the early adopters of the term “servant leadership”, how he stays connected with all 900 of his employees, and why he’s continually trying to be a better listener. 

Show Notes:

3:30 - What is a Chief Servant Leader?

12:47 - Early influences + family business matters

22:20 - Translating the culture to the customers

33:00 - Advice to young people

On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman sits down with Amy Courter, the Principle of Azimuth Centers of Excellence and a Certified EOS Implementer.

Amy grew up outside of Flint, MI with humble beginnings and parents who lived out their heart-first, community values. She adopted those same values and wanted to find ways to be a part of and give back to her community. After excelling at a law enforcement program in high school and wanting to stay involved, she enrolled in the Civil Air Patrol, and has been a member ever since. 

From the Civil Air Patrol and beyond, Amy has found ways to marry career and community. While working for a large tech company, she found purpose and alignment in her small, entrepreneurial clients. And now, as an EOS implementer, she appreciates working with a wide array of clients, many of which do meaningful work.

Tune in to this episode to hear Amy and Paul discuss how she’s adapted her experiences to fit many different roles, how being an athlete influenced her professional life, and why she took theater classes in college. 

Show Notes:

2:35 - EOS and culture

8:57 - Early influences

18:37 - Joining the Civil Air Patrol

24:00 - Not a career path, but a scavenger hunt

30:15 - Sports and community involvement