Jean Moncrieff chats with business leaders about what shaped their business and life.
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Building Trust. Guarding Your Time. Getting Back to the Basics. In this episode of Growing with Purpose, Jean Moncrieff speaks with Larry Levine, Author, Podcast host, and Co-Founder of the agency Selling from the Heart, all of which speak to the issue of founder development, and how they can modernize their approach to sales without losing their authenticity and personal touch. Drawing on more…
Building Community. Leading with Intention. Staying Human in the Age of AI. In this episode of Growing with Purpose, Jean Moncrieff speaks with Sam Adiv, Founder and CEO of OpenTent and the Community Builder Group, about creating a company rooted in relationships, meaningful rituals and genuine community. Sam shares how his original plan to become a rabbi unexpectedly led him into…
From Corporate to Founder. Navigating Growth. Building with Intention. In this episode of Growing With Purpose, Jean Moncrieff speaks with Nenuca Syquia, Founder and CEO of Better Organizations by Design (BOxD), about building a business that grows without losing sight of what matters most. Nenuca shares her journey from corporate leadership to launching BOxD just before the pandemic, stepping…
From Side Hustle to Purpose-Driven Growth. Staying True to What Matters. Building with Intention. In this episode of Growing With Purpose, Jean Moncrieff speaks with Adria Marshall, Founder of EcoSlay, about building a business rooted in values, sustainability, and community. Adria shares her journey from engineer to accidental entrepreneur, creating her own haircare products in her kitchen after…
Profit. Purpose. Financial Clarity. In this episode of Growing With Purpose, Jean Moncrieff sits down with Brandon Neely, real estate investor, entrepreneur, Co-Founder and CEO of Wealth Wisdom Financial and founder of Counterflow, for an honest conversation about money, systems, and what it really takes to build a business that lasts. Brandon shares the story of launching a purpose-driven coffee…
High Performance. High Well-Being. Redefining Success. In this episode of Growing With Purpose, Jean Moncrieff speaks with Ashish Kothari, Founder and CEO of Happiness Squad, about success, well-being, and what it truly means to live and lead a meaningful life. Ashish reflects on his journey from a high-pressure career at McKinsey to a deeper exploration of happiness, purpose, and human…
Leading with Purpose. Building a Values-Driven Business. In this episode of Growing With Purpose, Jean Moncrieff speaks with John Costello, owner of Cherry’s Industrial Equipment Corp, about his leadership journey and the evolution of building a values-driven company. John reflects on aligning personal and company values, navigating the emotional challenges of ownership, and learning how to let go…
In this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Jean Moncrieff sits down with Megan Gluth, CEO of Catalynt, for an honest conversation about resilience, self-awareness and leading with steadiness in uncertain times. Megan shares her journey from an “accidental entrepreneur” to the leader of a merged, $100M business. She reflects on how growing up with limited resources shaped her…
This is a very special episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast. For the first time, longtime host Paul Spiegelman takes the guest seat as he officially passes the torch to new host, Jean Moncrieff. Paul reflects on his transition from leading the Small Giants Community to launching Kintsugi Village, a nonprofit in Detroit dedicated to community, relationships, and innovative education. He and…
This is a very special episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast. Not only are there two beloved return guests, but it’s also Paul’s last episode as host. As he transitions away from his role as the owner of the Small Giants Community to pursue his newest endeavor, Kintsugi Village , Paul is switching off the microphone. Talk about bittersweet! But before he does that, he has one last meaningful…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman sits down with Kyle David, CEO of The Kyle David Group . He is also a graduate of the Small Giants Leadership Academy Class of 2021. Kyle got his professional career started earlier than most. Due to childhood autoimmune issues, he couldn’t participate in a lot of physical activities, and instead turned to reading – mostly…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman sits down with Bill Roark, co-founder of Torch Technologies, Inc. , as well as the founder of Starfish Holdings, Inc. and Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC. He is also the author of Built with Purpose . Bill grew up in the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky, in a small community where people looked out for one another. From…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman sits down with Danielle Krischik, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer of Knight Agency . It’s no wonder that Danielle has a passion and a talent for storytelling, because her life has all of the trappings of a good story: joy and heartbreak, struggle and triumph. Danielle grew up in a house alive with love, family, and even a…
On this live recorded episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with David Friedfeld, president of ClearVision Optical , one of the largest family-owned eye distributors in North America. The Clear Vision story starts with David’s father, a Navy veteran who was looking for his next chapter in life, and found it in a six-week optometry program. After becoming licensed…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Matt Hoying, President of Choice One Engineering . Matt grew up on a farm in Ohio with a loving and supportive family. And while both his parents held jobs in addition to running the farm, Matt’s mom always found the time to go out to the edge of their rural property with him and look up at the stars. This ritual…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Mikel Berger, a self-proclaimed uncertified entrepreneur and Chief of Staff of Little Engine Ventures . Mikel grew up on a farm in northern Indiana, and while his upbringing taught him to love building things and problem solving, he also wanted to distance himself from that lifestyle. He saw his father, a farmer,…
On this very special episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with the inaugural inductees of the Small Giants Hall of Fame : Sabrina White and Tom Walter! Alongside celebrating 15 years of the Small Giants Community, we’re happy to share the creation of the Small Giants Hall of Fame. What will be an annual award moving forward has now seen its first batch of…
It’s hard to believe that it has been 15 years since Bo and Paul started the Small Giants Community! Like many of us, Paul was inspired by Bo’s book and that started a series of conversations, leading to them bringing purpose-driven leaders together as a Community. Years later, the principles Bo wrote about in his book are stronger than ever, and we’ve seen the focus on culture and values become…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Dawn Abbott. Dawn is an author , EOS implementer, and owner of three businesses: Fun Productions , Connections Team Building , and Abbott Coaching . Early on in their marriage, Dawn and her husband, Tim, knew that they weren’t going to be able to get where they wanted to go in life by working for others. So, they…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Ron Alvesteffer, President and CEO of Service Express , a data center solutions provider. While they started as a small IT company in Grand Rapids, MI, Ron has led Service Express to become an international team of over 1,000 employees, all while sustaining a unique performance-driven and care-focused culture.…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Chelle Neff, CEO and founder of Urban Betty , an award-winning salon and spa with three locations in the Austin, TX area. Chelle grew up without a lot of opportunity; her parents had her when they were very young, and didn’t have a lot to support her financially. But one opportunity Chelle did have, and took on…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Britt Wiedemann, president and owner of IWI Ventures, a company that runs various organizations in the hospitality industry. Britt is also a mentor in the Small Giants Sounding Board program . Britt grew up in an entrepreneurial family and was raised on a horse and tobacco farm. Early on, he began adding more and…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with our very first father-son duo. Tony Maione Sr. (henceforth called Senior) is Co-founder and Executive Senior Consultant of Core America , a janitorial and environmental services consulting and software company. Tony Maione, his son, is currently President of Core America, as well as an alum of the Small Giants…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Jean Pitzo, CEO of Ace Metal Crafts , a stainless steel fabrication company. Jean is also a mentor in the Small Giants Sounding Board program. In the 1980s, Jean’s entrepreneurial father bought a metal fabricating business. And even though her brothers had no interest in joining the family business, Jean leapt at…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Heidi Baumgart, COO of Skidmore Studio , a 65-year-old branding firm. As an only child growing up in rural Ohio, Heidi observed generations of her family work hard to build their businesses, be it a dairy farm or a home renovation business. She took these values with her through her academic career, and into her…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Eric Jones, co-owner of Adamantine Spine Moving , a local and long-distance moving company based in Iowa. Eric didn’t always dream of owning his own moving business. In fact, for a long time he didn’t know where he wanted his career to take him. His prior path stretched from coast to coast of the US, and involved…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Andrew Barry, founder and CEO of Curious Lion . Andrew got his start on the accounting side of business at KPMG. But as his passion for learning grew, he embraced his own courage by moving from his home country of South Africa to the United States, where he started his own training services business. Even though…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Jason Fried, co-founder and CEO of 37 Signals , as well as the co-author of several books such as Shape Up and It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work. As soon as Jason was old enough to work at the age of 13, his parents encouraged him to do so. From a young age, he was able to observe – and learn from – various…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Beck Sydow, the Founder of HumanKind Business Leaders , and former CEO of StickerGiant . Beck’s passion is bringing people-hearted and business-minded leadership beliefs to individuals, teams, and organizations. A self-proclaimed “business geek” as well as a longtime mindfulness practitioner, Beck’s aim is to…
On this mailbag episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Corey Rosen to answer listener questions about the world of employee ownership. Corey is the founder of the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO), a nonprofit membership and research organization that is an authoritative source on broad-based employee ownership plans. Corey founded NCEO in 1981…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Carl Erickson, the recently retired Executive Chairman of Atomic Object , a design and development software consultancy he co-founded in 2001. Previously a tenured professor at Grand Valley State University, he enjoyed teaching, but didn’t so much appreciate the affinity in academia for sticking to the status…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Lauren Adams, the Director of Operations at the Center for Financial Planning , a privately held wealth management firm. Lauren has always had a strong work ethic that combines with a passion for working towards a greater good. Even as she pursued education, and then a career, in financials, she wasn’t interested…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Taylor Vanden Hoek, a delivery lead at Atomic Object , a custom software consultancy. Along with one of her colleagues, Taylor is currently working towards opening and managing Atomic Object’s fourth office, which will be located in Raleigh, NC. From a young age, Taylor had a love for art, largely thanks to her…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Devyn Bachman, Vice President of Research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting . Devyn grew up surrounded by the entrepreneurial spirit. While her parents ran a 20-seat hair salon in Colorado, Devyn grew to love the idea of creating something on your own, but also to respect the relentless hard work that it takes…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Lauren Eckhardt, founder and CEO of Burning Soul Collective . Lauren grew up in rural Missouri with plenty of space to let her imagination roam. She took a detour from her creativity in college, and began her career in Human Resources roles. And while she enjoyed certain aspects of HR, like identifying and…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Aaron Montgomery, the CEO of Montgomery Development Group, Co-Founder of CarLotz and author of Suspend Your Disbelief: Short Stories That Are Long On Wisdom . Aaron grew up in Detroit, raised by his mother, as well as her large family. From them, he learned the value of education and stories, and even got a…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Hai Nguyen, Co-Founder and Head of Product at Text-Em-All , an automated call and text company. For a man with such a calm, even presence, Hai’s life began with a lot of turbulence. When he was very young, and with the fall of Saigon, he and his family fled Vietnam. It was a dangerous journey to get to America,…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman speaks with Massimo Backus, Chief Coaching Officer of Massimo Backus Leadership. Massimo’s path to leadership was not a straightforward one, and was heavily influenced by his struggles with dyslexia growing up. As he says, “that challenge both motivated me and put a chip on my shoulder.” Despite having a supportive family,…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman talks with Valerie Webster, President of HealthWorks , a Cincinnati based health and well-being company. When Valerie first stepped into the role of president in a new company, she took it upon herself to meet with every employee for a one-to-one conversation within the first 30 days. For her, trust is one of the most…
On this episode of the Growing With Purpose podcast, Paul Spiegelman talks to Eric Rieger, founder and CEO of WEBIT Services , a people-focused IT strategy, service, and support company based in Naperville, IL. After working for other software companies with poor culture, Eric decided to take matters into his own hands and start his own company. 25 years later, WEBIT Services is a Better Business…
On this episode of the Growing With Purpose podcast, Paul Spiegelman talks with Andy Fowler, CEO of Nutshell, an all-in-one CRM and email marketing platform based in Ann Arbor, MI. “My trajectory in life was never to start a business, or even to lead a business,” says Andy. “I was always motivated by my own curiosity and making things, that’s what always made me tick.” This curiosity for learning…
On this episode of the Growing With Purpose podcast, Paul Spiegelman talks with Kate McCrea, CEO and “Chief Caramel Visionary” of McCrea’s , a quality candy confectioner. Kate is also a longstanding member of the Small Giants Community. At a glance, Kate’s road may be a very windy one. From being an avid dancer as a child, to training as a scientist and living in places like remote Alaska to…
On this episode of the Growing With Purpose podcast, Paul Spiegelman talks with Angela Barbash, CEO of Revalue Investing , a values-based investment advisory firm. She is also a current participant in the Small Giants Leadership Academy as well as a recipient of our inaugural LIFT scholarship. For Angela, all roads lead to making an impact. Growing up, she observed how her separated parents both…
On this episode of the Growing With Purpose podcast, Paul Spiegelman talks with Mel Gravely, majority owner and CEO of TriVersity Construction. He is also the author of nine books, including his most recent, Dear White Friend . As a self-proclaimed product of Affirmative Action, from an early age Mel understood not only that his presence as a black man in professional settings was met with…
On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman talks with Conni Reed, founder and CEO of Consuela. Starting with a computer science degree, Conni had a steady career in the corporate tech world. But she was feeling uninspired, unhappy, and, in her own words, “I was pretty much just un.” After a self-proclaimed “early mid-life crisis at 35,” she left her job to start her…
