192. Show Up, Smile, And Support with Kevin Schnieders

Some people are just born with it.

Whether it’s the intelligence you need to thrive, personality traits that make you likable – or your dad owning the company you grow up to become “Chief Servant Leader” of – we all have something going for us.

Throughout the 192 (and counting) episodes of Fine Is a 4-Letter Word, I’ve covered stories of pain, struggle, perseverance, and salvation. One of my guests even went to prison for a murder she did not commit!

Kevin Schnieders is one of those guys who, when you first meet him, strikes you as the kind who was just born with it. But as we peel back the layers, you’re going to get to know a man who shows there’s always room to grow and boundless opportunities to make an impact when you see them.

Kevin’s dad was a school administrator who took a bold leap in founding EDSI, a workforce development, customized training, and consulting company focused on providing innovative solutions to close workforce skills gaps around the country. His mom was his dad’s biggest cheerleader, not a big departure since she had actually been a cheerleader for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He was the middle child, partially in awe of his brother who was brilliant in his studies. Kevin was less academic, but he found a niche as an athlete and pursued a dream of becoming a sportscaster. Rather than take to the mic, Kevin went into teaching and then came to work at EDSI – first as a training consultant, then as Director of HR and Operations, then as COO, before becoming CEO. Then he bought the company. Along the way he married and has two wonderful daughters who make him proud every day.

You’d think – wow, everything’s fine for Kevin. We could say, “He’s doing great and he lived happily after ever. The end!” But Fine Is a 4-Letter Word, as Kevin discovered when he was asked at a seminar how intelligent he was on a scale of 1 to 10, and he answered “6”. Bang! At that point, he realized he’d been carrying weight around for not being “as smart” as his brother. I’ll let Kevin explain. Then he attended another seminar and found out that for as compassionate as he always is toward others, he’d been falling short in practicing self-compassion.

In a moment, when you meet Kevin, you’ll discover what came next. How does all this impact him as a father? How does he pass his values to his daughters? As the owner of a company with 856 employees, what’s his secret for creating a sense of personal connection with every single person who works for him – all 856 of them?

Whether you have zero, ten, or 856 employees, or you are the employee, get out a note card – yes, an actual note card – and prepare to write.

Kevin’s hype song is "Be Who You Are" by Michael Franti & Spearhead.

Resources:

• Kevin Schnieders’ website: https://www.edsi.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edsi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EDSITalent
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edsi_careers/
• X: https://x.com/EDSI_Solutions
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/EDSIvideos

Invitation from Lori:

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

Smart business leaders know trust is the foundation of