The Leadership Framework Behind One of America’s Best Places to Work with Matt Hoying

Can culture itself be a business strategy?

In this episode of The Purpose Matrix, Phil sits down with Matt Hoying, President of Choice One Engineering—a company consistently ranked as a Best Place to Work and known for its people-first culture, operational clarity, and unapologetic transparency.

Matt shares how he rose from intern to president, why engineering is just a vehicle for impact, and how they’ve built a coaching culture where everyone—from leadership to new hires—owns the mission. He also breaks down Choice One’s “Decision Filter” and explains why they’ve walked away from profitable deals that didn’t align with their values.

Whether you're a founder, team leader, or aspiring leader within an organization, this episode offers a blueprint for creating a culture that scales with clarity, intentionality, and heart.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to build culture intentionally—even inside a larger company

• Why values-based hiring is the ultimate filter

• How financial transparency transformed their organization

• What leadership looks like when it's not about you

• Why “best practices” are often anything but

• How to lead like an engineer

This is a masterclass in sustainable, purpose-driven leadership. If you're serious about culture, this one’s for you.

0:00 Intro

1:01 Matt’s Path from Intern to President

4:18 The Real Reason He Chose Engineering

6:37 Applying His Purpose at Work and Home

10:28 Faith and Leadership

13:17 When Leadership Feels Like Psychology

16:39 How to Build a Coaching Culture

19:06 Mission Without the Job Titles21:03 Culture as a Decision Filter

24:21 Saying No to Money

26:44 Growth Without Compromise

29:42 Starting Culture from Scratch

32:33 Why Best Practices Don’t Always Work

35:00 The Great Game of Business & Transparency

38:56 Matt’s Role as “Engineer” of the Train

43:15 Why He Feels Unfulfilled—and Why That’s Good

45:32 Final Reflections and How to Connect

Resources Mentioned

📚 Drive by Daniel H. Pink

📚 The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack

📚 Good to Great by Jim Collins

🌐 Choice One Engineering: https://choiceoneengineering.com/

🔗 Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthoying

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