Business owners often look to optimize systems and processes to achieve big goals.

But as my guest today can attest, without a solid foundation in culture, systems and processes will only take you so far.

Chris Seegers is a long-time owner of multiple businesses that he has stewarded through major transitions and growth. In this conversation, we talk about how people, processes, and profitability are critical pillars to the value of a business and how intentionally designing systems to reinforce culture over time is key for long-term sustainability and success.

Chris Seegers is a business owner with a long track record of starting and buying companies and building them into successful, self-governed entities. He founded the Exceptional Companies family office and is an active owner in many different businesses and part of leadership teams that have raised and deployed over $650 million in investor dollars. Chris is a self-proclaimed “capitalist missionary”, and his heart is activating and equipping others to live exceptional lives. He has written two books, Buying Main Street and Selling Main Street, aimed at equipping ordinary people in the complex space of business transitions.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How systems reflect and support instilling and sustaining values and culture across organizations
• Why values need to be clearly defined and implemented with concrete benchmarks
• How the core pillars of people, processes, and profitability translate into a company’s valuation
• Why leaders need the humility to be wanted, but not needed in their businesses
• How clear expectations and processes for accountability drive results while maintaining relationships and building trust

Learn More About Chris Seegers:

• Exceptional Business Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-seegers-8a30161a

Learn More About Heather Smith:

• Talent Elevated: https://www.talentelevated.org

Our approach to company culture inevitably has to make some shifts when experiencing significant growth. What works for twenty employees in one location doesn’t have the same impact when it’s spread across multiple cities and hundreds of employees.

My guest today, Stephanie Henderson, has been through exactly that experience over her nineteen years at her former customer-service based company and now leads her own company, Impact Driven Partners, to help other businesses scale up with culture at their core.

She’s sharing how she navigated setting the foundations of company values and culture while scaling way up. Stephanie also has some unique insights about hiring for culture in a college town, where employees are younger and turnover is consistent, and how helping front-line staff think like their customers creates positive experiences for both customers and employees.

Stephanie Henderson is a seasoned executive, business strategist, and culture transformation expert with more than two decades of leadership experience, including serving as CEO of Carpet Tech, where she helped scale the company to a multi-million dollar success.

As the founder of Impact Driven Partners, she combines executive coaching with strategic advisory work to help organizations strengthen leadership, elevate culture, and scale with clarity and confidence. Known for her relational approach, operational depth, and passion for helping organizations grow, Stephanie specializes in taking a leader’s vision and turning it into a clear, actionable reality. She equips teams and organizations to thrive with purpose, alignment, and measurable impact.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How company culture was reflected in the customer experience and feedback
• How an unexpected interview question was a great predictor for culture fit
• How metrics like customer retention and crew expenses became clear signs of culture at work location by location
• Why clarity about roles, processes, values, and culture is essential to scaling up
• How values and culture inform decision-making from process changes to staffing to entering new markets
• Why leaders need to let go of the “family feel” mindset and build compassionate teams

Learn More About Stephanie Henderson:

• Impact Driven Partners

Learn More About Heather Smith:

• Talent Elevated

Resources:

• Entrepreneurial Operating System

When companies achieve significant growth, a strong cultural foundation is key to the long-term success and sustainability of that scale.

My guest today, WoundCentrics COO Stuart Oertli, saw culture eroding after significant company growth. As WoundCentrics expanded, they also saw employee turnover rise to over 50%, and that churn was eating into energy and resources, negatively impacting the culture and morale of their teams.

Over the last few years, Stuart has focused on developing a strong company culture that will set the foundation for continued growth. He has found that while culture might seem like a soft skill, it is absolutely connected to and significantly impacts the bottom line.

Today, we’re talking about the systems he has put in place to improve communication throughout the company, gather better-quality feedback, and a surprising process from hospital settings that they’ve adapted across all their teams.

After receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Stuart Oertli spent ten years at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in progressive rehabilitation leadership roles. Upon completing his graduate degree in clinical practice management, he left the Texas Medical Center to experience a variety of acute and post-acute care leadership roles including Director of Rehabilitation at Blessing Hospital in affiliation with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, as a regional manager for HCR ManorCare, in rehabilitation leadership at St. David's HealthCare and as Executive Director of Post-Acute Services for Covenant Health. Stuart joined WoundCentrics in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer, leading expansion into 12 states, more than 100 facilities, and 400 employees, including 65 medical providers.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• The direct impacts of cultural problems on finances and operations
• How the Influencers Council has positively shifted decision-making and communication processes away from a top-down mentality
• Why turnover rate is a key metric of the success of cultural changes
• How town halls and specific training for more effective staff meetings have improved internal communications
• How “hospital rounds” have been adapted for all staff for check-ins, feedback, and recognition
• The impact on team members of receiving simple but personal thank yous from leadership
• The biggest trap for implementing cultural changes that a leader can fall into

Learn More About Stuart Oertli:

• WoundCentrics
• Connect on LinkedIn

Learn More About Heather Smith:

• Talent Elevated

Resources:

• Sands Leadership Assessment for Values