Growing with Purpose

If there's one thing that Betsy Pepine knows to be true, it's that all good things come from lessons learned the hard way. But you wouldn't know it from looking at Pepine Realty today — Betsy's award-winning real estate firm has grown to three locations all while maintaining a people-first culture. 

Today on the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman talks with Besty Pepine, Broker-Owner of Pepine Realty. When Betsy first started Pepine Realty in 2010, she didn't think much about culture. After she lost a valued employee to a competitor with a great culture, Betsy committed to building an unbeatable culture for her organization, defined by strong relationships, learning and development, and community service. 

In this episode, hear how Betsy has continuously turned challenges into opportunities and stayed committed to culture in an industry that pulls in the opposite direction. 

After building a successful career in engineering and manufacturing, Zawadi Bryant was surprised when her friend, Dr. Anastasia Gentles, approached her about starting an after-hours, pediatric urgent care center — where Zawadi would be the Chief Executive Officer.

Today on the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman talks with Zawadi Bryant, CEO of NightLight Pediatric Urgent Care. In 2007, Zawadi left the engineering world to tackle a new challenge: high-quality, convenient pediatric care for when other pediatric offices are closed. As Zawadi stepped into her new role as a leader, she became a student of her own experiences. She looked to her past bosses and managers to learn about effective leadership, bringing it all together to create her own identity as a leader. 

Eleven years later, NightLight Pediatric is thriving. The company has 115 employees, $10 million in revenue annually, and has multiple locations across the greater Houston area. Named one of Forbes' Small Giants: Best Small Companies in America in 2017, NightLight Pediatric differentiates itself in the competitive healthcare space by valuing their team and putting people at the center of the business. Their focus on culture and values is driving their financial results, making their team the leading indicator of their success.

In this episode, hear how Zawadi and her team have effectively executed a people-first culture despite the challenges of the industry, and learn how they're scaling their award-winning culture, even as they expand to multiple locations and grow the business. 

By many measures, Askinosie Chocolate is a small company — they work in small, artisan batches, they focus on developing their 17 employees, and they're not afraid to hit the breaks and decelerate in order to achieve goals other than growth for growth's sake. But the impact of Askinosie Chocolate is anything but small.

 Today on the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman talks with Askinosie Chocolate founder and CEO, Shawn Askinosie. Shawn started Askinosie Chocolate in 2006 after leaving a successful career as a criminal defense lawyer. Shawn is the only chocolate maker to work directly with cocoa farmers on four continents to source the beans used to make their chocolate. But it doesn't stop there — Shawn also extends the company's open-book management program to their partners; profit-sharing and translating company financials with each farmer.

Recently named one of Forbes' Small Giants: Best Small Companies in America, Askinosie Chocolate is sharing business ethics with the world through "Chocolate University," introducing students to the chocolate-making process and even taking a group to Tanzania every year. They also started a sustainability program that feeds 1,600 children a day in Tanzania and the Philippines, without ever collecting a single donation. In 2017, Shawn released a book with his daughter, Lawren Askinosie, about finding meaningful work that feeds your soul. 

From their factory and warehouse in Springfield, Missouri, Askinosie Chocolate is forging its own unique path to change the world through chocolate. In this episode, hear Shawn's ideas around reverse scale and deceleration, extending open-book management to company partners, and how entrepreneurship can help heal grief.

When tragedies touch our lives, we're left to either sink or swim. Webb Weiman, Founder and Executive Director of Jump!, used his personal tragedies as inspiration to start a non-profit organization that helps seniors achieve what's left on their bucket list. Today on the Growing with Purpose podcast, Paul Spiegelman interviews longtime family friend and inspiring leader, Webb Weiman.

After building a successful career in Hollywood, Webb made the bold decision to leave the industry and start his own non-profit organization. Inspired by his family legacy, Webb started Jump! to help seniors achieve their dreams. Today, Jump! works with seniors and their families to prove that no matter your age, there's always more you can do and achieve. Whether it's helping seniors skydive, drive a racecar, or make blankets for the homeless, Jump! teaches us a powerful lesson about how we can reach out to the elderly members of our own families to create the best years of their lives.

If you believe there's life beyond the rocking chair, don't miss this inspiring, heartfelt conversation. 

As a leader, how are you showing up in the world? Today on the Growing with Purpose podcast, Paul Spiegelman interviews Anese Cavanaugh, Creator of the IEP Method® (Intentional Energetic Presence) and author of Contagious Culture: Show Up, Set the Tone, and Intentionally Create an Organization That Thrives. Anese's simple yet impactful methodology taps into the intention, energy, and presence that is key to leadership and organizational success. For 20 years, Anese has been working in the trenches to help leaders unlock their creativity and build incredible company cultures. In this episode, Anese and Paul dig into her early experiences in leadership and discovering the idea of 'showing up.' From a painful family divorce in her teenage years to learning about integrity as an ice cream scooper at Baskin Robbins, Anese has garnered years of wisdom in helping people work better together and create the impact they want. 

This episode, Anese shares practical advice for how leaders can show up more powerfully and achieve more inspiring, sustainable impact. If you're interested in learning more about what influences your ability to show up for yourself, your family, and your employees, this conversation is for you.

Jon Dwoskin, executive coach and Founder & CEO of the Jon Dwoskin Experience, has faced several life-altering challenges. From being diagnosed with dyslexia in his early 30s to surviving testicular cancer, Jon realized early on that life is short and decided to follow his dreams.

Jon's passion for helping others began when he was just 18 years old and his father gave him Brian Tracy’s audiotape series called The Psychology of Success. Ever since, Jon knew deep down that he wanted to help others grow, but it wasn't until he faced his own mortality that he decided to chase his dreams. After a successful career in real estate, Jon decided to build a business around being himself. In 2015, he launched the Jon Dwoskin Experience to help businesses and people grow, focus, and effectively execute. 

On today's episode, Jon shares his raw, vulnerable life story and the important lessons on values, passion, and inner strength he's learned along the way.

Larry Jones, President and CEO of Pot O' Gold Coffee Service was just seventeen-years-old when he had the idea to get into the office coffee supply business with his family. As a high schooler with no driver's license, Larry would walk on foot to sales meetings, carrying with him a coffee machine in a bag.

After graduating, Larry continued helping his family run the business until he decided to try another path: crab fishing. For 12 years, Larry spent most of his time crab fishing in Alaska, saving up money to help grow the business. Through hard work and perseverance, Larry and his family have built a generational family business that is both the largest Independent Office Coffee Service (OCS) Operator in Washington and the largest Independent Operator/purchaser of the Starbucks I-Cup brewer in the nation.

On today's episode, Larry shares behind-the-scenes stories of building their company from the ground up, and the important lessons on trust, relationships, and growth he's learned along the way. 

After becoming a father, Max Spielberg, Co-Founder and President of Genexa Health, embarked on a search for safe and organic medicines for his family, but couldn't find any. So, he made it his personal mission to create healthier, organic medicine for families like his, and co-founded Genexa in 2014. Despite the many doctors and manufacturers who said it wasn't possible, they stuck to their vision and kept moving forward. Through remarkable persistence and plenty of risks, the company went to commerce in 2016 and achieved amazing success. On today's episode, Max shares how they took the business from a home-office operation to a fast-growing company with two offices, fifteen employees, and products in over 30,000 stores.

In just five years, Matthew Rosenberg, CEO & Founder of M-Rad Design Studio, has made impressive strides in implementing his vision of reconceptualizing the architecture industry. As he worked to build an innovative, people-focused company, he's taken big risks and learned valuable lessons along the way, from a team overhaul early in the business to learning which clients are — and are not  — a good fit. Through it all, Matthew has prioritized investing in his team and positively contributing to the architectural industry. This episode, Matthew engages in a transparent, authentic conversation about the evolution of his unique business. 

For Joe Cirulli, Owner of Gainesville Health & Fitness Center, leadership comes down to finding what you're passionate about and giving it your all. Though his company is now a Forbes Small Giant, Joe's journey has included hardships and lessons learned, from early childhood lessons on the fragility of health to how he finally uncovered what was truly important to him — inspiring people to become their best. This episode, Joe engages in a genuine, authentic conversation about the time and effort he's invested in building a business that makes the world a better place.