Recap E. 49 Jon Gordon #MUIYB Podcast

Mike Michalowicz and guests discuss Jon Gordon's approach to building company culture, where a physical leaf tree tracks employee goals and links personal wins to company objectives. Culture acts as a talent multiplier, and people drive the numbers, not the other way around.
Chapters
Foreign.
I saw Kelsey's eyes rolling. I started stumbling. I got nervous. I tried to. I tried to reel it in. Could do enough. Started that rocking back and forth. I her new bow. He is so screwed when he gets to know the real you. Okay.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I hope he listens to Wayne's podcast. It's like, what did I get into?
I love your positivity.
Did you tell. Did you tell him yet about your podcast?
That you're a co host on a podcast?
No, I would never. I would never.
No.
So what would you. What did you all think of? John?
Liked it.
Yeah, I like it.
That was a good. That's a good summary. Let's go to the game.
Hey, Mikey. I liked it.
I liked it.
It was nice.
I liked when he said, you're culture is a talent multiplier and that you have to make sure that your culture grows when your office is growing. And it made me start thinking about us. Our culture has been, like, off the charts, phenomenal. And we're growing. And I start to think, like, is it. Is it expanding with the new office people? Does it. Is it? I think it is. I think you guys do an amazing job, but it's something like. I don't think I was really considering prior to hearing him say that.
Well, don't deflect. Because you say you guys, but you are one of the guys. And I think it's this momentum. It's like a rolling stone as it gets or a rolling snowball as it gets bigger and bigger. It's hard not to get caught up in the momentum. I actually have seen it is that when a culture becomes strong enough and there's enough momentum, enough people that someone comes in that doesn't fit, they almost reject themselves. It's like a centrifuge. They get kind of kicked out.
That's true.
It's a good imagery. I like that.
Yeah, actually, it is.
You see, it's like I enjoy the image of a person flying through the air in a spiral.
It fits.
Yeah, it's like a salad spinner. But I'll tell you one thing, it was great. Is that tree we have outside our. Or in the common area, in our space here. And I did a video of you putting up your leaf and Aaron was putting up hers, and Cordae was today. What I think is great is not just that process, but the excitement of creating the tree in the first place. So just for people who don't see it or don't know what I'M talking about is the idea came about of us tracking our own individual personal goals and that the company's responsibility is to serve the corporate goals in the context of serving everyone's individual goals. And this tree is a physical presentation of us achieving our goals. Every time you achieve something, you add a leaf to this growing tree. But I think the big takeaway for me was just the enthusiasm from Erin specifically to get that tree up there and how excited she was. Yeah, to me that's the culture. When someone who has a natural talent doesn't, you know, cut that off or cordone it off so that she can do it at home. She's expressing herself here in her natural state and the way she wants to express herself and, and brings it to the presence of the company. I think that's representative of culture and.
The culture and the leadership in that is that you guys make opportunities for her to be able to do that. I love that she's had opportunities in not just that project but in other projects to really express this talented artist that she is, that she gets to do that as well. I think that's a unique quality of your leadership that Kelsey and you, Mike, have, that you find those places for people to shine.
I like he said, what's their buy in like for the employees, for the team and what is their vision? And that's so important because your vision has to coincide with what their vision is or you have to at least express what your vision is so that they, they are on the same page when it comes to everything.
I think he said something to that point to get them to buy in. They need to weigh in or something. He phrased something like that. I love that point too. I, I also like his. He had another phrase he used. He said people are not driven by numbers, they drive the numbers.
Yeah, I wrote that down too.
I like that too.
In so many businesses and, and I was one of them for so long. Like it's, it's about the numbers and put goals up there and show numbers ticking and it's not a big motivator. Yeah, leaves on a tree are much greater motivator.
It is.
I also like when he said, like, if you don't intentionally build your culture, then you're left to the whim of whatever culture naturally happens, which isn't always a good thing. And I do think that you have to kind of foster the best in people and that positive space for everybody. Otherwise it's just everybody's own devices.
Exactly.
Yeah. At the end of the day, every business Has a culture. The thing is, are you being deliberate about developing it, or are you just letting it kind of grow like a garden with, you know, weeds coming out? We got a rock and roll because we got so many things we have to cover today, but we're not going to leave this interview or this discussion without doing a game. Jay Schloan.
Oh, yeah. So one of his clients was Campbell's Soup. So I have Campbell's Soup trivia.
Oh, I love Campbell soup.
I love Campbell's Soup. What's your favorite, guys?
Did you say you love Campbell or.
I like the condensed chicken noodle.
Oh, I like it.
Mike, I thought you said, I love Campbell's Soup trivia like you had it before. Did you have Campbell's Soup trivia?
I'm pretty sure that is the glue material on the inside of a Campbell's Soup. I don't know, but it tastes great.
Yeah.
Yeah. No, this is actually. This is a fun. This is a fun one. This was fun to do. All right, so Campbell's was founded in 1869, and in the late 1800s as one of the first labels for their canned tomatoes. What was the image on the can? Was it an elephant standing on a tomato? A stack of tomatoes similar to a totem pole, or two men carrying a giant tomato? All right, you ready for question two?
Yeah.
Okay, question two. The red and white colors that Campbell's uses on the label were derived from. What was it? The stripes on the American flag, Cornell's university colors, or the limitations in labeling machinery?
Oh, boy.
Now, what if Cornell picked its colors because they were limited, and then Campbell's picked Cornell? So ultimately, it's the limitation color.
And then this. This one I knew without having to look it up. I'm curious if you guys know because. Because we're all from. We're all from. We're all from Jersey, pretty much. Right? So Campbell's was founded in New Jersey. Where is the main headquarters currently located? Is it in Monmouth County, Gloucester county, or Camden County?
I'm a gutsy guess here.
All right, you guys ready for the answers? Yes, sir. Okay, so one of the first labels that they used for their canned tomatoes was an image of what?
The elephant.
The elephant stacked tomatoes.
Ah, you guys are all wrong. It's two men carrying a giant tomato.
Could have gotten any of them. I really. I was thinking all of them were.
I don't know why I thought of the elephant standing on a tomato. I think because I was thinking of Dr. Seuss, and I remember that's what.
Oh, yeah, something like that.
That's cool.
That's cool.
Fresh tomatoes, you know?
Yeah. Yeah.
Oh, I wonder why they did the two men. Because they don't do their logos or labels, as far as I remember, is just the food item, if anything. Right? Or it's not even just. It's just. It's just text now.
It's just text. Yeah.
No, but this was back in, like, the. The late 1800s.
Yeah, but I thought they would stick.
With it from the late 1800s. We're never gonna change our label.
Ever put on your rooftop hat?
Yeah. Throw it back on your stovetop hat, right?
Stove pipe.
Yeah.
Put on your stove pipe hat.
Put on your hat made of breadcrumbs.
I like it better.
Huge oven on his stovetop.
Stovetop stuff.
Stovetop stuffing. Stove pipe hat. It does look like a stove pipe. That makes sense. It doesn't look like a stovetop.
All right, question two. The red and white camel's colors were derived from what I said.
Limitation in printing.
I'm saying limitation as well.
Cornell University.
Oh.
No. They definitely picked. How old is Cornell? Cornell's wasn't there.
Weren't they 1868.
Yeah. Yeah.
One year prior.
Oh, brother. I should have never asked that question.
What's their mascot? Cornell. They're the Big Red or something.
What's their bear? Big. Big Red Bear, I believe.
Big Red bear.
Yeah.
Please tell me it's Big Red Bear.
I'm serious, Cornell.
We're the Big Red Bears.
There's worse. There's way worse, what you might call it, mascots than that. Kelsey and I actually were talking about some of them, like, a week ago.
I got some that will blow your mind. So let's do a real quick one. Like, what mascot is the most bizarre ever?
Is it a platypus? Doesn't somebody have a platypus?
Worse. Do you go with one that's, like, local to me, so. Vineland, New Jersey. Vineland High School is the Fighting Clan. And it's a chicken.
Bad all around.
How's clan spelled?
C L A N.
Billy Ann. Greg at Proffers. Professionals. Do you want to know her high school. This is true. Her high school mascot.
What?
The feet. F, E, E, T. Where to?
God.
Type in high school. Amy, you can pull it up. Type in high school mascot. Feet. F E, E, T. And it's where she went to school.
Wait a second. It's just.
And the mascot is a.
It's a. It's a foot. Like a hairy foot is like somebody's dressed up like a Hairy, isn't it.
Like a Converse shoe? Like the foot's coming out of it, like. Or something.
Oh, man, you. Yes, there's. Well, there's. She went to web, right, I think.
Yes, Web.
Yeah, it was the Converse with like wings on it. But then there's another one that looks like a hairy animal foot.
The feet. The feet, the web.
That's ridiculous.
You would think one that's worse.
You think it would be like the. Was the Greek mythology or was it Roman? I think it was Greek with the. With the foot with the wings on it. Who was that?
That's. That's the mess. The. The guy Marathon. The. That was. That came from the marathon.
Yeah, but you would think it would be something like that. Like something.
Yeah.
Cool.
Exactly. What was the worst one?
Was it Icarus or something?
No, Icarus was the wings. The wings, yeah.
Oh, okay.
So here one's where. This is true too. And Amy, Everyone look at Amy. You have to Google this one.
Okay.
There is a. I believe it's a college mascot for a fashion institute and it's called Scroti S C R O T. I masked. Swear to God. Watch Amy, look it up. Scroti Mascot.
What is it?
Watch your face. Watch your face. Get to the images page.
I'm going, I'm going. It's a scrotum.
Get out of here.
Person in a full. It's a whole penis, actually. Oh, my God, you guys.
What school is that? I think it's a fashion.
Rhode Island School of Design.
How do you. How do you spell it?
Stop it right now.
Go check out. Just check out Rhode Island School of Design mascot.
My aunt.
Uncle went there S C R O.
T. Both you go look this. I want to watch the reaction.
This is horrific. Like, really?
I had to look in your mouth before.
Thanks, Kelsey. I had a tumor. How is it?
Check his mouth first.
Something was stuck in my tooth and I couldn't tell. I. Kelsey, I said, I think it's a tumor. I might be dying. And I was like, can you look, please? And she just looked.
Straight up. Lies.
Yeah, no, he was think of a mascot for real. No joke. How is this like. How is this like, for real? How.
The backstory I heard is this. They had a vote for. For the mascot and the student. There was a rally and the students, you know, as a joke, decided this. And it's was selected.
Holy cow.
It's very graphic.
It's really graphic.
Yeah.
Yeah. Can you imagine going to a game? You got that running around.
I believe I'm seeing Vascular art.
And things are blue. Certain parts are blue.
Yeah. Yeah.
You still pulling it up, gals?
Yeah, I got it now.
Is this horrible?
It's horrible. Yes.
Some of these costumes that they have created are a little too much detail.
A little much. Yeah. It's a little too red bow around them. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
They should do a little more artistic license on that, I think. Yeah. All right, let's continue on because we gotta get to our next question.
Yes.
Oh, because I was planning on talking about scroti for like the next 10 minutes. It is. It's the Cornell bear. It's not red, but I think they in nor big.
Nor big.
It's just the bear. No, but, but they're. But I think they're called Big Red. I, I, I, I. Oh, that could be true.
Big Red.
Yeah. Okay, so Campbell's was founded in 1869 where the main headquarters currently located.
I say Bobbitt.
I say Camden.
I say Camden.
It is Camden. Yep.
Oh, you know why I say Camden? Because it's so close to Philadelphia. Right?
Yeah, it's right outside of Philadelphia. Yeah.
Yeah. So I was like that.
Like it was more industrial.
Yeah, that's what I should have said.
Cool.
Don't we have a big food plant, though, in Mammoth? Is there not a big food plant in Mammoth?
In Mammoth, I'm sure we do.
I'm sure.
No, it's the horse track down there. Maybe it's where Burger King gets its meat.
But I like Burger King. Whoppers.
How could I use a horse track.
And a. Amy, I'm with you.
Whoppers are the best burger. Fast food wise. French fries. You got to go to McDonald's and it's such a hassle because I got to go to McDonald's for the proper French fries. I got to go over to Burger King for my right burger. And I got used to have to go to Wendy's for my chicken. It's just, it's.
But have you had the impossible burger yet?
No.
It's so good.
It's not, it's. No, it's not good.
Really?
I'm sorry.
Jeremy the chef is why I love it.
It's gross.
That's all I get is the impossible burger.
And the thing that kills me about it is I can understand why people want a meat alternative. And honest, for a meat alternative, it's. It's not horrible, but it's super, super processed.
So I do not deny that. I'm just saying flavor wise, it's awesome.
Yeah. Flavor, flavor. It's not Bad. But texture.
I have to try it.
Yeah, yeah. And definitely for me, it settles differently. I can digest that way easier than I can a Whopper. Even though I love the flavor of Whopper, I don't feel great afterwards when I have an impossible Burger. I'm like, tell.
Tell us about your bowel movements with the impossible Burger. How are they?
Can I clarify what Mike was doing before? So he was picking food out of his teeth and then eating it. And then after I caught him, then he was like, can you check? Is there any more food in here? And he opened his mouth and I was like, I am not looking gross. There was no tumor involved.
True.
It's all factually true, but it seems like you put a little spin on it. So what it was, was the Girl Scouts have just released all their cookies and it's an onslaught. Like, they all arrive within minutes.
There are literally like 16 boxes in our office right now. Right. Isn't there something funny?
14 now.
Well, 13 because I ate the tag.
Alongs and why the Samoas? And it has the coconut. And the little coconut is more right here on the side I got stuck in. So I'm like, I gotta get it. And I got it. And then I'm like. And I didn't rub it around until it tastes too much.
He's.
He's flick it a. Kelsey. I ate it. I ate it to protect.
He's progressing. Sorry.
Oh, I protected her. I didn't want her to get.
I didn't want it.
Mike. It was the right move.
It was a great move.
I mean, a tissue would have been fine too. But you know, that's okay.
I couldn't because there's cherry sauce on her tissues. So there's this. There's those. I gotta show you.
I'll just show you.
He has a container of cherries hidden in the office.
Yeah.
From this. These are the cherries from our whatchamacallit from our retreat.
It was from Amy's birthday last year.
Over Amy's birthday. And so they haven't been eating, They've just been sitting around. So then I think Kelsey started, or maybe I did, but they've been going back and forth. So she'll hide it on me somewhere. I just saw it a little ways ago. I hide on her. So most recently I was like, oh, I'll wedge this in her tissue box and put one tissue. So when you pull it up, the whole thing comes up. You can see the tissue stuck to it. The thing is, I put on an angle and it leaked all in her tissue box.
Yeah. So I wanted to get a tissue and I was like but that's all cherry juice on all my tissues.
I gotta get you new tissues so.
You can't have a tissue.
No, I can't think of a better story to end it on than me picking my teeth. That was John Gordon and we were talking about how to increase the energy, the culture and preparation, improve teamwork. And I want to invite you to make sure I want to invite you guys book so it's energy bus. Also go to his website positive daily dot com. Check out John Gordon. That's J O N Gordon dot com. Oh and we love if you rate and review the show. So go to rate our podcast questions you have Email me at Ask Mike michalowicz.com Are we good to go, guys?
Thanks.
Yeah.
Well, thanks.
See you guys.
Sam.










