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Seek Go Create - The Leadership Journey for Christian Entrepreneurs, Faith-Based Leaders, Purpose-Driven Success, Kingdom Business, Entrepreneurial Mindset, Leadership Development
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Disrupting an Industry: Leroy Hite’s Cutting Edge Firewood Story
Manage episode 426513933 series 2625752
Ever wondered how premium firewood and innovative leadership could redefine an entire industry? Join us in this captivating episode of **Seek Go Create - The Leadership Journey** as Tim Winders sits down with Leroy Hite, the visionary behind Cutting Edge Firewood. Discover how Leroy's unique delivery system, high-standard products, and faith-driven entrepreneurship are transforming the firewood market into an unparalleled premium experience. Listen in to explore leadership, innovation, and the power of passion in shaping a groundbreaking business.
"We reinvented the firewood industry by raising the bar on quality and delivery." - Leroy Hite
Access all show and episode resources HERE
About Our Guest:
Leroy Hite is the CEO and founder of Cutting Edge Firewood, a company that has redefined the firewood industry with its premium products and innovative delivery solutions. From financing his business with personal loans and maxing out multiple credit cards, to creating a patented delivery rack that streamlined operations, Leroy's entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to quality have driven substantial growth and success. His leadership style emphasizes passion and perseverance, and his faith-based foundation guides both his personal and professional life. Leroy has also diversified his offerings to include premium cooking woods and innovative products like thermoelectric fire pits, establishing Cutting Edge Firewood as a leader in the market.
Reasons to Listen:
1. **Innovative Business Practices**: Discover how Cutting Edge Firewood revolutionized the firewood industry with a patented delivery system and premium product standards, leading to significant growth and a nationwide customer base.
2. **Passionate Leadership**: Learn from Leroy Hite’s leadership style that balances passion with perseverance, emphasizing the importance of taking time off for creativity and well-being, and hear his journey from unconventional financing to industry success.
3. **Faith-Driven Success**: Be inspired by how Leroy Hite's strong faith and entrepreneurial spirit guided him from working at Enterprise and Georgia Pacific to founding a thriving, disruptive business that values both quality and meaningful, analog experiences.
Episode Resources & Action Steps:
### Resources Mentioned:
1. **Cutting Edge Firewood Website**
- Listeners are encouraged to visit the company’s website to explore their premium firewood products, cooking wood, and new fire pit products. [Cutting Edge Firewood](https://www.cuttingedgefirewood.com)
2. **LinkedIn**
- Tim Winders invites listeners to connect with Leroy Hite on LinkedIn for more insights into his entrepreneurial journey and business innovations. [Leroy Hite on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leroyhite)
3. **Books & Masterclass**
- "Fire Nights" book by Burke Atkerson
- A MasterClass on fire by Aaron Franklin
### Action Steps:
1. **Implement Quality Standards in Your Business**
- Just as Leroy Hite emphasizes the importance of high-quality products and services, identify areas in your business where you can elevate the quality standards to differentiate from competitors.
2. **Take Time for Rest and Reflection**
- Inspired by Hite’s commitment to taking a Sabbath or sabbatical, set aside regular time each week to disconnect from work, reflect and recharge. This can increase creativity and productivity in your personal and professional life.
3. **Innovate Your Business Processes**
- Consider innovating operational aspects of your business, similar to how Cutting Edge Firewood patented a delivery rack to streamline their process. Look for ways to make your operations safer, more efficient, and ultimately more profitable.
Resources for Leaders from Tim Winders & SGC:
🔹 Unlock Your Potential Today!
- 🎙 Coaching with Tim: Elevate your leadership and align your work with your faith. Learn More
- 📚 "Coach: A Story of Success Redefined": A transformative read that will challenge your views on success. Grab Your Copy
- 📝 Faith Driven Leader Quiz: Discover how well you're aligning faith and work with our quick quiz. Take the Quiz
Key Lessons:
1. **Innovation Drives Opportunity:**
- Leroy Hite emphasized how innovative approaches, such as the patented firewood delivery rack and concentrating on premium cooking and pizza wood, significantly streamlined operations and met customer demands, resulting in substantial business growth.
2. **Importance of Leadership Style:**
- Leroy discussed his hands-off leadership style paired with high standards, illustrating the balance between giving employees autonomy and maintaining quality. This approach helped him develop a robust leadership team and navigate the growth of his organization.
3. **Faith as a Foundation:**
- The episode highlighted Leroy's strong Christian faith, which played a crucial role in his decision-making, risk-taking, and overall business strategy. He reflected on how faith guided him through challenges and spurred the entrepreneurial spirit within him.
4. **Value of Physical and Analog Experiences:**
- Despite living in a digital age, Leroy advocates for the importance of physical connections and experiences, such as spending time around a fire. He suggests taking time off or observing a Sabbath to recharge, maintain creativity, and avoid burnout.
5. **Embracing Risk and Perseverance:**
- Leroy's journey illustrates the importance of perseverance and taking calculated risks. From maxing out credit cards and personal loans to selling his house to fund the business, Leroy's story is a testament to the courage and determination required to succeed in entrepreneurship.
Episode Highlights:
00:00 Introduction and Early Financial Struggles
00:41 Meet Leroy Hite: CEO of Cutting Edge Firewood
01:26 Leroy's Journey and the Birth of Cutting Edge Firewood
02:36 A Fireside Chat with Leroy Hite
05:01 The Universal Appeal of Fire
06:14 The Disruption of the Firewood Industry
10:22 Balancing Work, Faith, and Family
20:23 Leroy's Early Years and Entrepreneurial Spirit
32:18 Personal Faith Journey
32:47 Faith in Business
33:28 Starting Cutting Edge Firewood
35:51 Challenges and Growth
41:39 Innovations in Firewood Delivery
43:19 Expanding Product Line
55:12 Leadership and Company Culture
58:59 The Future of Firewood and Fire Pits
01:04:23 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Thank you for listening to Seek Go Create!
Our podcast is dedicated to empowering Christian leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals looking to redefine success in their personal and professional lives. Through in-depth interviews, personal anecdotes, and expert advice, we offer valuable insights and actionable strategies for achieving your goals and living a life of purpose and fulfillment.
If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, we encourage you to subscribe to or follow Seek Go Create on your favorite podcast platform, including Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. By subscribing, you'll never miss an episode and can stay up-to-date on the latest insights and strategies for success.
Additionally, please share this episode or what you’ve learned today with your friends, family, and colleagues on your favorite social media platform. By sharing our podcast, you can help us reach more people who are looking to align their faith with their work and lead with purpose.
For more updates and episodes, visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. We appreciate your support and look forward to helping you achieve your goals and create a life of purpose and fulfillment.
Now, you can tip us, buy us a coffee, or offer financial support. Contributions start at just $1, and if you leave a comment, you could be featured in a future episode!
Visit our Support page for more details.
Mentioned in this episode:
Unleash Your True Leadership Potential with Tim Winders
Imagine embracing the full extent of the leadership potential you were created to fulfill. This isn't just a dream; it's a journey that begins today with Tim Winders, your mentor in transformative leadership. Through Tim's executive coaching, you'll dive into the core of what it means to be a truly influential leader – one who combines skill with vision and unwavering faith. It's about transcending conventional success, embracing your purpose, and discovering the joy in leading. If you feel called to become the leader you were always meant to be, book your free Discovery Coaching Call with Tim. This is where your transformative journey to authentic and purpose-driven leadership begins. Let's unlock the extraordinary leader within you.
277 episodes
Manage episode 426513933 series 2625752
Ever wondered how premium firewood and innovative leadership could redefine an entire industry? Join us in this captivating episode of **Seek Go Create - The Leadership Journey** as Tim Winders sits down with Leroy Hite, the visionary behind Cutting Edge Firewood. Discover how Leroy's unique delivery system, high-standard products, and faith-driven entrepreneurship are transforming the firewood market into an unparalleled premium experience. Listen in to explore leadership, innovation, and the power of passion in shaping a groundbreaking business.
"We reinvented the firewood industry by raising the bar on quality and delivery." - Leroy Hite
Access all show and episode resources HERE
About Our Guest:
Leroy Hite is the CEO and founder of Cutting Edge Firewood, a company that has redefined the firewood industry with its premium products and innovative delivery solutions. From financing his business with personal loans and maxing out multiple credit cards, to creating a patented delivery rack that streamlined operations, Leroy's entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to quality have driven substantial growth and success. His leadership style emphasizes passion and perseverance, and his faith-based foundation guides both his personal and professional life. Leroy has also diversified his offerings to include premium cooking woods and innovative products like thermoelectric fire pits, establishing Cutting Edge Firewood as a leader in the market.
Reasons to Listen:
1. **Innovative Business Practices**: Discover how Cutting Edge Firewood revolutionized the firewood industry with a patented delivery system and premium product standards, leading to significant growth and a nationwide customer base.
2. **Passionate Leadership**: Learn from Leroy Hite’s leadership style that balances passion with perseverance, emphasizing the importance of taking time off for creativity and well-being, and hear his journey from unconventional financing to industry success.
3. **Faith-Driven Success**: Be inspired by how Leroy Hite's strong faith and entrepreneurial spirit guided him from working at Enterprise and Georgia Pacific to founding a thriving, disruptive business that values both quality and meaningful, analog experiences.
Episode Resources & Action Steps:
### Resources Mentioned:
1. **Cutting Edge Firewood Website**
- Listeners are encouraged to visit the company’s website to explore their premium firewood products, cooking wood, and new fire pit products. [Cutting Edge Firewood](https://www.cuttingedgefirewood.com)
2. **LinkedIn**
- Tim Winders invites listeners to connect with Leroy Hite on LinkedIn for more insights into his entrepreneurial journey and business innovations. [Leroy Hite on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leroyhite)
3. **Books & Masterclass**
- "Fire Nights" book by Burke Atkerson
- A MasterClass on fire by Aaron Franklin
### Action Steps:
1. **Implement Quality Standards in Your Business**
- Just as Leroy Hite emphasizes the importance of high-quality products and services, identify areas in your business where you can elevate the quality standards to differentiate from competitors.
2. **Take Time for Rest and Reflection**
- Inspired by Hite’s commitment to taking a Sabbath or sabbatical, set aside regular time each week to disconnect from work, reflect and recharge. This can increase creativity and productivity in your personal and professional life.
3. **Innovate Your Business Processes**
- Consider innovating operational aspects of your business, similar to how Cutting Edge Firewood patented a delivery rack to streamline their process. Look for ways to make your operations safer, more efficient, and ultimately more profitable.
Resources for Leaders from Tim Winders & SGC:
🔹 Unlock Your Potential Today!
- 🎙 Coaching with Tim: Elevate your leadership and align your work with your faith. Learn More
- 📚 "Coach: A Story of Success Redefined": A transformative read that will challenge your views on success. Grab Your Copy
- 📝 Faith Driven Leader Quiz: Discover how well you're aligning faith and work with our quick quiz. Take the Quiz
Key Lessons:
1. **Innovation Drives Opportunity:**
- Leroy Hite emphasized how innovative approaches, such as the patented firewood delivery rack and concentrating on premium cooking and pizza wood, significantly streamlined operations and met customer demands, resulting in substantial business growth.
2. **Importance of Leadership Style:**
- Leroy discussed his hands-off leadership style paired with high standards, illustrating the balance between giving employees autonomy and maintaining quality. This approach helped him develop a robust leadership team and navigate the growth of his organization.
3. **Faith as a Foundation:**
- The episode highlighted Leroy's strong Christian faith, which played a crucial role in his decision-making, risk-taking, and overall business strategy. He reflected on how faith guided him through challenges and spurred the entrepreneurial spirit within him.
4. **Value of Physical and Analog Experiences:**
- Despite living in a digital age, Leroy advocates for the importance of physical connections and experiences, such as spending time around a fire. He suggests taking time off or observing a Sabbath to recharge, maintain creativity, and avoid burnout.
5. **Embracing Risk and Perseverance:**
- Leroy's journey illustrates the importance of perseverance and taking calculated risks. From maxing out credit cards and personal loans to selling his house to fund the business, Leroy's story is a testament to the courage and determination required to succeed in entrepreneurship.
Episode Highlights:
00:00 Introduction and Early Financial Struggles
00:41 Meet Leroy Hite: CEO of Cutting Edge Firewood
01:26 Leroy's Journey and the Birth of Cutting Edge Firewood
02:36 A Fireside Chat with Leroy Hite
05:01 The Universal Appeal of Fire
06:14 The Disruption of the Firewood Industry
10:22 Balancing Work, Faith, and Family
20:23 Leroy's Early Years and Entrepreneurial Spirit
32:18 Personal Faith Journey
32:47 Faith in Business
33:28 Starting Cutting Edge Firewood
35:51 Challenges and Growth
41:39 Innovations in Firewood Delivery
43:19 Expanding Product Line
55:12 Leadership and Company Culture
58:59 The Future of Firewood and Fire Pits
01:04:23 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Thank you for listening to Seek Go Create!
Our podcast is dedicated to empowering Christian leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals looking to redefine success in their personal and professional lives. Through in-depth interviews, personal anecdotes, and expert advice, we offer valuable insights and actionable strategies for achieving your goals and living a life of purpose and fulfillment.
If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, we encourage you to subscribe to or follow Seek Go Create on your favorite podcast platform, including Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. By subscribing, you'll never miss an episode and can stay up-to-date on the latest insights and strategies for success.
Additionally, please share this episode or what you’ve learned today with your friends, family, and colleagues on your favorite social media platform. By sharing our podcast, you can help us reach more people who are looking to align their faith with their work and lead with purpose.
For more updates and episodes, visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube. We appreciate your support and look forward to helping you achieve your goals and create a life of purpose and fulfillment.
Now, you can tip us, buy us a coffee, or offer financial support. Contributions start at just $1, and if you leave a comment, you could be featured in a future episode!
Visit our Support page for more details.
Mentioned in this episode:
Unleash Your True Leadership Potential with Tim Winders
Imagine embracing the full extent of the leadership potential you were created to fulfill. This isn't just a dream; it's a journey that begins today with Tim Winders, your mentor in transformative leadership. Through Tim's executive coaching, you'll dive into the core of what it means to be a truly influential leader – one who combines skill with vision and unwavering faith. It's about transcending conventional success, embracing your purpose, and discovering the joy in leading. If you feel called to become the leader you were always meant to be, book your free Discovery Coaching Call with Tim. This is where your transformative journey to authentic and purpose-driven leadership begins. Let's unlock the extraordinary leader within you.
277 episodes
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