Don’t Wait for Perfect (featuring Jodi Latuszek)

Love in Leadership

Don’t Wait for Perfect (featuring Jodi Latuszek)

The best way to end up with a great culture is to start trying

GUEST BIO:

Jodi Latuszek is BIGGBY® COFFEE's Vice President of HR, Legal, and ESG Programming. In her own words, her job is to “help our company support people better.” She’s responsible for ensuring that all of BIGGBY® COFFEE's practices and metrics are good for the environment and people, and that the company is being governed ethically.

Links:

• LinkedIn

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[3:33] - When Leading Gets Complicated

Navigating the transition from individual contributor to manager

The trio discusses the complex journey from being an individual contributor to taking on a managerial or leadership role. It's not just a change in job title — it involves a fundamental shift in responsibilities and mindset. Many people find themselves unprepared for the nuances of managing teams, balancing administrative duties, and the emotional labor that accompanies leadership. Jodi shares that excelling in a previous role doesn't automatically translate to success in leadership, highlighting the need for support and training in this transition and beyond. Leaders don’t just happen — they’re cultivated.

[22:03] - Progressive HR and Employee Freedom

Empower your employees and watch them thrive

Jodi walks the walk when it comes to enacting a progressive approach to HR, advocating for policies that go beyond traditional norms. She shares her focus on empowering employees through autonomy and choice, fostering a workplace culture that respects individual needs and preferences. This approach challenges the conventional top-down, one-size-fits-all policy model, proving that more customized and flexible HR practices can lead to a more dynamic and inclusive workplace.

[31:48] - People First, Employees Second

When people are happy, businesses are successful

The heart of an organization's success lies in the health and happiness of its employees, not just its bottom line. People’s satisfaction at work isn’t only about financial compensation or “perks” — it's about creating an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and psychologically safe. The team agrees that when employees are well-cared-for, they're more engaged, productive, and loyal to their organization, which directly impacts the organization's overall performance and morale. If you want your company to succeed in business, help your people succeed in life.

[33:23] - It All Begins and Ends with Leaders

Accountability and role modeling in leadership roles

A key point is the need for leaders at all levels to not only preach but actually practice the company's core values. Jodi points out a common gap in many organizations where leaders aren’t held accountable for living out these values in a meaningful way. BIGGBY® COFFEE has enacted a culture where leaders are expected to be role models, demonstrating the behaviors and attitudes they expect from their teams. The result? A trustworthy and transparent leadership environment that’s reflected throughout the organization.

[46:50] - What Are Your Values?

Don’t just “be good.” Choose and follow your values.

Mike, Jodi, and Laura agree on the crucial role core values play in defining an organization's culture. These aren't fancy words you put on a website — they’re the guiding principles that should inform every decision, interaction, and strategy within the company. Jodi suggests that when employees understand and resonate with these values, and when they see them reflected in their leaders' actions, it creates a cohesive and authentic culture that drives both employee satisfaction and business success.

RESOURCES:

• [12:20] What is ESG?

Follow Jodi Latuszek:

• LinkedIn

Follow Laura Eich:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

Follow Mike McFall:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• X
• Instagram

Follow BIGGBY® COFFEE & LifeLabTM:

• Website
• Facebook
• X
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• About LifeLabTM

ABOUT LOVE IN LEADERSHIP:

At the Life You Love LaboratoryTM and BIGGBY® COFFEE, we’re out to prove that financial success and healthy workplace culture aren’t two separate goals. BIGGBY® COFFEE's own cultural transformation is proof that not only is it possible to have a successful company where people aren’t miserable at work, but that the happier your people are, the more your business will grow. Each week, join host Laura Eich, Chief Purpose Officer at BIGGBY® COFFEE, and her co-host and BIGGBY® COFFEE co-CEO Mike McFall as they’re joined by guests from around the world to learn how they are fostering a culture of love and growth in the world’s most innovative and people-centric companies. Get inspired. Get real. Get ready to transform workplace culture in America with us. This is the Love in Leadership podcast.

Learn more at: loveinleadershippodcast.com

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Mike McFall began his journey with BIGGBY® COFFEE as a minimum-wage barista at the original store in East Lansing in 1996. Over the span of 23 years, alongside business partner Bob Fish, he has helped create one of the great specialty coffee brands in America. Today Mike is co-CEO with Bob, and BIGGBY® COFFEE has over 250 stores open throughout the Midwest that sell tens of thousands of cups of coffee each day. But more importantly to Mike and BIGGBY® COFFEE, the company is a profoundly people-first organization.

Mike is also the author of Grind, a book which focuses on early stage businesses and how to establish positive cash flow.

Laura Eich is BIGGBY® COFFEE’s Chief People Officer, having worked in a variety of roles at BIGGBY® COFFEE for the last 11+ years. She helped launch BOOST, the department at BIGGBY® COFFEE which ultimately became LifeLabTM — BIGGBY® COFFEE’s inhouse culture cultivation team designed to help people be the best versions of themselves and help companies support them along the way. In her role, Laura helps people build lives that they love through the process of building profitable businesses and robust, growth-filled careers.

PRODUCED BY DETROIT PODCAST STUDIOS:

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As a nod to the past, Detroit Podcast Studios leverages modern versions of Motown’s processes to launch today’s most compelling podcasts. What Motown was to musical artists, Detroit Podcast Studios is to podcast artists today. With over 75 combined years of experience in content development, audio production, music scoring, storytelling, and digital marketing, Detroit Podcast Studios provides full-service development, training, and production capabilities to take podcasts from messy ideas to finely tuned hits.

Here’s to making (podcast) history together.

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