Yesterday we sat around our desk on East Argyle and talked compensation. As we’re hiring team members to represent The Peach Truck this summer we’ve got to figure out the best way to compensate them. At the end of the day, there is no model for this. We are putting together what we think is the best way to pay our team and we’ll monitor it.

Should we buy a truck or not?
Should we invest time and energy into a particular location?
Expand into new territories?
Enter into that relationship or hold off?
This logo or that logo?
This font or that font?
This box or that box or should we even use a box? What about a bag?

These are the questions that, as a small business, we are thinking about. Daily.

These questions. These decisions. They’re all part of our story. See, we’re not just doing this for a season. We are building a business that will last. That will grow and that will eventually require us to make hires. And when we make those hires, we’ll need to tell them our story. How did we get to where we are? Why do we do what we do. . . how we do it?

As I was thinking about this, I thought about The Lampo Group. They’re so good at telling the story. Over and over again. That’s what you have to do. It’s important for people to know your history.

I wrote a blog about this 6 or 7 years ago. I tracked it down and thought I’d share it with you.

Enjoy.

Remember how you got here. . .Published December 5, 2006

I am the Executive VP of Broadcast for Dave Ramsey’s company. I tell you that b/c I am honored to be able to lead at what I consider to be one of the great companies operating today. As we have done since our founding, our entire company gathered together this morning. We have 2 mandatory company wide meetings each week.   (I participated in one of these meetings 10 years ago when there were 8 team members around a conference table and this morning 180 of us gathered) This morning a few of our team members reminded me how important it is to remember where you came from.

We asked a couple team members to stand up and “tell their story”.  Take 5-10 minutes to give the rest of us a little insight into your history. I have to tell you that it was so refreshing and inspiring to hear about these people’s lives.

The Dave Ramsey Show is a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs live from 2-5pm EST on almost 300 stations.  From time to time we will let radio stations air us at times different than our live time. One of those times was on a radio station in Nebraska.  A few years ago this station asked if they could carry the show during morning drive. That certainly wasn’t ideal (we would always prefer to be live) but we accepted the clear.  I tell you that b/c as one of our employees spoke this morning he let us know that when he was at his job in Nebraska, and was miserable, and in a real rut in his life, he turned on the radio one morning and he heard the show. He loved the show, couldn’t stop listening and now as a result is the Marketing Director for the largest department in our company.  Did I want the show to be on in Nebraska during morning drive? No. Did God have other plans? Yes.

Knowing Tim’s story and a little about the path he took to get here changes my perspective on things.  This is just one story. There were many told this morning.

If you are currently leading a company and it’s growing fast. Maybe you feel like you’ve lost a little of that “family atmosphere”. Take the time to let your team tell their story. Let the new members hear about the sacrifices it took to get to where you are today. I once heard someone say that the problem his kids have is that “they woke up 3rd base and thought they hit a triple!” In other words they were SPOILED! They forgot that it takes work to get to third base. It took effort and time and practice and diligence by those that came before them!

Tell your story! Tell it often! If you aren’t tired of telling it you haven’t told it enough! Have your more experienced team members tell it to the newer members! It’s easy to forget this. . .don’t let it happen at your organization.