Discover how purpose-driven leadership commands premium prices, why core values actually work, and how authentic LinkedIn relationships transform into real business opportunities.
Read time: 5.51 minutes.
Read this on: jeanmoncrieff.com
What's in store for today:
- How Purpose-Driven Leadership Creates Sustainable Value
- Core Values: Why they fail and how to make them work
- The Lost Art of LinkedIn
Hey There,
Can a company command premium prices in a commodity business by focusing on culture?
Paul Spiegelman proved it's not just possibleโit's a winning strategy.
In this week's episode of The Freedom Experience, Paul reveals how putting people first helped his company charge 30% more than competitors while being six times more profitable.
From a small family business started in an 8x10 room to a remarkable 22X exit, his journey offers powerful lessons about sustainable growth and meaningful leadership.
But this isn't just another business success story.
Paul opens up about the ongoing search for purpose, both in business and life, sharing candid insights about maintaining meaning after a successful exit and navigating mental health as a leader.
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1. How Purpose-Driven Leadership Creates Sustainable Value
When Paul Spiegelman and his brothers started their business in the mid-1980s, they made what seemed like a radical bet: in a commodity industry, culture could be their competitive edge.
That bet paid off spectacularly.
Their company, Beryl Health, went on to command premium prices, achieve six times the profitability of competitors, and ultimately sell for 22 times EBITDA.
The secret?
They flipped the traditional business model on its head, focusing on people before profits.
The Circle of Growth Model
At the heart of Beryl's success was what Spiegelman calls "The Circle of Growth"โa virtuous cycle that begins with employee engagement:
- Employee Focus: Invest first in creating an environment where people feel valued, supported, and connected to purpose
- Customer Loyalty: Engaged employees naturally deliver superior service, driving customer retention
- Profitable Growth: Loyal customers enable premium pricing and sustainable profits
- Reinvestment: Return profits to improving employee tools and resources
- Repeat: The cycle strengthens with each iteration
Breaking Industry Norms
In an industry known for razor-thin margins and high turnover, Beryl Health stood out by:
- Charging 20-30% more than competitors
- Maintaining significantly higher profit margins
- Creating lasting customer relationships
- Building a reputation that attracted acquisition interest from major players
"You can do well, and you can do good at the same time," Paul emphasizes.
As businesses navigate today's changing workplace dynamics, Beryl's model offers a proven path forward: Purpose and profit aren't opposing forcesโthey're mutually reinforcing elements of truly great companies.
2. Core Values: Why They Fail (And How to Make Them Work)
Many business owners have a love-hate relationship with core values.
You've probably seen them mounted on office walls, featured in employee handbooks, or highlighted in corporate presentations.
Yet for every company that swears by their transformative power, there's another dismissing them as corporate theater.
But here's the truth...
Core values aren't failing companies โ companies are failing their core values.
The Implementation Gap
The problem isn't the concept of core values; it's their execution.
Take "Simplification" as a value.
On its own, it's just a word that could mean different things to different people.
But add a clarifying statement โ "We take the complicated and make it simple to implement" โ and suddenly, you have a guiding principle that teams can use.
Three Keys to Making Core Values Work
- Make Them Memorable Keep your list short โ ideally five or fewer. Why? Because values that aren't remembered won't be used. Your team needs to internalize these principles, not reference a manual.
- Define Them Clearly Each value needs a clarifying statement that transforms it from a buzzword into actionable guidance. This turns abstract concepts into practical decision-making tools.
- Use Them Daily Core values become powerful when they're part of regular conversation. Use them in:
- Hiring decisions
- Performance reviews
- Strategic planning
- Problem-solving discussions
- Disciplinary conversations
The Leadership Factor
Now, here's what most business owners miss...
Core values aren't a set-it-and-forget-it tool. They require active leadership engagement. Your team doesn't listen to what you say about values โ they watch what you do about them.
Action Steps for Your Business
- Review your current values. Are they truly core to your operation, or are some aspirational? (Both are fine, but they need different treatment.)
- Add clarifying statements to each value. If you can't explain what it means in practical terms, it's not ready for prime time.
- Start using your values in daily decisions. Begin with your leadership team and make it a habit to reference values when making key choices.
Core values, when properly implemented, can take your company places your competition won't โ or can't โ go.
They're not just words on a wall; they're the framework for building a sustainable competitive advantage.
Struggling to drive your company's growth?
Join our Foundation for Growth Masterclass and build a business that works without you.
Perfect for owners struggling to break through the $5M ceiling who want to scale with ease, speed, and confidence.
Join our upcoming Foundations for Growth Masterclasses ๐
3. The Lost Art of LinkedIn
Remember when business relationships were built over coffee, not cold calls?
That human touch hasn't disappeared โ it's just moved online.
This week, I sat down for breakfast with Graham, Steven, and Tom โ LinkedIn connections getting together in real life.
Graham regularly invites his online network to break bread when they visit Cape Town. Before our coffee was finished, Tom's approach to fractional CFO work led to an introduction to one of my clients.
This reminded me of another LinkedIn success story...
A client once taught me the true value of LinkedIn relationships.
He spent years building genuine connections online. He never asked for anything; he simply added value and built trust. Then, come tradeshow season, his potential customers would instantly recognize him.
I'll never forget watching one such 'online friend' โ a distributor โ pull us into his booth's back office to share a unique brandy from his homeland.
That conversation, built on months of digital trust-building, ended with a 7-figure deal.
The Long Game Advantage
Here's what most people get wrong about LinkedIn:
They treat it like a sales machine when it's really a trust-building platform.
While your competitors are blasting generic InMail messages (that nobody reads), here's what actually works:
- Daily Dedication: Set aside 20 minutes each day for genuine engagement. Comment thoughtfully on posts. Share insights. Be present.
- Value First, Always: Share your expertise without expecting immediate returns. The goal isn't to sell โ it's to become a trusted voice in your industry.
- Online to Offline: Use LinkedIn as a bridge to real-world connections. When you travel, reach out to local connections for coffee. Turn digital relationships into actual relationships.
Every day, I receive dozens of cookie-cutter messages from sales people. They all read the same playbook, and they all get the same response โ none.
Your opportunity lies in doing what others won't: being authentically human.
The beauty of this approach?
When you finally meet these connections in person โ at trade shows, conferences, or business meetings โ you're not starting from scratch. You're continuing a conversation that's been building for months or years.
Remember: In a world of automated everything, human connection becomes your competitive advantage.
It's not quick, but it pays off down the line.
And as the old Chinese saying goes...
If you want shade, the best time to plant an oak tree was twenty years ago.
The second best time? Today.
If you aren't already planting oak trees on LinkedIn, nows the time to start.
One quote to start the week strong
"Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first."
- Simon Sinek
In this simple truth lies the secret to sustainable growth.
When employees feel genuinely valued and connected to purpose, they create the kind of customer experiences that command premium prices and build lasting relationships.
It's not just about what you sellโit's about who's doing the selling and how much they believe in your mission.
Have a great week!
- Jean
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