Welcome to Emerge Insights, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal cutting-edge tips to help you find momentum, scale up your business, and reclaim your life.
Read time: 5.33 minutes.
Read this on: jeanmoncrieff.com
What's in store for today:
- Are Disruptors Holding Your Team Back?
- Why Your Top Talent is Jumping Ship
- AI Won't Fix Your Business, Focus Will
Hey {{first_name}},
This week on The Freedom Experience, I sit down with Tom Walter, Founder, CEO, and Chief Culture Officer at Tasty Catering.
Tom is the definition of a serial entrepreneur, having grown Tasty Catering from its humble beginnings as a Chicago hot dog stand into one of the top four catering companies in Chicago, with group revenues surpassing $85 million.
Tom's story is one of transformation, driven by a deep belief in the power of relationships, culture, and people. In this conversation, we dive into the cultural revolution that took place at Tasty Catering in 2005, when two young employees challenged Tom’s leadership style.
Their call for change was the catalyst for a complete turnaround, resulting in a more people-centered, values-driven company that continues to thrive.
Tom shares how hitting rock bottom, both personally and professionally, forced him to rethink how he led the business. With a renewed focus on fostering an entrepreneurial spirit within the team, Tasty Catering went from $2-3 million in revenue to $85 million today.
The driving force?
An emphasis on understanding people’s skills, creating a values-based culture, and removing workplace "disruptors" that prevent employees from performing at their best.
One of the standout concepts we discuss is the idea of "entangled employees"—people who are deeply woven into the fabric of the company and who think and act like owners.
Tom shares how empowering his team to take responsibility for their own areas of work and decision-making has led to innovation and incredible growth, especially during challenging times like COVID-19.
Here's this week's episode with Tom Walter...
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1. Are Disruptors Holding Your Team Back?
Ever think about how much of your team’s mental energy is actually focused on moving your business forward?
Tom shared a pretty eye-opening statistic: the average employee has around 60,000 thoughts per day, but only 4% of those thoughts go toward their job.
That’s right—just a sliver of their mental capacity is being used productively at work.
Now, imagine what could happen if you could double that, even get it up to 8%.
Tom did the math—it would mean an additional 250,000 positive, business-driving thoughts each day.
But here’s the catch: disruptors—those small, nagging issues in the workplace—are often the biggest roadblocks to unlocking that extra effort.
For example, Tom shared how something as simple as a squeaky door in the office was a constant distraction for one of his team members. Once they fixed it, her sales performance took off.
Now, think about your own business.
What are the disruptors that might be pulling your team’s focus away from doing their best work?
Whether it’s constant interruptions, outdated processes, or environmental annoyances, these little disruptions add up.
Identifying and eliminating them could be the key to unlocking that extra level of discretionary effort from your team—and driving your business forward.
2. Why Your Top Talent is Jumping Ship
If you’ve found yourself stuck in a business that’s not growing—or worse, starting to slide backward—it’s time to take a hard look at what’s really going on.
Maybe your revenue is shrinking, customers are going elsewhere, or your best people are leaving. It’s a tough spot to be in, but it’s important to realize that this stagnation affects more than just your bottom line.
When your business isn’t growing, the career opportunities for your team vanish too. And when there’s no room for growth, your best people—the ones who drive innovation and push the company forward—start to look elsewhere.
The truth is, no one wants to be stuck in a company that feels like it’s spinning its wheels.
As a business owner, you might be feeling the same frustration.
Maybe you've tried a few things that haven't worked or have been so busy putting out fires that there’s no time to focus on real growth.
But here’s the reality: without intentional growth, you lose momentum.
And when your employees, especially your A-players, can’t see a future with new challenges and opportunities, they’ll seek them out elsewhere.
So, what’s the solution?
It starts with getting intentional about where you want to go and re-igniting your business’s growth.
Take a step back and reassess your strategy—where can you focus on driving real, sustainable growth?
Scaling a business isn’t just about bigger revenue numbers; it’s about creating an environment where your team can thrive, innovate, and see a future.
If you want to hold onto your top talent and reverse that backward slide, it’s time to get intentional about scaling—not just for the sake of the company, but for the people who help make it great.
Need some help getting more intentional about growth and regaining momentum in your business?
Join our upcoming Foundations for Growth Masterclasses 👇
3. AI Won’t Fix Your Business, But Focus Will
Lately, it feels like you can’t escape AI—it’s everywhere.
Every day, there’s a new article, insight, or trend on how AI is going to change everything. You’ve probably been told a dozen times that you need to be using it.
But here's the thing: AI can absolutely offer value—it’s worth paying attention to. But it’s not some magic switch that’s going to fix your business overnight.
If you’re running a $2 million to $10 million company, success will still come down to the basics: your leadership team, your people, your customers, your ability to generate revenue, and the systems you need to have in place to scale.
Instead of getting swept up in AI tactics just because everyone says you should, consider how it fits into your bigger picture.
Keep an eye on the developments and test out what makes sense for your business, but don’t lose sight of what’s most important—your overall strategy and executing that strategy.
AI should be a tool in your toolbox, not the whole toolbox.
Sure, AI can be a helpful tool, but it’s not going to fix everything or replace solid business fundamentals.
It’s easy to get distracted by shiny new trends, but the most successful businesses keep their focus on what they can control.
AI isn’t going anywhere, but your core priorities—like driving growth and improving operations—need your attention right now.
One quote to start the week strong
“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.”
​– Roy T. Bennett
Instead of worrying about what’s out of your hands, focus on using your energy where it matters—creating value and driving your business forward.
That’s where real progress happens.
Have a great week!
- Jean
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