The Culture Matters Podcast

"Pessimism leads to weakness; optimism to power." - William JamesOur guest today needs no introduction, but we are going to give him one anyway!  The founder of EPM and dear friend of the Culture Matters family Eddy Perez is back with us today and we are going to be talking about leadership.  Eddy and Jay talk about the power of optimism, good leaders maintaining a consistent persona inside and out of the workplace, earning respect through action, and why Eddy starts his New Year's resolutions in the middle of December.  If you want to learn to be a leader, there are few people better to learn from than Eddy Perez!

"Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action." - William JamesAuthor, musician, mortgage professional, and host of the "Laugh, Lend, and Eat" podcast Fobby Naghmi is back for another go around on The Culture Matters Podcast.  Today's conversation never sits still for long, so buckle up!  Jay and Fobby are discussing the true value of taking action to provide the results you want,  the transformation of mind, body, and spirit when you are truly getting enough sleep, and how change is inevitable and how ultimately the choices you make are responsible for those changes.  Fobby is a very interesting guy with a lot of great views and insights and we hope you enjoy this conversation with the one and only Fobby Naghmi.

"We built everything as if we were a 50 person company." - Brian HessFounder of The Pavement Group, Top Contractor School, and the host of "The Brian Hess Show" Brian Hess is back on the program like he never left!  In today's conversation, Jay and Brian are talking about the vision that was required that helped Brian build his company,  hiring the right people that will make your company better in just a few months, and that leaders don't have to be at the top of the pyramid, but can be leaders from entry-level positions.  It's always a good day when Brian Hess is on the show, so enjoy this latest conversation on The Culture Matters Podcast.

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster." - Friedrich NietzscheChristine Beckwith is the founder of 20/20 Vision for Success and the author of Finding Honor: The Journey to Truth and she is here today to continue the ongoing series where we are breaking down her book chapter by chapter.  Today's focus is on chapter six entitled "Living in Ruins".  Christine and Jay break down why being completely honest in this book was so important, her personal journey that was the inspiration for the chapter, the damages that can be caused by being taken advantage of.  If you've been following this series, this is definitely an episode you aren't going to want to miss.

"This is the lesson: never give in.  Never give in.  Never, never, never, never in nothing, great or small, large or petty; never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense." - Sir Winston ChurchillFounder and President of Unplugged Influence Inc. Raphael Mavi is back on the show today and we're covering some subject matter that deviates from our normal discussions.  Raphael is one who is unafraid of sharing his thoughts on current events online and we are digging in to the why of his approach.  From the COVID-19 pandemic to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Raphael lets his positions be known.  Having dealt with persecution and bigotry in his own life, Raphael decided not to be quiet any longer when he had a platform to further his message.  This is not our normal episode, but it is an important one, so please have a listen to this conversation with Raphael Mavi.

"Good character is not formed in a week or a month.  It is created little by little, day by day.  Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character." - HeraclitusNikki Bagby is the Marketing Manager at UnitedHealthcare Plan of Pennsylvania and the Chief External Officer of Noth10 Philadelphia and we could not be more excited to make her first appearance on the show!  Nikki discusses with Jay about the importance of understanding community dynamics, her work helping disenfranchised and at risk youth in her Philadelphia neighborhood before becoming involved with any organization, and the reality of the existence of poverty and hate and that the real work is in diminishing those things to the best of our ability.  Nikki is an absolute bright light in this world and we hope that you enjoy this conversation!

"Questions are taken for granted rather than given a starring role in the human drama.  In all my teaching and consulting experience has taught me that what builds a relationship, what solves problems, what moves things forward is asking the right questions." - Edgar ScheinJosh Klaris is a teacher, principal, champion of the reinvigoration of education, and the executive director of North10 Philadelphia and he is joining us on the show to talk about his area of expertise in education.  Josh talks with Jay about the value of asking questions as an educator to encourage students to follow the path of learning, the barriers of poverty and the effects that it can have on someone growing into adulthood, as well as the work North10 is doing to further education in Philadelphia.  Josh has spent his life serving as an educator and there are few professions more critical to mentoring the mentors of tomorrow than teaching, so we hope you learn a few things in this conversation with Josh Klaris.

“Nietzsche was the one who did the job for me.  At a certain moment in his life, the idea came to him of what he called "the love of your fate".  Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, "This is what I need".  It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity; a challenge.  If you bring love to that moment, not discouragement, you will find the strength is there.  Any disaster you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life.  What a privilege.  This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have a chance to flow.  Then, when looking back at your life, you will see the that moments which seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage, were the incidents that shaped the life you have now.  You will see that this is really true.  Nothing can happen to you that is not plausible, even though it feels and looks in the moment like a negative crisis, it is not. The crisis throws you back, and when you are required to exhibit strength, it comes.” - Joseph CampbellLending and mortgage professional with Paramount Residential Mortgage Group Jimmy Delay is dropping by the show today to talk a little shop!  Jimmy talks about not viewing failure as a bad thing, but more of a way to test your resolve and to teach you how succeed by seeing what the other side looks like.  We're also going down the rabbit hole on what mortgage lending looks like in today's economy, what it feels like to have true support from a company, and Jimmy's connection to Jay's book Thirty Days of Thought.  There's a lot to unpack today and we hope you'll enjoy this conversation with Jimmy Delay.

“Excellence is never an accident.  It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution.” - AristotleCEO of K&L Industries and the Chairman of the Board of Top Contractor School Keith L. Callaway Jr. is on the show today and it has been a long time coming!  Jay and Keith are discussing how performing difficult tasks in your personal life will translate into your professional life and endear you to your team as a leader, the importance of having a good handle on your finances when starting up a business, and not being afraid to delegate to the people on your team who have the experience.  It is important for leaders and especially those at the very top to trust that they have the right people in the right places to handle things and while it takes time, it is a vital part of success.  We loved having Keith on the show so please enjoy this episode of The Culture Matters Podcast!

“As it takes 150 years for a Copper Beech Tree to mature, plant today, because there is no time to waste.” - James E. Hughes Jr.Our guest on the show today is an asphalt and pavement expert with over 30 years in the business and the owner of Laurel Asphalt John Rugg and he is here to drop some knowledge for our listeners!  John and Jay discuss John's journey from a starter on the University of Maryland (go Terps!) football team to an entrepreneur in the paving and asphalt space.  We're also discussing genuinely caring about your customers, paying attention to the little details and educating customers, and what it looks like when you bring one of your children into the business.  John has a great way of telling stories and we hope you enjoy listening to him as much as we enjoyed talking with him.