Podcast

Unpopular Opinion: The Customer Isn’t Always Right. 

Imagine that… The customer is sometimes wrong! Especially in health care. Rick Irwin, CEO of IntegraCare, joined the No BS Marketing Show to talk leadership and company culture. IntegraCare is a trusted leader in senior living with over ten communities that offer assisted living, independent living, Alzheimer’s care, and dementia care.

Rick and the rest of IntegraCare take a 3-dimensional focus that starts with valuing their team members. From there, he believes that the quality of life IntegraCare’s residents AND their families will vastly improve.

Listen to this episode of the No BS Marketing Show for tips on how you can be a stronger leader that builds a core company culture. You’ll learn why people aren’t accustomed to transparency, but why you should always be honest, transparent and expressive as a leader.

Key Takeaways

[00:29] Cut the BS

[05:05] How to Successfully Convey Mission, Vision, Values

• Live up to it and deliver it
• Can you deliver?
• IntegraCare’s unique mission

[06:35] Messaging Challenge at IntegraCare

• People say the customer comes first, but the customer isn’t always right…especially in healthcare
• Starts with caring for your employees
• Employees should know their value, importance and that they matter

[08:13] How Do You Get Everyone to Live the Mission?

• Difficult, not always successful… a continuous process
• Leaders have to live it and reinforce it
• Part of every decision and action in leadership
• hire people who embody your values innately
• Programs and rewards system

[11:09] Importance of Executive Directors

• Act as CEO of each living community
• Need to be emotionally mature and able to deal with stress
• Have to be brutally honest
• Burden of leadership

[14:18] Rick’s Spiel

• Comfortable with your self, must be transparent, express concerns or mistakes
• Rick and Dave’s story of Rick’s spiel gone almost-wrong

[17:20] The Struggle of Feedback and Transparency

• Not everyone is ready for transparency
• The most powerful tool you can have
• Nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide
• No Surprises

[22:32] Rick’s Path and Reason for Starting IntegraCare

• Rick and Loriann Putzier worked for difficult employers
• Dissatisfied with working for bad bosses
• Started a company that could be different and genuine
• Acquisition strategy
• Experience with private equity and venture capitalists
• Experiences with failures and success

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Remember, ask yourself: What’s The Big Idea and build your story around the answer. It’s all about Bold Solutions, no BS.