About the Guest(s):

Steve Ramona is the CEO and podcast host of "Doing Business with a Servant's Heart." With years of experience as a business leader and a passionate advocate for value-based leadership, Steve focuses on building authentic relationships through servant leadership. His multi-faceted career spans the health and fitness industry, restaurant business, recycling company, and network marketing, making him a versatile and influential figure in business circles.

Episode Summary:

In this engaging episode of "Growing Your Business with People," host Jeff Lackey converses with Steve Ramona, CEO and podcast host of "Doing Business with a Servant's Heart." The discussion dives into servant leadership principles, powerful networking techniques, and personal transformation stories that shape successful business practices. Steve emphasizes the importance of adopting a value-based approach, nurturing genuine relationships, and consistently mentoring others to create sustainable growth within organizations.

The episode kicks off with an introduction to Steve Ramona's journey, highlighting formative experiences that molded his perspective on servant leadership. Steve shares compelling stories like learning valuable financial lessons from a gym member and the ripple effect of those nuggets of wisdom. The conversation transitions into discussing the impact of servant leadership on business success, referencing data from Gallup which shows that high employee engagement, often driven by servant leaders, can increase profitability by over 21%. Steve’s real-life examples underscore how serving others and creating value can ultimately lead to significant personal and professional growth.

Key Takeaways:

Adopt a Servant Leadership Mindset: Effective leaders focus on mentoring and bringing value to their teams, clients, and even competitors. This approach fosters trust and collaboration.

Networking through Value: Build valuable relationships by asking insightful questions, listening actively, and offering meaningful value. Relationships cultivated through this method can result in long-term business success.

The Power of Stories: Personal transformation stories resonate deeply and can significantly influence leadership style and business culture.

Patience and Persistence: Genuine relationships take time to build but result in longer-lasting and more fruitful business engagements.

Continuous Improvement: Aim for 1% improvement every day by meeting new people and learning from each interaction.

Notable Quotes:

"Ask a question and shut up. But listen." – Steve Ramona

"You don't need to make money off everybody, but you can serve everybody." – Steve Ramona

"It's one of those win-wins. You don't need to make money off everybody, but you can serve everybody." – Tony (as recounted by Steve Ramona)

"Remember, we're all on the same team. You know, we’re not competing against each other here." – Jeff Lackey

"The universe doesn’t care. It’s universe currency. The more value you bring, you start to put in that deposit in that bank." – Steve Ramona

Resources:

Steve Ramona’s Podcast: Doing Business with a Servant's Heart

Books Mentioned:

"Dare to Serve" by Cheryl Bachelder

"The Weathly Barber" by David Chilton

"The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg and John David Mann

"The Trillion Dollar Coach" by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle

Tune in to this insightful episode as Steve Ramona and Jeff Lackey discuss actionable strategies for incorporating servant leadership and networking into your business model. Don’t miss out on future episodes every Tuesday, designed to help you grow your business with your most significant investment—people.