In 2025, the Waldom headquarters in #Rockford made a deliberate commitment to strengthening our culture and elevating performance. We have partnered with CultureWise to define core behaviors that truly drive success. I loved seeing this addition to our warehouse wall as I entered the building this morning. I’m excited to continue building a culture where extraordinary people create extraordinary success.

You know that sinking feeling when you realize you're spending more energy managing your agency than actually working with them? That feeling is a clear symptom of a deeper culture problem. When an agency lacks a shared "operating system," the client inevitably pays the price in micromanagement, missed deadlines, and constant friction. We decided to flip that script. We partnered with CultureWise to define 26 key behaviors, turning our culture into a repeatable ritual. These aren't just abstract values, they are the daily habits that prevent miscommunication, ensure radical transparency, and keep our team deeply invested in our clients’ success. Imagine a partnership where clarity is the norm, mistakes are surfaced early, and every action is connected to your long-term strategy. That's the Level way. It's how we ensure our clients’ time and trust are always respected. Discover the 26 behaviors that transform agency relationships from a grind into a genuine partnership: lnkd.in/eYJ5_NKg

We start this Monday with gratitude. Gratitude for our membership into Vistage. While this is an executive coaching and peer advisory group, our entire team has had numerous opportunities to learn, develop and grow as a result of this membership. The greatest impact we have seen of our membership was when we introduced Fundamentals to our culture. Our team is motivated each week by our Fundamentals that drive our core values throughout the company. Thanks to our membership with Vistage Worldwide, Inc. and Mervyn Byrd, our chair, who continues to bring amazing speakers to our Vistage group, our culture was transformed after seeing and hearing David J. Friedman speak. Today, we begin each week reviewing one of our 26 fundamentals. We discuss as a team, we share with each of our customer groups, and we stay focused on our WHY each week. We have seen a major shift in our culture and our team members each lead a different one of our fundamentals throughout the year for a full week. We are reminded of our WHY, we are reminded of how we approach clients differently and we are excited to be that much better than the week prior. #gratitude #Mondays #fundamentals #culture

On a scale of 1-10, how important is culture in your business? On a scale of 1-10, how much of your team’s focus goes towards building and maintaining culture? If those answers are more than three numbers apart, you have some work to do. I’ll be the first to raise my hand and say we need to do more at K&D, but we are progressing. For us, it’s about constantly providing expectations around what type of culture we want to create. As a team leader or an organization, you must meet these expectations. We use a tool developed by David J. Friedman called CultureWise, it has made the most significant impact to our culture since our founding almost 40 years ago! Today I want to share a write up that Drew Etling did for this week’s fundamental #9 “Make It Happen”. This is an inside look into how we operate at K&D Landscaping, Inc. and how we make culture priority one.

What does it mean to build a culture that actually sticks? At Onex, we just kicked off a new program that will guide our next 60 years of growth— We're calling them the Onex Fundamentals: 30 core behaviors that define how we work, treat each other, and serve our customers. Each week, we focus on one Fundamental and talk about it in our meetings, apply it to real-life situations, and keep it front and center. It’s not just talk. It’s how we keep our culture strong as we grow. It’s how we actually show up every day! In a world where good has become “good enough” ONEX aims to be extraordinary! Big THANKS to CultureWise, Logan Nance, and Kevin Sullivan for partnering with us on this journey!

Last week was a GREAT week! Two packed rooms — a Vistage Worldwide, Inc. CEO group and a Key Executive group — fully dialed in. Guest speaker David J. Friedman brought the heat with a session on how to actually make culture your competitive edge. Not the fluffy, feel-good stuff. We’re talking real, hands-on tools that leaders can start using immediately. >> Culture as a business process >> Behaviors over buzzwords >> How to scale culture without watering it down David’s energy was contagious and the conversations afterward? So good. Lots of lightbulb moments, honest reflection, and already some action being taken. This is why I love what I do. Huge thanks to David for being the real deal, and to our members for leaning all the way in. #CompanyCultuer #CultureWins #Vistage #Leadership

🌟 Exciting things are happening at ATECH!! This week, we officially kicked off our company-wide rollout of CultureWise — a program designed to help us live out our values every day. A big thank you to Kevin Sullivan for leading the launch and walking us through the 27 Fundamentals that perfectly align with our company’s core values. These fundamentals will guide how we work, communicate, and support one another — building a stronger, more unified culture across every team. We’re excited for what’s ahead and committed to growing together! 💪 #CompanyCulture #CultureWise #Teamwork #CoreValues #Leadership

Recently, I had the privilege of joining a group of leaders connected through the BDO Alliance to share Aprio’s growth story. We talked about how a firm built on opportunity, care, technical capability, and client focus continues to evolve. When I look at where we started and where we are today, with more than 2,800 team members across the globe, I am reminded that while nothing has changed, everything is different. Aprio’s culture is practiced and defined through our 31 Fundamentals. We give our teams the tools to thrive and the runway to think beyond traditional boundaries. That foundation enables us to grow boldly while staying true to who we are. Growth is more than scale. It is meaningful progress! Our journey continues to show that a strong culture is not only part of transformation. It drives it.

On Tuesday, our team had the opportunity to intentionally focus on who we are as a firm. Led by Kevin Sullivan through CultureWise’s Culture by Design framework, the session helped us determine how we show up, how we work together, and the behaviors that define our best. We’re ready to carry this momentum forward and ensure our fundamentals show up in everything we do. Thanks to Kevin and the CultureWise team for spending the day with us and leading us through such an insightful culture session.

Thanks for the spotlight! Our fundamentals are truly the core of our operation 🍻

At Stockwell, we are practicing the Fundamentals, proud to be working with David and his team for nearly a decade…..

Thank you CultureWise! "Finding a Way" is the bridge between a fixed mindset and high performance resilience. ​When we swap excuses for resourcefulness, we don’t just solve problems, we build the collective self efficacy needed to scale. Growth starts the moment we stop explaining the why not and start executing the how.

This week’s RockStep is RockStep #10: "Speak Straight". At RockStep Capital, we value honesty that’s clear and respectful. Speaking straight means being direct without being harsh, and saying what needs to be said so we can solve problems and keep moving forward. It builds trust and saves time. What helps you communicate clearly in tough moments? #RockStepOfTheWeek #CommercialRealEstate #CREInsights #RealEstateInvesting #RealEstate #CommercialProperty #LessonsInLeadership

PBC Linear kicked off our two-day, company-wide CultureWise meetings this week that focused on putting our values into action across our organization. A big thank you to Grayson Vandegrift for leading the sessions this week and walking us through PBC Linear’s 31 Fundamentals, which reinforce our core values. PBC Linear is excited to put these fundamentals into practice and continue building a strong, values-driven manufacturing team.

🙌 We are on day two of our CultureWise rollout at Compass Health, and I have to say this is one of the most exciting initiatives I’ve been involved in during my 13 years here! Many months of planning went into this 700+ employee rollout. I’m so happy I get to be at almost all of the sessions to learn about the shared behaviors that will continue to make Compass Health such a great place to work. 🙏 Huge shoutout to our team lead, Brooklynn Horat, and my initiative co-sponsor, Melissa Judd, for making this all fun to boot. Two of some of my favorite people! 🥳 Kevin Sullivan has been doing a fantastic job facilitate these sessions and keeping the energy high over what will be 10 sessions this week. Woot!

How the workshop started vs How it ended (Not pictured is the back of the sheet of paper 😆) Thank you David J. Friedman and CultureWise for a fantastic mindset shift on culture within a workplace. Vistage Worldwide, Inc.

We’ve loved connecting with hundreds of #PKFPeople from across our global community at our in-person events this year. It was wonderful to exchange ideas with our members, learn together and contribute to the continued growth of our network. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a month since our incredible Global Gathering and Americas Meetings in Punta Cana. Relive your memories of the event – including the inspiring keynote from CultureWise founder David Friedman – by checking out this recap video. We’ll be unveiling our 2026 global events programme soon so, PKF members, watch this space for further details. #PKFEvents #BelongTogether #PKFGlobalGathering

Clarity isn’t soft. It’s the sharpest tool a CEO can use. This week, our Vistage CEO Peer Group hosted David Friedman from CultureWise, and his message was unmistakable: culture becomes a competitive advantage only when it’s designed, not assumed. David challenged a common misconception many CEOs carry—believing culture “happens” on its own. Yes, you can get a good culture by chance. But you build a great culture only by intention. A few takeaways that stood out: 1. Great cultures are built through behaviors, not slogans. Leaders must define the exact behaviors they want their teams to master and internalize. If it’s not explicit, it’s not repeatable. 2. Repetition isn’t optional—it’s strategic. David emphasized the power of practice. Exceptional cultures are formed the same way exceptional athletes are: through structured, ongoing repetition. 3. Rituals make culture last. The rituals you reinforce week after week—your huddles, reviews, debriefs, stories—are what turn desired behaviors into organizational muscle memory. These insights weren’t theoretical. They were actionable steps any CEO can implement immediately to strengthen clarity, alignment, and long-term differentiation. A big thank you to David for delivering such a powerful and practical session. If you're a CEO who wants to be part of a group that pushes you, challenges your thinking, and accelerates your growth—and you’d like to learn whether there’s a seat available in our Vistage Peer Group—feel free to reach out directly.