Choices Create Change | Podcast on RSS.com

Choices Create Change

Choices Create Change

by Bobby Mink

Season 1

Why Good Builders Stay Invisible (Ep 19)

When your business gets quiet, people notice. And they do not assume you are fine. They assume something is wrong. Bobby Mink makes the case that visibility is the most underrated competitive advantage a business has right now, and that it is not a marketing problem. It is a leadership one. Every week you are either building confidence or creating uncertainty, and silence communicates just as loudly as words. Bobby walks through seven reasons visibility matters, from the fact that your customer's first visit is almost always digital, to why teaching beats selling, to why one viral post will never do what a consistent weekly one will. Along the way he shares the division president who asked him the question that sums the whole thing up: why did we wait until things got slow to start doing this? If you are good at what you do but bad at telling anyone about it, this one is for you. Seven reasons visibility is your most underrated competitive advantage: 1. Your customer's first visit is digital 2. Going quiet looks like you're struggling 3. Visibility builds trust before you need it 4. Teach more than you sell 5. Video makes your business human 6. Consistency beats intensity 7. Visibility creates opportunity "Visibility becomes influence. Influence becomes trust. Trust becomes opportunity. Opportunity becomes growth. And that is how great businesses are built." Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: why did we wait until things got slow? 00:25 Welcome and the seven reasons 01:10 Why most companies are bad at telling their own story 02:06 Visibility is not marketing, visibility is leadership 02:38 1. Your customer's first visit is digital 03:23 Knowing your target market 04:12 Your digital front doors 04:50 The division president who wished he had not waited 05:58 2. Going quiet looks like you're struggling 06:41 The real struggle is consistency 07:26 Confidence attracts confidence 08:09 3. Visibility builds trust before you need it 09:22 The trust account and third party validation 10:29 Start the conversation where they already are 11:02 4. Teach more than you sell 12:11 Every business should become an educator 13:31 Introduce your team, be real people 14:28 Raving fans, inside and outside 15:36 Teach your industry and become the expert 16:04 5. Video makes your business human 17:04 Show the space, show the process 17:33 Perfection is not required 18:32 Authenticity wins 19:14 6. Consistency beats intensity 19:44 One viral post will not change your business 20:25 Business growth comes from consistency 21:44 7. Visibility creates opportunity 22:28 Better employees find you 23:06 New partners and referrals 23:26 Better vendors and better opportunities 25:28 Visibility is leadership 26:22 The state of the company talk 28:38 Visibility is not ego, visibility is service 29:59 The better question to ask before you post 30:43 Influence, trust, opportunity, growth 31:37 Close and how to reach Bobby Mentioned in this episode: Raving Fans, by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles Suggest a topic for a future episode: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/Podcast Schedule a free coaching conversation: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/contact Bobby's books, Choices and Clarity: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/books A video version of this episode is on YouTube. Search Choices Create Change.

Your CPA Should Be a Partner, Not a Tax Preparer (Ep 18)

Most business owners see their CPA once a year, drop off a folder, and hope for good news. Ryan Mink, CPA, explains why that relationship is costing you money, and what a real one looks like. Bobby Mink sits down with Ryan, a partner at Suttle & Stalnaker in West Virginia and, as it turns out, his own son, for a plain English walk through the questions every owner asks and almost nobody gets a straight answer to. Do you actually need an LLC? Should you elect S corp status because someone on TikTok said so? Why does the money in your bank account tell you almost nothing about whether your business is healthy? Ryan has spent 19 years in audit and tax, and he makes the case that the most expensive mistakes he sees are not aggressive ones. They are the quiet ones: jumping into a structure too early, spending a hundred thousand dollars to save thirty, and never asking why. If you have ever nodded along in a meeting about your own money and had no idea what was being said, this one is for you. "Just because there's cash in the bank doesn't mean you're doing well." Chapters: 0:00 The surprise $30,000 tax bill 0:20 Welcome and meet Ryan Mink, CPA 0:52 Inside a full service CPA firm 2:14 Why the same questions come up over and over 4:19 Do you need an LLC? 5:01 An LLC is a liability tool, not a tax strategy 5:30 Single member LLC: the disregarded entity 6:01 What changes when you add a second owner 7:00 S corporations and how the tax savings work 7:39 C corporations and the double taxation problem 10:50 The reasonable compensation problem 12:14 Why leverage matters before you elect S corp 13:13 The S corp downsides nobody mentions 14:25 The truck, the son, and the deemed sale 16:40 Do not jump the gun on S corp 17:47 The taxes nobody warns you about 19:44 Estimated taxes and the four checks a year 21:12 The restaurant that closed over a tax bill 21:41 Profit First: pay yourself before you reinvest 22:52 Do not outspend your growth 24:56 Your CPA should be your partner 25:43 Why once a year is not a relationship 29:52 What a real quarterly check in looks like 30:32 Cash in the bank is not profit 35:45 The windfall and the Florida property 37:25 Do not let tax savings drive business decisions 39:18 The truck trap: $100K to save $30K 40:42 The Toyota Highlander phone call 42:27 Red flags: when to find a new CPA 48:47 Get your books in order 51:08 Seek to understand why 54:54 Takeaways and how to reach Ryan 55:37 Close and how to suggest a topic Guest: Ryan Mink, CPA, partner at Suttle & Stalnaker, PLLC, a full service West Virginia CPA firm with four offices offering tax, audit, consulting, bookkeeping, payroll, and virtual CFO services. The firm is a member of Allinial Global. Mentioned in this episode: Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz Suggest a topic for a future episode: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/Podcast Schedule a coaching conversation: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/contact Bobby's books, Choices and Clarity: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/books A video version of this episode is on YouTube. Search Choices Create Change. This episode is for general education only. It is not tax, legal, or financial advice, and tax rules and thresholds change. Talk to your own CPA or attorney about your specific situation before acting on anything discussed here.

People Can't Execute What They Don't Understand (Ep 17)

You explained it. They nodded. Two weeks later nobody is doing it. That is not a people problem, it is a clarity problem. In this episode, Bobby Mink wraps up the two-part series on The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni with the part most companies skip: creating clarity, overcommunicating it, and reinforcing it until it sticks. Bobby walks through the six questions every leadership team has to be able to answer the same way, including why you exist, how you behave, and the one almost nobody gets right, who must do what. Then he gets into why complexity kills execution, why your 33-item checklist is usually fear wearing a process costume, and why the owner who walks the floor giving orders is quietly undercutting every manager in the building. The back half is the practical part: the meeting rhythm that actually works (daily check-ins, weekly tactical, monthly strategic, quarterly offsite, annual), how to run a review that is not a trip to the principal's office, and how repetition turns into alignment. Whether you lead 500 people, 15 people, or a family, this is about making sure the people around you actually understand what you are asking for. In this episode: - The six critical questions: why do we exist, how do we behave, what do we do, how will we succeed, what is most important right now, and who must do what - Why core values need descriptive words, not just words on a wall - The builder who said we are creating a home where families make memories - Role clarity: the 11-person company where nobody knew who to ask - A warning for owners: telling someone on the floor what to do knocks the legs out from under their manager - Why complexity kills execution, and how fear-based checklists and multiple layers of approval cost you real money - Accountability, ownership, and setting expectations that actually match - Clarity leaks: why you have to overcommunicate the same message far longer than feels reasonable - Repetition creates alignment, and the moment you know it is working (when your newest hire quotes a core value back to you) - The meeting rhythm: daily check-ins, weekly tactical, monthly strategic, quarterly offsite, and annual - Reinforcing clarity through hiring, exit interviews, quarterly reviews, managing by walking around, promotions, and recognition - The eight essentials of great organizations - The biggest lessons from The Advantage, and why great companies are built from the inside out Mentioned in this episode: - The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business, by Patrick Lencioni - The Heart of Leadership, by Mark Miller - "Vision leaks." (Andy Stanley) "People cannot execute what they do not understand." Learn more: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/Podcast Book a coaching call: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/contact Bobby's books, Choices and Clarity: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/books Website: ChoiceConsultingMan.com If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and invite a friend to check us out. Missed part one? Start with Organizational Health Beats Smart Every Time (Ep 16).

Organizational Health Beats Smart Every Time (Ep 16)

Most companies pour all their energy into being smart: strategy, marketing, finance, technology, operations. Very little goes into being healthy. In this episode, Bobby Mink kicks off a two-part series on The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni and makes the case that organizational health, not raw intelligence, is the single greatest competitive advantage any company can have. Part one breaks down the difference between a smart company and a healthy one, why talented companies still struggle, and the signs of an unhealthy organization: politics, confusion, low morale, silos, and poor communication. Bobby then moves into the first discipline, building a cohesive leadership team, and why trust has to come before strategy. Whether you lead a company of 500 or a team of 5, or even a family, this is about creating an environment where people can actually crush it. In this episode: - Smart vs. healthy: why talented companies still struggle - What smart companies focus on, and the three places Bobby sees the biggest struggles (marketing, finance, and technology) - What a healthy organization looks like: trust, productive conflict, commitment, accountability, and results - Why nobody on your front line knows whether to ask Bill, Susie, or John - The hidden cost of an unhealthy culture: politics, confusion, low morale, silos, and wasted energy - Why health pays off: lower turnover, better customer experience, higher profit, faster decisions, and better execution - One company that climbed from 5% margins to 20% margins over three years by getting healthy - The four disciplines of a healthy organization (overview) - Building a cohesive leadership team: trust before strategy - What breaks leadership teams: egos, politics, hidden agendas, and a lack of trust - Vulnerability-based trust: admitting mistakes and asking for help - Authentic leadership and healthy conflict: how to disagree hard and still leave the room united Mentioned in this episode: - The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business, by Patrick Lencioni - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni - "Everything rises and falls on leadership." (John Maxwell) "Organizational health is the greatest untapped competitive advantage in business." (Patrick Lencioni)

How to Build a Company Culture People Won't Leave (Ep 15)

Culture is not t-shirts and gift cards. In this episode, Bobby Mink breaks down what actually builds a company (and a family) culture people do not want to leave, using the six areas he has watched make or break teams over 30 years of coaching builders and leaders. In this episode: - What culture really is: the shared beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors of a team, and why creating it is your job as a leader or parent - Area 1, a consistent and reliable environment: why inconsistency quietly breaks culture, and how to instill discipline instead of fear - Area 2, unity of purpose: how "we" instead of "me" turns addition into multiplication and kills the chaos of "they should have known" - Area 3, fair treatment: safe-to-speak-up environments, clear written standards, and realistic stretch goals people actually buy into - Area 4, great systems: why poor systems, not people, cause 90% of all underperformance - Area 5, encourage initiative: building a no-blame culture and keeping one boss per job (unity of command) - Area 6, feedback on performance: celebrating wins, telling real stories, and the 12-question culture measuring stick Chapters (final, matched to the edited 40:29 video with the cold open at the front): 00:00 Introduction: the real reason people stay 00:25 Welcome: unpacking culture 00:49 The six areas at a glance 02:24 Is culture even important? 02:48 What culture really is 06:15 Area 1: A consistent, reliable environment 09:18 Area 2: Unity of purpose 14:13 Area 3: Fair treatment and safe environments 19:21 Area 4: Great systems (90% of underperformance) 24:36 Area 5: Encourage employee initiative 29:09 Area 6: Provide feedback on performance 34:33 The power of measuring 38:05 The 12-question culture stick 39:49 Recap and go crush it Learn more: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/Podcast Bobby's books, Choices and Clarity: ChoiceConsultingMan.com/books Website: ChoiceConsultingMan.com If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and invite a friend to check us out.

Build the Business, Not Just the House with Matt Haynes (Ep 14)

Most builders are great at the work, and then nearly go broke trying to run the business. In this episode, Bobby Mink sits down with Matt Haynes, owner and managing partner of Tracewater Homes, to unpack what it really takes to build a company that runs without you. Matt's been in home building since he was 13. He earned an accounting degree and an MBA in finance, served as CFO, ran operations, and led land development before launching Tracewater Homes in the Florida panhandle. His specialty is systems: the repeatable, "single source of truth" processes that turn a one-person hustle into a real, scalable company. Whether you're starting your first business or running an established one, Matt and Bobby cover the mindset shifts, hard-won lessons, and practical moves that separate owners who burn out from owners who break through. In this episode: • Why you should "start with the end in mind," and what a real plan looks like • Why business is a team sport (and the support team every owner needs: attorney, CPA partner, family) • Using AI/ChatGPT to draft a structured business and implementation plan • The E-Myth lesson: the visionary, operations, and financial roles every company needs • Knowing your market, your unique value, and your numbers (gross margin matters) • Building operations on systems, accountability, and feedback loops ("design then build, not design and build") • How to manage by exception with metrics instead of endless status meetings • Overcoming the fear of technology and AI (Matt's honest story as a reluctant adopter) • Hiring ahead of need, and why "hiring out of necessity" leads to bad hires • Creating a no-blame, collaborative culture where people feel safe to speak up • Why you don't have to be the hero: delegation, autonomy, and freeing yourself to lead 💬 "Business, no matter what business it is, is a team sport." (Matt Haynes) 🎧 New episodes of Choices Create Change drop regularly. For coaching, consulting, and leadership development, visit ChoiceConsultingMan.com/Podcast. Have a topic you'd love us to cover? Visit ChoiceConsultingMan.com/Podcast and let us know, and we may feature it on a future episode. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe so you never miss an episode, then go crush it. --------- ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Welcome & meet Matt Haynes (Tracewater Homes) 01:10 Matt's journey: from age 13 to CFO & systems builder 04:40 The "on-your-lot" model: custom & semi-custom done right 05:50 Starting a business? Begin with the end in mind 07:22 Why founders get buried wearing every hat 08:45 The E-Myth & using AI to draft your business plan 10:33 Why the right coach saves you time and money 12:35 Matt's top lessons: team, market, numbers, know yourself 17:30 Building a culture where people speak up 18:47 Running operations: systems, accountability, feedback loops 20:11 "How do we never let this happen again?" 22:56 You can't improve what you don't measure 26:01 Facing the fear of technology & AI 29:21 From reluctant to enthusiastic: the social media shift 31:42 Bring in help: implementation teams & accelerants 34:51 Building a no-blame, collaborative culture 36:41 What NOT to do when running a company 38:49 Hire ahead of need — not out of panic 39:58 Two takeaways: always adapt, use the right people 40:59 Wrap-up & how to suggest a topic

How an Ex-Marine Built Culture at a Homebuilder and a Restaurant (Ep 13)

Choices Create Change — Episode 13: Culture Is a System, Not a Slogan (with Carrie Rogers) What does it really take to build a business — and a team — that thrives under pressure? In this episode, Bobby Mink sits down with Carrie Rogers: U.S. Marine veteran, business coach, speaker, restaurant owner, and author of the upcoming book Culture Is a System, Not a Slogan. Carrie shares the hard-won lessons from a journey that runs from the Marine Corps to 16 years helping build a residential home builder, to teaching at Kennesaw State, to launching and scaling her own restaurant — Rally Point, which exists to honor and support veterans, first responders, and their families. Along the way she and Bobby dig into the practical stuff most owners never slow down to figure out: hiring for heart over résumé, managing cash flow so it doesn't slip through your fingers, the difference between financial and managerial accounting, building processes that create real accountability, and why your people have to come before your customers. If you run a business, lead a team, or are thinking about starting something of your own, this one's packed with usable wisdom — and Carrie's reminder that success comes from tiny steps, not quantum leaps. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Carrie Rogers and Her Journey 03:05 Lessons from the Restaurant Business 05:53 Key Insights for New Business Owners 08:48 The Importance of Hiring Right 12:09 Managing Cash Flow Effectively 15:04 Understanding Financial vs Managerial Accounting 17:59 The Role of Processes in Business Success 21:05 The Importance of Accountability and Clarity 22:04 Understanding the 'Why' in Leadership 24:43 Creating a Purpose-Driven Culture 26:04 Measuring Success: The Role of KPIs 28:13 Training Under Stress: Preparing Teams for Challenges 30:55 Prioritizing People Over Customers 32:01 Celebrating Team Achievements 34:20 Handling Employee Feedback Effectively 36:51 Micro Changes Lead to Success In this episode: Why you should hire for character and heart because everything else is trainable • "Cash is king": managing cash flow and finding the right capital (and the SBDC tip) • Financial vs. managerial accounting and why a P&L is just history • How a simple sticky-note exercise can map and fix your broken processes • Using KPIs and leading indicators instead of looking in the rearview mirror • "Your team under stress will fall to its highest level of training" • Why people come before customers — and the "Chief Celebrations Officer" idea • Praise in public, develop in private: handling feedback the right way "Success is in the micro steps, not the quantum leaps." — Carrie Rogers Learn more about Choice Consulting and our services at ChoiceConsultingMan.com/Podcast. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and invite a friend to check us out.

Stop Managing Like Checkers: Lead Your Team Like Chess (Ep 12)

Choices Create Change — Episode 12: Chess, Not Checkers (Playing the Long Game in Leadership) Most leaders play checkers — fast moves, quick reactions, immediate gratification. The best ones play chess. In this episode, Bobby Mink of Choice Consulting and Management unpacks the book Chess Not Checkers by Mark Miller and Randy Gravitt, and shows you how to stop reacting and start leading the long game. Bobby walks through the five moves that separate chess leaders from checkers leaders: bet on leadership, act as one, win the heart, excel at execution, and it's your move. Along the way he digs into setting the pace for your team, hiring the heart (not just the résumé), building your bench before a crisis hits, creating real clarity, celebrating the 90% that's going right, and surrounding yourself with the right people in the right seats. Whether you're running a company, leading a department, or guiding a family, you'll walk away with a more intentional, more thoughtful way to lead — plus plenty of practical questions to ask yourself this week. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Chess Not Checkers 00:31 Bet on Leadership 02:25 Building the Leadership Team 04:08 Setting the Pace as Leaders 08:00 The Importance of Serving 12:16 Growing the Organization 17:01 Act as One: Creating Clarity 22:07 Building Community and Culture 24:59 Winning the Heart of Employees 25:28 Excelling at Execution 27:54 It's Your Move: The Right People in Your Life In this episode: • Why great leaders play the long game instead of chasing quick wins • Setting the pace with HEART — Hunger, Expectation, Accept responsibility, Respond, Think • How to "hire the heart" and build your bench before you're in crisis mode • Creating clarity so everyone knows what winning looks like • Focusing on the 90% that's going right, not just the 10% that's wrong • Winning the heart of your people to build an unstoppable culture • Getting the right people in the right seats — and when it's time to let someone go "When you get the heart, you get the whole person." — Mark Miller Learn more about Choice Consulting and our services at ChoiceConsultingMan.com/Podcast. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and invite a friend to check us out.

Why Your Team Isn't Accountable (It's Not What You Think) (Ep 11)

Choices Create Change — Episode 11: Clarity, Accountability & Trust Clarity, accountability, and trust — three things that quietly make or break every team, family, and organization. In this episode, Bobby Mink of Choice Consulting and Management breaks down all three. Bobby unpacks why so many problems start with simple confusion — "they should have known," "we always do this," "everybody knows" — and how those assumptions cost us at work and at home. From there he gets into what real accountability looks like (and why it has to start with you), and closes with an honest conversation about trust: passive-aggressive habits, emotional maturity, and learning to assume the best in the person across the table. Whether you're a business owner, a manager, a parent, or a spouse, you'll walk away with practical questions to ask yourself and your team — plus a little homework to put it into practice. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Clarity, Accountability, and Trust 07:21 Understanding Accountability in Organizations 11:57 Building Trust in Relationships In this episode: • Why a lack of clarity is usually the first thing to break down • How to know your people actually understand what's expected • What accountability really means — and why it starts with you • Building trust by leading with the right heart and attitude • Emotional intelligence: setting your "baggage" aside to have hard conversations • Taking the high road and assuming the best in others "Consistency, simplicity, and repetition is what it's all about." — Jack Welch Learn more about Choice Consulting and our services at ChoiceConsultingMan.com/Podcast. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and invite a friend to check us out.

80% of Your Team Problems Are Actually System Problems (Ep 10)

Choices Create Change Podcast - Episode 10 Fundamentals of Great Managers Powered by Choice Consulting www.choiceconsultingman.com

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