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- People Over Numbers
This 3-minute read brought to you by the team at Rogue Pine
In this issue, you'll learn:
Kyle Ryan, Principal at CWC, shares how people-first leadership and employee ownership helped his firm thrive in a changing market.
Some leaders obsess over numbers.
Kyle Ryan built a culture that made the numbers take care of themselves.
As Principal at CWC, a 96-year-old commercial interiors firm, Kyle helped lead the company through a wave of market changes—from remote work and hybrid office models to evolving client expectations.
His biggest lever?
Not pricing. Not operations.
Culture.
Growth Isn't Just About Sales
If you run a B2B service business, you've probably said this:
"Our people are our biggest asset."
But unless culture is treated as a business function—not a feel-good initiative—that phrase means very little.
In reality, culture often gets deprioritized during busy seasons, hiring waves, or revenue dips.
The default is to focus on numbers and hope the culture holds.
That's a mistake.
Because in a service business, culture is the product.
It shapes how your team shows up for clients, how they collaborate internally, and how long they stay.
If you're scaling a business that depends on people to deliver results, culture isn't a side note.
It's a growth engine.
CWC Grew by Betting on Its People
Kyle's career path wasn't linear.
He went from launching a retail startup to leading teams across multiple cities and eventually becoming the owner of a firm built on relationships, not inventory.
What made it work was a deliberate focus on internal alignment and long-term thinking.
At CWC, culture isn't a tagline—it's operational:
A culture committee keeps team alignment front and center
Clear expectations define what "good" looks like across roles
A company-wide ESOP turns every employee into an actual owner
The impact?
Lower turnover. Stronger client relationships. Faster recruiting.
And a team that shows up like the business belongs to them—because it does.
Codify Your Culture. Then Lead Through It.
If you're leading a growing company, Kyle’s system is worth mimicking.
Here's what CWC did right and what you can do today to radically redefine your company's culture:
1. Define it
Write down what your culture actually is. Not a values poster, but a clear set of expectations.
What does a "good teammate" do? How are decisions made? What behavior gets rewarded?
2. Reinforce it
Culture doesn't maintain itself. Create systems—rituals, committees, feedback loops—that reinforce what matters.
Kyle's team made culture part of the day-to-day, not just a retreat talking point.
Culture isn't internal. Let it show up in how you recruit, pitch, and onboard.
At CWC, culture helps retain talent, but it also closes deals.
What to Do If You Need a Culture Revolution
If you're leading a growing company and:
Your team has expanded, but alignment hasn't.
You're struggling to articulate why clients should stay after they buy.
You know your culture matters but haven't baked it into your content or messaging.
You need a culture refresh. Take these next steps today to turn your company's culture into a marketing asset:
Download the free Marketing Clarity Report
Book a call with Rogue Pine
Watch the full podcast with Kyle Ryan