Skills Over Titles: What REALLY Makes a Business Work

Early Business Worries: Not Just About Dollars

If you own a business or are thinking about starting one, you know exactly what I mean when I say those early years are a little...intense. Looking back, some of my top worries weren’t always about the numbers. I was more concerned about time, was I working too much? Not enough? Missing out on my kids? Kim said basically the exact same thing: it was that constant see-saw between being at work and being present at home.

Meanwhile, Tom cracked us up with his “bank drama,” all over a $600 loan. (If you’ve ever had a small-town bank or grumpy loan officer, you probably felt that story in your bones.) Sometimes, you’ve gotta break a few so-called “rules” to survive in business. And yeah, sometimes that changes family tradition!

You Can’t Fake Reliability (And Most of Us Suck at Listening)

One thing I’ve learned after hiring way too many people over the years: you can’t fake reliability. I’d trade ten “perfect résumés” for one person who actually follows through, hands down. Tom nailed it, when you have someone on your team that you don’t have to “babysit,” life just gets so much easier.

But here’s one that surprised both Kim and me: listening well is hard. I mean, really listening. We both bombed the first time we took a listening skills test, which is humbling if you think you’re a people person! Turns out most workplace miscommunication is because we kind of tune each other out, not in.

People Skills vs. Technical Skills: They Aren’t Equal (And That’s Okay)

I can teach (almost) anyone to work the register or scoop a perfect cone. Way harder? Teaching someone to manage a team or de-escalate a heated moment on a Saturday night. As Kim put it, technical stuff can usually be broken down into steps, “put part A in slot B” but people? People are messy. There’s no Playbook.

That’s why I love watching someone who comes in with solid people skills, maybe from a sports team, maybe just a family where they had to learn. They move up so much faster. And, if they can also fix a shake machine? Even better.

Why All Those Titles Don’t Mean Squat

Inside the store, titles don’t make you a leader. If someone’s actually guiding the team, motivating people and solving problems, everyone knows, even if their “official” position doesn’t reflect it. I’ve lost count of how often the real leader in a group was someone without the title.

Sure, we need titles for banks, the SBA, or when buying stuff and sometimes titles motivate the younger crew (I laughed with Tom about that), but let’s be honest: you gotta act like a leader before anyone bothers to call you one. And most of the best do it quietly, long before the pay raise or business card change.

For the record, I’m still voting for “Goddess” as Kim’s job title, but Dairy Queen corporate never bit!

Build, Don’t Just “Boss”

Bottom line: Focus on the basics. Show up, follow through, listen for real, and treat people like humans. Don’t chase titles, chase growth, for yourself and your team. Build on what people already have, and don’t be afraid to let the truly great ones shine (even if they don’t ask for the spotlight).

If you take care of your people, the rest usually falls into place, even if your title is just “the person who gets stuff done.”

Thanks for reading and be sure to listen in if you want to hear more stories behind the scenes!

Check out the full episode right here and make sure to read our other blogs on our website!