089: Wes Jones of Honeysuckle Gelato on Starting Small, Building Team Culture, and Taking Calculated Risks

Summary:

Whether you re starting your own business with limited resources, or leading a team at an established organization, a realistic vision and the right team members to buy into that vision will ensure an easier road ahead. Today, hosts Kevin Jennings and Shane Benson are joined by Wes Jones, co-owner of Atlanta-based Honeysuckle Gelato, who talk about Wes s journey from food truck to a permanent location and the steps he and his partners took to grow their business.

Welcome to episode 89 of the Executive Minds Podcast.

Links + Resources:

Plywood Presents

The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center

Honeysuckle Gelato

Three Takeaways:

• Define your core values. You have to understand the heart of your business and team before you can communicate that to those you lead and your consumers. Define what is important, and communicate clearly those values to everyone. Ask yourself, What problem am I solving? How is the culture here a part of solving that problem?

• Create margin. As a business owner or leader, there will always be more work to be done. That doesn t mean all of that work has to be done right away. Create boundaries in your workday and understand that everything cannot be done right now. Take a break to recharge creating mental space will give you the capacity to think about your business in a new way.

• Hire people who fit your culture. You want to work with people who not only understand your mission, but who are advocates for it. Take your time in hiring the right people sometimes being thorough with whom you hire makes all the difference in how people view your brand.

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