A company that makes, installs and maintains piping systems in some of the hottest and most challenging environments in the world has created a work culture that should inspire any of us who work in less hazardous spaces.

I spoke with Andrew Goodwin, president of Professional Piping Systems on this week’s DesuckifyWork® podcast. People love working for this company. Retention is high, career growth is open to all and the team seems to genuinely enjoy each other.

They’ve cracked the code on Desuckifying Work and the good news is, it’s not all that complicated.

It starts by knowing who you are. They have a BAMF mentality (Bad Ass Mother-Effer) and invite anyone who wants a piece of that to join them. Word gets around.

They give a crap about their team. They invest in them, with real training dollars and consistent engagement from the top of the organization.

They create an actual process to help people learn and grow. They bring junior folks in through an apprentice program that pays people to learn on the job. Imagine that? And they have a train two, promote one policy that encourages folks to pass their knowledge along so they can enable their own advancement.

Lastly, they have fun. Dirt bike and side-by-side groups meet up on the weekends. They share inside jokes. They don’t take themselves so seriously.

I half-joked that PPS should create a separate arm that trains other companies on how to build a winning culture.

But seriously, they should.

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Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way.

(If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.)

Let the desuckifying begin.

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You can follow Andrew on LinkedIn. And check out his company’s site at ppsphx.com.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to find some calm in the chaos of work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type “meow” in the calendar invite and I’ll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt!

Bye, everyone!

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Bonus question from Andrew to our audience:For people who have been working with a company for five plus years, what’s the reason you stayed? Is it pay? Is it culture? Is it something beyond that? Is it that you’re afraid to change?

If you’d like to watch this episode on YouTube, please click here.

Who are you on your best day? What about your worst?Be honest.

Brad Farris, engineer turned leadership coach, took me through this exercise on this week’s DesuckifyWork® podcast. And it’s pretty wild. Here are my results:Best Day:CuriousLovingEnergeticCompassionate

Worst Day:Closed MindedStubbornCrankyShut Down

What’s fascinating is how much the two sides relate to each other. curious vs. closed minded, energetic vs. shut down, etc.

We all have these continuums that we live across. And the key is not to dismiss the “bad” side. We’re human. It’s to find ways to show up on the good side more consistently.

The way we get there is so simple And yet the steps can seem damn near impossible sometimes.

🐱 Get a good night’s sleep🐱 Exercise regularly🐱 Unpack your calendar

How’d you do on those over the past week?

If we can crack this code on this stuff, we’ll show up better at work, at home and whenever else we spend our time. And maybe solve some of the challenges that feel so overwhelming when we’re not at our best.

Unless you’re good with how things are right now. In which case, can I have some of whatever it is you’re smoking?

Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way.

(If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.)

Let the desuckifying begin.

You can follow Brad on LinkedIn. And check out anchoradvisors.com to learn more about his executive coaching work and take his self-leadership assessment.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to find some calm in the chaos of work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type “meow” in the calendar invite and I’ll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt!

Bye, everyone!

Bonus question from Brad to our audience:How are you creating your best day or allowing your worst day?

If you’d like to watch this episode on YouTube, please click here.

The idea that corporate jobs aren’t physically taxing is a myth.

In many cases they are literally killing us. In almost all, they are taking an often invisible toll on our bodies, creating illness and injury through repeated assaults on our nervous systems.

Ridiculous timelines, insane expectations, ever-changing market pressures, unstable economic forces. It’s a lot.

“Hey, at least I’m not out there shoveling crap every day.” Sure. But your body (and mind, and soul) are still taking a beating.

Sarah Dawkins experienced this firsthand during her career as a nurse. It nearly broke her. Until a colleague helped her see a way through her chronic pain and depression.

Today, she works as a holistic health coach and wrote a book called “Heal Yourself” that shows how she and many others have found a way to fully heal.

My favorite insight? The idea that “little t” traumas can have just as much impact as major ones. The body doesn’t lie. If something has caused us pain, it’s going to affect us, often for decades.

The only way out is through. Acknowledge the pain and heal the root cause. A great way to start is by simply sitting quietly and noticing what you’re feeling in your body. Ask what those feelings are trying to tell you. Your inner wisdom is often smarter than the noise in your head.

If all of this sounds a bit woo, I get it. I’m about the least woo guy you’ll ever meet. But this stuff just makes sense to me. I’ve done some of the work and it actually works. It’s not magic. It’s giving yourself access to a power that many of us have shut down for decades.

If you’re feeling that weight of the world right now, isn’t it worth a try?

Welcome to the DesuckifyWork® podcast. The show where we cut through the BS and find ways to make work more fun, more human and less ridiculous. All of which makes your business more profitable, by the way.

(If you enjoy this one, please like, share, rate, review or subscribe to the podcast.)

Let the desuckifying begin.

You can follow Sarah on LinkedIn. And check out her site at sarahdawkins.com where you can learn more about her book and the amazing work she’s doing.

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like to find some calm in the chaos of work, I invite you to schedule a free half-hour discovery session. Type “meow” in the calendar invite and I’ll also send you a free DesuckifyWork® t-shirt!

Bye, everyone!

Bonus question from Sarah to our audience:Take a moment and be with your body and just check in and find a space that maybe feels heavier or darker or lighter or give it a shape or a color, but somewhere that feels different. And then ask that place, what is it that you need or what are you trying to tell me?

If you’d like to watch this episode on YouTube, please click here.