The Power of Pillars: Why Your Foundation Matters

🎧 Episode 153:  The Power of Pillars: Why Your Foundation Matters 

You know those moments when everyday things suddenly hit you with profound wisdom? That's exactly what happened when I drove past a house that stopped me in my tracks. Here's why this random patio changed the way I think about building anything meaningful in life...

Discover:

• Why one weak hire can shake your entire organizational structure
• The hidden cost of "quick fix" solutions in building lasting success
• How misaligned leadership creates ripple effects throughout your team
• A revolutionary approach to inspecting your foundation before cracks appear
• The truth about building world-class operations - and why efficiency isn't enough

🔑 Game-Changing Insights:

• The real reason operational processes fail (hint: it's not about the procedures)
• How nature's wisdom can transform your approach to building strong foundations
• Why traditional "quick fix" solutions keep you stuck
• The counterintuitive approach to leadership alignment that prevents organizational tilt
• A daily practice for strengthening your personal and professional pillars

💡Sonnie's Parting Wisdom: 

"The strength of your structure will never exceed the strength of its pillars. Choose them wisely, nurture them consistently, and never underestimate their importance." 

"Your pillars aren't just support structures. They are the embodiment of your values, your decisions, and your commitment to excellence."

📚 Key Questions to Consider:

• Are your pillars strong enough to support your dreams?
• When was the last time you inspected your foundations for wear?
• Is your leadership pillar truly aligned with your mission and values?

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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Chapters

• 0:05 Building Strong Pillars for Success
• 8:34 Spreading Inspiration and Encouragement

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Welcome to Evoke Greatness. We are officially entering year three of this podcast and I am filled with so much gratitude for each and every one of you who've joined me on this incredible journey of growth and self-discovery. I'm Sunny, your host and fellow traveler on this path of personal evolution. This podcast is a sanctuary for the curious, the ambitious and the introspective. It's for those of you who, like me, are captivated by the champion mindset and driven by an insatiable hunger for growth and knowledge. Whether you're just beginning your journey or you're well along your path, you're going to find stories here that resonate with your experiences and aspirations. Over the last two years, we've shared countless stories of triumph and challenge, of resilience and transformation. We've laughed, we've reflected and we've grown together. And as we've evolved, so too has this podcast. Remember, no matter what chapter you're on in your own story, you belong here. This community we've built together is a place of support, inspiration and shared growth. Where intention goes, energy flows, and the energy you bring to this space elevates us all. So, whether you're listening while commuting, working out or enjoying your morning coffee, perhaps from one of those motivational mugs I'm so fond of, know that you're a part of something special. Thank you for being here. Thank you for your curiosity, your openness and your commitment to personal growth. As we embark on year three, I invite you to lean in, to listen deeply and to let these stories resonate with your soul. I believe that a rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along in this journey to evoke greatness. Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode of Evoke Greatness. Happy Friday.

Speaker 1: 2:03

Today I want to share something with you that literally stopped me in my tracks the other day. It's pillars. Before you think I've lost it, hear me out, because I'm really hopeful that this just might change the way you're thinking about building anything meaningful in your life. So I had to take a trip across town and as I'm headed back, I'm driving down the street and I see this beautiful home with a patio that catches my eye. It's not your typical patio. It's not your typical setup. Instead of those classic stone or wooden columns holding up the roof of the patio, the homeowners had used actual tree trunks, Thick, sturdy trees that had been specifically prepared for this purpose. That's when it hit me you see those tree pillars. They weren't just supporting a patio, they were telling a story about authenticity and purpose. Nature had spent years growing those trees, making them strong enough to bear the weight of an entire structure, and isn't that exactly what we're doing in our lives and businesses? I hope I can break this down in a way that really resonates with you.

Speaker 1: 3:16

Think about your life right now. What are the pillars holding up your personal roof? I say that with air quotes, right? Maybe it's your core values that are holding that up. Maybe it's your relationships, your health routine, your professional skills, Just like those tree pillars, these elements weren't created overnight. They took time to develop, to mature, to strengthen and to become reliable supports for everything else you're building.

Speaker 1: 3:49

Now let me share something from my professional journey. I am in the business of end-of-life care and let me tell you, when your mission is to be rock solid, there's no room for weak supports. So picture your business or project as that patio. Each pillar represents a critical element. You've got your people. Pillar Every single hire, every team member. They're not just filling a position, they're one of your load-bearing supports. One week hire doesn't just affect their role. It creates the opportunity to send ripples throughout your entire structure. Think about your operations. Pillar those day-to-day processes. They're not just procedures, they're the reinforcement that keeps everything stable, and when they're clunky or they're inefficient, it disrupts the whole structure. It can make the whole structure start to shake and you've got your leadership pillar. This is like your central support beam right. If it is not perfectly aligned with your mission and values, everything else starts to tilt. It can create everything else to be off course.

Speaker 1: 5:17

I'll give you a real example. Last month, we were facing a challenging situation with one of our care protocols and I'll tell you, the easy route would have been to make a quick fix and move on, but we had to ask ourselves would this solution align with our pillar of providing world-class care? Would it support our mission long-term? That's a question that you have to ask yourself. Against any big process, any big move, any big decision that you make, Is this going to align with our pillar of providing world-class care? That's what we're asking ourselves. We ended up spending extra time and resources to develop a more comprehensive solution. And was it harder? Yes, Was it more expensive initially? Was it harder? Yes, Was it more expensive initially? But here's the thing about pillars they're not about quick fixes. They're about creating long-term stability, sustainability.

Speaker 1: 6:19

So here's what I want you to do after this episode I want you to take a walk around your own building site. Again, air quotes right. Look at your personal life or your business and identify your pillars. Think about a couple of these questions, and I would ask you to kind of get a little introspective on these. Are these pillars strong enough to support my dreams? Are they strong enough to support my really big mission that I'm working on? Am I giving each pillar the attention it needs to grow and strengthen?

Speaker 1: 6:51

And this one is one that I don't think people ask themselves often enough when was the last time I inspected these pillars for cracks or wear? Sometimes we get so used to doing something that we just keep doing it for the sake of doing it. But how often are you inspecting how well that's working, what kind of outcomes it's producing? So what shape are your pillars in? Remember, whether you're building a patio, a business or a life, the strength of your structure will never exceed the strength of its pillars. So you've got to choose them wisely, nurture them consistently and never underestimate their importance. At the end of the day, we're all architects of our own futures, and the pillars that we choose today, they're going to determine what we can build tomorrow.

Speaker 1: 7:45

So if there's one thing that I want you to take away from this episode. It's this your pillars aren't just support structures. They are the embodiment of your values, your decisions and your commitment to excellence, so make sure you're treating them that way. So that's it for today's episode. Just wanted to hop on and kind of share this perspective that I got when driving down the road and taking a look at a fascinating patio. I've had pillars on my mind a lot as I'm in the process of working with an amazing team building something really big, really meaningful. So if this resonates with you, I hope you'd share it with someone who's building something meaningful in their life. Until next time, keep building strong.

Speaker 1: 8:34

Thank you so much for listening and for being here on this journey with me. I hope you'll stick around If you liked this episode. It would mean the world for me if you would rate and review the podcast or share it with someone you know Many need to hear this message. I love to hear from you all and want you to know that you can leave me a voicemail directly. If you go to my website, evokegreatnesscom, and go to the contact me tab, you'll just hit the big old orange button and record your message. I love the feedback and comments that I've been getting, so please keep them coming. I'll leave you with the wise words of author Robin Sharma Greatness comes by doing a few small and smart things each and every day. It comes from taking little steps consistently. It comes from making a few small chips against everything in your professional and personal life that is ordinary, so that a day eventually arrives when all that's left is the extraordinary.