What if the key to explosive growth, happier employees, and loyal clients wasn't another marketing tactic — but something much simpler? In this episode of SoTellUs Time, hosts Trevor and Troy Howard uncover one of the most underrated business superpowers of all time: listening.
You'll discover how the world's most successful companies — from Microsoft to Starbucks, LEGO, Toyota, and Zappos — transformed their culture, customer loyalty, and profits by learning to truly hear what people were saying.
This episode breaks down exactly how to apply those same listening strategies inside your business — to increase team morale, drive innovation, and attract lifelong customers. Whether you're a small business owner, team leader, or entrepreneur, these lessons will change how you communicate forever.
⏱️ Episode Breakdown:
00:00 - Intro: The most profitable skill you're overlooking
01:00 - Why listening is a business superpower
03:00 - How listening transformed Microsoft's culture
05:00 - The hidden goldmine: listening to your employees
09:00 - How Ritz-Carlton, Toyota & Southwest turned feedback into millions
13:00 - Listening to clients: the key to retention and referrals
17:00 - What Starbucks, Netflix & small businesses do differently
21:00 - Listening to data & reviews like LEGO and Spotify
23:00 - Turning what you hear into powerful action steps
25:00 - The challenge: practice deep listening this week
💡 Key Takeaways:
-
Listening isn't passive — it's strategic awareness.
-
Employees are your greatest innovation source when you actually hear them.
-
Customers will tell you how to grow if you ask the right questions.
-
Data is your silent advisor — it's speaking volumes about what matters most.
-
True leaders turn what they hear into measurable action.
🚀 Featured Business Stories:
-
Microsoft's "Learn-It-All" transformation under Satya Nadella
-
Ritz-Carlton's $2,000 empowerment rule
-
Toyota's "Kaizen" idea system
-
Starbucks' crowd-sourced innovation platform
-
LEGO's revival through fan feedback
-
Zappos' customer-first culture
🎯 Who This Episode Is For:
-
Business owners & entrepreneurs
-
Mana
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.