The Power of Pillars: Why Your Foundation Matters

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🎧 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!

Check out my website: www.evokegreatness.com

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to Evoke Greatness.
We are officially entering yearthree of this podcast and I am
filled with so much gratitudefor each and every one of you
who've joined me on thisincredible journey of growth and
self-discovery.
I'm Sunny, your host and fellowtraveler on this path of
personal evolution.
This podcast is a sanctuary forthe curious, the ambitious and

(00:28):
the introspective.
It's for those of you who, likeme, are captivated by the
champion mindset and driven byan insatiable hunger for growth
and knowledge.
Whether you're just beginningyour journey or you're well
along your path, you're going tofind stories here that resonate
with your experiences andaspirations.
Over the last two years, we'veshared countless stories of
triumph and challenge, ofresilience and transformation.

(00:51):
We've laughed, we've reflectedand we've grown together.
And as we've evolved, so toohas this podcast.
Remember, no matter whatchapter you're on in your own
story, you belong here.
This community we've builttogether is a place of support,
inspiration and shared growth.
Where intention goes, energyflows, and the energy you bring

(01:13):
to this space elevates us all.
So, whether you're listeningwhile 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, Iinvite you to lean in, to listen

(01:36):
deeply and to let these storiesresonate with your soul.
I believe that a rising tideraises all ships, and I invite
you along in this journey toevoke greatness.
Hey everybody, welcome back toanother episode of Evoke

(02:01):
Greatness.
Happy Friday.
Today I want to share somethingwith 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 mightchange the way you're thinking
about building anythingmeaningful in your life.
So I had to take a trip acrosstown and as I'm headed back, I'm

(02:23):
driving down the street and Isee 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 stoneor wooden columns holding up the
roof of the patio, thehomeowners had used actual tree
trunks, Thick, sturdy trees thathad been specifically prepared

(02:45):
for this purpose.
That's when it hit me you seethose tree pillars.
They weren't just supporting apatio, they were telling a story
about authenticity and purpose.
Nature had spent years growingthose trees, making them strong
enough to bear the weight of anentire structure, and isn't that

(03:08):
exactly what we're doing in ourlives and businesses?
I hope I can break this down ina way that really resonates
with you.
Think about your life right now.
What are the pillars holding upyour personal roof?
I say that with air quotes,right?
Maybe it's your core valuesthat are holding that up.
Maybe it's your relationships,your health routine, your

(03:31):
professional skills, Just likethose tree pillars, these
elements weren't createdovernight.
They took time to develop, tomature, to strengthen and to
become reliable supports foreverything else you're building.
Now let me share something frommy professional journey.
I am in the business ofend-of-life care and let me tell

(03:55):
you, when your mission is to berock solid, there's no room for
weak supports.
So picture your business orproject as that patio.
Each pillar represents acritical element.

(04:18):
You've got your people.
Pillar Every single hire, everyteam member.
They're not just filling aposition, they're one of your
load-bearing supports.
One week hire doesn't justaffect their role.
It creates the opportunity tosend ripples throughout your

(04:38):
entire structure.
Think about your operations.
Pillar those day-to-dayprocesses.
They're not just procedures,they're the reinforcement that
keeps everything stable, andwhen they're clunky or they're
inefficient, it disrupts thewhole structure.
It can make the whole structurestart to shake and you've got

(05:01):
your leadership pillar.
This is like your centralsupport beam right.
If it is not perfectly alignedwith your mission and values,
everything else starts to tilt.
It can create everything elseto be off course.
I'll give you a real example.
Last month, we were facing achallenging situation with one

(05:22):
of our care protocols and I'lltell you, the easy route would
have been to make a quick fixand move on, but we had to ask
ourselves would this solutionalign with our pillar of
providing world-class care?
Would it support our missionlong-term?
That's a question that you haveto ask yourself.

(05:43):
Against any big process, anybig move, any big decision that
you make, Is this going to alignwith our pillar of providing
world-class care?
That's what we're askingourselves.
We ended up spending extra timeand resources to develop a more
comprehensive solution.
And was it harder?
Yes, Was it more expensiveinitially?
Was it harder?
Yes, Was it more expensiveinitially?

(06:04):
But here's the thing aboutpillars they're not about quick
fixes.
They're about creatinglong-term stability,
sustainability.
So here's what I want you to doafter this episode I want you to
take a walk around your ownbuilding site.
Again, air quotes right.
Look at your personal life oryour business and identify your

(06:26):
pillars.
Think about a couple of thesequestions, and I would ask you
to kind of get a littleintrospective on these.
Are these pillars strong enoughto support my dreams?
Are they strong enough tosupport my really big mission
that I'm working on?
Am I giving each pillar theattention it needs to grow and

(06:49):
strengthen?
And this one is one that I don'tthink people ask themselves
often enough when was the lasttime I inspected these pillars
for cracks or wear?
Sometimes we get so used todoing something that we just
keep doing it for the sake ofdoing it.
But how often are youinspecting how well that's

(07:10):
working, what kind of outcomesit's producing?
So what shape are your pillarsin?
Remember, whether you'rebuilding a patio, a business or
a life, the strength of yourstructure will never exceed the
strength of its pillars.
So you've got to choose themwisely, nurture them

(07:31):
consistently and neverunderestimate their importance.
At the end of the day, we'reall architects of our own
futures, and the pillars that wechoose today, they're going to
determine what we can buildtomorrow.
So if there's one thing that Iwant you to take away from this
episode.
It's this your pillars aren'tjust support structures.

(07:52):
They are the embodiment of yourvalues, your decisions and your
commitment to excellence, somake sure you're treating them
that way.
So that's it for today'sepisode.
Just wanted to hop on and kindof share this perspective that I
got when driving down the roadand taking a look at a
fascinating patio.

(08:12):
I've had pillars on my mind alot as I'm in the process of
working with an amazing teambuilding something really big,
really meaningful.
So if this resonates with you,I hope you'd share it with
someone who's building somethingmeaningful in their life.
Until next time, keep buildingstrong.

(08:34):
Thank you so much for listeningand for being here on this
journey with me.
I hope you'll stick around Ifyou liked this episode.
It would mean the world for meif you would rate and review the
podcast or share it withsomeone you know Many need to
hear this message.
I love to hear from you all andwant 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 hitthe big old orange button and

(08:56):
record your message.
I love the feedback andcomments that I've been getting,
so please keep them coming.
I'll leave you with the wisewords of author Robin Sharma
Greatness comes by doing a fewsmall and smart things each and
every day.
It comes from taking littlesteps consistently.
It comes from making a fewsmall chips against everything

(09:18):
in your professional andpersonal life that is ordinary,
so that a day eventually arriveswhen all that's left is the
extraordinary.