Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an HR nerd. I love finding out what makes people and organizations tick. It has been something I have been doing for a long time and really enjoy. I live in South Carolina where I enjoy the warm weather year-round to do things like stand-up paddleboarding and coaching my kids’ sports teams.
This is my first book. I have enjoyed writing for years and saw a lot of companies that really struggled to create the type of place people actually enjoy working. I wanted to share what I found at the “best-in-class” companies with the rest of the world.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ping-Pong is Not a Strategy: How to Create an Awesome Organizational Culture
We had an employee come to work for us once and she told me that they had a ping-pong table at their office and would get in trouble if they ever used it!
This is not an uncommon theme. Many organizations pretend to have a great culture when it is really about the bottom line and not about the people. I wanted to share what a truly great culture looks like. I have had the good fortune of working with thousands of companies over the years and getting a unique view of what works and what doesn’t.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I actually enjoy writing at my office desk. Most people talk about how they need to go to some special place where they can focus. I enjoy writing first thing in the morning at my office desk.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many! I love non-fiction so books like Zero to One, The Magic of Thinking Big, The Four Hour Work Week, and many more. I read about two books a month on average and tend to read the same books multiple times.