The vibe we feel at work has a significant impact on culture. Whether we’re working on the vibe or not, it’s happening and either elevating or harming workplace culture. Vibecast is a podcast that inspires positive vibes at work through stories and lessons, both the positive and negative experiences, shared by exceptional leaders.
What does it take to grow a family business from a bootstrapped startup into a multi-generational operation, and how do you protect the family along the way? ✨
In this episode, Kristi Skutvik sits down with Shane Foye, President of DW-1, to explore his journey growing up inside his family’s waste management business and the pivotal moments that shaped his leadership. Shane shares how his father started the company after losing his job, the experience of having employees working out of their family home as a kid, and how he went from peeling potatoes and running summer shifts to building an ERP software and eventually stepping into the role of leading the core business. They discuss the challenges of navigating the G1-to-G2 succession, why Shane spent time learning from hundreds of family offices, and how developing a shared mission, vision, and values brought his family through some of their hardest seasons. Shane also opens up about the role art collecting has played in shaping the company’s culture and identity, and why intentionality and a willingness to learn are the keys to building something that lasts.
Additional Resources:
Follow Shane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-foye-663464bb/
Visit DW-1’s website: https://dw1.com/
Subscribe to Kristi’s YouTube for more Vibecast content: https://youtube.com/@kristiskutvik?si=ZzyIX7yyCRukXgNy
Learn more about Skutvik Consulting: https://www.skutvikconsulting.com/
Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peopleforward-network
Learn more about PeopleForward Network: https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/
Key Takeaways:
- Workplace vibe is an energy you can feel, and losing it means losing everything
- Building a family business requires balancing the needs of the family with the needs of the company
- The G1-to-G2 transition demands intentional governance, shared values, and multiple anchor points of trust
- Spending time learning from other family offices and going in without an agenda can reshape how you lead
- Intentionality and a willingness to learn are the foundation for building something that lasts beyond one generation
Kristi Skutvik
The vibe we feel at work has a significant impact on culture. Whether we’re working on the vibe or not, it’s happening and either elevating or harming workplace culture. Vibecast is a podcast that inspires positive vibes at work through stories and lessons, both the positive and negative experiences, shared by exceptional leaders in conversation with our Host, Kristi Skutvik. Kristi packages up key takeaways to help us take action steps that move the needle on employee engagement and the ultimate vibe we feel at work.