Building a business is a creative act, but few of us realize when we start out that we are creating, not only a company, but a culture. That’s because it’s usually not planned; it just happens. While everybody is focusing on something else – making sales, providing service, paying bills, sending out invoices and so on – a little community springs up, and it has its own unspoken customs, traditions, modes of dress and speech, and rules of behavior. By the time you become aware of it, the culture is often well established. You can only hope that you’ll like it. Why? Because it will probably be a reflection of your personality.
    That’s what happened with Norm’s first company, Perfect Courier, which had a culture that could be generously described as “tough but fair”. But when Elaine became Vice-President of Human Resources for their second company, CitiStorage, she began to change the culture. Customers noticed the difference. They said that CitiStorage’s employees seemed happier than its competitors’ employees, that they smiled more and went out of their way to be helpful. It didn’t take Norm long, to conclude that CitiStorage would be better off with Elaine’s culture than with his. In this session, you’ll learn how Elaine, with Norm’s support, transformed the company’s culture, turning CitiStorage into the most employee-friendly business in its industry.

    Our Speakers: Elaine Brodsky is co-owner and vice-president of CitiStorage, a columnist for Inc.com, and a “Small Giant”-and proud of it. Norm Brodsky, founder of CitiStorage and author of the popular Street Smarts column in Inc. www.citistorage.com