Peter Husak is the founder/owner of Team Pikes Peak serving as CEO running three businesses. He uses spiritual wisdom based on unconditional love to run his company. Just executing a good business plan wasn't enough. Pete developed core values reflecting his spiritual insight to bring out the best of his employees' talents. Hear how he measures company performance with tangible and intangible ways. By the end of the show you'll want to work with Pete!
Host: Michael Sipe - Business Vitality Catalyst
https://www.sipecoaching.com
https://linkedin.com/in/michael-sipe-consulting
Peter Husak -Team Pikes Peak, LLC
https://linkedin.com/in/peter-husak-63b2091
Peter Husak is the founder/owner of Team Pikes Peak serving as CEO running three businesses. He uses spiritual wisdom based on unconditional love to run his company. Just executing a good business plan wasn't enough. Pete developed core values reflecting his spiritual insight to bring out the best of his employees' talents. Hear how he measures company performance with tangible and intangible ways. By the end of the show you'll want to work with Pete!
Host: Michael Sipe - Business Vitality Catalyst
https://www.sipecoaching.com
https://linkedin.com/in/michael-sipe-consulting
Peter Husak -Team Pikes Peak, LLC
https://linkedin.com/in/peter-husak-63b2091
Michael: 0:02
You're listening to the business with universal love show with real experiences of the spiritual realm united with the world of business, hosted by Michael Sipe. Whether you are in the business of providing products and services for customers in the business of serving the people or in the business of protecting people, this podcast show is for you. We explore how executives bring spirituality to their people and uncover both tangible and the intangible benefits of creating a soul filled workplace where people love coming to work. Now on to the show.
Michael: 0:41
Hey, folks, today we're interviewing Peak Husak, who is a CEO and owner of a small business in Colorado Springs. In this inspiring show, you will learn from Pete how he has broken some of the traditional corporate dynamics that plague CEOs and instead created company culture centered around valuing each other as an expression of unconditional love. His spiritual insights on running a company are priceless and provide great lessons for you to apply to your own business. Enjoy the interview. It's a good one for your soul.
Michael: 1:21
Welcome Pete. You've got a great business today. You run an office furniture and installation service for companies, organizations for schools that cover state Colorado and a few other states, and you have a drywall installation business as well. So as we talk a little bit about spirituality and expression of love and the workforce, tell me a little bit about how you got started in your business and how you got going
Michael: 1:44
Pete: 1:44
Well out of college, I worked for Xerox Corporation for about nine years and was a sales guy and then, eventually kind of a manager for that company. And my original sales manager at Xerox called me out of the blue and hired me to run the Colorado Springs Office Escapes location as the general manager and along the way kind of learned that I really enjoyed the entrepreneurial part of the business. And so along the way we started a flooring business called floors and a structure cabling business called Leak Blinks and an audiovisual company called ANSI that eventually kind of blended into Linx. And then, along the way, got into the school furniture business versus just traditional Steelcase dealer where now that's the largest part of the furniture businesses outfitting K through 12 schools in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming that's now probably 60 70% of the business. And then, along the way, started a paper company called Paper Hive, which was the only failure and then started AdvantEdge Drywall in 2010 which now amazingly, employs 100 people. And they are a structural steel acoustical ceiling drywall commercial subcontractor that works with general contractors in the southern Colorado area. And then just cause I really enjoy it, there's a separate business called Pistol Pete Auctions, which is I'm an auctioneer. And so Saturday night I put on the tuxedo on to do galas four schools and nonprofits around mostly Denver and Colorado Springs.
Michael: 3:29
Well, that's quite an accomplishment there with different businesses and learning from that and you've been able to provide that kind of product and services locally within Colorado and then elsewhere. You talked about, you know, you kind of over time grew a little bit. When exactly did you switch over from, you know, being a rep here to actually owning your own business?
Pete: 3:47
So I started with Officescapes in 1996 was actually a partner of the whole business that included Fort Collins, Denver and Colorado Springs, the one that I ran. And then in 2008, wonderful timing. I bought the Colorado Springs location, which included the school business. And that parent legal company is called Teen Pikes Peak, which owns Officescapes Schools and AdvantEdge drywall.
Michael: 4:16
So what would you say are some of your biggest lessons you've learned in being an owner?
Pete: 4:20
One of the biggest things, really, starting in the late nineties met a guy named Verne Harnish that was with Gazelles and learned from him that really, in terms of the planning for the company, using a planning pyramid which starts with core values and then the CEOs purpose and then kind of the big, hairy, audacious goal and the 3 to 5 year goals, annual goals and then quarterly, monthly, weekly and even daily activities that move the business. And so that's really the kind of the planning pyramid, if you will, for the business planning. But one of the biggest parts that I learned from all of that is those core values and therefore the culture of the company. And so the purpose of the company is to harness the gifts of our people, so they shine. People have these innate gifts. And if you're able to harness those gifts, or if you're able to really expose those gifts, then that makes them happy because they're naturally great at it. And then they're able to shine both in the community and to their customers. It's kind of, Ah, family environment. People like to come to work because they like the people.
Michael: 5:38
Yeah, well, you had a lot of success, and I'll ask you a little bit more about what that's looked like. You talk, too. Obviously, about sort of the core values the company. And then you talked about some spiritual values of harnessing people's gift, and that that it's innate to them. Not many companies, you know, look at people that were their workforce that way. How impactful do you think it's been for your company? Toe? Have those kinds of values for the employees,
Pete: 6:03
you know, it makes him feel good that they're appreciated, and I think it's also just one of those things where you can see it in them. It's just so important to just try to pull that out of them. If they don't really see it. I tell him A lot of times like we just had a large interview for a large project, and I told him, Don't be nervous, Just be yourself because that's what people are buying their buying, your expertise, your knowledge, your experience and so just be yourself and tell him what you do. I don't feel like you have to be somebody other than yourself. Be the opposite, be exactly yourself and show those gifts because they're going to see it, you know. And so it's fun for me over the years, you know, you just kind of get out of the way. Same thing on the dry, well side of the business. We have 100 guys, and over 10 years there's been probably half of the number of people that we have have been kind of that core group that have stuck with us over thick and thin for a long haul. And we've just learned that that really promoting from within is the way to go because they get what we do get the culture. It's funny, you just kind of naturally say they're one of us, you know, and we've hired people from the outside and they sometimes they work out just fine But it's amazing how, when things get tough, the people that have been with us for a long time just roll up their sleeves and make it happen. So it's just a difference. I get that cultural side, you know, we have a lot of people that outside people would consider our, you know, different nationalities. Or, you know, they don't speak English as a first language, etcetera. But I just love those guys. They're all legal. They're all either have a green Carter U. S citizens. They're already verified all that stuff. But at the same time, they're just so good at what they do. And they're such good people in such hard workers that it's just been really fun to provide benefits and vacation time and things to help them. It's been really enjoyable to watch people go from just being a laborer to being a form and running a crew and watching them develop a family and buy a house. And that's been really fun toe watch. So that's been good.
Michael: 8:24
Yeah, I'm sure there's a certain amount of satisfaction from your perspective to say, Hey, we hired these people a while ago. I saw some talent that they had. And I think they'll sit our culture and then you've been rewarded by seeing that actual growth. So you see it obviously here within the company and you see a little bit outside in terms of community you talked about. How about your customers? How are they benefiting from this perspective you have with your please? Yeah, it's really
Pete: 8:52
interesting. I would say a big part of the success is the customers that have seen that. But I will tell you that there are customers out there that are culture just doesn't match with. They just want to buy the cheapest thing out there. And they just want to grind you into salt those air, not the kind of customers that we really get along with, and you kind of shrug your shoulders and just move on. But I would say most of the customers see the value of our people. It works out really well.
Michael: 9:19
Yeah, it sounds like you're saying that you have a great deal of trust in your employees to execute the core values and planning pyramid you established. And then you see that in terms of the outgrowth
Pete: 9:32
wolf, that's absolutely right. And so it is one of those things where you absolutely just need to let your people do their thing. For instance, with the sales people, I do meet with them individually every other week and just check in tow, give him guidance or whatever, and they're used to that kind of flow. And so I would say a lot of those meetings or huddles are really set up from a cadence perspective. But yeah, the ideas toe let them do their thing and get out of their way. And I think they really feel enabled to make decisions on behalf of the company. And obviously that does take that trust to build that and to give them that trust. And I think they really appreciate that. I've got a guy that's been with us for longer than me, but he's been with the company for 37 years, and that's exactly what he says is. That's what he likes about working. Here is the fact that he could just do its thing, and he's also just fabulous, you know, and so there's not a lot I need to do. Some of them also can learn from each other in terms of what they're really great skills are. Yeah, you
Michael: 10:34
know, when you talked about the strengths and weaknesses of the employees and helping each other out. Seems like they've developed a good sense of camaraderie and collaboration, which makes them, of course, flexible and being able to adapt toe downturns or things like that and come across. But I would also imagine that there's probably a certain amount of creativity that gets fostered with that kind of environment, where they're not feeling at that, made a certain deadline or goal. The time that they can kind of open up their Apertura little bit and look around at what's going on.
Pete: 11:02
That's really true. I mean, I don't hover over them. You know, I think they like working with me, because over all these years I've learned that being brought up a Xerox. I'm kind of a junk yard dog, new business development, kind of sales guys. So I do two things. I run the company and watch the numbers and do all the business side of it. But I'm also the biggest cheerleader. I'm the new business development guy out in the car, driving around, digging up deals and then I feed them. So they're actually pretty lucky because they love the fact that there's quite a few deals that I'm spoon feeding to them. And I use the scout versus Hunter analogy. You know, I'm kind of the scout. I point to the elk and tell them to shoot it, and then they have to shoot it, cut it up, bring it back so we can all eat. So that's kind of a weird analogy, but that's kind of how it works. So it helps me understand really what's going on in the marketplace, and it helps me kind of guide the company to. Here's the pitfalls. Here's the customers we do want to chairs. Here's the customers we don't want to chase. Here's the relationships we really one of foster. And so I do spend a lot of time with the key people that feed us. And so I refer to those new best friends. And so I met them years ago, and they were new best friends, and now they continue to be best friends, and you just foster those relationships. But there are so many people that feed our business because they appreciate what we do. And so we just love those guys. Sure, those people. So
Michael: 12:32
one of the things that people do tend to understand is the idea of unconditional love. And when we talk about camaraderie within the workforce, so we talk about the relationships with customers, that there's kind of this respect or this valuing each other. And how accurate do you think it is to say that kind of value is an outgrowth of an unconditional love that you're setting the example
Pete: 12:54
for? Yeah, No, absolutely, You know, love in the sense that it comes with trust. But in some ways kind of being that manager is a little bit like being a parent. But at the same time, it's different in the sense that you're really standing back and letting them do their thing. But But, yeah, there are times where they'll make a mistake. You know, we've made bad mistakes sometimes, and, you know, I'll say to him, I don't care as long as Kim is still here. You know, I don't really care about the mistake, you know, and that makes him feel good. You lick your wounds and you move onto the next one. But you know they'll never do that again, right? So there are some learnings from that. It's love with principal. I would call it. It's having that unconditional love and supporting that group that supports your culture and so forth. But at the same time, it's guiding it strongly in the sense that that principle side that they know you're taking it in the right direction, you know? So especially in the good and bad times, you know, I describe it like the weather. Hey, you know, we're facing a storm right now or we've got the wind in our back and we are balloon and going, so just keep rolling. You know, this is good. This is going to get, um it's the tough times that really air. The important times where you say, OK, this is like sailing and super rocky seas that rain's coming down and yeah, now it's time to batten down the hatches And so hold on. But yeah, it's kind of crazy
Michael: 14:20
as far as how you want to remember your rule. If you will s CEO owner of the business, how often do you think about a legacy? And what would that look like? Free or you.
Pete: 14:32
You know, it kind of goes along with our big, hairy, audacious goal. You know, in the school side, it's been really fun talking about, you know, love is fun toe watch students in the environments and the inspirational spaces where we're providing collaborative, moveable, flexible learning spaces. These kids, they're thriving in it. And just over the last few years, I mean again, there's been kind of this Beiber kind of this change that's occurring in the faces of these kids. And so I kind of wrote this mantra two or three years ago that we want to impact 400,000 kids in Colorado between now and 2030. And so it didn't about so much, you know, kind of changes the rules a little bit. It's not like Okay, we want to do X $1,000,000 worth of business. It's not necessarily that, Okay, we want to stab and when every to go hunt and stab every deal out there. It's just were trying to tell our customers that there is this great cool thing that our folks are able to do. There's this mojo that we're bringing to schools that is impacting kiddos. Call it a 5% 10% 20% change. It's a change that we're able to impact. And that's been really fun to deliver that story, to say. We want to help these kids cause we're moving the needle. Eso That's the idea.
Michael: 15:50
Yeah, well, that's great that you're seeing that there's a value. Been moving that needle on one of the things that executives leaders struggle with this, you know, they're tangible results, and then they're intangible results. And so the tangible results are obviously the bottom line, the profit margin, things like that growth rates. And yet the intangible is you kind of talked about a little bit. There is seeing the impact on the kids, and it doesn't show up on your bottom line that kids test scores were better there dropout rates or less. Or, you know, it's a nice thing to have, but it's hard toe. Quantify that or qualifying.
Pete: 16:22
Yeah, but you're always as good as your last job. So as long as the superintendent is telling the next superintendent, that's about to do the project that geez, these guys not only did a great job, but our kids love this stuff. There's a product that we provide that hasn't had a service colony for 10 years. And it was interesting to hear out of the superintendent's mouth that her telling another superintendent, Hey, they look exactly the same as the day we bottom and that's part of that expertise that my folks provide is we have vented after all these years. We really vetted all these products, invented all these processes to the point where we know what works and doesn't work. And we know the impact that it can have. And you see it on the test scores and you see it on the kids face. And I love when I got a note from Deer Trail, Colorado, Little rural town out of east on the jack with his cowboy boots on in a big belt buckle on and his hair jelled up in the front. And they said, Jacque has never read like he's read in the chair that you provided. You think it's a little thing, but when you're making that kind of difference, it really makes you happy, you know?
Michael: 17:30
Yeah, you know, congratulations for one, seeing the impact that that has in an intangible way and then getting some tangible results in terms of like a letter comment. How much does that motivate you, Teoh Continue to grow your business because you've been doing it for a while?
Pete: 17:47
Yeah, The part that motivates me, I think, is that I grew up in Chicago and just dreamed about moving to Colorado. And so the day after high school graduation, I loaded my 1966 Ford pickup with a program Rio sticker on the bumper and and drove to Colorado and never left. So I feel like I'm living my dream every day. And so to impact the West and retain that frontier spirit and to impact kids, to inspire them and to make them better people and to really impact the next two generations is what we're really focused on doing. That's huge. You know, Teoh, impact that community and move those kids to the next level. That's big, you know. I mean, I love doing the front range stuff in Colorado in the larger cities, but I just love doing the rural areas because you can move the needle so much out there. They're just used to nothing. And when you have this inspiring space and these kids come in and they just can't believe it. And they feel like they're so special that they've got this new school that they're moving into. And that's super fun. Thes rural communities. It's the school and its the post office, and it's the one restaurant that kind of make up the town. And so the school is kind of the center of that community, and so it's pretty fun to impact those rural communities.
Michael: 19:08
Yeah, here a lot success, action,
Pete: 19:10
You get Superfund. I love that. And then you know what? Like I said before on the drywall side, it's really I mean, these guys just really are good at what they dio and just fun to see their smiles and the fact that they feel like we've really done a good job. We're not yelling and screaming at him like so many other construction companies. We expect a lot and we expect hard work and we expect professional work and we want to be the largest in town. But it's those guys that air producing and to see their smiles and see their expertise, and they are protecting the company and protecting us from the bad people that might join the company because they appreciate the fact that we've given him good pay, a good environment, benefits, vacation time and all the tools that they need etcetera. And so I think they think that that's a really replace to be. So I love to watch them protect the company and embrace the company, because that's exactly what we want to do. Is well,
Michael: 20:12
yeah, you know, one of the things that CEOs across the country, you know, struggle with IHS hiring and retaining top talent. And what I've heard from you is there's a certain amount of family camaraderie within the group and that protective of the company. Yeah, kind of mentality that that one has a role to play in hiring talent and retaining talent. Yeah, it sounds like it's going on
Pete: 20:37
well, the hiring process is obviously super important, and everybody does it differently. But depending on the role, I mean what people get a little war out because we'll have five or six people interview this person, and I like to interview them in different environments to not just in the office, but maybe at a restaurant for launcher or maybe at a different site. so we can see what kind of person they are. You know, just watching them interact with a waitress at a diner is amazing to see if they hold the door open to see if they our courteous to see if they're just good people. But usually the people that were talking to you, we've been watching from afar anyway. Or we've heard about him. Or we can call people that we know that no, them etcetera. And so we just want to make sure that they are a good fit. But these people are brutal because of the culture. If we make a mistake, it is uncanny how all of a sudden it's like, Oh, boy, I mean, they don't say anything, but they're pretty rough on him in terms of Oh, yeah, this is the wrong fit. I mean, they're just super open about it, which doesn't happen a lot. But obviously, if you hire a good one, it's so fun for them. They'll say to me immediately, Oh, yeah, there one of us,
Michael: 21:51
Yeah, there's a certain amount of attraction out. There were same kind of people. Some kind of viewpoints and attitudes kind of draw each other together. Yeah, and it feeds on off of each other. Totally well, as we get here to the end, any other words of wisdom is this will have a share. I think
Pete: 22:07
the other thing is a business owner. I think that it's super important to understand your own gifts and to not try to be somebody that you're not. I've learned the hard way how to run the business, but I've always been kind of a natural sales guy. So you need to look at the three legs of the stool, which is the finance leg, the operational leg and the sales leg. And when you're a small company, you condemn, definitely fulfill that sales leg was my kind of three legs of the stool. As you grow, you have to kind of release that and become the CEO. The fun thing about my businesses that I call it management selfishness, where you bring in really great people around you to do the stuff that you don't want to do. And quite frankly, that you're not that great at so that you can do the stuff that you love to do. Yeah, So I spent about half my time running the business. But half the time I love, I'm just kind of weird. I love getting in the car and going, talking to customers and digging up deals and forming relationships, and and that's what I love to do. And so I think it's great if a CEO can get out there and tell their story because there are other one. Hopefully, that's the most passionate about it. So you're just happy to come to work every day because we basically designed the environment around what you're good at and what you like to do. And then, for instance, I have a guy that's kind of my alter ego, that he's the president of a company and he is the inside the office, and I am outside the just like Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen. You've gotta have a great number two and a lot of times what I've learned is like I'm the outgoing one. My alter ego is kind of a quiet, smart, nerdier one, and so that's exactly what he is. And we are the perfect Ying and Yang. So if you're a CEO is you grow the company, you know, think about somebody internally that gets the culture that could be your being and yang kind of person. Because as you grow, that's huge to be able tohave that person to lean on and to be good at the stuff that you're not good at. Well,
Michael: 24:17
Pete, thank you for this fabulous insights today. You've got a great company, something to be proud of. And thanks for being on my show.
Pete: 24:25
Okay, Have a good day.
Michael: 24:27
All right, thanks to all for listening to this episode with Pete Husic, CEO of Team Pikes Peak. I really enjoyed this interview because Pete and I got to explore how he taps into the gifts of his workforce and accelerate his company's growth. Businesses today can benefit immensely from this kind of approach. These episodes contribute to my mission. I'm on a mission to help executives create their legacy built upon universal love and spirituality in the workforce. Did you know that 78% or more of the public consider themselves spiritually and some way leaders can tap into that strength toe foster and engaged, enthusiastic and inspired workforce through these explanatory shows? In other ways, I act as a business vitality, catalyst for leaders if you have content you would like to hear about in the future or would like to learn more. You can contact me on linked in or reach me on my website at michael cyp dot net. Have a great day.