Impact Moments

The Power of Letting Go — Kevin Woeste (EP. 2)

Ninety Studios Season 1 Episode 2

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0:00 | 38:50

Kevin Woeste left a career in financial trading to buy into his wife's family business, a third-generation land surveying company in Ohio called McSteen. He spent the first four and a half years trying to do everything himself: field work, drafting, managing. He hated it. He and his wife Molly set a five-year deadline, and with six months left, they were ready to walk away. The unlock was realizing Kevin was in the wrong seat. Once he moved into a visionary role, everything changed. In this conversation with Christine Watts and Kris Snyder, Kevin talks about what it took to stop doing the work and start giving it away: handing rocks to his leadership team, watching them execute at a level he never could, and learning to be okay when they do it differently than he would. He also shares the story of firing a top performer who didn't fit the culture, the whiteboard session that created an entirely new revenue model, and why he believes you can't lead well if you don't sleep well.

Key topics:

  • Why Kevin nearly walked away from a 55-year family business, and how finding the right seat saved it
  • Giving your team the power to fail, and why that is where they grow as leaders
  • The "brilliant jerk": when your most productive person is your biggest cultural problem
  • How one EOS session turned a whiteboard sketch into a new revenue stream (Preferred Partnership Program)
  • Sleep, deep work, and showing up as the best version of yourself every day

About Kevin Woeste:
Kevin is the CEO of McSteen Land Surveyors, a third-generation family business covering all 88 counties in Ohio. He is also the CTO and co-founder of 1MC Solutions, a software company for surveyors.
Connect with Kevin: LinkedIn

Mentioned in this episode:

  • Edward Lowe Foundation and the Burton D. Morgan Foundation
  • Scalarator program
  • Colby assessment (Kevin is a 7373)
  • Dan Sullivan and Unique Ability
  • Deep Work by Cal Newport
  • Atomic Habits by James Clear
  • Scaling Up by Verne Harnish

Connect & Subscribe:
Subscribe to the 90xEOS newsletter: ninety.io/impact-moments
Read the 90xEOS blog: ninety.io/eos/blog
Connect with Kris: LinkedIn
Connect with Christine: LinkedIn
Try Ninety free: bit.ly/3Q99NXr

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