Our approach to company culture inevitably has to make some shifts when experiencing significant growth. What works for twenty employees in one location doesn’t have the same impact when it’s spread across multiple cities and hundreds of employees.

My guest today, Stephanie Henderson, has been through exactly that experience over her nineteen years at her former customer-service based company and now leads her own company, Impact Driven Partners, to help other businesses scale up with culture at their core.

She’s sharing how she navigated setting the foundations of company values and culture while scaling way up. Stephanie also has some unique insights about hiring for culture in a college town, where employees are younger and turnover is consistent, and how helping front-line staff think like their customers creates positive experiences for both customers and employees.

Stephanie Henderson is a seasoned executive, business strategist, and culture transformation expert with more than two decades of leadership experience, including serving as CEO of Carpet Tech, where she helped scale the company to a multi-million dollar success.

As the founder of Impact Driven Partners, she combines executive coaching with strategic advisory work to help organizations strengthen leadership, elevate culture, and scale with clarity and confidence. Known for her relational approach, operational depth, and passion for helping organizations grow, Stephanie specializes in taking a leader’s vision and turning it into a clear, actionable reality. She equips teams and organizations to thrive with purpose, alignment, and measurable impact.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How company culture was reflected in the customer experience and feedback
• How an unexpected interview question was a great predictor for culture fit
• How metrics like customer retention and crew expenses became clear signs of culture at work location by location
• Why clarity about roles, processes, values, and culture is essential to scaling up
• How values and culture inform decision-making from process changes to staffing to entering new markets
• Why leaders need to let go of the “family feel” mindset and build compassionate teams

Learn More About Stephanie Henderson:

• Impact Driven Partners

Learn More About Heather Smith:

• Talent Elevated

Resources:

• Entrepreneurial Operating System