What if the issue isn’t who you’re hiring, but what they’re walking into?

That was the pivotal question Greg Brouwer asked himself when he took the reins of West Michigan Janitorial, overseeing a team of more than 200 employees and facing turnover rates nearing 200%. Instead of defaulting to reactive hiring or higher pay, Greg chose a different path... one centred on building belonging, not just bandwidth.

“What if we focused less on finding more people,” Greg asked, “and more on becoming a place worth staying in?”

Greg’s approach reframed leadership from task oversight to culture stewardship. He didn’t just aim to run a more efficient cleaning company; he set out to create a values-driven workplace where dignity is the default, and retention is the byproduct of trust, structure, and care. Under his leadership, turnover has steadily declined below 85%, driven not by easier work but by a stronger culture.

In this powerful episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin sits down with Greg Brouwer, owner of West Michigan Janitorial, to unpack what it means to run a high-turnover business without a high-turnover mindset. They discuss the systems Greg’s team implemented to create stability, predictability, and trust, including an employee assistance fund, value-aligned hiring practices, and a structured onboarding experience that centers care and clarity. They also explore Greg’s long-term vision: a workplace where employees can connect their daily work to long-term dreams.

Whether you're grappling with retention or looking to future-proof your team, this conversation offers more than quick fixes. It’s a blueprint for building a company people don’t just work for; it’s about building a workplace people believe in.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Connect with Gregory Brouwer on LinkedIn
• Find out more about C12 Leadership
• West Michigan Janitorial
• Episode 172: Impact of Appreciation at Work with Dr. Paul White
• Team Retention Program
• Connect with Traci Austin on LinkedIn
• Elevated Talent Consulting

If you’ve ever let a high performer slide on bad behavior because they “get the job done,” you’re not alone. In the trades, where the pressure to meet deadlines, budgets, and output is relentless, it's easy to overlook the slow creep of cultural breakdown. But the truth is, what you tolerate becomes your culture. And without clear core values, that culture starts writing itself.

That’s where John Knowlton comes in. A former pastor turned leadership coach for trades and service businesses, John has seen firsthand how misalignment—between what a company says it stands for and what it actually rewards—erodes trust, accountability, and long-term growth. He believes culture isn’t defined by slogans or swag; it’s defined by behavior. And if leaders don’t model the values, no one else will.

In this episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin and John dive deep into how trades leaders can stop fighting fires and start building teams that thrive. They break down what it really means to operationalize core values—from creating values-based interview questions to navigating tough choices when two values collide. And they explore how “hierarchical core values” can give leaders clarity under pressure.

If your business is struggling with inconsistency, toxicity, or turnover, this episode isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. Because in John's words, your team’s culture is happening whether you lead it or not.

If you’ve ever inherited more than a business—like a legacy, a mission, or a responsibility that feels deeply personal—this episode will resonate. For trades entrepreneur Craig Lenard, taking over Art Lenard & Sons wasn’t just about business continuity. It was about honouring a foundation while building something stronger on top.

When his mother was diagnosed with cancer and both parents stepped away from the company, Craig returned—not as the same man, but as a builder shaped by experience, reflection, and purpose. Once a teacher, now a systems-minded leader, Craig brought fresh eyes and a deeper calling: to create a company that would not only survive adversity but evolve because of it.

In this episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin sits down with Craig Lenard to explore how a personal crisis became a strategic turning point. What began with his wife’s mold illness evolved into a full reimagination of what it means to build homes, teams, and cultures. With a steady focus on systems, clarity, and service, Craig shares how he's reframed growth not as a race, but as a responsibility.