Summary
The "Up in Your Family Business" podcast hosted by Todd Rimer, featuring guest Marcy Rankin, an exceptional outcomes strategist and founder of Orchestrated Performance. The podcast focuses on helping family business leaders gain insights, solve challenges, and build lasting legacies.
The conversation begins with Todd introducing Marcy as an expert who helps organizations tackle burnout and disengagement using her exceptional outcomes model built on the principles of engage, exceed, and excel. Marcy is described as a military veteran, speaker, author, keynote presenter, entrepreneur, advocate for special needs families, and a mother of six.
Before diving into Marcy's professional work, Todd asks her to share three defining life experiences that shaped her journey. First, Marcy discusses growing up with her father who ran a concrete construction business after leaving his family's larger construction company. She observed his strong work ethic, purpose-driven approach, and how he prioritized serving others over maximizing profits. This experience taught her about finding purpose in work beyond financial gain.
The second formative experience was Marcy's five years in the Army, where she served as a trumpet player. Despite being physically small (103 pounds) and initially struggling with physical requirements, she learned resilience and how to overcome self-doubt. A pivotal moment occurred during her deployment to Iraq when a staff sergeant challenged her belief that she wasn't strong enough to carry sandbags, telling her "you may not be strong enough now, but you will become strong." This experience taught her about resilience under pressure and the power of mindset.
The third and most profound experience was when her oldest son Will suffered a severe traumatic brain injury after falling 14 feet onto a concrete floor. Will was in a medically induced coma for 13 days and spent 49 days total in the hospital. Despite doctors warning he might never be the same, Will made a remarkable recovery. This experience deepened Marcy's understanding of what truly matters in life and shifted her career and personal priorities toward purpose-driven leadership.
Following these experiences, Marcy discusses her professional journey, including working in real estate sales where she experienced burnout despite financial success. After her son's accident, she realized her priorities weren't aligned correctly and felt pulled toward a different purpose. This eventually led her to found Orchestrated Performance, where she helps organizations combat burnout and disengagement.
Marcy explains that burnout is a significant global problem, with 82% of workers experiencing it and 51% of employees disengaged at work. She emphasizes that burnout isn't just an individual problem but an organizational challenge requiring systemic solutions. Her approach focuses on helping leaders create environments where employees feel seen, valued, and connected to purpose.
The conversation concludes with Marcy sharing practical advice for leaders trying to balance business success with employee well-being. She suggests engaging employees in the company's goals and vision, giving them buy-in to the process, and conducting regular check-ins similar to "exit interviews" before employees actually leave. She emphasizes that when employees find purpose in their work, they're more likely to stay regardless of compensation, creating a positive cycle that benefits the entire organization.
Chapters
Introduction to Marcy Rankin and the Podcast's Purpose 00:00:04
Todd Reimer introduces the "Up in Your Family Business" podcast, explaining that it aims to help family business leaders gain valuable insights, solve challenges, and build lasting legacies. He introduces Marcy Rankin as an exceptional outcomes strategist and founder of Orchestrated Performance who helps organizations overcome burnout and disengagement using her proven model built on the principles of engage, exceed, and excel. Todd mentions that Marcy is a military veteran, speaker, author, keynote presenter, entrepreneur, advocate for special needs families, and a mother of six.
Marcy's First Defining Experience: Learning Purpose from Her Father 00:05:01
Marcy shares how her father, one of ten siblings, initially worked in the family construction business (Hagerty Construction) before starting his own concrete business. She describes how he maintained high ethical standards, often reducing his profit margins to help clients, and was actively involved in community service through Kiwanis and Boy Scouts. Todd and Marcy discuss how her father found purpose in being a provider for his family and serving others, teaching Marcy about the importance of purpose in work. She also learned from him the importance of unplugging and resetting after working hard.
Marcy's Second Defining Experience: Military Service and Resilience 00:14:20
Marcy discusses joining the Army as a trumpet player despite weighing only 103 pounds. She describes struggling with physical requirements initially but gradually building strength and resilience. A pivotal moment came during her deployment to Iraq when a staff sergeant challenged her belief that she wasn't strong enough to carry sandbags, telling her "you may not be strong enough now, but you will become strong." Through this experience, Marcy learned about resilience under pressure and the power of mindset over physical limitations. She also discusses how the military helped her overcome self-doubt and build physical and mental strength.
Marcy's Third Defining Experience: Her Son's Traumatic Brain Injury 00:27:25
Marcy shares the emotional story of her oldest son Will's traumatic brain injury after falling 14 feet onto a concrete floor. Will was in a medically induced coma for 13 days and spent 49 days total in the hospital. Despite doctors warning he might never be the same, Will made a remarkable recovery. Marcy describes how this experience deepened her understanding of what truly matters in life and shifted her career and personal priorities. She explains how sharing Will's recovery journey through a CaringBridge journal unexpectedly inspired others, planting the seed for her future work in helping others transform their lives.
Marcy's Professional Journey and the Birth of Orchestrated Performance 00:45:00
Marcy discusses her professional path, including working in real estate sales where she experienced burnout despite financial success. She describes trying various careers including being a stay-at-home mom (where she experienced postpartum depression), selling Mary Kay products, and working in direct sales. After her son's accident, she realized her priorities weren't aligned correctly and felt pulled toward a different purpose. In 2022, she founded Orchestrated Performance to help others combat burnout and disengagement, initially focusing on helping mothers but eventually expanding to serve all types of organizations and individuals.
Understanding Burnout and Disengagement in the Workplace 00:59:41
Todd and Marcy discuss the prevalence and impact of burnout and disengagement in the workplace. Todd cites Gallup poll statistics showing 51% of employees are disengaged at work and 82% of workers globally experience burnout. Marcy explains that burnout isn't just an individual problem but an organizational challenge requiring systemic solutions. She emphasizes that employee engagement is directly tied to business success, with disengagement costing the global economy $8.8 trillion annually. Marcy advocates for a perspective shift in how leaders view and interact with employees, focusing on understanding their individual stories and experiences.
The Exceptional Outcomes Model and Purpose-Driven Strategy 01:10:44
Marcy explains her exceptional outcomes model built on the principles of engage, exceed, and excel. She discusses her "52 Weeks to Thrive" program that offers practical strategies for individuals and organizations to improve well-being and productivity. Marcy shares her purpose-driven strategy approach, which involves identifying what you truly want in life and aligning daily decisions with that vision. She emphasizes the importance of seeing each person as a unique story rather than making quick judgments, a perspective shaped by her experiences with her son Will.
Balancing Business Success with Employee Well-being 01:28:04
In the final segment, Todd asks Marcy for advice on balancing business success with employee well-being. Marcy suggests working backward from business goals to find ways employees can meaningfully contribute to the process. She recommends giving employees buy-in to the company's vision and engaging them in innovation. Marcy also suggests conducting regular check-ins similar to "exit interviews" before employees actually leave, asking questions like "if you could wave a magic wand, what would your job look like?" She emphasizes that when employees find purpose in their work, they're more likely to stay regardless of compensation.
Action Items
Todd mentioned he would consider having Marcy back on the podcast to discuss her journey as a speaker and the influence of coaching on her career. 01:36:10
Marcy mentioned she is working on putting together a program that organizations can license to complement her "52 Weeks to Thrive" content, which could be used in sales meetings. 01:18:07
Marcy suggested leaders should implement regular check-ins with employees (similar to "exit interviews" but before employees leave) to identify issues early and improve retention. 01:30:58
Marcy recommended leaders ask employees "if you could wave a magic wand, what would your job look like?" to uncover aspirations and improve engagement. 01:31:38
Marcy advised business leaders to list their goals and work backward to find ways employees can meaningfully plug into the process to increase engagement and innovation. 01:28:41
Marcy encouraged listeners to visit her website at orchestratedperformance.com or 52weekstothrive.com to learn more about her services and resources. 01:33:20
Marcy suggested that listeners should focus on one small improvement they can make and surround themselves with mentors who will help them grow, regardless of their current level of expertise. 01:35:02
