You've worked hard to build a strong culture. But now you're growing, and the real challenge begins: How do you protect what you've built while expanding across markets, teams, or time zones?

In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I share the strategy for attracting and evaluating leaders who don't just fit your culture… they scale it. If you're recruiting high performers, future regionals, or anyone who will lead others, this is the playbook you need.

[00:00] Intro – What happens when one leadership hire changes everything? Why protecting culture during growth is mission-critical

[01:00] Culture Is Behavior, Not Perks – It's not happy hours or branding, it's how people show up, lead, solve problems, and handle pressure

[02:00] You're Not Hiring People. You're Scaling Behavior – That means recruiting needs to go beyond numbers and resumes

[02:30] The Big Mistake Most Leaders Make – They focus on what someone has done, not how they did it

[03:00] Step 1: Define Your Culture Clearly – Vague language can't be scaled. What do you value, protect, reward, and not tolerate?

[03:30] Step 2: Ask Culture-Based Questions

• How do you handle behavior issues?

• What kind of leadership brings out your best?

• How do you navigate conflict and accountability?

• What do you do with someone producing well but behaving poorly?

[04:00] Step 3: Watch How They Talk About Their Past Teams – Look for humility, ownership, and values-driven language

[04:30] Step 4: Attract the Right People With Vision – High-level leaders don't move for perks or comp, they move for alignment and purpose

[05:00] Step 5: Show What Growth Looks Like on Your Team – Not just volume growth, but people growth. Development. Mentorship. Room to lead

[05:30] Step 6: Remember You Only Need a Few – You don't need dozens. Just a handful of aligned leaders who carry vision and culture wherever they go

[06:00] Final Recap

1. Get clear on your culture in words and actions

2. Go deeper in your questions to uncover alignment

3. Make your brand and conversations reflect your values and vision

• Culture Is Scaled Through People, Not Posters – You need leaders who live what you believe

• Values Are More Important Than Volume – Great numbers with the wrong behavior will erode everything you've built

• Vague Culture Can't Be Recruited For – Define it. Speak it. Use it as a filter

• Ask Better Questions Early – Don't just vet performance. Vet alignment

• Vision Attracts Culture Carriers – When your brand communicates purpose and growth, the right people show up

If you want to scale what you've built, start recruiting people who already carry it.