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Conventional wisdom says a founder who takes her foot off the gas will watch the business fall apart. Elise Mitchell slowed down, built a firm that could thrive without her, and sold it on her own terms.

In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria sits down with Elise Mitchell, founder and former CEO of Mitchell Communications Group, author of Leading Through the Turn, and executive coach, to talk about building a values-driven firm, keeping culture intact through rapid growth, and learning to enjoy the ride along the way.

Elise built her PR firm in Northwest Arkansas alongside clients like Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt, grew it 500% in a few years, and sold it to Dentsu on her own terms. She’s candid about the moments she isn’t proud of, from the intervention that broke her workaholism to the day her team was fighting in the hallways. She also shares the simple habits that kept her connected to clients and employees as the firm scaled.

In this episode

• Why destination leaders need a journey mindset
• How “cultural scoundrels” quietly drive away your best people
• Turning values into behaviors people can be held accountable to
• Why self-interest undermines every client relationship
• How a Main Street USA point of view became a competitive advantage
• Why a founder-centric firm can only grow as far as its founder

Key Takeaways

• A performance culture that rewards the what but ignores the how creates a double standard, and once that happens, your values become words on paper.
• Values only stick when your team defines what living them looks like. Mitchell’s five values became real when small groups turned each word into everyday behaviors, which later showed up in annual reviews.
• Clients can sense a hidden agenda. When they know you’ll do what’s best for them even at a cost to you, trust follows, and making your client a hero is how you keep their business.
• In a crisis, the nimble firm wins. During the 2008 recession, Mitchell said yes to everything, embedded staff in client offices, and kicked off five years of rapid growth.
• Elise recommends Your Brain at Work by David Rock, a book that reflects her belief that self-awareness and mindset matter more as a leader’s stakes rise.

Resource and References

• Leading Through the Turn by Elise Mitchell: https://www.amazon.com/dp/125986099X
• The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743212347
• Your Brain at Work by David Rock: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0061771295

Learn more about Elise Mitchell: https://elisemitchell.com
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In construction, the unwritten rule is that the lowest bid wins the work. Daniel Wells and Nathan Sievers of Wells & Wells Construction built a multi-state firm on negotiated, repeat business instead.

In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria and Carl Winstead sit down with Daniel Wells, Owner and President of Wells & Wells Construction, and Nathan Sievers, Vice President and Director of Preconstruction, to talk about how a relationship-first philosophy built a nationally recognized general contractor.

Wells & Wells started in 1989 as a one-person home renovation business and got its first big commercial break because its electrician kept recommending it to a developer. Nearly four decades later, Daniel and Nathan explain how they kept that relationship-first approach while adding the structure needed to grow into new markets. That includes treating subs as part of the team, giving clients an open-book look at costs early in preconstruction, and hiring people who share the firm's values.

In this episode
• How a referral from their electrician, not a marketing plan, opened the door to commercial work
• Why relationships alone weren't enough to grow until the firm added structure
• Why preconstruction is where a client first forms a real impression of the brand
• How paying subs on time and banning yelling on site shows up in the finished project
• Why being the owner's advocate keeps developers coming back without a bid
• Why Wells & Wells hires for culture fit over résumé

Key Takeaways
• In an industry where no-shows are the norm, reliability is a brand. Doing what you say you'll do is enough to set you apart.
• Reputation is worth paying for. Wells & Wells sometimes spends real money to protect a move-in date, because there may be 300 students moving in, but there are 600 parents to answer to.
• Best value beats best number. Sometimes that means recommending a more expensive plumber when the low bid doesn't look right, and sometimes it means trusting the low bidder because they've earned it.
• Values on a wall mean nothing if leaders don't model them. Character shows up when there's a problem or when money is on the line, and teams learn by watching how their leaders react.
• Nathan's pick, Extreme Ownership, reflects his belief that every leader, whether leading a team or just themselves, should ask what they could have done better.
• Daniel's picks are about mindset: No Easy Day for pushing through hard moments, and The Millionaire Next Door for not judging customers by appearances.

Resource and References

• Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23848190-extreme-ownership
• No Easy Day by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/312085/no-easy-day-by-mark-owen
• The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/998.The_Millionaire_Next_Door

Learn more about Wells & Wells Construction: https://www.wellsandwells.com
Learn more about The Intangible Brand: TheIntangibleBrand.com

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Most young architects dream of buildings that change the world, and casinos rarely make that list. David Nejelski spent 30 years proving that the right casino can transform an entire community.

In this episode of The Intangible Brand, Jerry Gennaria and Carl Winstead sit down with David Nejelski, Vice President, Creative Director, and Principal at TBE Architects, to explore how three decades of designing casino resorts with tribal nations turned into a lesson about listening, trust, and impact.

David started at TBE as an intern and quickly moved into conceptual design when his hand sketching caught the eye of the firm's design director. Over 30 years, he has helped tribes across North America build properties that function as economic engines while honoring the culture behind them. He shares why his team walks in without preconceived ideas, how the industry moved from themed fantasy environments to energy and experience, and why the most rewarding projects are the ones where the client pushes back the most.

In this episode

• Why a casino's first job is to be an economic engine for the tribe
• How to weave in cultural heritage without falling into stereotypes
• Why guest convenience and operational efficiency aren't at odds
• How tribal clients have evolved from first-time developers to sophisticated operators
• Why no design idea is sacred, and how iteration breaks you out of chasing perfection
• When a niche firm should stay focused and when it should chase new opportunities

Key Takeaways

• Repeat clients come from not showing up with a prepackaged idea. When you ask what the client wants and help them realize it, even when you'd have advised otherwise, you build relationships that last decades.
• The goal isn't a monument to yourself. David's team says "we" instead of "I" because the design belongs to the client, and the real skill is hearing what they mean, not just what they say.
• Cultural expression works best when it's felt, not shouted. Abstracting stories and meaning into arrival sequences and public spaces honors heritage without turning a resort into a museum or a stereotype.
• Guest convenience is the guest experience. If it's a hassle to park, get inside, or find services, guests will go somewhere else, so smart design serves the operation and the visitor at the same time.
• Know what you want to be the best at, and keep your head up. David points to podcasts like My First Million for the entrepreneurial mindset his partners value: stick to your core values, and don't let the next opportunity pass you by.

Resource and References

• The Joe Rogan Experience: https://www.joerogan.com/
• My First Million podcast: https://www.mfmpod.com/

Learn more about TBE Architects: https://www.tbearchitects.com/
Learn more about The Intangible Brand: TheIntangibleBrand.com

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Follow the Hosts: Jerry Gennaria & Carl Winstead

Learn More about TOKY & Cline

Get In Touch: hello@theintangiblebrand.com