Ryan Rodgers (l) and Jamie Dawon (r) of Aspire Homes

The science of transformation is rooted in discovering for yourself what you are deeply committed to and being willing to examine deeply held beliefs that shape who you wound up being. A participant in one of our recent Mastery programs had some profound discoveries, which he was willing to share.

When Jamie Dawson hired Ryan Rodgers to be general manager of Aspire Homes in Raleigh, NC, he saw Ryan as a future partner. The young man, fresh from college, was smart, ambitious, and detail oriented.

“I was a sponge, soaking up every bit of mentoring I could,” Ryan said. “But somewhere along the way, I forgot that being a people person was what got me here. I started thinking, ‘I’m good at this. Don’t tell me what to do.’”

“Ryan really wanted to be a leader and general manager in the company,” Jamie said. “I wanted him to be, but our headspace was different. I was looking at everything from the eyes of an owner, and he was looking from the eyes of his ego.”

“The Mastery Program allowed me to see what it was like for others when I was in the room, and it was a huge wake-up call.” Ryan said.

“Thinking you’re great is not an attitude that’s going to expand your business. It doesn’t leave room for growth or connection. I discovered something more important than having the answers. It’s about truly being someone others want to connect with and trust.”

“I also thought integrity was doing the right thing when no one is watching. That’s an example of integrity, but it’s not the definition. I saw that if I start a 10:00 meeting at 10:04 or 10:05, that’s disrespectful. Home building is a business that has a lot of moving parts. You build trust with the way you handle details.”

“Ryan’s turnaround has been so powerful, it’s stunning,” Jamie said. “When there’s something that needs to be communicated, he’s communicating with the clients before they notice a problem. Our clients and subcontractors are noticeably happier, and we are, too.”

Dorrier Underwood offers Mastery on a quarterly basis. Check our most recent Mastery flyer for upcoming dates and locations, and contact Ginny Brien with questions or to register.