016: Your Human Capital is Your Culture

Culture Crush Business Podcast

As the show wrapped up, handshakes and thank yous were exchanged, and Danny and Ken walked out of the studio to face the evening traffic. Producer Darrol turned to Kindra, the host of the Culture Crush Business Podcast. “I think that was one of your best shows so far.”

Each show gets better and better. The conversations are deeper, the list of resources for companies continues to grow, and the guests seem to get even more comfortable in the studio discussing the ups and downs of company culture.

Ken McElroy and Danny Openden were upfront and honest with the conversations that they discussed surrounding company culture. According to Ken, “company culture is made up of the traditions, rituals, rules, consistency and especially, the human capital of the company.”

For MC Companies and Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, these contributing factors of culture were flipped upside down during covid. Their leaders and teams have had to work through this. The two of them discussed ways they are working through this and how they are trying to grow their culture again and even stronger.

Both companies are doing amazing things to support their community and their people. We hope that everyone takes the time to listen in and follow both companies to see what they are up to next.

This show is great for all audiences:

• If you are a leader that is struggling to grow your team virtually while balancing coming back to the office in person- then you should listen up.
• If you are a leader looking for tangible resources to help improve your company’s culture- then you should listen up.
• If you are passionate about supporting your teams and their growth- then you should listen up.
• If you are just looking for some good books to read about leadership and growth- you should listen up.

MC Companies has been making Real estate Investing simply since 2001. The founder’s Ross McCallister and Ken McElroy, have been leaders in the industry for over 30 years and have helped many achieve their dreams of Real Estate Investing a reality. The philosophy of both is rooted in the fundamentals of Management, Ownership, and Preservation of each asset. They act as the stewards of the company and maintain an active role in every quadrant of the organization.

Real Estate Investing is MC Companies’ core business, and they know the best way to provide the highest returns is to manage each asset themselves. Lesley Brice, the President, and Partner at MC Companies, leads the Management and Finance teams that make MC Companies successful. She and her team drive the performance of each asset to ensure the best returns for each investment with long-term goals in mind.

MC Companies' tag line is “Sharing the Good Life,” which means something different to everyone. For Investors, it means that the company performs at its highest level and helps them achieve financial security, look towards the future and prepare for what comes next. They do this by advising and making smart investments. This means careful market analysis and intelligent stewardship of the assets.

For residents, Sharing the Good Life means providing the best in class customer service and value. MC is diligent in the quest to stay in touch through customers’ journeys. They look for every touchpoint to be an opportunity to take in their customers’ feedback and keep happy residents happy for as long as they choose to call MC Companies’ apartment homes…home.

For employees, Sharing the Good Life means that as a company, they value their people…there is no company without great people doing great things. Culture is not something that just happens at MC. It is tended to with purpose and passion. Teams are encouraged to get involved in the community and given every path to do so, from paid time off to volunteer to the opportunity to donate vacation days to charity.

Ken McElroy has lived and breathed real estate for his entire adult life, learning from the ground up. Ken got his start during college when he took a job managing an apartment complex. What began as a way to simply cover his room and board ignited his entrepreneurial spirit.

The turning point came when the property owner dropped by the office to pick up his check for the month. Ken decided that one day he would be on the other side of the desk, picking up his own check. Fueled by that determination, Ken bought his first investment property not long afterward. It was a small property that barely turned a profit, but it didn’t matter. Ken was hooked.

Since then, Ken has experienced great success in the real estate world – from investment analysis and property management to acquisitions and property development. Together with his real estate investment company, MC Companies, Ken has transacted over $1 billion in real estate.

Today, Ken is committed to helping as many people as possible to achieve financial freedom through real estate. He shares his expertise with thousands of people around the world through his immensely popular YouTube channel and is a sought-after speaker on real estate investing at events around the world.

In addition to all of that, Ken is the author of the best-selling books The ABC’s of Real Estate Investing, The Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing, The ABC’s of Property Management, and most recently his book on entrepreneurship, The Sleeping Giant. As the Real Estate Advisor to Robert Kiyosaki of The Rich Dad Company, Ken is also a chapter contributor in the newly released Rich Dad book, More Important Than Money: An Entrepreneur’s Team.

Ken lives with his family in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is probably mulling over a deal right this second.

Connect with Ken on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and follow MC Companies on LinkedIn.

Established in 1997, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) is an internationally recognized nonprofit that conducts innovative research, provides evidence-based practices, disseminates effective training, and builds inclusive communities for individuals with autism and their families.

SARRC is dedicated to autism research, education, evidence-based treatment, and community outreach. Additionally, SARRC is one of the only autism organizations in the world that provides a lifetime of services for individuals and their families while also conducting cutting-edge research.

We’re also an entrepreneurial nonprofit, with less than three percent of annual revenue coming from state and federal funding. Our 18,000-square-foot Campus for Exceptional Children and our 10,000-square-foot Colonel Harland D. Sanders Center for Autism Studies, co-located with our Vocational & Life Skills Academy, are state-of-the-art clinical centers that serve as models for similar research and resource facilities.

Daniel Openden, Ph.D., BCBA-D is President and CEO of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) in Phoenix, Arizona. SARRC is an internationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to autism research, education, evidence-based treatment, and community outreach to support individuals with autism and their families throughout their lifetimes.

The 18,000 square-foot Campus for Exceptional Children and 10,000-square-foot Sander’s Center for Autism Studies co-located with SARRC’s Vocational & Life Skills Academy are state-of-the-art clinical centers that serve as models for similar research and resource facilities.

In 2007, Dr. Openden was recruited to SARRC from the renowned Koegel Autism Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara to serve as SARRC’s Vice President and Clinical Services Director. Since joining SARRC, Dr. Openden has advanced the center’s clinical programs and services, including an inclusive preschool, a comprehensive home-based program, a parent training program for families living in rural/remote areas, and school consultation.

In 2009, Dr. Openden and Dr. Christopher J. Smith, SARRC’s VP & Research Director, received funding to initiate and research SARRC’s Remote Telemedicine Program to provide follow up access to services via the internet for families living outside Maricopa County. In 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) identified SARRC’s innovative, cutting edge inclusive preschool among the most promising practices in autism services to influence the development of effective care systems in other states.

Dr. Openden is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst—Doctoral (BCBA-D) and is licensed as a behavior analyst in Arizona. He has expertise in developing training programs for teaching parents and professionals to implement Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment model for children with ASD.

Dr. Openden has worked extensively with families with children, adolescents, and adults with ASD; provided consulting and training for school districts across the country; presented research at regional, state, national, and international conventions; served as Associate Editor for the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (JPBI) from 2008-2013, and been published in several peers reviewed journals and book chapters in the field.

Dr. Openden is also an adjunct professor at Arizona State University (ASU) and serves on the Autism Speaks Family Services Committee; Scientific Council of the Organization for Autism Research (OAR); Arizona State University President’s Advisory Community Council; Feeding Matters Medical Professional Council; and the Arizona Autism Coalition Advisory Committee.

Further, he is a founding member of the Council on Autism Services (CAS), a networking organization that brings together Presidents, CEOs, Executive Directors, Clinical Directors, and Program Directors to share high level information and identify gaps facing autism service delivery organizations. Dr. Openden was honored as one of the Phoenix Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” up-and-coming community leaders in 2011, and in 2015 he was honored as one of the “Most Inspired Leaders.”

Dr. Openden graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s and Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in special education, disability and risk studies.

Connect with Dr. Openden on LinkedIn and follow SARRC on Facebook.