Hello!
I recently had an opportunity to be a guest on the Shut Up & Thrive Podcast hosted by Debra Sunderland and Brandon Styll. Please take a moment to listen to the episode below and enjoy! I would love to hear your thoughts!
He lost his voice. Then he built a 90% engagement culture and grew revenue 30 times over. Losing the ability to speak forced him to change everything about how he leads.
In this episode of Shut Up & Thrive, Debra Sunderland and Brandon Styll sit down with Kevin Hancock, Board Chair, Employee + Owner of Hancock Lumber, and one of the leading voices on shared leadership in America today.
When a rare voice disorder made speaking painful, Kevin stopped giving directives and started asking his employees one question instead: what do you think we should do? What followed was a complete rebuild of how Hancock Lumber operates, and results that speak for themselves.
Topics covered:
✅ The diagnosis that forced Kevin to stop leading with control
✅ Why most employees already know the answer, they are just waiting for permission
✅ The “Within, Beside, Beyond” framework for real cultural change
✅ How Hancock Lumber tripled the national average for employee engagement
✅ Why the company outgrew 160+ years of history in just over a decade
✅ How to lead with love without lowering your standards
If you have ever wondered whether letting go of control could actually make you a stronger leader, this episode has your answer.
