39 - Profit First: How Data Can Drive Accountability and Financial Success
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
Release Date: 06/30/2025
58 - From Origin Story to Core Focus: Crafting Your Business Identity
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
In this Lucky 13 Podcast episode, Mike Lantz and Josh Hauser discuss the importance of “core focus” in business and personal development. They explore how a company’s origin story shapes its purpose, passion, and niche, emphasizing the need to revisit and clarify these elements regularly. Through personal anecdotes and practical examples, they highlight how a clear core focus guides decision-making, prevents distractions, and energizes teams. The conversation also touches on the value of discipline in saying no to misaligned opportunities and the role of both founders and employees in...
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57 - Are You Expanding Your Business or Just Filling Space?
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
In this episode of the Lucky 13 Podcast, hosts Josh Hauser and Mike Lantz share personal holiday traditions before diving into business insights. They discuss Parkinson’s Law, emphasizing how work expands to fill available time, and warn against unnecessary hiring and bureaucratic growth. The conversation highlights the pitfalls of focusing on trivial issues, accumulating organizational “junk,” and prioritizing appearances over substance. The hosts encourage leaders to set tighter deadlines, regularly eliminate inefficiencies, and foster honest self-reflection to build resilient,...
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56 - Mastering the Art of Employee Evaluation: Balancing Will Sets and Skill Sets for Team Success
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
In this episode of the Lucky 13 Podcast, Mike Lantz and Josh Hauser dive into people management, work-life alignment, and employee evaluation, using the holiday season as a backdrop. They discuss how aligning personal and professional lives brings clarity, then explore evaluating employees through “will sets” (motivation) and “skill sets” (ability). The conversation covers managing low performers, re-engaging disengaged experts, developing high potentials, and coaching top talent. Sports analogies and real-life examples illustrate strategies for feedback, ownership, and recognition....
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55 - The Challenge of Balancing Leadership and Friendship in Business
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
In this episode of the Lucky 13 Podcast, hosts Mike Lantz and Josh Hauser reconnect, sharing lighthearted banter about local food favorites before diving into a reflective business discussion. They emphasize the importance of honest year-end reviews, hiring the right people, and upholding core company values. The conversation explores balancing accountability and friendship, demanding excellence with compassion, and avoiding fear-based retention. Using personal stories and practical tools, Mike and Josh encourage leaders to foster team alignment, address issues early, and make data-driven...
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54 - Practical Best Strategies for Rapid Organizational Culture Transformation
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
In this episode of the Lucky 13 Podcast, hosts Josh Hauser and Mike Lantz explore the foundations of effective business leadership, using sports analogies from Indiana University athletics. They discuss building success through consistent effort, the importance of decisive commitment, and rapidly transforming organizational culture. The conversation highlights the need for clear vision, aligning the right people in the right roles, and mastering both leadership and management. Practical strategies like measurable KPIs and 90-day priorities are shared, emphasizing intentional teamwork and...
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53 - Unlocking AI: Practical Steps for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses to Embrace Technology and Thrive
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
In this Lucky 13 Podcast episode, hosts Mike Lantz and Josh Hauser interview Jason Beutler, CEO of Robosource. Jason shares his journey from studying computer science and AI to founding Robosource, which helps small and mid-sized businesses integrate AI into daily operations. They discuss Robosource’s Process Coach, a virtual AI assistant that streamlines tasks like sales proposals and sourcing, and emphasize AI as a supportive tool, not a job replacer. The conversation also covers challenges businesses face in adopting AI, the importance of business-driven strategies, and Robosource's...
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52 - What Can Math Teach Us About Leadership and Organizational Clarity?
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
In this episode of the Lucky 13 Podcast, hosts Mike Lantz and Josh Hauser explore how leadership and organizational clarity can be improved using the math concept of order of operations (PEMDAS). Through relatable analogies and real-world examples, they discuss the importance of clear rules, tools, and disciplines in business, effective communication, and hiring practices. The hosts share personal stories and practical frameworks, emphasizing that consistent standards and cultural fit are key to building strong, aligned teams and achieving business success. Podcast Introduction...
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51 - The Greatest Leadership Principles for Inspiring Success and Growth
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
In this episode, Mike and Josh discuss Indiana University football’s strong season and the excitement around the return of the bison mascot. The conversation then shifts to leadership, drawing on John Maxwell’s “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.” They explore principles like servant leadership, the importance of connection, and the Law of Buy-In, sharing personal stories and practical advice. The episode emphasizes that effective leadership is built on daily growth, genuine relationships, and helping others achieve their dreams, offering actionable insights for both sports fans...
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50 - Why "But" is the Enemy of Effective Communication in Leadership
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
In this episode, recorded on September 11th, Mike Lantz and Josh Hauser (“Chef Hauser”) engage in an unscripted conversation about business leadership, personal growth, and mindset. Josh shares memorable analogies—like “left cheek, right cheek” and “what wood won’t light”—to illustrate the importance of referrals, clarity, and focusing on high performers. The hosts discuss raising organizational standards, the value of self-awareness, and fostering team alignment. Blending humor and practical advice, they encourage leaders to obsess over excellence, nurture talent, and...
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49 - Building a Resilient Workforce: Strategies for Managing Employee Turnover Effectively
Lucky 13 - All Things People AND Profit
In this episode of the Lucky 13 Podcast, hosts Mike Lantz and Josh Hauser dive into the challenges of employee turnover in today’s tight job market. They distinguish between natural and preventable turnover, discuss the impact of hiring practices and leadership, and offer practical strategies for reducing regrettable attrition. The conversation also highlights the value of peer coaching “trios” for business owners. With candid anecdotes and actionable advice, Mike and Josh emphasize the importance of aligning the right people with the right roles to drive business success and employee...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Lucky 13 Podcast, hosts Mike Lantz and Josh Hauser discuss the vital role of data in business success. They share personal stories, including family updates and an upcoming wedding, to highlight the importance of relationships. The conversation centers on how accurate data enables better control, profit management, and employee accountability. They emphasize adopting a “profit first” mindset and using key metrics to drive decisions. The episode concludes by stressing that while profit is essential, balancing it with care for people is crucial for sustainable growth.
Podcast Introduction (00:00:08) Hosts introduce the Lucky 13 Podcast and themselves, setting the tone for the episode.
Personal Updates & Family Stories (00:00:26) Josh discusses his daughter's wedding, family anecdotes, and Mike shares updates about his children.
The Importance of Personal Connections at Work (00:02:47) Emphasizes checking in with employees about personal and professional highlights to build culture.
Lou Gehrig Shoutout & Baseball Anecdotes (00:03:15) Shoutout to Lou Gehrig (the local business owner), discussion about the origin of "Wally Pipp" in baseball.
Transition to Data in Business (00:05:31) Shifts focus to the main topic: the role of data in solving business frustrations.
Frustration 1: Control & Predictability (00:05:53) How data provides control, focus, and predictability in business operations.
Data Accuracy & Leading Indicators (00:07:51) Importance of accurate data and using leading indicators for proactive decision-making.
Frustration 2: Profit Management (00:09:00) Using data to manage profit, including a discussion of the "Profit First" book and methodology.
Profit First Method Explained (00:09:55) Details on implementing the profit first approach and its impact on business spending.
Frustration 3: People & Accountability (00:12:36) How data helps create accountability and clarity in employee roles and performance.
Measuring Performance with Data (00:12:55) Assigning numbers to roles, regular check-ins, and the importance of clear expectations.
Data for Hiring and Avoiding Bloat (00:14:32) Using data to determine when to hire and prevent organizational bloat.
Clarifying Profit vs. People (00:15:16) Discussion on balancing profit and people, and the responsibility of business owners.
Accountability Runs Both Ways (00:16:18) Employees can use data to demonstrate performance and negotiate expectations.
Frustration 4: Hitting the Ceiling/Plateau (00:17:00) Recognizing and addressing business plateaus using data to identify bottlenecks.
Signs of Plateau & Talent Standards (00:18:02) Indicators of plateau, importance of maintaining talent standards, and using data for growth.
Building a Sustainable Organization (00:19:58) Comparisons to sports and music; using data to build lasting success, not just one-hit wonders.
Change is Inevitable—Plan with Data (00:20:49) Emphasizes planning for change and using data to anticipate shifts in business.
Frustration 5: When Nothing is Working (00:21:28) How to use data to diagnose and address business crises or stagnation.
Inspecting the Business Model (00:22:18) Evaluating if the business model is outdated or needs change, with examples from Kodak and Blockbuster.
Importance of Historical Data (00:23:27) Need for consistent, long-term data tracking to identify trends and avoid guesswork.
Identifying Key Data Points (00:24:46) Focus on collecting the most impactful data for business decision-making.
Behavioral Reactions to Data (00:25:50) Using data to drive behavioral changes and address business frustrations.
Podcast Wrap-Up (00:26:24) Final thoughts on the importance of data and closing remarks.