Name: Joey Price

Title: President and CEO

Organisation: Jumpstart:HR, LLC

Joey has spent over 15 years in the HR Industry. He started as a Human Resources Assistant and ended up in the boardroom as a Chief Executive Officer of an HR consulting firm. Additionally, he is the host of the While We Were Working Podcast, where he engages in conversation relating to empowering companies to empower people at work. At his company, Jumpstart:HR, he helps companies translate their goals to high ROI through happily engaged staff members. You can connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/joeyvprice

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Joey's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

The most challenging thing I've faced as a leader is managing a level of intensity to guide my family, personal health, and team in a matter that is equitable. It's not a simple balancing act, sometimes it requires delegation. I've heard it said that "you have to know where you can afford to lose so that you can show up where you need to win." That need is always changing and so I am constantly reflecting on what area of life needs the most attention and how to make investments of time that pay dividends in that particular area.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

Leadership wasn't something I looked for, but it found me and stuck. I can remember being a leader even as far back as elementary school, when it came to which games we are going to play on the playground and influencing my friends about which Pokemon was the coolest. The more I think about it, I believe leadership found me because I always wanted to confidently help people discover what's best for them. I study, I listen, I challenge my beliefs, and I try to help people come to their own conclusions by working through a similar framework of self-discovery and self-awareness.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I live and die by my calendar while leaving margin for a change of pace or plans. My Google calendar serves as my guiding to-do list, and it lets me know what demands my attention and for how long. I structure the opportunity for people to meet with me by blocking off days and times in the day where I feel most optimal to engage vs times I enjoy focusing on deep work. Those meetings can be automated through my Calendly and I give myself time to prep and get in the proper mental space to make the most of their time and mine. How far out am I thinking these days? I have big annual goals, quarterly checkpoints, monthly steps, and weekly actions. I have to break things down bit by bit.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

As a recovering people pleaser, I was recently reminded that the right decision won't win everyone in the room. One aspect of our business that I delegate to a trusted leader on our team is to manage transitions of contractors who join us for project work. Unfortunately for this contractor, they submitted hours for efforts that did not count as billable time. This message was communicated to the contractor by my trusted leader - but the contractor expressed that they were displeased with our determination. I guess there's another lesson in there, too. I believe in treating people fair - but you have to be firm so that you aren't taken advantage of.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

Every six months I keep circling back to a book called A CEO Only Does Three Things by Trey Taylor. It's a healthy reset when looking at my workload and asking "am I doing more of what I need to be doing or more of what I should be delegating?" I'll listen to it on long drives or walks, and recalibrate based on how I'm feeling and what I'm reading. Every time I read it, I take away something different.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Trust yourself to take risks sooner. Reach out to more prospects, fire the loyal slacker, ...buy Bitcoin at $7,000 (lol). I realize more and more that the saying is true that "the opportunity of a lifetime is only available in the lifetime of the opportunity." So, trust yourself more and doubt yourself less. You've got this!

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

There are so many! I guess one story I can tell is from our switch from fixed PTO to unlimited PTO. It's as much an exercise in trust as it as an administrative adjustment. I truly trust my team that they're getting stuff done and it is a joy to know they can take the time they need to recharge, recover, grieve, whatever they need. The employer-employee relationship is built on both trust and accountability - and that shift plus our ability to tract projects in a project tracking too, gives us both.