If you would’ve asked me early in my business journey what mattered most, I probably would’ve said:

The strategy.
The marketing.
The offer.

And while those things do matter…they’re not the whole story.

Because what I’ve learned (and what this week’s conversation with Sarah Hermanson of One Above HR reinforced in such a powerful way) is this:

You can have the best product in the world, but if you don’t have your people, you don’t have a business.

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The Missing Piece: Care, Culture, and Communication

Sarah has spent 30+ years in HR, recruiting, and leadership development. She’s seen behind the curtain of what works…and what doesn’t.

And she’s boiled it down to three things:

• Care
• Culture
• Communication

Not flashy. Not complicated.
But foundational.

What struck me most is how often we assume we’re doing these things without actually being intentional about them.

We plan our launches.
We map out our revenue goals.
We build systems for delivery.

But how often do we sit down and ask:

What’s our plan for our people?

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The 5-Minute Shift That Changes Everything

One of the simplest (and honestly most impactful) things Sarah shared?

Build 5–8 minutes of intentional connection into every meeting.

Not small talk.
Not “how was your weekend?” on autopilot.

Real connection.

Stories. Background. Life outside of work.

Because here’s the truth:

You can’t build trust with people you don’t actually know.

And in a world where so many of us are working remotely or hybrid, those organic connection points are disappearing.

So we have to create them.

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You Might Be Saying the Right Things and Still Missing the Mark

This part stopped me in my tracks.

Sarah shared that 60–90% of communication is nonverbal.

Let that sink in.

Which means:
You can say all the “right” things, and still not be heard the way you intended.

She talked about simple things like:

• Crossing your arms
• Turning your body away
• Keeping your hands in your pockets

And how those small habits can signal:
“I’m closed off.”
“I’m not listening.”
“I’m not fully here.”

Even when that’s not true.

It made me think about how often we’re unintentionally creating disconnect, simply because we’re unaware.

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The Conversation No One Wants to Have (But Needs To)

Let’s talk about something most founders avoid:

Succession planning.

I get it. I’ve been there.

“I’m never leaving this business.”
“This is my thing forever.”

But Sarah shared something that shifted my perspective:

Not planning is still a plan. It just puts you in a reactive position instead of a proactive one.

And in a state like Iowa (and honestly, across the country), there are thousands of businesses that will change hands in the next 5–10 years.

That’s not just a challenge, it’s an opportunity.

For growth.
For acquisition.
For legacy.

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Full Circle: The Pumpkin Farm

One of my favorite parts of this conversation?

Hearing about Sarah’s family pumpkin farm.

Started 46 years ago.
Passed down through generations.
Now run by Sarah and her husband.

It’s a real-life example of everything we talked about:

• Succession
• Legacy
• Community
• People

And it’s a reminder that business isn’t just about what we build…

It’s about what we leave behind.

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What I’m Taking With Me

This conversation didn’t just give me ideas. It gave me a lens.

A reminder that:

• People are not an afterthought
• Connection is not optional
• Communication is not just words

And that if we want to build businesses that last, we have to build them with people at the center.

Listen now to Episode 251 of The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth and Sarah Hermanson, now streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.