Answering the Questions: Who is Axiom and What Do We Do?

Earlier in January, I sat across from a second-generation business owner as he recounted some of his story. Let's call him "Rick" for today.

I won't share the entire story today, but it's a compelling one. It involves Rick working for his dad for 17 years, purchasing the business with some fellow investors, growing it, selling it, starting another business with different investors, buying them out, experiencing more growth, and taking numerous risks along the way.

At one point, Rick reminded me that nine months ago, I looked him in the eye in my office and said, "We can do this, but it is going to require you to change. Can you change?" I remember him pausing and saying, "Yes, I believe I can."

Since that day, we've experienced a lot: the loss of some significant revenue producers and a resulting downturn in sales, upheaval as core business processes are torn down and rebuilt, and hard conversations as roles and responsibilities are changed. However, each of these challenges has resulted in the company being better positioned to grow than ever before, with a culture that is the healthiest it has ever been. Our plans are to triple the business over the next 5 years, and we have the team to do it.

But what Rick shared next really stood out. He said, "I told you I could change, but there's no way I could have done it alone. What I didn't know was that the personal challenges, the family challenges, the business challenges would all put me in a spot where God would have to make me a different person to be able to do it, and He has."

To be clear, Rick and I are very open with each other about our faith. Before we left the business to head back to the airport, Cameron and I prayed with and for Rick, his family, his team, his customers, and his business. But my point in sharing Rick's story is not to highlight faith in business. 

I share Rick's story because it best encapsulates who Axiom is and what Axiom does.

Our mission is to work with business owners and their leadership teams to build businesses with purpose that outlive the current generation of owners.

These businesses must have a healthy culture built on non-negotiable values, a clear vision, and a worthy purpose.

They must work hard to define clear roles and responsibilities. Leaders must be trained up as servant leaders. They must understand leadership as a skill that needs to be taught, exercised, strengthened, and put to use alongside other technical and soft skills.

These businesses need clear systems and processes so that they are not too reliant on any one individual or personality.

They need to stand out in their market among peers and competitors so that they can attract and retain sales from new and existing customers.

And they must perform at high levels of profitability with solid balance sheets while growing the underlying fair market value of the business.

And from our firsthand experience, we know that when they do these things, they become a world-changing influence in the lives of those that work in them, buy from them, sell to them, and partner with them in their communities.

Of all the wins and triumphs Rick and his team have experienced these past nine months, none makes me happier than the way Rick's business has challenged his own personal growth and the way he has responded to that challenge.

Not every day is like this. As a business owner myself, I wince with empathy when Rick recounts some of the dark days he's had. But even on those dark days, there is a silver lining for the business, for the team, and for the owner who sets their minds and hearts on growing a business with purpose. I don't believe there's any other way worth doing it.