Tuesday Tuneup- #44
5 Things Hayes Barnard taught me about culture
Happy Tuesday and Happy New Years!
Way back in 2011, I was working in the Insurance/ finance industry. My title was “VP of Strategic Markets” and frankly………… I was exhausted. I was flying all over the country, on the phone with clients, partners, business owners, ect all hours of the day. My son had just turned one and I was ready for a change.
I Googled “Best places to work in Sacramento” and at the top of every list was a company called “Paramount Equity mortgage”.
Paramount equity was a name I’d heard many times. Their owner, a guy named Hayes Barnard, was on the radio constantly talking about how the “Best time to lock in low rates was yesterday”. I can still hear the ad in my head to this day.
I really wanted to work in a new industry and solar was top of the list. Lucky for me, Hayes also wanted to get into Solar and had just started a new company called Paramount Solar with the intention of selling solar to his mortgage customers.
I applied and after seven interviews (Yes……. SEVEN) I got the job.
Fast forward a couple years….
Paramount Solar was bought for $120 Million Dollars by SolarCity.
Hayes’ Mortgage company (Paramount Equity) switches from doing home loans to doing Solar loans and is now called Goodleap (Largest Solar lender in the country)
In 2022, Hayes landed on the Forbes List of the 400 richest Americans, with a net worth of over $4 Billion. Side note, Hayes has a wonderful story and is a 100% self made entrepreneur. If you’re not familiar with his story, I’d highly recommend checking it out.
Working for Hayes was incredible and one of the most impactful positions of my life. Here’s 5 things I learned about exceptional culture from my time there.
#1- Great culture starts at the top..
A strong culture is the backbone of every successful team, and it always starts with leadership. Your team takes cues from you—not just in what you say, but in what you do. Leaders set the tone for collaboration, trust, and accountability. If you want a culture of excellence, consistency, and innovation, embody those traits every day. The team will follow the example you set. Hayes is always on his game, always has a smile on his face and always carried a “We got this” attitude. Not once, did he have a “You work for me” mentality…. but rather a “I work for you” style.
#2- If you want to hire exceptional people, it starts with exceptional vision.
Exceptional people want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They are drawn to clarity, ambition, and purpose. If your vision is vague or uninspiring, you’ll attract mediocrity. But if you can paint a clear picture of where your business is headed and why it matters, you’ll naturally attract high performers who are excited to join your mission.
Looking back, the people we had working on that small team went on to do some amazing things that fundamentally changed the industry. Again, I only even looked into Paramount because they won the “Best places to work in Sacramento” award.
If you want to hire “A Players”…. You have to give them a BIG reason to join the team.
#3- Culture and Vision aren’t the same thing…. but they are both required.
Vision is the destination; culture is the vehicle that gets you there. You can have a clear and compelling vision, but without a culture of accountability, communication, and support, you’ll never reach your goals. Likewise, a great culture without a vision can leave your team working hard but without direction. For long-term success, you need both—a strong culture to sustain your efforts and a clear vision to guide them.
Both of these don’t happen by accident. You have to be intentional about both and make it a key part of your business plan.
#4- You have to be intentional about who you hire and build the system around them.
The right people won’t thrive in the wrong system. Hiring top talent is just the beginning—you also need a system that sets them up for success. This means clear expectations, ongoing training, and alignment with your company’s values and goals. Be intentional about every hire and ensure your processes empower them to do their best work. A great team deserves a great system.
Again, it took them SEVEN interviews to hire me. Not because they wanted to be difficult, but because they wanted to make sure I would fit into their system. Paramount wanted young, hungry people that had shown success in past positions. BUT…. they also knew that most of us didn’t have any solar experience, so they would have to train us. We would also need to be coachable, willing to fail and have enough tenacity to ride out the learning curve. They knew everybody they hired was going to be a project, and needed us to be fine with that reality as well.
#5- “The reality is that we’re probably not going to work together forever, and that’s alright. But it doesn’t mean we can’t do something exceptional and have a lot of fun doing it in our time together”- Hayes Barnard
Hayes said this to our small group on our very first day. Literally I had just signed my paperwork 10 minutes earlier and he comes into the conference room. It was refreshingly honest. No talk of “This is the last job you’ll ever have” or “You’ve found your forever home”…….. But a brutal honesty about what our relationship was.
So often I see leaders talking about “Grinding it out” or “Maybe one day you can be in my shoes” and thinking its vision. But it’s not.
Vision, is when you say “We are going to do something exceptional…. something you can all be proud of” and then you have a plan to actually do it.
My challenge for you this week is to ask yourself these questions and as always, if you need help along the way, please reach out.
My email is Steve@BillionDollarContractor.com
How do I want my team to view me? Am I doing a good job making sure they perceive me that way?
How does the market perceive the opportunity I have? Would I apply for my own job?
What is my vision for the company 1,3,5 years from now? Do I have a plan to ACCTUALLY do it?
What is my culture like TODAY? Can I hit my vision without good people?
Who exactly do I want to hire? Do I understand them and their needs?
Until next week…. Happy Selling!