How to create a compelling culture your clients love

By Mark Overbye

There’s a vibe every business broadcasts, you know it because you feel it. When you walk into Chipotle, or Apple stores, or shop on Amazon, it howls without saying a word.  You decide whether you like it or not.  It’s not logical because you feel it in your gut. Just like the description you’d supply about your mate. Hard to explain, but it’s real and it’s compelling.

That’s culture. It’s the air your clients breathe, the unwritten music your team dances to. The story between the lines. What happens when no one is looking. Probably not what’s written on the wall in a fancy frame. Culture is the unseen architect of every choice, evident in common actions, threaded through decisions, handshakes, and headlines.

I know what you’re thinking. After the blistering efforts in business building, I now have to define our culture? That’s a brainbuster!  

In reality, your culture is already formed. It’s being revealed in every moment of your business’s existence. The real question is, does your culture reflect your intentions?  

When I started Gekko Boats years ago, Wilson Marine in Detroit was our first dealer, and it was a great fit. Their mantra, “Boats are cool,” influenced all their actions. Those words were on the lips of each team member. It was embedded in touch points, formed the root of their marketing and their service department took great care of your cool boat. They lived it, and their customers felt it. They’re still at it, and thriving, having created a three-generation legacy.

Clarity is crucial in defining your culture. A better business demands it. But how do you do it? 

Ask who you want to be, then act like it every day, in every decision, especially when it’s inconvenient.

Your analysis is in the alignment of actions. Do your clients feel your intentions? Is the message loud and clear even though it’s conveyed in the most subtle ways? The strongest culture whispers, “This is who we are.”

Key Questions to Ask:

1. What do I believe in — and will defend even under pressure? (Culture isn’t what you say when things are easy; it’s what you hold onto when things get hard.)
2. What kinds of behaviors do I want to be rewarded here? What kinds will I not tolerate? (Define both the positive examples and the red lines.)
3. How do I want people to feel when they work here? (Respected? Challenged? Safe? Energized? Connected?)
4. What is the story I want this company to tell when no one is looking? (This shapes the invisible standards — how people act even when no one’s watching.)
5. What companies or leaders do I admire? Why? (Borrow inspiration — their cultures offer clues.)
6. What traditions, rituals, or symbols could help anchor our culture? (Culture comes alive through consistent, visible actions.)

Actions to Take:

1. Articulate your core values — clearly and simply. (Not a long list. Three to five values you can actually live and model.)
2. Hire, promote, and fire based on values. (If you don’t align hiring and promotion with culture, the wrong people will quietly reshape it for you.)
3. Model the behavior every day. (You are the culture in the beginning. What you do matters 100x more than what you say.)
4. Create traditions that reinforce culture. (Little things: weekly shoutouts, storytelling sessions, customer highlight boards, personal notes.)
5. Tell and retell stories of “Culture in Action.” (Stories are culture’s oxygen. Celebrate real examples of people living the values.)
6. Make it safe to speak up. (Great cultures aren’t silent. Create psychological safety to surface concerns, ideas, and innovations.)
7. Inspect and correct — gently but firmly. (If behavior drifts from the intended culture, address it early. Culture erosion often starts small.)

Culture isn’t “set and forget.” It’s a living system you tend to like a garden. Neglect it, and weeds grow.  Nurture it, and greatness blooms.

A reflection.

The Zappos Story: A Culture of Customer Obsession

In 1999, two entrepreneurs, Tony Hsieh and Alfred Lin, launched a startup called Zappos in Las Vegas, Nevada. The goal? To disrupt the shoe retail industry by creating an online store that would sell shoes with a twist: superior customer service. At the time, no one thought people would trust buying shoes online without trying them on first. However, Tony and his team knew that a strong, customer-first culture could overcome that fear.

By 2004, Zappos was growing rapidly, but the company’s leadership faced a major challenge: how do you scale a business while maintaining its unique, customer-centric culture?

The answer came from Tony Hsieh’s clear vision and an unshakable commitment to the company culture. Hsieh believed that “customer service isn’t just a department, it’s the entire company.” This belief led to the implementation of several bold moves that would shape the company’s future and redefine the e-commerce industry.

Building the Right Culture: The Hiring Process

In 2005, Zappos made a groundbreaking decision: they would hire for culture fit before skillset. This meant hiring people who embodied the company’s core values and commitment to customer service, even if they didn’t have prior experience in the retail or technology industry. It was a risky move, but it would set Zappos apart from its competitors.

Core values were introduced, including:

• “Deliver WOW through service.”
• “Create fun and a little weirdness.”
• “Build open and honest relationships with communication.”

Hiring someone wasn’t just about filling a job — it was about ensuring the right person would help maintain and elevate the company’s values. As a result, new hires spent the first few weeks learning about Zappos’ culture, its values, and how to deliver WOW to customers.

The Call That Changed Everything: Delivering Happiness

One of the most defining moments for Zappos came in 2008. Zappos had grown large enough to have a customer service team that could handle thousands of inquiries every day, but they weren’t satisfied. They wanted to make customer service a core part of their brand identity.

In one famous instance, Zappos customer service took a call from a customer who was looking for a specific pair of shoes that were out of stock on their site. Instead of offering the typical, impersonal response, the customer service representative took it a step further — they researched other retailers and found the shoes at a competitor’s store, then offered to help the customer order them there. The customer, who was blown away by the exceptional service, not only became a loyal Zappos customer but also spread the story far and wide. This type of personal, customer-centric service was a direct result of Zappos’ unique culture and the belief that customer service should go above and beyond just answering questions.

The Payoff: A Billion-Dollar Brand

By 2009, Zappos was generating over $1 billion in annual sales, and Tony Hsieh’s culture-driven approach had gained widespread recognition. In 2009, Amazon, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world, bought Zappos for around $1.2 billion. Tony Hsieh and the Zappos leadership team maintained full control over the company’s culture, a rare move after such an acquisition.

Zappos’ culture, rooted in customer obsession, innovation, and fun, had proven to be an essential driver of success, not just for the company, but for its customers and employees alike. In fact, Tony Hsieh wrote a book titled “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose” in 2010, sharing the principles behind Zappos’ culture and the importance of building a business with a purpose beyond profit.

Key Takeaways:

• Culture shapes every interaction: Zappos’ customer service wasn’t just a department — it was the soul of the company, and that’s what set them apart in a competitive market.
• Hiring for cultural fit: Zappos recognized that skills could be taught, but culture needed to be embedded from day one.
• Purpose drives performance: A company with a clear mission — in Zappos’ case, to “deliver happiness” — will inspire both employees and customers to go the extra mile.

Why It Matters:

Zappos is a great example of how the right culture can drive a business’s success. A strong, well-defined culture doesn’t just impact the internal team but becomes the foundation for customer relationships, loyalty, and brand recognition. It demonstrates that the right cultural foundation isn’t just a “nice-to-have” — it’s essential for long-term success.