Release the Hounds was the only Vancouver dog walking company being represented at Dreamforce, the world’s largest technology conference, held in San Francisco last month.

Last year I was invited to the Dreamforce conference to speak at a breakout session sharing tips and strategies in regards to forming customer loyalty. This year, I also received an invitation directly from SalesForce as a special guest honouring Release the Hounds as a customer success story. With over 170,000 Dreamforce 2015 attendees and 1,500 different sessions to attend, I soaked up as much learning as possible to continue to enhance Release the Hounds and the care we provide.

The one session that really stood out to me didn’t have anything to do with sales, marketing or even delivering outstanding service. It had to do with driving an exceptional internal company culture. Since starting with Release the Hounds back in 2011 it is certainly one of the areas I have focused the most on knowing that if we form an outstanding culture and create an amazing company to work for, that will show in the service we provide. There is no question that I speak confidently and am beyond proud of the ‘tribe’ we have at Release the Hounds and our exceptional team (also see the interview with RTH’s James Woller). After attending a session at Dreamforce focusing on the importance of company culture, it reinforced how critical this aspect is to any company.

Reigning NBA champions the Golden State Warriors were represented on the Dreamforce stage by General Manager Bob Myers and President and CEO Rick Welts. The two discussed the Warriors’ philosophy and what they look for in building a championship-calibre team, which all starts with company culture. When you hire based on character first and skill/talent second, you can quickly form a team that aligns with your company values and more importantly lives them out in everything they do. Ultimately your team will have numerous benefits:

Increase the effectiveness by reducing fear and stress from any team friction
Continue great hires as people seek employment in companies that are ‘fun’ to work for and believe in
Learning becomes effortless when your tribe is actively engaged in teaching each other the latest thinking and practices
The team is excited and don’t see their role as ‘work’ or a ‘job’, but rather an opportunity to feel alive and be engaged

Get inspired and with this 49-minute Dreamforce video with Bob Fitzgerald, Rick Welts and Bob Myers!

There is no question that every company needs to infuse exceptional culture, but the reality is that very few do. With the importance of our service, taking care of family members, it is critical to building on the foundations of a strong culture.

Returning from DreamForce, I am even more inspired to continue to lead our exceptional ‘tribe’, knowing that having an outstanding culture directly translates into the care and love we provide.