
The Power to Empower — Using Kolbe to Impact Careers, Families, and Communities
02/08/24 • 32 min
How do you ensure you’re equipped to grow as a business leader? As a family member? As a trusted member of your community? And how can you help others do the same?
In this episode, Stephanie Clergé, VP of People and Product Development at Kolbe Corp, and Rob Castaneda , Founder and CEO of ServiceRocket, discuss how to infuse Kolbe WisdomTM into a business in in ways that will empower team members and clients alike. Rob shares his experience with taking the Kolbe ATM Index and how it has helped him understand himself and others better. Learn how ServiceRocket has integrated Kolbe into their hiring process and the use of technology to support their people operations, how they have fostered a diversity of strengths on their teams, and the value empowering “Rocketeers” to learn and grow has added for everyone involved.
Host: Stephanie Clergé (8363)
Guest-at-a-Glance
💡 Name: Rob Castaneda (3384)
💡What they do: As Founder and CEO of ServiceRocket, Rob aims to help “Rocketeers” learn and grow so that they can have an impact on their careers, their families, and their communities. He partners with smart, fast-growing enterprise software companies and helps them build out their ecosystems.
💡Company: ServiceRocket
💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn
Takeaways
- Understanding and leveraging instinctive strengths can help individuals be more deliberate and make better choices in different situations.
- Empowering employees with knowledge about their instinctive strengths can lead to better collaboration and communication.
- Using Kolbe in the hiring process can help identify candidates who are a good fit for the role and the team.
- Investing in leadership development and proactive initiatives can have a significant impact on the growth and success of a company.
Key Quotes from Rob
“The part that I really enjoyed initially was being able to compare my profile with other executives in the company to give some pointers and, you know, take the edge off some frustration that you might be having.”
“We have a lot of migrants in our business from all corners of the world, and there's a very big calling for me to be able to empower them. And not just on technical skills. I actually think interpersonal soft skills are probably the most important. It has an impact on their careers, but also — knowing this stuff — I'm a better husband. I'm a better father. I'm a better community leader. And I think that's what actually has a better impact on the world.”
“It's kind of like, here's who you are; you're done. With Kolbe, it's just a system of understanding. And then I know what levers I have to pull, right? So that I can adjust my behavior the way that fits the situation.”
“I think educating your managers and investing in programs like this...managers actually love this kind of stuff. And starting to challenge them to say, okay... hey, every time you guys hire somebody, did you realize that you hire the same profile all the time? We all have biases, and this is a great framework and tool and infrastructure to use to make yourself better, make your team better, or make your company better.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:12 Service Rocket and its Mission
06:00 Empowering Rocketeers
09:18 Understanding and Leveraging Instinctive Strengths
14:34 Rollout of Kolbe in the Company
19:42 Using Kolbe to Make a Difference
26:23 Advice for Leaders in the People Part of Business
32:02 Fin
***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe ATM Index or The Student Aptitude Quiz for the youth in your life.
How do you ensure you’re equipped to grow as a business leader? As a family member? As a trusted member of your community? And how can you help others do the same?
In this episode, Stephanie Clergé, VP of People and Product Development at Kolbe Corp, and Rob Castaneda , Founder and CEO of ServiceRocket, discuss how to infuse Kolbe WisdomTM into a business in in ways that will empower team members and clients alike. Rob shares his experience with taking the Kolbe ATM Index and how it has helped him understand himself and others better. Learn how ServiceRocket has integrated Kolbe into their hiring process and the use of technology to support their people operations, how they have fostered a diversity of strengths on their teams, and the value empowering “Rocketeers” to learn and grow has added for everyone involved.
Host: Stephanie Clergé (8363)
Guest-at-a-Glance
💡 Name: Rob Castaneda (3384)
💡What they do: As Founder and CEO of ServiceRocket, Rob aims to help “Rocketeers” learn and grow so that they can have an impact on their careers, their families, and their communities. He partners with smart, fast-growing enterprise software companies and helps them build out their ecosystems.
💡Company: ServiceRocket
💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn
Takeaways
- Understanding and leveraging instinctive strengths can help individuals be more deliberate and make better choices in different situations.
- Empowering employees with knowledge about their instinctive strengths can lead to better collaboration and communication.
- Using Kolbe in the hiring process can help identify candidates who are a good fit for the role and the team.
- Investing in leadership development and proactive initiatives can have a significant impact on the growth and success of a company.
Key Quotes from Rob
“The part that I really enjoyed initially was being able to compare my profile with other executives in the company to give some pointers and, you know, take the edge off some frustration that you might be having.”
“We have a lot of migrants in our business from all corners of the world, and there's a very big calling for me to be able to empower them. And not just on technical skills. I actually think interpersonal soft skills are probably the most important. It has an impact on their careers, but also — knowing this stuff — I'm a better husband. I'm a better father. I'm a better community leader. And I think that's what actually has a better impact on the world.”
“It's kind of like, here's who you are; you're done. With Kolbe, it's just a system of understanding. And then I know what levers I have to pull, right? So that I can adjust my behavior the way that fits the situation.”
“I think educating your managers and investing in programs like this...managers actually love this kind of stuff. And starting to challenge them to say, okay... hey, every time you guys hire somebody, did you realize that you hire the same profile all the time? We all have biases, and this is a great framework and tool and infrastructure to use to make yourself better, make your team better, or make your company better.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:12 Service Rocket and its Mission
06:00 Empowering Rocketeers
09:18 Understanding and Leveraging Instinctive Strengths
14:34 Rollout of Kolbe in the Company
19:42 Using Kolbe to Make a Difference
26:23 Advice for Leaders in the People Part of Business
32:02 Fin
***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe ATM Index or The Student Aptitude Quiz for the youth in your life.
Previous Episode

Epic Business Transformations: Discover The Power of a Kolbe Consultant
When Kari Gillenwater first integrated Kolbe into her practice, she had no idea the level of impact it would have for her clients. In this episode, Kari shares how discovering her Kolbe strengths has improved both her life and her business. She explains how she uses Kolbe to help top business owners build teams and empower their employees. She also offers advice for coaches and consultants looking to incorporate Kolbe into their practice at the highest levels.
If you’re a consultant or coach looking to make a bigger impact on your clients’ businesses and lives, then this is a must-listen. If you’re simply interested in how to improve your own life and work through better understanding your strengths, this is also a can’t-miss episode!
Host: Eric Herrera (5392)
Guest-at-a-Glance
💡 Name: Kari Gillenwater (6482)
💡What they do: Founder and CEO of a successful financial services and insurance consulting firm, Kari is known for her extensive work with business owners helping them to accelerate their businesses, their brands and their teams. A coach and certified KolbeTM consultant and Team Specialist, she specializes in helping business owners find right-fit talent, improve personal productivity, team performance and communication.
💡Company: Gillenwater Consulting Group
💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn
Takeaways
- Understanding and embracing your Kolbe strengthsTM can have a significant impact on your life and business.
- Kolbe can be used to build teams and empower employees in a way that aligns with their unique strengths.
- Communication and understanding each other's Kolbe strengths is crucial for effective teamwork and collaboration.
- Kolbe can be powerful for coaches and consultants to help their clients find their voice, align with their strengths, and achieve their goals. Self-reflection is essential for personal growth and development.
- Understanding personal values helps guide decision-making and prioritization.
- Identifying strengths and weaknesses allows for targeted self-improvement.
- Setting goals and taking action is crucial for progress and achievement.
- Self-awareness enhances relationships and leads to a more fulfilling life.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:30 The Importance of Self-Reflection
03:40 Understanding and Embracing Kolbe
09:16 Using Kolbe in Business Coaching
10:45 Understanding Personal Values
17:28 Working with Individuals and Teams
20:15 Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses
28:12 Client Success Story
30:00 Setting Goals and Taking Action
36:00 Advice for Coaches and Consultants
40:00 The Power of Self-Awareness
41:14 Connecting with Kari Gillenwater
43:04 Closing Remarks
***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe ATM Index or The Student Aptitude Quiz for the youth in your life.
Next Episode

Next-Level Leadership – Using Kolbe to Help Executives Thrive and Build Dream Teams
Nobody is asked to make more decisions, more difficult decisions, or more important decisions than executives. So anything that gives leaders an upper hand in making those decisions more efficiently and effectively is pure gold. Enter our guests: Susan Spritz Myers and Whitney Capps. Susan and Whitney are both incredible leadership coaches who know how to help executives achieve amazing results and build remarkable teams. In this episode, they discuss the impact of knowing your MO (Modus Operandi) and how it can shape your personal and professional life. They share specific case studies of how they used Kolbe to help clients solve major problems through understanding their strengths and working together more effectively. They also discuss the importance of building teams with diverse strengths and using a whole person approach to company culture. If you’re a leader (or you work with them), listening to this episode will lead to great things and high-performing teams!
Host: Eric Herrera (5392)
Guests-at-a-Glance
💡 Names: Susan Spritz Myers (4392) and Whitney Capps (8562)
💡What they do: Whitney has experience coaching a variety of leaders and specializes in emerging leaders, law and government, tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and non-profit leaders and activists. Susan provides executive coaching and team development to CEOs, business owners, VPs, senior-level leaders and teams of mid-market companies.
💡Companies: Susan Spritz Myers, LLC and ClearSpace
💡 Where to find them: https://susanspritzmyers.com/ and https://clearspace.net/
Takeaways
- Knowing your MO can have a significant impact on your personal and professional life, providing clarity and confidence in decision-making.
- Kolbe assessments can help individuals and teams understand their strengths and work together more effectively.
- Building diverse teams and being intentional in leadership development are key to creating high-performing teams.
- Self-awareness, trust, and collaboration are essential for success in team dynamics.
Key Quotes from Our Guests
“I have two children and I gave them Index A when they were in high school. One is graduated, one is in graduate school for physical therapy. But the fact that they got to do college or make choices based on knowing that MO I feel like is the best thing I ever did for them.” - Susan Spritz-Myers
“There's opportunity for the short term and long term with Kolbe. Whether you have your results or not, just understanding that those striving instincts are at play for yourself and for others can really be life-changing. And what I think we've been able to leverage is we don't just stop there.” - Whitney Capps
“If we have autonomy and freedom and psychological safety, we are much more likely to be engaged at work. And Kolbe is a huge part of helping an organization, helping an individual, helping a leader, make sure that people feel like they can be themselves.” - Whitney Capps
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:11 Impact of Knowing Your MO
02:14 Personal Impact of Kolbe
03:23 Impact of Kolbe on Leadership Teams
08:32 Building a Relationship with a Law Firm Client
13:23 Understanding and Leveraging Different MOs
16:36 Supporting Individuals in Teams
22:25 Looking at the Whole Person
26:21 Shifting Roles and Responsibilities
29:40 Opportunities with Kolbe
32:58 Building High Perfo
***
Find the freedom to be yourself by taking the Kolbe ATM Index or The Student Aptitude Quiz for the youth in your life.
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