Everybody Matters?

The answer is Yes!!! But there’s a little more to the story.

As I was checking my Facebook feed recently, I came across a post from Joe Bending who lived about a block away from me growing up in Marinette, Wisconsin (Joe is pictured in the far right at my 16th birthday party).

Since he moved to Phillips, Wisconsin, and I moved first to the Milwaukee area and then to Minnesota, I don’t remember if we ever connected in person, that was until he showed up at my grandma Annette Anderson’s funeral earlier this year. I didn’t expect to see him there, considering Phillips was hours away, but he said he was in town and wanted to show his support to our family and pay his respects. I was touched by his presence.

Whether Facebook drove the algorithm or a higher power connected us, I started seeing more of Joe in my feed including his business, The Wandering Chef. He will travel to your chosen location and prepare restaurant quality food for a gathering in your home. It’s been doing really well including winning Price County Business of The Year!

The post I referenced above wasn’t about his business, but instead a podcast episode from Simon Sinek.

I listened to the episode and was immediately hooked. I love Simon Sinek’s work in general, but this was an interview with factory workers from a small town in Wisconsin. It brought me right back to my family’s experiences at Scott Paper and Kimberly Clark including the layoff my dad was faced with when I was in college.

Barry-Wehmiller, Bob Chapman and the people and culture are refreshingly different than the experience I just shared. Bob’s leadership philosophy is built not only on the idea that “everybody matters” but the actions and culture that lead to steady employment, a positive experience for employees and inspiration all around while performing really well financially as a business.

The podcast wasn’t enough, so I picked up the book, “Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your PEOPLE Like FAMILY” and captured key learnings, sharing with my team, leaders around me, and even my parents. While the work world is in my parents distant past, it’s the type of leadership and culture that makes you feel good about the world and the future. I just had to share!

The book and podcast introduce concepts like patient leadership and responsible freedom, guided by clear leadership principles and put into practice by leaders throughout the organization. These behaviors are reinforced through recognition that began in 2005 in Phillips, Wisconsin, while the company has grown to locations across the globe with over 10,000 employees.

I could go on much longer but I encourage you to explore for yourself.

The rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to say, is that Joe has worked at Barry-Wehmiller for 17 years. I had no idea! From everything I am reading about BW and their people and leaders, Joe is the embodiment of their culture, not only making an impact on the people of Barry-Wehmiller, but on his family, his community, and even me.

Thank you Joe! I am an inspired leader heading into 2026 and I hope that everyone reading this will explore the resources I shared and share with others. The world needs this type of leadership!

Learn In The Flow Of Life

Jason