How to Build a Billion-Dollar Business

CHAPTER 8AN IMPRESSIVE INDUCTION

Despite Michael's belief that mistakes were an opportunity for growth, I believed that the challenges that I faced upon arrival — the packaging, manufacturing and marketing issues — needed to be addressed, and I needed to take responsibility for what was happening. Why were these issues occurring? What were we doing wrong? What did we need to learn?

Michael and Stephen were supportive of me during this challenging time and we all pitched in to solve this never-ending litany of issues. We acknowledged that some of these decisions had been made long before my arrival, but the fruits of these decisions were occurring under my purview; I was now responsible for them and it was up to me to address them. I felt the pressure to take control, maintain stability and demonstrate my leadership capabilities so we could start to deliver improved results.

When I started at Swisse, Michael devised a three-month induction process to school me in the ‘Swisse Way’. This program enabled me to shadow individuals from every area within the business — marketing, sales, human resources, warehousing, logistics, manufacturing — and observe their daily routines to see how their roles contributed to the wider operation of the company. I also went out on the road with the territory mangers and met the pharmacy buyers, observed the customers, talked to them and asked them questions about why they did or did not buy Swisse. Interestingly, I was never invited to attend the ...