Empowering Dreams at Work featuring Rebecca Salhab
"Having my CEO say, 'This program is all about you and your success, in whatever form that takes,' was a proud moment for me.”
In this episode of Lead with Culture, host Kate Volman is joined by Rebecca Salhab, Sr. Director of Human Resources at KeHE Distributors, to talk about the importance of the Dream Manager program.
In their conversation, Rebecca shares her initial skepticism, the challenges faced, and the incredible impact the program has had on her organization. You'll hear stories of employees achieving their dreams, leadership's support, and how prioritizing personal aspirations has boosted engagement and reduced turnover.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The positive impact of the Dream Manager program on individual employees
- How the Dream Manager program influences company culture and how it is being adapted for broader implementation at KeHe
- How Rebecca’s initial skepticism about the Dream Manager program transformed into enthusiastic leadership for an employee experience initiative at her company
Things to listen for:
[03:24] How the Dream Manager program at KeHe has impacted people
[09:26] Encourage team members to embrace personal growth
[16:31] Emphasizing company culture and employee development initiatives
[22:15] Encourage people to pursue their dreams passionately
[29:23] Focusing on dreams and achievements will build confidence
[35:08] Prioritizing dreams and reevaluating what's important
[39:02] Prioritize and visualize to accomplish your dreams
Resources:
Connect with the Host & Floyd Coaching:
Transcript
The dreamer dreamt about owning a business outside of KeHE. And she said, that's what it's about. It's not about KeHE. It's about you living your dreams. And I was so proud to listen to her talking to this person. Cause, you know, the dreamer wasn't sure whether or not they could say anything. Look over at us and I'm like, no, say what you were. This is, you know, safe space.
Rebecca Salhab [:If it's outside of KeHE. And you're growing. That's why we're here. You know, if you wanna open a business, open a trapping company, by all means. You know, we're not saying that because you're in this program, you're tied to Khee, but having my CEO say, this program is about you and your success and whatever that looks like. It was just a very proud moment.
Kate Volman [: ience at KeHE. KeHE has about: Kate Volman [:However, Rebecca is really tasked with leading this program. So it's really her baby. It's under her leadership that she is rolling this program out and helping the Dream manager, the other certified dream managers, to not only coach the people in the organization, but then also what that's gonna take to build this program out and how to scale it successfully, so that their ultimate goal of being able to offer this to every single team member at KeHE comes true. So that dream is fulfilled of being able to offer this to everybody. And so she is tasked with a big project. Obviously, they started with a really big goal and a strategic plan to be able to say, okay, we want to implement this in our organization. What is that going to take? What is that going to look like? And we've done a lot of work with them and her team to be able to figure out what that's going to look like so that they do it in the best way possible, because that's a lot of team members. You know, a lot of the organizations that implement the program.f
Kate Volman [:I mean, we work with organizations that have as little as 15 or 20 employees, all the way up to thousands and thousands of employees. And so the program works the same in every type of organization. However, the way in which it's rolled out is a little bit differently. You know, for someone like KeHE, if you have multiple locations, you have a lot of employees, then that's gonna look a little bit different than if you have 20 people that are in one office. And so that is one of the things that we do at Floyd, is to not only you get certified through us, but also you're then able to work with our team so that it is as successful as possible, and everyone achieves the results they wanna achieve. So your people become happier and better and more fulfilled. The organization grows together. You get to do great things.
Kate Volman [:I wanted to give that a little bit of context because we didn't get too much into that. We did get into a lot of the stories around what the Dream manager program has done for their people and the impact that it's had, not only personally, but professionally and everything that it entails. And so it was a really inspiring conversation with Rebecca because it's just remarkable to hear all of the dreams that are being achieved over at KeHE and the impact that it's having and what it's doing for their people. And just to know that your team members are showing up happier, healthier, more fulfilled, more engaged, that is what it's about. That's what they're doing over at KeHE. So please enjoy this conversation, and I hope that it inspires you to start dreaming with your team as well. Rebecca, thank you so much for joining us today. I'm so excited to talk to you.
Rebecca Salhab [:I'm excited to be here. I've seen the clips, and I've seen your podcast. So thank you for inviting me out. I'm happy to be here.
Kate Volman [:Oh, yeah. It's going to be a fun time, because we are talking about your journey as a certified dream manager and all the really incredible things that you're doing over there at KeHE. So why don't you give the listeners a little bit of a context? Tell us a little bit about KeHE. How many team members you have, how many locations, and all that fun stuff.
Rebecca Salhab [: have remote groups, just over: Kate Volman [:Awesome. And it's so funny because after we started working together, only then did I notice on my morning walks, I would notice all the trucks. I was like, oh, they're all over.
Rebecca Salhab [:That year when I first heard about the HR position, because I started with KeHE in our Douglasville facility, and I had never heard of KeHE before, but as soon as I saw the position, I started seeing the trucks, I started seeing the product, and I'm like, wow, okay, where has this place been? But it's amazing, right?
Kate Volman [:It's like that red car effect. I don't know what it's really called, but when you start stop shopping, you want a red car. All of a sudden you see all the red cars or you see this specific kind of car.
Rebecca Salhab [:No, I had a black Camry once, and every time I was at the red light, there would be black Camry, black Camry, black Camry. And I'm like, were these cars always here, or did I just start noticing them?
Kate Volman [:No, you started a movement. You started a movement. And that's all that it is. You're an influencer.
Rebecca Salhab [:It's what I do is what I do. Well, this manager program has definitely helped us start a movement over at cranky.
Kate Volman [:Well, I'm so excited about it because we have been watching you progress and everything that you guys are doing over there. So tell us a little bit about, I mean, now, right now you have three certified dream managers. How did you even decide, what was that conversation internally to learn about the program and start implementing the program? How did you kind of get introduced to the dream manager?
Rebecca Salhab [:That's an awesome question. So Chris Sieber, who is an EVP for us, read the book, and he talked to my awesome Chro, Jennifer Ricks, and they said, you know, how can we make this happen? And I was talking to Jen one day and she kind of asked me had I heard him dream manager by Matthew Kelly. And, you know, I'm like, I'm over here doing real HR work. I'm doing investigation. What are you talking about? We don't dream. Look, I don't even sleep. Is this a trick question or something? And so I really didn't think much of it. I did a Google search and saw just a little bit into Matthew Kelly world, right? And I said, oh, gosh, this guy's written a lot and he's done a lot, you know, but I didn't get the book and really didn't think much of it.
Rebecca Salhab [:And she asked me again, this was maybe a month later. Hey, did you get that book? And I'm not a fool. I know when somebody says something twice that you need to tune in, right? And so as she's asking me about it, I'm ordering a book on Amazon. I'm like, okay, clearly this is something I need to look at. And she says, hey, you know, I just kind of have this vision of perhaps you stepping out of your role, which is really operations, hr, and kind of running this project in addition to some other stuff, you know, where we think about people first. And I said, okay, well, you know that book you mentioned? I have it on the way. It'll be here tomorrow. So got the book and also got the audible.
Rebecca Salhab [:Started reading the book, and I said, oh, no, I'm gonna have to put this in my ear and read the book. Like, in one day, I made a very easy read, and I thought to myself, are we gonna do this for our employees? You allow me to head this up. So I called in and we talked about it, and she's like, yes, this is part of my vision. And, you know, I'd like for you to lead this initiative. And so we worked it out that, you know, I stepped out of my role and went into what we call employee experience, which is all about putting employees first. And the first initiative was the dream manager program. And I'm so proud that I was able to come down with will or less and get certified. I think that's when it really became real.
Rebecca Salhab [:Like, we're really doing this. I'm really understanding what the program is. Tony was great. Jennifer was great. Meeting you. Being down in Florida, it was just. I had goosebumps the whole time thinking, we're going to do this for our employees. So that's the start of the dream manager program at K.
Rebecca Salhab [:Look at that.
Kate Volman [:All from a book that you almost didn't read. Yes.
Rebecca Salhab [:And it's so weird, because whenever we sit with people in informational sessions, I totally relate to the look on their face. Like, what are you talking about, dreams? I'm like, look, I felt the same way. Give us a chance. Give us a shot. And if they give us 30 minutes, 40 minutes, by the end, they are just as exciting as we are once they understand what the program is and that this is a free benefit that we're able to offer our associates.
Kate Volman [:I'm glad that you mentioned that, because how we see team members react that way, it's like, wait a second. It's kind of sad because so many people are just not used to somebody doing something just for them, like, just for their benefit, they think, oh, it's, the company is implementing something. What's in it for them? Well, obviously there's a lot, there's a lot in it for the company, too. But the whole point is to help that person become the best version of themselves. And so there are people that are a little bit shy about signing up for the program, which is really interesting. And so you got certified. Now you, you were interesting in the sense that a lot of companies, their plan is to come get certified, go back, and then obviously roll the program out. But with Jen and your leadership, there was like an even bigger vision already because your company is so large.
Kate Volman [:How many people initially got certified?
Rebecca Salhab [:So initially we had three people certified. It was me and it was Will, who was based out of Douglasville, Georgia, and Les Rodriguez, who's based out of Romeoville, Illinois, which is close to our home base over in Naperville. So we knew we wanted to run the pilot initially in two sites just to kind of introduce to our leaders. And, you know, we have leaders that are very metrics driven. Hey, what's the return on investment out the door? They want to know day one, what's my return on investment? It's like, hold on 1 second, this is what we'll see, but let's get the program going. And what's very interesting, Kate, just as a side note, those leaders now are like our biggest supporters. They're like, we don't know all the details of what happens in the sessions. We know how people are before they enter the program and after the program.
Rebecca Salhab [:And it's not that we've come in with a magic wand. What Matthew Kelly says is true, getting people excited about their lives, results and people being excited at work, they feel like they're in control. I had a leader, and I know you kind of want to talk about some results later. I had a leader just say, I don't know what you guys did with this particular person, but keep doing it. And I was like, there's no big compliment. Like, he's not quite sure what, what's going on. And I'm like, we're not doing it. This person is now invested in their own life.
Rebecca Salhab [:It's what the dreamers are putting into it. It's amazing to see. And every time we connect and we do celebrations at six months and we do celebrations when they graduate and our first group is about to graduate, hearing them talk about the program, I'm not a typically overly emotional, I don't let that stuff leak from my eyes. All the time just to hear somebody excited about their lives and to tap in, they feel alive and it's so powerful to bear witness to.
Kate Volman [:Yeah, that's what happens. It's people that didn't even realize that they were so disengaged with their life and now they're being fed new content, new information and they have somebody that is supporting them and cheering for them and saying, yes, you can actually make these things happen.
Rebecca Salhab [:Right. Well, they have a company behind them. My CEO sat in a six month report out and this was kind of the first one that she has sat in on. And the dreamer jumped about owning a business outside of Kehir and she said, that's what it's about. It's not about KeHE, it's about you living your dreams. And I was so proud to listen to her talking to this person because, you know, the dreamer wasn't sure whether or not they could say anything. Look over at us and I'm like, no, say what you were. This is, you know, safe space.
Rebecca Salhab [:If it's outside of KeHE and you're growing, that's why we're here. If you want to open a business, open a trapping company, by all means. You know, we're not saying that because you're in this program, you're tied to KeHE, but having my CEO say this program is about you and your success and whatever that looks like. It was just a very proud moment.
Kate Volman [:I'm so happy to hear that. That is the way that the CEO handled that situation and that conversation. That's one of the questions we get a lot from certain leaders. They will say, well, why would I want to encourage my team members to dream? What if their dream is to have their own business or to leave the role that they're in? Like, I don't want this person to go.
Rebecca Salhab [:And to that I would say, why not? How dare we?
Kate Volman [:Not?
Rebecca Salhab [:Now, on the flip side of that, we've seen people get promoted. We've seen people internally move up. So we have that. And I have people going for leads. I have new supervisors. I just love it. I'm like, oh, this is so amazing. But some people, their dream is to be a business owner and that takes them outside of Katie.
Rebecca Salhab [:That's okay.
Kate Volman [:And you know what? You get the best of them while they're there and then you've built this level of trust so they can come to you and you know what's going on. So you can then prepare for that person leaving and send them off with the best of luck and wanting all the best for them. And then you get to bring somebody else on to take that person's role, and that person's going to speak so highly of you as an organization.
Rebecca Salhab [:We're impacting families. I've had dreamers tell me that they're going through priority exercises with their kids, the stuff that they're learning in the sessions. They go home and talk to their spouse about or their partner about. They're bringing the kids in. There's people reconnecting with families. I had a dreamer. I was down in Texas, and he's like, hey, I just had never been on a plane before, but I booked a flight to go see my dad to go reconnect that relationship because that was one of my dreams. Kate, we're impacting so many lives.
Rebecca Salhab [:It's amazing.
Kate Volman [:That is so cool. Oh, my gosh. I mean, you're a big organization, and one of the things that we recommend for organizations that have as many employees as you is to have a pilot. Right? Like, start the pilot program with. With just a core group of people, whether that is one location or a specific number of people that you're going to kind of roll the program out to. And that's really what you guys did. How many people are in the program currently?
Rebecca Salhab [:Currently, we have about 160. We have it in six locations. We have a small, remote cohort. So the future of the program is to be more remote so that we can get to more people and impact more lives. We have our IT department working on that right now. We'll be deploying laptops to make sure that the vision for the future really for this year is to get it in every DC, including companies that we've recently acquired. You know, I've had people say we do what it's always. Hey, Rebecca, I heard.
Rebecca Salhab [:I kind of need to talk to you. You're doing some exciting stuff for employees. Yes, we are. We say people first at KeHE and we live people first at Katie.
Kate Volman [:Yeah, you definitely do. Have you seen people that are inquiring about roles? Have they come in and do they know, like, in the community, are they familiar with the dream manager and what you guys are doing over there?
Rebecca Salhab [:They are learning about it as we come in. And we are partnering with our talent development and our talent acquisition teams to make sure that it's part of our culture page that this is mentioned that, hey, we have the Dream manager program in addition to belonging initiatives that we have, in addition to our benevolence, in addition to all the community work we do. So we know that candidates out there are looking for companies that walk the walk. And it's not about just, is this position right? Is this salary right? People want to enter into a culture in which they feel like they fit in, that companies are taking care of employees and they really mean it.
Kate Volman [:We had a call the other day, you and me and Jen, and it was so inspiring just to hear the vision that you have for growing the program. So what is your big vision, and how are you planning to continue to roll this out? Ultimately, you want everybody to be in the program.
Rebecca Salhab [:Ultimately, we want everyone to at least have access to it. You know, you have to kind of be ready to work on your own life. We totally respect that. So not everybody's ready at the same time, but we want them to have access to it. So we're in six distribution centers now. We have a corporate cohort. So our plan is to continue. What we've done so far has been successful.
Rebecca Salhab [:We roll out a DC. I'm rolling out Phoenix. I'll be in Phoenix next month. We'll go live in July, and then we'll have a corporate initiative. So every quarter, we're hoping to bring on one or two new groups into the program. But we did, I think we had an opportunity to show you our video that we shot to promote the program. So we're also on town halls. We're speaking about the program, and we want this to become the language that people speak as far as helping employees accomplish their dreams.
Rebecca Salhab [:But when you ask about the long term future of the program, I would like to, in the next, you know, three to five years, be able to offer every employee that comes in the opportunity to take advantage of this awesome benefit.
Kate Volman [:And that's a good distinction, too, because we have had some organizations where most people that go through it, they really love it, but it can be a lot because you've got to face some things in your life that you may not be willing to face.
Rebecca Salhab [:When we meet internally, we start off with that, and there's times where, you know that, like, you're either not feeling Green 100%, either be spiritual or physically or something is kind of a little left of center, and that can be a little difficult. We had a dreamer who was going through the program, really just kind of got started, but at the same time, he was getting married. And so I had this dream. Randall call and say, hey, this guy, he's not sure if he wants to continue. I said, he's getting married. That is crazy, getting married. Honestly, it can be just a lot. Ask him.
Rebecca Salhab [:Does he want to cause it for a couple months? And he caused it for a couple months, which was totally fine with us. He came back immediately hit the ground running because now he's got this new wife. He ended up getting promoted. He's one of our newest trainers. It's a wonderful story because he's about to graduate. But there was a couple months that he just said, hey, you know, I kind of need a break from this. And we understood life was lifeing and things were happening and the chaos of trying to get married. I did joke a little bit, Kate.
Rebecca Salhab [:I said, so you're telling me that he is involved in this wedding planet. I want to talk to Brian. I want to. I want to talk to her. I want to know how much he's really involved. Oh, my gosh. But, you know, he came out and he got married, and he's able to do it. So we understand that sometimes life is.
Rebecca Salhab [:Can be a little difficult and challenges come up and, you know, we're always willing to be flexible.
Kate Volman [:Yeah. Meet people where they are. And that is really what's so beautiful about the program and the way that Matthew laid it out. He was very intentional, as you know, because you've gone through it. But just every month, every session really builds on itself. Right. We're kind of being introduced to these new concepts and ideas, and you talk about the genius of your personality, and you get into relationships and you get into time and energy, and you're just learning so much about your life in ways that most people have never been invited to explore. And now they're invited to explore that, and they get to see, oh, there are actually things I can do to make my life better starting today.
Rebecca Salhab [:Right, right. I hear a lot, especially when we do our initial meetings and kind of informational sessions. This is pre to dream storm. Cause a lot of time, we just go in and explain what the program is. Right. We talk about what it is, how it works, just really the logistics of it, so that people understand. And so often I hear, I don't have dreams. I just.
Rebecca Salhab [:I go to work and I go high, and I'm like, one. I can relate to that because I felt the same way. But then at the end, to see them, to start writing down their dreams, and I'm like, I think you did have some dreams. It doesn't matter if it's to go visit every NFL stadium. Like, there's no limits on this. Whatever it is that thought was, please pursue it. We've had people finish writing books, start writing poetry books, and it's like, well, I kind of started this after college, or I started this in my early twenties, and I shelved it. But you still have a story to tell.
Rebecca Salhab [:Your life is still important. So they're revisiting old dreams and creating new dreams. And I was talking to one of the dreamers, and she's like, I just want to go to the casino. Okay. I want you to be responsible, and I want you to, you know, make sure that this is budgeted.
Kate Volman [:But, okay, well, what I love about that is they are unlocking that dream muscle that has been stagnant and dormant for so many years. And when people say, I don't have dreams, I initially, I get so sad. But also, what an opportunity to then encourage people to actually go after their dreams and to write down their dreams, which most people have not done. And a lot of times people don't even know that those dreams, like the ones that you're talking about buying your first home or even getting married, like, that is a dream. That is a dream that people have. And so to say you have no dreams. No, if you are alive, you have dreams. It is the one thing that connects all of us.
Kate Volman [: ike yours who actually have a: Kate Volman [:But talk a little bit about how those leaders that are now the biggest cheerleaders, how do they view ROI? What are they looking at and what are some of the things that they've seen?
Rebecca Salhab [:So as much as we focus on the return on investment, but we've put together dashboards, I have an amazing analytics team that has helped me with. And even with the small numbers, it's easy for me to go in and say, okay, well, we can take a look at the numbers inside the program and outside the program, but I try to be as respectful as possible because we're still dealing with very small numbers. Right. So it's kind of easy for me to go in and say, well, 10% have been promoted, and my turnover is only at, you know, 20% or something like that. But we've given them that data and been respectful in that nature and so that we can be at the table and speak the language on what the program's really doing, we've broke down the entire cost of the program for them. But once they sit in the meetings and talk to the dreamers, they understand not only the impact, business impact, which is amazing because our promotion rates are great. I have a leader that is using this as a tool for people that want to enter into the management program. It's like, hey, again, we're not forcing you, but we highly encourage you.
Rebecca Salhab [:If this is something you're looking to do and you want to improve yourself, at least explore the dream manager program and the people that are taking advantage of that. They're seeing what they put in. So if they're wanting to improve, because our dreamers don't just show up in regular clothes for interviews, they have the force behind them. Their resumes are ready. They're ready to go. When other people started seeing the success of the people in the program. So now we have a waiting list in some places because it's like, okay, no, I want to get in. I want to get in, too.
Rebecca Salhab [:So the initial leaders that felt, I don't want to say skeptical, but asked appropriate business related questions, right. Are now some of our biggest supporters. And they know that we are impacting people, we're impacting families, we're impacting communities. And even if a person doesn't write a book or go on this grand trip or get promoted, they're happier and that rubs off. And they're coming to work on time and they're being a bright light, and that is being noticed in a warehouse full of, you know, hundreds of people. People understand when somebody's turned the light on in their life and they're in tune with what they're doing and they feel like they're in control and they're able to accomplish things, even if it's something that, you know, I would consider simple. Opening a savings account, that is a big deal to somebody who's never had a savings account before. So it doesn't have to be the grand gestures.
Rebecca Salhab [:We're going to celebrate it all.
Kate Volman [:We're going to celebrate it all. I love that. I love that. Because that's what it's about, right? It's like, who are we to judge somebody's dream? Everyone comes from different background, different resources, different experiences, and to be able to celebrate everyone for each of the dreams that they have and being able to achieve those things. There's a lot going on in the world for some people. Goodness, just getting out of bed and making it through the day and smiling a little bit can be a lot for some people.
Rebecca Salhab [:You know, ten minutes of quiet time before I start my day or before I grab my phone, it's a winner. It's a woman. That is an amazing thing. And if that centers you, then guess what? We're going to make sure that we recognize you and celebrate you and make you feel like that is just as important as anything else that's going on. And one of the things that's probably surprises people the most is I'm the same way. Whether it was to just go walk the neighborhood, very small steps. Jennifer would always say, what's one small step you could take? And it gives people, it empowers people to make those changes, or sometimes they don't even realize that they're making. We started the program in Aurora, and a month later, my dream manager says, one of the dreamers lost 15 pounds.
Rebecca Salhab [:And I said, how do you lose 15 pounds in a month? Man just dropped weight so quick, and it's amazing. This dreamer, he was always an avid bike rider, and he said after his dream storm, okay, so he hadn't even had such a one. It sparked that he wanted to get back on his bike. And after he finished working, he was riding his bike every day. So when he showed up to the first session, he was down 15. I was like, that's amazing. That's amazing. I was so proud.
Rebecca Salhab [:The way that this guy uses biking as not only for weight loss, but really his mental health. I said a word just started. This is one of the wins that we had out of the gate. But as we do this and get better at the dream storms and really get better at encouraging people to invest in their own lives, we're seeing that the results are coming a little faster, which is very cool to bear witness to.
Kate Volman [:Yeah, well, that's what happens, too, because the more people that are in the program, you're already building up that culture of dreaming. People are already kind of talking about it. So by the time they go to that first session or they do that first dream storm, the more people that you have in the program, the more normalized it has become. And so it's just kind of the language and conversation people use, which is such a beautiful thing, which is the vision of the dream manager. Right. To create that culture of dreaming. So we don't talk about our dreams in a way of, wait, what are you talking about? When's the last time anyone asked you about your dreams? Or, I don't have dreams.
Rebecca Salhab [:No.
Kate Volman [:It's like, this is just, of course we have dreams, and we talk about those dreams instead of gossiping or talking about all the reasons why we can't do something or how waiting for the weekend, working for the weekend, can't wait till Friday, all of a sudden, the conversations are around. So much deeper conversations around celebrating successes and wins, and we see losing weight and getting fit is definitely, like, one of the top three dreams that most of the dreamers have with organizations that we work with. And it's so cool because they always talk about how people are walking around the office like, oh, my gosh, John, you look so amazing. Or, Sarah, you. You look so good. What have you been doing? And it's not even just about the weight loss, but like you said, it's the health of it. Like the health and the fitness and the being able to become a stronger, more confident person. When you're saying, oh, I have this dream, and then you achieve it, you're building that confidence that a lot of people lack in their life, personally and professionally.
Rebecca Salhab [:Sometimes we can take the perspective of life is happening to us, right? And so I'm a victim, even if it's not a conscious thing. It's kind of like, oh, I have to do this. I have to pay this, I have to pay that. Now the dreamers are saying, no, I get to do this. I'm taking time to do this. One of my dream managers was reporting out to me. He said, you know, I had a dreamer tell me that they had not read a book since high school, and they finished a book. And I said, let me guess, is the rhythm alike? Wouldn't it? And she was like, how did you know? And I said, because if there's one book that you're gonna even over, I love the dream manager book.
Rebecca Salhab [:Don't get Matthew Kalemi. But that rhythm of life speaks to people. It was just amazing to hear something so small. And sometimes we take stuff for granted. It made me wonder. I was like, well, is he interested in reading books? Is that one of the dreams that he has? And she's like, I think that he set a point where he's right now I want to read a book of math or something. I was like, oh, wow. Wow, that's amazing.
Rebecca Salhab [:And I was like, look, Matthew Kelly has enough books to kind of get them through the next year or two.
Kate Volman [: le that day who read the same: Kate Volman [:And that's what I find so fascinating because we are all at different stages in life and the things that we need, what information we need to be fed, and what's actually going to make an impact in our life is different. And that's what that book really offers. It's those golden nuggets that we all need. That's what I always tell Matthew. I'm like, he's just gifted in taking complex ideas and making them so simple that after you read it, you think, yeah, how is this not just like the normal way of life?
Rebecca Salhab [:Why haven't I always been checking into my own life? Yeah, Matthew, he definitely has an ability to kind of draw you in even a dream manager book. And it's the art of possibility, right. And it's what you take from it. I'm going to take what I take from it, but watching the dreamers go through the program and really enjoy it. So a lot of times, outside of my normal visits to the distribution centers, I get to see them when we kick off, right. And I get to see them at six months, which is very, very interesting and very heartfelt. And then I'll be getting to see them at graduation. And based on what I've seen in the six month check inside, let me just bring my own boxes of Kleenex and sit Kleenex on because we're just gonna all cry.
Rebecca Salhab [:But it's such a good experience. It doesn't feel like we're having an overly emotional. And you have the quietest people that are, you know, very timid. But we do ask, you know, how's it going and, you know, what are you working on and what do you feel about the program? And there's two things they say. They say initially they weren't sure what they were signing up for. They're like, I didn't know what the dream manager program was. I wasn't sure about it. I was a little nervous about it.
Rebecca Salhab [:Then they say, I'm working on me and my life is so much better as a result of this program. And they're not selfish. They're like, we want more people to know what's going on here and what not only ketahid is doing it, but Floyd is doing and Matthew has done to get people excited about their lives. And I always go back to, in my mind, the dream manager book. When he put this premise out there, I don't, you know, did I believe it? I don't know. Do I believe it now? Yes, I wanted to believe it. Maybe that's what I should say. I was definitely bought in, but seeing it in action is a different type of beast.
Rebecca Salhab [:So those words are real. The things that are possible if a company invests in this program, if a company invests in people, the fact that I was able to go through this process and to be certified. So I feel like I get to see kind of both worlds. One, I've been a dreamer before. I've been the person who sat down and said, you only come up with 100 dreams. Like, I don't know, I want to, like, what, tomorrow? Like, I didn't, I wasn't sure past shopping what I wanted to do. And I'm like, okay, I want a belt. I want shoes, I want a purse.
Rebecca Salhab [:Like, I mean, you know, I think that was literally probably where my first six dreams were. And Jennifer made fun of me because it all involved the Louis Vuitton store. Right. And so once you get past that, it's really, what have I put to the side? You know, I have house projects now that I went back and looked at my dream list, that's what I wrote, that I wanted to work on this, I wanted to work on that. And it was things that I won't say that I forgot about, but I just didn't prioritize, and I didn't know how important it was to me until I was able to write down what it was. And I'm seeing people go through that as well. They now understand. Okay, yes.
Rebecca Salhab [:You may want to go on that trip to Italy, but now I understand. I probably need to open a savings account first. There's probably some steps that I need to take in order to feel like I can get there.
Kate Volman [:Yep. Little baby steps. The next right move. We get to focus on the next right move. So for somebody that is considering the dream manager and bringing it to their organization, and they're just kind of like, I don't know. I read the book. They were like, you, right? I kind of want to believe it, but could this actually be true. What advice would you give to those people?
Rebecca Salhab [:I think you have to know that the results are there. The results will be there. Again, it's not a magic wand. And I tell people this all the time. We did not just say, hey, we're bringing the dream manager program in, and all of a sudden, lives got better and people started dancing in the aisles. That's not how it went. But what companies will find is that employees want to invest in their own lives. They're just not sure where to start.
Rebecca Salhab [:They're not sure if the company is going to support them. They're not sure of accountability. They want to know that we care. I've had so many employees say, well, you got to say care. He cares. Now I understand. So when employees know that you care about them and are investing in them, they will show up. They will show up on time, they will show up differently, and it will help improve their lives and, in turn, truly makes them better employees.
Rebecca Salhab [:So I think if there's a company kind of wondering, hey, will this work? I would encourage, read the book. Read rhythm of life, see how you feel. Because even though I wasn't sure, I knew I felt differently after reading about the janitorial service in the book. That's how impactful it is. So if you open yourself up to it and the return on investment will be there. Employees will stay. They'll feel empowered. They will feel as though, now, I know my company is invested in me, but now I have the tools to move forward.
Rebecca Salhab [:I can take this to my family. I can take this to my community. I have several friends that have asked me, am I in the dream manager program?
Kate Volman [:Yeah.
Rebecca Salhab [:And you're about on session six. And then also I'm like, yeah, I've been working on you for a while. Yeah.
Kate Volman [:Oh, my gosh.
Rebecca Salhab [:I know.
Kate Volman [:You can't. Once you're a coach, you can't not support people in their dreams. In other areas. It's just impossible. You don't even recognize that you're doing it. It's so funny. Cause I have friends that are coaches, and I was like, you know what? I can't even have conversations with them on the phone anymore because we're trying to coach each other. We're, like, asking questions.
Kate Volman [:We're supporting each other. We're trying to give each. I'm like, all right. Coaches cannot have just normal conversations.
Rebecca Salhab [:Yes. I was talking to will the other day, and he had a situation, and I said, well, what's one small step that we could take here? He's like, I see what you do.
Kate Volman [:That's right. Oh, yeah. I'll be on a problem with my friend. I'll be like, okay, so what are you gonna do before we talk next? And so they're like, okay, coach, calm down over there.
Rebecca Salhab [:It's what we do with my daughter. She's been in the program. She's not officially in the program, but I'm like, hey, I want you to write down your budget. The priority exercise alone. I've had people tell me that they just didn't think about their decisions in that way. And we learned how to prioritize theoretically at some point in our life, but we didn't write it down and get to visually see, okay, this is more important than this, but this is more important. And really, you have your own blueprint for accomplishing your dream. You know what order you're gonna put them in.
Kate Volman [:That's half the battle. Right? Because so many of us can get very overwhelmed with, there's so many things to do, and what happens when you have so many things to do? You do nothing. So this gives us that framework.
Rebecca Salhab [:They are simple. You don't have to be some great guru facilitator. Right? You read the words that Floyd consulting has written for you, and then you won't be okay.
Kate Volman [:Yep. It's so true. It's so true. Although you are a master guru, certified dream manager now, so own it. And no, you guys are doing such incredible work over there. It just warms my heart to hear all of those phenomenal stories and the impact that the program is having on your people and just helping to rediscover their dreams and then watching people show up at work differently and then show up at their lives differently. I always think how amazing it is that we know that people, when they go back to their homes and they're having dinner with their family, we know that those people are impacted, and they're having better conversations at the dinner table. They're happy at the dinner table.
Kate Volman [:They're not talking about how they hate going to work. They are actually empowered and enjoy their lives and are happier. So I'm grateful for. For you and all the work that you're doing over there with your team. I know that we're very excited to help you build this out as you continue to grow and get more dream managers and. And being able to offer it to all of the employees at KeHE and just cannot wait to be part of that journey. So, thank you, Rebecca, for taking some time and telling us about everything that you have going on. We so appreciate all of the stories and everything that you've shared with us today.
Rebecca Salhab [:Yeah. Thank you guys so much. I do want to take a minute to thank Jennifer. Thank Tony. I will say that if we have any questions, even now, your team is so responsive and so willing to say, okay, have you thought about that? Have you thought about that? So the support doesn't stop. Right. And so as companies consider, you know, do I take this journey or not? I think you guys have been amazing partners. So I want to say thank you to you as well.
Kate Volman [:And your team, they will love hearing that because I pinch myself every day being able to do what we get to do. And the team, all of us at Floyd were so committed to the mission and so committed to the work. And it's. It really is a beautiful that our team is much smaller than your team.
Rebecca Salhab [:Small but mighty.
Kate Volman [:Small but mighty. Well, Rebecca, thank you so much. We'll definitely have to have you come back on when you've expanded even more. We'll hear some more great stories and what you're doing. And, of course, if there's anything we can do to support you, you know, we're here for you.
Rebecca Salhab [:So I appreciate it.
Kate Volman [:And there you have it. I told you this was an inspiring episode. Isn't it so amazing to hear all the stories? I love the impact that this program has on each and every individual and then collectively the impact it has on the organization. And so I hope that you learned something from this. I hope that it inspired you in some way to take action. And if you are on the fence about this program and if it might be the right fit for you to really help your people grow, which in turn helps your organization grow, then we would love to have a conversation with you about that. And you can learn more about the Dream manager program by going to thedream manager.com. thank you so much for listening.
Kate Volman [:We appreciate you. And until next time, lead with culture.
