Generosity Builds Culture featuring Micah Lacher

Micah Lacher (0:00)

I spend as much time with my team as I spend with my family, and it's like, I want them to know that I care and care about theirs and their kids. We send all of the spouses presents, we send everybody's kids presents on their birthday, but we try to do things because we also know the job affects the family.

The guys that I work with, I see them probably more hours a week than their wives see them. And not because we work so many hours, but if you just do the math between sleep and work and how many hours you're home, it's like work is such a big part of your life.

SPEAKER_2 (0:32)

Welcome to the Culture From the Heart Podcast on the From the Heart Business Network. In a business world where employees and customers crave authenticity and trust, hosts Larry Levine and Darrell Amy are on a mission to find and showcase heart-centered executives and the companies they lead.

You are about to hear an inspiring conversation with a visionary leader that's bringing heart into the workplace, empowering employees, serving their clients, and uplifting communities, all to create true success. This is Culture From the Heart. The movement starts here. Let's begin.

Darrell Amy (1:12)

Welcome to Culture From the Heart. I'm your co-host Darrell Amy here today with Larry Levine and we're joined by Micah Lacher, who leads Anchor Investments, a Nashville-based real estate investment company that is on a mission to build America's most generous real estate company. Micah, welcome to Culture From the Heart. It's great to have you here.

Micah Lacher (1:31)

I'm honored to be here. Thanks, guys. Thanks for having me.

Larry Levine (1:34)

It's our pleasure. Thank you, Micah.

Darrell Amy (1:35)

Yeah. As we kick this off, you know the one question we ask every leader on this show, and that is, what does Culture From the Heart mean to you?

Micah Lacher (1:43)

I think it's just seeing your team, like just knowing what's going on. I run a 20-person team and just knowing so much about their personal lives, their kids, health issues, marriage struggles. You know, for me, it's just like knowing them as a person and more than just their job role.

Larry Levine (2:02)

And I'm glad you brought this up, Micah. Let's unpack this a little bit more as why do you believe this is so important? I mean, I get what you're saying, but more so than ever before, I think we tend to leave the personal stuff out of this as a leader sometimes. Why is this so important?

Micah Lacher (2:20)

I think so many companies are so worried about like HR, and man, you don't want to be too good friends with your employees because what if you have to let them go or whatever. But like, I just never believe that. Like I think human beings want to be known, especially in the post-COVID age. And I think like, I try to think about like if I was working, and I used to be an employee before I was an owner, and like, how did I want to be treated? And what did I want to know? And it always meant a lot to me. I worked with different kinds of leaders. Some cared about my personal life, and some didn't. I mean, I joked to one of the guys. He had no idea if I had children or married. All we did talk was business, and I remember what that felt like. And I think like, it just meant a lot when you were going through something that your boss was like, man, like, how are you doing? I know this is hard. How can we support you? And I've just, I mean, we spend so many hours with our team. I spend as much time with my team as I spend with my family. And it's like, I want them to know that I care and care about theirs and their kids. We send all of the spouses' presence. We send everybody's kids' presence on their birthday. But we try to do things because we also know the job affects the family.

The guys that I work with, I see them probably more hours a week than their wife see them. And not because we work so many hours, but if you just do the math between sleep and work and how many hours you're home, it's like work is such a big part of your life.

Darrell Amy (3:42)

Wow. So you send birthday presents to the kids of the people on your team. I've never heard this before, Micah.

Larry Levine (3:50)

Neither have I.

Micah Lacher (3:51)