#213: Jodi Berg, PhD (Vitamix) Pt. 2 — Resilience, Succession, and Purpose

Today, we’re picking up with the second part of my conversation with Jodi Berg, the former President & CEO of Vitamix. In Part 1, we explored Jodi’s career, the history, evolution, and family legacy of Vitamix, and her leadership journey in growing the company into the global brand it is today. In Part 2, we continue with her reflections on stepping away from the business—and dive deeper into her philosophy of purpose, the DANCE framework she’s developing to help others lead more intentional lives, and the wisdom she’s distilled from decades of research, teaching, and hands-on leadership and entrepreneurial experience. It’s a wide-ranging, deeply thoughtful conversation about what it means to live and lead with purpose—not to mention, a lot of fun. I’m so excited to share it with you. 00:00:00 - Reflecting on Leadership and Culture   00:04:25 - Succession Planning in Family Businesses   00:06:56 - Navigating Leadership Transitions   00:13:44 - The Importance of Purpose   00:15:18 - Personal Experiences Shaping Purpose   00:19:34 - Helping Others Find Their Wings   00:26:33 - The Dual Nature of Purpose   00:35:23 - Impact of Personal Purpose on Company Culture   00:41:26 - The Impact of Personal Purpose   00:46:51 - Understanding and Helping Others   00:47:27 - Writing a Purpose-Driven Book   00:48:39 - The DANCE Framework for Decision-Making   00:56:20 - The Importance of Purpose in Decision-Making   01:02:42 - Discovering Superpowers and Purpose   01:03:26 - Innovating the Blender: A New Approach   01:10:05 - Technology and Purpose in Business   01:14:53 - Hidden Gem ----- LINKS: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodilberg/ https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/ Original Vitamix Infomercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5IzzGPzQA ----- SPONSOR: Roundstone Insurance Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership. Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings. Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland. ----- Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here. Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs. Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/ Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland https://www.jeffreys.page/