Sales Strategy
Jimmy DeGroot: Better Communication, Better Culture, Lessons from a Not-So-Great Day | October 07, 2025 (0 comments)
Appleton, WI--Some days in business just feel heavy. Kyle Bullock and I had one of those days when we sat down to record our Slow Growth Business podcast—but we showed up anyway. That choice alone became the springboard for the conversation: how leaders communicate when things feel overwhelming.
I often think of what my mom used to say: “There’s no such thing as a bad day unless you’ve lost someone you love.” That reminder helped us reframe a frazzled day as just another day that still deserved our best effort.
The heart of this episode was communication—especially the kind that strengthens teams instead of eroding them. We explored Dr. John Gottman’s “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” for communication breakdown: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling. When one or more of these ride into a workplace culture, toxicity follows. I added a fifth: sarcasm—the passive-aggressive kind that pretends to be humor but usually hides real frustration.
Kyle and I unpacked practical ways to replace those patterns with healthier ones. Criticism shifts to problem-solving when we separate the person from the problem: “I feel frustrated when you’re late to work,” instead of “You’re lazy.” Contempt dissolves when leaders practice genuine appreciation. Defensiveness yields when we accept responsibility—especially as leaders. And stonewalling breaks down when we calmly acknowledge the issue, take a walk if needed, then return ready to talk.
I shared a golf-course story from early in my jewelry career that taught me an enduring truth: how you do one thing is how you do everything. Owning our mistakes—whether it’s about a lost golf ball or a till discrepancy—builds credibility and trust. Vulnerability, I’ve learned, elevates leaders in their team’s eyes.
We even talked about the TV character Ted Lasso, whose quiet consistency and humble honesty transformed a toxic team culture. That’s the power of simple, steady, healthy communication.
Our reminder for listeners—and ourselves—was that empathy and honesty open doors for growth. Sometimes that means walking back into the store with a Dairy Queen treat in hand, just to lighten the mood and say, “We’re in this together.”
Business leadership isn’t about perfect days; it’s about how we communicate through the imperfect ones.
James (Jimmy) DeGroot is a professional jewelry sales and operations trainer from the jeweler’s side of the counter. Having been in management and the jewelry business for over 20 years, Jimmy offers weekly training to jewelers nationwide via the Train Retail website. Jimmy and his partner Kyle Bullock help jewelry stores grow their profits and their people to fulfill their greater purpose! We do it through one-on-one business coaching, sales training, and leadership development. Contact Jimmy at jimmy@trainretail.com or call 920-492-1191.