Trends

An Enjoyable Workplace Culture is the Secret of a Successful Business – Jake Swaney

Published

14 years ago

April 4, 2012

When it initially hit the headlines in 2017, “company culture” was just another HR buzzword used to attract potential employees.

However, companies from all over the world soon realized that changing the workplace culture for the better is a way forward, and ever since, a focus on company culture has been changing the way people think about work.

This trend was amplified during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, when millions of people worldwide were left without jobs and sources of income.

Those people were forced to rethink what they wanted to do with their jobs and lives. However, they weren’t the only ones. Those who were lucky to keep their jobs were also pondering the same question, which led to the period of the Great Resignation where millions of Americans quit their jobs in record numbers across industries.

According to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 4.5 million people voluntarily left their positions last November, which, according to them, is also an all-time high.

The biggest reason: toxic culture.

Jake Swaney, co-founder of DH Capital, explains that companies shouldn’t use “company culture” simply because it’s a buzzword, rather they should develop and cultivate a great company culture because it is essential for employee engagement, happiness, and retention.

On top of that, Swaney points out that when company culture benefits the employees, it also immensely benefits the company.

As Jake Swaney further elaborates, his goal in creating a company culture was to make sure people were happy at the office. He created an uplifting, collaborative, and expressive culture to help his employees develop professionally and feel more comfortable.

“Most people are looking for the secret of running a successful business,” he says. “For me, the secret was creating an enjoyable workplace culture — something I worked hard to achieve. Establishing this type of company culture truly brought the employees of DH Capital to life.”

Swaney also adds that this wouldn’t be possible without his prior experience from his first venture. He points out that even though creating an eight-figure business from scratch was tough, it was an enlightening experience.

“The start was really rough. There were no banks, business loans, or private equity groups there to assist,” he says. “We created an oil and gas land acquisitions company that was self-funded by savings from our first jobs out of college. We ran a lean and optimized shop for the first several months. It took about three or four months of trial and error to find what worked. Once the business processes were implemented, a framework was formed that we utilize in our real estate venture now.”

It seems that Jake Swaney has found his recipe for success, and that’s why he wants to encourage everyone to always strive toward something better and to seek new opportunities. “When we talked about creating DH Capital, my final thought was simple — I can try this and see if I can change my life forever. Or, it does not work, and I will find another venture to try,” he says.

“I just kept one thing in my mind — winners become winners because they try over and over again despite the failures they encounter, and losers become losers when they quit.”