224. Why Managing People Is the Hardest Part of Building a Business with Rob Kaczmark

How do you go from sleeping in your office to leading a team of 30+ creatives—and still make payroll every two weeks without fail?

In this episode, I sit down with Rob Kaczmark, founder and CEO of Spirit Juice Studios, an Emmy award-winning video production house, to unpack what it really takes to grow a sustainable, values-driven business. Rob gets candid about the messy, often-overlooked realities of leadership—learning to delegate, getting honest 360 feedback, hiring your first employee, and letting go of perfection so your team can thrive.

He shares practical insights any founder or CEO can relate to, especially if you’re navigating the tricky transition from do-it-all founder to empowering leader. This episode is packed with real stories, hard-won lessons, and a surprising amount of Office-style humor.

WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THE EPISODE:

[1:00] The early years of Spirit Juice and why managing people—not filmmaking—became Rob’s biggest challenge

[4:25] Taking the leap to hire your first full-time employee

[6:10] The 3 phases of growth and why founders get stuck

[8:30] Why “if you want to grow, you have to let go” became Rob’s leadership mantra

[10:00] How 360 reviews helped him become a better leader

[13:00] The onboarding rituals that make new employees feel seen

[15:45] How Spirit Juice builds culture through memes, pranks, and “The Juices” awards

[17:20] Rob’s approach to developing meaningful company values

[19:00] What “to be unclear is to be unkind” really means in practice

[20:50] Why extreme ownership is the foundation of team accountability

[22:00] Rob’s best advice for leaders trying to grow a high-functioning team

RESOURCES & LINKS:

• Connect with Rob at Spirit Juice Studios
• Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jackiemkoch
• Learn more about how I help business owners build great teams: peopleprinciples.co
• 🎥 Watch the Halloween prank video mentioned in the episode