Business with a Soul, with Mike Salguero

Imagine a world in which businesses existed not only for profit, but also for impact and purpose. 

Mike Salguero, Founder and CEO of Butcherbox, launched his business for these exact reasons. But the company today is different from the one that launched, and Mike says he allowed the company to evolve in the way that it did. For Mike, leading a company is often like raising kids—you have limited control and each wants to be what it wants to be. So leaders can establish necessary guardrails, but also embrace the process of growing a business with wisdom and open hands.

In this episode you will hear how Mike got his start as an entrepreneur, the history and ethos of Butcherbox, and Mike's perspectives on executive team dynamics.

 

Show Notes

Transcript of the episode

In this episode you’ll Hear:

  • Business is about more than just making money.

  • Businesses are like kids: they are going to be what they want to be.

  • The Enneagram can be a tool to help how people interact within a team.

  • Values can become guardrails that drive the behavior you are looking for.

Things to listen for:

[1:59] Mike’s influences
[2:52] Interest in entrepreneurship is sparked
[5:14] Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
[7:40] Mike’s family
[10:09] How Butcher Box got started
[13:40] Don’t hold things too tightly
[17:21] Financial structure of Butcher Box
[19:58] Psychological pressure on entrepreneurs
[23:49] Business with a mission
[35:38] Butcher Box culture and the Enneagram

Additional Resources

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn
Learn more about The Aperio
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn
Butcher Box
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” — Mike Tyson in 1987, during the leadup to a fight against Tyrell Biggs. 
Information about the Enneagram

About Mike . . .

Mike Salguero has been on the forefront of the claims-based meat movement since founding ButcherBox in 2015, when he discovered that 100% grass-fed beef was extremely hard to find in the U.S. He built ButcherBox into the leading direct-to-consumer meat brand by making high-quality meat more accessible to all while putting an emphasis on animal welfare, the environment, and supporting farmers and fisherman. In late 2020, ButcherBox became B Corporation Certified, signaling the brand’s commitment to using its business as a force for good. In 2020, Mike was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® National Award winner by Ernst & Young. Mike holds an M.B.A. in entrepreneurship from Babson College.