LVR Podcast #47 - Create a Great Workplace Culture

The LVR Podcast™ Episode #47 – How to Create a Great Culture in Your Workplace

In this episode of the LVR Podcast, workplace environment and resilience expert Steve Sharp joins Ruan Burger and Marissa Schulze to share actionable insights on building a workplace culture that fosters connection, clarity, and capability. Discover how to cultivate a team environment where everyone feels valued, empowered, and motivated to go above and beyond.

Key Takeaways:

Steve’s top four tips for business owners with teams to improve the culture of their team to become more effective, productive and more cohesive.
The Importance of Connection: Steve emphasises the power of strong relationships and trust, fostering a sense of belonging within your team.
Clarity is Key: Unclear expectations and communication lead to uncertainty and negatively impact performance. Establish clear guidelines and maintain open communication to create a thriving work environment.
Nurture Capability: Provide opportunities for learning and growth, ensuring your team members feel challenged and supported in their development.
Understand Your Team Dynamics: Recognise the unique personalities and strengths within your team, and foster an environment that celebrates diversity and encourages collaboration.

Key Quotes:

“We are tribal animals by nature. We operate best when we feel a sense of belonging and purpose in the environment in which we operate.” – Steve Sharp

“One of the big shifts that I had to make mentally…is that, you know, you go from doing client work where you’re making [a] massive difference…to leading [a] team. You rarely get someone saying, ‘that was an awesome meeting. You did a great job leading that meeting.'” – Marissa Schulze

“We talk culture in respect of what we’ve got to do. But we sometimes in the hiring process, we find ourselves behind the eight ball. And from there then the culture process seems to be a little bit more risque as well, so to speak.” – Ruan Burger

“Understanding what is involved in growing your business and becoming a leader, adding more people over time to your business adds complexity. And so as you add more people to your business, the further away you get from what you were an expert in.” – Steve Sharp

“I think it goes beyond capabilities. I think it’s also about identifying what type of things you enjoy doing from day-to-day…even if you have the ability to be a great leader, do you actually want to be doing that?” – Marissa Schulze

“If you’re looking to build capability in your people, understand how to go about it, you must have a strong enough connection for them to be influenced by you to choose to listen.” – Steve Sharp

“Someone said to me a long time ago: Sometimes you have to do the two things you just like to get to do the one thing you love.” – Ruan Burger

    
 
 
       Posted on Google  
   
   Ian Winn 
 24 September 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Ruan has been my mortgage broking coach for 6 months. Having owned a very successful mortgage  broking business and now a coach of many businesses he has unparalleled experience to share with his clients. He does this in a very clear and consultative manner. He is always looking for improvements and innovation for clients to implement in their businesses. He has a big picture approach which really helps you get out of the weeds when analysing your business. He has helped me grow my business and provide clarity to achieve my goals. Thanks for your support.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Anisa Buckley 
 14 September 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I have learnt so much from Ruan and the team at Success & Broker. Ruan's practical advice to me as a new broker has been incredibly helpful and I have incorporated many of his strategies and approaches into my own business.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Bree Rivers 
 14 September 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Working with Ruan has been great. He genuinely cares about your success and provides honest practical advice from his own experience that can be applied to get real results. I highly recommend Ruan to any broker wanting to grow.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Your favourite Bald & Bespectacled broker 
 6 August 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great weekly 50min session with Ruan himself, done online over Zoom with other brokers.

Intimate session of around a dozen people, including Ruan and the host.

If you're a new broker and have under three or four years of experience, and wish to get an insight into Ruan's mind + pick up tips and tricks, it's a very good six month-long training program.

Even if you're a more seasoned broker like myself (nine years in December 2026), it's worth an education session - I have a few pages of notes and thoughts.

Give it a go, brokers.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Christopher Dodson 
 6 August 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thanks Ruan for your insight and warm approach
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Achani Kodippili 
 4 August 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. That was an amazing journey with Success & Broker. Excellent guidance is simply practical. Thank you team for the opportunity.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Sara Shome 
 1 August 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I’ve really enjoyed being part of Ruan’s Grow Broker Program. As a broker with an over 5 years of experience, it is easy to reach a point where you feel like you’re doing well but not really moving forward.
This program challenged me to rethink almost everything I thought I knew about broking, relationships, branding and what it really takes to build a sustainable career.

Ruan has an incredible ability to make you look at your business and thinking from a completely different perspective while providing genuine support and practical strategies that you can implement immediately and easily. It is not about quick wins or generic coaching. It is about building the right foundations and becoming a better broker and business owner.

The confidence and clarity I gained through the program played a crucial role in my decision to move into a BDM role. It helped me recognise where my strengths truly lie and gave me the self confidence to take that next step.

I would highly recommend Success and Broker to anyone who feels they have reached a plateau or wants to take their career to the next level. It has been one of the best self investments I have made.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Jonathon Rhydderch 
 22 July 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Success & Broker course has been fantastic.

As a new broker, you learn a lot about the technical side early on: compliance, lending policy, structuring deals. But what nobody really teaches you is how to build a sustainable business around all that. Ruan's program fills exactly that gap, giving you so many practical, actionable ways to grow: daily habits and consistency, marketing that actually works for a brokerage, operations and systems that scale, and how to genuinely deliver a great client experience rather than just process loans.

What I liked most is that it's not generic coaching. It's built specifically around where you are as a broker, whether that's establishing strong foundations early on or working toward running a proper business with leverage and a team behind you.

The 'Broker Journal' kept me on track throughout the course and is a great reference point when i need to work on my business. It is like a blueprint for success.

All of it is delivered in a refreshingly warm, positive, and genuinely invested way. You can tell they actually care about your outcomes, not just ticking a coaching box. Big thanks to Ruan, and to Ryan too. Highly recommend to any broker serious about building a real business, not just writing loans.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Alex Ritchie 
 8 July 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Ruan and the Success & Broker team have been really helpful in getting us to think about how we operate, how we build out or team, and where we want to go.
Ruan is super knowledgeable, having spent many years as a broker running multiple firms. He asks the right questions and challenges your thinking.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Lachlan McKean 
 6 July 2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I've worked with Ruan at Success & Broker for the last 12 months~ and it's been great.

Always makes time to discuss what's going on and the advice is invaluable.

If you're a broker thinking of using Ruan's services, it's definitely worth jumping on board.

The LVR Podcast™ Episode #47 – How to Create a Great Culture in Your Workplace

serious about

growth?

scaling?

learning?

succession?

recruiting?

lead flow?

process?

brand?

socials?