Kenneth Steiner, Owner
Schooley Mitchell – West Fargo
330 34th Avenue East, Unit #5
West Fargo, ND 58078 US
1. What is the hardest business decision you’ve made in the last 24 months—and what did it cost you?
Whether or not to maintain participating in certain groups based on value and time. I am not sure if it cost me. I am sure my participation was not benefitting me, as the activities were not of value to me in running my business and I was not making the contacts I needed to move my business forward.
2. What problem in your business are you currently avoiding—or delaying—that you know won’t fix itself?
Not necessarily avoiding or delaying – just trying to figure out. The problem is the 100% commitment. Due to life, I am unable to completely commit, but anticipate that happening within the first 3 – 6 months of 2026.
3. Where have you been wrong as a leader—and what changed as a result?
Haven’t we all been wrong as leaders? I think part of what makes leaders good is being open to solutions or directions that are not your own. The changes that occurred were positive that included a vision I did not develop on my own.
4. Why does this Club need you in the room—not the other way around?
I bring a unique perspective, as I am not a “career” businessperson. I have not been doing this my entire adult life. I have 35 years of experience working in other systems that ask different questions in making decisions and moving forward. I carry that history with me to keep me informed of other viewpoints that may better serve an outcome than traditional business. As a result, I think “out-of-the-business box”. The Club needs to always remember traditional business may not offer the best or only answer.
5. What would make this group a waste of your time—and what would make it indispensable?
Waste – if the group is focused on socializing for the sake of socializing. I need tangible value in the time I am participating. Indispensable – connections that provide/teach me with some of the traditional business sense that I lack in experience, as well as others who are well networked in the region and/or State of ND.
CORE VALUES ALIGNMENT: Which of our core values resonates most with you?
Be Upfront
Explain:
I believe in full transparency. If I think I can help you, I want to tell you that. If I have an idea to share, I am going to share it. If I feel someone or something needs to be called out, I will call it out. This approach does not always make me the most popular member of the groups I participate in, but I have received enough feedback over the years to know that, in the end, people value other people being upfront and transparent.
