Smile Guide
Overview
In 2007 Paul Spiegelman astonished the corporate world with Why is Everyone Smiling? The Secret Behind Passion, Productivity, and Profit, a book about the rewards that come from developing a corporate culture that builds employee loyalty.
Smile Guide is that concept’s proof of value. From recruiting and branding to leadership and communication, Spiegelman addresses each aspect of successfully establishing and maintaining a personalized, beneficial, and efficient company culture. As the CEO of the perpetually successful Beryl Companies, Spiegelman’s Smile Guide—a collection of essays by Beryl employees— vividly demonstrates how a company’s refreshingly welcoming culture can encourage and inspire staff members to deliver success to their employer because they actually want to.
Reviews
“The Beryl employees who you will hear from in this book are the ones we trust with our most important stakeholders—our patients. The Beryl culture translates into our patients and their families feeling cared for, listened to, engaged with, and ultimately healed.” David T. Feinberg, MD, MBA President, UCLA Health System CEO, UCLA Hospital System Associate vice chancellor“Spiegelman has captured the essence of the things that really matter the most in business—providing an environment where your employees are engaged and inspired. Very well done, Paul!” Doug Tatum Chairholder, the Wright Chair of Entrepreneurship Associate professor, Jennings A. Jones College of Business, MTSU Author, No Man’s Land
“The most important responsibility of any CEO is to set the culture of the company. Smile Guide is a rich testament to the culture that Paul Spiegelman has created at Beryl —a culture that has made it a leader in its industry.” Norm Brodsky Founder CitiStorage Coauthor, Street Smarts: An All-Purpose Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs
“If you want to know what makes a company great, the answer is here.” Bo Burlingham Editor-at-large, Inc. Author, Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big
Contributors
Jason Armour: Creative Director
“I was honored and excited about being able to share some stories from my time here that may inspire other businesses to improve their workplace cultures. Every other company I worked for had some “corporate office” in another state that was making decisions that affected our lives. There would be some policy that didn’t make sense being enforced by an absent presence. At Beryl, we are the headquarters. If something doesn’t make sense, we change it. Also, when the “owners” at other companies came to visit, we’d all have to clean our desks, no personal items, dress up nice, etc. It was intimidating. Paul puts on a bear costume.
Melissa Barnes: Director of Patient Experience Team and Strategic Account Executive
“Beryl has a “family” style approach with genuine compassion for team members. Every one of us truly understands the ultimate purpose: helping patients receive the care, information, and tools they need to feel better and be in better health. But also, I truly appreciate the team I work with, the customers we partner with, and the real impact of what we do. Just as with our callers, we want our team members to receive the care, information, and tools they need to feel better and be better.
Melissa Bloom: Strategic Account Executive
“My first meeting at Beryl was a business review led by Paul. Our management team was collectively discussing the pros and cons of keeping a particular Beryl client. I have been in management and sales for my entire adult career and I had never before experienced anything like that meeting. Paul genuinely cared about how others were treated and our continued challenges with that client, and he involved the whole team in reviewing the state of the relationship. It blew me away. There continue to be other examples of leadership, but that first experience stayed with me. We don’t have the best equipment, furniture, computers, or facility. The people make it special. I have been overwhelmed by the willingness of others to pitch in, do the right thing, solve an issue, and connect with me on the deepest level. Amazing people.
Lindy Butterfield: Vice President of Operations
“I love working for a company that has given me the autonomy to develop a strong management team and implement more efficiency and quality measures within the department, all while being creative and enhancing the culture. I have the best work–life balance that I have ever had in my career. Beryl rocks!
Tina Clay: Data Specialist
“Beryl has instilled my commitment to accountability. I must be accountable for all that I do in every area. I have been encouraged to reach out to others. I smile all the time. I greet every person I encounter with a smile and a “how ya doing?” It’s taught me that it’s not always what I do or say, but how. Our core values are implemented at home as well. My husband knows each of the values just from reading our Beryl Life magazine. When I have my “down” days, he reminds me of those values and encourages me to look at situations with a new set of eyes.
Glenda Dearion: Talent Manager
“I felt honored to know Beryl wanted my voice to be heard. Anyone who knows me understands how important loyalty and family are to me. Beryl is truly a place I can call my home away from home and my second family. Beryl has proven how important it considers my health and well-being. Even with a busy schedule or a crazy work week (or month), Beryl demands I take time to enjoy myself and my family. I am thankful to be a family member of Beryl!
Patrick Gonzales: Patient-Experience Advocate—Marketing Services
“I think what sets Beryl apart is the family feeling that you get from your coworkers. It doesn’t matter if you work on the phones or IT or management—you get the sense that they really care about you. I had barely finished training when I became sick and had to spend two weeks in the hospital. To my surprise, I received a get-well card from Paul. It really made an impression on me that Beryl was a company that cared.
Miguel Hernandez: Lead Senior Software Engineer
“I’ve been working for Beryl for nine years and it’s been a great experience. I’ve seen the company grow so much that I don’t know half the people working here! Hiring new employees and increasing profit in a down economy does say a lot about the company. Being the premier premium provider and nine-time “Best Places to Work” award winner makes me feel that I made a great decision in working for Beryl. I work with a great team and they are the reason I stay and work hard in helping the company achieve its goals. Beryl has given me the opportunity to provide my family with a better home, better activities, and most of all, family time. Seeing the smiles on my kids’ faces makes the thousands of lines of code I’ve written throughout the years well worth it.
Jhan Knebel: Senior Instructional Systems Designer
“I love working at a company that really focuses on improving the lives of all with whom we interact. From the commitment to educating coworkers to each and every patient we speak with, we make a difference every day in people’s lives!
Nancy Lecroy: Vice President of Marketing
“As marketers and brand managers, we’re always looking for that diamond in the rough—that one thing we can promote that will set the organization apart from the competition. At Beryl, I had the opposite challenge. I had so many to choose from: service, product innovation, industry leader (just to name a few). But the one thing that rose to the top was the people. A brand is only as good as the person delivering it to the customer, and my coworkers at Beryl take that job very seriously. They live by the brand principles and use them to guide their actions throughout the day. They take pride in delivering on our brand promise and recognize the important role each person plays in bringing the brand to life. At Beryl, we say to each other, “You are the face of Beryl.” And it’s true!
Aubri Levens: Director of Executive Wrangling
“I love to come to work, I love my coworkers, and I believe in Beryl. That’s the difference to me—like night and day from where I came from. I feel more engaged in my life now . . . I am able to enjoy my time with my family and not stress about work. There is no price on the freedom that Beryl has provided me. One final thought: the people and views in this book are genuine. We are not doing this to sell books, get famous, or make money; we wrote these words because we love this company and the people that make it great every day.
Jennifer Limon: Human Resources Manager
“I have worked at Beryl for ten years. I am very blessed to say that I still look forward to coming to work each day. Being in the position that I’m in, I get to see a lot of things. We are not perfect by any means, but I truly feel in my heart that we care about our employees and have a strong focus on maintaining our core values in all that we do. I completely stand behind this company and what we stand for.
Elaine McCullough: Patient-Experience Advocate—RedBrick Health
“Being asked to participate in Paul’s book was such a wonderful honor, and in fact, it was very interesting to be part of its development. There are two key things about Beryl that have affected my work life as well as my personal life: we help people, and we make a difference in lives. Beryl also values the people within its own four walls and allows us the creativity to shine.
Jennifer McDonald: Instructional Designer and Trainer (a.k.a. Instructional Activities Artist)
“Beryl is like no other place I have ever worked. I feel truly blessed to come to work every day and work with my Beryl family. People here believe in each other and visibly uphold the Beryl values every day. We work hard but we play hard. The people are what make Beryl great!”
Jennifer Mills: Data Specialist and Member Management Administrator for both The Beryl Institute and Small Giants Community
“I am in a unique position of being able to work for multiple entities under the Beryl umbrella. My commitment to Beryl’s culture and team camaraderie has guided my growth at Beryl. Right before I started working at Beryl, I moved thousands of miles away from my family. Finding Beryl has become one of the biggest blessings of my life. Beryl is my family! I am extremely honored to contribute to the Smile Guide!
Lara Morrow: Queen of Fun and Laughter
“There could never be another job like the one I have at Beryl. I have a front-row seat to see how Beryl impacts others’ lives. It doesn’t get much better than that. When an employee is going through a crisis, part of my job is to jump in and help him or her through it. Most companies say things like, “Don’t bring your problems to work!” At Beryl, we want our employees to know that we are here to support them. Our loyalty toward them results in their undying loyalty to the company.
Andrew Pryor: Vice President of the Department of Great People and Fun
“The main difference at Beryl is that I am empowered to care for our coworkers on a personal basis—to respect them as individuals and look at each coworker’s unique set of circumstances and career aspirations. Beryl’s culture reminds me every day that in my role as a leader, I am empowered to help others, enable career opportunities, encourage talent to take a chance on a new role, and guide young or inexperienced coworkers toward their career goals. I see my role as a leader at Beryl as an opportunity to impact the lives and careers of our coworkers.
Rochelle Revel: Patient-Experience Advocate—Post-Discharge Services
“The biggest difference at Beryl is the attitude of your fellow employees. Most everyone here looks forward to coming to work every day, and that affects the outlook of the day, conversations between employees, and the work attitude. Being around happy people helps me want to do my job better. I felt completely honored to participate in the writing of the book. At my last job, they didn’t care what I thought. I really can’t thank Paul enough for all he does to make sure that I have a happy, safe, encouraging place to work. Thanks, Paul!
Sandy Reyna: Data Analyst
“Working at Beryl is different from other places because of the value it places on the employee. There is a true sense of family, and when one member is hurting we rally around for support. Because of this, employees are passionate about doing their job to ensure Beryl is successful.
Maricela Rodriguez: Director of Operations
“At Beryl, we value our employees, we value our customers, and we celebrate success. It’s a very simplified point of view, but it’s what we do!
LaToya Robinson: Senior Data Specialist
“I have been able to grow and learn how to build long-lasting relationships. My family looks forward to helping out in the community. And I believe Beryl’s culture has allowed me to motivate and encourage others in a caring way. Beryl realized that I love to see others smile and that I have a personal connection with my peers. I know that I am not Beryl’s perfect employee, but when I was asked to be a part of this book, I finally realized that Beryl values me as a person. I am not just a number or just an employee. This company truly cares about my well-being, and for that I am humbled and blessed.
Lance Shipp: Chief Operating Officer
“I tell every new class of coworkers this observation: “If your personal values align with Beryl’s five core values, then you have found a home.” I have worked for companies both large and small, good and bad, but it is energizing to come to work every day knowing you can help people grow, succeed, and be an instrument of change. I am proud that readers will get to hear the voices of so many of the coworkers who make Beryl a special place.
Greg Williams: Operations Manager
“Beryl is the first company I’ve worked for where the pyramid is adamantly managed from the bottom up. Generally, the focus is on an individual basis; at Beryl, however, each and every one of the employees matters. The way my coworkers spring in to action to help each other is mind-boggling. We all have our own personal struggles, but that’s all out of the window in a moment’s notice when one of our own is in need. It is this type of commitment to each other, our clients, and the organization that makes me proud to be the face of Beryl!
Bob Willey: Leadership Development Consultant
“I am proud to be associated with one of the most forward-thinking companies in America. Beryl’s commitment to excellence is evident in every department and the actions and attitudes of everyone who works here.







