Transcript
Rob Vaughan: Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to another episode of the FirstCall Facility Focus Forum podcast. I’m your host, Rob Vaughan. This is Episode Number Five, and today we get to talk about process — which I’m very excited about.
We have an awesome guest joining us today, Tom Roche, COO and Integrator with LC Anderson. Tom, I really appreciate you joining us. I know you’ve got some great insights to share today. How are you?
Tom Roche: Yeah, I’m excited. Thanks for having me.
First and foremost, like you said, I’m Tom Roche. I started with LC Anderson about 19 months ago. Prior to that, I worked for a public company that operated on EOS for roughly 20 years.
I was fortunate enough to actually learn from Gino Wickman himself up in Michigan when he first started rolling EOS out into the industry. We happened to have a partner in the Michigan area, so I got very lucky.
A little about my background — I started in the construction industry as a sheet metal worker and spent probably the first half of my 30-year career working in the trades and out in the field. From there, I transitioned into project management, then into learning how to run a business, and eventually EOS really taught me how to lead people.
That’s where my passion lies today and what truly inspires me.
Rob Vaughan: We’ve really focused this podcast on bringing in a diverse group of guests and discussing a wide variety of topics ranging from safety to integration and everything in between.
Today’s topic is incredibly unique, and I’m really excited because we’re diving into EOS. With processes being so integral to company success nowadays, for those who may not be familiar with EOS, tell us a little bit about your personal experience with it and exactly what it is.
Tom Roche: It’s honestly hard to summarize something as comprehensive as EOS in just a few sentences, but the best way I can describe it is that EOS is essentially a playbook.
It provides business owners with the right structure for managing people, prioritizing issues, and setting goals. It’s centered around core values — truly living and breathing those values — and first and foremost making sure you have the right people in the right seats.
EOS is heavily focused on people management. It emphasizes weekly check-ins, structured meetings that start and end on time, accountability through follow-up action items, and creating discipline within an organization.
The funny thing is, it’s actually very simple, but people tend to overcomplicate it. At its core, EOS provides business owners with a disciplined framework for running their business while empowering their people.
Rob Vaughan: I love that. Process really is everything nowadays, and structure brings so much stability.
Let’s talk specifically about LC Anderson for a moment. Your company has been around since 1943, and in an industry full of turnover and constant change, that kind of longevity is remarkable.
What has helped your team remain so successful for such a long period of time?
Tom Roche: I think it really comes down to strong leadership and a willingness to evolve.
You can’t just accept what you’re doing today and assume it’ll work forever. You have to recognize where you are, where you’re headed, and strategically plan how you’re going to overcome future challenges.
The second major pillar is relationships. The relationships LC Anderson has built throughout the years within the Boston market are second to none.
At the end of the day, business survival is deeply relationship-driven, and our company has always been willing to evolve and do whatever’s necessary for the client.
Rob Vaughan: I feel very similarly. CLS has been in business since 1970, and the people and relationships truly are everything. That absolutely extends to client relationships as well.
When you implemented EOS internally, what was that transition like for your team? How did people react, and did you see meaningful change fairly quickly?
Tom Roche: That’s actually a tough question because when you commit to EOS, you really have to go all in. You can’t have one foot in and one foot out. It just doesn’t work that way.
And EOS isn’t something where you flip a switch one day and suddenly your company is operating on EOS. It’s a journey — usually a two-to-three-year journey depending on company size.
It starts with building a strong leadership team and surrounding yourself with the right people. Then comes self-reflection: understanding your true core values and identifying the key things that differentiate you from competitors.
From there, you start setting goals — 90-day goals, one-year goals, three-year goals, and most importantly, your long-term vision. What’s your “big hairy audacious goal” for the next 10 years?
The beauty of EOS is that it ties all those timelines together and forces you to revisit them in 90-day cycles. That creates alignment throughout the organization while preventing complacency from setting in.
You’re constantly challenging the business to improve and evolve.
Rob Vaughan: That’s such an important point. It’s easy for businesses to operate in checklist mode — just getting task after task completed — but having those 90-day goals along with long-term five- and ten-year plans is absolutely critical for sustainable success.
Let me ask you this: if you were starting a brand-new company from scratch today, would you implement EOS from the beginning?
Tom Roche: Oh, 100%.
Honestly, I don’t know any other way at this point. I’ve seen companies operate without it, and in my opinion, it was chaotic.
Whether you’re a startup generating $100,000 in revenue or a $2 billion company, EOS applies at every level.
The core concept is simple: set 90-day goals, evaluate whether you achieved them, reflect on what worked and what didn’t, course-correct, and repeat the process. That framework can be applied to virtually any business.
It also gives companies a scalable platform. You can take a company from three people to 300 people while maintaining alignment and accountability.
Rob Vaughan: I’m glad you mentioned scalability.
One thing I’ve been curious about is whether everyone within a company truly feels the effects of EOS. Obviously leadership teams are heavily involved, but does the average employee feel connected to the system and understand that it’s being utilized?
Tom Roche: Absolutely.
We started with the leadership team about 19 months ago, but today everyone is involved in structured meetings.
We initially tried weekly meetings with our technicians, but honestly, they quickly told us that weekly meetings were too much. So we moved to biweekly meetings, and eventually settled on monthly meetings — which created much better engagement.
The entire concept of EOS is about empowering teams at every level to solve their own issues because they’re the people closest to the information and the work.
And after all, the “E” in EOS stands for entrepreneurial.
Rob Vaughan: That’s right.
In our business, very little is transactional. Everything requires strategy. You can’t teach employees how to react to every possible scenario, but you can provide guardrails, clear expectations, and coaching so they can navigate situations effectively.
I appreciate you sharing that because it highlights that EOS isn’t just some management-only strategy happening behind closed doors. It becomes part of the entire company culture.
And honestly, I think your strongest endorsement came when I asked whether you’d implement EOS again from scratch and you immediately said yes without hesitation.
Let me ask you something else. A lot of the things we learn professionally spill over into our personal lives. Has EOS impacted the way you approach your life outside of work?
Tom Roche: Oh, a thousand percent.
One of the most impactful EOS tools is called the Vision Traction Organizer. It forces you to define where you want to be 10 years from now and map out how you’re going to get there.
I use that in my personal life all the time.
EOS is heavily numbers-driven, so whether it’s retirement goals, financial goals, net worth targets, or personal achievements, you assign measurable numbers to them and reverse-engineer the path to get there.
I used to review my goals quarterly, although these days I revisit them annually to make sure I’m staying on track and adjusting course where necessary.
Rob Vaughan: That’s incredible.
You’ve obviously seen success with EOS at the company level, but hearing how it impacts your personal life really speaks volumes. I could see people using this framework for fitness goals, health goals, nutrition, financial planning — really any aspect of life.
The biggest theme I keep hearing from you is goal setting: having clearly defined goals, measurable outcomes, and timelines attached to them.
Tom Roche: Exactly.
It’s about setting goals, then intentionally spending time reflecting on your progress, grading yourself honestly, and course-correcting where necessary.
At the end of the day, EOS is really just a playbook for how to do that effectively through leadership rather than micromanagement.
Rob Vaughan: Now your entire company at LC Anderson is speaking this same language.
When a new employee joins the company today, is it difficult bringing them into the EOS system, or has it actually become easier now that the entire organization has buy-in?
Tom Roche: It’s significantly easier today than it was a year and a half ago.
Back then, we were still learning the recipe ourselves while simultaneously trying to teach everyone else how to cook the dish.
One of the key things companies have to be willing to do if they truly want to implement EOS is teach employees how the business actually works.
Not just the technical side of their job — the business itself.
You have to pull back the curtain and explain how revenue is recognized, what accruals mean, how accounts payable works, and how the various departments impact each other.
Because if teams don’t truly understand the challenges other teams are facing, they can’t collaborate effectively or align around key initiatives.
Rob Vaughan: Well, if there’s ever been an endorsement for EOS, I think you just gave it.
When people start reaching out after this episode asking how to learn more, we’ll make sure you get a commission from the EOS team.
Tom Roche: There actually are a couple books I’d recommend.
If you’re very analytical and want a deep dive, read Traction.
For everyone else, there’s a smaller orange book called What the Heck Is EOS? It’s a much easier read and presents the concepts through stories rather than heavy analysis. You can probably finish it in about an hour and a half, and it’ll give you a great overview of EOS.
Rob Vaughan: Tom, this information has been awesome.
When you presented EOS to our team a few weeks ago, I was blown away and knew immediately that we needed to feature this topic on the podcast.
I think you’ve really opened a lot of eyes today to something many people may not fully understand yet. I truly appreciate your time, and I’m sure we’ll have you back in the future for updates and additional insights.
Process truly is everything, and when you’ve been around since 1943 and are achieving the level of success your team is, it’s clear the system works.
Thanks again for joining us today, and thanks to everyone listening. Please join us again soon for another episode of the FirstCall Facility Focus Forum.
We look forward to seeing you very soon. Take care.
