How to create a happy business

Ange Dove (00:01)
Welcome to You’re the Boss Podcast Show. Today, I have with me Glenn Bostock.

Glenn’s story is one of remarkable success, shaped by experiences with learning disabilities and adversity during his school years. He went on to found SnapCab, an award-winning company that manufactures elevator interiors and custom privacy pods.

Today, the company is a leader in the industry and employs over 140—what I’d say are very happy—people across its manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada.

So welcome, Glenn. It’s great to have you on the show.

Glenn Bostock (00:46)
Hey Ange, thanks for having me. And apologies for messing up your name right at the start—that’s the first thing I’ve done wrong!

Ange Dove (00:48)
No problem at all—we’re going to have a great podcast today.

We’ve spoken before while preparing for this, and your story is really inspiring. I’d love to start from the beginning. You mentioned your childhood and school experience—what happened there?

Glenn Bostock (01:28)
Sure. I was a really happy kid, but in first grade I realized something was different. My teacher put folding screens around my desk so I couldn’t see my classmates—only the board.

By fourth grade, I was really struggling. I spent a lot of time being tutored, and by eighth grade they discovered I had hypoglycemia and dyslexia.

At the time, I thought my problem was those learning disabilities. But looking back, I realized it was how my peers treated me. Outside school, I thrived—building things, being creative. But inside school, I could barely function.

That experience shaped how I wanted to run a business.

Although, honestly—I initially got it wrong.

Ange Dove (03:06)
Mm.

Glenn Bostock (03:26)
When I started my business, I thought:
“I’m paying people—they should do what I say.”

About 14 years in, the company was growing, but my ability to manage people wasn’t.

Then came a turning point. We landed a national contract with Otis Elevator. Suddenly, I needed my cabinet makers to produce at scale—and everything started falling apart.

Glenn Bostock (04:37)
One of my best employees, Bob, made a mistake and sent a faulty job to Mexico.

I yelled at him—in front of everyone—thinking it would motivate the team.

He quit immediately.

That’s when I realized: there has to be a better way.

Glenn Bostock (05:00–06:41)
Through mentorship and learning about lean manufacturing, I had a major mindset shift.

I learned:

• People are led by what they love

• Problems are where the gold is

• Punishing mistakes stops people from speaking up

So I changed everything.

We stopped punishing mistakes—and started rewarding them.

When Bob made another mistake later, I sent him and his wife to Hawaii to fix it—and enjoy the rest of the week.

Guess which approach worked better?

Ange Dove (06:40)
I think I’d prefer Hawaii!

Glenn Bostock (06:41)
Exactly.

And from that mistake, we improved our system permanently.

Glenn Bostock (07:00–08:40)
Over 25 years, we developed what I call a human business, based on five principles:

1. Create a foundation of caring

2. Hire people for what they love

3. Embrace problems and weakness

4. Reward mistakes

5. Run the business like a human body

Today, we’ve grown from 6 employees to over 140, generating tens of millions in revenue.

Ange Dove (09:07)
Would you say that moment with Bob was the defining turning point?

Glenn Bostock (09:20)
It was part of it—but also challenges in my personal life.

I had a mentor who helped me see something difficult:
I thought everyone else was the problem.

Turns out—I was often the cause.

That self-awareness changed everything.

Ange Dove (11:07)
You also mentioned your system for feedback in the workplace—can you explain that?

Glenn Bostock (11:20)
Yes. We use a concept from Japan called Gemba—meaning “the real place.”

On our factory floor, we have boards where employees post “turnbacks” (issues that disrupt workflow).

Every day, leadership reviews them—not to fix immediately, but to create awareness.

Employees are rewarded for raising problems, not hiding them.

Ange Dove (15:05)
That makes so much sense—the people closest to the work see the real problems.

Glenn Bostock (15:16)
Exactly. And when you fix systems instead of blaming people, everything improves.

Ange Dove (16:04)
I had a similar experience in my business—an underquoted project.

Instead of blaming the team member, we improved the system to prevent it happening again.

Glenn Bostock (16:51)
That’s exactly it. Fix the system, not the person.

Glenn Bostock (19:18)
I used to think problems would disappear over time.

But actually—problems grow as the business grows.

Now we welcome them, because that’s how we improve.

Ange Dove (20:17)
That’s very much like continuous improvement—Kaizen, right?

Glenn Bostock (20:34)
Exactly. Change for the better—continuously.

Ange Dove (21:13)
Tell me more about treating the business like a human body.

Glenn Bostock (21:27)
Think of it like this:

• Leadership = the brain

• Marketing = face and voice

• Operations = the body

• Finance = the stomach

Everything works together.

Just like the heart and lungs—they depend on each other. That’s how a business should function.

Ange Dove (25:39)
It makes sense—people spend so much time at work. It should feel good to be there.

Glenn Bostock (25:56)
Exactly. Yet two-thirds of employees are disengaged.

An engaged employee is three times more productive.

That’s why we focus on being a human business.

Glenn Bostock (29:10)
Our core values are simple:

• Be kind

• Be authentic

• Be useful

If someone disrupts that culture, we coach them. If it’s not a fit, we help them move on.

Ange Dove (30:53)
I love that—especially hiring based on what people love to do.

Glenn Bostock (31:31)
Yes. Skills matter—but passion drives performance.

Ange Dove (36:19)
And you can’t just hire mini versions of yourself.

Glenn Bostock (36:54)
That was my first mistake!

Ange Dove (43:06)
This has been such a great conversation.

Where can people find your book?

Glenn Bostock (43:11)
The book is called A Human Business. It’s available to pre-order now and releases June 16.

You can find it on Amazon or at my website: glennbostock.com.

Ange Dove (43:57)
Amazing. I’ll link everything below.

If you’re running—or thinking about starting—a business, I highly recommend checking it out.

Thanks so much for your time today, Glenn.

Glenn Bostock (44:27)
Thanks, Ange. It’s been a pleasure.