end goal. For us, business is a tool— a way to enrich lives, strengthen families and improve communities,’” Steve remarked.
Sarah Starkey and Ian McDonald
projects to illustrate how this principle strengthens trust and builds future leaders across the organization.
Have a Little Fun. Make a Little Money. Take Care of the Customer.
David Smith and Alex Dunn revisited Larry Miller’ s“ three-legged milk stool” analogy, emphasizing balance. Each element— fun, profitability, and customer care— must remain steady to sustain success.
Dave Smith and Alex Dunn
Alex taught,“ We’ re not simply building the bottom line; we’ re building relationships one interaction at a time. Over the course of a day, a week, a month, a year, our company engages in hundreds of thousands of transactions – each one is an opportunity to build relationships and create life-long customers.”
David Smith shared an experience his mother had at an Advanced Health Care facility following an intense battle with cancer. Physically weak and emotionally drained upon arrival, she was welcomed by a steady stream of caregivers— from nurses and therapists to administrators— each offering warmth and encouragement. At one point, David asked his mother what she believed the company looked for when hiring its people. Her answer was simple:“ You hire for friendliness and compassion.” Weeks later, she walked out stronger not only in body, but in spirit— a testament, David said, to what it truly means to“ Take Care of the Patient.”
Remember, Our Business Is a Means to an End
Steve Miller and Amanda Covington highlighted the“ virtuous cycle”– an approach to looking at business success fueling reinvestment, community impact and long-term growth.
“ My father, Larry H. Miller, explained his business philosophy this way:‘ A business, by itself, is just a collection of assets and activities. It’ s not the
Steve Miller
Amanda invited employees to consider this every day:“ Is what I’ m doing solely focused on my individual tasks or is it about creating value and opportunity— for my team, for the company, for others, for our community?”
Go About Doing Good Until There’ s Too Much Good in the World
Greg Miller began by teaching,“ For our family, and for this company,‘ doing good until there’ s too much good in the world’ has shaped our legacy and continues to drive our vision for the future.”
Don Stirling talked about the company’ s pay-it-forward legacy. Through philanthropy, service, and employee support programs, the principle continues to guide both large initiatives and everyday kindness.
Lead with Love
In her closing remarks, Gail Miller added insights into the guiding principles and highlighted a theme woven through each one:“ Lead with love and success will follow.”
Gail emphasized that love in leadership means empathy, stewardship and purpose— building something lasting through small daily acts of integrity and care.
“ Leading with love isn’ t a trend; it’ s the future,” Gail said.“ That’ s who we are.”
The guiding principles of the Larry H. Miller Company define how the organization and its employees operate and who they are striving to become.
Scan the QR code to view the 2025 Who We Are Guiding Principles video or visit lhmvoices. com.
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