Building a Culture of Extreme Ownership at LoVasco

They say that “What gets measured gets done.” As retirement plan consultants, we not only agree wholeheartedly with the importance of “getting things done,” but we will also take great pains to make sure that “what gets done gets measured.”

At LoVasco, we pride ourselves on being more than just subject matter experts in retirement plan consulting and benefits, among other disciplines. Of course, technical knowledge is essential—but what truly sets the excellent apart, as expressed by our clients, is the intentionality with which we’ve built what we call a “culture of extreme ownership.” That’s not just a catchy phrase—it’s our organizational DNA.

Influenced by and borrowed from the book “Extreme Ownership” by New York Times best-selling authors Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, the framework was originally developed to articulate “How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win.” For us, it’s both a mission and a company ethos.

What this means practically is that every member of our team is trained to take full accountability for anything that even remotely touches their role or comes across their desk. It doesn’t matter if the issue falls squarely in one’s area of expertise—our expectation is that our team will own the outcome. That might mean rolling up the sleeves and doing the work, or it might mean stepping into a project management role to drive coordination and completion.

Either way, the goal is simple: don’t let any balls drop. Our mission is always—and our processes are engineered—to eliminate ill-defined “what nows” and “what ifs” and instill both accountability and transparency. That way, what is important enough to be measured absolutely gets done; and everything that gets done absolutely gets measured and reported back to everyone with a stake in the outcome.

The Dreaded “Where Are We With…” Query

Too often in our industry, clients are left wondering where things stand. They send an email to a vendor and hope for a response, only often to be ghosted or delayed. That’s not how we do things. At LoVasco, we aim to eliminate the need for the dreaded "Where are you at with that?" conversation. If someone has to ask that question, it's a signal that our system isn’t working.

That’s why we use a project-based methodology and technology for organizing everything—from client onboarding to fiduciary oversight to resolving recordkeeping/admin errors. Every task has a clear owner, a next action, and a deadline. And it’s all tracked transparently in our project management system. In fact, some clients are tech-forward enough to even plug into our platform directly. They can comment on agenda items, add discussion points, and collaborate with us in real time.

But it’s not necessarily about the tool itself—we could just as easily use another system (and will, if a client prefers). It’s about the methodology and the mindset.

Systems Engineered for Success

Over the years, we’ve intentionally and carefully built an organizational operating system that combines several proven methodologies to keep our work aligned, our teams healthy, and our communication clear.

1 - EOS: The Macro Framework

Our overarching structure is built on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). EOS gives us a clear cadence for planning, accountability, and communication. From quarterly rocks to weekly Level 10 meetings, EOS helps keep our team aligned with our company vision while driving measurable results for our clients.

2 - Getting Things Done: The Micro Engine

Where EOS provides the macro structure, David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology powers the micro-level execution. It helps our team process tasks with discipline, stay organized, and make sure nothing slips through the cracks—especially in the complex, detail-oriented world of retirement plan consulting.

3 - Respectful Candor: A Communication Standard

We’ve also adopted a communication philosophy inspired by Kim Scott’s Radical Candor. Internally and externally, we expect everyone to operate with respectful candor—the balance of honesty and empathy. We’re not here to be people pleasers. We’re here to be truth-tellers who care. Clients rely on us for forthright advice, even when it's uncomfortable.

4 - Crucial Conversations and Healthy Conflict

We've introduced the Crucial Conversations framework and we incorporate lessons from Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team to help employees build trust, tackle tough issues, and engage in healthy conflict. This creates a culture where team dynamics are strong and disagreement fuels better decisions—not dysfunction.

5 - A Consultative, Problem-Solving Sales Approach

Even our sales methodology is structured. We've adopted a version of the Sandler Selling System, which keeps our conversations client-focused and consultative. We’re not selling; we’re problem-solving, ensuring clients feel heard, understood, and empowered.

6 - StoryBrand: Messaging with Clarity of Ownership

Importantly, we’ve aligned our marketing and client messaging with Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework. We aim to clearly articulate the problems we solve, positioning the client as the hero and ourselves as the guide. This keeps our external communications authentic and meaningful—a must for anyone operating in a high-stakes capacity or industry.

7 - Extreme Ownership: Accountability and Clarity

As noted above, “Extreme Ownership” was a term originally coined by author and military veteran Jocko Willink, detailing the mindset and principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult missions in combat. The framework’s methodologies are now taught to demonstrate how to apply them to any team, family or organization, such as ours here at LoVasco.

Your “Outsourced Chief Retirement Officer”

One of the ways we frame our approach is by considering ourselves an "Outsourced Chief Retirement Officer." This means we’re not just investment consultants who drop in quarterly with advice—we’re partners who manage the full lifecycle of a retirement plan.

For example, when a client goes through a recordkeeper transition, there’s typically a tremendous amount of paperwork and coordination involved. We’ve seen firsthand how poorly these transitions can go when vendors leave everything to the last minute. That's why we have a three-month playbook we follow to ensure that every step is accounted for well in advance. We don’t wait for problems—we anticipate them.

We do the same with smaller but equally critical issues. Take payroll errors, for instance. Maybe a contribution was missed due to a processing issue. That’s a compliance risk. Rather than pointing fingers or passing the buck, our team organizes the remedial action as if it were a project. We help identify what went wrong, determine how much needs to be corrected, and manage specific actions to completion. Then the reporting of the outcome is communicated to everyone impacted as necessary.  

We Don’t Just Advise—We Execute

I’ve worked in environments where consultants delivered strategic advice but stopped short of rolling up their sleeves. That approach can work—for a different kind of client. But the HR and C-suite professionals we work with are often stretched thin. They don’t just need advice; they need execution. That’s why we are happy to do the “blocking and tackling” for them.

“Extreme ownership” also means adapting to each client's preferred way of working. Some want to input information themselves; others want to talk it through on the phone. Some prefer a shared project board; others want email summaries. That flexibility is key—but the dogged commitment to ownership remains the same.

Why Extreme Ownership Matters

Ultimately, this commitment to a culture of extreme ownership is what allows our clients to rest easy, knowing that their retirement plan is being managed by a team that won’t let anything slip through the cracks. Whether it's maintaining fiduciary oversight, navigating a vendor change, or resolving a one-off issue, we bring discipline, accountability, and follow-through to every aspect of our work.

That’s how we earn trust. That’s how we deliver results. And that’s why we’ll continue to double down on a culture built around extreme ownership.  

Things will get done. Things will be measured. And everything will be clearly communicated and reported, every step of the way.