Medica President and CEO John Naylor vividly remembers the rotary phone on the wall of his dorm at Drake University. As a senior in college, he used that phone to call a St. Louis-based company, Tillinghast, to inquire about a job back in his hometown — but no one picked up.

Instead, Naylor ended up taking an actuary position with Transamerica, a role which took him to Los Angeles. “Those are the doors that just present an opportunity,” Naylor said in this episode of the Off the Record podcast. “If they’d have picked up, I’d have taken the job in St. Louis, and my career would have been different. But instead, I went to California.”

L.A. was where he met “a lot of self starters,” according to Naylor. It was also where he met his future wife. “It was a great experience,” Naylor said. “But we said, ‘We’re not going to settle out here.’ Let’s move back to the Midwest.”

In the episode, hosts Kathy Robideau, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal market president and publisher, and Dave Faust, president and CEO of Platinum Bank, talk Midwestern values and more with Naylor. Listen to the episode to hear:

• The family decision that led to his first role with Medica.
• A framework that has been helpful in Naylor’s leadership roles.
• Naylor’s words of wisdom when it comes to change management
• Building trust using the CRIS formula.
• How Naylor views the future of health care in Minnesota and beyond.

Leaders like Naylor understand the value of moving quickly and acting creatively, just like Platinum Bank. Learn more about business banking with a different kind of bank.

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