I’m Neal Woodson, and I am the kid who didn’t know what he wanted to do when he grew up. My career began as a musician (composer and trombonist), but it somehow shifted to the business world, where I work as a teacher, speaker, and author focused on putting the human touch back into our workplaces, customer spaces, and life in general. So, in a way I never would have imagined, the work I’ve spent the better part of my life doing has centered on leadership, service, the points in between, and where it all intersects.

Having worked in frontline and management roles in both the retail and restaurant industries, as a high school teacher, adjunct college faculty member, AV professional in the hospitality space, and leader of training and development for a large corporation, I have witnessed the transformational power of people and organizations moving from self-interested, transactional approaches to more service-focused, relational ones.

For this reason, I work to raise awareness of and teach a human-centered service approach that increases human well-being.

With my writing, teaching, and speaking, my aim is to share ideas and a point of view that inspires people to think differently and take action to serve more, live better, and be happy.

SPEAKING

I speak to organizations to help them drive service-focused leadership and human-centered service practices. For speaking inquiries, please reach out: servicecoach1@gmail.com.

TEACHING

I lead workshops to teach and coach both service-focused leadership and human-centered service. If you want/need improved leadership effectiveness and/or better service delivery, please get in touch: servicecoach1@gmail.com.

Please subscribe to my blog. You can also follow me on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Bluesky where I post frequently.

Being of service to people is not only the business of business; it would appear that it’s largely the business of life. 

From our earliest beginnings, we humans have relied on helping each other to get work done, develop life-changing inventions, conquer disease, travel the planet and beyond, and ensure our very existence. Service is at the heart of what it is to be human and how we have grown our civilization.

Almost everything we do involves service. From the time we wake up in the morning to the time we lie down to sleep, for the most part, we are helping someone accomplish or achieve something. When we work together and create mutual value, we are at our most effective in innovating for the future and solving our most pressing challenges. Put simply, being of service to each other is our superpower.

Telling this story and changing the narrative of business to be more about this fundamental driver of our humanity and less about self-interested pursuits is the mission of this site. 

If you are a person whose soul is sparked by these thoughts, you are why this work is here. 

Whether you are just beginning to find some direction, figuring out how to make a difference, or looking for more fuel for your journey, I want to help you with tools, ideas, a push — whatever it takes. Get going!