Many companies sacrifice their core identity in the rush to expand. This trade-off isn’t necessary, according to someone who’s mastered the art of purposeful growth. Sonya Locke, CEO of EDS Service Solutions, has spent over a decade helping businesses scale operations while maintaining their fundamental values. Her approach combines practical business strategy with a deep commitment to company culture and employee empowerment.
Culture First, Growth Second
Most companies get this backward. They chase growth at all costs, then try to patch together some culture afterward. Sonya flips this formula on its head. “Build a strong foundation. Understand what your company’s purpose, values, and most importantly, culture,” she says. This isn’t just nice-to-have advice. Without this foundation, Sonya warns, your growth probably won’t stick. “Building a culture allows you to have a team behind you that will help pave your way as you build and grow with your company,” she explains. “Without a proper culture and without having a team behind you, growth can sometimes be fleeting or not last.”
At EDS, they don’t just talk about culture, they run on it. “Culture is not just an afterthought, it’s our operating system,” Sonya says. What does that system look like? It boils down to “empowering excellence in every workforce” through three basic principles.
Building Real Teamwork
Respect comes first. Not a surface-level type, but something deeper. “Respect not only for every position, but every contribution your team makes,” Sonya emphasizes. This means dropping the idea that some departments matter more than others. She strongly values diversity as well. Not just as a checkbox, but as a real advantage. “It is through different perspectives and differences that we can unite and build a strong team that will continue to innovate,” she notes. Different viewpoints mean better problem-solving when things get tough.
Next is accountability, but not the type that instills fear of making mistakes. Sonya’s talking about something more balanced. “Building an environment of accountability, not only to clients, but accountability to ourselves and each other,” she explains. She also targets internal competition. “Competition is for external forces, not for your internal team or your soul,” Sonya emphasizes the importance of building teams where people “support one another, help each other learn, help each other grow, and unite in one common goal.”
Empowering People to Grow
Empowerment appears to be Sonya’s primary concern. It’s even built into their company motto. “Empowerment, creating a space where people feel seen, supported, and proud to show up to work every day,” she says. But it goes deeper than just making people feel good. It’s about “knowing not only that they belong, but that they have a path for continued growth.” This means knocking down barriers. “Removing barriers and removing hierarchies to where you allow people to learn where their path is and continue to grow within your organization,” she explains. Genuine empowerment goes beyond the role; it involves equipping individuals with “tools, delivering feedback, and allowing them to improve daily.”
Tools That Help, Not Replace
Sonya doesn’t shy away from technology but is clear about its purpose. “You can’t grow over your people. You have to grow through them,” she insists. “Technology should elevate people, not eliminate them—empowering work, not replacing workers. It doesn’t replace humans; it enables us. At its best, technology creates efficiency with empathy.”This philosophy led to their own internal tool, “Workforce Velocity,” which streamlines daily operations while freeing up time for more critical work. “We focus on efficiency with empathy,” Sonya shares. “Because when your people feel supported, heard, and equipped, they become your greatest growth engine.” This approach recognizes a fundamental truth about business: “Every business relies on human capital as their greatest asset, whether technology, product or service – without a team, you can’t grow.”
One of Sonya’s most refreshing points is knowing when not to grow. “Sometimes the most important thing you can do is pause,” she says. Not every opportunity is the right one. “At EDS, we don’t say yes to every opportunity. We make sure that the opportunity, the partnership, and the growth meet with our values, our purpose, and our team’s capabilities,” she explains. “We ask: Does this opportunity align with our mission? Will it serve our team? Can we do it without compromising who we are?” The alternative isn’t pretty. “Growth without a soul and growth without your team working with you, climbing that mountain or hunkering down in those trenches is shallow and empty and is often fleeting,” Sonya warns. “Soul-driven growth, that’s the kind that lasts.”
Her bottom line? “Scaling doesn’t have to mean that you’re selling out. When you project your values, build with systems and lead with people, you scale with soul.” For Sonya, the lesson is clear: “Your business doesn’t grow from the outside in. It grows from the soul out.”
Connect with Sonya Locke on LinkedIn to see how she’s leading with heart and building with purpose.
