The Flint & Steel Speaker Series brought another full house this year, and the presentation from Michael Ballantyne, Taylor Hill, and Kristi Larson from TOK Commercial offered the kind of clarity that makes you rethink how a company grows, adapts, and leads a market. The room was filled with a mix of returning attendees, first-timers, and local professionals interested in understanding what fuels one of Idaho’s most influential businesses.

We were given a clear view into how TOK has moved in step with Boise’s transformation. The Treasure Valley’s growth is no surprise anymore. Retail has doubled, industrial keeps stretching westward with more than 50 million square feet in play, and office has held steady while other cities face double-digit vacancy. Boise became a fast, complex, dynamic market. Firms that once coasted on momentum now have to operate with precision.

TOK’s story lines up with that shift. The company grew from two brokers in 1991 to more than 150 professionals across the Treasure Valley, Magic Valley, Eastern Idaho, and Spokane. They have navigated several economic cycles without drifting from their identity. During the talk, the TOK Team pointed out that while markets rise and reset, the real differentiator is not the cycle itself. It is the culture that guides how a company responds. TOK’s culture is grounded in six practices that shape the organization each day: 

• Work smart with strong systems and data. Be efficient and accurate in your job. Find ways to accomplish more at a faster pace. Measure success by how much, how quickly, and how well you can get your work done, especially under deadlines. Go home satisfied at the end of the day.
• Collaborate and listen so teams move in the same direction. Connect people by sharing pertinent information. Offer to help others and don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. Seek input and feedback, and listen to it sincerely. Combine your strengths with others to achieve common goals. 
• Commit to process over preference to maintain consistency. There are many ways to complete a task, but there is often an established best practice for a reason. If you’re unsure why, ask. Challenge the status quo to help refine the process, but don’t sacrifice best practices to personal preferences. Establish habits that will help you and your team be successful. 
• Build resilience during challenging moments. There will be times in your career to withstand adversity. At times, you may feel uncomfortable as things change. Recognize that this is different than being overwhelmed by the volume of work. Practice resilience with time, strength & help from those around you. 
• Leave things better than you found them to create long-term value. Whether it’s your role, your department, or even someone on the phone, do everything in your power to improve the circumstances that you have inherited for those around you. 
• Deliver exceptional results through steady execution. There will always be something to learn, a new task to conquer, or a better way of doing things. Embrace and seek out such opportunities. Share them with others. Go beyond a list of defined tasks. Be proactive, be flexible, and demonstrate leadership when opportunity calls. 

The Flint & Steel theme brought these ideas into focus. Change is the flint. Culture is the steel. When the two meet with the right amount of pressure, you get a spark. TOK has created those sparks repeatedly by relying on intentional habits rather than quick fixes. They have chosen to build systems that support consistent execution and to prepare early for shifts in technology and demand. Their internal data platforms, their emphasis on collaboration, and their investment in training all reflect a long-term view of what it takes to lead in a growing market.

A company does not grow for more than thirty years by accident. It grows because it stays aligned. TOK’s success is not only about adapting to Idaho’s growth, but helping shape it. The spark comes from steady decision making, shared expectations, and a culture that strengthens rather than loosens under pressure.

At CLM, we’ve experienced our own version of what TOK shared: change is constant, and culture is what determines whether that change becomes momentum. Over the years, as we’ve grown with our clients, we’ve seen two recurring challenges slow companies down: unclear strategic direction and gaps in internal execution.

Those insights shaped our next step. In 2026, we’re introducing an evolved model that embeds senior marketing leadership in your organization, creating alignment, clarity, and the kind of steady execution that turns friction into progress.

To learn more about CLM, our next evolution, or the Flint & Steel Speaker Series, schedule a discovery call with our team.