John Garrett is Founder & CEO of Community Impact Newspaper , an Evergreen® company in Pflugerville, Texas. He has discovered that towns and cities value companies that bring good into their communities, and that, in fact, they are often willing to offer incredible incentives through economic development deals. In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, John shares how his own company benefited from an economic development deal, as well as some of the types of incentives that can be available. He e...
Sep 01, 2022•8 min
Under the leadership of CEO Lisa Ingram, White Castle has entered into an era of significant product innovation and it is thriving. In order to keep its vast, devoted customer base happy by preserving what it loves about White Castle and yet stay relevant for future generations, Lisa has leaned on her best source of new ideas: her employees and her customers. In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, Lisa shares how her profoundly People First orientation has allowed her to achieve the impressive feat...
Aug 17, 2022•23 min
Initially, it might sound surprising to bring love into a discussion of business. But in this Tugboat Institute ® talk, In Time Tec CEO Jeet Kumar makes a case for putting love at the center of your leadership style. Jeet takes us through the lessons he learned as a child and how he came to believe in the importance of showing love. Then he shares his personal strategies for showing love to his team. Through his clear and powerful talk, Jeet makes this initially surprising idea logical, persuasi...
Aug 03, 2022•22 min
As the sixth Managing Partner of Edward Jones and the first woman to lead the company, Penny Pennington is an exemplary Evergreen® leader. In this Fireside Chat with Dave Whorton, she opens up about her professional journey and the history of leadership at Edward Jones. She was drawn to Edward Jones because she recognized the values that were instilled in her by her parents, who were themselves leaders: integrity, resolve, telling the truth, and treating people right. Listen and be inspired by P...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Rich Ledbetter, COO of Guarantee Electrical , has always drawn inspiration from Muhammed Ali. As a business leader, he has drawn inspiration from some of the greats as well, including Jim Collins , Simon Sinek , and Pat Lencioni . But leaders must ultimately take all of their learning, extract the lessons that fit the best, and craft their own, individual leadership philosophy. Rich has done this, and the result is what he calls his Simple Tools. In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, Rich shares t...
Jul 07, 2022•24 min
Today, many companies claim to be purpose-driven. Some are private and Evergreen® companies, but others are public or private equity or venture capital backed. It is true that many companies articulate and advertise a noble purpose, but how often is it genuine? In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, CEO Dave Whorton examines this claim by so many and asks the question, can a company that is not private truly be purpose-driven? The resounding answer is no. Listen and understand how Purpose partners ...
Jun 16, 2022•28 min
A third generation CEO of a family company enjoys certain advantages, but also faces certain challenges. Kristi Tacony Humes learned this first hand when she became CEO of Tacony Corporation. In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Kristi shares her learnings, some advice for CEOs in a similar situation, and some good stories! Above all else, she has learned that it is critical to keep asking questions and to fix things…before they are broken! Listen and learn more about the advantages and the challeng...
Jun 02, 2022•23 min
Dr. David Bradford’s most recent book is entitled Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues . The book explains how honesty can, when approached with care and respect, serve to deepen and strengthen relationships rather than strain them. In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, Dr. David Bradford shares the model that he has created to help us understand how to be honest without hurting one another’s feelings and damaging relationships. He calls it “The Net.” Li...
May 19, 2022•23 min
Clase Azul México began as a tequila company, and is now growing into México’s first luxury house. As Founder and CEO Arturo Lomeli built his Evergreen® company, he never lost sight of his purpose: to share and celebrate the magic of Mexican culture. In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, Arturo shares the story of the birth and growth of Clase Azul, the many initiatives they sponsor in their communities, and his thinking about and understanding of the luxury industry. Listen and be inspired to be ...
May 05, 2022•40 min
Bryan Papé founded MiiR after surviving a life-threatening ski accident. He was determined to build and scale a company that was grounded in generosity and innovation, and he wanted to do it without private equity or venture capital. Despite being repeatedly told it couldn’t be done, Bryan made it happen. In this podcast, Bryan shares the story of the creation of MiiR as well as the purpose and beliefs that keep driving him and his team as MiiR grows and thrives.
Apr 21, 2022•21 min
David Holmes, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Character Collaborative, believes that character is destiny. His organization works to elevate the role of character in college admissions. According to study after study, character, rather than a test score, is the strongest predictor of long-term success in college and in life. In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, David argues that we need to prioritize instilling character in our children and that we should value it greatly in our business...
Apr 07, 2022•23 min
Susie Quesada, President of Ramar Foods, was a middle school teacher before stepping into leadership of her family’s Filipino Evergreen® food product business, Ramar Foods. As she has led and grown the company, she has approached leadership as she did teaching—with an intentional, paced focus on listening, educating, and creating effective processes for growth and development. In this talk from Tugboat Institute® Summit 2021, Susie describes how her experience as an educator is reflected in her ...
Mar 24, 2022•20 min
Lester Thornhill, President and CEO of Life’s Abundance , is planting trees in Senegal, Africa. Originally, he was inspired by his desire to find a path to carbon neutrality for his Evergreen® company. But when he discovered the organization Trees for the Future , he realized he could do more. Now he is helping create Forest Gardens, which benefit the earth and the surrounding communities in a great many ways. Listen to Lester’s podcast from Tugboat Institute® Summit 2021 and learn more about th...
Mar 10, 2022•8 min
In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, David Eichhorn, CEO of NISA Investment Advisors , examines the Paradox of Growth in business. As successful businesses mature, they grow, but at a certain point, the growth leads to a size which breeds complexity, which can then kill growth. How can a CEO or Founder break this cycle? David has spent considerable time and energy examining this paradox as it relates to his Evergreen® company. As a leader, he has found success in resolving it by implementing the ...
Feb 24, 2022•24 min
Johnny Bench played for the Cincinnati Reds for 17 years. He was a hero to his fans and a star of the game. In his last game before he retired, in 1983, he hit a home run. He was at the top of his game. Steve Shifman was there, and he never forgot it. Steve is a Reds fan and the former CEO and current Executive Chairman of the Board of Michelman. He learned a lot from Johnny Bench. As he felt the end of his career as CEO coming onto the horizon, he took a page from Johnny’s book - go out on top....
Feb 10, 2022•24 min
What are the key characteristics and practices of companies that share space on the touted “best to work for” lists? How do you craft a culture to support and develop your team, sustain your company’s growth, and make a difference in your community? How does a thriving business support inclusivity today? In this talk from Tugboat Institute® Summit 2021, Dave Petersen, President and CEO of O.C. Tanner , shares his insight into these key questions. As the Evergreen® leader of a company dedicated t...
Jan 27, 2022•22 min
In 2005, Conni Reed left a 16-year corporate career to launch her company, Consuela . In the wake of what she describes as “an early mid-life crisis,” Conni felt called to live an authentic, meaningful life and build a business that would make a difference in the lives of women and Mexican artisans. In the years since, she has poured her passion and creativity into Consuela, a handbag and accessories company based in Texas that vibrantly reflects the joy and beauty–her “ magic ”– she wants to co...
Jan 13, 2022•18 min
Strong Roots & Strong Branches—The Power Of Diversification Michael Spraggins, CEO of Spraggins, Inc. , is a great admirer of the Southern Live Oak tree. According to Michael, the roots of the Southern Live Oak are wide and deep, and when you prune its branches the tree gets stronger. For Michael this tree is the ideal metaphor for his Florida based construction supply business. In this Tugboat Institute ® podcast, Michael shares how he built a diversified, global company through the hard-ea...
Dec 23, 2021•22 min
In this Tugboat Institute ® podcast episode you meet F.K. Day—a Chicago businessman, entrepreneur and humanitarian. In 1987, with a passion for biking and innovation, F.K. and his brother Stan founded SRAM , a bicycle component supplier. That was only the beginning for FK. Moved by the 2004 tsunami disaster in Indonesia, F.K. was inspired to do more than send a check. Using Pragmatic Innovation, he took what he knew about high-end bikes and created an efficient, scalable model for producing low-...
Dec 16, 2021•20 min
Understanding Gen Z—The New Workforce Generation Generation Z are popularly characterized as coddled, irresponsible, addicted to tech, naïve, narcissistic and unprepared for adulthood. They also ARE and WILL BE entering the workforce for the next decade. In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, Roberta Katz, Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University, deconstructs some of the common stereotypes assigned to this misunderstood demo...
Dec 09, 2021•31 min
Great products are not enough. With 24-7 access to the internet, customers expect and demand immediate engagement. Customer service is key to business success. In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, Brad Cleveland, one of the world’s foremost experts on customer management and a consultant to Fortune 500 companies, contends that quality customer care is the most powerful differentiator in business. Whether you are a mom-and-pop shop or a global enterprise, technology has leveled the playing field s...
Dec 03, 2021•23 min
Hire for skills, not for degrees. In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Steven C. Preston, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, shares how the nonprofit is providing leading edge workforce skills and career path mapping to individuals who lack the traditional educational degrees and certifications. According to Steven, now is the time for business leaders to close the opportunity gap and consider talented employee candidates outside of their standard hiring practices. Fulfilling wo...
Nov 25, 2021•21 min
“You are the only thing that can make your work unique,” says celebrated portrait photographer, John Keatley. John should know. He sees this truism every day in his work. In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, John tackles a tough topic—the importance of being authentic in order to do your best work. According to John, you need to know yourself and incorporate it into what you do. During this talk John shares how he made this breakthrough in his personal and professional life—the mistakes and the l...
Nov 18, 2021•24 min
What if you told an entire 3rd grade class that a college degree was expected? What if you also told those same 3rd graders that they did not have to pay for that college education—meaning if they worked hard, graduated high school and got accepted to college, they would receive a college education for free. What would they do? And who could make that promise? In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, Tom Rosztoczy, President and CEO of Stotz Equipment, shares how he and his wife established The Colle...
Nov 11, 2021•23 min
This Tugboat Institute ® podcast spotlights Stella Ma—entrepreneur, educator and CEO. With a vision to inspire children to learn about the world, Stella and her business partner, Amy Norman, launched Little Passports in 2009. Her passion to make travel accessible, geography fun and spark the imagination of children has created a thriving education subscription business and household brand name that continues to innovate. In her Tugboat Institute talk, Ma reveals the five strategies that allowed ...
Nov 04, 2021•19 min
Pushing your sales territory outward is key for sustained business growth. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. Each market entry presents its own set of unique complexities. The decisions you make to navigate those challenges will determine your ROI in that territory. In this podcast from Tugboat Institute ®, Gary Kunkle, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Founder of Outlier LLC, discusses the common tactics that trip up companies considering expansion into new mark...
Oct 28, 2021•10 min
Be a better leader. Retired Commander Rorke Denver ran every phase of training for the U.S. Navy SEALs and led special-forces missions in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and other international hot spots. He also wrote two New York Times bestselling books based on his extensive military experience. In this Tugboat Institute podcast, Rorke shares two significant leadership lessons that have served him well in his military and civilian life—constantly improve your position and always reach...
Oct 22, 2021•12 min
How can my business be an effective family enterprise if my children do not want to be a part of it? Who will be the next generation of owners? In this podcast from Tugboat Institute ®, Jennifer Pendergast—eminent thought leader and Executive Director of the John L. Ward Center for Family Enterprises at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University—deconstructs the challenges faced by family owned businesses and shares practical strategies for successful leadership transitions and gove...
Oct 14, 2021•25 min
Central States Manufacturing started in 1988 as a small plant in Rogers, Arkansas. Today the company produces metal roofing and siding for thousands of customers from 10 locations across the country. It is also 100% employee owned. John Williams, VP of Sales & Marketing, shared with the Tugboat Institute® in 2016 the keys to the company's tremendous success—a strict adherence to open-book management (aka the Great Game of Business), rigorous accountability, and a commitment to putting their ...
Oct 07, 2021•29 min
Get Big Fast vs. Evergreen—Which is the best fit for your business? This episode features Tugboat Institute ® CEO Dave Whorton. When Dave was recruited by the legendary John Doerr to work for Kleiner Perkins in 1997 he learned the original venture capital (VC) “playbook”—a strategy focused on reaching profitability and sustained growth. At the same time, Doerr and other partners were selectively exercising a new playbook sparked by the historic public offering of Netscape. Venture capital was en...
Sep 30, 2021•32 min
