Chief Eternal Optimist

Chief Eternal Optimist

By Kevin RutherfordBusiness
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Chief Eternal Optimist episodes

  • Run & Lead with Purpose! = Leadership Lessons | Jim Weber, Brooks CEO

    At Brooks they believe, "Running is more than just a hobby—it’s our passion. We eat, breathe and stretch for the run. And we find running brings us closer together as a group than any team-building exercise could. On the road of life,

    it’s always better to travel in packs."


    I know you will enjoy this episode with their CEO, Jim Weber. You can also check out Jim's book here!

    38 min
  • The Running Shoe Optimized for Women | Wes Felix, CEO Saysh

    Finding racing shoes shouldn’t have been a struggle for Olympic champion Allyson Felix. She had already won 32 career medals and helped usher in game changing pay guarantees and pregnancy protections.


    But inequality knows no bounds, and she still saw disparities in a footwear industry that didn’t bother to consider bodies that weren’t male.

    So she teamed up with her brother, Wes, and together they

    built Saysh, a collection of stylish, functional sneakers designed for everyday performance.


    Inequality might know no bounds, but neither do the Felixs.

    56 min
  • Your Success Has Nothing to Do with Luck! | Sean Riley, CEO Dude Wipes

    Sean Riley flipping burgers and then in construction before he started his side hustle on the weekends that quickly grew into a $150M business. Dude Wipes are a disposable wipe product manufactured by Dude Products, a personal care brand based in Chicago.

    In episode of the CEO podcast, Kevin and Sean
    talk about all aspects of being in the C-Suite, brand marketing, company
    culture and more!

    52 min
  • How to Find the Right Culture Fit | Roy Notowitz, CEO The Noto Group

    Roy Notowitz knows a thing about culture and fit, he runs one of the top recruiting companies in the country. Listen to this episode as Roy and Kevin discuss how to find great

    people who will help you build your company into a force.
    About host Kevin Rutherford
    Kevin is a human-centric leader helping you to unlock your team’s full potential by creating a dynamic and engaging work environment. Joined by other
    thought leaders, they will share tools they have used to create highly
    successful teams through culture-first leadership.

    38 min
  • Reinventing Ice Tea, Again! | Seth Goldman, CEO Just Ice Team & (former) Honest Tea CEO and Founder

    Seth Goldman, the Founder and CEO of Just Ice Tea, and the mastermind behind the iconic Honest Tea brand (which he later sold to Coca-Cola) sits down and talk about business, culture, and even a quick chat on running 10 miles after eating 20 donuts. 

    Following the acquisition of Honest Tea, Coca-Cola chose to discontinue the brand, leaving a void in the market. Undeterred, Seth embarked on his second journey in reinventing the ice tea industry with Just Ice Tea. Remarkably, Seth and his team took Just Ice Tea from concept to commercialization in under 4 months—an impressive feat in itself. 
    What's truly remarkable about Seth's story is not just his entrepreneurial resilience but also his leadership and team culture ethos. Despite facing challenges, Seth remained steadfast in his belief that there was a demand for beverages crafted with integrity and superior taste.
    If the journey of Just Ice Tea doesn't pique your interest, Seth's approach to leadership and team culture certainly will. Tune in to the full episode as Seth and Kevin unravel this fascinating story.

    57 min
  • Noses In, Fingers Out | Mike Fata, CEO (former) & Founder Manitoba Harvest

    In 1995, Mike Fata had no idea how to lose weight the healthy way. He fell for the low-fat fad diet as his go-to solution. 

    Then he set-off to get ‘healthy’ by cutting the fat and ramping up an exercise plan, but soon realized that he'd gone too far. He lost too much weight, felt lethargic all the time and was overall…still unhealthy.

    A lot of experimentation later,  Mike discovered that hemp

    hearts offered the right combination of essential fats to enhance his diet, allowed him to build the strength and start feeling amazing every day.
    That’s how he ended up co-founding Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods in 1998, and began my journey to dedicate over 25 years of his life studying and practicing natural health.

    55 min
  • The Billion Dollar Industry of Women’s Sports | Caroline Fitzgerald, CEO GOALS

    Caroline Fitzgerald is the CEO of GOALS,  a marketing & sponsorship consultancy that is fully dedicated to growing women's sports. The stories are all too common: pay

    gaps on & off the field, exploitation, lower endorsements, poor facilities, lack of coverage; the list is endless. Kevin and Caroline discuss the state of the industry and explore this industry in depth.
    Before jumping in to GOALS full-time in August of 2021, Caroline worked for over a decade as a marketing and sales professional across a variety of industries. Most recently, Caroline was the Senior Vice President of Partnerships at P3R and the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon. In her role at P3R, Caroline was responsible for selling and activating partnerships with brands that include: DICK’S Sporting Goods, FedEx, Brooks Running, Dunkin’, PNC Bank, Barefoot, Panera, Nuun Hydration, Bank of America, and more.
    Caroline graduated from the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University with dual degrees in Marketing and Women/Gender Studies, and holds a M.S. in Global Sport from the Tisch Institute for Global Sport at NYU. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA.
    Connect with Caroline:
    Twitter - @pghcaroline
    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinecfitzgerald/

    1 hr 1 min
  • Principles of Great Leadership | Wayne Wu, VMG – General Partner

    Wayne Wu is a General Partner at VMG Partners. VMG Partners works intimately with founders and leaders of branded consumer product companies, providing the

    resources and guidance needed to propel them to their next level of growth and value. 
    Beyond capital, Wayne provides a value-added investment philosophy that pulls from his decades of experience, strategic guidance, and passionate focus to help our brands accelerate growth, increase brand awareness, and achieve their own definition of success. VMG has worked
    closely and successfully with brands such as Drunk Elephant, Humm Kombucha, Justin's, KIND, Nut Pods, Nature's Bakery, Perfect Snacks, Quest, Vega, and
    Spindrift, to name a few. 
    Wayne is energized by the next generation of
    innovative, consumer product entrepreneurs, and looks forward to helping them fully realize their vision. Wayne is based in San Francisco, CA.

    45 min
  • People are People | Scott Allan, CEO Hydro Flask (former)

    Scott Allan is the ex-CEO of Hydro Flask, Board

    and Advisory Board Member. Allan is a seasoned expansion stage CEO and GM with high tech and outdoor products expertise. Previously led Hydro Flask for nearly 8 years first as President and CEO in 2012 and then SVP/GM post $210 million acquisition by Helen of Troy in 2016.
    Board member of Rumpl and Camber Outdoors.  Listen as Kevin and Scott
    explore various topics on leadership and best-practices.

    1 hr 7 min

About Chief Eternal Optimist

From the publisher's feed

Kevin is a human-centric leader helping you to unlock your team’s full potential by creating a dynamic and engaging work environment. Joined by other thought leaders, they will share tools they have used to create highly successful teams through culture-FIRST leadership.