Scott Evans, CEO of Kenmore Envelope Company, and Val Hollingsworth, President & CEO of Hollingsworth & Vose Co.both lead manufacturing companies in two different industries. In this May 15, 2020 recording of The Evergreen Experience™, Scott and Val join Dave Whorton in conversation around the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on their businesses, the innovations and adaptations that they have tried, their view on the future of their industries, and the way in which Evergreen® principles are informing their approach to and perspective on this challenging time.

Brian Canlis, President and Co-Owner, Canlis, and Carrie Freeman Parsons, Chair, Freeman, both lead family businesses in industries especially hard-hit by the COVID-19 crisis—restaurants (Canlis) and major event management (Freeman). In this recording of the inaugural, May 8, 2020 episode of The Evergreen Experience™, Brian and Carrie share with Tugboat Institute Founder & CEO Dave Whorton how they have adapted and reimagined their companies in this unprecedented period, displaying inspiring resiliency rooted in their Purpose and enabled by their Evergreen values.

Navy SEAL Commander Rorke Denver is not just an American Hero, he is a true American warrior. He figured out at a young age that he was a “sheepdog.” His role in life was to take care of others and to protect them from the bad guys. So it’s not surprising that Rorke ended up being Commander of the U.S. Navy SEALs, leading impossibly tough battles in every major international hot spot. But, Rorke’s contributions went far beyond leadership in gun fights, he also was instrumental in changing how the Navy SEALs recruited and trained new cadets, placing much greater emphasis on character, resilience and empathy over test scores and varsity letters. He reminds us that there are values worth dying for.

Howard Behar joined Starbucks in 1989 when the company had 28 stores, becoming president of North America and later founding president of Starbucks international. Through his leadership, he established Starbucks’ culture of People First and was instrumental in Starbucks’ growth to over 15,000 stores internationally. In a discussion with Tugboat Institute CEO Dave Whorton, Howard shares his life story and how a single lesson from his dad in their family’s grocery store forged his belief that meaning in life is all about being of service to other human beings. Behar contends that all businesses are in the people business, whether they realize it or not. From there, Howard shares the most important lessons from his experience growing Starbucks and closes with how he forgot to take his own advice upon his resignation from a long, successful career at Starbucks.

In October 2003, General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal was assigned to JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command) to command counter-terrorism operations in Iraq. General McChrystal’s innovative reorganization of the communication processes and practices of the entire command turned the tide of the war and connected people, cultures, and operations. He turned a tribe of tribes to a team of teams. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Gathering of Teams, General McChrystal shares the story of that transformation and how those lessons can be applied to businesses and leaders today.

What do you envision when you picture idyllic small-town life? Beautiful historic buildings? A walkable downtown core filled with thriving businesses? Connected neighbors and a vibrant sense of civic pride? All of these points are goals for Amy Simmons, founder of Amy’s Ice Creams, who has been revitalizing the town of Smithville, Texas. 

Tugboat Institute member Penny Pennington was appointed Managing Partner at Edward Jones—the sixth in its 97-year history—in 2019. Edward Jones has over 43,000 associates and 7 million clients who trust Edward Jones to help them achieve their financial goals—the company is Evergreen through and through. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, Penny shares her insight into the fundamental importance of building and maintaining trust in Evergreen businesses—with employees and with customers.

Doug Tatum is a Professor at Florida State University and a student of business. He’s an expert, specifically, in the area of scaling small businesses through a challenging period termed “No Man’s Land,” during which a leader can do what appears right and still see their business fail. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, Doug shares insights into how Evergreen leaders can strategize to successfully navigate this potentially treacherous period—and emerge to thrive.

Wynne Odell and her husband, Doug, founded Odell Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado in 1989. In the three decades since, the company has persevered and grown, aligned with the Evergreen 7Ps™. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, Wynne shares stories of challenge and success, offering an authentic and inspiring story of Evergreen business.

JT McCormick survived a childhood marked by abuse and neglect. He barely graduated from high school and does not have a college degree. In spite of these obstacles, JT refuses to consider himself a victim and embraces the opportunity he has—as President and CEO of Scribe Media—to inspire young people facing challenge and other Evergreen leaders. In this moving, deeply personal talk presented at Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, JT describes his journey of perseverance and shares key lessons of his experience.