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 encourages leaders of Evergreen companies to pursue these deals, and offers advice on how to prepare to step into those conversations. Listen and be inspired to look for opportunities in your own community, or in a community you are considering entering.

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 of balancing a love for the past with a willingness to step into the future. Watch and be inspired by the rich and impressive history of this 100 year old Evergreen® company.

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, persuasive, and even evident.

Listen and be inspired to infuse your leadership style with love and watch your team thrive.

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 Penny’s leadership journey and her deeply Evergreen perspective on her business and its role in the many communities it touches.

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 the lessons that have impacted him the most and the thinking that went into creating his Simple Tools. At the foundation of it all is trust.  

Listen and be inspired by the story of the birth of this Evergreen® philosophy of leadership.

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 with Private to sit at the heart of the Evergreen movement.

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 challenges of being the leader of a family business.

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.”    Listen and learn about The Net and the ways in which it can help you build stronger relationships in every area of your life.

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 ambitious and to be a force for good in your own community.

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.