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 businesses as well. Our world has become fractured and divided, and only through a focus on character can we find our way back to a civil and thriving society.

Listen and be inspired to consider character, in your life and in your work.

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 commitment to creating culture, striving for effective collaboration, and making the most of every “teachable moment” to improve the company and train her team.  Listen and be inspired by this unique and very Evergreen® lens on leadership.

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 this initiative and about Forest Gardens.

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 Bain Micro-battle System®. He has managed to meet his goals for growth and reap the benefits of size without being derailed by growth-inflicted pain points that emerge as the organization becomes more complex.

Listen and learn how to make the size of your business an asset in innovation—not an anchor.

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.

In this humorous Tugboat Institute® talk, Steve shares his experience and his advice around stepping into a CEO transition with grace, with hope, and with a solid plan. He identifies the key factors that will ensure it is as smooth as possible. As he plans to hand over the reins of Michelman, he feels that he has set the stage for a successful transition and is excited for his next chapter.   Listen and be inspired to make a succession plan for your Evergreen® company.

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 to creating employee recognition and reward solutions that help cultures thrive, which is itself repeatedly recognized as a Best Company to Work For®, Dave has unique insight into this topic. This presentation offers valuable wisdom around culture and challenges to today’s leaders as they consider how their companies can create a positive and lasting impact for their employees and the communities they serve.

Listen and be inspired to foster a positive culture in your Evergreen company.

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 contribute to the world.

 In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, Conni shares her story of personal and professional Perseverance – a journey that led to her current success and her ongoing mission to support and celebrate women who impact the world in positive ways.

 Listen and be inspired by this Evergreen® story of Purpose and passion.

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-earned life lessons that only failure can produce. Over time and by strategically “pruning” his vision of expansion, Michael grew a thriving family owned company that allowed him to nurture some other branches in his life—being a dad to his daughters and a developing the nonprofit African healthcare organization, LifeNet International.

Listen and be inspired by this Evergreen® story of professional and personal growth.

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-cost, rugged bikes. The end result is World Bicycle Relief, a nonprofit that provides bicycles to students, health-care workers and families in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.

Be an Evergreen® leader. Do something radical to make the world a better place.

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 demographic. Utilizing findings from three years of research for her book, Gen Z, Explained, Roberta provides scientific insight into the social, cultural and historical determinants that have shaped this next wave of workers.

Listen and learn how to open up the lines of communication between the generations.