December is often a busy month, so whether you’re working through it, reuniting with loved ones or cooking up a storm… Consider this your reminder to take a minute and breathe! 

For the next two weeks, In Good Companies is taking a holiday break to rest and celebrate. We’ll be back in January, with some brand new episodes, as well as a couple of old favorites we picked out just for you.

Between business success stories, discussions on corporate well-being and an exclusive look into the trends that will define 2025, we’re not done bringing you the best experts to talk about everything business. So stay with us!

We wish you all the best this holiday season and beyond. Thank you for being a part of In Good Companies.

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Cadence Bank YouTube
  
  

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]

When he opened his food distribution business back in 2006, Don Coenen started with three semi-trucks in a crowded market. Nearly 20 years later, his company Don's Cold Storage and Transportation is a multi-million dollar corporation, open for business 365 days a year. More than a profitable operation, it’s a business that has provided a livelihood for countless people in Arkansas, Missouri and beyond. 

So how do you achieve this kind of growth? What does it take to turn the dream into a reality? And is reality just as glorious as it seems? Today, our host Ari Marin sits down with Don – a loyal Cadence Bank customer – to answer these questions and hear all about his journey through the food distribution industry.

From Don’s early inspirations and mentors, to his passion for business, we’ll also learn about his goals for the future. We’ll see that Don’s Cold Storage is not just a logistics company. It’s the product of a dream, a resilient financial strategy and a culture of wellness built with intention and purpose. 

Join us in conversation to hear Don Coenen’s inspiring tale of grit, and discover a whole new world: the buzzing world of Don’s Cold Storage. 

Highlights:

• Introducing Don’s Cold Storage and Transportation (0:35)
• A typical day in Don Coenen’s life (3:28)
• Northwest Arkansas: a thriving place for business (5:15)
• Rethinking the economy of “scale” (07:08)
• Why the food sector is a resilient industry (8:31)
• The early days of Don’s Cold Storage (10:13)
• Hard earned financial lessons (13:09)
• Don’s growth mindset: don’t back down, double down (15:27)
• Challenges and opportunities during the Covid pandemic (16:52)
• Unpacking Don’s business culture (18:18)
• The benefits of promoting from within (20:21)
• The importance of self-care and employee support (21:36)
• Why Don’s Corporation is more than a workplace (24:51)
• How Don flies the company flag (26:26)
• Future goals for Don’s Cold Storage and Transportation (28:22)
• Don’s final word: “The future is coming anyway” (31:05)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Cadence Bank YouTube
• Don’s Cold Storage and Transportation Website
• Don’s Cold Storage and Transportation LinkedIn
• Don Coenen LinkedIn
  
  

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected] or [email protected].

What does it take to create workplaces where people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and innovate without fear of failure? Well, the answer can be summed up in two words: psychological safety. 

Psychological safety is not just a trend or a culture that is “easy” on employees. It's a business philosophy that seeks to empower teams and boost performance. 

So in this episode of In Good Companies, we’re diving into the increased attention being paid to psychological safety in the workplace — what it is, why it matters and how to build it into your organization’s DNA. To open this important conversation, we’re bringing in a mental health advocate with 30 years experience in the field: Kathy Pike, CEO of the non-profit One Mind at Work.

With a career spanning academia and the private sector, Kathy brings a global perspective to the challenges and opportunities of workplace well-being. Together with our host Ari Marin, they break down why psychological safety should be treated as a strategic business priority, and explore practical ways to embed it into leadership and operations. They also discuss the benefits of psychological safety for attracting talent, improving team performance, and shaping the future of work.

Make room for humanity and tune in to unlock the full potential of corporate well-being for your business. 

Highlights:

• What Psychological Safety really means (1:09)
• Why we’re talking more about mental health in the workplace (3:36)
• “Mental health and well being is a strategic imperative for the future of work” (5:59)
• Psychological Safety to improve your leadership and performance (8:11)
• The Mental Health at Work Index (10:11)
• Proving the benefits of Psychological Safety (12:16)
• Examples of company initiatives that promote Psychological Safety (14:36)
• Questions leaders should ask to assess Psychological Safety (17:32)
• “Being kind means being prepared to have difficult conversations” (19:57)
• Diversity as a contributor to Psychological Safety (21:48)
• Mental health support: the challenge of remote work (23:44)
• How workplaces are evolving and what it means for social connection (26:51)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Cadence Bank YouTube
• Kathy Pike Website
• Kathy Pike LinkedIn
• One Mind at Work Website
• One Mind at Work YouTube
• The Mental Health at Work Index
• Article - One Mind's Mental Health at Work Index
• Article - The Hybrid Work Model and Loneliness in the Workplace
• Book - The Return of Kindness, by Bonnie Hayden Cheng 

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected] or [email protected].

Over the last decade, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investments have exploded; as evidenced by global market projections, which predict 40 trillion dollars in ESG assets by 2030. 

That will not only reshape our financial markets, but also our consumer choices, our recruitment prospects, the range of our suppliers, and even our leadership strategies. So how do we seize that opportunity for change? What new possibilities does ESG open up? 

We answer these questions with two of the leading voices from EY Sustainability: Marie Johnson and Brandon Sutcliffe. Every day, these two experts in Business and Financial Sustainability help companies integrate ESG goals into their core strategies and operations. From stakeholders to customers, they show leaders how to reach the next stage of their development.

Today, they bring their wisdom to In Good Companies and help us see how Environmental, Social, and Governance goals can add value to our businesses. They undo misconceptions around sustainability, share strategies to implement effective reporting, and lift the veil on what will drive the transition towards ESG practices. Spoiler alert: it involves your stakeholders, your clients, your governance, and a component of education. To round up their conversation with Ari, Brandon and Marie will also discuss the development of ESG regulations and help us prepare for the future by asking: what’s next? 

No matter where you’re coming from, sustainability is part and parcel of everyone’s business, so get ready to answer the bell. 

Highlights:

• Introducing EY Sustainability, with Marie and Brandon (1:47)
• What does ESG look like for day-to-day business? (3:41)
• A home-based approach for small businesses (7:07)
• Middle market considerations: balancing sustainability and growth (8:37)
• How large corporations focus on capital deployment (10:05)
• Who or what can drive the transition towards ESG? (12:16)
• ESG as a strategy for long-term value (14:20)
• Do’s and dont’s of ESG reporting (16:06)
• Breaking out of the “sustainability silo” (18:34)
• How to turn ESG practices into business as usual (19:57)
• Reframing perceptions around sustainability: a “bottomline” argument (21:56)
• A tour around the world of ESG legislation (24:06)
• Why public-private partnerships could change everything (25:42)
• 10 years ahead, what’s next for ESG? (27:55) 
• Embracing sustainability as a business opportunity (29:01)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Cadence Bank YouTube
• EY Sustainability 
• Marie Johnson EY Website
• Marie Johnson LinkedIn
• Brandon Sutcliffe EY Website
• Brandon Sutcliffe LinkedIn
• Bloomberg - “Global ESG assets predicted to hit $40 trillion by 2030”
• Microsoft - “Closing the Sustainability Skills Gap: Helping businesses move from pledges to progress”
• Article - “ESG regulation in 2024: Everything you need to know”
  
  

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected] or [email protected].

How much better would the world be if everyone loved going to work? How much more engaged would we be? How much more efficient? That’s the vision of Mohammad Anwar and Chris Pitre (Softway Solutions and Culture+), two co-authors of the Wall Street Journal-bestseller Love as a Business Strategy. They want to revolutionize the way companies do business, by putting people at the center of every decision. But this idea didn’t come out of nowhere. It was born from the real life transformation of their company, Softway Solutions. 
 
While we're taking a well-deserved Thanksgiving break, we’re telling that story: how a leader learned to appreciate his team and, in doing so, transformed his company and himself. This episode is a "best of" re-run from Season 3 and is worth every minute!

Mohammad founded Softway Solutions when he was 20 years old, and he’d grown the business to over 300 employees since its inception. But by 2015, the company had developed a toxic culture, and Mohammad was known for his unprofessional outbursts. With the business struggling, morale was low. Two weeks after Chris was hired, Softway Solutions laid off a third of its workforce by gathering them in a conference room and telling them all at once. Mohammad didn’t know if the business would last another month.

But then he had a realization, and together he and Chris went on a journey to institute a “culture of love.” Through slow, quiet work, Mohammad changed his behaviors and made Softway Solutions a place that employees loved. Success soon followed. Now, they help other businesses change their own cultures. On this episode, we’ll explore the leader’s role in a culture of love: their responsibilities, behaviors and how they stand to benefit.

So, join us, as we answer the question: “What’s love got to do with it?”

Highlights:

• Meet Mohammad Anwar & Chris Pitre (1:12)
• What is “love as a business strategy”? (2:22)
• The origins of Softway (3:23)
• The infamous “Dirty fridge” email (5:44)
• Softway’s darkest day  (9:39)
• Why it’s hard to be a leader (12:02)
• Mohammad’s epiphany (15:07)
• Misconceptions about the culture of love (17:21)
• Perks are not culture (20:21)
• Culture eats strategy for breakfast, but behaviors eat culture for lunch (21:29)
• Redefining leadership (23:11)
• Changing behavior (26:30)
• Trickle-down culture (28:21)
• The role of forgiveness (30:15)
• Softway’s turnaround (31:35)
• No excuses (35:54)
• Seneca Leaders (38:28)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank Twitter
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Mohammad Anwar LinkedIn
• Chris Pitre LinkedIn
• Seneca Leaders
• Love as a Business Strategy - Book
• Love as a Business Strategy - Podcast 
• Softway Website
• Culture+ Website
• Season 3 Episode 6 - All You Need Is Love: The origins of “Love as a Business Strategy”
• Season 3 Episode 7 - Everlasting Love: Sustaining a Culture of Love

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected] or [email protected].

Artificial Intelligence is the technology on everyone’s minds. Whether it’s using Chat GPT for content creation, or bringing in new tools to process our data differently. We have all started interacting with AI and we all stand to gain from it. Contrary to popular belief, a recent survey by McKinsey shows that AI would not threaten but create millions of new jobs. So how do we integrate this technology into our companies? 

Answering this question on In Good Companies is Bob Trotter, executive partner at Gartner, and self-labeled “Fintech Evangelist.” Bob is someone who believes in the power of new tools to improve people’s lives. Over the last 25 years, he has developed his IT expertise with companies like EY or ThyssenKrupp. At Gartner, he works with CIOs and CTOs for banking and financial institutions, helping them with their strategy and tech modernization and leveraging emerging technology like artificial intelligence.

In this episode, Bob joins our host Ari Marin to discuss everything AI: from backend tasks, to product personalisation and planned integration. We find out how to use this new technology, and address the big questions that are permeating the business world. Why Artificial Intelligence? What does it mean for the future of business? And how can we start using it to our advantage, now? 

Join Bob and Ari today, and get ready to hack the AI business mindset.

Highlights:

• Why should we be paying attention to AI? (2:55)
• How the launch of Chat GPT changed access to Artificial Intelligence (4:15)
• AI’s talents: customization and authorship at scale (5:42)
• Companies should define their AI “ambitions” (7:00)
• The importance of identifying good data (8:20)
• AI to enhance customer facing and operation services (9:54)
• Addressing fears around data security (12:52)
• Breaking the myth of AI replacement (14:46)
• AI will change our business models (17:17)
• Tips to make AI technology accessible for your teams (20:03)
• What is the current legal framework around AI? (22:42)
• “We are still at the beginning of a tremendous journey” (25:00)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Cadence Bank YouTube
• Gartner Website
• Gartner LinkedIn
• Bob Trotter LinkedIn
• McKinsey Global Institute - “Generative AI and the future of work in America”
  
  

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected] or [email protected].

The 2020 pandemic has drastically changed the business landscape and put the medical aviation industry under the spotlight. When COVID hit, air services became an essential service to give access to healthcare across urban and rural areas alike and they have remained at the forefront of business preoccupations since. 

Case in point: in 2022, NASA launched a new mission to research and gather data on advanced air mobility. If they reach their ambitions, in five years technologies like air taxis and drones will be integrated into public services. 

So today, we get to the heart of the medical aviation industry, to understand where it’s been, where it’s going, and how to navigate the changes ahead. And we hear the story of Metro Aviation, the largest private air medical operator in the United States and a family business like no other. 

With Todd Stanberry, Vice President and Co-owner, we dive into 40 years of business history and build a roadmap for a dense and fast-changing business landscape. We discuss strategies to hone your business expertise and keep a competitive edge, and find out how to balance business tradition with leadership development and technological integration.  

Tune in with host Ari Marin and Todd today and get ready for take off.

Highlights:

• The early days of Metro Aviation (3:39)
• How Mike Stanberry booked his first jobs (6:51)
• Metro’s launch into air medical services (8:51)
• When Todd joined the family business (11:13)
• Navigating a dense market – the case of medical aviation (14:38)
• Specialization as a competitive edge (18:41)
• Metro Aviation’s completion expertise (20:56)
• How to balance traditional leadership while embracing the future (22:55)
• Connecting with the talent inside your ranks (25:08)
• “I don't have a crystal ball, but I can tell you what needs to change.” (27:49)
• The future of aviation is electric (29:35)
• Todd’s personal aspiration for years to come (31:45)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Cadence Bank YouTube
• Todd Stanberry LinkedIn
• Metro Aviation LinkedIn
• Metro Aviation Website
• Metro Aviation Business News 
• Article: “Metro’s Todd Stanberry on the future of the company and the HEMS sector”
• Article: "Metro Aviation signs for 20 BETA eVTOLs" 
• Research: Nasa’s Advanced Air Mobility Mission

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected] or [email protected].

80% of the jobs that will exist in the next decade were not invented 5 years ago. So if you're a young entrepreneur, how do you know where to start? What skills do you need to get some skin in the game? The future of work will change the nature of business education, so in today’s episode, we’re hitting the books with our new guest Dr. John Torrens.

John is an award winning professor at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. He has been teaching, mentoring and coaching entrepreneurs for 15 years. A perfect blend of business and education, John has also built two successful speech therapy practices. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Sprout Therapy Group, a multidisciplinary practice providing speech-language and specialized physical therapy for infants and children. 

From his own entrepreneurial path, to the core skills that emerging leaders will need, today John takes us on a journey to build the future of entrepreneurship. Together, we answer fundamental questions like: what practices are gaining traction in MBAs across the board? Where should we look for new opportunities? And what can we expect from the next generation of founders?  

Take out your notebooks and get ready for a lesson in business education with our host, Ari Marin, and John Torrens.  

Highlights:

• John’s background and professional journey (2:43)
• Early experiences with talent recruitment (4:27)
• “Every course I took, I used my business as the lab experiment.” (6:54)
• Business Education: from “doing” to teaching (8:14)
• A new growth mindset for entrepreneurship (9:56)
• Learning from the next generation of entrepreneurs (11:28)
• Current changes in cultural vision (13:52) 
• Enhancing well-being as a risk-mitigation strategy (16:08)
• How ADHD changed John’s approach to leadership (18:03)
• Encouraging entrepreneurial ideas inside your company (21:25)
• “Entrepreneurship is opportunity driven, not resource constrained” (22:47)
• Education through network building (24:17)  

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• John Torrens Website
• John Torrens Instagram
• John Torrens LinkedIn
• John Torrens Syracuse University Website
• Sprout Therapy Group Website
• Ted Talk - “John Torrens: ADHD as an Entrepreneur’s Superpower”
• Research -  “Realizing 2030: A Divided Vision of the Future” by Dell Technologies

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected] or [email protected].

How do you keep track of what is happening inside your company? Do you have a newsletter? Messaging channels like Slack or a go-to person for all questions? How does information reach you? If you feel lost in the maze of internal communication, you’re not alone. Research by Gallup found that 74% of employees believe they’re missing out on work news and company information. 

So in this episode, we dive into the world of internal communication and find out how and why keeping our teams informed can help us reach our goals both now and for the future. Our guest John Korinek answers the big questions and shows us how streamlining communication can affirm your company values, help you retain talent and make better financial decisions. 

John is the president and CEO of PartnerComm Inc., an internal communications consulting firm that has been helping organizations identify opportunities and create strategies for their employees for 30 years. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication and has worked with companies such as Cisco, Kellogg, PepsiCo, Nordstrom, Burger King, BNSF, Nestlé and many more. Decades in business have earned him a wealth of insights and business tales, which he shares with us today.

Join Ari & John in conversation to get creative with your team communication, build effective strategies and manage new cultural challenges in a rapidly changing landscape.

Highlights:

• How John and his wife started PartnerComm Inc. (2:19)
• The purpose of Internal Communications (4:08)
• Communication as a financial decision (6:23)
• Think, know, feel, do: a foundational principle (8:13)
• Diversifying communication to widen your reach (10:25)
• “Employees have competing messages; we've got to break through the clutter” (12:44)
• Creativity and collaboration to enhance communication (14:57)
•  How John practices Internal Communications in his business (17:15)
• Bottoms up communications to fight for talent (19:34)
• Flexible work & productivity: new challenges in Cultural Communications (21:03)
• “Change management starts with transparency” (24:14)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
•  Partner Comm Inc. Website
• Partner Comm Inc. LinkedIn
• John Korinek LinkedIn
• Research: Gallup - “Companies Are Missing on Opportunities for Growth and Revenue”
• Article: Oak Engage - “21 Scary Internal Communications Statistics”  

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected] or [email protected].

In Good Companies is back! And for Season 6, we’re doing a deep dive into the future of work. Because business will look different in 2050, and if we had to take an educated guess, it seems that technology is going to be a driver of change. 

In 2024, 86% of organizations have maintained or raised their IT budgets. We all sense that digital tools can help us secure the future of business; we’re just not sure how to use them to our advantage. So today, we speak with a leading voice in the field of technology and entrepreneurship: Shuo Chen, Silicon Valley connoisseur, faculty professor at UC Berkeley and Stanford University, and partner at IOVC, an investment firm focused on early-stage startups that drive the future of work.

In this episode, Shuo shows us how tools like AI and Blockchain can revolutionize business. She demonstrates how technology will eliminate repetitive tasks, streamline our processes, redirect our attention to cultural human questions, and afford us more time to hone our leadership skills. Shuo shines a light on a new, diverse generation of self-starters who are taking their seat at the business table. And she breaks down how technology is changing the nature of entrepreneurship; opening up new career paths going forward. 

So join Shuo Chen and our new host Ari Marin, to get into the nuts and bolts and launch your company into the future!

Highlights:

• A brief history of AI & Blockchain (4:16)
• Why AI & Blockchain are a powerful combination (6:44)
• How technology can augment workflows and improve decision making (8:08)
• Breaking down the “Human VS Technology” myth (10:00)
• “80% of the jobs available in 2030 were not invented 5 years ago” (11:03)
• Ways in which technology will change existing roles (12:20)
• A happy middle: how to juggle automation and personalisation (14:12)
• Using tech to make different leadership styles possible (15:09)
• Transformations in the world of entrepreneurship (16:42)
• FinTech and changes at play in venture funding (18:17)
• Fractional founders: how Shuo seeded her career (19:41)
• Debunking the taboo of building fractionally (21:58)
• Linking together technology, diversity and inclusion (23:41)
• How widespread access to information can create more fruitful discussion (25:33)
• “Resistance is a healthy part of technological development” (26:38)
• A final word from Shuo on the Future of Work (28:26)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Shuo Chen X (Twitter) 
• Shuo Chen LinkedIn
• IOVC Website
• Research - “State of the CIO Survey” by Foundry
• Research -  “Realizing 2030: A Divided Vision of the Future” by Dell Technologies

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected] or [email protected].