Bret Keisling shares the "Do's and Don'ts" of planning an ESOP Statement Annual Meeting, which besides Employee Ownership Month is the best way to celebrate, educate, and motivate a company's employee owners. ESOPs are required by law to value the company annually and to provide account statements to every employee owner.  

Companies should consider turning the share value announcement into an event. Besides comments from the CEO or other top management, consider inviting the trustee, valuation advisor, third party administrator, and ESOP lawyers, as well as members of the company board of directors and possibly even elected officials.  Bret also shares what to do if there's a decrease in value.

Bret would love to speak at your ESOP statement annual meeting either in person or remotely. Schedule a free no-obligation conversation through the link in the show notes for this episode, here: https://www.theesoppodcast.com/post/269-planning-an-esop-statement-annual-meeting

Our usual focus on the EsOp Podcast and Mini-cast is about what employee-owned companies do right. But in reality, the majority of employee-owned companies are stuck in neutral, and sometimes getting out of neutral is very challenging. For many companies, ESOPs are an economic retirement benefit only that has failed to deliver in any other aspect.

There are many great options on where to turn for resources to help get out of neutral. But for some these great resources can lead to sensory overload. Where do you start if you don't know what you don't know? Bret offers his thoughts on how he can help get your employee-owned company out of neutral, and reach the next level.

Check out the show notes for this episode for a link to schedule a free, no obligation conversation with Bret Keisling: https://www.theesoppodcast.com/post/mini-cast-254-is-your-esop-stuck-in-neutral

This week we're sharing another recent episode of the "Owner to Owner" podcast. Host Jesse Tyler is joined by three great co-owners at 100% ESOP and B-Corp ReVision Energy [https://www.revisionenergy.com/] , Malcolm Sonnett, Solar Design Team Manager, Amy Farnham, Solar Design Specialist, and Thomas Tutor, Residential Sales Manager.

Founded in 2003, ReVision Energy is a mission-driven, employee-owned solar company operating in Northern New England. Guided by its mission and 5 core values, they are rewriting the way solar business is done. Prioritizing people over profit, community over competition, and sustainable growth over rapid expansion, they're on a mission to build a better world though solar power.

Each guest shares personal insights on what ownership means to them; how they describe ownership when talking to family, friends, and strangers; why being both employee-owned and a B-Corporation work so well for them, their EO A-ha moments; and why anyone seeking work should consider a career at or through ReVision Energy.

The goal of the "Owner to Owner" podcast is to have actual employee owners discuss a wide range of ownership experiences and culture topics, and to bring more insight into the individual ownership experience. Listen to all of the great episodes of the "Owner to Owner" podcast here: www.ownertoownerpodcast.com/

This week we're sharing the most recent episode of the "Owner to Owner" podcast. 

Host Jesse Tyler is joined by three great co-owners at 100% ESOP Northwest River Supplies, Tony Mangini, CFO/HRM, Natalie Zamora, Sales Operations Manager, and Walker Andersen, Receiving Associate.

Each guest on the "Owner to Owner" podcast shares personal insights on what ownership means to them; how they describe ownership when talking to family, friends, and strangers; three words they use to describe employee ownership; their EO A-ha moments; and why anyone seeking work should consider a career at NRS: https://www.nrs.com/about/careers/

The goal of the "Owner to Owner" podcast is to have actual employee owners discuss a wide range of ownership experiences and culture topics, and to bring more insight into the individual ownership experience. Listen to all of the great episodes of the "Owner to Owner" podcast here: https://www.ownertoownerpodcast.com/

Bret Keisling shares a clip from Episode 59 of the "Owner to Owner" podcast.  Host Jesse Tyler's guests are three great employee owners from Northwest River Supplies (https://www.nrs.com/), a 100% ESOP based in Moscow, Idaho.  In this excerpt, Tony Mangini, CFO and human relations manager at NRS, shares his EO A-ha Moment.  

Tony candidly explains how he attended a regional conference specifically looking for ways to shut down the company's ESOP. Instead, he learned something about ESOPs that would change his mind and change NRS into a tremendously successful 100% ESOP.

The full transcript and show notes for this episode are available on our website at https://www.theesoppodcast.com/post/mini-cast-253-from-nah-to-a-ha

For more, check out Episode 59 of the "Owner to Owner" podcast featuring Jesse Tyler and three great employee owners at Northwest River Supplies at https://www.ownertoownerpodcast.com/post/o2o-ep-59-northwest-river-supplies

Bret Keisling is joined by Keith Davenport of Blazer Strategies LLC, [https://www.blazerstrategies.com/] which provides a variety of consulting services for businesses of all sizes.  Besides Keith, Blazer features an all-star roster of professionals who share a passion for community growth, development, and wellbeing. Blazer is mission-driven, working to transform communities into healthy places to live, work, and play, by accelerating growth for people and organizations already doing great things.

Keith is a past guest on The EsOp Podcast, in his previous role as executive director of the Missouri Center for Employee Ownership (MOCEO). He discusses how his work with ESOPs and worker co-ops is reflected in Blazer Strategies' vision, and how many of the hallmarks of well-run EO companies are simply best practices, which successfully translate to any business, regardless of ownership status.

Read the show notes and access all our past episodes on our website, https://www.theesoppodcast.com/post/266-keith-davenport-of-blazer-strategies

Part 3 of 3.  Bret Keisling again welcomes Peter Newman of Peak Wealth Planning for a discussion on the benefits of ESOP companies providing personal financial wellness training to employee owners. 

We know that ESOPs provide greater retirement wealth than non-EO companies, but too many employee owners face the same retirement uncertainties and insecurities as non-employee owners. Just as many ESOPs emphasize open book management, Peter Newman discusses why it's important to include personal financial wellness planning, which leads to higher job security and satisfaction as well as increased retention among workers.  Peak Wealth Planning works with companies to offer three tiers of education, tailoring each program to where people are in their career cycle.

Peak Wealth Planning [https://www.peakwealthplanning.com/] is a boutique financial advisory firm specializing in high net-worth individuals with an emphasis on employee ownership.

The show notes for this episode, including a helpful PDF called "The Employee Owner's Guide to Diversification and Retirement Planning," are available on our website at https://www.theesoppodcast.com/post/265-peter-newman-part-3-esop-company-provided-personal-financial-wellness-planning

Bret Keisling shares an excerpt featuring Peter Newman of Peak Wealth Planning [https://www.peakwealthplanning.com/], discussing things to consider mid-career when looking towards a future retirement, taken from next week's episode of The EsOp Podcast.

In the final episode of our three-part series with Peter Newman, he will be discussing the importance of employee-owned companies offering personal financial wellness education to employee owners, and the three training tracks offered by Peak Wealth Planning for three different career stages: early, mid-career, and close to retirement.

Visit our website for the full transcript, video, and show notes for this episode, including a helpful PDF called "The Employee Owner's Guide to Diversification and Retirement Planning."

Part 2 of 3.  Bret Keisling is joined again by Peter Newman, founder of Peak Wealth Planning [www.peakwealthplanning.com/], for our deepest dive ever on Diversification and Distributions.

ESOP plans allow participants to diversify, i.e., sell some of their shares back to the company, at various points prior to retirement.  Peter describes various considerations, include taxes and total portfolio management, that may lead a participant to diversify or not.  He also shares what participants should consider about post-employment life as they plan to use their ESOP distributions for a successful retirement.

The show notes for this episode, including a helpful PDF called "The Employee Owner's Guide to Diversification and Retirement Planning," are available on our website at https://www.theesoppodcast.com/post/264-peter-newman-part-2-diversification-and-distributions-a-deep-dive

Bret Keisling shares an excerpt featuring Peter Newman of Peak Wealth Planning [https://www.peakwealthplanning.com/], who gives a very quick look at ESOP Account Diversification taken from next week's episode of The EsOp Podcast.

In that episode you'll hear our deepest dive yet on the nuts and bolts of ESOP Account Diversification and Distributions. ESOP account owners usually have the right at various times to diversify their holdings by selling their ESOP shares back to the ESOP Trust or the company, and understanding your options with Diversification and Distributions is critical for planning a successful retirement.

Visit our website for the full transcript, video, and show notes for this episode, including a helpful PDF called "The Employee Owner's Guide to Diversification and Retirement Planning."