Evergreen Journal by Tugboat Institute

Anese Cavanaugh is the Founder and CEO of Active Choices, Inc. , creator of the IEP Method , and the author of numerous books. The many tools she has developed and honed are all aimed at achieving the same goal; helping leaders take better care of themselves so they can build better companies, with cultures that thrive, and that create impact in the world. In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Anese sh...

Tugboat Institute® member Courtney McKee has experienced a series of enormous challenges in her life, both personal and professional, but she has overcome them all. Her secret weapons are her resilience and her Perseverance, both of which are fueled by her strong sense of Purpose. In this Tugboat Institute talk, Courtney shares some of the challenges she has faced and overcome and how her values o...

Tugboat Institute® member Dave Thrasher grew up watching his father found and build a company. When it came time for him to step into leadership, Dave was ready to take what his father had built and scale it. In the end, he founded his own offshoot of his father's Evergreen® company, which is run today by his brother Dan, and he started the work of scaling, always with an eye to maintaining his co...

In this candid conversation, Tugboat Institute® Founder & CEO Dave Whorton and Tom Peters , discuss the eight main principles of Tom's seminal book, In Search of Excellence . They explore the ways in which Tom's thinking has evolved in the years since its publication. All of the eight People First principles remain relevant and valuable, and Tom introduces some important new ideas, including honor...

The conversation about race in our society is difficult but it is extremely important. Tugboat Institute® member Mel Gravely, CEO of TriVersity Construction, has not only spent a lot of time thinking about it, he has written a book about it. In 2021, he shared lessons and insights from his book, Dear White Friend: The Realities of Race, the Power of Relationships, and Our Path to Equity, at our Tu...

When the artisan jewelers at James Avery create their pieces, they aim to make keepsakes that are imbued with meaning and that will be cherished by customers for a lifetime, if not more. Throughout Texas and beyond, their jewelry is often passed down from generation to generation. This deeply Evergreen® company is beloved by customers and employees alike.  In this Tugboat Institute® talk, CEO John...

Dr. Dennis Jaffe has spent his career working with and advising family enterprises. A Senior Research Fellow at BanyanGlobal, he is widely considered to be one of the original architects of the field of family enterprise consulting.     In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, Dr. Jaffe discusses the challenges that may arise when family business leaders start to imagine their children and grandchildre...

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 e...

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, Li...

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...

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 l...

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,...

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 priva...

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...

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...

Clase Azul México began as a tequila company, and is now growing into México's first luxury house. As Founder and CEO Arturo Lomeli built his Evergreen® company, he never lost sight of his purpose: to share and celebrate the magic of Mexican culture.  In this Tugboat Institute® podcast, Arturo shares the story of the birth and growth of Clase Azul, the many initiatives they sponsor in their commun...

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 be...

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...

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 Tu...

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 gre...

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 relat...

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...

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. T...

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 accessor...

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 In...