Evergreen Journal by Tugboat Institute

With the privilege of owning and operating a multi-generational family business comes tremendous responsibility to educate children in the family about the business and wealth management. This panel discussion from the Tugboat Institute Summit 2018, moderated by Dave Whorton, highlights "what not to do" and draws on the expertise of leading family office and multi-generational business experts Spe...

Pamela Kan is unique—a female owner-operator in a traditional manufacturing business. Pamela leads Bishop-Wisecarver, the company her father founded in Pittsburg, California. In this episode, Pamela offers insight into the principles and experiences that shaped her leadership journey as CEO of an Evergreen® woman-owned manufacturing business and her commitment to introducing and nurturing other fe...

Michael Shearn is a value investor, author on the topic (The Investment Checklist), and student of Warren Buffett's values and Berkshire Hathaway's approach to company building. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, Michael shares what he believes creates real value in companies and offers tactical takeaways for Evergreen leaders.

Launched by Tugboat Institute in 2019 as Tugboat Talks, this podcast was created by stories of Evergreen companies, offering inspiring insight into the principles that drive these private, purpose-driven businesses and their leaders--exemplars of a movement that we believe represents capitalism at its best. Many of the talks and interviews we share here have been curated from our weekly Evergreen...

In this episode of The Evergreen Experience™ 2020, recorded on June 26, 2020, Dave is joined by John Grossman, President, Grossman Company Properties, and Robin Petravic, Owner/Managing Director, Heath Ceramics. John and Robin both lead businesses that were especially hard-hit early by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic—hotels and dinnerware/tile manufacturing, respectively. Having been forced to...

In this episode of The Evergreen Experience™, recorded on June 19, 2020, Dave is joined by John Burns, CEO, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, and Todd Govig, President and CEO, Govig Executive Search. John and Todd share their experiences leading and adapting their Evergreen® consulting and professional services companies through the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, John share his current view on...

Jim Kimzey, CEO, Tender Rose Dementia Care Specialists, and Samson Liu, CEO, SOHDental lead businesses in the healthcare industry, designated as essential services. Both are navigating significant challenge and, in some cases, surprising opportunities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 5, 2020, Jim and Samson joined Dave Whorton as guests on The Evergreen Experience and spoke to their e...

Alissa Leinonen, CEO & Founder of catering company Gourmondo Co., and Bryan Papé, Founder, MiiR, a drinkware company with a social and environmental mission lead businesses in Seattle, Washington - hit hard and early by the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 29, 2020, Alissa and Bryan joined Dave Whorton as guests on The Evergreen Experience™ to speak to the impact of COVID-19 on their respective businesse...

John Creighton, President & CEO, High Plains Bank, and Eric Wallace, President & Co-Founder, Left Hand Brewing Co. both live and lead businesses in Colorado. On May 22, 2020, John and Eric joined Dave Whorton on The Evergreen Experience™ to share the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on their businesses, the innovations and adaptations that they have tried, their view on the future of their industries...

Scott Evans, CEO of Kenmore Envelope Company, and Val Hollingsworth, President & CEO of Hollingsworth & Vose Co.both lead manufacturing companies in two different industries. In this May 15, 2020 recording of The Evergreen Experience™, Scott and Val join Dave Whorton in conversation around the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on their businesses, the innovations and adaptations that they have tried,...

Brian Canlis, President and Co-Owner, Canlis, and Carrie Freeman Parsons, Chair, Freeman, both lead family businesses in industries especially hard-hit by the COVID-19 crisis—restaurants (Canlis) and major event management (Freeman). In this recording of the inaugural, May 8, 2020 episode of The Evergreen Experience™, Brian and Carrie share with Tugboat Institute Founder & CEO Dave Whorton how the...

Navy SEAL Commander Rorke Denver is not just an American Hero, he is a true American warrior. He figured out at a young age that he was a "sheepdog." His role in life was to take care of others and to protect them from the bad guys. So it's not surprising that Rorke ended up being Commander of the U.S. Navy SEALs, leading impossibly tough battles in every major international hot spot. But, Rorke's...

Tugboat Institute member Penny Pennington was appointed Managing Partner at Edward Jones—the sixth in its 97-year history—in 2019. Edward Jones has over 43,000 associates and 7 million clients who trust Edward Jones to help them achieve their financial goals—the company is Evergreen through and through. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, Penny shares her insight into the fund...

Doug Tatum is a Professor at Florida State University and a student of business. He's an expert, specifically, in the area of scaling small businesses through a challenging period termed "No Man's Land," during which a leader can do what appears right and still see their business fail. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, Doug shares insights into how Evergreen leaders can stra...

Wynne Odell and her husband, Doug, founded Odell Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado in 1989. In the three decades since, the company has persevered and grown, aligned with the Evergreen 7Ps™. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, Wynne shares stories of challenge and success, offering an authentic and inspiring story of Evergreen business.

JT McCormick survived a childhood marked by abuse and neglect. He barely graduated from high school and does not have a college degree. In spite of these obstacles, JT refuses to consider himself a victim and embraces the opportunity he has—as President and CEO of Scribe Media—to inspire young people facing challenge and other Evergreen leaders. In this moving, deeply personal talk presented at Tu...

Brian Griffith, Executive Chairman of Griffith Foods, a fourth-generation global business in the food space, has taken the importance of employees' alignment around Purpose to a new level. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, Brian shares how he and his team have operationalized Purpose within the organization, building a platform for associates to explore and define personal p...

Fifty percent of every sale of Double Good gourmet popcorn is donated to support children with special needs. Alongside that clear focus on making a difference is 20 years of consistent revenue growth. In his Tugboat Institute Summit 2018 presentation, Double Good CEO Tim Heitmann describes the powerful sense of purpose that has evolved over the company's history—and the significant period of chal...

From the time she was a little girl, Mia Tate has loved stories. Her commitment to listening to and connecting with others' experiences has inspired her work as an actor, writer, director, and producer. In fact, she has come to realize that the seemingly simple act of listening is a unique and valuable skill. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, Mia offers valuable perspective...

In 2009, Michael Kiolbassa was tired and on the verge of burnout. An early morning moment of spiritual surrender provided a personal and professional pivot point for the CEO and President of Kiolbassa Smoked Meats. In this presentation from Tugboat Institute Summit 2019, Michael shares the story of the journey of transformation that followed that moment of release, as he embraced vulnerability and...