Stories from the River

In this episode of Stories from the River, we sit down with three inspiring Broad River Retail General Managers at the end of an impactful day from the Fort Mill, SC, campus where Broad River held its "Pioneering the Path - a Purpose 8:28 Experience" full learning and development day for all of its retail leaders on August 28, 2025. We sit down with Sonya De La Cruz of Hickory; Brett Cary of Ashev...

Welcome to part two of our conversation with Kristen Hadeed on Stories from the River.  Host Charlie Malouf continues his conversation with Kristen Hadeed, author of Permission to Screw Up, diving into resilience, ownership, and courageous leadership. Kristen shares why it's okay to have a short "pity party" after setbacks—but emphasizes the importance of moving forward and learning from mistakes....

In this episode of Stories from the River, host and CEO Charlie Malouf welcomes keynote speaker and author Kristen Hadeed, fresh off her impactful talk at Broad River Retail's "Pioneering the Path - a Purpose 8:28 Experience" leadership event. Kristen opens up about her unexpected journey—accidentally launching the cleaning company Student Maid at just 19, navigating major failures, and discoverin...

Welcome back to Stories from the River! Host and CEO Charlie Malouf is on location in Columbia, South Carolina, celebrating the Grand Reopening and ribbon-cutting of the Columbia, SC Ashley Store on Harbison Blvd. Charlie sits down with Emily Boyle, Senior Visual Impact Manager, who oversees the visual presentation for three stores in the Midlands area. Emily reflects on her nearly four-year journ...

In this episode of Stories from the River, host and CEO, Charlie Malouf, continues the interviews from the Grand Reopening of the Columbia Bloodline store, which has undergone a major transformation into a stunning 7.0 Ashley prototype. Today, we hear from Lance Cline, Home Furnishings Expert, a committed Memory Maker with four years of service and success at Broad River Retail.  Lance shares his...

In this special Stories from the River episode, host Charlie Malouf sits down with Cameron Piersanti, Senior Manager in Merchandising, following the Grand Reopening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of Broad River Retail's Columbia, South Carolina, location.  Cameron shares insights on the extensive remodel process, highlighting teamwork, strategic planning, and the challenges of transforming the store...

In this episode of Stories from the River, host and CEO Charlie Malouf sits down with Troy Walker, the General Manager of the newly renovated Columbia Bloodline location for Broad River Retail. The conversation marks the Grand Reopening of this legacy store, which had been in operation in its original form for nearly two decades.  Troy reflects on the transformation of the store, sharing details a...

In this fourth and final episode of the Stories from the River series on Broad River Retail's 4th Annual Home Furnishings Expert Soirée, host and CEO Charlie Malouf and EVP of Retail Performance Stacey McCormick reflect on the significance of this special celebration honoring Broad River's Memory Makers. The soirée is a cherished tradition that recognizes and celebrates Home Furnishings Experts—sp...

In this third episode from Broad River Retail's 4th Annual Home Furnishings Expert Soirée, host and CEO Charlie Malouf shares a special recap of the evening's inspiring speeches. The soirée featured remarks from Heather Greenwood, Director of People; and in this episode, listeners will hear highlights from Manny Rodrigues, President & COO, and Amy Kneeland, GM & SVP at Synchrony. Together, they ce...

In the second episode featuring Broad River Retail's 4th Annual Home Furnishings Expert Soirée, host and CEO Charlie Malouf, President and COO Manny Rodrigues, and EVP of Retail Performance Stacy McCormick celebrate the exceptional achievements of Broad River Retail's elite Retail Performance Memory Makers.  They delve into what makes the Home Furnishings Expert program so unique and challenging,...

In this episode of Stories from the River, host and CEO Charlie Malouf launches a new series featuring Broad River Retail's 4th Annual Home Furnishings Expert Soirée by spotlighting three standout Experts: Kent Williams from The Mariners in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Ebony Harrison and Mike Cohen from the Cary Crushers. These three Experts share their journeys to achieving the prestigious Hom...

It's the 9th and final episode in the 2025 Global Leadership Summit Recap Series on Stories from the River! This week, Katrina Batchelor, Associate Manager of Retail Operations for the South and West Regions, and Meagan Guzman, Associate Director of People Operations, reflect on Bradley Rapier's dynamic session at the Summit. Bradley Rapier—renowned choreographer, Emmy winner, and founder of the G...

Welcome to the eighth episode of the 2025 Global Leadership Summit Recap Series on Stories from the River! This week, CEO Charlie Malouf is joined by Carl Hillesland, Director of Retail Performance at Broad River Retail, to reflect on Christine Caine's powerful session at the Summit. Christine Caine—author, speaker, and founder of the A21 anti-human trafficking campaign—shared her personal journey...

It's the seventh episode of the 2025 Global Leadership Summit Recap Series on Stories from the River, and CEO Charlie Malouf is joined again by Will Luke, Senior Director of Project Management, to dive into John C. Maxwell's session at the Summit.  They reflect on Maxwell's legacy in leadership, his lifelong dedication to developing others, and the personal stories and frameworks that have shaped...

In this sixth episode of the 2025 Global Leadership Summit Recap Series on Stories from the River, CEO Charlie Malouf is joined by Will Luke, Senior Director of Project Management, to recap insights from Dr. James Hewitt's Global Leadership Summit keynote on regenerative performance.  Dr. Hewitt, a former world-class cyclist turned human performance scientist, shared his journey from relentless "g...

The 2025 Global Leadership Summit Recap Series continues today on Stories from the River! CEO Charlie Malouf welcomes back guest Kellie Jones, Senior Manager, Retail Operations.  The two deep dive into Nick Saban's interview with Paula Faris at the Global Leadership Summit. The episode kicks off with enthusiastic reflections on Broad River's recent Experts Soirée at STK Steakhouse and the Grand Re...

Welcome to the fourth episode of the 2025 Global Leadership Summit Recap Series on Stories from the River. Host Carl Hillesland, Director, Retail Performance, and guest Kellie Jones, Senior Manager, Retail Operations, dive into insights from Juliet Funt's talk on Leadership Precision and against gluttony at the Global Leadership Summit. The discussion centers around the dangers of leaders overload...

It's the third episode of the 2025 Gobal Leadership Summit Recap Series on Stories from the River! In today's episode, CEO Charlie Malouf welcomes Meagan Guzman, the newly hired Associate Director of People Operations. Just two months into her journey at Broad River Retail, Meagan reflects on her cross-country move from San Diego, her early experiences at the company, and the energizing environmen...

In this second episode of the 2025 Global Leadership Summit (GLS) Recap Series on Stories from the River, host Charlie Malouf welcomes Steve Ramjit, the Regional Manager of Broad River Retail's North Region.  Steve, who oversees seven stores and has been with Broad River since October 2024, shares his impressions of attending his first GLS, describing it as an incredible, life-changing experience....

Welcome to a brand new series from Stories from the River featuring the 2025 Global Leadership Summit.  19 Memory Makers attended the Global Leadership Summit on August 7th and 8th from the local host site at The Park Expo and Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, where there was a big screen for all of the Memory Makers along with all attendees to virtually watch all of the speakers and...

Welcome back to Stories from the River! Broad River Retail's CEO and podcast host Charlie Malouf sits down with President and COO Manny Rodrigues to share a mix of personal updates and major company news. They kick off with some lighthearted banter about summer vacations, soccer coaching, and family milestones before diving into the exciting announcement.... of a new Ashley store opening in Easley...

In this special 300th episode of Stories from the River, host and CEO of Broad River Retail, Charlie Malouf, reflects on the podcast's journey from its humble beginnings as a passion project to its current success, marking over three and a half years and four seasons of storytelling. Charlie also credits the podcast's success to the collaborative efforts of guest hosts and contributors, and highli...

In this episode of Stories from the River, host Charlie Malouf, recognized as one of Charlotte's most admired CEOs, is the one being interviewed! Jacotron Potts, Director of Community CARE at The Park Church in Charlotte, welcomes Charlie onstage on Day One of the Global Leadership Summit at the local host site, where they delve into the culture and leadership approach at Broad River Retail. Charl...

In this episode of Stories from the River, Emelyne Henderson, Senior Manager, Experience & Events; Heather Greenwood, Director, People; and Tim Sayles, Director, Facilities & Construction, dive into the creation and rollout of The Lighthouse Fund at Broad River Retail. The conversation begins with an overview of how the idea for The Lighthouse Fund originated from a leadership challenge a few year...

In this episode of Stories from the River, podcast host and CEO Charlie Malouf is joined by President and COO Manny Rodrigues to introduce The Lighthouse Fund, a new crisis assistance program at Broad River Retail designed to formally support Memory Makers during times of need and personal crisis.  Inspired by their faith as Scripture says to be light and by the desire to care first for Broad Rive...