The Steward Chair is a podcast that explores business leadership as stewardship - the responsibility of guiding organizations, people, and industries with integrity, long-term thinking, and a commitment to doing good while doing well. Through deep, candid conversations with CEOs, Presidents and Founders that have stood the test of time , we unpack the challenges, decisions, and strategies that define values-driven leadership. This is a space for leaders who recognize that success is about more…
Subscribe:.rss.atom.json.md.m3u.pls
Live Last read · last published · next check
Saves to your Listen queue, to pick up on another day or another device.
In this episode of The Steward Chair, Rick Plympton, Corporate Fellow and Former CEO at Optimax Systems, Inc, shares their journey of transitioning to an employee ownership trust and empowering a local workforce, exploring how shared prosperity drives meaningful, long-term success. Rick and Jeff discuss open-book financial management, the math behind profit-sharing models, and creating a perpetual…
In this episode of The Steward Chair , host Jeff Bond sits down with Jackie Cardello, President of GRF CPAs & Advisors, to discuss how values, independence, and community impact drive sustainable success. Jackie shares how her background in English, philosophy, and psychology fuels human-centered leadership in a technical industry. We explore GRF's courageous pivot from an "eat what you kill"…
In this episode of The Steward Chair, Kevin Clegg, CEO of Clegg Auto, shares his journey of transitioning his family's auto shops into the first employee ownership trust holding company in the U.S., exploring how the care factor drives meaningful, long-term success. We discuss transitioning an exit strategy into a daily operating model, guiding employees to own their own lives before owning a…
In this episode of The Steward Chair , host Jeff Bond sits down with Steve Kruger, the fourth-generation leader of L.E. Schwartz & Son-a commercial roofing legacy that has anchored the Georgia landscape since 1910. Steve shares the raw reality of earning respect on hot roofs rather than leaning on a bloodline, and how a 116-year-old firm successfully navigates crises by choosing long-term…
In this episode of The Steward Chair, Garry Ridge, Culture Coach and Former Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Company, shares their journey of transitioning from a "command and control" leader to a servant leader, exploring how "the will of the people" drives meaningful, long-term success. We discuss the specific algorithm Garry used to grow WD-40's market cap from $300M to $3.5B, the defining moments of…
In this episode of The Steward Chair, Brad Herrmann and Hai Nguyen, Co-founders of Text-Em-All, share their journey of rewriting the SaaS success script by prioritizing greatness over growth and people over profit. They explore how an audacious 100-year vision and the transition to an employee ownership trust drive meaningful, long-term success. We discuss the intentional process of leaders…
In this episode of The Steward Chair, Jason Dressel, CEO at History Factory , shares his journey of helping iconic brands mine their heritage to drive future performance, exploring how preserving corporate memory drives meaningful, long-term success. We discuss the $1 trillion cost of corporate amnesia , the launch of the AI platform Chronicle , and why a leader's most profound obligation is to be…
In this episode of The Steward Chair, John Newland, CEO at JOMA Construction, shares his journey of transitioning from a small home-flipping operation to a 100% employee-owned firm, exploring how the Greek concept of eudaimonia drives meaningful, long-term success. We discuss the philosophy of "getting better before getting bigger," the rigorous process of empower every team member, the…
In this episode of The Steward Chair, Enrique Alvarez shares his journey as a business leader, exploring how embracing challenges, learning from mistakes, and empowering teams drives meaningful, long-term success. We discuss how creating a culture of transparency, shared learning, and problem-solving helps organizations grow stronger-providing practical takeaways for leaders committed to…
In this episode of The Steward Chair, Maria Thacker Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, shares her journey of transitioning from a dedicated "number two" to leading a massive ecosystem through a global pandemic. We explore how a commitment to mission and the guidance of mentors drives meaningful, long-term success even when the original plan is upended. We discuss the critical role…
