Page 44 – Tugboat Institute

The Big Future of Small Town History

August 20, 2018Video,Amy's IcecreamSmithville Texas,Entrepreneurship,Tugbaot Institute,Evergreen Journal

What do you envision when you picture idyllic small-town life? Beautiful historic buildings? A walkable downtown core filled with thriving businesses? Connected neighbors and a vibrant sense of civic pride?

All of these points are goals for Amy Simmons, founder of Amy’s Ice Creams, and her husband, who have been revitalizing the town of Smithville, Texas. As they work with other community members and encourage outside investment, their hope is to offer opportunity, encourage entrepreneurship and make lasting, positive, sustainable change. In her Tugboat Institute Summit 2018 presentation, Amy shares the Smithville story and her observations about the joy—and challenge—of revitalizing a small town.

by TugboatAdmin

Our Purpose is Our People

August 13, 2018Article,Evergreen leaderPeople First,San Francisco,Purpose,Tugboat Institue,Nopa,Nopalito,LihoLiho Yacht Club,Restaurant,People,Evergreen Journal

When I stepped back into the restaurant business in my mid-twenties after nine months as a staff auditor with Arthur Andersen, I thought I was taking the easy road. After years of working in restaurants through high school and college, I had followed my dad’s advice to find a job in accounting. As a career IRS agent, he always told me that an accounting degree would guarantee me a job. But early on in my time as an auditor, I knew my heart wasn’t in it. I missed the energy and community in the hospitality world.

What I quickly realized after leaving my accounting job and taking a position as an assistant manager of a café in San Francisco, was that this path was anything but easy. Managing a restaurant staff means managing people whose education, cultural, professional, and language experiences are incredibly diverse. In place of my college accounting degree, I found myself wishing I had an advanced degree in psychology.

by TugboatAdmin

Creating a Happy Remote Workforce

August 6, 2018Article,paced growthremote workforce,People First,Tugboat Institute,TCG,Daniel Turner,Evergreen Journal

When I was growing up, my dad worked at home. He was a clinical psychologist whose office was in our house. While this meant my sisters and I sometimes had to tone down the ferocity when we were playing in the house during working hours, it also meant he often had time to spend with us between appointments. And when his work day ended, we weren’t waiting at the end of a long commute. He was there if we needed him.

This model spoke to me 24 years ago when I started to develop my company, TCG, providing information technology solutions and consulting services. I knew that it was possible to have a productive career doing something you love, at home, with time to devote to family. Fortunately, I was successful.

by TugboatAdmin

The Evergreen Advantage

July 30, 2018Video,Evergreen companyTugboat Institute,Tugboat Institute members,Evergreen Advantages,Evergreen Journal

There are freedoms and advantages that come with being an Evergreen company. In this Tugboat Institute Summit video, our members share what being Evergreen allows them to do that they wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. Some lessons are practical; others are personal. All of them are true.

Featuring: Don MacAskill, Will Snook, Dan Kenary, and Wynne Odell

by TugboatAdmin

Never Share These Goals

July 23, 2018Article,Jessica MahInDinero,goal setting,CEO work-life balance,CEO time management,Evergreen Journal

As a child, I had a lot of health problems. Not knowing how long this life thing would last, I was in a rush to go out and build something at a young age. So I left high school at age 16 to go to the University of California, Berkeley, where in 2009 I started inDinero, my Evergreen company, which provides financial tools and data for small businesses.

From the start, I knew I wanted to build a profitable company that I would never sell. That was a strange idea to a lot of people. But I’ve built this for me for the long haul because I don’t ever want to start from scratch again—and so that I will never have to work for someone else. In order to make this intense drive sustainable — for me and for my company — I’ve had to get creative.

by TugboatAdmin

Early Stories

July 16, 2018Video,bootstrappingTugboat Institute,Perseverance,Tugboat Institute members,Stories,Evergreen Journal

We love hearing about the memorable early stories that defined our Evergreen companies. They often evoke the passion and perseverance that’s especially important to bootstrapping a company. Whether it’s a memorable employee, a disastrous situation, or a nickname that evolved into a badge of honor, our members recall the details in their own words.

Featuring: Jay Wilkinson, Stephane Fitch, Courtney Kingston, Jairemy Drooger, Amy Simmons, Daniel Goldstein, and Steven Jacob

by TugboatAdmin

Unpacking Tugboat Institute Summit

July 9, 2018Article,Tugboat Institute SummitSun Valley,Idaho,CEO summit experience,CEO gathering in Sun Valley,Evergreen Journal

When I joined the Tugboat Institute team in May of this year and sat in on my first team Huddle, planning for Tugboat Institute Summit 2018 was reaching its peak. That first week and throughout the days that followed, leading up to the event’s start on June 26, all things Tugboat Institute Summit were front and center. The commitment of the Tugboat team to ensuring that each attendee had an extraordinary and inspiring experience was clear, as was the joy and gratitude for the opportunity to gather this group of Evergreen leaders to learn and inspire one another in our stunning mountain town.

What I couldn’t know in those weeks was what the event would actually feel like. Because you do “feel” the Tugboat Institute Summit experience. The generosity and wisdom that come together in this week are tangible, as emotions and knowledge are shared openly among members.

by TugboatAdmin

Brewing an Evergreen Company

July 2, 2018Article,Evergreen companyTugboat Institute,Jamie Cook,Brewing,Brewery,Stone & Wood Brewing Company,Evergreen Journal

I was bitten by the beer bug years ago while traveling in the U.K. I picked up an odd job looking after the beer barrels in the cellar of a pub. It was fun, but it also made me realize I loved beer much more than as just an after-hours drink — I wanted to make beer my life. So when I moved back home to Australia, I found a job working for a big brewer, and eventually relaunched a craft brewery for Foster’s. While the work was rousing, I wasn’t a big fan of the corporate life, so in 2008, I started my own brewery, Stone & Wood, with three partners.

Right away we wanted to build a sustainable Evergreen business that wasn’t just about the founders living their dream. It had to be more than that. We wanted to grow a team of people who would help us create value for all stakeholders, and with whom we would share the upside.

by TugboatAdmin

Safety in Numbers

June 18, 2018Article,Evergreen CEOProfit,Chris McKee,Venturity Financial Partners,Evergreen Journal

Ever since I was a junior in high school and took my first accounting class, I’ve loved working with numbers. And just as numbers line up for me with predictable ease, I knew from a young age that I needed a clearly articulated career path. I received my accounting degree from the University of Mississippi in 1989, and I immediately sought out jobs that helped me grow my career as a professional. According to plan, I worked in public and industry accounting for a number of years and eventually for a series of companies cleaning up accounting messes.

By 2001, I teamed up with a partner and we struck out on our own with Venturity Financial Partners, doing outsourced accounting in Dallas-Fort Worth. We identified a need in the marketplace and tackled it by mapping out a plan. We would do accounting for small businesses, and our company would follow the typical accounting hierarchy with teams of accountants working in siloed spaces on their own accounts. I also wanted it to be a compelling place for people to work by investing in training and structuring a clearly articulated career path that was so beneficial to my early career.

by TugboatAdmin

Profit With a Purpose: The REI Story

June 11, 2018Video,Evergreen CEOEvergreen company,REI,Dennis Madsen,Outdoor Retailer,Evergreen Journal

Dennis Madsen’s journey at outdoor retailer REI started in the stock room at REI’s first store when Madsen was 17. Under his leadership as CEO, and later as a board member, REI grew to the national brand it is today, respected for its products, inviting stores and quality customer service.

In this Tugboat Institute Summit talk, Madsen acquaints us with REI’s remarkable history, its unique co-op model, his growth with the company and how REI focuses on its employees, customers and local communities.

by TugboatAdmin

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