Tugboat Institute® member Ford Mennel is the fifth generation leader of his family company, The Mennel Milling Company. In their 139 years, the company has been through many phases, some marked by prosperity and expansion, and some by stagnation and risk. Through it all, the series of family leaders who have shepherded Mennel have succeeded in building an Evergreen® company that is strong, continually expanding, diverse, and surprisingly innovative, given that their industry is one of the oldest in human society.

In this talk, Ford not only shares his family’s and company’s history, the risks they faced, and the strategies that allowed them to survive and thrive over time. He also demonstrates creativity in his approach to Pragmatic Innovation, not just in Mennel Milling’s products and services, but also in his strategic approach to accessing capital for acquisitions while safeguarding the company’s Evergreen® independence.

Watch and be inspired to be innovative in all areas of your company, and to build something that will last.

Dave and Dan Thrasher grew up in the house that served as the first HQ for their parents’ basement waterproofing company, which they had started and grown slowly over decades. By the time the two brothers stepped into the business, their parents had grown it to about $4 million in revenues. In the 20 years since then, Dan has taken over leadership of Thrasher Group, Dave leads the newer company, Supportworks, and together, they have built their companies to an impressive $400 million in revenue.

In this Fireside Chat with Dave Whorton, Dave leads the brothers through stories from their childhood, their entry into the business, and the birth and growth of their respective companies. In their conversation, they cover topics ranging from early forays into entrepreneurship, what they learned and have preserved from each of their parents, key moments through the growth of the business, both before and after they joined, and the effect of the arrival of PE in their space.

Watch and be inspired to lean into your values, make courageous decisions, and find new ways for your business to grow and thrive.

Sonja Lyubomirsky is an experimental social psychologist at University of California, Riverside. She has been studying the science of happiness for decades and her work has included consulting on projects like the film Mission: Joy, featuring the Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu.

In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Sonja poses the question, “Is it possible to become happier?” and shares the findings from her many years of research in order to answer it. Happily, she found that there are many things we can do. Even better, the most powerful ones align with Evergreen® best practice behaviors.

Watch and be inspired to take steps to increase your own happiness, and to connect with others at the same time.