Elevating humanity through business starts with creating value for employees, customers, communities, and owners rather than treating profit as the only measure of success.

In this episode of The CEO Project Podcast, host Jim Schleckser speaks with Dan Simons, co-owner of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, about building a profitable, mission-driven business in one of the most demanding industries.

Dan shares how Founding Farmers grew from a partnership with North Dakota family farmers into a group of sustainably operated restaurants, a distillery, and a catering company. He also explains why supporting employees through difficult moments is not separate from business performance but an essential part of achieving it.

You'll learn how to:

• Build a people-first culture without sacrificing profitability
• Turn employee support into greater loyalty and lower turnover
• Create clear development paths that help employees advance
• Use failure as preparation for future opportunities
• Support family farmers through responsible sourcing
• Adapt training and advancement for a changing workforce
• Balance fair wages with the economic realities of running a business
• Practice conscious capitalism by considering every stakeholder

Dan also shares why elevating humanity is not simply an idealistic mission. When employees feel supported, valued, and equipped to succeed, they create more value for themselves, their customers, and the company.

Listen to discover how thoughtful leadership, employee investment, and conscious capitalism can turn business into a force for elevating humanity while still delivering sustainable growth and strong financial performance.

Check out:

8:52: How a partnership with North Dakota family farmers led to Founding Farmers

15:48: Why investing in employees creates loyalty, lowers turnover, and improves performance

28:36: How conscious capitalism can make business a force for elevating humanity

Dan Simons is regarded as a leading voice in mission-driven business practices, known for championing people-centric culture and responsible industry standards while developing systems that deliver profitability. He and his partner, Michael Vucurevich, are Co-Owners of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group in partnership with the North Dakota Farmers Union. Their goal is to generate profits for American family farmers, earn farmers a larger share of the food dollar, and influence the sourcing decisions of suppliers and others in the hospitality industry. They operate eight sustainably run restaurants, one DC-based distillery, and a full-service catering and event design company. He teaches courses at The George Washington University, hosts a podcast (Founding DC), and sits on the advisory boards of the DC chapter of Conscious Capitalism, OpenTable, and the Health Action Alliance Women's Health at Work Program. He blogs at www.DanSimonsSays.com and can be found across most social channels @DanSimonsSays.

Dan Simons is Co-Owner of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, which operates eight sustainably run restaurants, one DC-based distillery, and a full-service catering and event design company. A leading advocate for mission-driven business, he champions people-first culture and responsible industry standards while driving profitability.

Soft leadership styles can help CEOs build trust, increase accountability, and create healthier teams without sacrificing performance.

In this episode of The CEO Project Podcast, host Jim Schleckser speaks with visionary entrepreneur, inventor, and movement leader Staci Wright about how workplace expectations are changing and why traditional leadership models are struggling to keep up.

Staci explains how trust, collaboration, emotional intelligence, and psychological safety can replace rigid command-and-control leadership. She also discusses why compassionate leadership must still include clear expectations, honest feedback, and accountability.

You'll learn how to:

• Build trust without abandoning performance standards
• Create psychological safety while maintaining accountability
• Recognize how stress affects decision-making and productivity
• Support employee wellbeing without becoming responsible for employees' personal lives
• Address a struggling or toxic workplace culture
• Measure cultural progress through retention, feedback, and employee behavior
• Use soft leadership styles to create healthier, more resilient teams

Staci also introduces a new way to think about organizational structure. Instead of placing leaders at the top of a pyramid, she describes them as the roots of a tree, creating the conditions employees need to thrive and the business needs to produce results.

If your team is experiencing burnout, turnover, distrust, or declining performance, the answer may require more than another employee benefit or team-building exercise. Listen to this conversation to learn how soft leadership styles can help you build a culture where people feel supported, accept accountability, and perform at their best.

Check out:

6:35: Why adding compassion to an old command-and-control model can cause performance to decline

11:48: How leaders can create psychological safety while maintaining accountability

23:42: Three steps for repairing a stressed or toxic workplace culture

About Staci Wright

Staci Wright is a visionary entrepreneur, inventor, and movement leader whose work centers on social impact and the power of business to create meaningful change. With over 20 years of experience, she has founded multiple companies, secured 28 patents, and led ventures that blend innovation, humanity, and purpose.

Across all of her work, the common thread is a commitment to building businesses that serve people, strengthen communities, and support inner and collective transformation. Known for her heart-led leadership and systems-level thinking, Staci believes business can—and must—be a force for healing, sustainability, and hope.