Many corporate leaders share a capacity for reinvention, as proven by recent research by Deloitte. According to their 2024 CEO survey, 80% of CEOs can maintain vision and optimism, even when faced with global uncertainty. But what else makes a great CEO? In today’s episode, serial entrepreneur Jay B. Sauceda offers his own creative take on this question.

Jay B. is the founder of Western Willow LLC and host of the Texas Country Reporter. Throughout his unusual career, he has launched and sold multiple businesses, jumping at every new opportunity to develop his vision and a creative approach to leadership. Now, he is a consultant and coach who helps chief executives and entrepreneurs gain traction toward their business goals.

In today’s episode, Jay B. reflects on two decades of experience with honesty, insight and wisdom. We uncover how process documentation and feedback can help chief executives make better business decisions, and reflect on the importance of community in leadership. From building your team to assessing your needs as a leader, this episode is your-all-in-one guide to innovative leadership.

So whether you're a budding entrepreneur or an executive needing inspiration, join Jay B. in conversation, to bring your business vision to life today.

Highlights:

• Jay B. Sauceda’s entrepreneurial background (3:10)
• No one is CEO on day one (4:22)
• The benefits of joining an entrepreneur organization (6:01)
• “Every company has different CEO needs” (7:51)
• A creative approach to leadership (9:46)
• Knowing when to get out of the way (11:07)
• Why process documentation is critical (12:39)
• Examples of inspiring leadership: Patty McCord (14:40)
• A good CEO stays true to their method (17:22)
• Being nice vs. being kind (18:57)
• Feedback as an invaluable leadership tool (21:53)
• The importance of growing thicker skin (23:54)
• Using feedback to make business decisions (25:43)
• Trust, empathy and community in leadership (27:30)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Jay B. Sauceda’s Website
• Jay B. Sauceda’s X (Twitter)
• Jay B. Sauceda’s LinkedIn
• Jay B. Sauceda’s Instagram
• Texas Humor Instagram
• Book - Gino Wickman, Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
• Book - Patrick Lencioni, Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• Research - Deloitte’s CEO Survey, Winter 2024

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, Natalie.Barron@cadencebank.com, Eydie.Pengelly@cadencebank.com, or danielle.kernell@cadencebank.com.

In 2023, 87% of companies in the U.S. were family-owned; across the labor market, they employ more than half of the population. So on this new episode of In Good Companies, we find out what it takes to grow your business as a family, and pass down craftsmanship from generation to generation. Who better to answer these questions than Cornell, Roman and Ryan Malone?

The Malones are a family united by their love for business. Together, Cornell and his two sons run EC Malone Corporation, also known as Malone Roofing; a company providing full roofing services, maintenance work, and wall paneling across the South.

In today’s episode, we find out how a one-man operation became a multi-state business making millions in revenue. We look back on Cornell’s early beginnings in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and learn how he passed on his vocation for roofing to Roman and Ryan. We also discuss the challenges brought by fast expansion; from process-building, to technology adaptation and company culture.

Tune in with the Malones to dive into a family’s story of success and succession.

Highlights:

• Roofing: a Malone family tradition (2:50)
• The early days of EC Malone Corporation (4:49)
• Ryan’s first steps into the family business (07:01)
• When and how Roman got on board (8:21)
• New ideas from a new generation (9:50)
• From the tar to the sales side (11:20)
• Technology and innovation at EC Malone today (12:32)
• When change strikes fast: hurricanes Ivan and Katrina (14:00)
• The importance of growing your processes (15:25)
• How to expand your business culture (17:24)
• Enhancing client communication (19:32)
• Making roofing aspirational (21:49)
• The future of Malone Roofing (23:59)
• Growth happens at every stage (27:20)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• EC Malone Corporation’s Website
• Cornell Malone’s LinkedIn
• Roman Malone’s LinkedIn
• Ryan Malone’s LinkedIn

• PwC’s 2023 US Family Business Survey

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, Natalie.Barron@cadencebank.com, Eydie.Pengelly@cadencebank.com, or danielle.kernell@cadencebank.com.

In our world, it's not a question of if but when a crisis will strike. In 2023, 96% of businesses experienced emergencies, but only one in five companies were prepared to take action. So in today’s episode, we’re learning to expect the unexpected with the help of our guest: Sydney Isaacs.

Sydney is a Managing Director for H/Advisors Abernathy, a communications advisor with one of the leading crisis management firms in the U.S. Far beyond PR strategy, Sydney has spent the last two decades handling and preventing crises like workplace misconduct, product recalls, cybersecurity attacks and physical disasters.

So today, Sydney helps us come up with action plans to handle many business crises. Together, we learn how to build efficient teams of first responders, spot crises before they occur and prioritize the right course of action to fix imminent issues. We also unpack how trust, emotion and communication influence crisis prevention and recovery.

So keep calm and tune into this week’s episode. With Patrick and Sydney, you’ll learn to weather every storm.

Highlights:

• What is a crisis? (3:09)
• A flexible approach to crisis management (5:14)
• Why actions speak louder than words (8:11)
• Fight or flight: handling human emotions in a crisis (10:00)
• Differentiating transparency, honesty and forthrightness (11:49)
• “In a crisis, we want to be boring” (13:17)
• When trust interacts with crisis management (14:35)
• People believe in what they see (16:09)
• How to assemble a crisis management plan (18:53)
• The importance of proof-testing your plan (21:37)
• Qualities of a first responder (23:13)
• Crisis management and social media (26:54)
• Building reputation as crisis prevention (29:12)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• H/Advisors Abernathy Website
• Sydney Isaacs LinkedIn
• PwC’s Global Crisis and Resilience Survey 2023
• Why A Business Crisis is A Catalyst for Experimentation

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, Natalie.Barron@cadencebank.com, Eydie.Pengelly@cadencebank.com, or danielle.kernell@cadencebank.com.