The Conversation: Why Leadership Starts With Managing Yourself | Soon Hagerty, Serial Entrepreneur & Philanthropist

On this episode of The Conversation, Christal sits down with Soon Hagerty, longtime brand strategist, entrepreneur, and leader behind some of Northern Michigan's most impactful ideas.

The Conversation is brought to you by TVC Cherry Capital Airport - Your Northern Michigan Connection.

Soon shares her remarkable origin story — from fleeing Vietnam with her family after the fall of Saigon to building a career advising major brands and helping shape the culture behind Hagerty Insurance. Along the way, she reflects on the lessons that resilience, resourcefulness, and gratitude taught her about leadership, entrepreneurship, and building organizations that people truly trust.

The conversation explores the philosophy behind Hagerty's community-driven brand, Soon's experience launching the charitable restaurant The Good Bowl, and why she ultimately stepped away from the business to focus on something even bigger: Boundless Futures, a foundation dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs access funding, mentorship, and opportunities to grow their ideas.

Soon also offers candid insights on leadership, emotional intelligence, and why the most important person any leader manages is themselves.

It's a wide-ranging conversation about purpose, business, and the power of investing in the next generation of founders.

Currently: The Conversation is a Compass Local podcast produced by Pancake Boy Productions.