We often hear about bad bosses, but we think it’s important to talk about the good ones because we hope that by giving folks examples of how to be a good boss we can inspire future bosses to be better, to do better for their employees and all stakeholders.

Dawn Smith-Theodore

I began working in 1999, at Monte Nido, the first 6 bed facility established for women with eating disorders in Malibu, CA. Carolyn Costin began the facility because she had worked in multiple hospitals and wanted to help women recover in a home like setting. The house was located in the Santa Monica Mountains. Carolyn wanted to hire therapists who had recovered from their own eating disorder as she had done. Read more>>

Julia Shaw

The best boss I ever had isn’t just a boss; he’s my father, Thomas Sorensen. Born and raised in a small city in Denmark, my father’s journey to success is a testament to his unwavering determination. He saw opportunities beyond the horizon, and with sheer hard work and dedication, he made the bold move to America to craft a better future for himself and our family. His chosen path led him to the furniture business, and growing up surrounded by the world of design instilled in me a lifelong passion for creativity. What sets my father apart as a remarkable leader is his unshakable belief in pursuing one’s passions, making a living by following dreams. Read more>>

Victoria Lebrón and Gab Sussman

We both loved this question because the fact is this: the best boss we ever had was no boss. What we mean is – as abolitionist educators and organizers who a) believe in equity and democracy, b) founded and operate a collective, and c) are in the process of transitioning to a cooperative, we believe that people can work together, without hierarchy, to achieve great success. The summer after we left the school where we both taught, we read Mariame Kaba’s powerful book, We Do This ‘Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice. Kaba reinforced for us the idea that we have the power to equitably and democratically co-create the organizations that we want to see in our communities, without an authority figure telling us how to do it. Read more>>

Sean Breault

I had just started working on Broadway shows. I’d only worked on smaller off Broadway show before that but this was my first time on a very large stage in one of the biggest theaters on Broadway. Once the show opened (Fiddler on the Roof) my boss asked if I wanted to be on the run crew. I said yes of course and started to learn the “track”. At first I was helping to slowly lower this giant moon which was about 20′ on diameter. I, along with another stagehand, had to pull the ropes very slowly together to bring this moon in at the right speed. It was way more intimate than I sort of wanted it to be with this guy but hey that’s show biz. Read more>>

Marissa Dunyak

I am very fortunate that I’ve had two best bosses so far. I can’t choose one over the other because they’ve been the best in similar ways and in the same industry. The first was my pharmacy manager when I was working at Target throughout pharmacy school. Amy was a no-nonsense, get your shit done, be kind but not a push-over kind of pharmacist. She had incredible relationships with her patients but pharmacy wasn’t her life. Once all the work was done (back in those days we actually had down-time) she would talk about her next trip to Mexico, artists she found on her travels, planning her daughter’s halloween costume in July, and how she likely would have been a groupie if Jerry Garcia hadn’t died. Read more>>

Summer Olson

In 2001 I worked for a full service salon owned by three women who were incredible business owners, educators and mentors. They were behind the chair full time, with each of them having their own established clientele. Every one of them had their own strengths and specialties behind the business and through observation I learned how they communicated with transparency, how they kept a team together throughout many years, and most importantly how they faced adversity- always with grace at the forefront. My time spent there was the jumping off point that led to me developing the idea of a nail “collective”- where everyone specializes in something and brings their own unique traits to the table. Read more>>

Dustin Garrett

I was lucky enough to always have a “boss” that trusted me and backed me up. I would say out of all the bosses I worked with daily, I will put Don Caldwell at the top of that list. Known as the “Godfather of Lubbock Music” he defined the “Lubbock” sound in the 1970’s and 1980’s by recording some of the most well known Texas Country records of the time. He always inspired young artists by mentoring them until they branched out onto broader horizons, but he always made sure that he stayed in touch with all artists he had worked with over the years. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever known, and I call him 2nd Dad. Read more>>

Anna Wallace

Over the years I have been so fortunate to have amazing wonderful mentors in my life… Priscilla Bagley was my longtime voice teacher who introduced me to singing opera and made me realize that my life path was to be an artist. She shaped my voice and helped make me into the person, teacher and musician I am today. Read more>>

Geralynn Cada

Mentors matter. Call them bosses, leaders, any way you view them, they are mentoring you. Luckily, I’ve had multiple over my four decades in business. One point that was driven home in my head and heart was that there is no such thing as a bad mentor. In fact, some of my best lessons were learned from my “not so ideal” mentors. One mentor stated to never put them up on a pedestal, as they were certain that at one point they would let me down. This cleared my vision of how fragile people are. That no boss or mentor or human being is perfect and gets it right every time! Why set yourself up for failure by having expectations for people that simply cannot be met. Read more>>

Whitney O’Connell

From my military service to my transition to civilian life I have many influential leaders in my life. Personally, my father has been everything to me and has always embraced and encouraged even my craziest ideas. He was the reason I joined the military and he was the reason that I took a bracelet making business in high school to a t-shirt making business that funded me through college. The introduction of that creative drive is what landed me on the path that I am now. With a little luck, and a lot of support from my current mentor and boss, Cover 6 wouldn’t be born. Read more>>

Mikayla Williams

I somewhat briefly worked at an afterschool program in College Station. Here, I found the most amazing boss I ever had the pleasure of working for – Travis. This was at a pretty pivotal time in my life in college as I was going through a breakup and figuring out who and what I wanted to be as a person. Work was a huge positive influence in my life when I needed it the most, and that was very largely thanks to our boss. Travis, probably unknowingly, provided such a healthy, fun, and encouraging environment for the whole team. It was a perfect balance of professionalism and friendliness. Read more>>

Steve Wilcox

I have worked with a wide variety of people during my career, but the best boss I had was Marketing Vice President named Bruce. Believe me, I have had a majority of bad bosses. I won’t dwell on them, rather what made Bruce a great boss. Read more>>

Jen Betts

My Father! He said, ” Believe in yourself Jen, You can be all. Finish School, do not get distracted.” I studied Nursing. Became a Nurse Practitioner. I studied my social skills. Became a Publicist. I loved humans and understood critical thinking. I am an Entrepreneur. My dad gave me all the advice I needed. He is his own boss, I wanted to be who he was to others. Read more>>

Rashmi Tyagi

The person who propelled me into pursuing my creative career is my mentor and now dear friend. An excellent architect and true entrepreneur, they played a pivotal role in the career choices I made, and were the best boss I ever had. In my third year of university, I interned at their architecture studio. Through the months I learnt under their supervision, they taught me what it meant to listen to my heart, to make really good work, to focus on the details. They taught me so much about looking at life from all sides, and how that’s what inspires all creative work. Before I finished my internship, my boss asked me if I really truly wanted to pursue Architecture, which I was studying at that point. Read more>>

RENA MAEDA

The best boss I ever had was the salon owner I worked for when I first began my career as a makeup artist in Japan. Despite not being a hair and makeup artist herself, she was an exceptional business owner and an inspiring boss who made me want to work for her. She always paid close attention to her employees’ well-being. During a period when I was struggling with family issues and feeling deeply depressed, she went above and beyond. One day, she asked me to join her for a drink after work and had made a reservation at a restaurant with a private booth to ensure I could comfortably express my feelings. She listened to me until the late hours, making sure I felt heard and understood. She even ensured I got home safely. Read more>>

Ed Donnelly

Willie Nelson. He was a client, but he was clearly the boss. As I launched my automatic concert recording business, Willie taught t me that humor bolstered by being incredibly good at what you do, is the easiest path to success. Read more>>

Natalie Wiarda

Let’s call her Sally. Sally was my coffee shop manager in high school. Sally had this way of treating me like an adult but also acknowledging that I was still a kid. She led by example and while she would push me to be faster, be cleaner, be friendlier, she would also pull me- attract me- towards elevating my performance as well. She had this way of charming people into getting on board, while not for one second confusing anyone by making them think she was flirting with them. She motivated me simply by never sugar coating anything. If I was slacking, she called me on it without apology, and then would buy me a beer after work. Read more>>

Melissa Roberts

When I started trying to pursue a career in photography I applied locally to some photography shops. I didn’t get very far and one day I noticed that there was a photography lab in the shopping mall at the front of my neighborhood. I took a chance and walked in to ask if they were hiring. As it turned out they were. One of their employees had recently left and they were actively looking for someone to take her place. I interviewed on the spot and was hired that day. It was the best thing to happen to me career wise. I learned photoshop and edited all of the pictures that customers brought in to either print or save to a disc for future purposes. Read more>>

Heather Grace Hancock

Myself. Hands down. Read more>>