Many business owners we’ve spoken with didn’t start with a huge team on day one. They had to learn how to be a good boss, but the problem is the books on leadership are often highly theoretical and so we wanted to hear practical examples of what it means to be a good boss. So, we asked some brilliant, insightful folks to share stories about the best bosses they’ve had.

Carey Goldstein

I worked in one particular school for 15 years as a School Counselor. It was my first job after getting my Master’s Degree and my first job in a school. Read more>>

Rebekah Alenduff

When I first began coaching, I had an amazing mentor named Joe Longobordi . He was the Head Coach (and founder) of Jacksonville’s first Dragon Boat team. Read more>>

Caroline Adams Vulcano

Before I went out on my own, I had a boss named Justine who is an incredibly hard-working, skilled, and quick-witted person – but the most important impact she had on me was how she reframed what it meant to work with a team. Read more>>

Brian Anderson

I was raised in small Tennessee mountain farm town. This area had once thrived due to farming and an abundance of small factories. Read more>>

Daniel Lieberman

Rick Komyanek played a pivotal role in my professional development, mentoring me to evolve from merely managing a team to truly leading with vision and empathy. Read more>>

Carrin Johnson

The Best Boss I Ever Had: John Plansky During my time on shore duty in the Navy, I faced one of the most challenging periods of my life. I was stationed at the prison on base in Miramar, CA, working as a correctional officer.  Read more>>

Beena Patel

Yes, I’d like to give an extra shout-out and highlight to my former boss Kris Kanellopoulos. She vouched for me when many would have assumed I was inexperienced with my list of qualifications at the time. Read more>>

Matt Sabljak

The best boss I ever had was the worst boss I ever had. He possessed a lethal combination of laziness, cruelty and high expectations, which forced my partners and me to learn every aspect of running a marketing agency — and a business — via trial by fire: Read more>>