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.

Brian Bunn

After spending 15 years in the mining industry under a horrible boss with a bad attitude, I decided I wanted something better. I spent a lot of time thinking about my next move and the next thing knew, I was enrolled in a 2-year art college and quit my mining job cold turkey. Read more>>

Jill Olish

I have considered myself a leader for a long time but didn’t know the kind of impact I might have as an entrepreneur and how much the kind of leader I become will influence that impact. When I decided to start my entrepreneurial adventure, I managed to land myself a client for my virtual assistant business right away. Read more>>

LaShawnda Rodgers

The best boss I ever had was named Nicole. She was a stylish woman with confidence, charisma, and knowledge. She knew so much about the banking world. She was my role model and Director over the entire Commercial Loan and Banking Department. One day, I met with Nicole to learn about her journey and to get more acquainted. Read more>>

Sarai Polk

She is still my boss now, however she is the mentor I never knew I needed and the friend I didn’t expect. Her name is Krystal and the lessons she’s given me as a leader have directly translated to being better at handling confrontation, setting boundaries, and being able to come off respectfully stern when I need to be. Read more>>

Eric Johnson

I was so fortunate to have an amazing leader and mentor by the name of David Gillies, or as our group of guys affectionately calls him, the Old Man. What the Old Man taught me was that you didn’t need to be the most knowledgeable leader, the most technically savvy, know the most procedures… but what you needed to do was: Read more>>

Kevaniel Newbold

The best boss I ever had was Brittany Wolter. At 20 years old, with little to no experience in the administrative world, I walked into the Inn of Naples, a hotel, for a position. Brittany saw potential in me and offered me a job as a front desk clerk. She taught me visionary leadership, adaptability, and resilience in my work. Read more>>

Deborah Di Vita Glascott

I have had a few instructors who left me with lasting impressions. The first was my high school art teacher, Sam Vaccaro, who incidentally just passed away at the age of 100! He was the first to teach basic concepts of design, technique, and composition, and he made it fun enough to instill in me the idea that art was indeed worth pursuing. Read more>>

Jenya Felder

I graduated from Texas Christian University with a double manager in marketing and entrepreneur management. During college, I had a great internship at Merrill Lynch, but my first job after college was at Crozier and Henderson. They produce the HotOnHomes television show for the residential real estate market. Read more>>