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.

Carolyn Lowe

I worked at Dell for 6 1/2 years. There were a lot of type A folks there. I had over 12 different bosses in 6 years. By far and away, the best one was sadly, the shortest duration. His name is Carl. He was in his mid-40s at the time. He was a big VP, came from Sun Powersystems. Read more>>

Federico Yniguez

The best boss I ever had was actually my manager from an internship. It was the last internship I ever had but it was by far the best internship I ever had. To set the scene, tt was last year around February that I started an internship at this small start-up right out of college. While my skills lie in design, I was a general intern for the brand. Packing orders, measuring garments, sending emails, and sometimes designing. It was a hard environment to be in because the other members of the team were well acquainted and I never really broke the ice to introduce myself to them. I felt a bit like an outsider and my ideas were often shot down. This internship was also in the heart of Chinatown, Los Angeles and being from the valley the commute was a lot for me. Read more>>

Isabel Garcia

Darnell Miller and Bridget Richardson are the best bosses and mentors that have changed my life. Bridget is the Executive Producer and Darnell is the Creative Director at MaxStudios. Darnell is the most creative person that I know, he is always thinking outside of the box. It blows my mind all the ideas that he comes up with in order to help MaxStudios grow. Bridget is extremely organized and knows how to get things done. I met both of them my freshman year of college and they have guided me through these three pivotal years. I started my undergrad as an Education major, a decision I had made ever since I was in second grade. Read more>>

Vanessa Gold

Writing about my current employer will probably sound sycophantic, but in my experience working in New York, Miami & Los Angeles at a variety of studios and agencies I can say, Bryan Grant stands out as an example of what it truly means to be a great boss, a visionary and mentor. Under his leadership, our employees find themselves empowered, motivated, and confident in their abilities. He recognizes the importance of fostering a positive work environment, one in which creativity is celebrated, innovation is encouraged, and collaboration is paramount. It is this supportive atmosphere that has led his team to achieve unprecedented levels of success. Read more>>