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.

David Granger, CSEP, CTEP

For over five years, I had the privilege of serving in many different roles from truck diver, warehouse cleanup, flower bucket cleaner to finally Production Manager at John Daly, Inc. International, and during that time, John Daly became far more than a boss—he became a mentor and friend whose influence would shape the course of my entire career. Read more>>

Hannah Lezynski

The best mentor I’ve ever had funnily enough has the same name as me, Hannah Picasso. She is the owner of Salon Picasso which is where I rented from during my time in San Antonio, I don’t think I could’ve found a better home salon! She is definitely a great leader and great person all over, I aspire to be like her when it comes to running a business in this industry. She always went above and beyond whether it was with her own personal clients, any of the people who rented from her, or her assistants. I learned so much from her when it came to this industry and I will always treasure my time I spent in her salon! Read more>>

Michael Desposito

The best boss I ever had was case coordinator Alex Dailey, when I worked as a case worker at a mental health agency serving at-risk youth with mental and emotional disorders. Alex demonstrated authentic leadership by prioritizing the well-being of her employees just as much as the clients we served, even when it meant challenging upper management on issues like productivity. I remember when our organization absorbed another agency’s program, and Alex dedicated an entire day—what we jokingly called “Armageddon Day”—to keeping the team in-house to create a plan of action. She provided us with lists of new clients, food, snacks, and worked tirelessly alongside us to navigate the chaos. Read more>>

Brooke Richey

I worked for a start-up shortly after graduating college. I had done some travel to Europe and worked odd jobs here and there, a hustle, which ran its course. A friend referred me to my first corporate job in America with a boss who had immigrated from Europe. I had studied music, not business, but craved the stability from a full-time job, so I started off as an intern to test the waters, and after 6 months, signed on as a an FTE and stayed for two years. About a month after I became an intern though, which was hourly pay, with no PTO, I needed to go in for an emergency surgery. With no questions asked, my boss told me to take my time recovering, and he made sure I got paid, regardless of my employee status. Read more>>

Amanda Holliday

The best boss I ever had was my first one right out of college. He believed in me before I even fully believed in myself. From the moment I started, he could see my passion and talents and didn’t just accept them—he celebrated them. He recognized what I was capable of, and instead of putting me in a standard role, he created an entirely new position tailored to my skills and interests. Read more>>