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.

May Hemmer

Honestly the best boss I’ve ever had is a woman I consider a dear friend now. She is a the owner for a small quilting and sewing machine shop. She pushed me to expand my skills and support me in my sewing endeavors. Not once did she judge me for being a burlesque dancer in addition to being a costumer. She gave me the push to step away from doing burlesque full-time now (I’ve been performing for over 10-11 years now) to going part-time and shifting my focus back on my sewing craft. Read more>>

Austin Haynes

I met Lauren Reyes when I first got into cosmetology school, and I’ve loved her ever since. 15 years later, we’re still friends, and when I was unsure about my future, she offered to take me on as an employee in her salon suite, and expand it to make room for me. Although I’m an employee on paper, she makes sure to ask my opinion on every decision big or small, and truly treats me as an equal. She’s an incredible woman, and anyone who ever gets the chance to meet her, is very lucky! Read more>>

Emily Lamberty

The most amazing boss I ever had was an architect. I was his assistant. On my first day he dragged a chair over to my desk and began telling me stories about the people in his life. He knew that it would ultimately all come together in my head so that I could better serve him. It worked. He believed in allowing people to expand and grow instead of putting them in boxes to hinder growth. Hugh had a special gift of making people feel seen and valued. He encouraged never giving up hope and spreading joy. Hugh was one of the most authentic people I’ve ever known. Read more>>

Cassandra Montenegro

The foodie community is so large. I’ve been lucky to have been taken under some of their wings. Eva from @stxfoodie has been one of my best mentors. She is my hype girl and my confidante. She inspires me to really go out of my way to set a spotlight on small businesses. She is so selfless and always wants to make sure everyone around her can succeed. Read more>>

Edward Law

This is a good question. I know we are supposed to pick one but honestly there are two people. The first person is Rasha Collins. Rasha and I previously worked together at the Toyota power train facility in Huntsville, AL. She wasn’t formally my supervisor at that point but she taught me things about the automotive industry that helped make my job easier and further sparked my interest in the field. Rasha was later promoted and moved over to the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing joint venture and I came shortly afterwards. It was to my surprise that she was my boss but I was excited because I knew that she’d continue to pour into me and boy did she. Rasha challenged me in every way possible. Read more>>

D’Anthony Harris

Yes, I’ve had several amazing leaders and bosses throughout my professional career. The one that stands out the most, at this point in my life, was my supervisor at the 413th Aeromedical Staging Squadron in the Air Force Reserves. Dr. Michael-Renee Godfrey. I truly believe hindsight is 20/20. I did not realize how much of an impact she had on my life until I got much further in my career. The first time I met Dr. Godfrey she was sitting at her desk facing her computer. Read more>>

Kamar Lee

Chef Richard Luppino, always pushed me to be my best even when I didn’t think I could do it.Took the time to teach me the correct ways to execute and always get the best results.The best part was the correction and the honesty that was always displayed. Read more>>