Boating Industry Insider Podcast

Diversity alone isn’t enough

It seems like everyone is hiring these days, and diversity is one of the top recruitment goals in 2021. But according to Martin G. Moore—a leadership performance expert, author and co-founder of Your CEO Mentor—diversity doesn’t help your company if you can’t leverage the value. “Having a diverse team is important, but if you want to actually make use of that diversity, you must truly engage and include each individual,” says Moore. “It’s not just about giving people a seat at the table. You also have to make it safe for them to express their views.” In this Boating Industry Insider episode, Content Director and editor-in-chief David Gee talks with Moore about how leadership qualities have changed since COVID, or if they have, how to truly empower people and leverage diversity, and why inclusion, consultation, and collaboration should never come at the expense of accountability.

How to create a more engaged and loyal workforce

Americans aren’t just unhappy at work; they’re quitting their jobs at record levels. So, how can you battle employee turnover and create a more engaged and loyal workforce? In this episode we interview Heather Younger - the founder of employee engagement and leadership development firm Employee Fanatix - and hear about her new book called The Art of Caring Leadership. She argues that if you are looking for increased productivity, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and employee loyalty, you need to care for your employees first. As we hear, she says that means not only being concerned with what employees can do for you, but also caring about who they are and what they can become. "There has never been a more important time to lead with purpose, skill, adaptability, and resilience,” says Younger. “Even with budget restraints and a world that feels chaotic and challenging, your leadership team must have all the tools they need to stand out as an organization where employees can’t wait to help grow - and don't want to leave.”

National Safe Boating Week (and month) with Jim Emmons

It's National Safe Boating Week (and month), just before the start of peak boating season, but actually it's appropriate to talk about safe boating any time. Joining Boating Industry content director David Gee in this episode is Jim Emmons, Executive Director, Water Sports Foundation. Jim is also the former WSIA President and U.S. Coast Guard National Boating Safety Advisory Council Chairman. He will discuss the latest boating safety statistics, the impact on boating safety with a rise in the number of first-time boaters, and the part the entire boating industry can play when it comes to boating safety education. As he says, safe boating experiences are a critical component of positive boating experiences.

Chatting with Chad Lyon, Managing Director, Marine, Wells Fargo Distribution Finance

Chad Lyon was recently named to head the Marine group at Wells Fargo Distribution Finance, part of Wells Fargo & Company. The news follows the retirement of industry veteran Bruce Van Wagoner after 45 years in the industry and 33 years with Distribution Finance (DF). Shortly after the announcement, Boating Industry Content Director David Gee spoke with Chad via Zoom about his first thoughts after being named to the role, a little about his background, and what he sees as some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in the recreational boating industry.

Towboat Talk with Bill Yeargin

The towboat segment has been one of the shining stars of the recreational boating industry when it comes to year over year growth. But as Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin points out in this Boating Industry Insider episode with David Gee, the category only recently returned to pre-recession unit sales levels in 2020. In this wide-ranging discussion with an industry leader, find out when Yeargin thinks supply will align with demand, what he has to say on the “affordability” of watersports boats, what virtual boat shows meant to the industry and what the future holds for electric watersports boats.