“I think when a lot of business leaders hear me talk about play and fun, they think well, of course you would do that, you're a toy company. But I think it's so important that every culture, every team, every organization has play incorporated into their culture.”

Robert Pasin is Chief Wagon Officer (otherwise known as CEO) of Radio Flyer.

Robert’s grandfather, an Italian immigrant, started the company out of his garage in 1917, and over the past 100 years and three generations of leadership, Radio Flyer has become an iconic American brand.

Today we’ll hear Robert’s story, including how he revived the brand and built a thriving culture at Radio Flyer.

(0:47) – What was Robert’s upbringing like?

(2:09) – How did a tour of his father’s factory change everything?

(5:13) – How did Robert’s grandfather start the business over a century ago?

(7:45) – Did Robert’s father expect him to take over the family business one day?

(9:37) – What does Robert do to balance continuity with innovation at Radio Flyer?

(12:38) – How does Robert bring in fresh perspectives and ideas?

(15:02) – Why is culture so important to Robert? And how does he build a good culture?

(18:49) – Why is play important?

(20:24) – How is Robert talking about succession with his own kids?

(22:49) – What is Robert’s ”why”?

“And that's when this flood of clarity came in, and I was like, I'm going to use chocolate as a medium for storytelling.”

Katrina Markoff is founder of the Chicago-based Violet Flame Chocolate.

Prior to her new venture, Katrina founded Vosges Haut-Chocolat in 1998, which expanded our understanding of what chocolate could be.

Katrina has been named one of Fortune Magazine’s “40 Under 40”, Bon Appétit has named her Food Artisan of the Year, and Food & Wine has called her “the innovator in chocolate to lead the U.S. through the next 30 years.”

We follow Katrina’s journey from pre-med student at Vanderbilt, to attending culinary school in Paris, to working at El Bulli (one of the best restaurants in the world), and finally finding her calling as an entrepreneur and chocolatier.

(1:06) – What was Katrina’s upbringing like?

(4:30) – How did Katrina make the change from pre-med student to culinary school?

(9:13) – What was Katrina’s experience working at El Bulli with Ferran Adrià like?

(12:47) – What attracted Katrina to working as a chocolatier and founding Vosges Chocolat?

(16:40) – What led to Vosges’ huge success?

(19:13) – Why did Katrina start Violet Flame Chocolate, and what is she doing differently this time around?

(23:03) – What is the “why” that drives Katrina?

(24:46) – What do entrepreneurs get wrong when they first start out?

(26:20) – Why is failure important?

(27:51) – What’s the best way to enjoy chocolate?

John Onderdonk is a fourth-generation cattle rancher and the head of Northern Trust’s Agricultural Properties Group which manages farm, ranch and timber assets as trustee and executor for Northern Trust clients.

In our episode, John will discuss the growing popularity of ranches among wealthy families and the challenges and opportunities of owing (or inheriting) these assets.

(1:03) – How did John’s family get into cattle ranching?

(3:46) – What role did the ranch play in John’s early years?

(5:02) – How does John help ranch owners in his role at Northern Trust?

(8:29) – What’s driving the growth in ranch ownership?

(11:43) – What challenges should people look out for when they’re either inheriting or looking to buy a ranch?

(14:30) – What are some of the opportunities or innovations that could help ranch owners stay profitable?

(17:13) – How does John build credibility for himself among other ranch owners?

(19:21) – How similar is Yellowstone to the realities of running a ranch?

(21:01) – What does John love—and not love—about running his own ranch?

(23:07) – What is the ‘why’ that motivates John?

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