HUNTSVILLE — According to Pew Research, about 88% of listeners say they listen to podcasts to learn something. At the same time, podcasters use the platform as a powerful marketing tool that can target their audience, promote their business, and teach the listeners something they may not know about a topic or series of topics.
When you put these two concepts together, Bill Roark’s idea for starting his “Keeping the Dream Alive” podcast in January was a brilliant move.
Roark is CEO of Starfish Holdings, the umbrella company that owns Torch Technologies, Freedom Real Estate & Capital and Simvana.
Targeted primarily at his employees at Torch Technologies, the podcasts center around the company pursuing its Evergreen certification, a status awarded to private companies that intend to adapt and grow profitably for 100 years and more.
The certification is a serious commitment to remaining a 100% employee-owned private company and that has many benefits to Torch employees.
“Torch Technologies has been growing at a torrid pace for 20 years and we think the best return for our stockholders, which is our employees, is to keep doing what we are doing,” said Roark. “We get calls from people who either want us to sell or offer to buy Torch three to four times a week.
“We want to get the Evergreen message out there because Evergreen sends a clear message to our employees that we like what we are doing, and it will continue.”
Evergreen status means Torch puts their people first, and avoids raising capital that puts money before mission, imposing a growth-at-all-costs mindset that often leads to the sale of a company. Read more here.
The certification signifies not only Torch’s commitment to being a forever company, but it also signifies Torch’s commitment to Tugboat Institute’s seven core values – the Evergreen 7Ps – Purpose, Perseverance, People First, Private, Profit, Paced Growth, and Pragmatic Innovation.
According to its website, the Tugboat Institute is dedicated to supporting Evergreen leaders, their teams, and their companies through recognition, a range of experiences, several publications and programs to bring forth inspiration, new ideas, proven best practices about business, family and life.
“These first Keeping the Dream Alive podcasts have targeted our 1,500 employee/owners about why we chose to get Evergreen certified,” Roark said. “We’ve had a good response so far.”
Evergreen means the company has undergone an extensive, rigorous assessment by the Institute with the intention of continual improvement and enduring excellence around values, practices, and people.
Roark said the certification began with thorough company and employee surveys followed by extensive interviews about everything from finances to company policies and performance in the marketplace.
“When we got our score back, I looked at it and I was a little disappointed with it,” Roark said. “So, I asked about it, ‘This doesn’t look like a really high score?’
“They replied that it is one of the highest scores they have ever had.
“Well, you guys are certainly tough on your applicants! I told them.”
The “Keeping the Dream Alive” podcast, which will be followed by Roark’s book of the same name, is 20 minutes long and produced twice a month by Huntsville native podcast producer Clark Dunn at Beyond Rockets.
The second monthly production features employees and retirees. Roark said they discuss all those things you talk about when you’re running a business however, they always stress keeping people first as the key to success, profits but not at all cost, and giving back to the community.
“Some are young up and comers,” said Roark. “We focus on them to help them understand the advantages of being an employee-owned company and being able to retire with us.
“Some of the significant advantages to an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) is that when they have ownership in the company, the value created in the company goes to them and creates value in their retirement account, which can be significant of you stay with the company a long time.”
Roark said he is not concerned about ever running out of topics considering the ever-growing history of the company.
“Over the past 20 years, we have outperformed almost all the companies on the stock market,” he said.
Roark formed Torch Technologies in the 1990s with employees from what was then Nichols Research. Nichols sold in 1998, and Torch bought their buildings on South Memorial Parkway eight years ago.
Their subsidiary Freedom Real Estate has continued to invest in Tennessee Valley commercial real estate and now owns 15 buildings around town.
“Keeping the Dream Alive” episodes can be found here. They are also available on the Torch Technologies Facebook page.
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