Todd Simon, 5th generation CEO of Omaha Steaks, an iconic brand founded in 1917, talks about growing up in a family business and the valuable lessons learned to achieve significant growth. Todd explains how a vertically integrated company manifests itself in great customer service to sustain a competitive advantage. As the originator of home delivery as a food tech company, Mr. Simon speaks about trends and his ‘evolutions versus revolutions’ philosophy for the food business attached to the mindset of customers. Todd then dives into how reputation ties into decision-making and building a great culture and brand over 105 years and specific leadership elements he double-downed on to lead their team. Finally, Mr. Simon shares how they manage during the holiday demands and how it prepared them for flexing during the pandemic, and the importance of data analytics in going to market. To cap it off, Todd shares the name of an admired CEO from whom he learned and modeled certain elements of his own leadership style.
Recorded on October 11, 2022.