What gives work meaning beyond a paycheck?

In this episode of The Ownership Effect, Jim Bonham sits down with Kathy Varol, former Head of Global Purpose Strategy at Adidas, to explore how purpose can transform a company from a place people work into a place people believe in.

Drawing on her journey from Peace Corps volunteer to global business leader, Kathy shares how purpose becomes more than a mission statement when it's embedded into strategy, culture, and everyday decision-making. She explains why purpose-driven organizations attract committed employees, build stronger cultures, and often emerge stronger during challenging times.

The conversation also explores why employee-owned companies may have a unique advantage. Ownership aligns people around success, but purpose gives that success meaning. Together, they create workplaces where employees are invested not only in what the company earns, but in what it stands for—and where business becomes a force for creating opportunity, impact, and lasting value.

What makes an ESOP an ESOP—and why does the distinction matter?

Jim Bonham sits down with Ben Holder of Plastic Products Company, Derek Vick of Freedom Industries, and Peter Ney of EA Engineering, three experienced ESOP leaders, to unpack the core principles that make ESOPs unique.

They explore how ESOPs create long-term wealth and retirement security for employees, the fiduciary protections and transparency built into the model, and why ESOP ownership is fundamentally different from other forms of employee ownership.

The conversation also turns to emerging proposals aimed at expanding employee ownership through private equity and other models. The group discusses why The ESOP Association supports new approaches to employee ownership while drawing a clear line around what should, and should not, be called an ESOP.

It’s a candid conversation about what has made ESOPs successful for more than 50 years, what’s at stake as new ideas emerge, and why definitions matter when public policy and employee owners are involved.

Why does the economy look healthy on paper while so many people feel like it isn't working for them? Economist, author, and financial educator Kyla Scanlon joins Jim Bonham for the Season Two premiere of The Ownership Effect to unpack the “vibecession”, the disconnect between economic data and how people actually experience the economy.

Jim and Kyla explore what younger workers want from their employers, why so many people feel disconnected from the economy, and how employee ownership could give more Americans a tangible stake in the companies they work for.

Welcome to the season finale of The Ownership Effect! In this episode, Jim Bonham is joined by previous guests Gary Shorman of Eagle Communications and Jason Wellman of ESOP Partners to help answer audience questions from Season One. The conversation ranges from the business succession crisis in the U.S and how ESOPs can provide a solution, legislation and regulation that could impact ESOPs, and private equity’s interest in ESOPs.

In this episode of The Ownership Effect, we hear two deeply personal stories that show what employee ownership truly means at the individual level.

Amy Huot of Proponent and Christy Magee of DVL Group share how working at employee-owned companies transformed their financial security, career paths, and family futures. From rebuilding retirement savings after a major health crisis to realizing, for the first time, that retirement was actually possible, their stories highlight the human perspective of the promise of ESOPs.

Their experiences also reveal how employee ownership shapes company culture: greater trust and transparency, stronger retention, and a shared commitment to long-term success. This conversation is a powerful reminder that ESOPs aren’t just a business structure—they’re a life-changing force for employees and their families.

What happens when a company does everything right—and still ends up under federal investigation?

On this episode of The Ownership Effect, Jim Bonham speaks with Brian Bowers, CEO of Bowers + Kubota, about one of the most consequential ESOP cases in recent history. After becoming an ESOP, Bowers + Kubota became the target of a Department of Labor investigation that stretched on for years.

Brian discusses why the company chose employee ownership, why they refused to settle, and what it took to defend their ESOP. The result: a decisive victory that exposed serious flaws in how ESOP transactions were being scrutinized—and helped catalyze bipartisan legislation that could reshape the regulatory environment for employee ownership.

This is a story about conviction and resolve, and a must-listen for founders, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of employee ownership.

Jim Bonham continues his conversation with retirement policy expert Kendra Isaacson, examining why retirement security has become a top bipartisan priority in Congress and how ESOPs can play a critical role for both younger workers and retiring business owners. They discuss recent legislative developments, the long-awaited need for clear guidance on adequate consideration, and how smart policy can strengthen ESOP formation, protect fiduciaries, and expand employee ownership at a pivotal moment for the U.S. workforce.

Retirement policy expert Kendra Isaacson joins Jim Bonham for Part One of a two-part conversation exploring why employee stock ownership plans enjoy rare bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. Drawing on her experience at the Department of Labor and on the Senate HELP Committee, Isaacson explains how ESOPs fit within America’s retirement system—and why lawmakers on both the left and the right view employee ownership as a public good that strengthens workers, businesses, and local economies.