#2 | Why Employee Ownership is the Key to Thriving Communities with John Abrams

Alternative Exit

Episode Summary:

In this engaging episode of The Alternative Exit Podcast, host Andy interviews John Abrams, President and CEO of South Mountain Company, to explore the transformative power of employee ownership. John shares his company’s journey from a traditional business model to becoming an employee-owned cooperative, detailing the challenges, rewards, and cultural shifts involved.

Through personal anecdotes and decades of experience, he illustrates how employee ownership fosters commitment, builds community, and creates a lasting positive impact. Tune in to hear John's insights on reshaping business leadership through shared responsibility and ownership.

Key Takeaways:

• Learning how employee ownership transforms commitment and leadership within a company.
• Hearing the real-life challenges of transitioning from sole ownership to a worker cooperative.
• Understanding the role employee ownership plays in building a sustainable, community-driven company.
• Discovering the long-term impact of shared ownership on company culture and leadership succession.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Company We Keep: Reinventing Small Business for Community, People and Place By John Abrams - https://www.amazon.com/Company-We-Keep-Reinventing-Community/dp/1931498733

About John Abrams:

John Abrams is the President and CEO of South Mountain Company, Inc., a forty-year-old employee-owned design and building company located on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts and the author of The Company We Keep: Reinventing Small Business for Community, People and Place (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2005). South Mountain Company is committed to a Triple Bottom Line, which means that people, planet, and profit are all equally important to them – balancing profits with environmental restoration, social justice, and community engagement.

He’s also the Co-founder of Building Energy Bottom Lines (a peer group network of 60+ Northeast U.S. businesses in the architecture and construction industry), and I engage in a variety of forms of community activism, mostly involving affordable housing. John serves on the steering committee and executive committee of The Coalition to Create the Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank and the board of Camp Jabberwocky.

Connect with John Abrams:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-abrams-3bb94683/
• Websites - https://www.southmountain.com/ and https://abramsangell.com/

Connect with Andy Farquharson:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyfarquharson/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/andyfarq
• Website - https://abettermonday.me/
• Email - [e-mail]