13 Jun CEO Insights: Convention Sneak Peek

By the time you read this, Convention will be just around the corner. After the success of last year’s keynote speaker, Duncan Wardle, former head of innovations leadership at Disney, we looked for the right person to provide another impactful kickoff to Convention.

We believe we’ve found that in this year’s keynote speaker, Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of Stuckey’s. Stephanie’s story of personal reinvention and the revival of a business is a theme many of us can relate to. This is particularly true when you consider this within the lens of the last two years. While not all of us are working on the revival of a family business, many of us are looking to make the most of what we have in the moment and build a foundation for the future.

Stuckey’s also provides an interesting long-term view on the perspective of diversity, long before it was a company-wide initiative. The roadside oasis was known as a place where “every traveler is a friend.” Stuckey’s was listed in The Green Book, a guidebook of black friendly accommodations, restaurants, bars, garages, liquor stores and barbershops. Stuckey’s was known throughout the U.S. as a place that welcomed all who wanted to “Relax, Refresh and Refuel.”

Seeing the myriad of topics Stephanie and her family have faced over the last nine decades, I began to think some things might not change as much as we think they do. Just as it was in the 1930s, a successful business owner still needs to continually cultivate the aspects of resiliency and curiosity in order to visualize what the next chapter might look like. This present day- and future-focused exploration of what could be next for the industry will be a major theme of Convention.

Until then, we’re counting down the days in anticipation of seeing everyone in person again. When you arrive, please give a warm welcome to this year’s Ascend Scholarship winners – Sheryl Bryan, AMF; Amy Estrada, Rademaker; Mitch Lund, HaF Equipment; and Corey Wagner, JLS Automation. These first-time attendees will be looking to gain a broader aspect of the industry while simultaneously having the opportunity to share their unique knowledge with all of you.

To learn more about Stephanie and the history of Stuckey’s, follow Stuckey’s on social media at facebook.com/StuckeysCorportation and stuckeys_pecans on Instagram.

Safe travels, and we look forward to seeing each of you in San Diego very soon.