[callout]This episode originally appeared on the Family Before Fortune Podcast which is now the Modern Leadership Podcast. To listen to Modern Leadership click here. To see the Family Before Fortune Podcast archive click here.[/callout]
Episode Summary:
I am so excited to introduce you to a good friend of mine and a tremendous business leader, Mr. Jim Rogers, President and CEO of KOA. In this episode of the Family Before Fortune Podcast we talk about the service community and the importance of those who lead through service.
On Jim’s bookshelf:
The Service Profit Chain by James L. Heskett , W. Earl Sasser and Leonard A. Schlesinger
Setting the Table by Danny Meyer
Interesting online webtool:
Main topic:
Jim Rogers’ career in the hospitality industry started nearly 40 years ago when, as a new graduate from the University of California-Berkeley, he came to Kampgrounds of America, Inc., as a management trainee in 1972.
In 1974, Rogers pursued additional training in finance and accounting and earned an MBA from UCLA in 1976. KOA sponsored his master thesis on corporate family vacation centers.
Rogers returned to KOA in January 2000 to become the president and chief executive officer of the company, which with nearly 475 campgrounds is the largest network of franchised family campgrounds in the world.
In January 2013, Rogers was featured in an episode of the award-winning CBS reality show “Undercover Boss.” The one-hour episode featured Rogers going “undercover” on four different KOA properties.
Quotes of the week:
From my Mom: “Leave the campsite better than you found it.”
From my Dad: “Do 1 more to grow on.”
From the Boy Scouts: “Do your best.”
Items Mentioned in the podcast:
Link to the episode of Undercover Boss Featuring Jim Rogers and KOA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONGRxuyPk38
Mr rogers i am 67 my granddaugter and i always stayed at rogers mn koa. Are last experience was awfull. Spiders in cabin scared my granddaugter and we didnt sleep all night. I told the park mgr, her only reply was we spray. My dream was to travel the us with my granddaugter via koa,s. However i have had breast cancer, kidney removed cancer, blood pressure in 200,s and massive blood clots in both lungs. Medical problems had too retire early, so ss is only $1000.00 month. So my dream was destroyed. So her response of we spray was rally not appreciated. Have not gone back since. I don,t believe this is good pr. R T