Seattle Executive Edge: A Podcast for Seattle Business Owners

Seattle Executive Association

Go inside the relationships and stories driving Seattle business owners — from tradespeople and small business founders to tech leaders and executives. Hosted by Seattle Executives Association, a century-old professional community meeting weekly at the Washington Athletic Club. Each episode features conversations with executives and entrepreneurs on trust, partnership, and how the right network changes everything. Subscribe for real stories from the people building Seattle's business community and join us for a meeting. Learn more: https://www.seattleexecs.org

Episodes

  1. 19h ago

    3. 3 Generations of Timekeeping with John Brondello III, Time Equipment Company

    A three-foot wooden time clock you had to wind by hand every week. A grandfather who founded a company in downtown Seattle in 1928. A father who became Seattle Executives Association president in 1968. And a phone call from a fellow exec that pulled the whole family legacy back into the fold. In this episode, host Suzan Sturholm sits down with John Brondello III, third-generation President of Time Equipment Company, to trace how one Seattle family has spent nearly a century solving the same core problem, tracking time, through wooden clocks, punch cards, computerized systems, and now cloud-based, mobile-first workforce platforms.  John also shares how being a 29-year member of Seattle Execs has directly shaped the growth of his business, from new customers to the vendor relationships he now leans on to take care of his own clients. If you've ever wondered what a trusted, one-company-per-classification referral network can actually do for a business over decades, this episode is the proof. Meet the guest John Brondello III — Time Equipment Company, third-generation, family-owned provider of time and attendance systems and gated parking control equipment for the Puget Sound region, serving industries from healthcare and grocery to warehouse/distribution and hospitality https://www.timeequipment.com In this episode, you'll hear: How Time Equipment Company has run for three generations since its 1928 founding by John's grandfather Why John's dad's own Seattle Execs presidency in 1968 came full circle when John joined 29 years later The evolution of workforce timekeeping — from wind-up wooden clocks to badge swipes to today's mobile and remote-workforce tracking How multi-state remote work has created new complexity around wage compliance and tax reporting Why Time Equipment keeps its own electrical contracting crew in-house, and how that local-service model wins customers over out-of-state competitors A referral story that shows exactly what it means to have customers trust you enough to ask "who do you know?" instead of shopping around About Seattle Executives Association Founded in 1917, the Seattle Executives Association is one of the Pacific Northwest's longest-running business networking organizations, with more than 100 established Seattle and Bellevue-area businesses as members. The group meets every Wednesday at 12:00 noon at the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle. Only one business per classification is admitted, which means membership doubles as an exclusive referral network for Seattle small business owners, contractors, and executives looking to grow through relationships, not cold outreach. Interested in Joining or Attending a Meeting? Visit https://www.seattleexecs.org to learn more about the Seattle Executives Association or to attend a weekly meeting.

  2. Jul 22

    2. How Seattle's Oldest Business Networking Group Turns Strangers Into Lifelong Mentors

    2. How Seattle's Oldest Business Networking Group Turns Strangers Into Lifelong Mentors A rock-star realtor who found an off-market building in Georgetown before it even hit the listings. A 90-year-old sales legend who tipped the server $5 under the table and never wanted credit for it. A member who talked a friend off the ledge of quitting business altogether and into launching his own company instead. This episode is packed with the kind of Seattle business stories that explain why some members stick around for 38 years. Following up on last episode's deep dive into the 100-year history of the Seattle Executives Association, host Suzan Sturholm sits down with four longtime members of Seattle's original business networking group to talk about mentoring, referrals, and the relationships that turn a Wednesday lunch into a career-long support system.  If you've ever wondered what makes a Seattle networking group different from a chamber of commerce mixer or a LinkedIn connection, this is the episode that spells it out. Meet the guests Sarah Henry — Gaspar's Construction, residential design-build remodeling in Seattle gaspars.com Jeff Altchech — Temporarily Yours, Inc., temporary and administrative staffing, 38-year member https://www.tyiseattle.com/ Corey Coffman — The Coffman Group, residential and commercial painting contractor  coffmangroupllc.com Valerie Young — Warner Telecom Group, business phone and voice/data services, past president and current Mentoring Committee chair https://www.warnertel.com/ About Seattle Executives Association Founded in 1917, the Seattle Executives Association is one of the Pacific Northwest's longest-running business networking organizations, with more than 100 established Seattle and Bellevue-area businesses as members. The group meets every Wednesday at 12:00 noon at the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle. Only one business per classification is admitted, which means membership doubles as an exclusive referral network for Seattle small business owners, contractors, and executives looking to grow through relationships, not cold outreach. Interested in Joining or Attending a Meeting? Visit https://www.seattleexecs.org to learn more about the Seattle Executives Association or to attend a weekly meeting.

  3. Jul 15

    1. The 109-Year History of Seattle Executive Association

    For over a century, one rule has defined the Seattle Executive Association: it's a business club, first and always.  In this inaugural episode, Suzan Sturholm (All Things HR) sits down with member Rich Martin (RB Content Lab) and Executive Director Cheryl Serio to trace the association's history back to its 1917 founding — through the Great Depression, the rise of tech, and the members who shaped it along the way. Rich, who produced the association's centennial documentary, shares what he uncovered digging through a century of membership rosters, including the founders' original 1917 trip to San Francisco, the club's exclusive one-member-per-industry classification system, and the newspaper clipping documenting the 1972 vote to admit women. If you are looking for a community of other business owners in Seattle, look no further. Visit https://www.seattleexecs.org to learn more about the Seattle Executives Association or to attend a weekly meeting. In this episode, you'll hear: How founders Ted Daikin and Ed Frederick built the club's foundation in 1917 Why the classification system still protects members from internal competition The 1972 vote — and the 1988 election of the association's first female president How Prohibition-era poker games gave way to today's weekly executive lunches Why new industries like tech and podcasting are reshaping membership today View the 100 year video here: https://www.seattleexecs.org/our_story Interested in Joining or Attending a Meeting? Visit https://www.seattleexecs.org to learn more about the Seattle Executives Association or to attend a weekly meeting.

  4. Jul 1

    Trailer: Welcome to Seattle Executive Edge: The Podcast for Seattle Business Owners

    Welcome to Seattle Executive Edge — a podcast from the Seattle Executives Association, a century-old professional community that meets weekly at the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle. Each episode goes beyond job titles and company names to explore how meaningful partnerships are formed, how trust is built, and how being part of the right network can change everything for a growing business. What Is the Seattle Executives Association?Founded in 1917, the Seattle Executives Association is one of the oldest and most established business networking organizations in the Pacific Northwest, and one of the largest and most successful executives associations in North America. For more than 100 years, the association has brought together Seattle and Bellevue's top business leaders to build relationships, exchange referrals, and grow their companies through a trusted, one-company-per-industry-category membership model. Members meet weekly at the Washington Athletic Club, representing a wide range of industries — from real estate, construction, and finance to healthcare, hospitality, and professional services. Guided by a mission built on trust, professionalism, and mutual respect, the association fosters a diverse and inclusive community where business owners, principals, and decision-makers collaborate to strengthen each other's success. Interested in Joining or Attending a Meeting?Visit https://www.seattleexecs.org to learn more about the Seattle Executives Association or to attend a weekly meeting.

Trailer

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Go inside the relationships and stories driving Seattle business owners — from tradespeople and small business founders to tech leaders and executives. Hosted by Seattle Executives Association, a century-old professional community meeting weekly at the Washington Athletic Club. Each episode features conversations with executives and entrepreneurs on trust, partnership, and how the right network changes everything. Subscribe for real stories from the people building Seattle's business community and join us for a meeting. Learn more: https://www.seattleexecs.org

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