Monopoly Money, Real Culture with Paramount's Curtis Elliott

About this episode

Curtis Elliott discusses how Paramount Plastics retained its staff during an industry downturn by investing in its people and fostering a strong company culture.

How many leaders retain their entire staff in the face of an industry-wide downturn? We’re lucky that Curtis Elliott , President of Paramount Plastics , is one of them. Curtis takes us inside the RV and marine market, where many companies resorted to deep layoffs after Covid, and reveals why Paramount took the harder path of investing in their people. That decision—avoiding “violent change”—built unshakeable loyalty and set them up for a strong rebound. Curtis also shares how a focus on safety became a core value, and why their legendary holiday party, complete with his role as auctioneer, is a testament to their authentic atmosphere. Finally, he draws a fascinating parallel between rebuilding a company’s culture and rebuilding a football program, breaking down his Mount Rushmore of transformative coaches and what their leadership styles teach us about perseverance. Edited by Mateusz Złakowski

People in this episode

Guest: Curtis Elliott

Topics covered

• leadership
• company culture
• employee retention
• safety
• business strategy

Keywords

• leadership
• employee loyalty
• company culture
• safety
• business resilience

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Paramount Plastics

Places: Covid

More episodes of Empowered Owners

• Partnership Not Pricing with Firstar's Luke Orszag · May 19, 2026 · 17 min
• Legacy, Leadership, and Letting Go with Brad Benoure · May 5, 2026 · 23 min
• From Dartboards to Data with EV's Kim Dinwiddie · April 21, 2026 · 20 min
• On Resilience with TVF's Tad Calahan · April 7, 2026 · 18 min
• Finding Your People with Whitney Brothers' Scott Kroeger · March 24, 2026 · 27 min
• Go-Karts, Stories, and 150,000 Square Feet of Fabric: The 2026 EO Summit · March 10, 2026 · 25 min