Brad Herrmann and Hai Nguyen

Brad Herrmann and Hai Nguyen

From The Steward Chair by Chat With Leaders Media

April 23, 2026 · 54 min · Episode 203

About this episode

Brad Herrmann and Hai Nguyen discuss their approach to building a successful SaaS company through employee ownership and a focus on long-term values.

In this episode of The Steward Chair, Brad Herrmann and Hai Nguyen, Co-founders of Text-Em-All, share their journey of rewriting the SaaS success script by prioritizing greatness over growth and people over profit. They explore how an audacious 100-year vision and the transition to an employee ownership trust drive meaningful, long-term success. We discuss the intentional process of leaders defining "enough," the creation of an employee-driven culture code, and how shared ownership acts as a "silo buster" for political friction. This conversation provides actionable takeaways for leaders committed to stewardship, integrity, and building an organization that remains a joy to do business with. Key Takeaways Defining "Enough" as a Leadership Prerequisite: Transitioning to an employee ownership trust requires founders to confront personal concepts of security and scarcity to determine what financial outcome is "enough" to safeguard the company's future. Institutionalizing Culture Through Documentation: Moving beyond oral legend to a written "Culture Code" allows a company to hire, coach, and even fire based on shared values like authenticity, compassion, and shared excellence. Shared…

People in this episode

Guests: Brad Herrmann, Hai Nguyen

Topics covered

  • employee ownership
  • leadership
  • company culture
  • long-term success
  • stewardship

Keywords

  • SaaS
  • employee ownership trust
  • culture code
  • leadership
  • business success

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Text-Em-All

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