Join me for a conversation with Kevin Zerber, co-founder of TreeRing Inc. 5000 company ranked No. 3200 in 2025 that is redefining the yearbook experience through technology and innovation. Kevin shares how adaptive leadership has guided TreeRing from its earliest days, with an emphasis on continuous improvement, curiosity, and customer-driven personalization. We discuss how the company successfully pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain service continuity, as well as how fostering mentorship and an adaptive culture fuels both innovation and employee growth. Kevin also explains how integrating technology and data enhances efficiency and the customer experience while staying true to TreeRing’s core values, offering practical insights for leaders looking to modernize traditional industries and build resilient organizations.

Episode Highlights & Time Stamps

0:58 The Importance of Adaptive Leadership
2:29 Understanding TreeRing’s Journey
8:50 Exploring Adaptive Leadership Principles
14:51 Mentoring for Employee Growth
18:08 Technology and Cultural Alignment
23:30 Adapting Through Challenges
23:52 Closing Insights on Adaptive Leadership

Adaptive Leadership and Continuous Improvement

In this episode, I speak with Kevin Zerber, co-founder of TreeRing, about how adaptive leadership has shaped the company’s evolution over nearly 17 years. Kevin explains how a commitment to continuous improvement has been foundational to TreeRing’s success, emphasizing that excellence is never a fixed destination. By embracing adaptability and ongoing innovation, TreeRing has built a resilient organization capable of learning, evolving, and thriving in a changing market.

Disrupting the Traditional Yearbook Industry

Kevin shares how TreeRing entered the yearbook market as a disruptor, challenging the one-size-fits-all model with a technology-driven, personalized approach. TreeRing’s platform empowers families to customize yearbooks, enabling individual storytelling and deeper engagement. We explore how innovation and thoughtful design have allowed TreeRing to deliver high-quality yearbooks that better reflect today’s students and communities.

Building an Adaptive Culture with Technology and Mentorship

We conclude by discussing the importance of curiosity, mentorship, and continuous learning within teams. Kevin explains how fostering an adaptive culture encourages creative problem-solving and supports employee growth. He also shares how TreeRing leverages technology, data, and AI to scale efficiently while staying true to its core values, sustainability commitments, and customer experience.

Leading by Example, Trust, and Letting Go of the Outcome

True leadership is built on trust, and trust is earned by doing what you say you will do. Austin shares how leading by example shapes culture, influences behavior, and reinforces standards throughout the organization. As leaders mature, they must also learn to let go of micromanagement and release attachment to perfect outcomes. There is no flawless business—only leaders who care deeply, persist through challenges, and remain committed to developing themselves and their teams.

Key Takeaways

• Adaptive leadership enables organizations to respond effectively to disruption while maintaining long-term vision.
• Continuous improvement is an ongoing journey, not a one-time initiative.
• Personalization and technology can successfully modernize even the most traditional industries.
• Rapid pivots during crises can create new growth opportunities when guided by strong leadership principles.
• Cultivating curiosity, mentorship, and learning drives both innovation and employee development.
• Leveraging data and AI can improve efficiency and customer experience without compromising core values.

About Kevin Zerber:
Kevin Zerber is the co-founder and CEO of TreeRing, a technology company transforming the traditional yearbook industry through personalization, sustainability, and innovation. With decades of experience in software engineering and technology leadership, Kevin has guided TreeRing’s growth by applying adaptive leadership principles, continuous improvement, and a strong focus on customer experience.

How to Connect with Kevin Zerber:

LinkedIn: Search for Kevin Zerber on LinkedIn for professional updates and leadership insights
Company Website: Visit TreeRing.com to learn more about the company, its mission, and leadership team
TreeRing Blog & Media: Kevin’s perspectives are often featured through TreeRing’s content and interviews

Resources & Next Steps

Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level?
Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com
to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team’s performance.

In this episode of Grow Think Tank, I tackle the often-ignored topic of blame in the workplace. I highlight how attributing performance issues to employees or external factors can impede both personal and organizational growth. Drawing from my experience coaching CEOs, I emphasize the importance of self-awareness in leadership and the need to confront uncomfortable truths. Leaders are encouraged to reflect on their roles, recognizing that the solution often lies in their own leadership approach rather than their teams. I provide insights on fostering engagement and redefining company culture, stressing that personal accountability is key to effective business management. Listeners are invited to join a training program aimed at empowering leaders to move beyond blame and embrace growth through intentional action.

In this episode of Grow Think Tank, Gene Hammett sits down with Austin Yarborough, founder of Central Coast Moving, ranked No. 2,278 on the Inc. 5000 list, to explore the power of leadership and continuous improvement. Austin shares how high standards, self-awareness, and leading by example have been essential in scaling his business, attracting A players, and building a strong organizational culture.

Discover Austin’s practical strategies for:

• Embracing Kaizen principles: getting 1% better every day

• Leveraging social media to build trust, not just chase clients

• Tracking progress for personal and professional growth

• Leading by example to influence culture and team performance

• Letting go of micromanagement while maintaining high standards

If you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, or leader looking to grow your business and become a better leader, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

Connect with Austin Yarborough:

• Central Coast Moving: https://centralcoastmoving.com

• Instagram: @centralcoastmoving | @officialaustinarybrough

• The Moving Army: https://www.themovingarmy.com

Subscribe for more leadership insights, growth strategies, and interviews with founders of the fastest-growing companies: [Subscribe Link]

Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction: Why continuous improvement matters
3:11 – Building trust through social media
5:50 – Core principles of leadership
7:52 – The journey of continuous improvement
12:20 – Transforming leadership skills
14:06 – Leading by example
18:47 – Letting go of the outcome
20:21 – Closing thoughts

Keywords / Tags:
Leadership, Continuous Improvement, CEO Growth, Kaizen, Central Coast Moving, Inc 5000, Attracting A Players, Leadership Development, Business Scaling, Executive Coaching

In this episode, I share critical year-end reflections for growth-stage CEOs, especially those leading organizations of around 20 employees. As companies scale, leadership must shift from personal execution to empowering others and ensuring the business can thrive even in the leader’s absence. I walk through seven powerful reflection questions designed to accelerate leadership growth, from identifying your highest-impact actions to confronting avoided conversations and evaluating how well you’re adapting to what the future demands. This episode challenges leaders to lead with courage, rethink their approach for the year ahead, and strengthen both self-awareness and organizational health. All reflection questions are included in the show notes for easy reference.

Episode Highlights & Time Stamps

3:09 Seven Reflection Questions for CEOs
6:33 Exploring Leadership Identity Changes
7:16 Leading with Courage in the New Year
7:54 First Steps to Empower Your Team
9:00 Closing Thoughts and Final Reflections

Episode Summary

In this episode, I guide growth-stage CEOs through a critical year-end reflection often missed during scale, especially around the 20-employee mark. As leadership demands increase, success is no longer about doing more yourself, but about building a business that can move forward without your constant presence. The episode challenges leaders to confront a simple but sobering truth: “If nothing changes in how you lead, this is exactly where your company will be next year.”

Through seven focused reflection questions, I help CEOs evaluate where their leadership truly creates leverage, where it limits growth, and what must change to build a healthier, more scalable organization.

The 7 Reflection Questions

1. The Leverage Audit
   Which 20% of your leadership actions created 80% of your company’s momentum this year?
2. The Impact Test
   Where did your leadership create meaningful growth in others, not just results?
   Who became more capable because you led differently?
3. The Avoided Conversation
   What is the one conversation if addressed that would most reduce friction and free you as the CEO?
4. The Capacity Gap
   Is the way you’re currently leading sustainable for the next stage of growth?
5. The CEO Identity Shift
   As your company grows, which parts of your founder identity are no longer serving you?
   Who must you become for the business to grow beyond you?
6. The Courage Move
   If you were willing to lead with more courage, not more effort, what would you do differently in the first 90 days of the new year?
7. The First Shift
   What is the first leadership behavior you will stop, start, or delegate in the next week to reinforce a business that doesn’t depend on you?

Closing Reflection

If nothing changes in how you lead, where will your company and your energy be this time next year?

All reflection questions are included here for easy reference.

Key Takeaways

• Growth-stage CEOs often become the bottleneck around the 20-employee mark; scaling requires a shift from personal execution to leadership leverage.
• If your leadership approach does not change as the company grows, it will eventually limit both organizational performance and your personal energy.
• Effective leadership is measured not by how much you do, but by how well others perform and grow in your absence.
• Identifying the small set of leadership actions that drive the majority of results creates clarity, focus, and momentum.
• Avoided conversations are often the hidden source of organizational friction and CEO overload.
• The leadership style that helped you reach this stage may not be the one required for the next phase of growth.
• Courage not increased effort is the defining factor in meaningful leadership evolution.
• Small, intentional behavior shifts (what you stop, start, or delegate) can rapidly increase organizational independence.
• Year-end reflection is not passive; when done well, it becomes a strategic act that shapes the company’s future.
• Sustainable growth depends on building a business that can operate and win without relying on the CEO’s constant presence.

Ideal For:
Founders, CEOs, executives, managers, and anyone committed to elevating their leadership capacity.

Resources & Next Steps

Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level?
Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com
to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team’s performance.