Boat Boy: The Scout Story of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose
Speaker: Steve Potts — Founder and President, Scout Boats
Steve Potts is the founder and president of Scout Boats, one of the country’s leading boat manufacturers. Since launching the company in 1989, he has grown Scout into one of the nation’s premier boat builders.
In his new book, Boat Boy, Potts shares the personal and professional journey behind that growth, offering a candid and often humorous look at entrepreneurship, leadership, perseverance, and the lessons learned along the way.
Today, Scout Boats is a true multigenerational family business. Potts has deliberately prepared the company for the future, with his children taking on day-to-day leadership responsibilities and his grandchildren already involved—making Scout a three-generation family enterprise.
Join us as Steve shares the Scout story and the lessons he has learned about building a successful company, developing the next generation, and creating a family business designed to endure.
What You Will Learn
Attendees will gain practical insights into:
- Building with purpose — How passion, perseverance, and a clear sense of purpose can shape a company’s culture and long-term success.
- Leading through growth and adversity — Lessons learned from more than three decades of entrepreneurship and building Scout Boats.
- Preparing the next generation — How to intentionally develop family members for meaningful roles and leadership responsibilities.
- Transitioning leadership — What it takes for a founder to begin passing day-to-day responsibility to the next generation.
- Creating a lasting family enterprise — How family values, business strategy, and succession planning can work together to build a multigenerational legacy.
Who Should Attend
Family business owners, next-generation family leaders, non-family executives, advisors, accountants, attorneys, consultants, and anyone interested in the long-term success and continuity of family enterprises.
Questions
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Ali Webber at awebber@andersonuniversity.edu or 864-622-6004.
Thank you!
Brad
