Elevating Your Game: Behind the Scenes at the AFI Boot Camp at Broad River Retail!
Release Date: 12/02/2025
Why Broad River Chooses a Word of the Year
Stories from the River
Watch full episode here: Why does Broad River Retail choose a Word of the Year, and why has the tradition lasted more than a decade? In this spotlight from episode 344, Charlie and Manny break down where the idea started, how it’s shaped the way teams think and work, and what the benefits are from choosing one each year. Visit for more episodes. Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit Follow us on LinkedIn:
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Why “Forge” Became Broad River’s 2026 Word of the Year | Stories from the River #344
Stories from the River
This episode on YouTube: Broad River Retail doesn’t pick a Word of the Year lightly. It’s a signal of where the company is headed and what it expects of its Memory Makers. In this episode of Stories from the River, Charlie Malouf and Manny Rodrigues explain why FORGE became the 2026 Word of the Year. They walk through how the process has evolved, why more Memory Makers now shape the decision, and what ultimately set Forge apart. We also reflect on past words, including 2025’s Pioneer, and why Forge fits a moment focused less on starting and more on building something...
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We're Growing From a Regional to a National Business
Stories from the River
Watch Full episode here: In this spotlight from episode 343, Charlie and Tyler break down the term “durable scalability” and how it became a clear guide for how Broad River Retail thinks about growing its company. They also talk about what it takes to grow from a strong regional business into a national one, without losing what made it work. Visit for more episodes. Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com Follow us on LinkedIn:
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Why Company Growth Works Best When It’s Shared
Stories from the River
Watch Full episode here: https://youtu.be/0Rii4gb5Snw In this spotlight from episode 343, Charlie and Tyler talk about what it means to grow within an organization. Charlie shares the belief that growth shouldn’t benefit just the company, but i t should benefit everyone connected to it. That means all of Broad River Retail's Memory Makers, guests, communities, and partners. When the company grows, people grow with it, through real investment in programs and opportunities that help everyone move forward together. Visit for more episodes. Broad River Retail...
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Inside Broad River Retail's 2026 Vision: Town Hall Highlights and the Journey to $500 Million
Stories from the River
This episode on YouTube: Welcome back to Stories from the River. In this episode, Tyler Trill and Charlie Malouf sit down just after Broad River Retail’s first Town Hall of 2026. With the presentation still fresh, they reflect on why the kick-off Town Hall matters—recognizing the wins of 2025, celebrating individual and team achievements, and setting direction for the year ahead. Highlights include the Albemarle Aces earning Ashley Store of the Year and Broad River once again being named Ashley Licensee of the Year. Looking forward, the conversation centers on DURABLE...
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How the Lighthouse Fund Became a Community Effort
Stories from the River
Watch Full episode here: In this spotlight from episode 342, Tim Sayles shares how the Lighthouse Fund has grown over time. What began with support from Broad River’s leaders has expanded into something bigger, with smaller, steady contributions from across the Broad River community helping sustain it today. Visit for more episodes. Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit Follow us on LinkedIn:
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The Power of Community at Broad River Retail: Lighthouse Fund Stories and Impact
Stories from the River
Watch Full episode here: https://youtu.be/aqZ5JFtNUQY Since launching in July, the Lighthouse Fund has helped more than 54 Memory Makers. A few of those moments have stayed with Emmelyne Henderson. In this spotlight from episode 342, she shares the Lighthouse Fund stories that left a lasting impression. Visit for more episodes. Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit Follow us on LinkedIn:
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Shining a Light: How The Lighthouse Fund Changes Lives at Broad River
Stories from the River
Welcome back to Stories from the River, where Heather Greenwood brings you a bright story of Memory Makers helping Memory Makers. Together with Emelyne Henderson and Tim Sayles, the Lighthouse Fund team is bringing you a six-month update. First, they discuss the origin of the Fund and their experience with it. For fulthe l history, watch this video: https://youtu.be/4S-XXofao0c The Lighthouse Fund, managed with the assistance of Helping Hands, ensures confidentiality and a fair process and is rooted in biblical inspiration. It's there to ensure Memory Makers can get assistance when stuck with...
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How Our Profit-Sharing Program Actually Works at Broad River Retail
Stories from the River
Watch full episode here: How do you garner greatness? In this spotlight from Episode 341, Charlie explains how our profit-sharing business strategy brings every department together, working towards a common goal. Visit for more episodes. Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit Follow us on LinkedIn:
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How Company-Wide Goals and Financial Discipline Drive Double-Digit Growth
Stories from the River
Watch full episode here: How do you garner greatness? In this spotlight from Episode 341, Charlie explains how the right annual goals give teams focus, create accountability, and bring Memory Makers together around a shared direction. When goals matter personally and collectively, they stop being checkboxes and start marking real progress toward what’s next. Visit for more episodes. Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit Follow us on LinkedIn:
info_outlineWelcome back to Stories from the River. In this episode, our guest host and Broad River's Director of People, Heather Greenwood welcomes Kelly Villastrigo, a Million Dollar Memory Maker and Home Furnishings Expert, for a behind-the-scenes look at the AFI Boot Camp training at Broad River Retail’s Pineville flagship store.
Villastrigo shares his journey at Broad River, celebrating nearly two years with the company, and highlights what makes Ashley Furniture stand out—particularly the “mom and pop feel” paired with big company resources. They discuss the lessons learned during the boot camp, and Villastrigo shares exactly which insights he plans to benefit most from the most.
They discuss how ongoing training builds confidence, product knowledge, and ultimately translates to improved guest experiences and sales.
This episode builds on the Ashley's 'Right to Win' Product Knowledge Boot Camp series we did earlier this year and proves that consistent learning is not just something we talk about, but a daily commitment at Broad River Retail.
This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g44vuka43AA
Visit https://www.storiesfromtheriver.com for more episodes.
Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/broad-river-retail