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Why “Forge” Became Broad River’s 2026 Word of the Year | Stories from the River #344

Release Date: 02/03/2026

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...

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:

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...

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...

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:

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:

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...

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:

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:

Profit Sharing Pay Day: Broad River Pays Out $1.6 Million in Profit Sharing

Stories from the River

This episode on Youtube: We love First Time Evers. And this week, we paid out $1.6 million in profit sharing to over 640 Memory Makers. In today's episode, Charlie Malouf and Manny Rodrigues, the owners and executives of Broad River Retail, discuss a celebratory town hall from Friday, January 9th, at which they announced the profit-sharing pay day. They share their pride and excitement over achieving a milestone $272 million delivered sales goal, an accomplishment which led to a record payout of over $1,600,000 shared among more than 640 Memory Makers. They discuss how their...

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This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HJeq7X4Rn4M

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 that lasts.

Visit https://www.storiesfromtheriver.com for more episodes.

Broad River Retail brought this show to you. Visit https://BroadRiverRetail.com

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