Episode 397 - Leaving the CEO Chair for a $500M Mission | Scott Miller

The Shade We Sit Under Host Justin Forman sits down with Scott Miller, former CEO of Interstate Batteries, for a conversation about building on a founder's foundation, naming the culture you inherited, and hearing God's call to the next seat. Scott Miller started hauling 60-pound boxes of lead in his family's Dallas warehouse at 14. He spent 25 years inside the business and 10 more leading it. Then he stepped out of the CEO chair on purpose, to help fuel a half-billion-dollar effort to train pastors for 3.7 million churches. Scott is the son of Norm Miller, who helped build Interstate Batteries into a national brand after John Searcy founded it out of the back of a Studebaker pickup in 1952. Scott worked his way up from the warehouse floor and a small-town Texas sales route before becoming CEO. As CEO, his team codified Interstate's purpose statement, values, vision, and long-term strategy. Today he is helping direct his family company's giving into the Global Pastoral Training Alliance, the single biggest investment the company has ever made. Key Topics: - Why following a legendary leader turned out to be easier than expected - How Interstate codified its purpose and values through thousands of stakeholder interviews - The consignment model that turned a grudge buy into a national brand - How a phone call from Coach Joe Gibbs became a 35-year NASCAR partnership - Knowing when your season as CEO is complete - Training the trainers: the plan to close a pastoral gap across 3.7 million churches - Why collaborative giving offers an efficient return on Kingdom investment For entrepreneurs carrying something someone else started, Scott offers a clear picture of stewardship at every stage. That means honoring the foundation, naming what's true, building on it, and knowing when to hand it off. For builders wondering what their giving could become, his story shows what happens when business excellence and generosity grow together. Watch the full episode on YouTube or continue to stream audio on your favorite podcast platform.