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In an era defined by relentless innovation and market volatility, the ability to navigate and anticipate disruption has become a cornerstone of leadership. Baton Rouge Business Report‘s Forty Under 40 honorees are proving that resilience and adaptability are more than just buzzwords—they’re essential strategies.
These young leaders are leveraging diverse approaches to stay ahead of the curve, embracing change as an opportunity rather than a challenge.
From rethinking value propositions for the next generation of consumers to harnessing artificial intelligence without losing the human touch, these professionals exemplify the power of proactive leadership. Danielle Brown, Global Head of Influencer Marketing at Google/YouTube, urges leaders to “seek and embrace change before disruption occurs,” emphasizing the importance of staying ahead of generational shifts. Others, like Logan Austin of Our Lady of the Lake Health, credit their success to fostering national networks and adapting proven ideas to local challenges.
The approaches are as varied as the industries they represent: Michael Scarbrough prioritizes customer-driven innovation, while David Hou of ExxonMobil explores “anti-fragility” as a strategy to thrive through disruption. Meanwhile, Kathryn Manning of b1Bank sees risk as a pathway to opportunity, and Peyton Finical of Sasquatch Waste stresses the importance of listening to customer needs.
Whether reimagining processes, testing boundaries, or collaborating across industries, these leaders are united by their commitment to not just survive but thrive in the face of disruption. Their insights offer a roadmap for any leader looking to future-proof their business. Here’s a sampling:
“Be the revolution before it finds you! Seek and embrace change before disruption occurs—recognizing and adapting to technology, market, and culture shifts that will drive industry transformation. Start rethinking how Gen Z and Alpha engage and experience products and services to reimagine value propositions that are a competitive differentiator. This is how you lead change, and not react to it.”
—Danielle Brown, Global Head of Influencer Marketing at Google | YouTube
“Having contacts across the nation in various organizations. There are always different points of view and approaches to similar issues. Most of the time you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, you simply need to adopt and tweak novel ideas from the people you surround yourself with.”
—Logan Austin, Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Our Lady of the Lake Health
“In a world increasingly driven by AI, we focus on telling authentic, relatable stories that resonate on a personal level. At the same time, we leverage AI to enhance our operation—streamlining processes, analyzing trends, and improving efficiency—without losing the human touch that defines our work.”
—Ross Armstrong, Owner, 4th FLR Productions; Lieutenant, Baton Rouge Fire Department
“Our industries are in a constant state of change and evolution, influenced by factors such as labor, material availability and the economy. We prioritize staying informed and connected to our customers, closely monitoring their evolving needs. When we identify an opportunity to expand our product offerings, modify a food type, or improve our processes, we engage in brainstorming sessions to quickly implement new ideas. Before bringing a product or process to market, we rigorously test it, deliberately seeking out potential failures to ensure its success.”
—Michael Scarbrough, owner, Green Heart Group, United Supply Agency, Empire Electrical Group
“I work in the service company, and the best way we stay ahead of disruptions is to listen to our customers. If there is something that can make their job easier or create more trust in our company, then we need to try our best to implement it. Every customer has a need: How can you identify it and meet that need?”
—Peyton Finical, Co-Founder, Sasquatch Waste
“At ExxonMobil, we focus on leveraging our people, technology, scale, integration, and operational excellence to be competitive and resilient in the face of industry disruptions. Recently, I am exploring the idea of anti-fragility, which focuses on thriving through disruptions rather than merely survive. The idea focuses on embracing uncertainties, learning from failures, building optionality, seeking discomfort, and testing/iterating new approaches.”
—David Hou, Business Team Leader, ExxonMobil
“Embrace new technology and approach it with clear eyes and a level head. AI is a great example, and Phelps has stayed ahead by embracing this new technology to make us more efficient and provide greater value to our clients. We are not viewing AI as a disruption, but as an enhancement.”
—Madison DeWitt, Partner, Phelps Dunbar
“As someone who assists with managing risk in a financial institution, we spend a significant amount of time trying to anticipate potential disruptions and then strategically planning our responses to those disruptions. We’ve built a culture where these challenges are seen as opportunities to learn and to embrace positive change so that disruptions do not have to be disruptive. A strong foundation of risk management controls and oversight can position you to face future challenges.”
—Kathryn Manning, EVP/Chief Risk Officer at b1Bank
“Stay curious and keep your eyes open for inspiration, because it’s everywhere. Someone once told me, ‘if you’re not green, you stop growing,’ and that really resonated with me. You have to set aside time for you and your team to explore, experiment and shake things up, while knowing you can’t catch every train that goes by. I try to keep up with other leaders and colleagues in my industry and am very open, some may say too open, about internal challenges we face and initiatives we are exploring. I’ve found that our community in Baton Rouge is very willing to share and collaborate, but you’ll never know if you don’t ask.”
—Joe Martin, Co-Owner/Chief Creative Officer, Red Six Media; Co-Owner/Hypeman, Brickyard South Bar + Patio
“I have always been fairly conservative, accepting risk when I feel it is just the right time. We spend a lot of time discussing the idea of staying on the cutting edge but not necessarily the bleeding edge. Our profession has faced more challenges and disruptions over the past three to five years than I can remember over the entire rest of my career prior. We keep our teams informed of what’s out in the market and spend time anticipating what could impact our daily workflow. I like to be progressive in order to not become obsolete, but we take opportunities in doses to not change everything drastically all at once.”
—Derek W. Foret, Partner – Assurance Service Line Lead, Hannis T. Bourgeois
