Ethics and Leadership: An Executive's Perspective-Joe Erwin

Joe Erwin

 Joe Erwin is a 1979 Clemson graduate with a degree in political science who was named an Alumni Fellow of the University in 2003. He is the co-founder and president of Erwin-Penland, a marketing and communications agency based in Greenville, now part of Interpublic Group's Hill Holliday. Erwin is the former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party and has been on boards for South Carolina Special Olympics, the Governor's Commission on Teacher Quality and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

Q. How long have you been an entrepreneur and created your company?

A. Honestly I think I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was a kid; that may sound goofy but it’s true. I was often launching little business as a teen to raise spending money. We started Erwin Penland in 1986 with all of our savings as our only capital.


Q. What are Erwin Penland’s values and vision? How have you been able to interject in this company your particular passion in managing and growing a business and its people?

A. Our three core values are integrity, customer service, and growth. Our vision is to strive for greatness. To make these values and vision the core of our business we hold an annual two-day retreat in which we give out awards to those who most live our values. We also build these values and vision into each staff member’s performance review.


Q. How do you emphasize ethics at Erwin Penland?

A. As I mentioned, we emphasize this in how we evaluate our teammates and we actually celebrate it. I think that’s important as it shows all our people what matters most to us as the company’s leaders.


Q. What has been one of the greatest challenges at Erwin Penland and how did you face it?

A. Early in our history, we urgently needed cash to invest in technology that was needed to grow our business. I went to bank after bank to try and borrow money and each one turned us down. We gave up on the banks and did our best to keep the business growing. Then one day, I was surprised when Gretchen’s parents insisted on making us the $15,000 loan we needed. I was fairly certain they didn’t expect to see the money again, but of course they loved their daughter even if she did marry some dream chasing idea guy. The investment helped ignite new growth at Erwin Penland and six months later I wrote Gretchen’s folks a check for the full amount. Plus interest. To this day that stands out as one of our greatest accomplishments.


Q. What has been the most rewarding part of running the business to date?

A. The joy of working with bright, passionate teammates who care desperately about our clients, our community, and each other.


Q. What do you find enjoyable and rewarding as a member of the Rutland Ethics Alliance? Is there anything lacking from your perspective?

A. I’m impressed and pleased to see Clemson becoming recognized as a thought leader in this area. We have a great opportunity to help business and institutions everywhere become better and more successful by showcasing best practices in ethics.


Q. Do you have a call to action for readers?

A. Be unafraid at saying how ethics is front and center in all that you do. I reminded our team years ago that when we made this value a public one for all to know, we risked looking like a hypocrite if we stumbled. But that is a risk worth taking, because staying grounded and focused on integrity and ethics brings out the best in us. So even when we do make mistakes (and we sure have), the focus helps get us back on track faster, having learned from our mistakes.