May 29, 2024
By MacKenzie Brower
Paradise Valley resident Adam Goodman gets out of bed every day to make an impact on the community in various capacities as CEO of Goodmans Interior Structures and board chair of the Phoenix Symphony, Banner Health Foundation and Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.
Before taking on the 70-year-old, family-owned furniture company of three generations, Goodman worked for newspapers after college with the ambition to become a publisher. He remains active and committed to preserving journalism.
“I looked at what it was about newspapers that moved me so much,” Goodman said. “I realized what I love about newspapers is it can shine a light on a societal problem and in-spire change.”
About 20 years ago, Goodman pivoted the company and in 2011, it was certified as the first Benefit Corporation in Arizona, a legal designation that recognizes commitment to the community, environment and employees.
Goodmans has developed charitable programs as well, winning an award for community impact and getting recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of the most charitable companies in Phoenix.
During the last four years, Goodmans has reached its highest revenue in the company’s history and will soon complete renovation of its show room to bring employees back to the workplace after the pandemic changed how workplaces operate.
Every year, the number one goal of Goodmans is to be the best place to work.
“We’ve been a best place to work 13 years in a row until we weren’t,” Goodman said. “We missed it for the first time in 2022 and that forced us to look inward at what happened. We realized our culture was falling apart, although the results were good for the company, and employees were happy with flexibility.”
Many employees felt disconnected, so Goodmans conducted third-party research and is using the power of design to compel them to come into the office of their own free will and volition to have a better experience.
In addition to his own business, Goodman has held leadership positions with many other organizations and is involved in the city’s economic development. He won the Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s Community Impact Award in 2018.
In fact, Goodman was drawn to the Phoenix Symphony from an interest in economic development eight years ago. A city needs a great symphony to have a vibrant arts and culture scene, Goodman said.
“A vibrant arts and culture scene is essential for attracting top companies to Phoenix,” Goodman said. “However, as I became more acquainted with the orchestra, I developed a deeper appreciation for its artistry.”
He’s now hooked on classical music.
At first, Goodman just attended pop performances, but more exposure to the artistry sparked his journey of learning about compositions, composers, musicians and the conductor’s interpretive choices.
“Exploring orchestral music is both challenging and rewarding, almost like learning a new language,” he stated.
Last weekend, the Phoenix Symphony performed “The Resurrection Mixtape” which fuses the music of Notorious B.I.B. and Tupac Shakur with Gustav Mahler. These kinds of performances bring in people who, like Goodman, have never been exposed to classical music.
Goodman has been listening to the classical pieces for next season and favors the ones with stirring percussions and brass.
“I am especially excited about the first movement of the season opener, Gustav Holst’s The Planets. I am also looking forward to the return of our morning rehearsal series, ‘Coffee, Conversations and Classics,’” Goodman shared.
The Phoenix Symphony is now in the process of recruiting a new music director since conductor Tito Muñoz recently left at the end of his contract after 10 years. The process will take two years, involving scheduled performances and a committee of board members, musicians and staff expertly led by Mo Stein of HKS Architects.
The Phoenix Symphony is also always looking for partners who can provide venues for musicians to perform for underserved communities such as the homeless, patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s, grade school students and others who may not have the opportunity to attend concerts at Symphony Hall.
