‘Confessions of a CEO’: From Collapse to Conscious Leadership
“I went from a dictator who could often be mean spirited to a ‘warm-hearted, tough-minded’ leader who came to deeply care about our teammates’ well-being.” — Tom Gegax
In an era of soaring CEO salaries and crumbling public trust in corporate leadership, Tom Gegax’s new documentary, Confessions of a CEO: My Life in an Out-of-Balance World, is a rare look inward. Co-directed with Emmy-nominated filmmaker Eric Gardner, the film is both a searing self-examination and a call to arms. Through unflinching honesty, humor, and hard-won insight, Gegax reveals the personal and professional crises that transformed him from a toxic executive into a vocal advocate for ethical capitalism.
A Wake-Up Call in Three Acts
“There was a single few months when I had a three-ring wake-up call: divorce, cancer, and my company near bankruptcy.”
Gegax, co-founder of Tires Plus, built a retail empire—only to watch it teeter on the brink of collapse. What saved him wasn’t a pivot in strategy but a complete overhaul of values. The film traces his fall and rise, blending candid interviews, archival footage, and commentary from boldface names like Deepak Chopra, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Blue Zones’ Dan Buettner.
Making the Film: “Bare Everything”
“It was difficult at first to resist the ugly stuff coming forth. Fortunately, my co-director convinced me I needed to bare all.”
The filmmaking process was unexpectedly grueling. “Three years. So many moving parts,” Gegax recalls. But the emotional labor of rewatching the worst parts of his life onscreen was what truly tested him—and liberated him. “Authenticity was a major learning,” he says. “I’m a very different human being today.”
Coaching Humans, Not Managing Them
“We dropped all titles of managers and VPs. We should be managing things and coaching humans.”
Gegax’s reinvention as a leader wasn’t symbolic—it was structural. He eliminated traditional corporate hierarchies in favor of a “coaching management” system, modeled after sports teams. One highlight? “Our Loss Prevention Coach would sometimes have to put someone in the penalty box,” he laughs.
He also introduced workplace yoga, massage, and wellness coaching long before “corporate wellness” became a buzzword. “I just took what helped me and offered it to the team. Nothing mandatory.”
From Greed to Golden Rule
“The ratio of CEO pay to the average worker should be a published metric of all companies.”
The documentary doesn’t shy away from hot-button issues. It takes on pay disparity, corporate greed, and performative purpose-washing. Gegax argues that ethics and profitability not only can coexist—they must.
“Purpose, fairness, and caring actually beget greater profits,” he says. “Transparency is the first step toward systemic change.”
Lessons from Gore, Chopra, and Wipeouts
“We learned from each other. Deepak helped me transform. With Al Gore, I mostly mentored him—but I learned plenty too.”
His mentorship of figures like Deepak Chopra and Al Gore offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into high-stakes decisions—from Chopra’s early business growth to Gore’s contemplation of a presidential rematch.
Still, some of his biggest lessons came from failure. “Growing too fast, plus bad behavior—personally and professionally—caused my wipeout.”
Can You Teach Ethical Leadership?
“Unfortunately, too often it requires a personal crisis.”
While Gegax believes ethical leadership can be taught, he warns that many wait for catastrophe. His advice? Don’t. “Check your life dashboard for warning signs. Be proactive before the crash.”
Today, Gegax evaluates founders not just by vision, but by presence: “Emotional intelligence and emanating spirit—those are what I look for now.”
Redefining Success
“Not much has changed since the later Tires Plus years—except how much more grounded I feel.”
Daily rituals now anchor his life: meditation, tennis, spiritual reading, time with his wife Mary. “Thirty-two years and going strong,” he smiles.
And if every CEO in America watched his film?
Reflective paths unfold
“I’d want them to think more about the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you would like to be treated.”
🎬 Confessions of a CEO is now available to screen. Learn more at confessionsofaceomovie.com or follow updates via linktr.ee/confessionsofaceomovie.
