Episode 78: A Century of Style, A Heritage of Service - M. Dumas & Sons

Our guest today is Gary Flynn, CEO and Co-Owner of M. Dumas and Sons, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Founded in 1917 by Mendel Dumas, M. Dumas & Sons has evolved into an iconic men’s specialty retailer in historic downtown Charleston, S.C. Initially known as a uniform shop for service jobs, M. Dumas & Sons evolved to become the sole provider of uniforms for naval officers stationed in Charleston. M. Dumas & Sons transitioned full-time into the men’s apparel arena in 1993.

In the fall of 2015, M. Dumas & Sons completed a $2 million renovation of its iconic store, and today, Charleston locals and tourists alike still consider M. Dumas & Sons a welcoming, historic King Street specialty retailer who is a permanent staple of the city’s landscape.

In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn:

• How a 100+ year old family business adapts to change to make it the successful company it is today

• What a non-family leader should consider before joining a family business

• How core values help in making high-level decisions in their family business

• How conflict is handled when making business decisions

• The most important component of a successful multi-generational family business

• And more…

To learn more about M. Dumas & Sons, visit their website at www.mdumasandsons.com.

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together they create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant.

Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

Episode 77: The Original Precast Plunge Pool, Crafters of Your Comfort

Our guests today are husband and wife duo, Karen and Brian Larson, founders of Soake Pools, Inc., located in Pembroke, New Hampshire.

Since founding Soake Pools in 2014, the Larsons have been manufacturing precast plunge pools with an unwavering attention to detail and quality, and the personal touch their customers deserve. With Brian overseeing production and Karen spearheading sales and marketing efforts, the pair relies heavily on the support of their staff—over a quarter of which is family, who support the sales department and business management team.

In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn:

• How boundaries are established between family and business

• How they solve disagreements as it relates to business decisions

• Advice for couples working together in a Family business

• How they make decisions on hiring family members for the business

• How they handle conflict between family and non-family team members

• And more…

To learn more about Plunge Pools and Soake Pools, Inc., visit their website at www.soakepools.com

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together they create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

Episode 68: Entrepreneurial Family Business: From Survival to Success with Dr. Dianne Welsh, Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina Greensboro

Our guest today is Dr. Dianne Welsh. Dr. Welsh is a known scholar in entrepreneurship, family business, and franchising at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She grew up in her family business, Boyt Division of Welsh Sporting Goods.

Dr. Welsh has published 130 journal articles and eight books, including the go-to book for cross-campus entrepreneurship programs, Creative Cross-Disciplinary Entrepreneurship.

In this episode of Family Business Today, you will learn:

• How growing up in her family business influenced her thoughts on the cross-sector of entrepreneurship and family business

• What the difference is between learning about entrepreneurship and learning about business

• How a family business can create an environment for entrepreneurship to flourish beyond the first generation

• What a NextGen leader can do to help their family business survive past the first generation

• Is there an indicator for family business success?

• And more…

Dr. Dianne Welsh is the author of Entrepreneurial Family Business: From Survival to Success.  Her book focuses on the role of innovation in the development and longevity of her family business, Boyt®. It highlights the integral roles that each person plays in the success of a business and emphasizes that each role deserves respect and praise. To get your copy, visit Entrepreneurial Family Business.

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

Episode 67: Join me at a storied family-owned pub, Bumpa’s, located in the historic French Quarter, Charleston, South Carolina, where everybody knows your name

Our guests today are brothers, Dan and Conor Sullivan, owners of Bumpa’s, in Charleston, South Carolina. Bumpa’s serves up specialty French fries, proprietary-blend burgers, and other elevated bar food in tribute to their grandfather, “Bumpa”.

In this episode of Family Business Today, we will share:

• How their experiences working somewhere else helped prepare them to launch a family-owned business

• What the founding principles their business is built on and how they maintain them on a daily basis in their work

• Learn how two brothers communicate with each other to ensure business success

• The “rules” they have in place when conflict arises

• How they survived as a restaurant during COVID

• Advice to siblings who are considering working together in a family business

• Like their food, what are the secret ingredients for establishing boundaries between work and business relationships

• What the future looks like for Bumpa’s

• And more…

To learn more about Bumpa’s, visit their website at Bumpa's .

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

Episode 64: The Multi-Generational Family Business Behind Some of the Biggest Concert Productions in North America Today with Bob Romeo, Chairman of Romeo Entertainment Group in Nashville, TN

Our guest today is Bob Romeo, Board Chairman, Romeo Entertainment Group, Nashville, Tennessee. Bob followed in the footsteps of his father, Don Romeo, who founded Romeo Entertainment Group in 1954. Today the 3rd generation, RJ Romeo and Michelle Romeo, are managing the daily operations of REG.

Romeo Entertainment Group is a full-service entertainment agency. For more than 65 years they have managed talent buying for fairs, festivals, clubs, casinos, corporate and rodeo events.

 In this episode of Family Business Today, we will share:

• How Don Romeo started the family business in 1954 and what Romeo Entertainment Group does today.

• Stories about working with acts from Lassie and the Three Stooges to the Rolling Stones and nearly every country act.

• Why it was important to Don and Bob for the company to remain a family business and prepare it for transition to the next generation.

• Why it is important for business owners to be storytellers.

• Advice to a family business owner who may be considering inviting their children to join the family business.

• What the future looks like for Romeo Entertainment Group.

• And more…

To learn more about Romeo Entertainment Group, visit their website at Romeo Entertainment Group.

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like a Family Business…. We Know!

Episode 63 : A Five Generation Family Business Shaping Solutions for Tough Raw Materials with Mac Steele, President, JC Steele & Sons

Our guest today is Mac Steele, President of JC Steele & Sons, Statesville, North Carolina. 

Mac along with his cousin, Marian Steele Clark, joined the family business in 2010 founded by their great-great grandfather, JC Steele, in 1889.  Mac oversees all worldwide sales and customer service.

JC Steele & Sons is the corporate parent of The Steel Group and the global leader in stiff extrusion machinery and solutions for customers in heavy clay, iron & steel, ferro alloys and gypsum/wallboard.

In this episode of Family Business Today, Mac will share:

• The story of how JC Steele started the family business in 1889 and what JC Steele does today.

• Why it is important to remember and share your legacy and values to today’s family members, team members and customers.

• The importance of crafting a clear, compelling vision and getting stakeholder buy-in for your business success.

• What some of the challenges and benefits of working with siblings and cousins in a family business.

• What questions a next generation family member should ask before joining the family business.

• What the future looks like for JC Steele & Sons.

• And more…

To learn more about Mac Steele and JC Steele & Sons, visit their website at www.jcsteele.com.

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like Family Business….We Know!

Episode 57: How a Virginia Peanut Changed an Industry and Created a Family Legacy, Hubbard Peanut Company with Marshall Rabil

Our guest today is Marshall Rabil. Marshall serves as the Sales and Marketing Director of Virginia-based and family-owned Hubbard Peanut Company, which his grandmother and grandfather founded nearly 70 years ago. Named one of Inside Business’ 40 Under 40 in 2019, Rabil helps lead the company with a big heart for his community and his multifaceted experience ranging from sustainable development studies to leading student groups internationally.

In this episode of Family Business Today, Marshall will share:

• How the specialty peanut company Hubs got its start with Marshall’s grandmother Dot, her unique recipe, and a unique Virginia peanut

• The steps Hubs has taken to expand from their homegrown roots while staying connected to the legacy and the community of Sedley, Virginia

• About his background in international teaching, community development projects, specialty grocery, sustainability, and service

• That an important part of a succession plan is clear communication of goals, of timelines, and of how the baton will be passed to the next generation

• The opportunities Hubs has for the business and the people of the business to give back to their community

• And more…

To learn more about Marshall Rabil and the Hubbard Peanut Company, visit https://www.hubspeanuts.com/. 

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like Family Business…..We Know!

Episode 56: What’s in Your Cup? A Cup of Coffee/Tea and a Conversation with Bill Smith, Royal Cup Coffee & Tea and Double Iron Consulting

Our guest today is Bill Smith. Bill Smith has been involved with his family business for over 30 years. Royal Cup Coffee & Tea has been in his family since his grandfather bought the company in 1950.  In 2014, Bill was promoted to the President and CEO role, following his uncle and moving the guidance of the business to him as a third-generation leader. Bill launched Double Iron Consulting in 2021 to serve and help small to medium-sized businesses and family business owners and executives clarify and achieve their goals.  He understands what it’s like to be in their position and knows the care that goes into a business, especially when it’s a family business.

In this episode of Family Business Today, Bill will share:

• His grandfather’s passion for buying, owning, and running a business, which started the Smith family legacy in Royal Cup Coffee & Tea

• How his 25 years in the family business began with learning how to roast coffee at 16 and lead to his work in the company’s national infrastructure

• The value of providing immersion opportunities to the next generation when it comes to learning and developing passion for the family business

• How important it is for a family business to respect both the family aspect and the business aspect when growing the company

• How family business owners need to give themselves the time to successfully transition their business to avoid reactive or rushed transition

• And more…

To learn more about Bill and his business Double Iron Consulting, visit www.doubleironconsulting.com/.   

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like Family Business…..We Know!

Episode 46: Facing the Unexpected and Keeping on Trucking with Crissy Wieck of Western Express, Inc.

Crissy Wieck was born and raised in Nashville and graduated from The Harpeth Hall School.  After working at Dell for 12 years, Crissy joined her family business after the death of her father’s business partner.  Crissy has spent 10 years at Western Express and is currently the Chief Sales Officer and a minority owner.  In this capacity, Crissy is responsible for Sales and Operations (~$850M) and is a member of the Executive Team.  Crissy is married to Matt Wiltshire and has three daughters, a son and two stepsons.

Crissy left Nashville to play soccer at Maryville College. After graduating in May of 2000, she headed to Dell.  The company opened an office in Nashville the month before she graduated and made a commitment to the city to grow local talent organically.  By 2009, Crissy was the General Manager and Global Site Lead for Dell Nashville and the Regional Sales Director for the East Coast.  Three buildings, 2500 employees and a $5B footprint in Nashville allowed for her to be the CEO of the largest non-headquarter site for Dell.  Her direct P&L represented $2B of the $5B in Nashville.  This proved to be a perfect training ground for the unexpected career change in 2012 when she joined her family business.      

Western Express is a top ten Truckload Carrier in the country with over 3,000 trucks running the US and Mexico.  The company has been in business since 1991 and was started by Crissy’s grandfather (minority owner) and another family, with only 5 trucks.  Her father joined the company in 1996, when they had 36 trucks, and across the ten years that followed, grew the company to 3000 trucks.  She and her brother joined Western Express upon the death of their father’s business partner to help run the business and they are both minority owners in the business, while their father is the majority owner.  Today the company has 4,500 drivers and ~750 non driving associates across 6 locations in the US.

Crissy has been on several Boards including; The Adventure Science Center, Nashville Public Television, The Maryville College Alumni Board, The Bank of Nashville, The Banner Advisory Board and The Harpeth Hall School.

In this episode of Family Business Today, Crissy will share:

• How two neighbors talking over a fence in 1991 grew into a multi-generational company with 3000 trucks in 2006

• How the vision for the company grew as the company grew, and how it has changed as the economy has changed around it

• What it means to have “fun” as a business’s core value

• How the company has adapted and rebuilt through a tornado in 2020 and COVID in 2021

• How her experiences at Dell helped her learn about how to run an entire business

• And more…

To learn more about Western Express, Inc., visit http://www.westernexp.com/.   

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like Family Business…..We Know!

Episode 45: A Company That Helped to Mechanize the Mid-South with the Morgan Family of John Bouchard & Sons, Co.

For over a century, the John Bouchard & Sons Co. (JBS) tradition of innovation and excellence has helped create and maintain the systems that keep the Mid-South running. Beginning as a Nashville machine shop in 1900, the company was incorporated in 1913. Today it is a fifth-generation, family-owned, diversified company serving modern industry through four fully-integrated divisions: Industrial Sales, Machine Services, Construction and Foundry. Their home office/shop is in its original Nashville location.

After working in areas of journalism, architectural restoration, home education & serving numerous non-profit Boards, Lisa Bouchard Morgan joined the JBS Board in 2011. Now the Chairman & CEO, Lisa oversees and nurtures the fifth generation of her family’s business. Protecting the rooted history and rich values, while fanning new sparks of innovation and change, are the balances to her vision. In its 121st year, Lisa led the process for JBS to become a Certified Woman Business Enterprise (WBE), making them even more of an asset to their customers and partnering contractors. For JBS, the GOD-given value of each worker, and the value of that work to them, are foundational priorities as they keep the hardworking infrastructure of the Mid-South running.

After working for Exxon’s offshore district operations, William Morgan joined JBS in 1986. Mentored by his father-in-law, he tackled challenges in various departments of the Company and developed as the leader of operations, ultimately serving as President, from 2001 to the present.  His keen engineering sense keeps the navigation of the entire Company on a solid, steady course. He is a graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering and holds an MBA from Vanderbilt’s Owen Business School.

The eldest child of Lisa & William, Carver Morgan joined JBS in 2014, after spending 3 years in the corporate world. He was mentored by JBS tradesmen and technicians during a 3.5 year apprenticeship throughout the diversified areas of the company. Since, he has served as Company Historian, as interim Safety Director and in various project management roles. He currently co-leads the JBS Machine Shop. He holds a BS from the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering and an MBA from Lipscomb University.

In this episode of Family Business Today, Lisa, William, and Carver will share:

• The longstanding history of John Bouchard & Sons Co., taking the company into its fifth generation

• How John E. Bouchard III led the company with his actions and his faith

• How the common thread of infrastructure can be traced from the company’s very beginnings, in Nashville, TN and across the Mid-South

• Lisa’s passion for the business she inherited from her father and the steps she has taken to provide for her associates in her role as CEO

• How the pandemic strengthened the family business’s resolve to continue to “help companies do what they do”

• And more…

To learn more about John Bouchard & Sons, Co., visit https://jbouchard.com/.   

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one-on-one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like Family Business…..We Know!

Episode 43: Changing with the Times Has Resulted in a Century-Old Family Business with Ben Grossman of Grossman Marketing Group

Ben Grossman, along with his brother, David, are the fourth generation of family leadership and have been leading Grossman Marketing Group for ten years. Their family business was founded as Massachusetts Envelope Company in 1910 by Maxwell Grossman, whose lifelong dream was to own his own business. Now, 111 years since its founding, the company is a full-service resource helping clients with a broad range of traditional and digital marketing needs.

Ben Grossman holds a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Prior to Columbia, Ben worked as a strategy consultant to Fortune 500 clients, as well as started and sold a sportswear and marketing firm.

In this episode of Family Business Today, Ben will share:

• The story of how Grossman Marketing Group has evolved over time and throughout generations

• How observation and continuous learning paired with a mind for application can help you in your family business

• How important his time outside the family business gaining experience, both in the consulting world and in the start-up world, has been in helping him lead his family business

• That a large part of his family business’s longevity is to not take anything for granted

• How he and his brother started their tenure as leaders of Grossman Marketing Group by asking people’s input into the company using the HR stop-start-continue method

• And more…

To learn more about Grossman Marketing Group, visit www.grossmanmarketing.com.

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com. If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one on one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like Family Business…..We Know!

Episode 40: Relying on Technology, Your Team, and New Business Development Opportunities in the New Norm with Laurie Guzman of The Inside Story, LLC

Your host, Greg Lewis, talks to Laurie Guzman. Laurie is the founder and president of The Inside Story, LLC, a virtual assistance organization located in Nashville, TN. Laurie has established herself as an Opportunity Broker, a Master of Connecting the Right People and the Right Business to the Right Opportunity. Laurie is also the mother of two amazing sons, who inspired her to launch her business that encourages flexibility and life balance.

In this episode of Family Business Today Laurie Guzman will share:

• How having and recovering from COVID made her appreciate having the right people in her business and the importance of relying on your team and your processes

• How business owners need to rely on the power of calendar management instead of depending on their own mind and memory, especially during times of growth

• The critical role virtual assistants can play in the technological and the business development sides of the business as we experience our “new norms”

• How her passion for connecting people has not only led to the success of her own business but the success of those she works with locally, nationally, and globally

• How businesses can use the circumstances of 2020 to refine their vision and lean more on the support of other business leaders

• And much more…

To learn more about Laurie Guzman and her business, The Inside Story, LLC, visit their website at https://www.theinsidestoryllc.com/.  

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

If you are considering a transition in your family business contact us today for a FREE  Transition Assessment (follow link) and receive a one on one review of your business transition preparedness with a family business consultant. (a $299 value)

Until next time, There’s No Business Like Family Business…..We Know!