Celebrating Small Family Businesses

About Celebrating Small Family Businesses

We interview small family business owners about their experience of working together in the family business, highlighting what they love about it and sharing challenges they have overcome that other family business owners could learn from. Small Family Businesses range from Mom and Pop's to a few hundred employees, from startups to multigenerational institutions. They are the heart and soul of commerce around the world. Here we celebrate their courage, their persistence, their resilience, and their value in this fast-changing world. They navigate the uncertainty of consumer trends, technology changes, pandemics and more while doing their best to serve the needs and desires of their fellow humans. Join us as we learn from, admire, and celebrate them! Every episode has nuggets of wisdom learned from both previous generation’s experience and plain old trial-and-error. These are the unsung heroes of business, often with everything they own and their family relationships at risk. As members of multi-generation family businesses ourselves, we also discuss our own challenges, failures, and lessons learned. Rather than ask guests to bare their souls, we do it ourselves, so others can avoid or lessen their own experience with similar situations. That’s why we do what we do; so that others can learn from our mistakes and experience. We continue to learn from other family business owners. Join us on this journey.

Publisher

Kuder Consulting Group

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

18 Feb 2024

Latest episode

7 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 46 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   7 Jan 2026

   Family Business Done Right: The Bear Iron Works Story

   In this episode of Celebrating Small Family Businesses, we sit down with Mike and Roggen Frick, the father-and-son team behind Bear Iron Works, a fast-growing manufacturing company serving the civil construction industry nationwide. What started as a few handmade rock screens turned into a full-scale operation—launched during COVID—built on trust, clear roles, strong culture, and smart systems. Mike and Roggen share how they’ve grown Bear Iron Works while working remotely, applying corporate principles without losing the heart of a family business. This conversation is full of practical insights for family business owners, contractors, and anyone navigating growth without sacrificing relationships. In This Episode, We Discuss: How Bear Iron Works got started—almost by accident Turning a side hustle into a scalable manufacturing business Launching and growing during COVID Separating family roles from business roles Running operations remotely without losing quality or culture Cash flow challenges and the shift to e-commerce Applying corporate principles in a small family business Building trust across generations What’s next for Bear Iron Works About Bear Iron Works Bear Iron Works designs and manufactures heavy-duty equipment for the civil construction industry, including grizzly rock screens, bedding boxes, concrete washout tubs, tracking pads, and more. Their products are built in the U.S. and shipped nationwide. 🌐 Website: https://bearironworks.net (https://bearironworks.net/) 💸 Listener Discount Use code CELEBRATE for 5% off your entire order. Connect with Bear Iron Works LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bearironworks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BearIronWorks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearironworks/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bearironworks Timestamps 00:00:00 – Introduction to Bear Iron Works and the Frick family 00:01:00 – How Bear Iron Works first got started 00:02:00 – Building grizzly rock screens during college 00:04:00 – Restarting the business during COVID 00:05:00 – Early growth and first major customers 00:07:00 – Running the business remotely 00:09:00 – Separating family and business roles 00:12:00 – Growing up in construction and learning in the field 00:15:00 – Standing out in the construction management world 00:16:00 – Being offered buyouts—and saying no 00:18:00 – Cash flow challenges during rapid growth 00:20:00 – Moving to e-commerce to stabilize cash flow 00:23:00 – What Mike and Roggen have learned about each other 00:25:00 – Trust, leadership, and letting the next generation lead 00:27:00 – Applying corporate principles...

2. 

   21 Dec 2025

   The Deal That Didn’t Happen: Why Walking Away Was the Best Business Move

   In this episode of Celebrating Small Family Businesses, we are joined by the dynamic husband-and-wife duo, Andrea and Ray Bryant. Their story is the perfect example of how one closed door can lead to a much better open one. Andrea shares her journey from a burned-out second-grade teacher to a real estate flipper, and finally, to the owner of Staged Right LLC. You’ll hear the incredible story of how they almost bought an existing staging business, only to discover red flags (and a "mean" owner) that made them run in the opposite direction. Instead of buying a legacy of bad vibes, they bought a U-Haul and started from scratch! Ray joins the conversation to talk about his role as the supportive spouse with a W2 job, the "Sanford and Son" days of their early inventory, and why he knew Andrea could succeed before she believed it herself. We also dive into the nitty-gritty of scaling a family business, including how Andrea built a team so trustworthy that she was able to take a one-month vacation while the business kept humming. In this episode, we discuss: The Career Pivot: Moving from the pressure of standardized testing in schools to the creativity of home staging. Due Diligence: The story of shadowing a business owner for two months and realizing you shouldn't buy their company. The "Ray" Factor: How to balance a full-time job while supporting your spouse’s new entrepreneurial venture (and doing the heavy lifting!). Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Why "I don't know how to do that" shouldn't stop you. The "Clockwork" Moment: How Andrea successfully stepped away for a month-long vacation without the business falling apart. Giving Back: How Staged Right uses their inventory to support The Joshua House, a local shelter for abused and neglected children. Mentioned in this Episode: Book Recommendation: Clockwork by Mike Michalowicz (John’s pick for business systems!) Charity Spotlight: The Joshua House (https://www.friendsofjoshuahouse.org/) Connect with Staged Right: Website: https://stagedrightllc.com/ Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/stagedrightllc A Note from John & Connie: We loved Andrea’s advice at the end: "You can do more than you think you can do." Sometimes, it just takes a supportive partner and a little push to realize your own potential. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review! 00:00 Introduction to Staged Right LLC 00:38 Andrea's Journey from Teaching to House Flipping 01:13 The Unexpected Opportunity 02:10 Starting Staged Right LLC 03:43 Challenges and Early Successes 05:31 The Importance of Staging in Real Estate 07:53 Personal Stories and Lessons Learned 13:34 Balancing Business and Personal Life 16:53 Reflecting on Career Choices 17:36 Learning About Each Other 19:19 Advice for Couples in Business 20:00 Balancing Business and Personal Life 21:04 The Joy of Staging 22:43 Charity Work and Giving Back 23:56 Building a Self-Sustaining Business 31:05 Encouragement for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

3. 

   29 Oct 2025

   30 Years, 8 Books, Zero Regrets: How Hank & Sharyn Built Yuloff Creative

   We had such a blast sitting down with Hank and Sharyn Yuloff of Yuloff Creative Marketing Solutions! This husband-and-wife team has been coaching small businesses for over 30 years, and their energy is absolutely infectious. What we loved most about this conversation was how real they kept it. From Hank's origin story (involving his mom, a fax machine, and a fateful Thanksgiving dinner) to Sharyn's journey from HR management to becoming a powerhouse business coach, these two prove that the best business partnerships start with genuine friendship and mutual respect. They share relatable insights about why small businesses struggle, the real difference between working IN your business versus ON your business, and why you absolutely do NOT need a logo, website, or fancy social media presence to land your first client. (Yes, really!) We also dug into the challenges of working with your spouse, the importance of getting coaching (even when you think you can do it all yourself), and how to actually take a vacation when you ARE the business. Hank and Sharyn Yuloff bring a unique perspective to small business marketing. Hank is a targeted marketing tactician with over 35 years of experience helping small businesses grow bigger. Sharyn's expertise spans business affairs, HR, and online marketing. Together, they've created Yuloff Creative Marketing Solutions, offering complete traditional and technological marketing plans for small companies who never thought they could afford a Chief Marketing Officer. They teach Small Business Breakthrough Bootcamp intensives and run a coaching program where they work two-on-one with business owners on sales, marketing, HR, and systems. Their clients call them their "Business Easy Button." They're also authors of eight best-selling business books with two more on the way! CONNECT WITH HANK AND SHARYN: 🔗 Free 30-minute consultation: HowToGetThereFaster.com 📚 Check out their eight best-selling business books on Amazon www.YuloffCreative.com Facebook Page @YuloffCreative Instagram @YuloffCreative YouTube Channel www.YouTube.com/YuloffCreative LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/yuloffcreativemarketingsolutions Their motto says it all: "If everything happens for a reason, be the reason things happen." We absolutely loved this conversation and know you will too. If you're a small business owner feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or just ready to take things to the next level, Hank and Sharyn's wisdom is exactly what you need to hear. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Welcome and introductions - Meeting Hank and Sharyn Yuloff 04:00 The fax machine, Mom's advice, and starting a business on Thanksgiving 08:00 Why HR is just internal marketing 16:00 What they've learned about each other working together daily 19:00 Founder syndrome and why nonprofits ARE businesses 24:00 You don't need a logo or website to get your first client - Just start! 26:00 The reality check - You'll work harder but it's more rewarding 32:00 Serving your life, not serving your business - Taking real vacations 38:00 What's next and how to connect with Hank and Sharyn #FamilyBusiness #BusinessCoaching #MarketingTips #CouplesInBusiness #MarketingStrategy #HRForSmallBusiness #WorkingWithYourSpouse #YuloffCreative

Inside a recent episode

French Florist: LA’s Dominant Flower Power Is Revolutionizing The Florist Industry

Published 3 Dec 2024 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Wow Michael you hit the jackpot. We did we definitely did we brought in jackpot with Michael as well so we're we're very enamored with what he was able to bring to the business and with what he continues to contribute from his perspective not only as a younger person but also just as a person who's been whose whole experience has been filled with technology in a way that mine wasn't you know I remember the first day I sat down the Google I know what I googled Michael doesn't have that memory because Google was there for him all along and so it just you know he comes from a different perspective a different generation like he said. […]

Who has been a guest on Celebrating Small Family Businesses

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Clifford Walker
• Brandy Walker
• Sheri Long
• John Long
• Aston Long

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

48,483

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 62 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

80

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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