One Day, Two Businesses & A Ginger

The day starts at 5:30a. I need to get up and be at the gym by 6:15a so I can be at the office by 7:00a. I take a quick shower and I'm ready to go by 7:30a. I will prepare my morning meeting and my day while sitting in my office. This office is everything I've ever wanted in an office. There is a loft area built out of steel where my desk sits. There is a section of the floor that is glass. There is a wall covered in some of my favorite quotes. Another wall sports a full phone booth, a newspaper stand and one of my favorite graffiti pieces from the artist Banksy. This is the place where I can spend 80 hours a week. The good news is, I don't have to. There is an equally amazing office on the other side of the 10,000 square foot building where there is also a loft that sports two desks. One for me and one for my partner in other business.

The morning meeting for Anderson Glass starts at 8:00a promptly. We discuss the previous days business and the current days schedule. When the meeting is over I head to my office on the Anderson Glass side. I manage a few of the details of the day including the financials and then I head over the D1 Design Group office. This walk is a short one because both of my businesses are under one roof.

Anderson Glass is the family business that I own so that my dad could retire. D1 Design Group is the partnership I am co-owner of, that was established to meet a demand while helping feed my creative outlet. Most days however are spent solving problems and fixing the issues. On the Anderson Glass side, we work on the HGTV show "Fixer Upper" with two people that I've worked with and respected for over 10 years. The excitement around the show is incredible and working on the glass side can be fun and challenging. D1 Design Group caters to division sports programs, creating incredible spaces that are geared to improve recruiting. We work with some of the most exciting college sports coaches in an array of sports. How could any day be boring with this as a work load? The truth is...it never gets boring! It's overwhelming more often than not but that is what makes the entire daily process fun and exciting!

The day may end at 5:00p but that's not likely. Either way, when I get home I will be greeted by my wife, Rebekah. Together now now for over 18 years, Rebekah and I have a great relationship. She constantly reminds of how lucky I am and the truth is, I am. Also waiting for me is my middle child of 14, Hannah. Her passion is dance and she competes with her dance company year round. My 10 year old son, Holden will be in his room playing video games or outside going 100 mph. Oh add the 4 crazy rambunctious dogs to the list. My oldest, 17 year old Hayley, will come home later and tell me how wrong I am about everything which I firmly believe she thinks is her full time job.

I'll end the evening with a little binge watching of whatever show Rebekah and I are on at the time. Maybe some social media work. Then off to sleep where I will wake up and do it all over again. I might however skip the gym tomorrow. Winky face, winky face.

Working with Family

You know it's hard to work with family. Some people think that it's an amazing opportunity and wish they had the ability to do it. I'll tell you without a doubt it's one of the largest hurdles that any family business faces. Where do you draw the line between business and family? It's insanely difficult to navigate and can make Thanksgiving very awkward.

My brother, Eric has worked with me off and on since I came to Anderson Glass in 2001. There were times early on when we hated each other and probably could've cared less about ever seeing each other again, much less working together. As the years have passed we have obviously grown up and have different perspective about things versus being in our twenties. We certainly don't think the same and Lord knows we don't look the same. We absolutely don't act the same but if you ask him he'd say I still act like a kid.

Now a days, we get along extremely well and rarely have issues. His role with the company is one that gets very little merit nor attention unless of course something he measured was wrong or he said he'd do something that he didn't get around to doing.  There are no "attaboys" when a shower fits perfectly or "great jobs" when an window glass fits just right.  There is no TV time as the big brother and his name rarely gets mentioned on the company social media.  See, Eric's job has transformed over the years and he currently plays the role of Salesman, Industry Expert to our clients and Measuring Guru.  This role is close to the most important role in the business as he is the first person that our clients meet.  He educates our clients and makes suggestions as to what they need.  The thankless role is crazy important to business success at Anderson Glass.

So for all the nights he stays late standing in the warehouse in the silence to gather his thoughts of the day, for all the showers that fit so perfectly, for every window glass that fits as it should,  let me say thank you Eric.  Your dedication to this business is more than I can ask for and I appreciate what you do here more than you'll ever know.  The bar will never lower and my expectations will always be high but you didn't expect anything else from your little brother anyway.

When people ask me what it's like to work with family, first I ask if they mean my brother or my dad...but then I tell them I'm extremely lucky.  See anything in life that is hard to navigate is worth navigating to.  Anything difficult to make work is worth working for.  Our name is on this business and the level of pride that comes with that doesn't change regardless of the role we play.  Family is what makes it a Family Business and Anderson Glass is a Family Business!

-dsa