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.

1. How Bear Iron Works got started—almost by accident
2. Turning a side hustle into a scalable manufacturing business
3. Launching and growing during COVID
4. Separating family roles from business roles
5. Running operations remotely without losing quality or culture
6. Cash flow challenges and the shift to e-commerce
7. Applying corporate principles in a small family business
8. Building trust across generations
9. What’s next for 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

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1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bearironworks/
2. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BearIronWorks
3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearironworks/
4. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bearironworks

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...

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

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

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