By Scott Moorehead
July 1, 2010
Family-owned businesses can be tricky. It seems as if at one point in time or another there is always a family member who assumes he or she is destined to run the company. In fact, many believe they are entitled to it. But why would you want to be given a position out of default? Wouldn’t you much rather earn the coveted spot of president and CEO of the company that your family has spent years building?
Growing up in a family business, I lived the situation previously mentioned. But, I wanted to rightfully earn the position of president and CEO of my family’s company. Lucky for me, I worked hard to prove myself, and that did happen.
But I had to set myself apart and let my family know that I was passionate about learning the business and eventually running the company. So I laid out a plan – one that I believed would help prepare me to one day take over the company and prove to my family that I was not only serious, but passionate about the job ahead.
It all started with earning a degree that I would be able to put to work for the business. Although I knew that hands-on work experience would lead me to the top, I considered a college education to be a foundation for success. While in college, I took the opportunity to begin getting that hands-on experience, and worked in my family’s stores on my off time. It was a hard schedule with school work and a job, but it showed my family that I was willing to do whatever it took to earn their respect.
Working in our stores allowed me to engage with customers and employees on a level outside of the corporate office and helped me learn the store-level operations from the inside out. I knew that one day when I was working at the corporate office this in-store experience would be very valuable. I also knew that in order to succeed within the business, I would need as much knowledge of the business as possible, and much of this came from asking questions. I asked everyone questions, whether they were above me or below me in the organizational chart. I found the person who could answer my question, and when the answer didn’t seem right, I would find a way to correct the issue.
As part of my journey, there was one task that I feel was pivotal. I took on the task of working every single position in the company, so that I knew every function and where improvements could be made, and I attacked it head-on. The wide range of jobs included delivery truck driver and accounts payable assistant, and by the end of the task I was able to clearly define what every department did on a daily basis to assist with the company’s day-to-day operations. Through all of my aforementioned efforts, I earned the respect of the employees. I wanted them to know if I was one day president and CEO the company would be in the hands of someone who was not only capable, but who had a genuine interest in the success of the business.
I was learning a lot, but in return I was beginning to bring a lot to the table. I began implementing new systems and protocols, and watched as they gained traction. After successfully serving in several corporate positions, I soon landed the role of vice president of operations for the company that I grew up with, and shortly after, when my father retired, I was named president and CEO of The Cellular Connection.
Today at age 32, after leading the company for more than three years, I feel confident that I am building on the accomplishments of previous generations.
Scott Moorehead is third-generation president and CEO of The Cellular Connection, based in Marion, Ind. For more information about The Cellular Connection please visit, www.ecellularconnection.com.