The Move That Doubled the Business | Adam & Brenda Weatherby of Weatherby, Inc.

Speaker A: Today's episode is sponsored by the University of South Dakota Beecham School of Business.

Speaker B: We will hear a little bit more

Speaker A: about the University of South Dakota Beecham School of Business later in today's episode.

Speaker C: Like many couples, you come together and, you know, um, our strengths are very different. Um, and so we, um, tend to just kind of not run over each other. We need each other, um, truly, um, you know, to help out in those different areas. We obviously have, like, an executive team here that, you know, are professionals in their area of engineering or finance, marketing, sales, whatever it might be. Um, but in the general kind of, uh, people look to us as kind of co owners, you know, owners of the business. And so they know if they come to Brenda, it's like they're coming to me and vice versa. So there's that. From the authority standpoint or just a leadership thing? It's there.

Speaker A: Welcome to Family Business Connection, the podcast that uncovers the stories behind family businesses, where leaders share how they navigate the unique challenges of working with loved ones while building a lasting legacy. I'm your host, Stephanie Larchide of Prairie Family Business Association. Some family businesses are known for what they make. Others are remembered for how they endure. In this episode, we meet Adam and Brenda Weatherby, third generation leaders of one of the most iconic names in the firearms industry. Weatherby has been crafting precision rifles and ammunition for 80 years. But the company's most defining chapter didn't come from the past. It came from a decision that could have ended it all. Adam and Brenda took a bold risk that forced them to rebuild, redefine, and rediscover what legacy really means. This conversation is all about courage, conviction, and what it takes to carry a family name forward. When the ground beneath you is shifting, let's dive in.

Speaker B: Welcome to our episode. Adam and Brenda, it's great to have you.

Speaker C: Thanks, Stephanie. Glad to finally be on here with you.

Speaker D: Yeah, thanks for having us.

Speaker B: So tell us, tell us about Weatherby. Tell us who you are and your roles.

Speaker C: You bet. So, uh, my grandfather started weatherby, uh, in 1945, so we are celebrating our 80th year in business. I'm third generation leader and CEO of what, uh, we believe to be America's finest firearms and ammunition business. We've been manufacturing firearms and ammo since the 40s. And, uh, so I run the business and Brenda, um, everybody says she really runs a business, but runs it alongside of me. You can tell them what you do, Brad.

Speaker D: Um, really my main passion and focus is people and culture. So, um, I oversee all of the HR functions, um, and customer service and compliance, um, here at Weatherby. Um, but engaging our people, caring for them, um, helping them grow, that's my biggest passion.

Speaker B: That's wonderful. We are fresh off of a webinar we just hosted with Prairie Family Business association where we talked about valuation. But really the financial expert leading the conversation said it's all about culture. You want to build value in your company, it's about the people, it's about your processes, it's about your leadership. Um, so what you're doing is very important, Brenda. And I'm sure you see that play out day in and day out at Weatherby.

Speaker D: Yep, it's. It's great. It's hard, but it's good. You know, 130 people. There's always at least one person in the organization that's upside down. And so we, and sometimes it's me. So, um, sometimes we just get to walk, uh, alongside people and help turn them back up and engage and empower and help them grow.

Speaker B: So those who are hunters and love to hunt and are out there in the wilderness, they know Weatherby or. But for, for those who are listening, who aren't familiar, tell us where they can. Where people can see your products.

Speaker C: Sure, you bet. Um, yeah, pretty much in uh, sporting goods and gun shops around the world. Um, you know we, um, we, we specialize in kind of, um, I guess you would say more premium products. Um, we're more middle to top shelf. Um, and we do bolt action, you know, hunting rifles, um, and uh, shotguns as well and then ammunition. And so we're primarily in more the sporting and hunting, uh, place. But people get them the target shoot and competition shoot and things like that as well. So we've been known as kind of that premium brand. So whether it be a, ah, big box store or something, you know, like, uh, you guys have some shields I know out there in South Dakota, uh, shields, a big account of ours. So, you know, stores like that or Sportsman's Warehouse, down to your local mom and pop shop. So um, of course weatherbee.com, you know, it lives there, um, as well. But um, yeah, we uh, yeah we manufacture, uh, primarily in the US we do some importing as well. Um, but have a team here where pretty much everybody resides in Sheridan, Wyoming. From um, you know, a whole engineering team, manufacturing team, supply chain marketing, accounting all the way through. Um, you know, we pretty much do everything internal here based out of Sheridan and uh, then ship our products around the world. US is our biggest market, but um, we do probably 15 to 20 international, you know, countries too that we export to as well. So we're um, yeah, kind of, kind of known as that for those that don't know, those that are certainly um, outdoorsmen or women or spent any time on the gun range would, would be very familiar with the name. And that's something my grandpa set up in the early years and you know, just the history is, you know, without going into all the details. Um, but um, my grandpa was born in 1910 in Kansas. And um, it's true kind of American dream story where he um, kind of there's. He went on a hunt and injured an animal and um, he laid awake at night thinking we got to get bullets m moving faster and provide for a more quicker, humane kill. In and out of that problem. He started hand loading in his garage. He had not a dollar to start a business, um, no backing, no anything. And him and grandma moved out to California in the early 40s and uh, was really birthed out of his garage and opened up shop in southern California in 1945. And so um, that's where we were all the way up till when Brenda and I moved the business out here to Sheridan, Wyoming about seven or eight years ago. So spent 70 some odd years out there, um, with grandpa running it and then dad and then me. And so yeah, that's a little bit of the history and kind of, kind of where we're at now.

Speaker B: That big risk that your grandfather took and look where it's taken you 80 years later. It's incredible story. Um, really a lot of foresight back in that time to get you where you are today. Now Sheridan and Wyoming are a big piece of your story. Adam and Brenda talk about that move. Your business was in California. You came to Sheridan, Wyoming.

Speaker D: Yeah. Brenda, you want me to take that? Sure. Um, yeah, it was a really big move. Uh, California was a hard place to do business. It was a wonderful place to start the business and grow the business. But um, politics and regulations have had changed that business climate not only for firearms businesses, but just business in general. So the cost of doing business was very high. Um, and we had certain regulations, um, with like background checks and stuff that um, almost uh, kept us from being able to hire people um, legally. So it was a very difficult situation. Um, so I think it was about 2016. We looked at each other and we're like, if we're going to do this, like we can't, we can't do this here long term. So we started looking at a number of states, um, and that felt like really fun. And, and then the nuts and bolts of actually moving a company across the country like set in and it, it was really really hard. Really, really hard. Um, when we announced our move we lost pretty um, much almost everyone. They just started trickling away. Um, and so we had a lot of temporary workers that um, was really difficult. Um, and then we were gradually moving people to Wyoming and then gradually hiring up local workforce here. So it was very, very difficult.

Speaker C: Well, building and designing a new factory, underground gun ranges, you know, offices, warehousing, manufacturing, all those things. We actually brought in some investment money at the time as well. We restructured kind of from Gen 2 to Gen 3, uh, moved our kids that were in high school. Um, I mean for our first 50 jobs we had 3500 applicants at Brenda and her newly formed HR team who didn't know Weatherby had to go through. We you know, left our church at 30 years. You know it was a, it was a disaster. It was a reset and a disaster. And then in the first three years after moving here we doubled the size of our business. And so it's. And you know we've never um, flourished more than we have here in Wyoming. So we had to come down to a near death experience as a business in order to grow. So the risk and reward was there but the effort and um, long days and discouraging days were certainly there in the midst of that year or two.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker D: I remember one day like um, because right when we announced like a lot of employees were like yes, I want to come. That sounds great. And um, I think it probably started about 30 out of our 70 were really excited about it. But every day that number dwindled and dwindled and dwindled and dwindled and we finally looked at each other and we're like it might just be us two and we have to be okay if it's only us two. And so we kind of divided the business because it was too much for one person to do. Um, and it actually like I was working very part time. Kids were still like junior high, high school. And so um, I really had to dig in and we separated the business. That's when I started, took over the construction ah, project of the factory. And I'm like I have never done this. How am I going to do this? But he was like I got to make sure we have sales and we're shipping guns. And so um, it really did solidify um, our teamwork together. Um, and uh, the risk of that was like okay, we we had to be together, we had to be unified and we had to work together both really, really hard in order to make, make it happen.

Speaker C: It also kind of took us back to where a lot of times when a uh, business is generational, as I know, you know Stephanie, you deal with constantly that as you come into the second, third, fourth generation, you lose a lot of that entrepreneurship maybe that the knowing all aspects of the business. What the move did is it, it felt like a 75 year old startup. The brand was there, the recognition was around the world, we had the products but we literally had to start from scratch. And so upon moving there were so many good things that came out that, that we didn't even anticipate, um, us and rebuilding our team and you know, the you know, 15 folks that did end up moving with us and everything but you know, out of our 130 now, so it's you know, um, you know a pretty small percent of our workforce but we, we had to kind of know everything everybody that came in did. But we were able to reset our culture as well. And after my dad took over, uh, my grandpa passed away in 88. My dad was running in the early 80s, um, but after my grandfather passed away my dad actually moved it. It would be on a four hour drive in California. And so it was a reset there as well. But there was a cultural reset to take an old brand and breathe new life into it that my dad had to do and someday perhaps Gen 4 will have to do when we make it old and crusty.

Speaker B: That's a great way to look at it that that reinvention happened each generation and it was maybe intentional, perhaps not, but it needed to happen and it was better for the business and the people involved with that reset.

Speaker C: Absolutely.

Speaker D: I think every leader, um, uh, if they're truly going to lead, they have to do that in an authentic and genuine place. And so to lead like your dad led might not be you, you know. And so um, I think it's really taking who you are, who God's made you to be as a leader and making that um, just really authentic, you know, um, and every generation has to find that leadership voice within them.

Speaker B: You know, that's very well said. And you don't have to be the same leader that your parent is, was. You can be your own self and embracing that and championing that within your culture of who you are and you're not mom or dad, um, but you have your own style and way of doing things that maybe different, maybe better, maybe maybe not. But that's you. And to hold true to that, that's so important that you shared that. Brenda, when you had that generational transition, G1 to G2, then G2 to G3, uh, talk about that transition among generations and how that. That was for Weatherby and your family.

Speaker C: Sure. You know, my. My grandpa. To explain, you know, you have to understand, I think, the personality, if you would, or character upbringing of each generation. So my grandpa, born on a farm in Kansas, started, you know, for what, you know, didn't own a thing, started the company. So, you know, the. The business was, um, who he was. Weatherby was Roy Weatherby, and Roy Weatherby was Weatherby. And there was no separating the two. And, you know, although he, quote, retired before he passed away, um, he was all about the business till the day he died. And so, you know, my dad taking over, who, um, didn't have the same. I mean, my grandpa was as type A as you get in the charisma and the things. I mean, even in California, it was, you know, he was in business 10 years, and John Wayne and Roy Rogers and those guys were in a shop. I mean, he just was able to network with anybody and do all that. My dad did grow up under a big shadow with some pretty big shoes. And so that transition there to G2 was my dad coming in. And my dad had a different set, um, of skill sets and, uh, my dad's care, genuine love for people. Uh, my dad's, um, really faith in the Lord, um, he in family and the employees. My dad's a very caring person and all those things, but he's not the leader my grandpa was. And he would tell you that. And so it took a different shape under, uh, my dad, who wasn't necessarily this ambitious to grow it. But my dad's faithful, and so he led it for over three decades. And, um, what I always like to say is I try to look at my grandpa and my dad and try to look at the good suits of both and say, I think God's wired me maybe a little bit where I have some of my grandpa in me, certainly with leadership characteristics and that kind of vision and charisma. Um, but yet I want to take away the things that my dad really instilled in me and our family and this business that are, I think, vital to who Weatherby is today. And so I try to take both of those things and try, um, to take strong suits. I'm sure I got all their weak suits too. But, um, we won't focus on those in this Podcast

Speaker B: now it's all strengths and how you can play into them. Um, and that's really thoughtful to think about how you took some from G1, some traits and some from G2 and created your own style and way of doing business and way of treating people. Now Wetherby hasn't been your whole career. Correct?

Speaker C: Correct. Yeah. So I'm one. Like Brenda will say every day I'm going to do what I'm passionate about doing. And so I actually went into full time Christian ministry for a number of years, got a master's degree and theology religion and um, went down that road and so was in full time ministry and pastoring for a number of years uh, before coming back to the business over a decade ago, um, to kind of um, assume that role in leadership and move forward. So yeah, I um, certainly did that. I'm still. We planted a church here locally and I'm a pastor at the local church along with a few other guys and we co lead that. So still very passionate about that work and the work of the Lord and for people and all those things. But we also get to lead a team of people here and hopefully have a positive influence on that them, um, on our customers, um, you know, our suppliers and all the relationships we have now. So yeah, I was able like many do, go away and come back and then have an appreciation um, for the family business and what it is and what it was. And I wouldn't trade a day of any of those years. Um, wouldn't, wouldn't take any of them back at times. Sure, if I was in the business the whole time I would probably know a bit more than I do now. But you know you can learn those things. But the things that you learn I think by going elsewhere and by following your passion and by doing those things are um, things you can't learn in school.

Speaker B: Yeah. And the leading of people is leading of people, whether it's in a manufacturing facility or in a church or in a school, it doesn't matter. It's how you lead people and treat people. And that culture piece that we talked about at the beginning, that's who you are at Wetherby now. Other family involved. It's just you, the two of you this point. Adam and Brenda, have there been other family involved in ownership or leadership over the years in terms of siblings or aunts and uncles?

Speaker C: Um, yeah, in generation two there was and um, primarily my uncle, um, that was um, uh yeah, he was a vice president kind of general counsel and legal and did some things there. So There was um, some gen 2 that was involved there and then um, you know, my siblings have been involved on and off, you know, with the business, um, over the years. But as it often is, different people have different passions and skill sets and traits and different things. So it ends up being me. And fortunately, um, I married a really smart woman and uh, so she leads it with me. And so uh, we're now in that where our kids are in their 20s, just kind of finishing up college. One just got married and kind of going into that and figuring those things out. They've of course, just like any family business, have worked summer breaks and spring breaks and Christmas breaks since they were probably too young to legally work and uh, like every other family business. So, um, you know, a lot of those things have kind of taken place, but none of them yet, um, are you know, involved in, on the career aspect of the business.

Speaker B: Shifting a little bit from the generational piece of your story, talk about some of the enjoyable aspects of you getting out and using your Weatherby rifles. If you have an experience or memory that really hits home with you that you think about.

Speaker C: Yeah, it's a, it's a lot of memory every year. I mean I spend a lot, a lot, a lot of days uh, in the field. Um, that's whether with camera crews, photo stuff, outdoor writers. So a lot of. Because um, we are one of the last multi generational American owned family businesses in our industry. Uh, marketing often says we have a lot of ambassadors or influencers but um, we're the only two with the name on the side of the gun that uh, if people can see us in the field and authentically using it, which we're very passionate about that, uh, it's heavy in marketing as well. So um, we spend um, a lot of days in the field every year, travel internationally. I mean, you know, last year we hunted New Zealand, hunted Africa. We were in Turkey this year hunting and then in Wyoming, shot deer and elk and antelope this year and I was in Alaska and shot a moose this year and Brenda shot moose. I mean we've a lot, a lot of stories and it's fun. Um, and we often liken it to the challenges of running a business, the challenges of surviving in the outdoors, in the backcountry. There's doing hard things and yet great rewards, hopefully at the end. And so yeah, so we get to, we get to spend a lot of time together. I mean this year we did a backcountry, you know, where we spiked in and brought our tents on our Backs and went up in the wilderness in Wyoming and, you know, went on a week long mule deer hunt. And those are, those are kind of things we do. We do often.

Speaker B: So that's a lot of fun. Part of the enjoyment and being able to recreate in that way just like your customers do. And, uh, I like how you talk about your name beside the rifle, you physically beside the rifle and having those images. Brenda, did you grow up hunting or is this something that was acquired through marriage?

Speaker D: Yes, acquired through marriage. I did not grow up hunting. Um, and actually, like, right when we got married, I didn't really hunt. I was kind of like the bird dog that would go get the birds when they, you know, that was enough for me. Um, really, I owe it to my children because when they were getting to, um, the age of getting their hunter safety, um, especially my daughter, she, um, she wanted to get it and I, I really wanted her to be successful, but it's, it's somewhat technical, so I said, well, why don't we do it together? So we did that together. Um, it just happened that that year we were launching a women's rifle. And so, um, at the time, the marketing director was like, brenda, I really want you to be part of this. And I was like, oh, no. Like that sounds like a lot of pressure. Um, but I, I just kind of started learning and took it little by little. Um, it's cool because I'm, I still consider myself a beginner, and I think that's more approachable for a lot of our customers because there's a lot of women out there and they always feel like a beginner compared to their very tech savvy, um, husbands. And so, um, I can just talk to them. And people think like, oh, my gosh, you must been hunting forever. And I'm like, no, I, I'm a beginner, just like you, you know, and so we can have fun in that, like, journey of learning a new hobby and, uh, appreciating it and being challenged by it and hold that. So it's been a great journey for me.

Speaker B: That's great to do it alongside your daughter too. And the memories that you've created in that legacy piece, that's. That's incredible.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker A: Today's episode is sponsored by the University of South Dakota Beecham School of Business. Prairie Family Business association has served as a key outreach center of the USD Beecham School of Business for over 34 years. The Beecham School of Business is accredited by the AACSB. Students achieve 97% placement rate within six months of graduating from the Beecham School of business. The online MBA is ranked number 19. And more than 30 global and regional companies are recruit students on campus every year. Thank you so much to this episode's sponsor, the University of South Dakota Beecham School of Business.

Speaker B: We often get asked about spousal relationships in the family business and how you can make it work when you work together day in and day out, or who has their own way of, you know, their own area that they touch within the business and the other spouse has their own area. And how you collaborate and how you make decisions. Talk about your working together as a spouse relationship and how that's impacted your business, your culture, your family.

Speaker C: Yeah, um, I mean, we do a lot of things together. You know, we, um, we're high school sweethearts. We. So we were. We've been together since we were kids, like 14. And so we just kind of have grown up and, you know, just tried to make each other better and, and uh, you know, lean on each other and our strengths. And so we've. We have a unique. Because we've been together so long, we just kind of figured that out and figured out how to put up with each other.

Speaker D: And, um, some days are easier than other days.

Speaker C: And so we, you know, we. We share an office, uh, uh, you know, here with our. With our bird dog. So it's the three of us, me, Brenda and Wrangler. And uh, you know, so we're together a lot. And I wouldn't recommend that for every couple. That's for darn sure. Um, you probably need separate office in a different area. It kind of. It just works for us. And we've really found we'. Like many couples, you come together and, you know, we've, um. Our strengths are very different. Um, and so we, we, um, we tend to just kind of not run over each other. We need each other, um, truly, um, you know, to help out in those different areas. We obviously have like, an executive team here that, you know, are professionals in their area of engineering or finance, marketing, sales, whatever it might be. Um, but in the general kind of people look to us as kind of co owners, you know, owners of the business. And so they know if they come to Brenda, it's like they're coming to me and vice versa. So there's that from the authority standpoint or just the leadership thing, it's there. Um, but people come and ask me questions they don't ask her, and they ask her questions they don't ask me so often. Like, we'll both be Working on a computer and somebody will come to the door and then they kind of point which one I want to talk to and the other one of us just drowns out the other person. Because we know that's your deal. I don't do that. I mean, if they come to me with ah, HR questions, I mean people know not to do that. And so we just kind of have learned, uh, you know, where those lines and boundaries are. So I don't know Brenda, what you, you'd want to add to that?

Speaker D: I think just um, trust is really important. And um, you know, I always really value, um, that Adam trusts me and he, I mean a CEO, he's my boss.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker D: He is. Um, but he, he trusts me to do my thing and not micromanage that, you know, um, and that's, that's helped me flourish, you know, um, and so, um, and helped me have an ownership over my area. Um, and I think I'm like, it's taken me a little bit to figure that out because I can act as owner or I can act as um, manager of people and culture and so kind uh, of putting those different hats on and knowing when I'm acting one or the other is really important. So. And you've allowed me to do that. So it's been good.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: That's an important distinction that we talk about so often in family business. You're making a decision, but are you making the decision as an owner or are you making a decision as a family member or as an employee of the business? And coming at it from that angle and declaring it and saying this is, I'm making this decision because of this role. That's why uh, we're moving forward. It's really important to talk about and own that.

Speaker C: Yeah. It's a learning process that we've had to learn those different hats with board member, employee, employer, family member, husband, wife. There's so many different kind of roles and you have to go, okay, which one am I right now? Which one am I acting in? Because it's important for you and for the other people, I think, um, to know how that is now at the end of the day, no matter what. Again, it's our name, it's our family. But people are never going to separate that. But it's helpful for us and I think others as much as possible to do that whenever we can.

Speaker B: Mhm. It's good for them to hear that reasoning. Yeah.

Speaker D: I think the other part that we've had to work through is just that element of risk because of Our different personalities, um, I am much of a more safer person and he's much more adventurous, much more, I'm more risk averse and he's, yeah. So when you're running a business and uh, you know, putting m. Spending money on capital or, you know, so, uh, we've had to figure that out. And that's probably the hardest thing, I think, in um, you know, being a spouse, working together, um, as owners. Is that tension, right?

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: And that's true. Not just in business, it's the rest of life. I mean, I like to climb steep mountains, fly airplanes, drive fast. You know, all those things that are fun. So breath.

Speaker D: And I get to come along and hold my breath. That's kind of what I do. I just come along and hold my breath. But I also like, just because I wouldn't do that personally. Like, he, that's, that's why I love what we get to do. And the adventurous part of him has made me a better person. And I, I, I love that I do things that make me take my breath away. Um, that I'm not just doing everything that's comfortable. And if you want to run a family business, you definitely don't, aren't going to be comfortable. So I got married into that and I had to like, grasp that and, and hold on to the, the good parts of that and the hard parts

Speaker B: of that and the balance that you offer one another. Just like your leadership team, you don't want all 100% risk takers on your leadership team. Same within the family. You need that give and take so you get those differing perspectives.

Speaker C: Yeah. If it weren't for Brenda, my cfo, I'd have a lot of fun, you know,

Speaker D: a lot of problems. Um,

Speaker B: that's great.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: There'll be people listening to this episode who are potentially facing a big decision and some sort of a, uh, risk is right in front of them. And your third generation leaders and owners who have taken many risks in the short time that you've been leading and running the business. What advice would you give those third, fourth generation family business owners who are facing a crossroads right now?

Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, um, there's a lot of things going through my mind. I mean, um, you know, for me, I always say, like when there's an element of risk, there's then an element of trust, um, both in each other and for us, um, as people of really faith in God, that when there's an element of risk, um, you're leaning out and trusting God. I mean, for us, in that move it was like, um, it all looked good on paper, but it was very risky. And yet we felt a peace about it. We felt God calling us to that and knew that we were to take this step. And so we just went in confidence. And so we have to hold our family business with open hands, not clenched. And so, um, as much as we say, well, great at the time, 74 years of business, um, but if we felt called to it, if we felt called together and we spent time in prayer and felt that's what we needed to do, we were going to do it. And if the business crumbled and went away and I was known as the one who killed it 74 years later, then so be it. And that's just. You have to come to terms with that. Um, and yet, you know, I think with that risk, obviously comes reward. Um, and for us, it worked out on the backside. And I'm not saying it's all roses right now. And just, you know, it's not all. Not all easy. Um, it's still daily challenge, obviously, but I think, um, you know, for us, when you do those things and when you, um. Like I have a saying in the outdoors, too, if it's not miserable, it's not memorable. And a lot of your most memorable times in the outdoors are the times when the tent collapsed or it rained when you didn't think it would, or whatever those things are. But those are the stories that you tell around the campfire years later. And so it's also what builds character and it's what builds perseverance. And so not to be reckless. And I joked about being reckless a minute ago, sure, to be calculated and to do those things. But there comes a point where, um, you do just have to come together. Some people may call it your gut, whatever those things are, to come together and remember back that I'm here today because generations before me took risks. If my grandpa would not have taken a risk, we would not be on this call today. We would not have this business, these employees, and a prestigious name in the outdoors. None of that would be there if people didn't take risks before us. So you also have to look to future generations. We were stagnant. Uh, we were dying of death in California. And we could do a whole podcast on that, uh, you know, just how difficult business was. So we also knew we were in a place to know we could, you know, live up. Uh, it was not going to go for that many more years. It was so difficult. So we also had no choice. And, um, so at the End of the day, you know, we didn't have a choice and knew that we had to take, I think, the risk set before us.

Speaker D: Yeah. I mean, every day you don't. You don't know what the market's going to do. You don't know there's going to be an worldwide pandemic. Or like yesterday we didn't know if today when we walked in, if we're going to power and how we're going to keep 130 people productive or statewide power outage yesterday.

Speaker C: So. Which is great when you're running a

Speaker D: factory, but so, like, every day there's, there's an element or potential risks or challenges that happen. Um, so you have to be resilient to be ready to face those. If not, you shouldn't own a business. Right. I mean, it's just. That's just being a business owner. Um, and so you gotta be up for that. You've gotta be ready for that, and you gotta expect the challenge. If we expect it to be ideal, we will be miserably disappointed every day because it's just business is not ideal. You have, uh, seasons and moments of like, wow, true blessing. But overall, you have more unideal than ideal, um, challenges to work through. And that's, that's the cool part is when you work through the challenge, then it's just like these small victories that compound on top of each other, on top of each other, on top of each other. And you look back, you go, oh, my gosh, look what, look what happened over all those days and years of, of just hard work, um, intentional leading, um, challenge, you know, just working through, having grit and resilience. And so I, I think it's a special calling for a family to see that and to instill that in their children and to see that generationally and then to be really proud of something.

Speaker C: Um, in the end, springboard off of that, she was talking about you, talking about the reward. I said the challenges in moving. One of them is we had two teenage kids, and it's hard to move teenage kids, and they're in the middle of middle school or high school. And looking back on that challenge, it was very difficult, Very difficult. And obviously they didn't want to move at the time, and they thought we

Speaker D: were putting our business ahead of them.

Speaker C: Right. And so when I think back to that move and then fast forward years later, you know, our daughter goes to school here in the region. She goes to MSU and Bozeman or did and graduated, and she wouldn't have gone There, obviously, if we didn't move here, she ends up in college. She, she draws a once in a lifetime bison hunting tag out near the, um, Tetons. And so we went out there hunting with her. We wouldn't have never had that opportunity. She ends up bringing her boyfriend she met at msu and for his first hunting trip, we went and hunted bison in 10 below and shot north America's largest mammal. And she did that successfully and did a great job. Fast forward to this last January, she married that guy. And, uh, you know, I think back to, you know, we made this move and at the time it was tough. She comes out here, experiences adventures like that, and marries a man of her dreams and, you know, the rest is history. And so, you know, you look at those things and you see those stories and the way, um, when you take those steps, like, that's not the business side, that's just the family side. But there's many business stories we could tell of similar things as well.

Speaker D: And both of our kids feel like Wyoming is home. They don't regret that move now, even though they did at the time. And they both said right when they were moving away to college that, um, they had already gone through the transition of making new friends and being in a new place. And so they're like, yeah, it was probably easier for us than a lot of our high school classmates who had, you know, grown up in the same house their whole life, you know, and with the same people. And so they've already seen some of the benefits of that really challenging time, a transition, resiliency.

Speaker B: And not a lot of family businesses have that piece of their story, but you certainly do. And it's something that obviously you've reflected on and explored what that's meant for your path and for your business and your family. And thanks for sharing that, especially for next gens, to hear what you have to say about going through those challenges. And it shouldn't be a walk in the park, being in business with your family. It should have its ups and downs and that's life and it's how you handle it and how you move on. So thanks for sharing that. What does the future hold? What are you excited about? What projects are you working on?

Speaker C: Yeah, you know, uh, to be honest, it's, you know, in our years since we've been here, grand opening was in 2019. Um, we moved here to the state in 2018. Um, we put a lot of growth into the business. We brought in some partners for a little bit. We are 100 family owned now again, you know, throughout the history a lot of people have done that, but so we invested a lot of capital, we've, we've grown, we've taken some market share, we've introduced a lot of new products, grown our engineering, our manufacturing significantly, um, grown our workforce. And so really our strategic plan over the next four years is to um, to stabilize, to um, to implement uh, efficiencies, uh, to become more lean, smarter, process driven. All those things. If you grow as a business a little too fast, it can get really messy. And so on the outside it can look like you're growing and things are healthy, but on the inside it can be a bit messy. And so um, that growth we did the last several years, that's what I love. Um, however, what the business needs right now, uh, is kind of growing back into ourselves. So we grew at such a fast pace that now we're really working on doing things smarter. Um, and uh, like I said, more process driven. You know, implementing you know, whether it's our software, it's everything, it's making sure that we're doing things the best that it can. We're eliminating non value added cost to the product, really kind of going in and doing that. But it's actually fun to go through and to figure out better ways to do things and, and keep the quality there where the customer is still pleased at the end and those things happen. Um, but to do that. So um, there's a lot that we're doing right now on um, just really kind of doing things smarter where we did things harder, uh, but really grew and put a lot of horsepower in and did that. But that's kind of um, a little bit of the direction of the business. We're going to continue to innovate, come out with new products, get into new markets and those things will be there because we have such a great team here. Um, you know like my dad will even say now, which is really cool. He says, you know, it's the best team, um, best team we've ever had, um, right now. And it's cool for my dad, who's been nearly a decade retired to look in and say that from the outside. Him and mom did move out here too. So they're here locally, which is neat. But so anyways that's a little bit about kind of what we're doing. Uh, Brenda's got a lot of kind of uh, human elements and development and care programs and um, different things, enrichment programs we're doing for our people as well because we just brought on A lot of new people. But it's like let's stop from the people to the product to the processes. Let's be very intentional. And so we're doing a lot of those kind of things in our business now to be very intentional. Um, and uh, maybe back off the intense growth for a little bit.

Speaker D: Yeah, I think um, my, you know, if we, we have a four year strategic plan and one portion of that is to enrich the lives of our employees and um, you know, the labor market and retention and all of that is so such a hot topic right now for um, businesses, um, just people and what people expect out of their employment. Um, what do they want in culture? What are the things that are important to them? You know, um, the expectation of remote work, that's really been big, um, you know, since COVID um, which doesn't really work for us. So we really have to be have some distinguishing, um, uh, factors and draws to work for Weatherby and especially in our small area because um, we have a small labor pool, um, here in Wyoming, we're a small state. Um, and so how do we recruit the very best talent and then retain them and give them the opportunities for growth, well being, um, compensation, um, and then have that, you know, passion for the brand. Because that is one thing that we offer that a lot of manufacturers in the area don't. They're not, they don't have like that end like consumer product that we do. Um, and so leveraging that um, to recruit and retain our very best employees so we can have the team that can drive the business forward.

Speaker B: Yeah, that could be a whole nother episode. The culture, the people, the retention. Because you're spot on that. So many family businesses are facing those challenges right now. And it's great to hear that you're investing in those areas and strategizing about what's going to work for your community and your employees. I look forward to seeing what's ahead there.

Speaker C: Thanks.

Speaker B: Anything else you'd like to add?

Speaker C: No, I think you asked some good questions, Stephanie. I listened to the podcast before. I knew we'd be ready for some good questions. So hopefully for your listeners, just like I've learned from some of the other podcasts, hopefully there's um, just a few, I don't know, gold nuggets, silver nuggets in there somewhere people can take away. So appreciate all you guys do to help family businesses, you know, come together and network and figure out how to tackle the challenges that they're facing. So um, you know, for anybody, if you're traveling through Sheridan, Wyoming. We have a showroom and um, you know, kind of retail area and some friendly faces down there. Um, so feel free if you're driving through this way to stop in and say hello.

Speaker B: Thanks so much. Adam and Brenda, it's been a true pleasure to have this conversation and we wish you all the best for 80 plus years and counting at Weatherby and as you plan for the fourth generation. Thanks for joining us.

Speaker D: Thank you.

Speaker C: Thanks Stephanie.

Speaker A: Adam and Brenda's story is a reminder that legacy is preserved through every hard decision, every risk, and every moment you choose to keep moving forward. Their leap from comfort into the unknown and the perseverance that followed brought new life into an 80 year old brand. But more than that, it showed how faith, trust and partnership can shape the future of a family business. For every business owner listening, your story asks important questions. When the time comes to take your own leap, will you would you be ready to trust what you've built and who you're building it with? If Adam and Brenda's story inspired you to start thinking about your own leadership transition or succession plan, we invite you to explore our resources and our community@fambus.org that's f a m m v u s.org there you'll find tools, events and stories from other business leaders walking a similar journey. And follow us on social media for more stories from inspiring leaders like Adam and Brenda.