Running a family-owned business comes with its unique set of challenges. One of the keys to success for family-owned businesses is understanding what each family member brings to the table. Businesses operate at their best when they can successfully leverage the strengths of each person and find ways to complement each other’s roles within the business. And in the case of Trendler, who understands your strengths and weaknesses better than your own brothers?
In this episode of the Brothers, Battles & Bounty podcast, the Gfesser brothers take turns discussing each of their strengths and how their strengths have contributed to Trendler’s success. You can watch the entire episode here:
Discussing the Strengths of Each Brother
For this episode, the brothers decide to go around the table and each take some time to discuss the strengths of the other brothers and how what they bring to Trendler benefits the business.
The Gfesser Brothers on Martin
Andreas starts by commenting on the depth of Martin’s character and personality and the lengths he has always gone for the purpose of protecting and supporting his brothers. When Martin took over the presidency of Trendler, the other brothers felt confident that Martin was the best for the position. Another important trait Andreas points out is how Martin’s sense of humor can lighten up the mood when running the business gets intense.
Anton then talks about how Martin has always been logical in his approach and is careful to think things through when addressing problems and challenges facing the business. Not only does Martin expertly address issues through logic and reason, but also ultimately does what is right to resolve a situation. He cites how Martin was instrumental in helping Trendler get through the black swan events discussed in a previous episode. Anton continues by telling Martin that he is the glue that holds the business together and has been an excellent leader.
Stefan talks about Martin’s unique leadership style and how he inspires those who work with him. This has influenced Stefan as he explains that Martin’s leadership allows him to engage in the business in the way he wants with little restriction. He explains that Martin only steps in to restrict him to avoid doing things that will hurt them or their business. Stefan also speaks of the consistency in which Martin always makes the right decision when called upon while also knowing when to provide support so the other brothers can do what they do best.
The Gfesser Brothers on Andreas
Martin is the first to speak about Andreas as they spent a lot of time growing up together are close in age. He starts by expressing his gratitude for Andreas always being there for him and having his back from childhood to adulthood. As far as business, Martin expresses that he admires Andreas’s ability to focus deeply when he puts his mind to something as well as his talent for communicating effectively with people of all personalities.
Anton then speaks to Andreas’s natural teacher instincts and how he learned good habits from him such as writing down his goals for the business as this would make them more likely to happen. This led Anton to being much more diligent in keeping notes and writing down goals and ideas which helped him grow in his position. He also mentions operational practices that Andreas has put in place such as the profit process which has allowed Trendler to grow more than they thought possible at the time.
Stefan echoes what Martin said about Andreas’s ability to communicate as he can explain any topic in a way that is easy for people to understand, and he can also put his ideas into writing, graphs, and flowcharts which helps better express and understand ideas and strategies. Andreas has helped Stefan develop professionally by mentoring and inspiring him to excel in his role with Trendler.
The Gfesser Brothers on Stefan
Martin starts by reminiscing about some of the traveling he has done with Stefan and says that he believes that Stefan is the best salesperson in the U.S. Spending time learning from Stefan helped Martin become better at customer service as he watched and listened to the way that Stefan spoke to customers. He concludes by expressing his gratitude for having Stefan on his team because he doesn’t think he would win going up against Stefan.
Anton reiterates what makes Stefan a great salesperson as he has the ability to connect and communicate with people and has done so with customers and suppliers all over the world. He talks about how no matter where they went, Stefan was always able to make people feel comfortable and help them understand that he could resolve their problem. Stefan didn’t convince people to buy from Trendler, after he talked to them, they wanted to buy from Trendler. Anton and Martin also point out that almost every customer Stefan has brought in still buys from Trendler.
Andreas reveals that he sees Stefan as a brilliant visionary who can visualize a future that inspires and motivates him to help achieve what is in these visions. He credits Stefan’s visionary nature for Trendler expanding into new markets and becoming successful. Andreas also points out how Stefan is always willing to help others along the way and shows a genuine interest in their growth, which customers acknowledge and appreciate.
The Gfesser Brothers on Anton
The last one to hear the praises of his brothers is Anton, the oldest of the Gfesser brothers. Martin starts by talking about how he always looked up to Anton and loved being part of his hobbies including hiking and bike riding. He also learned a lot from Anton about running a business when he first joined Trendler right out of school. Watching Anton handle some difficult situations inspired Martin and made him into the leader he is today as he says he learned so much from Anton that simply cannot be taught in schools.
Stefan talks about how early in their careers, he and Anton butted heads and would not see eye to eye on so many things. They eventually came to a realization that they think and process differently and make decisions differently, and they eventually began to understand each other and collaborate more instead of competing. Stefan also credits his business trips with Anton that have spanned the globe with solidifying their relationship and helping Stefan realize the value of Anton’s leadership.
Andreas explains that when he came into the business, Anton was what he would call a master generalist. What he means by this is that Anton had a hand in every area of the business including accounting, hiring employees, sales, and purchasing materials and was pushing for progress in each of these areas. Once there was progress in these areas, Andreas talks about how Anton then became more strategic about how to make each of the areas of the business work together for the success of the business. It was this visionary push that Andreas credits with helping Trendler get to where it is today.
The Success of a Family-Run Business
As the Gfesser brothers take turns highlighting the positive traits and contributions of each brother, they illustrate how they have spent years working together to harness each of their strengths and incorporate their ideas and talents into the planning and operation of the business. Each brother expresses gratitude for the contributions and accomplishments of the other brothers and recognizes that while they have been through a lot of battles, they have always been there to collaborate and support each other and achieve great things.
To watch this complete episode and other episodes of the Brothers Battles & Bounty podcast, check out Trendler’s YouTube channel. You can hear the entire conversation about the positive things the Gfesser brothers have to say about each other here: