Birthdays, Bikes, and Blizzard Blunders: Real Family, Real Business, Real Life

Brian Hahn

Published on: 15/07/2025

Childhood traditions and customer service disasters—let’s get real about family, small-town birthdays, and the wild world behind the counter. What happens when you put a bunch of family business owners in one room? You get a podcast episode packed with throwback birthday stories, customer service nightmares, and more laughter than you’d expect. On this episode of Mixing Family and Business, I (Brian) sat down with Kim, Shirley, and Tom to talk about what birthdays were really like before Pinterest and party planners, how we handled the occasional tricky customer, and what we’ve learned along the way. If you’ve ever worked retail, run a business, or just want to laugh about the good old days, you’re definitely in the right place.

Mixing Family and Business

We Work With 20-Year-Olds - What We’ve Learned From Hiring Gen Z

Brian Hahn

Published on: 08/07/2025

In this week’s episode, we took a heartfelt journey from nostalgic childhood Fourth of July celebrations on the farm to the intricacies and surprises of working with Gen Z in today’s world. As family business owners who've witnessed generations come and go, we reflected on what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and what we’ve learned from the newest generation entering the workforce. Here’s a deeper dive into our conversation, filled with stories, observations, and insights into bridging generational gaps while running family businesses.

Mixing Family and Business

Staying Local While Growing: How Our Family Business Keeps Community at the Heart

Brian Hahn

Published on: 01/07/2025

In this week’s blog, I reflect on our latest “Mixing Family and Business” podcast episode with Tom, Shirley, and Kim. We dug into the past—reminiscing about simpler times growing up, celebrating holidays (or not!), and how business was more personal when towns were smaller and family-run. As our grocery stores and Dairy Queens grew to serve wider regions, I explore how we’ve worked hard to maintain the community connections that started it all. From supporting local charities to building strong neighborhood teams, here’s how our businesses have evolved without losing that “small town” heart.

Mixing Family and Business

From Family Barbecues to Barcode Scanners: Reflecting on Memorial Day, Technology, and Change in Business

Brian Hahn

Published on: 24/06/2025

In this week’s episode of the Mixing Family and Business podcast, I sat down with Kim, Tom, and Shirley for a lively and nostalgic conversation about our early Memorial Day traditions and the dramatic arc of technology in our businesses. We took a walk down memory lane, recalling simpler times and summer holidays before diving into how our lives and livelihoods have transformed with each wave of innovation. Here’s an expanded look at some of the key points, lessons, and laughs we shared about adapting to change—both as families and entrepreneurs.

Mixing Family and Business