Yearly Archives: 2014

Great businesses are built around knowing what the customer wants, understanding what your company does best, and delivering exceptional value.  This is much easier said than done.  Hall of Fame quarterback turned business mogul Roger Staubach once said, “There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” It takes great intentionality and skilled execution to deliver remarkable service again and again.  For companies that do like Four Seasons and The Ritz Carlton, people line up to pay a premium price for premium service.

Andrew (Drew) Adams

Drew Adams and his partner Stephen Miles are building a fast growth client service company because they are committed to that level of service excellence.  They formed Addicus, a multi-family office in 2011, and have experienced substantial growth by understanding the needs of their high net worth and high income earning clients and delivering great value.  Adams grew up outside of Birmingham and Atlanta before getting his undergraduate degree and MBA from Ole Miss.  Adams spent eleven years in the financial services business working in Memphis and Tupelo before joining up with his business partner Stephen Miles to form Addicus.  Adams noted, “Our purpose was to fill what we saw as a void in the marketplace, offering deep advice to families and business owners to optimize their wealth.”

The concept of a family office began in the era of Mellon, Carnegie, Rockefeller, etc.  These families realized they couldn’t get conflict free advice and the attention they needed without employing directly most, if not all, of their advisors (wealth managers, accountants, attorneys, human resources, etc.).  Adams explained, “Today, a single family office is not efficient for families with assets less than $1 Billion.  Therefore, there has been a large shift where single family offices are banding together with other wealthy families to spread the resources and costs to gain efficiency.”  The financial industry has adopted this model which has led to the rapid growth of multi-family offices.  Unlike many multi-family offices, Addicus offers its family office services to clients with a net worth from $25 Million and up, and does not manage money, instead they remain focused on unbiased advice, custom designed solutions, and complete implementation and management.

In addition to their family office services, Addicus provides holistic planning for high income earners as well.  To serve this type of clientele, Addicus has been committed to continually innovating and looking for ways to deliver exceptional service.  What high achievers understand is that they must always be striving to get better personally and professionally.  I noted that Adams participates in the renowned Strategic Coach program personally, and he and Stephen regularly use a business coach for their organization to help it continue to evolve as a team. In addition, they are members of the Family Office Exchange and have industry leading mentors.  Very few people take the time and invest the money to continually make themselves better like that.

Adams shared that he is inspired by the Vince Lombardi quote, “Perfection is unattainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”  Adams credits his father with instilling in him a commitment to leadership and service.  He shared, “I would go to work with my Dad as a young boy, and I was always in awe of the way his employees looked up to him.  He always seemed to have the vision that at first no one could truly understand or see until it was executed.”  I am impressed with how Adams and Miles have turned their vision into reality and how they are building a growing and successful organization.  They, along with their organization, will be ones to watch in the years to come.

Ted DiBiase, Jr.

As regular readers of this column know, I enjoy finding outstanding leaders on the rise in Mississippi and sharing their stories.  This week I was able to catch up with Ted DiBiase, Jr. who is fast becoming one of Mississippi’s entrepreneurial success stories.  If his name is familiar to you, it is likely that you know from his days as a professional wrestler with the WWE or you remember his father Ted DiBiase, Sr. a/k/a “The Million Dollar Man.”  Despite having a celebrity father and getting to hang out with people like Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, Ted had a fairly normal childhood growing up in Clinton and being active in several sports and student government. Ted reflected on the consistent message he heard from his father growing up.  “Son, I came from a small town with one traffic light, and the only one who ever believed in me, my father, died when I was 15. No one believed I would ever leave that town. If you want something bad enough, you’ll do whatever it takes to get it. It won’t be easy, and it will seem very lonely. Whatever you do, don’t follow the crowd. Blaze your own trail, and be a leader.”

Ted has heeded his father advice. After graduating from Mississippi College with a degree in business, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps to become a professional wrestler.  Just because he had the last name DiBiase did not mean he had a free pass to stardom.  He had to work for it.  He moved to Eldon, Missouri and began his training to pursue his dream.  Ted shared, “I worked 4 jobs while training to become a professional wrestler. I would wake up at 4:00 a.m. to go cut 18 fairways on a golf course then go stock produce at HiVee grocery store. On the weekends, I folded underwear and T-shirts at a Polo store at the outlet mall, and I would sweep and mop a gym floor for a free membership. I did this while training 4-5 days a week learning how to wrestle in hopes that I would one day work for the WWE.”  The hard work and dedication paid off.  He worked his way up to becoming a WWE superstar and traveled the world before retiring in 2013.

Ted credits his success to faith, focus, commitment, and sacrifice. He shared, “Without these, I never would have overcome the sleep deprivation, the depression of being away from friends and family, or the fear of failure.” Despite retiring from the ring, Ted has not slowed down.  In fact, he is in high gear as a serial entrepreneur.  He is the co-founder of GiveChat, a tech start-up which is an online platform that raises money for charity by leveraging celebrity’s social media platforms and fan bases to award fans with VIP experiences, and part owner of CollegeGarageSale.com.  Ted is also the co-founder of Dofflin Strategies, a strategic planning and development firm dedicated to producing results through business development. Dofflin has quickly taken off and his company is working with clients from around the country. Ted has a “pay it forward” mentality and regularly speaks to large audiences on the topics of leadership and teamwork.

Ted is one of those rare individuals who dreams big dreams but has the drive and focus to turn those dreams into reality.  As leadership guru John Maxwell said, “The dream is free; the journey is not.”  Ted will certainly be a leader to watch in the years to come as he channels his talents and energy into building great businesses and serving others.

One of the great joys I have in writing this column is that I get the opportunities to meet a wide variety of leaders.  Some have been leading for decades and are in a stage of life where they are mentoring others while others are in the building phase of their career.  Having studied the lives of so many leaders, I like to think that I am able to spot leaders on the rise.  My interviewee this week, Tyler Harrison, is one of those young leaders that I believe will be making his mark. Harrison, a native of Monroe, Louisiana, is the owner of Harrison Homes, a residential construction company in Madison, Mississippi.

Tyler Harrison

A talented athlete, Harrison played junior college baseball before continuing on to Delta State where he played his junior and senior year and graduated with a degree in business.  Following a dream to be in the construction industry, he went on to earn a second undergraduate degree at the University of Louisiana at Monroe in construction.  For the next 12 years, Harrison worked as a construction project manager with Brasfield & Gorrie, a large Alabama based construction firm and Mid State Construction, a Mississippi based firm.  During this time, he had the opportunity to work on large scale projects such as expansions at Baptist Hospital, St. Catherine’s Village, and Jackson Academy.  He also worked on a large condominium project in Houston, Texas.  Harrison noted, “B&G and Mid State both approach business relationships with honesty at the top of the priority list.  That’s something that’s ingrained in their culture, and is also ingrained in me.  They also provided me many opportunities as a young leader to learn and develop as a leader.”

Pre-2008, it seemed like everyone I knew was trying to get into the construction business whether qualified or not.  Most of those people have returned to their old jobs or moved on; however, Harrison decided to follow his passion and step out of his fast track trajectory as a commercial construction industry leader and start his own homebuilding company.   He explained, “My initial interest in construction rooted from an interest in homebuilding.  This seemed like the right move for a long time.  I enjoy time at home and love thinking about the aspects of a home that can make it better or more enjoyable for a family.”  As any entrepreneur knows, it is never easy launching a new business, but Harrison’s experience, leadership style, and commitment to excellence have allowed him to develop a thriving business quickly.

Harrison shared that his baseball days have been influential on his character and leadership style. He shared, “Playing college baseball taught me to be a team player, to take constructive criticism, and push through tough times.” He also emphasized the life lessons he learned from his family that have prepared him for this journey.  “My dad has a work ethic that is contagious.  He will not cut corners and always finishes what he starts.  While my maternal grandfather died when I was young, he was a colonel in the air force and was regarded highly because of his achievements and humble nature.  My paternal grandfather was a successful small business owner in southern Arkansas, who was very diligent, yet quiet and humble.”

Harrison is a humble “hands on” leader.  He explained, “I have always been impressed with people who lead by example, and I strive to lead by example rather than by portraying myself as better than, or above someone else.  I strive to help those around me succeed, but continue to work hard and stand firm to ensure my own success as well.”  For other aspiring leaders he emphasized the importance of learning from others and becoming a working “not only a leader but also a teammate.”  I am always encouraged to be around talented leaders who have the courage to follow their dreams.  I expect we will see Harrison making an impact in the community for years to come.