Ep: 54 - Birthday Traditions and Customer Service Fiascos

In this episode of the Mixing Family and Business Podcast, I’m joining Kim, Shirley, and Tom as we head way back into childhood memories. We swap stories about our favorite birthday meals (spoiler: homemade noodles, chicken, and a legendary lemon cake), those classic small-town surprises, and the simple joys of old bikes and “sloppy” chocolate cupcakes at school. I open up about what birthdays were like when you shared them with Christmas (and siblings!), and why sometimes, birthdays just meant new jeans or a flannel shirt—and that was enough. But business lessons are never far away. We get real about the toughest customer service moments we’ve faced—like the time an ice cream cake ended up flying, or when a “brown swagger” mix-up at the meat counter left us both laughing and learning. I share the hard-won wisdom of listening, keeping your cool, and knowing when to have a memory like a goldfish (shoutout to Ted Lasso for that one!). If you’ve ever found yourself dealing with difficult customers, juggling family dynamics in your business, or just wanted a reminder that even the pros make mistakes (and survive to tell the tale!), you’ll relate to every minute. Tune in for real talk, some good laughs, and practical advice on bridging generations in your business and family. Got a story to share or a question you'd like answered in a future episode? Email Brian at [email protected].