What if the fastest way to grow your business is to stop forcing people into boxes they don’t fit? We sit down with general manager Jody Brixie, whose family turned a 700-square-foot lumber shop into two thriving California locations, one a community hub with seasonal retail, nursery, gifts, apparel, and even live bait, the other a contractor-centric powerhouse. Jody shares how she left a high-pressure nursing career, returned home during a leadership crisis and COVID chaos, and discovered that the real differentiator isn’t inventory or pricing, it’s letting people run where they thrive and backing them with clear guardrails.
Across the conversation, we explore practical leadership strategies for construction, building supply, and retail operations. Jody explains how to build a strong leadership core, communicate under pressure, and make daily improvements that compound into serious results. We dig into succession and the sale to Nations Best, why a long-term acquisition model can protect culture, and what it takes to keep morale and performance high through uncertainty. If you manage a lumberyard, contractor desk, or multi-location retail operation, you’ll hear an actionable blueprint: shorten lines, grow add-on sales, empower category owners, and measure relentlessly.
Jody’s strengths-based approach, rooted in belief and individualization, offers a clear playbook for hiring, training, and team development. We talk about placing people where they can win, the magic of a small, aligned leadership team, and the courage to lead without mimicking someone else’s style. For women in construction and emerging leaders, Jody’s advice is simple and strong: protect your values, know your worth, and contribute differently. Purpose fuels endurance; culture turns stores into community anchors; systems translate hustle into repeatable growth.
• Two stores with distinct customer bases and product mixes
• Family legacy from a 700 sq ft shop to a community anchor
• Nursing skills translated into crisis-ready leadership
• COVID pressures, GM exit, and team resilience
• Succession planning and acquisition by Nations Best
• Strengths-based hiring and role fit over rigid boxes
• Daily growth through small wins and clear guardrails
• Advice to young leaders to keep their identity
• Rebuilding teams after turnover and developing new talent

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