We had the good fortune of connecting with Steve Deere and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steve, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
This is a very interesting question considering this is an interview focusing on entrepreneurship. But I happen to think there are many correlations between being a small business owner and an entrepreneur and being an effective parent. I don’t think I can narrow it down to just one thing. I think there are multiple things that go into effective parenting and raising confident, productive adults, and most of those things can apply to starting and managing a small business as well. For example, we were very intentional about helping our kids select the right peer group to invest in and to allow to be invested in them. Peer group is so important to kids. Peer pressure is so intense. So it is vital that your kids are “doing life” with those that will help influence them in positive ways and reinforce positive decisions. We did this through church, through other families that we chose to closely associate with, and just through positive reinforcement of their decisions regarding friends and peers. The same concept can be true of a small business. Having the right team that positively influences and reinforces one another toward good decisions and contributing to a positive workplace environment is vital.

Another thing we found very important with our kids was to encourage them to stand on their own two feet, to make their own decisions (right or wrong) then learn from them, and to fight their own battles. We refused to be the helicopter parents that thought we needed to intervene at every opportunity to make the path easier for our kids. This was not going to prepare them for life. We were there for them if they absolutely needed us to be, but for the most part we let them feel the consequences of their decisions, positive or negative, and learn and grow from that. Again, the same is true in my business. I encourage my team to make their own decisions, to stand on their own two feet. And to learn and grow from those decisions. I always reinforce that I am here to help and support if they need me, but they are empowered to make decisions and they appreciate that.

Our kids are all grown now. All have graduated from top universities here in Texas. All are productive and happy adults. So take from that what you will.

What should our readers know about your business?
When I first started in my business career I was a young, full of fire guy that had aspirations of being a corporate titan! I would literally watch the movie Wall Street to be motivated by the character Gordon Gecko! As the years went along and I learned what it was like climbing the corporate ladder, managing other people, putting in those 60-70 hour weeks, I slowly learned that that was not what I wanted for my life. While that may be “it” for some people, I realized that I was just breaking my back building wealth for others and building little for my own family. That is why I ultimately decided to take a chance on myself and start my own business. It was difficult in the beginning, we literally lived on credit cards for the better part of the first year. But having belief and working hard eventually paid off. I still put in long hours, being the owner there is no such thing as a “day off”. I have many stories of being on vacation in places like Jamaica and still managing my business from the beaches!

What sets me apart from others? What am I most proud of? I think those two could go hand in hand. I have always insisted on being totally and completely honest and transparent with my customers. There are difficulties that arise with this sometimes. There have been hard conversations at times. But that also engenders loyalty and trust. The other thing is really simple. Our company really operates on the model of “know what you do and do it well”. We do not try to go too far outside our area of expertise. That is not to say we do not entertain ideas and thoughts of new things to try. But generally, we stay in our lane. We have developed processes on how to do what we do, and we stick to those processes religiously so that our service to our clients is reliable and predictable.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When you live in Texas the first thing most people think about is Texas food! You have to try the BBQ, you have to try the Texmex, you have to have a steak in one of our famous upscale steakhouses. To me that means BBQ at a place like Pecan Lodge or Hutchins. TexMex and margaritas at a place like Mi Cocina or Manny’s. And my favorite place for a great steak is Bobs Steak and Chophouse. So, yeah, we would spend several evening in those type places.

The sports scene is a big deal in Dallas. Taking in a Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, or Stars game would be a must. All of those teams put on a great show and it is a great time. I happen to be a Mavericks season ticket holder, but I also enjoy going to the others as well.

Music is a big deal in the DFW area also. There are so many great music venues now, and the weather is great most of the year so my favorite is to hit an outdoor music venue for a great concert.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
For as long as I have been doing this there are so many people that have influenced me through the years. It is impossible to be doing something for 34 years and not have that. But if I have to single out a few people I would probably do so for the first guy that took a chance on a young guy pretty much straight out of college and threw him to the wolves! Larry Felix was my manager in Southern California back in the early 90’s, and I was fortunate enough to be working in an office and a sales territory where I got to get my hands dirty doing multiple different functions. Sales during the day, operations managing teamsters during the evening. And Larry allowed me to do it all, learn from my mistakes, and get hands on experience that would not have been possible at a larger office.

The 2nd person would be my friend and pseudo mentor Brent Weaver. I first met Brent when we both worked together at a large corporate trucking company. We got to know a little of each other then, and I was impressed by his professionalism and the way he did his job. We had a chance again later at another smaller carrier and worked much more closely then in a middle management type function, and his advice and guidance really helped a young guy that was probably a little out of his league. Finally, several years later, Brent had started his own company and things worked out that when I was ready to do the same, he really encouraged me and supported me. Even let me “run my business” through his for a while while teaching me and helping me learn the ropes of this whole freight brokerage thing. Unfortunately Brent passed away several years following that which eventually led to me completely striking out on my own and setting up my own company. But his friendship , support, and mentorship through those years was invaluable.

What was the common denominator there? Somewhat older guys that were willing to take the time and the chance by taking a younger guy under their wing and helping him along his path!

Lastly, it must be noted that none of this would have been possible without having a loving, very supportive wife along my side. Every time I have asked her to move for my career, every time I have asked her to support me in taking a chance, she has said yes. She has always believed in me and supported me and that more than anything has given me confidence to power forward through the years.

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