Hello! My name is Mithra (pronounced mee-thra) and I am a longtime client of Brillo Home Improvements. In celebration of Brillo’s 40th anniversary, I will be guest blogging about Bob, Mike, Guy, and the story of Brillo.
Normally, business writing can be a tad dry. One must gird one’s loins to string together sentences on the subject of, say, the bacterial coagulation of Milorganite. But when it comes to Brillo, the words flow easily. Can you guess why?
Because Brillo is as much a family as it is a business. And while business stories can engage and educate, we all know that the juiciest, most compelling stories are family stories.
So let’s begin by introducing the main characters:
First is Bob Quigley. He’s a people person, so much so that Guy and Mike accuse him of jawing when he should be sawing. It might even be true that Bob would rather talk to a Democrat lawyer in a Bear’s jersey than actually pick up a hammer. But at the end of the day, that Urlacher-worshipping Leftie will have signed a contract with Brillo for his new blue and orange mancave and Guy and Mike will acknowledge Bob’s supreme salesmanship.
And then there’s Mike Bovee. He’s the handsome one. He too likes people but he doesn’t talk as much as Bob. He is an operations guy with a genius for human resources. Which is a fancy way of saying that he develops talent. He can pinpoint exactly what each employee does best and he finds opportunities to help them grow. He’s also a materials geek, which is integral in the fast changing world of home construction.
And finally, there’s Guy Lipovsek. Guy loves people the most of all. He is like a coconut – tough as hell and kinda hairy on the outside but super sweet at his core. Sometimes he has to be dragged along. He is questioning, which can be beneficial by forcing everyone to get their ducks in a row. And no one will go to the wall for you like Guy. Plus, the man is a tiling fool.
The three are tight – brothers from a different mother – and forty years in business together has only cemented the bond. They rib each other, they beat up on each other, they finish each other’s sentences. They truly love each other and going forward, I will be trying to convey that in a way that inspires and entertains. More coming soon!
Mithra Ballesteros blogs at The Bubble Joy about her antique business and her four man-boys who don’t shut doors.
