Dr. Richard Towe and Dr. Todd Towe
Dr. Richard Towe and Dr. Todd Towe are in business together in Franklin, Kentucky at Towe Dentistry and Aesthetic Center. They say that working together seems completely normal. “We mostly have our own set of regular patients, and our office is very fastpaced, so there are many days we don’t see each other very often!”
Dr. Richard Towe has been a dentist for 46 years. He graduated from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry and served in Vietnam before starting a practice in Franklin. Dr. Todd followed in his footsteps by graduating from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. He has been working as a dentist for 7 years.
The father/son team says the biggest challenge they face together is keeping up with the latest trends and technology in dentistry. They say to overcome this, they have incorporated digital dentistry and same-day crowns in their practice. They have also completed an addition to their office that includes a sedation room used by their associate, Josh Phillips.
Their office is fast-paced, and they stay busy. Dr. Todd says he has many great memories of practicing with his father, but his favorite comes from when he first began working with his dad. “I noticed a patient kept looking at me with a funny expression. We talked for a few minutes before he realized I wasn’t my dad. He exclaimed that he thought Dr. Towe had been drinking from the Fountain of Youth!”
Dr. Todd and Dr. Towe believe that the best advice they have for families who work together is to keep things positive and professional. They certainly enjoy the time and memories made together.
John Hughes and Mike Hughes
Mike Hughes has been in the food service industry since he was in college at WKU. In 1995, he purchased Cambridge Market which was just a deli and coffee shop at the time. His son, John, grew up in Cambridge. From hanging out there after school, to working as a bus boy and all the other positions available, his father approached him after he worked in Louisville for three or four years as a financial representative about coming back to eventually run and takeover the business.
Mike and John say they have a great working relationship. They have total trust and loyalty in one another, and they each know they can bounce ideas off the other. Good or bad, they have each other. “It’s fun and exciting to have the opportunity to watch my son grow and develop into a young businessman and to all the new ideas to better serve our community and clients,” says Mike. “John has enthusiasm that reignites the passion in me to work harder every day.”
John says he learns every day from his dad. “He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the food industry and business in general. I am just a sponge trying to soak it up.”
John and Mike strive to communicate efficiently, daily. They make decisions together, and if they disagree, they try to talk it out and find a common solution. “We are working on reinventing Cambridge to keep abreast with new trends in the marketplace while also staying true to who we are while giving our customers what they desire.”
The father/son team have a great time working together. They love to create new recipes together and say that often those trial and errors lead into weekends at home where they try new techniques or cooking methods. They also enjoy learning from one another. “I have learned that John has a thought out logical approach and process which has really helped our business through operations. It has given me a different set of eyes to view certain decisions,” says Mike.
John says that it is hard for younger men and women to be patient in reaching their goals and aspirations. “I think I have become more grounded, patient, and determined in working toward my goals in becoming an entrepreneur and restauranteur. This is something I only could have learned from my dad.”
John and Mike believe they are a rare breed. They work together, and when they have success they celebrate. When they experience failure, they learn from it and lean on one another. They say communication is key. They know to listen to each other and when times are tough, they each know that the other has his back.
Tim Brown and Tyler Brown
Tim Brown and Tyler Brown are the father/son team behind FHG Clothiers, a clothing business based on clothing and personal service with a purpose. “Not only do we try to give men the best clothing options around in an easy and comfortable way, but every bit of money we make is first given to local charities and ministries that are impacting this community. We are about relationships, not numbers,” says Tim.
Tim Brown has always been in the clothing business- all the way back to working at a local clothing store when he was in high school. Tyler grew up knowing his dad as a “clothing guy.”
“As I got older, I started to help out. After college and some military obligations, Dad saw the potential for us to really make an impact in Bowling Green. I saw the vision as well and here we are.” Tim says working with Tyler is a privilege to him as a father. “To watch Tyler evolve into a business person with high character and integrity is a blessing a lot of dads don’t get,” he says.
The two even learn a lot from each other. “Everything seems very natural to Dad and every interaction he has with a client, I learn something. He has been doing this a long time, so he is very knowledgeable and great at analyzing a situation,” Tyler says. Tim says that Tyler has taught him to be a more detail-oriented person.
The Browns always remember that they are family first. Tim says that since he and his son see each other so much outside of work, it is very important to keep work and personal life separated.
Tyler admits that sometimes he “rebels” against some advice his dad gives him as a typical son would. But in the end, he gives the following advice: “Sons, listen to your dads. They usually know what they are doing and want you to learn from their mistakes. And dads, listen to your sons. Sometimes a new way is a better way.”