THE WESEMAN BROTHERS: Two Hands of the Same Machine
Even against the sturdy craftsmanship of the homes they build, the most solid foundation in the Weseman brothers’ work is their last name.
“With our name comes the promise of honesty and integrity. In everything we do, we represent our name and what our dad (Gary Weseman) has taught us. Our dad taught us to do it the right way,” said Michael Weseman, who, in addition to working as a framer and superintendent with his dad’s and brother’s companies, works as a realtor with Watson Realty.
Michael and his older brother, William, both started their careers in construction picking up trash and sweeping floors for Weseman Builders, the local company started by their father in 1976. The duo, who’ve worked together for nearly ten years, say those early experiences helped them appreciate the value of every job on site — because they’ve done every single one of them.
“You have to start from the bottom and work your way up,” said William, who now runs William Weseman Construction.
The idea that every task is equally important in achieving the optimal finished product is evident in the pair’s division of labor, which can be summed up by “work hard, stay safe and get it done.”
“It doesn’t matter what has to be done,” Michael said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the most grunt work of the work; if it’s got to be done, somebody’s got to do it. That’s what we work toward every day — completing every single task on that to-do list.”
Beyond the shared motivation, the partnership’s success is also thanks to their frank honesty and willingness to challenge one another for the benefit of the customer. Neither brother hesitates to share exactly how he feels about a certain floor, color or fixture choice, William said.
“I’m not always going to tell him what he wants to hear,” explained William, which is exactly the way Michael prefers it, the younger brother said.
“Both of us can be pretty blunt,” Michael said. “It’s great when you have somebody who you can count on to tell you what they honestly feel. We all speak our minds, and sometimes, it takes all three of us coming together to find the best answer.”
Being able to find answers together with family is the best part of the Wesemans’ family-owned and operated businesses, they agree.
“You can’t beat working with your family every day,” William said. “I love doing what I do.”
“When you’re working long hours, how often do you usually get to see your family? We get to hang out and see our dad every day, and that’s the best part for me,” Michael added.
William’s love of construction has extended to his 7-year-old son, Andrew, who enjoys tagging along with grandpa to job sites.
“He loves it more than anything else in the world,” William said.
Michael looks forward to having his son at the job site, too — he and his wife are expecting their first child in November.
While Michael hasn’t tracked down a tiny hardhat (yet), he’s already got a few construction outfits lined up for his son, ensuring he’ll feel right at home.
MATCHMAKER REALTY’S GIA AND SCOTT ARVIN: Two Peas in A Pod
If Gia Arvin wants to speak with her husband and business partner, Scott, during the workday, she can often just look up from the computer at her desk.
In between a flood of daily appointments, the pair work from their 10-by-14- foot home office in a partner’s desk configuration that Gia describes as “literally nose-to-nose.”
The close-quarters approach works well for Matchmaker Realty power couple Gia, a broker associate, and Scott, a realtor and property manager.
“A good line of communication is essential,” explained Gia, whose mother owned Matchmaker Realty 35 years ago. “We are a unit, we are a team — it’s just easier. We also want all of our customers to have a consistent experience, and that requires us to always be on the same page.”
Plus, the duo can easily clock over 60 hours per week during their busy season, so working together is also extra time to be together.
The happy parents also squeeze in quality time with their daughter, Avery, by seeking out baby-friendly networking events or marketing ideas.
“I’m always thinking about how to incorporate her,” Gia said. “Even if it’s fitting in an extra hour with her at a Mommy and Me class. I get to meet other moms that I normally wouldn’t while spending more time with Avery.”
Both raised in Gainesville, the couple have known each other since middle school but didn’t start dating until Scott’s sophomore year of college. Even when they first met, Gia and Scott (and everyone around them) could see that they had opposite personalities.
“It’s the biggest reason we work together so well,” Scott said. “We use our differences to make a stronger team… always with the same goals in mind.”
Scott is the big-picture thinking, high energy motivator, explained Gia, which compliments her very detail-oriented, calm and logistical approach to completing tasks.
Their diverse strengths were also a benefit for clearly defining work roles, which they say haven’t really changed since they started working together in 2004.
At the beginning of their working relationship, Gia and Scott did some research on working as a married couple by talking to other successful husband wife teams.
The most important piece of advice in Gia’s opinion was to clearly define your roles when starting a work journey. As long as those roles are defined, there will be a lot less arguing, she said.
Although it’s not that they never fight, Scott clarified — they just consider it fixing miscommunications.
“We always assume the other has good intentions,” Scott said. “And, we go into every conversation with a mutual respect for each other.”
PIESANOS’ MIKE AND MELISSA AKEY:
Two Sides of the Same Coin Despite their role as Piesanos partners, Mike and Melissa Akey don’t often see each other during a typical workday.
“Our paths cross occasionally, but we’re not usually in the same location at the same time,” said Melissa, who handles the finances, filing and front-of-house operations at each of Piesanos’ three locations. Because of their limited interaction during the day, pizza shop talk often spills out over the family dinner table.
“Our kids hate it because they say it’s all we ever talk about,” said Mike of his 13- and 16-year-old boys’ typical reactions.
But the pair can’t help it — they’re just passionate about creating a great dining experience.
“You take your work home with you because you care,” said Mike, who prefers to work mostly behind the scenes in the kitchen.
“It makes you feel good when the product you’re putting out is so good that people come back over and over,” Melissa added.
The couple has been working together in the restaurant business since 1992. They opened the first Piesanos location in 2009 with partners Joel Mills and Lori Young, Mike’s mother. Since then, they’ve continued to challenge each other in positive ways, helping expand the business to two more Gainesville locations.
The diversity of skill sets has helped their business thrive, Mills said.
“Everyone has their own specialty,” he explained. “Melissa’s really good with finances and front-of-the-house operations, Mike’s really good at cooking and I’m really good at pizza.”
“It all just seems to click,” Melissa explained. “It helps that we also have the same goals and work ethic.”
Luckily for them, the Akeys say, they’ve found and retained a lot of high-quality employees.
“Without the employees, we’re nothing,” Mike said. “We’ve been really fortunate.”
The Akeys’ family values extend to their employee policies — the store is closed on every major holiday so everyone can enjoy time with their loved ones.
Mills, who considers himself “adopted family,” fits in perfectly with the Akeys’ high standards, helping to maintain consistently wonderful food and a friendly atmosphere.
“Quality is our main thing,” he said. “We make our dough fresh every day. We use the best cheese, best tomatoes, everything you can get — it’s why you can taste the difference.”