In this vibrant discussion, Chattanooga entrepreneur Barry Large shares his journey from a childhood immersed in his parents' brick business to co-founding Access America with friends Ted Alling and Allan Davis. They recount how their startup soared to $500 million in ten years despite numerous hurdles. The trio emphasizes the power of complementary skills, the challenges of rapid growth, and investing in local ventures, highlighting the importance of community and resilience in the entrepreneurial landscape.
Barry Large's entrepreneurial journey was heavily influenced by his family's business, instilling in him a strong work ethic and innovative approach to company growth.
His battle with stage four cancer reshaped his priorities, leading him to mentor early-stage companies and emphasize resilience and community contribution.
Deep dives
The Roots of Entrepreneurship in Chattanooga
Barry Large shares how his upbringing influenced his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting his family's move back to Chattanooga and his father's bold decision to buy a failing brick company. This transition sparked a career change that ultimately led to Barry’s own entrepreneurial pursuits. Growing up in a family business exposed him to various roles, instilling a strong work ethic and understanding of hard labor. The lessons learned from his father’s work ethic and bold entrepreneurial spirit laid the foundation for Barry and his collaborators to transform Chattanooga into a thriving entrepreneurial hub.
Access America: A New Business Venture
Barry, along with friends Ted Ailing and Allen Davis, launched Access America, a freight brokerage company that quickly became successful. Their business model was initially fueled by Barry's family business, using it as a primary client to gain traction. They adopted a fresh approach by focusing on competitive compensation structures for their sales team, which motivated employees to perform better and drive company growth. Over a span of just a couple of years, the company grew exponentially, reaching $500 million in sales by 2014.
Navigating Challenges in Business Growth
As Access America scaled rapidly, Barry experienced the pressures of managing finances amidst fast growth, causing significant stress and personal challenges. He shared that dealing with cash flow issues while ensuring smooth operations was a constant concern, especially when their success translated into substantial obligations. This phase taught him the value of transparency in communication, recognizing the toll it took on his mental health when he kept these worries to himself. The experience underscored the importance of sharing burdens, fostering a supportive environment amongst co-founders and employees.
Transformative Experiences and Life Lessons
Barry’s battle with stage four cancer profoundly shifted his perspective on life, health, and priorities. Facing his mortality prompted him to reevaluate how he approached both personal and professional aspects of his life. The challenge ultimately motivated him to pursue a new path of investing in early-stage companies, becoming a mentor and advisor rather than focusing solely on running a business. His journey emphasizes the importance of resilience, building long-term relationships, and making meaningful contributions to the community.
This special edition of the podcast was recorded with a live audience during Chattanooga Entrepreneur Week - so of course this week’s guest is Barry Large, the quintessential Chattanooga entrepreneur!
In this episode, Barry shares how he grew up with a front-row seat to entrepreneurship, seeing his parents own and operate a brick business. This sparked something in him, leading him to pitch a business idea to his best friend - Ted Alling. A year later, their other best friend Allan Davis joined them and the three successfully grew Access America to $500 Million in just ten years. But it didn’t happen without a few bumps and bruises along the way…