Embracing the Power of Pause in Business and Life with Bruer Kershner
Apr 10, 2024Episode 48
Marc Bernstein / Bruer Kershner
Winter's chill invites a season of reflection and rejuvenation. Bruer Kershner unpacks the 'winter pause,' a time where personal and professional growth take center stage, allowing us to realign our life's compass. Bruer's expertise in the office furniture industry underpins a conversation about the strength found in relationships and the importance of a socially responsible business ethos.
Adaptability is a cornerstone of success, we open up about the financial tightropes walked over 22 years of entrepreneurship. We explore the evolution of office spaces and the heart of being client-focused, even amidst economic uncertainties. The sharing of strategies and support systems, are underscored as essential for weathering market changes and fueling growth.
We conclude by diving into the power of education, both formal and through the 'school of life.' Bruer's journey exemplifies that success is not a one-size-fits-all formula, and community service can be as enriching as traditional academic pursuits.
About Bruer: The Kershner name has been a brand name in the office furniture business for more than 60 years, and it came as no surprise in 2002, when Bruer Kershner embarked on an entrepreneurial journey with a vision to take office furniture and workplace design into the future. It’s in his bloodline. As Founder and CEO of Kershner Office Furniture, and a firm believer in the power of relationships, Bruer has fostered a customer-focused philosophy by understanding the unique needs of clients and delivering personalized workplace solutions. Whether navigating market fluctuations, or cultivating a resilient company culture, he and his leadership team has been the driving force behind Kershner’s ability to not just survive but thrive. But Bruer is more than a businessman, he has an authentic commitment to social responsibility and continues to be actively engaged in the community, supporting local and international initiatives, and participating in charitable ventures that support organizations in the Philly area.
Are you a visionary founder with a compelling success story that deserves to be shared with our audience? We're on the lookout for accomplished business leaders like you to be featured on the Founders' Forum Radio Show and Podcast. If you've surmounted challenges, reached significant milestones, or have an exciting vision for the future, we'd be honored to have you as a guest on our show. Your experiences and insights can inspire and enlighten others in the business world. If you're eager to share your journey and the invaluable lessons you've learned along the way, we invite you to apply here.
Winter's chill invites a season of reflection and rejuvenation. Bruer Kershner unpacks the 'winter pause,' a time where personal and professional growth take center stage, allowing us to realign our life's compass. Bruer's expertise in the office furniture industry underpins a conversation about the strength found in relationships and the importance of a socially responsible business ethos.
Adaptability is a cornerstone of success, we open up about the financial tightropes walked over 22 years of entrepreneurship. We explore the evolution of office spaces and the heart of being client-focused, even amidst economic uncertainties. The sharing of strategies and support systems, are underscored as essential for weathering market changes and fueling growth.
We conclude by diving into the power of education, both formal and through the 'school of life.' Bruer's journey exemplifies that success is not a one-size-fits-all formula, and community service can be as enriching as traditional academic pursuits.
About Bruer: The Kershner name has been a brand name in the office furniture business for more than 60 years, and it came as no surprise in 2002, when Bruer Kershner embarked on an entrepreneurial journey with a vision to take office furniture and workplace design into the future. It’s in his bloodline. As Founder and CEO of Kershner Office Furniture, and a firm believer in the power of relationships, Bruer has fostered a customer-focused philosophy by understanding the unique needs of clients and delivering personalized workplace solutions. Whether navigating market fluctuations, or cultivating a resilient company culture, he and his leadership team has been the driving force behind Kershner’s ability to not just survive but thrive. But Bruer is more than a businessman, he has an authentic commitment to social responsibility and continues to be actively engaged in the community, supporting local and international initiatives, and participating in charitable ventures that support organizations in the Philly area.
Are you a visionary founder with a compelling success story that deserves to be shared with our audience? We're on the lookout for accomplished business leaders like you to be featured on the Founders' Forum Radio Show and Podcast. If you've surmounted challenges, reached significant milestones, or have an exciting vision for the future, we'd be honored to have you as a guest on our show. Your experiences and insights can inspire and enlighten others in the business world. If you're eager to share your journey and the invaluable lessons you've learned along the way, we invite you to apply here.
Announcer:
WDB 860 AM Philadelphia and WPEN HD2 Burlington, Philadelphia. Entrepreneur, author and financial consultant, Marc Bernstein helps high-performing entrepreneurial business owners create a vision for the future and follow through on their goals and intentions. Ang Onorato is a business growth strategist who blends psychology and business together to create conscious leaders and business owners who impact the world. Founders Forum is a radio show podcast sharing the real stories behind entrepreneurship as founders discover more about themselves, while providing valuable lessons and some fun and entertainment for you. Now here's Marc and Ang.
Marc Bernstein:
Good morning America. How are you this morning? We are cold. In Philadelphia it's very cold, it's icy. We just had our first storm in 715 days, I understand. So, Ang, you had a thought about winter and the winter pause. Why don't we talk about that a little? Yeah?
Ang Onorato:
absolutely Especially because, if you know me, winter is absolutely not my time of year. Even though I grew up in the mountains and a skier, I chase the sun now. But it did have a reflection as I was driving into the studio this morning, that you know, winter is also a time. If we choose it, it could be a time of a pause, right. And so I was wondering, you know, what does a pause mean in our personal lives, running a business, you know, do we intentionally take time to pause and see are things in alignment? Am I going in the right direction? Is my business going in the right direction? So it was kind of a thought that pickedaked up while I was driving a couple miles in and you and I chatted about it. So I thought it would be a great entree to pose that question today for our guest and see what you guys think.
Marc Bernstein:
Well, I'll comment and then I'll introduce briefly our guest before I give his full introduction. It's funny you talk about this, Ang, because yesterday I was talking to people about electric vehicles at lunch with a group of manufacturers and some of them were talking about the difficulty of charging and the difficulty you know, how long it takes, et cetera, and so I've been a Tesla owner like it, or beneficial, because once I got used to the idea of charging and it might take an average of an hour for a full charge it caused me to slow down. Sometimes I'll stop, I'll rest, I'll meditate, I'll get a cup of tea or I'll catch up on phone calls or messages and then meditate, whatever it is, and I found that it's very beneficial not to just pause for a day or two, like some of us are doing now, but for an hour during the day as well. So our guest today is Bruer Kershner. I'll formally introduce him in a minute. But, Bruer, any thoughts on the pause, the winter pause and what that means to you?
Bruer Kershner:
It's funny, as you brought that subject up. Yesterday was a very weird day because of the snow we had and the office was at 20%. There was only six people out of 30-some people in the office. Yesterday I paused at 4 o'clock. The snow people are going to come in and clean the lot again at 5.15. So I went and tried to leave 3, 4, 5 o'clock. It was really quiet in the office. It was a quiet day. So I pulled my life plan back out. I printed my life plan and my assistant came up and said I see you're pulling that out again and I really looked at it between three and five o'clock before I left the office at 5.30. And you do the winter months, the cold, the no one's driving on the roads. Well, this morning took me 45 minutes to get here, but last night no one's driving the roads and the pause that winter gives you is a great, is a great thought process. You go back and think about where you are.
Marc Bernstein:
So I'm going to go back to your life plan later. Did you want to say something? No, I was just saying I love it.
Ang Onorato:
We're only a few weeks into the new year and to continue to look at the life plan, that's next level.
Marc Bernstein:
Cool. I did a little of that myself the last couple of days. Maybe we'll get a chance to talk about that. So let's introduce Bruer Kershner, who is CEO of Kershner Office Furniture. So if you're around Philadelphia and maybe even beyond, maybe even nationally, you might know the Kershner name, which has been in the office furniture business for more than 60 years. So with Bruer, it's in his bloodline and in 2002, he founded Kershner Office Furniture and he's a firm believer in the power of relationships and he's fostered a customer-focused philosophy by understanding unique needs of clients and delivering personalized and, I might say, excellent workplace solutions. He's got 40 years of experience and expertise and cultivated a loyal customer base and sees Kershner Office Furniture not just as a service provider but as a trusted partner. He and his leadership team have been the driving force.
Marc Bernstein:
Excuse my stuttering a little bit. It's a very long bio and it's great, but I'm skipping through a little bit. He's caused his company not just and his philosophy is not just to survive but to thrive. They are celebrating 20 years in business, still growing. They have a 10,000-square-foot working showroom which is a big deal in King of Prussia, pennsylvania, and a 3,000-square-foot showroom in downtown Philadelphia. 32 hardworking employees and providing, as we said before, creative workplace solutions and excellent customer services to businesses throughout the tri-state area. But Bruer is more than a business person. He's also committed to social responsibility, very engaged in the community and supports lots of local and international initiatives philanthropically. So that's great. There's a lot there and there's a lot to talk about. He also is married and has three children Bruer Jr, chelsea and Britton, and his lovely wife Meg. And from there let's say hi to Bruer how are you doing this morning?
Bruer Kershner:
Thank you very much. I appreciate being here. It's an honor to be here and on the radio with you guys and I appreciate the invitation.
Marc Bernstein:
Radio and podcast. Let's not forget that I appreciate the invitation Radio and podcast. Let's not forget that you might be many people listen to us on podcast so and we are live and, by the way, in WWDB AM in Philadelphia. In the meantime, Bruer, when we first met, you told me a bit about your story, your history in the family business. Why don't we start at the beginning and kind of talk about how you got where you are today?
Bruer Kershner:
So one of seven kids, one of eight kids, grew up right here in Balkinwood, right on Union Avenue. My father's business was in Manayunk, roxburgh, manayunk, right across the street. We're really in your backyard, right here, my backyard Know the area well. It was interesting because Roxburgh Manayunk has been a great history for Kershner Office Furniture. I grew up in Balkinwin and never liked school. A seventh child as a seventh child. Your mother didn't read your book to you at all.
Bruer Kershner:
The eighth child. I don't know why Mikey is so smart my little sister but I struggled at school.
Marc Bernstein:
I had a horrible time at school. Can I interject one second?
Bruer Kershner:
Because we did talk and we might get get to it that you're not a reader as a result, but you are an avid learner. I know that. Yes, so we'll talk about that later. Yeah, so I struggled in school, all through grade school and all through high school, and I everyone should go to college and I I'm a true believer in college and education. I really, really am. But at after three semesters in college, I came home to my father and said I'm having the best time of my life. It's unbelievable.
Ang Onorato:
You know drinking and fooling around, and it's you know I just can't keep on going.
Bruer Kershner:
I was more mature than my age because I was a seventh child and I said I need a job. I had no education. My father had probably 70 employees, so I drove a truck for him, I was in the warehouse for him, I went in the office for him. I went outside sales for nine months and hated it, went back into the office with him again.
Bruer Kershner:
As I was doing all that, five other brothers and sisters joined my father's firm. So we went from $750,000 to $42 million in probably 10 years. Five of us are outside sales from my father and we went from 70 employees to 185 employees to 200,000 square feet of real estate. We sold the business a family business in 1996 called CB Kershner, and I opened three years later. Kershner Office Furniture, had $50,000 in my bank account and had three kids and a wife supporting me Meg has been unbelievable my whole life and I said I'm going to go start my own business and she said, okay, go. So that was 2002, 21 years ago now, which is amazing.
Bruer Kershner:
And I think we're up to 34 employees now. We keep on hiring. We're trying to hire, we're trying to grow. I have a great management team that really runs my company for me and they say we're going to be up 12% this year. We were up probably almost 20% last year and people go. I don't understand. You're in the furniture business and you sell commercial office furniture and how are you up 20%?
Marc Bernstein:
In this environment. In this environment.
Bruer Kershner:
People aren't going back to work and I don't think they're going back to work soon either.
Marc Bernstein:
I think they should go back to work, back to work in the office, in the office.
Bruer Kershner:
Yes, soon either. I think they should go back to work, back to work in the office. In the office, yes, thank you, so they can get promoted and learn. I tell people I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but a little age gives a little wisdom. So to come in and work beside me or be some smart person that's in the office working, you can learn a lot. So I think that the world's missing that right now. But has Christian Office Furniture up 20% and going to be up 10% more is an anomaly. We dominate 3% of the market. I tell people we're tiny in the market but we work hard and you said earlier our thing is networking and going out and meeting people and going out and advertising on the show here and you know getting my word out about Kershner Office Furniture we go out and do events, whether the Union League or EO or IFMA, industrial Facilities Manager Association whether.
Bruer Kershner:
IIDA design firms. You know we look for different places that we can go out and meet people and get to know people and go from there.
Marc Bernstein:
I have to mention a couple of things. Number one you're a lot sharper tool in the shed than you portray yourself to be. I'll just say that Different kind of learner, but all the same. So I have to tell the story of how we met really quickly, because we are both members of EO, which is Entrepreneurs Organization, and our next week's guest is actually the president of the Philadelphia chapter of EO. Um and a couple of months ago we were at an EO event and Bruer walks up to me and says you're Marc Bernstein, aren't you? I said yeah.
Marc Bernstein:
How do we know each other? Your name sounds familiar. He had just signed up for a call with me that day about the podcast radio show and then there we were, like an hour or two later. It's pretty crazy. The power of.
Bruer Kershner:
LinkedIn. Marc and I did not know each other and I saw his his great advertisement on LinkedIn and I'm always looking to get the word out right. Because we dominate 3% of the market. We just want to go to four. And how do I get my Kershner office furniture? How many times can I say Kershner office furniture?
Ang Onorato:
So how do we get?
Bruer Kershner:
that name out there and I saw that ad so I signed up. Your assistant did a great job of signing me up and then, 24 hours later, Marc at our meeting. You know I have to say.
Ang Onorato:
One thing about the power of LinkedIn is as I've always shared on here. You know I've had 30 years experience as an executive recruiter. I was one of the first you know batch of people on LinkedIn when it emerged just as you know, for recruiters. And it's amazing to me, even all these these years later, how few people really understand how to leverage that, not just as a tool, but how to do the networking right.
Ang Onorato:
And the networking being it's not just always what's in it for you, but it's you know you reached out because you saw something and you saw the need. But it's not just you know, how do you get the name out there, it's how do you get the right people to be aware of you? And this, you know, highly curated, customized, bespoke kind of business in a in a big market, Right. So that makes me just feel so excited and want to engage with people that reach out that way versus you know, I get them all day long hey, can you help me get a job, Can you help me? And it's all about just what's on it for them and not using that as a platform to really network. So I think it's awesome that you guys connected that way.
Marc Bernstein:
Well, it's actually a good point, because this show is. You know, I don't usually plug the show itself, but both in my business I'm going to be shameless.
Marc Bernstein:
That's right, that's right. Shameless plug for ourselves. But we so in my business, financial services we are very client centric, like you are. Ang is very much so in her consulting practice and we built the show around that. So we're all about the guests, we're not about ourselves. We don't really plug what we do on the show at all and as a result, we're backed up months now in terms of the show we just started last April and people are really. I had somebody yesterday I had to miss a call and I apologized and he said I had somebody yesterday I had to miss a call and I apologized and he said oh, I can't believe you took the time to apologize and this guy's running businesses all over the country. It was pretty interesting. So I think this is great proof of if you do what's good for the person at the other side of the table.
Ang Onorato:
You know people really, really appreciate it. Just seek to serve and everything else comes after that.
Marc Bernstein:
So listen, I know you're 22 years in business. I know it wasn't all a bed of roses. I know you must have had challenges, because every entrepreneur does. What kind of challenges did you face? Bruer, and how did you?
Bruer Kershner:
address them as they came along. Number one is always money right.
Ang Onorato:
Right.
Bruer Kershner:
I could have went bankrupt in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. I'm sure, and you know, my father always said you know, watch the pennies and the dollars take care of themselves. It's amazing. I walked by a penny the other day and I stopped myself and turned around and picked it up and I just kind of smiled. My father's been gone for 10 years now and he used to always say that. And I have a sister who's my CFO, and my partner, connie Mizzio, and she, you know, watches the pennies for me and some people kind of look at the sideways every once in a while and but you go well, that's why we're in business, because we watch the pennies and the dollars do take care of themselves.
Bruer Kershner:
So that's the hardest thing is money, the customers getting out there. You know, we were always good at that. That's why we're growing, because we're always out there. We're always trying to find the next person to moving, expanding, growing. That has a need that we can help solve, help solve. And you know, when people weren't going out in the pandemic, that was hard. When people were going out for the pandemic, that was hard. But also, you know, at 8, 9, 10, no one had money. So we did some more used furniture than we did new furniture, so we're always looking for different ways.
Marc Bernstein:
Great, we just. We have a quick commercial break for one minute and, because of what you just said, I have two other questions to ask you. So we'll see you right after the break.
Announcer:
Are you ready to elevate your office space and change where you work? If the answer is yes, we got you covered. Kershner Office Furniture has been furnishing workplaces for over 20 years, but we don't just provide furniture. We provide workplace solutions that inspire and connect with your culture and values. Whether it's a range of workstations, open floor plans, collaborative hubs, private offices or glass walls, Kershner has the expertise and experience to meet your unique needs. So if you're ready to refresh, redo or relocate your office, give us a call at 610-768-0200. That's 610-768-0200. And speak with one of our workplace consultants, or visit us online at KershnerOfficecom to tour one of our showrooms and learn more Kershner Office Furniture designing spaces that work, because where you work matters.
Marc Bernstein:
We are back on Founders Forum and on live on the radio, at least today. We had an ad for Verify Protect not plugging them, but I'm plugging TJ, our engineer, whose great voice was on. That did a great job with that commercial. But Verify Protect happens to be a great company as well. Bruer, all the times I've asked that question to people, nobody has ever mentioned money as a challenge, which is really interesting because we're in business, it's not all about, but ultimately it's about money, right? So you know, I'm an advocate of fiscal therapy. I wrote about it in a book and I think how people think about money and you know is really important in business, you know, and how they address it. So I think your father's you know my father I write about in the book was always like always pay yourself first. You know, pay, take 10%. You know the Ben Franklin type philosophy. So I think that's really interesting, that that's a key thought that had to have kept you in business during 08, 09, and beyond, because those were tough times, I know, for the office market.
Bruer Kershner:
So I'm in business because of EOorg and I can't give that much too much of a plug. I joined 15 years ago and again, the way I learned is by going to seminars and that kind of stuff, but they always say pay yourself first and they're. The way I learn is by going to seminars and that kind of stuff, but they always say pay yourself first and they're all big, pay yourself. My father was always-.
Marc Bernstein:
I'm new in EO. I didn't hear that yet, but it's so ingrained in me that-.
Bruer Kershner:
My father said pay yourself last. And my father always had a drawer full of checks that he had in his drawer that he saved. And when he sold the business he had this large chunk of checks in his drawer that they said well, we'll pay you for that too, which was amazing. But so the business has to survive and it generally is the number one concern of how do I make payroll Again back to EO.
Ang Onorato:
That was a question we asked our forum group.
Bruer Kershner:
I don't have enough money to make payroll next month. What am I going to do? How do I save more money? How do I you know what's the next step?
Ang Onorato:
So those were the hard days.
Bruer Kershner:
You know, today's that's not an issue at all, which is great, knock on wood. But yeah, so we always watch money.
Marc Bernstein:
The other quick question I have. I know because these are not great times for offices in general, but yet you're thriving Is part of that because people are reimagining their office space and they're coming to you for you know how to redo it to make it, you know, acceptable to the employee climate today.
Bruer Kershner:
Yes, Everybody's redoing their lobby and their open area and their kitchenette and their kitchens to make it more inviting back. There's a big article yesterday in the paper about bars in the office. Putting a bar in the office Is that the right culture fit? Is that the right thing for your different people in your office? Will everyone accept that? And that's a big article about that, which was interesting. But everyone is doing the community space over the work space. The cubicle is almost a secondary now. The cubicle hasn't changed much. We all went high it was. We all went lower and we went open and now we want higher again. And then we want to go into a community space to meet and greet people. We still don't know. We did podcasts over COVID asking the question what is the new workplace? That was four years ago now.
Bruer Kershner:
And if you ask me tomorrow, I'd say we don't know, we still don't know. Everyone's trying to figure it out and every culture is different, every spot is different, but people are spending money on ancillary furniture right now.
Marc Bernstein:
Well, interesting, because we are reconstructing our office, our building, a new building, and we erred in favor of more open space, thinking we can always change it later to adapt to it. I did meet you too late. I mentioned because we'd already. I know I wish I had met you earlier as well. So I know Ang has a follow-up question about that, because what you're talking about has to do with the culture of the office and what it looks like, and Ang is always very interested in that.
Ang Onorato:
I don't know what her question is going to be, but I know she wants to ask you something, yeah well, it's a really interesting spin on the curiosity that I typically have, as Marc says, is understanding the current culture of an organization and sort of where it came from as well, and so it's really kind of a two-part question I have, encompassing what you just said and something I saw on the news yesterday. On one hand, you talked about your family business that grew from $750,000 to $42 million and how you grew. So love to hear maybe just a little bit about how you grew, how the culture kind of grew with the business and how you carried that legacy into your own organization. But what I'm really curious about, you talk about the changing environment.
Ang Onorato:
I saw a news article that came out on LinkedIn yesterday that was talking about organizations that are really pushing the return to office in a really kind of a harsh way and some of the things that they're adapting to are and I was blown away to hear this but actual sensors in people's desks and their workstations that would sense if they're actually sitting in the desks on top of you know, tracking their mouse and workstations and just this, my goodness, george Orwellian sort of thing. And I hope that that's just maybe one or two companies, but, as you're seeing, just we're not sure what the office environment looks like. It is more open and collaborative and yet space. From a human design perspective, what are you hearing from companies as they're saying we want more open while, but what are you seeing more holistically around? Not just what the design looks like, but what do the employees really need to be effective, and are companies starting to think about that and how to keep them in their seats also?
Bruer Kershner:
Keep them in their seats. To get them back in their seats is really what it is. So the first question culture. So my father would walk around the office every day and say hi, good morning to everybody and talk to everybody. It was a family atmosphere with 186 employees, knew everybody's name, said hi to everybody. We try at Kershner Office Furniture to keep that culture, to make sure you stay connected. In a manager's meetings we talk about culture all the time. You know whether it's employee recognition, employee parking spot, the environment. We just did we just put new carpet in, $60,000 for carpet and $110,000 for furniture just to keep the culture going. That's the first question. So we talk about family business for Kershner Office Furniture.
Bruer Kershner:
Ncb Kershner is, I think, everybody. There's so many different, whether it's education, banking, accounting, social media and charity organizations. Everyone's trying to get people back and do they care about? They care about their environment more than the person, in my opinion right now and I'm not sure I'm always right but they care about the environment. What the office looks like, the cubicle's not changing. The benching might be going away. The openness of the bench that people work in an open environment, I think, has gone away more. They do want some privacy because they're used to home and their sofa and their dining room table. Now they want a little more privacy and then they also want to get up from their desk and have an open area where they can collaborate and grow.
Bruer Kershner:
It's all about growing and learning and making the business make money. And the business grow, so they want to go to a spot where they can grow and go out in the community.
Marc Bernstein:
Speaking of growing and learning. I know you're all about that and you mentioned EO before being very important Disclosure I'm a member of EO too. I mentioned only a few years, so I haven't done as much of the educational stuff. I've done more forum work. But talk about EO and how that's been an influence and how you continue to learn and grow, because I know you're not a reader but you do it in a lot of different ways.
Bruer Kershner:
So I like EO to say you know your two best friends, know how much money you make, and? And the answer I ask that question all the time the answer is no.
Ang Onorato:
your two best friends, they don't know about that.
Bruer Kershner:
You know, someone committed suicide three weeks ago and their friends say I don't understand. I was just with them. It doesn't make sense to me and it's a mental illness. And but we don't. We talk about the 90% we talk about. We don't talk about the 5% great, I have too much money. Or the 5% low that I don't have enough money. Or the 5% high of my wife is the most awesome person in the world. Or the low of I can't talk to my wife. So how do we get people to open up more? And EO is about growing and getting to that 5%. It's all about the 5%, whether it's in business or home or personal. That's the life plan. You know personal, business and family. How are you doing? What's your goals? How can you dream and EO has so many components to it of whether it's business or personal and how do you grow? Go boldly you can probably help me out, because I don't remember. Go boldly where you've never been before. Learn, educate there's four mantras there for EO.
Bruer Kershner:
I don't have them.
Marc Bernstein:
Come on, Marc, you're new at this, I'm old at this, but I will say this I mentioned I'm going to Cuba tomorrow, that's with my EO forum. So that's another form of learning. Talk about great educational experience seeing a country that we don't know much about. We are almost out of time, believe it or not. It's unbelievable how the time flies on the show. But we mentioned EO. I do want to ask you about your future vision. If you were looking at one year from today, looking back on the last year, what would have to happen in your business and personally for your Bruer to feel that that was a successful one-year period? The world, excuse me, the world is really screwed up right now.
Bruer Kershner:
Politics I don't care what your politics are.
Marc Bernstein:
They're wrong, and so I just you know I'm with you on that.
Bruer Kershner:
By the way, you said earlier serve more love, more in 2024. That's the new motto Serve more love, more in 2024. And I think we all have to look inside ourselves and see how we help our neighbor. They had a thing on NPR radio today about a gentleman who turned around, went back and helped his neighbor shovel. He drove by her and went back and helped. I am cautiously optimistic about 2024. We have so much going on. I keep on putting my head down and work, but you can't do that. You've got to go out and help the community and the people around you.
Marc Bernstein:
So how would you do that over the next year? Do you have a thought about that as of?
Announcer:
yet.
Bruer Kershner:
I had a friend call me on the phone last night in tears, saying Bruer, I went to a charity I think it was Chester County Food Bank, I'm not sure which I just donated furniture to and he went check. Ifma gave a check to them for $12,000. Last night, before they gave a check, the woman who runs the whole place and I don't know her name off the top of my head, said I got to tell you, Bruer Kershner donated all this furniture around here and I saved them a lot of money and that's what I think we have to do. I don't want to publicize that and he didn't even know I did that, but he introduced me to her five months ago and I went up to a meter and said I can help you. I have used furniture, I have new furniture, I have designers, I have project managers can help you through the project. So I forget your question, but I'm out there trying to serve.
Ang Onorato:
Well, you're one year vision, but you just you did answer it.
Marc Bernstein:
Last question If you were looking back and talking to your younger self, what advice would you give you?
Bruer Kershner:
School is very important. If I hear your son or your daughter is dropping out of college, I want to talk to them. I want to talk to them about high school Reading. You have to read. My kids are smarter and better looking than I am my wife's an avid reader.
Marc Bernstein:
So do as I say, not do as I do. Right, I hate that. Yes, that's correct, correct.
Bruer Kershner:
But education, I would say you know, say, start reading in second grade and third grade. Again, education is so important. People say, well, you don't need college anymore. Well, it's not about college, it's not about what you're teaching, it's about meeting these people. I'm very jealous of people that say I'm going away with my college buddies or I'm gone shopping with my best friend from college.
Marc Bernstein:
Well, don't kid yourself though you are very educated. You've learned a lot, whether it's the school of hard knocks, the, you know, teach yourself university but you've done it all and you've done a great job with your business and with your community service. And that's about all the time we have today on Founders Forum. Thank you, Bruer, for being here with us. It was lovely talking to you, it was a great, great time, and we'll see you all next week on Founders Forum.