I love telling the story of my family’s collaboration on my entrepreneurial ventures. Dig Dig is the definition of a family- run business. I have managed to “drag” all of my kids, my wife, and my sister into business. Be careful, if you get to close to me, I might pull you in too!
This story begins with my oldest son Jeremy, from my first marriage. We did not grow up close to each other. While I lived in the Midwest, Jeremy was abruptly moved to Paris, France and later grew up in Texas. We had 2-3 times a year relationship. Newly single, Jeremy surprisingly called me in June of 2023 needing some help. He was having shoulder surgery and wanted me to visit for a week to help him with my grandson Clark. That week rekindled my relationship with Jeremy and let me bond with Clark. And hey, at least I can say I changed a diaper this century! Clark, a digger enthusiast in the early stages of talking, would excitedly exclaim “dig dig” whenever he saw an excavator, dump truck, or bulldozer.
Freshly retired from managing truck operations in a unionized environment, I found myself contemplating my next venture. Teamsters or toddlers? I have 40 years’ experience. I envisioned creating a space where young children like Clark could enjoy year-round. But running the operation myself was out of the question. Been there, done that.
Enter Justin, my youngest son, who entered into this agreement via text. “Hey, if I build this will you run it?” 12 seconds later “Yep!” With that we moved forward with what some might call a crazy idea. There was no turning back, especially when 140,000 pounds of sand arrived at our doorstep.
Justin is a bright kid with a knack for things he enjoys—school, however, wasn’t one of them. To this day, I’m not entirely sure if he graduated. His true passion, on the other hand, was cooking—a skill he honed at O’Charley’s, where he proved to be a fantastic cook. He then ventured into banking, working as a mortgage officer. The timing of Dig Dig was perfect, as the industry collapsed, giving him more time and less money. At 25, he is now a 50% owner, married to Hannah (a palindrome, as I learned), with our two grandchildren, Elizabeth and Calvin. This business has helped me establish a closeness with Justin that I will treasure forever. In fact, Hannah can attest this with my daily 9am phone call. I can honestly say that Justin and I have never laughed so much together through this crazy journey.
It was through the building of Dig Dig that my wife’s talents really made an impact. Throughout our professional lives, we’ve moved a dozen times and built five homes. During my long hours, Jennifer handled all the interior and landscaping of every home we created—often single-handedly. I remember coming home one evening to see her dumping the last wheelbarrow of landscape rock or teeter-tottering on ladders painting 22-foot ceilings. Throughout the build, Jennifer was our interior decorator. We wouldn’t think about making a color choice without her approval. As she says, “It’s all about the details!”
Since I know nothing about Social Media and Justin’s profile picture is from a 14 year old Yu-Gi-Oh tournament, we needed help on the marketing side. Victoria, my favorite, has always had a knack for making images or movies funny. In fact, check out her scary football video production from 2006 here! She also has countless videos and pictures that were shown during Sunday morning church services. Victoria loves hiking, and she literally plucked her husband Joey off the top of a West Coast mountain. Our granddaughter Bristol has more travel miles than me! They are also expecting our fifth grandchild this year! They now live in Reno with a guest house. If that’s not a grandparent’s dream! For months, Victoria volunteered her work, helping get the word out about Dig Dig. She finally made the payroll officially in March. She almost makes the minimum!
To help us put numbers on a spreadsheet, my sister Terri comes in handy. Recently retired from Reis Nichols as the controller, Terri gives us the financial organization to help us control our costs and provide the best value while keeping as much of it as possible. Growing up, Terri and I were probably like many siblings who saw and spoke to each other very little. Our mother Thelma died in 2019. We were able to keep my father, Billy Sr., in his house through a tag-team strategy for over three years until he died in 2022. It was through this small inheritance that I was able to start Dig Dig. Of course, Terri managed the estate law. I’m happy to say that working with her on Dig Dig is now a great way to stay in contact.
Dig Dig is more than just a business; it’s a family affair. From my grandson Clark’s love of diggers to my son’s management, my wife’s eye for design, my daughter’s marketing flair, and my sister’s financial acumen, every aspect of Dig Dig is touched by family.
Dig Dig – Where imagination meets excavation!
Monday-Saturday 9am – 7pm
Sunday: closed (Private Parties Only)
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