November 19, 2025 • 33 mins
In business for more than 60 years, Mike discusses how Shelving Inc., which is found at theshelvingstore.com, cares for its employess and the community.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Light Up the D.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
We'll focus on what's happening in our community for the
people who make it happen. Here's your host, iHeartMedia Detroit
Market President Colleen Grant.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Good morning and welcome to another episode of Light Up
the D. I'm your host, Colleen Grant. Today's Light Up
the D is a CEOs you Should Know edition, and
in CEOs you should know, we spotlight the most innovative
leaders in our community who are paving the way in
their industry. Today I'm joined by Michael Shadowski, President of
Shelving Inc. A Madison Heights, Michigan provider of industrial, commercial,
(00:35):
and consumer shelving and storage solutions. Founded over sixty years ago,
this family owned company strives to help customers with organization
and space allocation. Before becoming president, Michael was a sales
executive for over thirty years at Shelving Inc. With websites
at Shelving dot com and the Shelvingstore dot com. Please
join me and welcoming from Shelving Inc. Michael Shadowski. Welcome, Michael,
(00:56):
Thank you Colling Well, thanks for joining us today. I'm
excited because you're a locally owned, family owned business and
you've been around for a long time. Kind of give
us the history of Shelving Inc.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Okay, my father started the company in nineteen sixty wow,
sixty four years ago. And not to give away my age,
but he started the company a week before I was born.
And the story goes that he had just purchased a
van three on the tree van they had at the time,
and then my mother says, okay, you better take me
(01:29):
to the hospital.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
So the saying goes, I was the very first delivery.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Was he preparing for your arrival?
Speaker 4 (01:37):
I think?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
So sixty four years ago he started a company and
it's been going strong ever since.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
And in what ways has it evolved over those years.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Well, way back when my father started the company, they
used to sell what they referred to as metal lumber.
So if you can visualize a two by four and
you would cut it to certain sizes to make whatever
shelf size you but you would cut it with a
hexal and then nutt and bolt, and so that he
would just sell the steel, cut it and then here's
(02:07):
the size of your shelf. And that's how it started.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Then he would deliver in the van.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
So it's come a long way from going to that
to all the things shelving has involved in. What I
have learned throughout the years is everybody needs shelving. It's
just amazing. It's amazing to me what you can do.
And maybe if we have time, I could share some
stories where we've donated to the veterans, fathers give the
(02:33):
Father's Day giveaway, and the people we've helped. What shelving
can really do, which I never would have guessed in
a million years that it would do that.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, So it's evolved quite quite some from you know,
the metal lumber, cutting it in pieces, measuring so my
father would sell during the day and at night install
for the customer, all all in one shop, and then
just keep going, going going, and then years and years
to more types of shelving that you might see in
costco or home depot, the big racking which back then.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
They didn't have.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Now they have the mobile aisle shelving that condenses space,
tier high shelving three tiers high.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
It's just I can go on and on and on
how much it's evolved.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So how did your dad get into the shelving business.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Well, he worked for the manufacturer of the metal lumber Okay,
and he was the manufacturer rep. So he thought, you know,
I think I can do this on my own. And
so now, let's see seven kids. I was four, so
he had four kids on the way, and that's the
time he started to go out on his own, which
probably had to be scary, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
For sure, especially supporting seven kids, right, A lot of responsibility, yep.
And at what point did you realize this was in
your blood too?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Probably when we were kids, we would work there voluntarily,
like he never pushed us, never pushed us at all.
And then throughout summers we would work. And when I
say we, myself and my family members. On school breaks
we would go work. And after college, my dad asked,
if you want to work, you know, for shelving, you
(04:12):
need to go get another job for at least five years.
So that's what I did. I worked for to other
companies to get experience in that. He just stressed that
because there was no special treatment.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
And then you were in sales for thirty years. Yes,
when you came back, when you came back from those
five years, did you go right into sales, yes? And
why sales? Well, I think it's the personality.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
I like the fact that you're judged on who you are,
your service you provide, rather than someone saying, well here's
how much I think I value you. I'm more of
an entrepreneur and I loved making relationships with customers. It
wasn't like my goal was always to be partners. Not
like customer client. We wanted to become partners. How can
(04:56):
we help each other make it a win win?
Speaker 1 (04:58):
And how do you think that shaped the way you
operate the business today.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
The same way with the employees. I believe we have
thirty four employees, two locations, and we're more project driven.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
For example, we have a marketing team, so we meet
weekly like this morning.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
We met this morning.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
We just review marketing things and then they just go
make it happen. We have our own installation crew, so
our warehouse manager sets the installation schedule. We farm out
our accounting HR those types of services because we want
to focus on selling. We're not an administrative company. We're
(05:35):
a sales organization, so we're very project driven. You'll hear
no micromanagement at all. People take, you know, their job,
run with it. I always say there's two drawers in
my office, one for successes, which is real small and
one for mistakes, which is triple the size, so you
learn from the mistakes and you know, and that's the way.
(05:58):
It's pretty much hands off and we let each department
run as they see fit.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Well, you're talking a lot about like really the culture,
you know, to talk about the two drawers, and you
know you had said, you know, you let people it
sounds like do their jobs. How do you feel like
culture has helped you be successful in what you do?
Speaker 3 (06:21):
I think it's tremendous. We do have a leadership team,
which I feel is the general manager of the company,
and we meet bi weekly every two weeks. And from
that leadership team, there's a manager from each department involved,
and together together we strategize each department and make the
program for you know, the way the company's going forward.
(06:44):
It's not a one person here's how we're doing it.
We're collectively work together. My saying is many hands make
a lightload.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
That's one of my favorite things.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
And it's true.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
It is not truth. Yes, we say that in our
household literally all the time.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yes, and I believe in that, and so many hands
leadership team employees makes a light loads. So after each
leadership meeting, each member a manager then reports back to
their team members. Here's what we're doing, here's what we
talked about. So it's all transparent. Everybody knows from top
to bottom where the company is, what we're doing, anything new,
and how things are going.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
That's great. How is Shelving Inc. Different from other shelving companies?
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Well, a couple of ways.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
I think that we are very customer driven, meaning that
we have online chat that we respond to throughout all
day an the evenings and through the weekends. People can
online chat questions we'll respond to in the evening, sometimes
as late as eight nine at night on the weekends,
(07:47):
so you can get responses there. Because everything is instant now,
people are very impatient, so the online chat is one
good thing I think culture wise, with the work that
we provide giving back to the community, I think as
it separates because that's employee culture as well, that we're
(08:08):
not a business and you're not a number, and here's
what it is.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
You're a human being. You know, we value you.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
So I think having that team, the teamwork, I think
is very very important.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
That you're like a family member.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
We have very little turnover, very little turnover, so you
become a family with us. It's not an employee, and
I think that separates to us.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
We talked about shelving dot com and the shelvingstore dot com.
Are you primarily an online business or where's your distribution?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Well, we online is probably about forty percent of our business,
and we do sell all around the country, being New
York and California probably the biggest online sites for US.
And between the two sites, the shelving dot com is
probably more industrial based. The shelving do more business to
(09:01):
consumer based and primarily female from thirty five to fifty.
Fifty five years old is the market for the shelving store.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
And you have two locations and that's the other sixty
percent of your business? Is that right?
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Well, the other sixty is here local.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
We sell B to B and we have six sales
reps that work on customers right in the area. Ew
groobals one of our costom customers right next door, so
we work with them.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
University of Michigan Hospital, henry Ford Hospital. I can just
go down a list, so the salespeople pretty much are
their own little I mentioned to them. Visualize it like
it's a franchise with zero investment. You run it your territory,
how you see fit. Our role is to support you,
to help you become successful, and we do that by
(09:55):
strong marketing, you know, communication, in house inventory. We stock
quite a bit. Our goal is same day or next
day delivery, our own installation crew delivery, so we give
it the white glove treatment.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
So you had said, you know, there were a couple
of things that set shelving apart, and one was your
online chat your immediate response, so that you're you're constantly
in contact with that customer if they need assistance. And
then you had said your culture and giving back in
the community. And I'm curious, you know, I know that
you've donald, you've personally founded and sponsored a lot of events,
(10:34):
but you've been particularly connected to the Capuchin ministries and
that started when you were young. Can you talk a
little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
I started at twenty three years old, is when I
was introduced to the Capuchin soup kitchen.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
And at the time, how did that happen?
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Okay, Well, I was studying taekwondo in Madison Heights on
John Our Road and a gentleman named Frank Kramer, who
at that time was old to me, but he was
probably in his early fifties, but you know, I'm twenty three,
double my age. For whatever reason, he came up to
me and asked me if I'd like to go down
to the Capuchin soup kitchen because he was involved and
(11:11):
they would have meetings periodically, so he invited me to
come down.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
I had no idea what it was.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
And from the time he introduced me to the Capuchins,
then I would go to the meetings with him. I
just knew it was the right fit for me. And
it's just that feeling you got, and I go, my gosh,
how fortunate am I to see everything twenty minute drive
from where I live, How fortunate we are? And I
just fell in love with the Capuchins from that day forward.
(11:40):
What do you think it was that touched your heart?
I think, for me personally, is the gratitude that we have.
You know how fortunate we are, and you see, excuse
me for just the gratitude. I'm just so grateful.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
It's deep. I can tell, I can really tell how
deep you feel. Gratitude. Yeah, well they do a great job.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Yeah, they do fantastic work, and they really am to
my knowledge, do not receive any government funds, so they
rely on fundraisers at various people put on through them
and donations to provide all the work they do to
help others.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Well, you were so touched at twenty three that you
founded and sponsored multiple annual fundraisers for them to support
the organization. And I'm going to read a couple of
them and then we can talk about them, okay, including
listen to this nice beautiful list. Benefit on the Bay
BATCHI with the brothers, Guda evening and weekend with the
brothers and brothers by the scene. There's probably even other
(12:47):
things that I'm not mentioning that you probably do behind
the scenes. This it's been like who you are as
a part of your business leadership. Can we talk about
how they kind of work together what you do for
a living, and also how you integrate it to help
them as well.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
Well. So Benefit on the Bait started.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
I had a boat slip at Island Cove Marina in
Harrison Township and they had a clubhouse. So I always
kept thinking, boy, I'd like to do a benefit here.
So the first benefit we had was in nineteen ninety three,
I believe in nineteen ninety three, and we raised fourteen
(13:30):
hundred dollars and most of it was my family coming.
We had an AMFM radio, Carlos Pizza and a half
Kaga Bear and that was it.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
And then you hit up all your family members.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Yeah, that was probably half of them. We're family that came.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
That's great. Nineteen ninety three.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Yeah, and what is it?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
What is it today? What's going on today with benefit
on the Bay that's.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
In August right, Yeah, we just had it August twenty
second and this year raised I believe two hundred and forty.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I offer the Cains one hundred percent, so the company
and myself Underwright of all those events you listed one,
so we take on any event that we sponsor, one
hundred percent goes to the Capuchins. All I do is
facilitate pay everything under the you know on the side, right,
so all your money goes to support the Capuchins, just
(14:21):
like a donation.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Wow, that's amazing. And then Bachi with the Brothers that's
on the north side of town, right, yep.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
That started I think thirteen years ago at Villa Penna's
in Sterling Heights, so they have bachi ball courts there.
I would frequent the haul back when they had a
restaurant there. And I said, Wow, this could be a
good fundraiser bachi ball courts and everything. So we named
it Bachi with the Brothers and that's been very successful.
(14:49):
I think our next event is March twenty seventh, Friday,
March twenty seventh at Villa Penna's on Hayes Road, Sterling.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Heights, all right, and then a Good to Evening.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Good Evening is for the Capuchin Retreat Center in Washington Township,
and their primary focus is to offer retreats for churches, families, couples,
all types of organizations. And they also rely on just
donations and people coming to the retreat. So I did
(15:20):
attend a few retreats there and I mentioned to the
father Veto, I'd like to do a wine tasting party
for you. So this pasture was our fourth one and
we had over two hundred and fifty guests come. So
we would serve beer wine. Then I would bring in
(15:42):
like a homemade pizza, the guy Pizza Oven ran Dazzles
Pizza Oven, Villa Pennas food. I had a hot dog
stand there, a guy with cappuccino ice cream. So all
outside the area and you can meet the Capuchin brothers
talk to them it's a beautiful Sunday afternoon evening, like
(16:03):
from two o'clock till six beautiful, and one percent again
went there. I think this year it made like a
little over forty thousand.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Wow, that's fantastic. Weekend with the Brothers.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Weekend with the Brothers is a retreat. I'm on my
fourth years at as well at the Capuchin Retreat Center.
So I started just by asking a few people, Hey,
would you like to come do a retreat. It's Friday,
Saturday Sunday, and it's going to be different than your
typical retreats. And I've talked to the father. I said,
(16:35):
I'd like to do a retreat here, but here's how
we have to switch it up a little bit. So
you come in on Friday evening, maybe a fifteen minute presentation,
then we have a nice dinner. We catered it in,
like Leonard from the Polish Club would bring it in.
Last year I had a pizza oven person. So we
(16:56):
have nice, nice dinner with some wine, go out. I'd
sit by the bonfire, talk eight o'clock Saturday morning, half
hour mass breakfast, then a forty to forty five presentation
forty five minute then free time lunch if you choose
from twelve to twelve thirty one o'clock, another half hour
(17:16):
forty five minute presentation. Then from there we have a
healing service at three o'clock, then confession, then dinner, dinner,
then we all go outsideing in with the fire, bonfire, bonding,
Sunday morning, wake up eight o'clock, mass, breakfast, and go home.
So it's not a traditional retreat, but what we have
(17:39):
found is there's so much after the presentations. We're sitting
there drinking wine by the bonfire, talking the conversations that
evolve from that. It's just it's amazing. The first year
I had I think seven people come. Last year thirty four.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
And I underwrite the costs on and I mentioned people
we asked for two hundred and fifty dollars. If that's
not in your budget, that's okay. Just pay whatever you
can afford. And if you don't want to go Friday, Saturday, Sunday,
come Saturday afternoon for a few hours. It you know,
started real slow. If you want, there's no pressure, it's
there's nobody, You're on your own. You can do whatever
(18:19):
you choose. There's no rules or anything like that. And
it's been well well received. Surprisingly, I really didn't visualize
that it would go this well from seven to thirty four.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Wow, that's great.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
I love I love your enthusiasm too about it because
it was unexpected.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Oh, let's see, we have Brothers by the Sea.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Brothers by the Sea. I have a kind of menium
in Lauderdale by.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
The Sea, Florida, Okay, And so they I was reading
an article in a paper there that the Kapuchin brothers
just opened up a office down in Miami. So I
approached Brother Gary and I said, Brother Gary, do you
know Oh yeah, I went to school, Da da d oh.
(19:03):
Could you get in touch with them? I like to
do a fundraiser for him. So we did the first
one and the brothers, four of them, came up from Miami.
I did it at a restaurant called Stingers Bar in
Popino Beach. Did that for a few years, and then
the last two years I had it at the condo
complex where I'm at. They have a banquet room and
(19:24):
then they we take taylored and the food, and so
we called it Brothers by the Sea. So when I'm
in Florida, I try to wear a Michigan shirt like
Detroit Tigers, Lions, red Wings, only for the fact people, hey,
you from Michigan, and I start talking to them if
I think they might be a good fit. I get
their information, and that's how I invite them to come
to the party.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
That's how I do it.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
That's the only reason I wear the shirt icebreaker, you know,
because otherwise I wouldn't some of the people that I've invited.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
It's all because the shirt.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Yeah, how wouldn't you know you would invite?
Speaker 3 (19:57):
And I'm not there a whole lot, so I don't
know a lot of people or have you.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It's in and out.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
I'm in for three or four days and I'm back,
you know, So I don't I'm not ready to put
my feet in a sand or anything like that. But
that's the reason why you'll always see me word Detroit
Lions shirt. Nic Hey, Michigan Lions, and I get talking
to him. They have no idea what's about to hit him. No,
there's a motive for it.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
It's all good. Yes, I'd love that.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
So wow, I mean, what's just great about that? Is
such a guy of action, you know, I mean, you're
you're not just talking the talk. You're walking the walk
to to actually make a difference. And wow, you don't
hear of many people who've started so many different organizations
to raise fun and then, like you said, one hundred
percent of the proceeds directly benefit the organization as well.
(20:41):
That's really really something, you know, the things that you've mentioned,
the community clearly has risen the occasion to support your
efforts to help the Cappuchin Soup Kitchen. What are some
of your favorite stories or moments from the fundraisers that
stay with you?
Speaker 4 (20:57):
Well?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
A couple with benefiting to me. I have two that
come to mind. One is I met a guest who
attended the benefit several years ago and mentioned to me
how grateful they were of providing he this gentleman services
at the Capuchins. He needed their services, so he went
(21:21):
from becoming a client of the Capuchains to a guest
now supporting the benefit on the bay. That's one that
sicks with me. The second is back in two thousand
and three when we had that power outage. We had
the power outage and all the electricity went off.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
I remember it was like.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
How long was that?
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Like the weekend?
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Right whole week Yeah, weekend, yep.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
And it was a Thursday afternoon. I'm driving. I said,
oh my gosh, the next day is the benefit on
the Bay. How are we going to do this? So
I'm going to step back a minute. Two thousand and
three was the first year I was going to have
it at mac Race. Prior to that I had it
at Geno Surf and then prior to that at Island Coolmrino.
(22:05):
So for the ten year anniversary, I said, I really
want to do something special. Mc and rae. What a
nice venue. So mc and Rae's fortunately was the only one.
They had a generator. Oh really, and people did not
even know if it was going to happen. There's no
way to communicate anything. We still had over three hundred
(22:28):
and fifty maybe four hundred guests at ten and just
the comments. They were so thankful to be there that day.
They had no idea it was going to run, but
they had a generator. The other hall did not, so
not making that move, we would have been out of luck.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Yeah, how God inspired that.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
I think Father Slanos was definitely looking over us.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
I really I really feel that.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Oh yeah, no, I mean that, What are the odds
of that ads that they have a generator at the weekend,
right weekend. I remember that weekend distinctly. It was the
weekend of the Woodward Dream cruise.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Right.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Yeah, there was a lot going on that weekend and
a lot of things shut down.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, but people said, we didn't even know. We tried
calling us and that they said, we're just taking a guest,
and they came up. They were so grateful, and then
I think a game a little taste of here's why
we're raising this money because Cappitch and Souper Kitchen clients,
they go through this every day, right, every day. You
just experienced that a little bit. So they brought a
lot of feeling and you could just feel it in
(23:25):
the room that day. It was just very emotional for
many many of the guests.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Wow, that's an incredible memory. Oh my goodness. How do
you think growing up as one of seven kids and
your family history inspired the kind of the way you
operate just personally and professionally.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Well, my parents raised us to, you know, to always
get back, be grateful, to stay humble. They were, you know,
work hard at your schooling. So for example, I loved
playing sports when I was a kid. I played hockey, football, beatball, basketball,
So when it was time to play hockey, my dad says, okay,
(24:02):
here's what we'll do. You have to keep your grades
up to certain GPA. You pay for the ice time.
Then I will get up Saturday mornings and drive you
to practice or wherever you have to go.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
But you have to make that commitment. I said, I'll
do it. I'll do it.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
So just instilling that work ethic, the discipline. Nothing handed
to us. Like I would always comment my brother, Wo'd
be wearing a shirt I'd be wearing two years.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
You know, I said, I'll be wearing that in a
couple of years.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Every close everyone just got scooed it down. So we
had all the same shirts. I mean, you did what
you had to do back then. So we were just
very grateful. And I think the discipline my parents instilled
in us and to give back to the community was
very important.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
Just work hard, stay humble.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
My father also instilled whatever profession you decide to go,
and it's better to enjoy what you do than the money.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Take what.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Make sure you enjoy your job like my dad loves
to and I think I was the same. That's where
that came from so I just loved being in sales
and it wasn't a job for me, and I think
my dad felt the same.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
And not the whole family went into the business. Just
a few of us.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Okay, yeah, how many of you were in the business.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Well, right now it's just myself and then my brother
in law. So we did at one time have four
of us, and we had my sister when we first
bought it from my mom and dad in two thousand.
She lasted year and a half years and she wanted
to retire, so then we bought her out. Then going
forward twenty nineteen, my brother passed, so then that left
(25:37):
three of us, and then my other brother wanted to retire.
So now it's myself and my brother in law.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
True family business. Yeah, that's amazing. Anybody behind you who's interested.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Not at this point. But I don't plan calling to
retire anytime soon.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Here.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
I would work for free, I really was you really
do love it you, I would work for free.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
I have no desire to retire, and I'm sixty four.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
We do have a at our office. We have a husband, wife,
and son working for us. Well.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
Another family. Yeah, wow, the.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Family and the family business. Right, that's awesome. You're part
of an organization called the Goddess. Tell us about that.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
The Goddess was founded by Tom Monahan, who at one
time owned the Detroit Tigers and founded Domino's Pizza here
in ann Arbor. So he started this organization that is
geared for Catholic CEOs presidents that owned businesses, and they
have it's all Catholic faith based. We meet once a
(26:38):
month at different venues. So we'll have, for example, we
meet at let's say Andiamo's. We'll meet at Andiamo at
let's say five point thirty, have Mass for a half hour,
then we have social time, then dinner, and then a speaker.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
And we bring in all.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Types of speakers from Krispy Kreme Donuts to generals from
West Point to ex NFL football coaches players to former
business leaders.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
I just can't you know name enough.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
So there are I think four chapters in Michigan now
they are spread out throughout the United States and around
the global too.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
I think Poland has one.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
There's a few others abroad that also have legattas, and
you can attend any of the meetings. I'm in Detroit
Northeast chapter and you're on the board too. Yeah, I'm
on the board that part of the board that selects
the speakers. So I really really enjoy that because I
have a say in the speakers. So we really really
work to bring in good, high end speakers in our philosophees.
(27:47):
It's not the venue, it's not the dinner, it's the
speakers makes the event. And from that legatis, I do
really believe in it that you live your life, you know,
to emulate on the hands vision of strong Catholic faith
or business owners, and that that was his vision.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
And what else do you what do you love about
the organization? Like what does it do for for your
like even the way you operate as a business a
Catholic business owner.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Well talking to the other members some are well members,
So I always enjoy conversations we have and this and that.
But each speaker, for whatever, I always get something out
of that and I feel so good when I leave.
And it's the speak is maybe the presentation thirty five
forty minutes, so it's not a late evening, eight thirty
(28:37):
quarter nine, you're out, you don't have to raise money.
It's very uplifting and if I miss a meeting I
can go to in Florida. They have chapters. I could
go to Anna Arber chapter. I go to Ohio.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
So you can. You can bounce around too and attend
any of the chapters that you'd like.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
That's great. So oh so, that's wonderful be able to
go to any one of them. What advice would you
give other business leaders who want to make philanthropy part
of their company's culture.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I would advise them to pick out a charity or
two that you strongly, strongly believe in. If you get
to like five, six, seven, eight, you can't do as much.
Pick out two or three and stick with it and
get the company involved in the decision process. How they
can each help. You know your employees to help. Here's
(29:24):
the charity we selected, here's why we selected it, and
here's how our plan going forward to help each one
of you who choose to that want to give back
to the community.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
We're going to head this up, but we need your support.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
I think that's so important for organizations to get back
and not just take put it in your pocket, and
you know you've got to support the community where you're at.
It's so so important. I always say too when you
give back. If it makes you uncomfortable, you know it's working.
I love that you know what's working?
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Yeah, And what do your employees feel about that kind
of philosop?
Speaker 4 (30:00):
They really really enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
I never ask the marketing department is all behind it
two hundred percent. I think there's no downside to it.
I really don't, but I'm not one to ask them
what do you think of this? Or that we live
by example. But it does make the culture. You can
just feel it in the culture when you're there. It
really makes a difference from a regular off office, for example,
when not H'm in sales. I used to go in
(30:25):
all different types of businesses. You can feel the culture
of that company when you walk in. You can feel
it when you walk in our office. We have a
sign on the front window director of First Impressions. That's
the lady at the front desk, director of First Impressions.
So you get that feeling right when you walk in
(30:45):
that you can say, oh my god, this is a
nice feeling here. And that's what we strive for. And
I would hope other people who want to start in
business don't forget to give back and when it makes
when it hurts and you're a little uncomfortable. You know
it's working time. Tell treasure, you don't need all three.
You might be your time and your talent. It might
be your talent. And so either one of the three works.
(31:07):
If you can do all three, terrific, But any one
of the three is. That's what you want to strive for.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
When you look back, what are you most proud of?
Let's let's start with business wise, what are you most
proud of?
Speaker 4 (31:19):
Business?
Speaker 1 (31:19):
And then we'll go to your charitable work.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
What I really strive for is to provide good incomes
for the employees I don't like. They usually never come
to us as for a raise. I'm very proactive in
it to them ahead of time. So it feels nice
that your help first making an enjoyable place to work,
because they're more than you are at home, so that's
a rewarding. Then to reward them accordingly with pay, time off,
(31:47):
other perks, to treat them value their work. We really
value their work, so that those two things probably make
me very proud to be in a position I'm in,
and back way back, I never would have thought I
would have been in this position, never in a million years.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
It wasn't my goal was my goal?
Speaker 3 (32:05):
It sort of fell in when my brother passed in
nineteen that I had, Okay, switch gears here real quick
and let's go because he was the president then, So
it was never my vision to be where I'm at.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
And then with the charitable endeavors that you do, what
are what do you? And I'm proud isn't a word
I think that you would even pass, Like what is
the most satisfying? How about that thing that you've done
with regard to the support that you give the community.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I mean, I'm just so grateful that I'm able to
do it. I mean, that's probably my number one thing.
I'm just my gratitude. I mean, I can't overemphasize that.
I'm just very very grateful.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
That was so beautiful. I love the way the way
you are with your company culture and what the foundation is.
It's funny because you when I had asked the question
what are you most proud of? In business? You know,
usually somebody will say, oh, you know, we achieved these
these monetary goals, or we've grown to be the big
or whatever, And your first comment was about your your employees.
(33:04):
That says a lot about what you do so you
love what you do it you can tell. Our guest
today has been Michael Shadowski, President of Shelving, Inc. Thank
you for joining us today, Michael.
Speaker 4 (33:15):
Thank you for having me. Colleen.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
This has been light Up the D a community a
fairs program from iHeartMedia Detroit. If your organization would like
to get on the program, email Colleen Grant at iHeartMedia
dot com. Here are all episodes on this station's podcast page.
Welcome to Light Up the D.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
We'll focus on what's happening in our community for the
people who make it happen. Here's your host, iHeartMedia Detroit
Market President Colleen Grant.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Good morning and welcome to another episode of Light Up
the D. I'm your host, Colleen Grant. Today's Light Up
the D is a CEOs you Should Know edition, and
in CEOs you should know, we spotlight the most innovative
leaders in our community who are paving the way in
their industry. Today I'm joined by Michael Shadowski, President of
Shelving Inc. A Madison Heights, Michigan provider of industrial, commercial,
(00:35):
and consumer shelving and storage solutions. Founded over sixty years ago,
this family owned company strives to help customers with organization
and space allocation. Before becoming president, Michael was a sales
executive for over thirty years at Shelving Inc. With websites
at Shelving dot com and the Shelvingstore dot com. Please
join me and welcoming from Shelving Inc. Michael Shadowski. Welcome, Michael,
(00:56):
Thank you Colling Well, thanks for joining us today. I'm
excited because you're a locally owned, family owned business and
you've been around for a long time. Kind of give
us the history of Shelving Inc.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Okay, my father started the company in nineteen sixty wow,
sixty four years ago. And not to give away my age,
but he started the company a week before I was born.
And the story goes that he had just purchased a
van three on the tree van they had at the time,
and then my mother says, okay, you better take me
(01:29):
to the hospital.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
So the saying goes, I was the very first delivery.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Was he preparing for your arrival?
Speaker 4 (01:37):
I think?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
So sixty four years ago he started a company and
it's been going strong ever since.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
And in what ways has it evolved over those years.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Well, way back when my father started the company, they
used to sell what they referred to as metal lumber.
So if you can visualize a two by four and
you would cut it to certain sizes to make whatever
shelf size you but you would cut it with a
hexal and then nutt and bolt, and so that he
would just sell the steel, cut it and then here's
(02:07):
the size of your shelf. And that's how it started.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Then he would deliver in the van.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
So it's come a long way from going to that
to all the things shelving has involved in. What I
have learned throughout the years is everybody needs shelving. It's
just amazing. It's amazing to me what you can do.
And maybe if we have time, I could share some
stories where we've donated to the veterans, fathers give the
(02:33):
Father's Day giveaway, and the people we've helped. What shelving
can really do, which I never would have guessed in
a million years that it would do that.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, So it's evolved quite quite some from you know,
the metal lumber, cutting it in pieces, measuring so my
father would sell during the day and at night install
for the customer, all all in one shop, and then
just keep going, going going, and then years and years
to more types of shelving that you might see in
costco or home depot, the big racking which back then.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
They didn't have.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Now they have the mobile aisle shelving that condenses space,
tier high shelving three tiers high.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
It's just I can go on and on and on
how much it's evolved.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So how did your dad get into the shelving business.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Well, he worked for the manufacturer of the metal lumber Okay,
and he was the manufacturer rep. So he thought, you know,
I think I can do this on my own. And
so now, let's see seven kids. I was four, so
he had four kids on the way, and that's the
time he started to go out on his own, which
probably had to be scary, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
For sure, especially supporting seven kids, right, A lot of responsibility, yep.
And at what point did you realize this was in
your blood too?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Probably when we were kids, we would work there voluntarily,
like he never pushed us, never pushed us at all.
And then throughout summers we would work. And when I
say we, myself and my family members. On school breaks
we would go work. And after college, my dad asked,
if you want to work, you know, for shelving, you
(04:12):
need to go get another job for at least five years.
So that's what I did. I worked for to other
companies to get experience in that. He just stressed that
because there was no special treatment.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
And then you were in sales for thirty years. Yes,
when you came back, when you came back from those
five years, did you go right into sales, yes? And
why sales? Well, I think it's the personality.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
I like the fact that you're judged on who you are,
your service you provide, rather than someone saying, well here's
how much I think I value you. I'm more of
an entrepreneur and I loved making relationships with customers. It
wasn't like my goal was always to be partners. Not
like customer client. We wanted to become partners. How can
(04:56):
we help each other make it a win win?
Speaker 1 (04:58):
And how do you think that shaped the way you
operate the business today.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
The same way with the employees. I believe we have
thirty four employees, two locations, and we're more project driven.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
For example, we have a marketing team, so we meet
weekly like this morning.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
We met this morning.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
We just review marketing things and then they just go
make it happen. We have our own installation crew, so
our warehouse manager sets the installation schedule. We farm out
our accounting HR those types of services because we want
to focus on selling. We're not an administrative company. We're
(05:35):
a sales organization, so we're very project driven. You'll hear
no micromanagement at all. People take, you know, their job,
run with it. I always say there's two drawers in
my office, one for successes, which is real small and
one for mistakes, which is triple the size, so you
learn from the mistakes and you know, and that's the way.
(05:58):
It's pretty much hands off and we let each department
run as they see fit.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Well, you're talking a lot about like really the culture,
you know, to talk about the two drawers, and you
know you had said, you know, you let people it
sounds like do their jobs. How do you feel like
culture has helped you be successful in what you do?
Speaker 3 (06:21):
I think it's tremendous. We do have a leadership team,
which I feel is the general manager of the company,
and we meet bi weekly every two weeks. And from
that leadership team, there's a manager from each department involved,
and together together we strategize each department and make the
program for you know, the way the company's going forward.
(06:44):
It's not a one person here's how we're doing it.
We're collectively work together. My saying is many hands make
a lightload.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
That's one of my favorite things.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
And it's true.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
It is not truth. Yes, we say that in our
household literally all the time.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yes, and I believe in that, and so many hands
leadership team employees makes a light loads. So after each
leadership meeting, each member a manager then reports back to
their team members. Here's what we're doing, here's what we
talked about. So it's all transparent. Everybody knows from top
to bottom where the company is, what we're doing, anything new,
and how things are going.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
That's great. How is Shelving Inc. Different from other shelving companies?
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Well, a couple of ways.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
I think that we are very customer driven, meaning that
we have online chat that we respond to throughout all
day an the evenings and through the weekends. People can
online chat questions we'll respond to in the evening, sometimes
as late as eight nine at night on the weekends,
(07:47):
so you can get responses there. Because everything is instant now,
people are very impatient, so the online chat is one
good thing I think culture wise, with the work that
we provide giving back to the community, I think as
it separates because that's employee culture as well, that we're
(08:08):
not a business and you're not a number, and here's
what it is.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
You're a human being. You know, we value you.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
So I think having that team, the teamwork, I think
is very very important.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
That you're like a family member.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
We have very little turnover, very little turnover, so you
become a family with us. It's not an employee, and
I think that separates to us.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
We talked about shelving dot com and the shelvingstore dot com.
Are you primarily an online business or where's your distribution?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Well, we online is probably about forty percent of our business,
and we do sell all around the country, being New
York and California probably the biggest online sites for US.
And between the two sites, the shelving dot com is
probably more industrial based. The shelving do more business to
(09:01):
consumer based and primarily female from thirty five to fifty.
Fifty five years old is the market for the shelving store.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
And you have two locations and that's the other sixty
percent of your business? Is that right?
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Well, the other sixty is here local.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
We sell B to B and we have six sales
reps that work on customers right in the area. Ew
groobals one of our costom customers right next door, so
we work with them.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
University of Michigan Hospital, henry Ford Hospital. I can just
go down a list, so the salespeople pretty much are
their own little I mentioned to them. Visualize it like
it's a franchise with zero investment. You run it your territory,
how you see fit. Our role is to support you,
to help you become successful, and we do that by
(09:55):
strong marketing, you know, communication, in house inventory. We stock
quite a bit. Our goal is same day or next
day delivery, our own installation crew delivery, so we give
it the white glove treatment.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
So you had said, you know, there were a couple
of things that set shelving apart, and one was your
online chat your immediate response, so that you're you're constantly
in contact with that customer if they need assistance. And
then you had said your culture and giving back in
the community. And I'm curious, you know, I know that
you've donald, you've personally founded and sponsored a lot of events,
(10:34):
but you've been particularly connected to the Capuchin ministries and
that started when you were young. Can you talk a
little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
I started at twenty three years old, is when I
was introduced to the Capuchin soup kitchen.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
And at the time, how did that happen?
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Okay, Well, I was studying taekwondo in Madison Heights on
John Our Road and a gentleman named Frank Kramer, who
at that time was old to me, but he was
probably in his early fifties, but you know, I'm twenty three,
double my age. For whatever reason, he came up to
me and asked me if I'd like to go down
to the Capuchin soup kitchen because he was involved and
(11:11):
they would have meetings periodically, so he invited me to
come down.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
I had no idea what it was.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
And from the time he introduced me to the Capuchins,
then I would go to the meetings with him. I
just knew it was the right fit for me. And
it's just that feeling you got, and I go, my gosh,
how fortunate am I to see everything twenty minute drive
from where I live, How fortunate we are? And I
just fell in love with the Capuchins from that day forward.
(11:40):
What do you think it was that touched your heart?
I think, for me personally, is the gratitude that we have.
You know how fortunate we are, and you see, excuse
me for just the gratitude. I'm just so grateful.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
It's deep. I can tell, I can really tell how
deep you feel. Gratitude. Yeah, well they do a great job.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Yeah, they do fantastic work, and they really am to
my knowledge, do not receive any government funds, so they
rely on fundraisers at various people put on through them
and donations to provide all the work they do to
help others.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Well, you were so touched at twenty three that you
founded and sponsored multiple annual fundraisers for them to support
the organization. And I'm going to read a couple of
them and then we can talk about them, okay, including
listen to this nice beautiful list. Benefit on the Bay
BATCHI with the brothers, Guda evening and weekend with the
brothers and brothers by the scene. There's probably even other
(12:47):
things that I'm not mentioning that you probably do behind
the scenes. This it's been like who you are as
a part of your business leadership. Can we talk about
how they kind of work together what you do for
a living, and also how you integrate it to help
them as well.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
Well. So Benefit on the Bait started.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
I had a boat slip at Island Cove Marina in
Harrison Township and they had a clubhouse. So I always
kept thinking, boy, I'd like to do a benefit here.
So the first benefit we had was in nineteen ninety three,
I believe in nineteen ninety three, and we raised fourteen
(13:30):
hundred dollars and most of it was my family coming.
We had an AMFM radio, Carlos Pizza and a half
Kaga Bear and that was it.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
And then you hit up all your family members.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Yeah, that was probably half of them. We're family that came.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
That's great. Nineteen ninety three.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Yeah, and what is it?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
What is it today? What's going on today with benefit
on the Bay that's.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
In August right, Yeah, we just had it August twenty
second and this year raised I believe two hundred and forty.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I offer the Cains one hundred percent, so the company
and myself Underwright of all those events you listed one,
so we take on any event that we sponsor, one
hundred percent goes to the Capuchins. All I do is
facilitate pay everything under the you know on the side, right,
so all your money goes to support the Capuchins, just
(14:21):
like a donation.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Wow, that's amazing. And then Bachi with the Brothers that's
on the north side of town, right, yep.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
That started I think thirteen years ago at Villa Penna's
in Sterling Heights, so they have bachi ball courts there.
I would frequent the haul back when they had a
restaurant there. And I said, Wow, this could be a
good fundraiser bachi ball courts and everything. So we named
it Bachi with the Brothers and that's been very successful.
(14:49):
I think our next event is March twenty seventh, Friday,
March twenty seventh at Villa Penna's on Hayes Road, Sterling.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Heights, all right, and then a Good to Evening.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Good Evening is for the Capuchin Retreat Center in Washington Township,
and their primary focus is to offer retreats for churches, families, couples,
all types of organizations. And they also rely on just
donations and people coming to the retreat. So I did
(15:20):
attend a few retreats there and I mentioned to the
father Veto, I'd like to do a wine tasting party
for you. So this pasture was our fourth one and
we had over two hundred and fifty guests come. So
we would serve beer wine. Then I would bring in
(15:42):
like a homemade pizza, the guy Pizza Oven ran Dazzles
Pizza Oven, Villa Pennas food. I had a hot dog
stand there, a guy with cappuccino ice cream. So all
outside the area and you can meet the Capuchin brothers
talk to them it's a beautiful Sunday afternoon evening, like
(16:03):
from two o'clock till six beautiful, and one percent again
went there. I think this year it made like a
little over forty thousand.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Wow, that's fantastic. Weekend with the Brothers.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Weekend with the Brothers is a retreat. I'm on my
fourth years at as well at the Capuchin Retreat Center.
So I started just by asking a few people, Hey,
would you like to come do a retreat. It's Friday,
Saturday Sunday, and it's going to be different than your
typical retreats. And I've talked to the father. I said,
(16:35):
I'd like to do a retreat here, but here's how
we have to switch it up a little bit. So
you come in on Friday evening, maybe a fifteen minute presentation,
then we have a nice dinner. We catered it in,
like Leonard from the Polish Club would bring it in.
Last year I had a pizza oven person. So we
(16:56):
have nice, nice dinner with some wine, go out. I'd
sit by the bonfire, talk eight o'clock Saturday morning, half
hour mass breakfast, then a forty to forty five presentation
forty five minute then free time lunch if you choose
from twelve to twelve thirty one o'clock, another half hour
(17:16):
forty five minute presentation. Then from there we have a
healing service at three o'clock, then confession, then dinner, dinner,
then we all go outsideing in with the fire, bonfire, bonding,
Sunday morning, wake up eight o'clock, mass, breakfast, and go home.
So it's not a traditional retreat, but what we have
(17:39):
found is there's so much after the presentations. We're sitting
there drinking wine by the bonfire, talking the conversations that
evolve from that. It's just it's amazing. The first year
I had I think seven people come. Last year thirty four.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
And I underwrite the costs on and I mentioned people
we asked for two hundred and fifty dollars. If that's
not in your budget, that's okay. Just pay whatever you
can afford. And if you don't want to go Friday, Saturday, Sunday,
come Saturday afternoon for a few hours. It you know,
started real slow. If you want, there's no pressure, it's
there's nobody, You're on your own. You can do whatever
(18:19):
you choose. There's no rules or anything like that. And
it's been well well received. Surprisingly, I really didn't visualize
that it would go this well from seven to thirty four.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Wow, that's great.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
I love I love your enthusiasm too about it because
it was unexpected.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Oh, let's see, we have Brothers by the Sea.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Brothers by the Sea. I have a kind of menium
in Lauderdale by.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
The Sea, Florida, Okay, And so they I was reading
an article in a paper there that the Kapuchin brothers
just opened up a office down in Miami. So I
approached Brother Gary and I said, Brother Gary, do you
know Oh yeah, I went to school, Da da d oh.
(19:03):
Could you get in touch with them? I like to
do a fundraiser for him. So we did the first
one and the brothers, four of them, came up from Miami.
I did it at a restaurant called Stingers Bar in
Popino Beach. Did that for a few years, and then
the last two years I had it at the condo
complex where I'm at. They have a banquet room and
(19:24):
then they we take taylored and the food, and so
we called it Brothers by the Sea. So when I'm
in Florida, I try to wear a Michigan shirt like
Detroit Tigers, Lions, red Wings, only for the fact people, hey,
you from Michigan, and I start talking to them if
I think they might be a good fit. I get
their information, and that's how I invite them to come
to the party.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
That's how I do it.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
That's the only reason I wear the shirt icebreaker, you know,
because otherwise I wouldn't some of the people that I've invited.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
It's all because the shirt.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Yeah, how wouldn't you know you would invite?
Speaker 3 (19:57):
And I'm not there a whole lot, so I don't
know a lot of people or have you.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It's in and out.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
I'm in for three or four days and I'm back,
you know, So I don't I'm not ready to put
my feet in a sand or anything like that. But
that's the reason why you'll always see me word Detroit
Lions shirt. Nic Hey, Michigan Lions, and I get talking
to him. They have no idea what's about to hit him. No,
there's a motive for it.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
It's all good. Yes, I'd love that.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
So wow, I mean, what's just great about that? Is
such a guy of action, you know, I mean, you're
you're not just talking the talk. You're walking the walk
to to actually make a difference. And wow, you don't
hear of many people who've started so many different organizations
to raise fun and then, like you said, one hundred
percent of the proceeds directly benefit the organization as well.
(20:41):
That's really really something, you know, the things that you've mentioned,
the community clearly has risen the occasion to support your
efforts to help the Cappuchin Soup Kitchen. What are some
of your favorite stories or moments from the fundraisers that
stay with you?
Speaker 4 (20:57):
Well?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
A couple with benefiting to me. I have two that
come to mind. One is I met a guest who
attended the benefit several years ago and mentioned to me
how grateful they were of providing he this gentleman services
at the Capuchins. He needed their services, so he went
(21:21):
from becoming a client of the Capuchains to a guest
now supporting the benefit on the bay. That's one that
sicks with me. The second is back in two thousand
and three when we had that power outage. We had
the power outage and all the electricity went off.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
I remember it was like.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
How long was that?
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Like the weekend?
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Right whole week Yeah, weekend, yep.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
And it was a Thursday afternoon. I'm driving. I said,
oh my gosh, the next day is the benefit on
the Bay. How are we going to do this? So
I'm going to step back a minute. Two thousand and
three was the first year I was going to have
it at mac Race. Prior to that I had it
at Geno Surf and then prior to that at Island Coolmrino.
(22:05):
So for the ten year anniversary, I said, I really
want to do something special. Mc and rae. What a
nice venue. So mc and Rae's fortunately was the only one.
They had a generator. Oh really, and people did not
even know if it was going to happen. There's no
way to communicate anything. We still had over three hundred
(22:28):
and fifty maybe four hundred guests at ten and just
the comments. They were so thankful to be there that day.
They had no idea it was going to run, but
they had a generator. The other hall did not, so
not making that move, we would have been out of luck.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Yeah, how God inspired that.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
I think Father Slanos was definitely looking over us.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
I really I really feel that.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Oh yeah, no, I mean that, What are the odds
of that ads that they have a generator at the weekend,
right weekend. I remember that weekend distinctly. It was the
weekend of the Woodward Dream cruise.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Right.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Yeah, there was a lot going on that weekend and
a lot of things shut down.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, but people said, we didn't even know. We tried
calling us and that they said, we're just taking a guest,
and they came up. They were so grateful, and then
I think a game a little taste of here's why
we're raising this money because Cappitch and Souper Kitchen clients,
they go through this every day, right, every day. You
just experienced that a little bit. So they brought a
lot of feeling and you could just feel it in
(23:25):
the room that day. It was just very emotional for
many many of the guests.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Wow, that's an incredible memory. Oh my goodness. How do
you think growing up as one of seven kids and
your family history inspired the kind of the way you
operate just personally and professionally.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Well, my parents raised us to, you know, to always
get back, be grateful, to stay humble. They were, you know,
work hard at your schooling. So for example, I loved
playing sports when I was a kid. I played hockey, football, beatball, basketball,
So when it was time to play hockey, my dad says, okay,
(24:02):
here's what we'll do. You have to keep your grades
up to certain GPA. You pay for the ice time.
Then I will get up Saturday mornings and drive you
to practice or wherever you have to go.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
But you have to make that commitment. I said, I'll
do it. I'll do it.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
So just instilling that work ethic, the discipline. Nothing handed
to us. Like I would always comment my brother, Wo'd
be wearing a shirt I'd be wearing two years.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
You know, I said, I'll be wearing that in a
couple of years.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Every close everyone just got scooed it down. So we
had all the same shirts. I mean, you did what
you had to do back then. So we were just
very grateful. And I think the discipline my parents instilled
in us and to give back to the community was
very important.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
Just work hard, stay humble.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
My father also instilled whatever profession you decide to go,
and it's better to enjoy what you do than the money.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Take what.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Make sure you enjoy your job like my dad loves
to and I think I was the same. That's where
that came from so I just loved being in sales
and it wasn't a job for me, and I think
my dad felt the same.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
And not the whole family went into the business. Just
a few of us.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Okay, yeah, how many of you were in the business.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Well, right now it's just myself and then my brother
in law. So we did at one time have four
of us, and we had my sister when we first
bought it from my mom and dad in two thousand.
She lasted year and a half years and she wanted
to retire, so then we bought her out. Then going
forward twenty nineteen, my brother passed, so then that left
(25:37):
three of us, and then my other brother wanted to retire.
So now it's myself and my brother in law.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
True family business. Yeah, that's amazing. Anybody behind you who's interested.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Not at this point. But I don't plan calling to
retire anytime soon.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Here.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
I would work for free, I really was you really
do love it you, I would work for free.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
I have no desire to retire, and I'm sixty four.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
That's great.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
We do have a at our office. We have a husband, wife,
and son working for us. Well.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
Another family. Yeah, wow, the.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Family and the family business. Right, that's awesome. You're part
of an organization called the Goddess. Tell us about that.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
The Goddess was founded by Tom Monahan, who at one
time owned the Detroit Tigers and founded Domino's Pizza here
in ann Arbor. So he started this organization that is
geared for Catholic CEOs presidents that owned businesses, and they
have it's all Catholic faith based. We meet once a
(26:38):
month at different venues. So we'll have, for example, we
meet at let's say Andiamo's. We'll meet at Andiamo at
let's say five point thirty, have Mass for a half hour,
then we have social time, then dinner, and then a speaker.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
And we bring in all.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Types of speakers from Krispy Kreme Donuts to generals from
West Point to ex NFL football coaches players to former
business leaders.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
I just can't you know name enough.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
So there are I think four chapters in Michigan now
they are spread out throughout the United States and around
the global too.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
I think Poland has one.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
There's a few others abroad that also have legattas, and
you can attend any of the meetings. I'm in Detroit
Northeast chapter and you're on the board too. Yeah, I'm
on the board that part of the board that selects
the speakers. So I really really enjoy that because I
have a say in the speakers. So we really really
work to bring in good, high end speakers in our philosophees.
(27:47):
It's not the venue, it's not the dinner, it's the
speakers makes the event. And from that legatis, I do
really believe in it that you live your life, you know,
to emulate on the hands vision of strong Catholic faith
or business owners, and that that was his vision.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
And what else do you what do you love about
the organization? Like what does it do for for your
like even the way you operate as a business a
Catholic business owner.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Well talking to the other members some are well members,
So I always enjoy conversations we have and this and that.
But each speaker, for whatever, I always get something out
of that and I feel so good when I leave.
And it's the speak is maybe the presentation thirty five
forty minutes, so it's not a late evening, eight thirty
(28:37):
quarter nine, you're out, you don't have to raise money.
It's very uplifting and if I miss a meeting I
can go to in Florida. They have chapters. I could
go to Anna Arber chapter. I go to Ohio.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
So you can. You can bounce around too and attend
any of the chapters that you'd like.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
That's great. So oh so, that's wonderful be able to
go to any one of them. What advice would you
give other business leaders who want to make philanthropy part
of their company's culture.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I would advise them to pick out a charity or
two that you strongly, strongly believe in. If you get
to like five, six, seven, eight, you can't do as much.
Pick out two or three and stick with it and
get the company involved in the decision process. How they
can each help. You know your employees to help. Here's
(29:24):
the charity we selected, here's why we selected it, and
here's how our plan going forward to help each one
of you who choose to that want to give back
to the community.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
We're going to head this up, but we need your support.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
I think that's so important for organizations to get back
and not just take put it in your pocket, and
you know you've got to support the community where you're at.
It's so so important. I always say too when you
give back. If it makes you uncomfortable, you know it's working.
I love that you know what's working?
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Yeah, And what do your employees feel about that kind
of philosop?
Speaker 4 (30:00):
They really really enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
I never ask the marketing department is all behind it
two hundred percent. I think there's no downside to it.
I really don't, but I'm not one to ask them
what do you think of this? Or that we live
by example. But it does make the culture. You can
just feel it in the culture when you're there. It
really makes a difference from a regular off office, for example,
when not H'm in sales. I used to go in
(30:25):
all different types of businesses. You can feel the culture
of that company when you walk in. You can feel
it when you walk in our office. We have a
sign on the front window director of First Impressions. That's
the lady at the front desk, director of First Impressions.
So you get that feeling right when you walk in
(30:45):
that you can say, oh my god, this is a
nice feeling here. And that's what we strive for. And
I would hope other people who want to start in
business don't forget to give back and when it makes
when it hurts and you're a little uncomfortable. You know
it's working time. Tell treasure, you don't need all three.
You might be your time and your talent. It might
be your talent. And so either one of the three works.
(31:07):
If you can do all three, terrific, But any one
of the three is. That's what you want to strive for.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
When you look back, what are you most proud of?
Let's let's start with business wise, what are you most
proud of?
Speaker 4 (31:19):
Business?
Speaker 1 (31:19):
And then we'll go to your charitable work.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
What I really strive for is to provide good incomes
for the employees I don't like. They usually never come
to us as for a raise. I'm very proactive in
it to them ahead of time. So it feels nice
that your help first making an enjoyable place to work,
because they're more than you are at home, so that's
a rewarding. Then to reward them accordingly with pay, time off,
(31:47):
other perks, to treat them value their work. We really
value their work, so that those two things probably make
me very proud to be in a position I'm in,
and back way back, I never would have thought I
would have been in this position, never in a million years.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
It wasn't my goal was my goal?
Speaker 3 (32:05):
It sort of fell in when my brother passed in
nineteen that I had, Okay, switch gears here real quick
and let's go because he was the president then, So
it was never my vision to be where I'm at.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
And then with the charitable endeavors that you do, what
are what do you? And I'm proud isn't a word
I think that you would even pass, Like what is
the most satisfying? How about that thing that you've done
with regard to the support that you give the community.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I mean, I'm just so grateful that I'm able to
do it. I mean, that's probably my number one thing.
I'm just my gratitude. I mean, I can't overemphasize that.
I'm just very very grateful.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
That was so beautiful. I love the way the way
you are with your company culture and what the foundation is.
It's funny because you when I had asked the question
what are you most proud of? In business? You know,
usually somebody will say, oh, you know, we achieved these
these monetary goals, or we've grown to be the big
or whatever, And your first comment was about your your employees.
(33:04):
That says a lot about what you do so you
love what you do it you can tell. Our guest
today has been Michael Shadowski, President of Shelving, Inc. Thank
you for joining us today, Michael.
Speaker 4 (33:15):
Thank you for having me. Colleen.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
This has been light Up the D a community a
fairs program from iHeartMedia Detroit. If your organization would like
to get on the program, email Colleen Grant at iHeartMedia
dot com. Here are all episodes on this station's podcast page.
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