"What if, what if, what if?" Climbing the Mountain, Finding Success, and the Complexity of What's Next — with Investor and Co-Founder of the World's Largest Quilting Company Al Doan

Al Doan and his sister had always talked about starting a business together, and for years they wondered, "what if, what if, what if?" When he lost his job in 2008, they decided to give it a try — and ended up building the largest quilting company in the world.

Today, the Missouri Star Quilt Company is a $100 million business, Hamilton, MO is a destination for quilters, and Al’s mom Jenny is referred to as the most famous quilter in the world, with hundreds of millions of hits on her YouTube tutorials. 

They've achieved the level of success Al had always imagined, and then some. Since 2008, his world has changed completely — and he says he thinks a lot about how to come into abundance gracefully and responsibly. 

For this conversation, we're in Al's home in Hamilton, talking about what it’s like to build a startup with your siblings, how realizing his dream feels different than he thought it would, and why he’s focusing on being more and not just doing more. Make Yourself at Home with Al Doan. 

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Season 1 guests on Make Yourself at Home include Bess Freedman (Brown Harris Stevens), Frédéric Fekkai (FEKKAI), Kara Goldin (Hint), Greg Davidson (Lalo), Danielle Canty (Bossbabe), Kate Torgersen (Milk Stork), Adrian Grenier (Earth Speed Media, DuContra Ventures), Loren Brill (Sweet Loren's), Nyakio Grieco (Thirteen Lune), Noora Raj Brown (goop), Tara Williams (Dreamland Baby), Dr. Wendy Borlabi (Chicago Bulls), Ruth Zukerman (SoulCycle, Flywheel Sports), Katelin Holloway (Seven Seven Six) and more.

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Make Yourself at Home is hosted by Kristin Twiford and presented by Nines, the household management app designed to help you manage your home and everything that comes with it, so you can live with ease. Learn more at ninesliving.com.