The Yellow Brick Road - Video

In this conversation, Lisa Holly, President of Berea Moving & Storage and WOOD-LEE International Art Handler, shares her “Yellow Brick Road” story. She explains her belief that there are no coincidences and that each day of life is a “brick” from birth to death, forming a complete path.

She reflects on being raised in a family business without realizing women didn’t typically own companies, and how her mother’s iron-fisted leadership shaped the early direction of the business. Lisa describes how her mother’s death ultimately allowed her to become who she was meant to be.

It allowed her to work with her brother, and evolve Berea Moving & Storage, including developing WOOD-LEE in 2011 into an art handling company, while also growing a medical portion. She notes her niece and nephew are now taking over and advises small business owners to let things evolve and go with the flow.

Transcript:

Brian Butkowski: Hi, Lisa. Glad to have you again today.

Lisa Holly: Thank you, Brian. It's so nice to be here again.

Brian Butkowski: So one of the stories that you've talked about, is your yellow brick road story. I've heard portions, I think, but could you tell me that story?

Lisa Holly: Yes. It's a story that's very near and dear to my heart.

Because I personally don't believe in coincidence. Sure. I believe that every day was meant to be exactly how it turns out. Whether it's a good day, a bad day, a happy day. it doesn't matter So I started this thing, and I call it the "Yellow Brick Road." And what the story is about is that the day that you were born

was the first brick in the yellow brick road. And the last brick in the road is the day that you die. And each brick, as life goes forward, is meant to be there to complete the road until the final brick is put in. And what I mean by that is: that like I was born in a home where I didn't know that women didn't own companies.

And then I was born into a family that owned a business and we moved forward and I was a kid that was in a family business, so everything happened exactly as it as it does and including, and this is something that I often talk about is the day that my mother died, she was very. I want to call it iron fisted.

She did it, it was her way or the highway kind of a thing. And I believe that the day that she died was the day that she was free, and I became, I don't wanna say a butterfly, I, I don't know the right word, that I became who I was supposed to be, because I truly believe that if she were alive today

the company that Berea Moving is, the company that WOOD-LEE is... I don't even think WOOD-LEE would exist because she wanted to move household goods and she wanted to move, office moves. And by her not being here, though, it took, unfortunately her passing, it gave me the opportunity to do it, if you will,

my way. to work with my brother and change our company. And so it continues the road. We were able to change, and develop WOOD-LEE in 2011. So, now we are an art handling company. We grew the medical portion, but none of that again would be if she was there. So now my niece and my nephew are taking over the business.

And I might retire someday. I'm not sure.

Brian Butkowski: Right?

Lisa Holly: But again, those bricks are all unfolding in front of me and there's days I don't like very much at all, absolutely despise them.... but then there's days that are so glorious that it makes up for the not good days. So if you look at destiny, I think that you will find that life is destiny.

Go with the flow. I've often told many other small business owners this. Just let it evolve, let it move because it's all supposed to happen the way it's happening.

Brian Butkowski: Well, that's just a lovely story, and I do appreciate that it's a little different than maybe some people would lay out there, but again, it's you!

And it describes exactly how you're taking it step by step, so I appreciate that, Lisa.

Lisa Holly: You're welcome, Brian. Thank you.