Today Ted speaks with Tiffany Guido, Vice President of 5th generation European wood floor manufacturing company, Legno Bastone Wide Plank Flooring based in Naples, Florida. Legno is a family-owned manufacturer founded in the late 1800s by Luigi Bastone.
Tiffany got involved with the business in 2014, joining her brother Frank and father Arturo on the company’s leadership team. Along the way, she immersed herself in her family’s history, at one point enduring a grueling five-hour hike amid an Italian summer to the exact spot her great, great-grandfather chopped down trees for Legno Bastone five generations prior.
She shares how the company underwent its dramatic growth from 0 to 400 dealers in ten years, building up a team of employees that feel just as part of the family as Luigi’s descendents do. This family-centered business philosophy is part of the reason Legno Bastone has attracted a loyal community of raving fans, differentiating it from other flooring companies in the market.
When asked for the secret to thriving as a family business, Tiffany only has this to say:
My brother is President. I’m the Vice President. My father is the CFO. But none of those titles mean anything, because we’re a family. We’re a unit. When you’re truly a unit, there’s no person that’s higher up or better than I am. That’s not how we look at our family. Everyone gets an opportunity to speak and everybody’s ideas come into play.
Topics Discussed
- [02:00] The history of Legno Bastone
- [09:32] Bringing Legno Bastone to America
- [12:36] Beyond the company’s mission statement
- [13:49] When Tiffany got involved in the company
- [22:37] Going from 0 to 400 dealers in ten years
- [28:06] How Legno Bastone differentiated itself from other flooring companies
- [32:16] What’s next for Legno Bastone
- [33:52] Legno Bastone’s international presence
- [38:25] The magic of the dinner table
- [45:40] Moving past failure
- [48:10] Inspiring the next generation
- [50:20] Tiffany’s biggest failure and how she overcame it
- [53:32] What Tiffany learned after surviving a car accident
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Key Quotes from Episode
- Something that we pride ourselves on is quality, and we can say that our floors will last 100+ years.
- We want to be known for quality. We want to be known for custom-designed furniture for your floor.
- We create a family atmosphere not only within blood, but we want all of our employees to feel as if they are family.
- Brand is important because it connects people on an emotional level. When people feel good about something that they’re purchasing, they’re proud of it. They smile.
- Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.
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