My wife, Cheryl, and I opened Sheffield Spice & Tea Co. on May 1, 2013. Since then we’ve become a vital part of the community with a store and products essential to individuals, chefs, restaurants and other businesses. After 8 years, we have grown primarily by word-of-mouth, but also with an online presence, some social media and other marketing efforts.
I’ve also been a Financial Advisor for over 38 years and in Bank Management and the Retail Industry before that. Cheryl was an accountant for over 30 years and in retail before that.
We share the responsibilities for operating our company, but do have areas for which we are more responsible. I handle more of the tech, website and other marketing functions for our company, while Cheryl handles more of the financial and buying functions. We both are involved in product development.
I hold an undergraduate business degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, in Marketing and an MBA from Wayne State University in Finance with minors in Marketing & Advertising and International Business.
As a Financial Advisor, I consultFamily-held and Closely-held businesses on creating, running then succeeding the business to the next generation or other options.
I helped start and run a Family Business Center at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, where these same Family Business principles were taught to family-held companies.
I was invited by the President of the Detroit office of the World Trade Center & Dean of the Business School of the University of Detroit, to teach “Western Style Finance” to the top 40 Automotive Industry Financial Executives and Automotive Trade Ministry of China.
I spoke at the 2019 Las Vegas WordCamp on using a website and other technologies to support a brick & mortar store.
I taught 5 years of Financial Planning at Schoolcraft College, Livonia, Michigan. I taught 1 year of Personal Finance at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.