Charlotte’s Thriving Family-Owned Businesses

Successful Bonds

Thriving family-owned businesses in Charlotte

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 90 percent of American businesses were family-owned in 2019. What’s the secret to running a successful family business? We interviewed business owners in Charlotte that rely on family members to help those enterprises run smoothly and thrive.

Several of Nathaniel Means’ family members have worked to help his income tax service succeed.

This Family

Means Business

By Sasha Manley

The average person will spend over 90,000 hours working in their lifetime, according to LinkedIn. These hours make up about one-third of your life. With so much of our careers dedicated to this time, being part of an authentic family dynamic can mean stronger commitments, security, pride, trust and mutual long-term visions.

There are currently over 5 million family-owned businesses in the U.S. These companies make up nearly 80 percent of job creation, according to according to Family Enterprise USA. Working with family also promotes transgenerational entrepreneurship, which results in the continued legacy of independent business among families.

Means Income Tax Service is an example of a company that counts on family members to contribute to its success. Charlottean Nathaniel Means has served Charlotte area residents for over 50 years. Means and his niece Jamila Lindsay spoke with Pride recently about owning a business that relies on family involvement to run smoothly.

Family business tree

Means Income Tax provides tax preparation, payroll and business return services. Before starting the company, Means, an Air Force veteran, was an auto mechanic and owned a mini-mart and club in Concord.

The business began as a partnership with a friend but has turned into a company with his relatives. Current employees include his sister Myrtle Means who manages payroll services; his sisters Janette Dubose and Carol Ford who serve as front desk administrators; and his niece Trina Smith who works as a tax representative.

It’s almost become a tradition to work in the business. As a result, several family members have worked with the company at some point in their careers. Former employees and family members include Means’ late brother James Means; his nieces Javonna Martin, Nneka Means, Tonya Dubose and Jamila Lindsay.

Teamwork and serving the community

With any business, there will be plenty of ups and downs. There is a deeper dynamic when working with family. Means says it hasn’t been a problem. Everyone understands communication is essential for a successful business. It is also equally important to have healthy relationships with family members,” he explained. “Being able to have a workforce you can trust and that you know will work as hard as you do to maintain the family business is key.”

The digital age has helped many current businesses get the word out about their services, but prioritizing the longevity before these modern conveniences results in two things; Professional service and word of mouth. These two key elements have guaranteed return business and referrals to Means Income Tax for over five decades.

Clients have become family too. Means shared he picks up documents from clients who can’t make it to the office and does outof-state taxes when needed. “I love helping people,” he shared with a smiling face.

Throughout the year, Means and family also provide tax and homeowner seminars. These meetings assist at-risk homeowners who need help before foreclosing.

Continuing the legacy

Looking ahead, Means plans to keep the business in the family. After working in the tax business for half a century, Means offers some sage advice: “Communicate. Nothing will happen that you cannot overcome. Treat the business like any other business and work hard. Always communicate, and everything will be okay.”

Contact Means Income Tax Service at 704-333-1831 or visit them on Facebook.

Crepe Bistro

By Vanessa Clarke

Preparing crepes is a national tradition in Ukraine which is where the owner of Crepe Bistro, Julia Watson, is from. Watson moved to America 15 years ago, and after living in New York, New Jersey and South Carolina — where she met her husband Craig — she moved to Gastonia, North Carolina and opened her crepe restaurant four years ago.

Crepe Bistro is a family-owned business and it’s the family’s love of their home country, Ukraine, their passion for the traditional preparation of crepes and their eagerness to share the delicious pancake-like dishes with Americans that drives their success.

Teaming with her mother Galyna Shepeliuk and her sister Marina Zhaburovska, Watson used her mother’s Eastern European recipes for crepes to open Crepe Bistro. “The batter is what sets us apart,” Watson said. “I traveled the world to pick the ingredients and I created this menu. People always comment that they’ve had some of the dishes in different parts of Europe.”

Watson said her customers feel like family to her, her mother and sister. “We take a lot of pride in talking with the customers and getting to know them,” she said. That family-like bond was evident as many of her customers supported the restaurant’s partnership with Kyiv-based Initiative E+ which specializes in humanitarian and charitable work in Ukraine. Crepe Bistro donates 30 percent of every purchase to the nonprofit organization that provides Ukrainian army, territorial defense forces and medical professionals with medical kits, bulletproof vests, helmets, vehicles and more.

Crepe Bistro has supported the local community as much as they have supported her home country, Watson said. From sponsoring local youth baseball to working with the Matthews Chamber of Commerce and local nonprofits, Watson’s restaurant has become a staple in the neighborhood.

Crepe Bistro is located at 1605 Galleria Blvd. in Charlotte.

Photo by Vanessa Clarke

Julia Watson, owner of Crepe Bistro (right), her sister Marina Zhaburovska (middle) and her mother Galyna Shepeliuk (left) work together at the restaurant.

Isaiah Counseling & Wellness

By Alicia Benjamin

The desire to help people find healthy ways to navigate life’s challenges and bring them greater emotional balance, selfconfidence and happiness is what motivated the husband-and-wife counseling team, Derwin and Shawntal Isaiah, to start Isaiah Counseling & Wellness 12 years ago.

“We are really passionate about making sure that people are well, and so we do that by being compassionate, by being real, by being understanding. Those are the things that are important to us,” Shawntal said.

Both Shawntal and Derwin provide private psychotherapy services to adults and young people, 13 years old and older. Shawntal earned her master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Pittsburgh. Derwin earned his graduate degree in counseling from Webster University in South Carolina.

“My specialty is working with women who are similar to me — navigating life and wearing a million hats and trying to make themselves the priority. And feeling OK about doing that and not feeling guilty,” Shawntal said.

Derwin specializes in couples and mens mental health, she said. “In the Black community … our men are not always open to seeking support — I think because we’ve often been taught that seeking help is a sign of weakness,” she added. “So he has a way of connecting with men and helping them to prioritize themselves and their mental health as well.”

Additional therapists at Isaiah Counseling & Wellness provide counseling services to young people (13 and over), adults, couples and families.

Shawntal said what makes their family-owned business work so well is the mutual respect she and her husband have for each other. “We’re both passionate about this work, but we’re different. We each respect the different skills that the other brings to the table,” she said.

Even when they both come home from work after long and challenging days, Shawntal said she and her husband acknowledge their feelings and “then we shut it down. We move on. I think that is what helps us.”

Isaiah Counseling & Wellness is located at 1914 Brunswick Ave., Suite 1B in Charlotte.

Photo courtesy of Shawntal and Derwin Isaiah

Derwin and Shawntal Isaiah, owners of Isaiah Counseling & Wellness

Signs Revolution

By Alicia Benjamin

The team at Signs Revolution, a small family-owned business, has been serving other small businesses in the Charlotte area since 2010. Husband-and-wife team Mario Herrera and Patricia Herrera-Rubiano, who are originally from Colombia, own the company.

Signs Revolution takes pride in their indoor and outdoor signage products. They offer expertise in designing and manufacturing illuminated channel letter signs, large format printing, dimensional acrylic letter signs and other products including banners, yard signs, flags, murals, car wraps and more. They also use the most up-to-date and environmentally-friendly printing equipment.

The Herreras are proud of the family atmosphere at their company as they work alongside their daughterin-law Noelle Herrera. Also, occasionally their son David Herrera (Noelle’s husband) joins in to help.

As a small business, Mario said they “want to help other small businesses succeed.” Signs Revolution can help other businesses increase their customer base through increased visibility, he said.

One of the reasons Signs Revolution has been so successful as a business is the effective way the team works together as a family, Mario said. “I am a handyman and my wife Patricia is good with people,” he added. “She’s more of the public relations person,” Noelle said.

“We are Spanish-speaking people and Noelle is from America so she brings the understanding of someone from the U.S.,” said Mario. “We all have our jobs to do in the company.”

Signs Revolution is located at 7148 Idlewild Road in Charlotte.

Owners of Signs Revolution, Mario and Patricia Herrera

Photo by Vanessa Clarke

Pete Tesfagzi, owner of Red Sea Restaurant and Bar

Red Sea Restaurant and Bar

By Vanessa Clarke

The owner of Red Sea Restaurant and Bar in the Oakhurst neighborhood in Charlotte, Pete Tesfagzi, can often be seen walking around the restaurant holding conversations with his customers. This family-owned neighborhood staple opened in 2001 in Elizabeth and moved to its Monroe location in 2016. Tesfagzi and his family perform different jobs at the restaurant from making the food, serving customers and operating the cash register.

Many Red Sea patrons have been eating the Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine offered at this restaurant since it opened and order their food without looking at the menu. Pete said he stays busy from the moment the place opens making sure to give his customers the mouthwatering food their expecting.

This is the success Pete wanted for his family when he moved to Charlotte from Los Angeles in 1998, though he moved from Eritrea 30 years ago.

Tesfagzi said he wanted to open a restaurant because he “knew people would like a different type of food” than what was commonly eaten in the South. “I saved for three years to make sure I could pay for it and prepared for it to struggle.” For him, “hard work, education, and setting goals” are a life mantra and what he has instilled in his three children — his youngest attends high school and his oldest just graduated from Duke University. Tesfagzi said he enjoys serving and talking with his guests. “I have long-term customers who are like family,” he said.

Red Sea Restaurant and Bar is located at 4301 Monroe Road in Charlotte.

Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen

By Alicia Benjamin

Cooking meals for her family as a middle school student gave Alyssa Wilen such joy that she turned her passion for food and cooking into a successful career as a professional chef. Alyssa, the co-owner and executive chef of Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen, works with her husband Andrew Wilen to bring the art of cooking and enjoying good food to both children and adults.

After dating for a year, the couple realized their skills fit well together. She was working at local restaurants, becoming a great chef, and he was good at branding and event planning. They opened Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen in 2013, and they’ve been sharing their talents with the Charlotte community ever since.

Chef Alyssa’s kitchen offers a variety of services including hands-on cooking classes for kids and adults, brunch at their South End location, corporate catering and healthy prepared meals for families. About the cooking classes, Alyssa said, “A lot of people come to us because they’re great home cooks and they want to strengthen their skills.” And some people who never cook want to take the classes because they want to do something fun, she said.

Alyssa gives her cooking students a basic understanding of “how to work in the kitchen and also make some really quality dishes where they can appreciate the ingredients,” she said.

“We’re a family business — husband and wife. We knew we were soul mates, and we knew we were all in for this business and together for life,” said Andrew.

hoto courtesy of Alyssa and Andrew Wilen

Alyssa and Andrew Wilen, co-owners of Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen

“When you have a family business there’s that mom-and-pop homey feel to it. The husband-and-wife touch works well with our guests, and it carries over to our team,” Andrew said. “We love our team like family.”

Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen is located at 4001-C Yancey Road, Suite 100 in Charlotte.

Creative Director, Larry Preslar along with founder and President of SPARK Publications Fabi Preslar and daughter and Special Projects Coordinator, Sofi Preslar

SPARK Publications

By Vanessa Clarke

What began as a home-based graphic design firm has grown to a national independent and custom publishing firm that specializes in creating print and digital magazines, books, catalogs, interactive microsites and more. Founder and President of SPARK Publications Fabi Preslar started her business 24 years ago and has won numerous awards along the way, including an induction into the 2019 North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame.

Known for giving their clients individualized attention, the SPARK Publications team creates such products as lifestyle, trade and association magazines; nonfiction books for leaders and business owners such as business, collector, and cookbooks.

“Each client has different goals and our business model is very entrepreneurial and very collaborative,” Preslar said. “The publications we’re producing are part of the clients’ bigger mission, and they serve as impactful mechanisms for those companies. Our nonfiction book clients become ‘authorpreneurs.’”

The SPARK Publications team includes Preslar’s husband and Creative Director, Larry Preslar, and their daughter and Special Projects Coordinator, Sofi Preslar. She said her family members bring their own special talents and personalities to the firm that make work more fun. In 2018, she told the Charlotte Business Journal, “I bring the structure but have my goofy side as well. They are both creative and have kept a youthful playfulness to them that fits in with our overall creative culture.”

Preslar, her family, along with the team of inhouse talent and contractors (also known as “the SPARKlers”) all contribute to the long-term success of SPARK Publications. Preslar added, “It’s a heart-centered and creative services firm doing big work for amazing businesses.”

SPARK Publications is located at 2116 Crown Centre Drive, Suite 300 in Charlotte. P