In this episode, Judi Sheppard Missett, founder and executive chair of Jazzercise, talks creating a family enterprise built on movement, joy and connection. Also, Michael Kaplan, whose family founded Lane Bryant and who is now the founder of BryKap Holdings, recounts how his great-grandmother revolutionized maternity wear in the 1890s, how his father’s attempt to buy back the business ended in disappointment and how those experiences shaped his own path as an entrepreneur and investor. And, in part 2 of our conversation with Jon Vaughan, former president of Brand Vaughan Lumber Company, he discusses what life looks like after the sale of a third-generation family business.
Interested in being a guest or have a topic you’d like to hear us discuss? Contact host Zack Needles, editor-in-chief of Family Business Magazine, at: zneedles@familybusinessmagazine.com.
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Guests
Judi Sheppard Missett
Judi Sheppard Missett is a fitness and business icon, having grown Jazzercise, Inc. from a class of 15 women in 1969 to today’s largest franchised dance fitness company globally, with cumulative gross sales topping $2 billion. Dancing since age 3, Judi turned her passion into a successful career as a professional performer and choreographer. At age 25, however, she discovered her purpose — blending the art of dance and the science of exercise to make dance fitness accessible and fun for everyone. Five decades later, Judi and her daughter Shanna Missett Nelson continue to manage and motivate 7,000+ Jazzercise franchisees to achieve their dream of independent business ownership, inspiring millions of customers worldwide to live happier, healthier lives through fitness. In addition, Judi created Jazzercise Apparel, a division that manufactures branded studio-to-street apparel, and JM DigitalWorks, which produces award-winning video content for Jazzercise media. In 2018, Jazzercise launched its digital fitness platform, Jazzercise on Demand, and followed with Simply Plated, a nutrition program.
As Founder and Executive Chair, Judi’s daily routine still includes contributing choreography and teaching the program she invented, inspiring her corporate employees and franchisees. In addition to two previous best-selling books — Jazzercise: A Fun Way to Fitness and The Jazzercise Workout Book — Judi has produced seven gold and platinum workout videos, and three best-selling fitness albums, and her latest book, Building A Business with a Beat, Leadership Lessons from Jazzercise — an Empire Built on Passion, Purpose, and Heart published in 2019. She and her fellow Jazzercise instructors have raised over $33M for various charitable organizations.
Michael Kaplan
Michael Kaplan is founder of BryKap Holdings BHG), a holding company focused on consumer brands consolidating the $80B inclusive-size women’s apparel market. H has been an entrepreneur and multi company founder. Previously, he was the co-founder and CEO of Fashion to Figure, a leading plus-size fashion company for women sizes 12-26. Kaplan graduated from Harvard Business School and Brown University and held positions in the venture capital and financial space before his entrepreneurial spirit led him and his brother to launch Fashion to Figure as a single store they ran themselves for two years before expanding the business. Recently, Kaplan has been an advisor and investor in: the restructuring of Fullbeauty brands by Goldman Sachs and Oaktree; negotiations for a potential debt refinancing by a major US department store; partnership with a leading private equity firm to purchase a national specialty retailer and brand; investment in and launch of HYDRANT beverage company; investment, launch and expansion of Blue Stripes Cacao Chocolate.
Jon Vaughan
Jon Vaughan established a successful career in the lumber and building materials sector. He began in sales at Georgia Pacific/BlueLinx and returned to his family business, Brand Vaughan Lumber, in 2006, eventually becoming President by 2017. After Brand Vaughan was sold to US LBM in 2021, Jon took on the role of Regional Vice President for the Southeast, managing $1.6 billion in revenue across 14 operating businesses, 54 locations, and a workforce of 1,540 employees.
Jon holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia and has completed executive education programs at The Wharton School, MIT and Kennesaw State. He builds on his academic insights through hands-on leadership and an empathetic ear to build relationships and cultivate cultures that lead to outstanding organizations. He now spends his time on non profit and for profit boards, doing leadership consulting, running a small holdings company and spending as much time with his family as possible.