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Later this week, Ellen Hook will be among the local leaders honored as part of Central Illinois Business Magazine’s Forty Under 40 all-stars.
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
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A word to the wise from someone who’d know: “If you have a family business, I recommend not starting in it right away.”
So says ELLEN HOOK, who was a couple years out of college and living in California when she got the hankering to do what her father, and his father, and a male member of the family tree had done every year since 1872 — own a furniture store.
The former Syracuse and Wash U volleyball player is the first woman in the family to own what was once Bruegge and Company (based in her hometown of Breese and Highland) and now goes by Ashley HomeStore of Central Illinois (with a location on Champaign’s West Anthony Drive).
A mother of three and member of 2023’s Central Illinois Business Magazine Forty Under 40 all-star team, Hook took time out to answer questions from Editor Jeff D’Alessio in the 202nd installment of our weekly speed read spotlighting leaders of organizations big and small.
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“This might sound weird but I’d like to be an Amish homemaker/farmer for a week. Ideally, though, I’d just stay home with my babies for a week undisturbed.”
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
The three adjectives I hope my staff would use to describe me are … compassionate, wise and patient.
My professional role model is … Tony Robbins. He seems to find the best of the best in every industry and learns from them all — and can teach the psychology of life while killing it in business and relationships.
He’s the only one I know who can teach personal and professional development from every aspect of life.
My philosophy on meetings is … they need a clear, specific outcome. Always have an ice breaker with new folks in the meeting and remember: Without rapport, there will be constraints in clear communications, making meetings take longer.
Have a problem to solve. And snacks are everything.
If I could trade places for a week with any other business person in town … this might sound weird but I’d like to be an Amish homemaker/farmer for a week.
Ideally, though, I’d just stay home with my babies for a week undisturbed.
The hardest thing about being a leader is … it means owning responsibility for the team. At the end of the day, the wins belong to the team; the losses are all on the leader.
Even the best intentions and plans don’t turn out the way you wanted, and that is all on the leader.
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“My first job outside the family was a burger joint in my hometown of Breese called Wally’s. I couldn’t wait to go to work. It was fun for me, and still is.”
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
My one unbreakable rule of the workplace is … tell the truth.
I can’t live without … DoorDash — for meetings and lunches on the fly to celebrate milestones with the team, it has saved us time.
For gadgets: This sounds funny but keeping a charger at the office and one at home for my laptop has saved me from forgetting it at either place.
The single-most important question I ask job candidates during interviews is … what is your superpower and what is your kryptonite?
My single favorite moment of all-time in this job was … celebrating our company’s 150-year anniversary with the entire company and the owner of Ashley Industries flying in to surprise us.
On my office walls, you’ll find … pictures of my great-grandpa, my grandpa and our 150-year posters, plus lots of leadership reminders and goals on my bulletin board. Plus, pics of my kids and husband.
I’m frugal in that … I drive a minivan. There, I said it.
The first thing I do when I get to work most days is … the thing I least want to do, depending on the day, after our morning huddles with the team.
For lunch, I like to … DoorDash. I love Martinelli’s and Indian food. I used to like to go out but now that I have kids, having something to eat fast and convenient is nice.
I wind down after work by … playing games with my kids.
Going for a walk while it’s nice out is so wonderful after a long day.
When it comes to the last luxury in which I indulged … I love to wake surf any time I can, which is not often so it feels like a luxury. This requires all three kids to be with someone, including the baby, so this feels self-indulgent when I can just relax and surf.
The most beneficial college class I took was … Retail 104, or some number, at Washington University’s Olin School of Business in St. Louis.
We did real case studies comparing like companies — Best Buy vs. Circuit City, as an example — and why one succeeded and one failed. Location, location, location. IYKYK.
The last good book I read was … “Money Masters of the Game,” by Tony Robbins.
I’m up and at ’em every day … whenever my baby wakes me up, which is anywhere between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.
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“I like working. My parents used to own a funeral home and I have to say cleaning that before a funeral was probably something I’d not want to do again.”
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
My exercise routine consists of … working out a little every day. That could be weights, Pilates, running, a long walk or running around the back yard. I have to move.
As far as the worst job I’ve ever had goes … I can’t say I had any bad jobs because the ones that were “not enjoyable” still taught me so much and to appreciate all types of people doing different jobs.
I like working. My parents used to own a funeral home and I have to say cleaning that before a funeral was probably something I’d not want to do again.
The first job I ever had was … delivering funeral notices on my bike around town for my parents’ funeral home. Back then, there were obituaries on postcards and they had to be distributed to all the local small businesses in town so that people knew who passed before the weekly newspaper came out.
My first job outside the family was a burger joint in my hometown of Breese called Wally’s. I couldn’t wait to go to work. It was fun for me, and still is.
