Garvin Brown recently retired from Brown-Forman Corporation, the company behind Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, founded by his great-great-grandfather in 1870. His career with the company began as a wine salesperson in New York and evolved through various corporate and operational roles. By 2007, Garvin had become chairman, steering the company through key transitions between the fourth and fifth generations of the Brown family.

Currently, Garvin serves on Brown-Forman's family-holding company board and contributes to global initiatives in democracy and development. He is also a board member of Dendrifund, a foundation dedicated to the sustainability of the elements essential to crafting premium bourbon.

In this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge, Aaron Strauss sits down with Garvin Brown to explore his unique journey and the pivotal role of family governance in sustaining a multi-generational business. They discuss how Brown-Forman balances innovation with tradition, the company’s marketing and brand strategies, and the importance of financial discipline. Garvin also shares insights into navigating the challenges of leadership, managing stress, and building trust with stakeholders. Additionally, they delve into his philanthropic pursuits and his passion for community impact.

1:27 – Garvin’s bicultural background and career journey at Brown-Forman

5:06 – The economics of family businesses and surviving Prohibition

8:42 – Non-family CEOs and the evolution of Brown-Forman’s governance model

13:52 – Leveraging marketing, branding, and innovation to drive financial success

20:59 – Managing stress, overcoming challenges, and fostering trust in leadership

26:27 – Philanthropy and Garvin’s dedication to sustainability and community impact

Mentioned In Leadership and Governance in a Multi-Generational Business with Garvin Brown

Brown-Forman

Headspace

Dendrifund

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In this episode of The Dealmaker’s Edge, Aaron Strauss is joined by Stephen Bittel, founder and chairman of Terranova Corporation. With over four decades of experience, Stephen shares his remarkable journey in real estate and offers insights on leadership, market strategy, and the importance of empathy in business.

From his early days in Miami to managing an investment portfolio of over $1 billion, Stephen reflects on the lessons he’s learned while building one of South Florida’s leading commercial real estate firms. He delves into the value of cash flow, adapting to market cycles, and how aligning interests with partners leads to lasting success. Beyond business, Stephen discusses his commitment to giving back and the joy he finds in family and community.

Key Takeaways:

· Success requires perseverance and a strong work ethic.

· Empathy and community service are integral to leadership.

· Building a loyal team is essential for long-term success.

· Adaptability and timing are critical in real estate investments.

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Russ Krivor, CEO and Founder of Sovereign Properties, joins the podcast this episode. They discuss Russ's journey in real estate, the importance of education, navigating entrepreneurship, raising capital, market insights, the future of senior living, and the significance of building relationships in business. Russ shares valuable lessons learned throughout his career and emphasizes the need for innovative solutions in the evolving real estate landscape.

Takeaways

• Education is crucial for success in business.
• Entrepreneurship requires timing and recognizing opportunities.
• Starting small in real estate can lead to significant growth.
• The current real estate market presents unique investment opportunities.
• There is a growing demand for senior living solutions.
• Today's seniors desire quality living environments and services.
• Managing stress is essential for effective decision-making.
• Building relationships is key to long-term success.
• Giving back to the community can open new opportunities.
• Balancing personal life and career is vital for happiness.

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On this episode, managing partner Aaron Strauss sits down with Robert Logan of B&D Holdings to explore the strategies driving their impressive growth in industrial real estate.

Rob Logan is a Principal at B&D Holdings. Based in New Jersey, B&D Holdings is a privately held investment and development firm with a real estate portfolio of over 200 properties throughout 34 states. Their primary focus is on direct investments in industrial real estate.

In his role, Rob is responsible for overseeing Acquisitions and Capital Markets. Prior to joining the team, he spent two years at G.S. Wilcox & Co. where he served as an originator on the commercial real estate capital markets advisory team. Prior to G.S. Wilcox, he worked at Newmark Knight Frank on their New York City based debt capital markets team and at ICAP in structured credit products.

Rob has a Bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College in Economics and Latin American Studies and earned a Masters in Real Estate from New York University.

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Yannis Papadakis is a Business Development Manager and Podcast Host at CREXi. Based in Los Angeles, CREXi is a commercial real estate community, marketplace, and technology company that simplifies transactions and accelerates business for brokers, buyers, agents and tenants.

Yannis is responsible for building relationships with commercial real estate professionals from across the country and connecting, educating, and supporting them through CREXi’s platform. His real estate experience began at age 19, when he started managing a shopping center and 80,000 square-feet of retail space. From there, Yannis has worn many hats as a sales agent, property manager, auction manager, and investor.

Yannis hosts the Crexi Podcast, which provides a window into the inner workings of commercial real estate for new and established real estate professionals. His guests include top producing brokers and real estate industry leaders from across the country. Yannis earned his undergraduate degree from Lynn University.

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Jordan Kavana is the Founder and Chairman of ARK Homes for Rent, established in 2021. ARK Homes for Rent is a real estate investment company that owns, operates, and manages a nearly $2 billion portfolio of rental properties located across the Sunbelt of the United States.

For nearly three decades, Jordan has built and led several successful ventures in real estate and private equity, including Transcendent Investment Management (established in 2008) and JL Real Ventures (established in 2004). Prior to that, Jordan founded a successful international consumer electronics company, which he sold in 2003. His career began with roles at Morgan Stanley's Private Wealth Management division and the finance and operations department of one of the continent's largest vacation property developers.

Jordan is also a founding member of AIPAC’s Miami Club and holds key positions within YPO International, including Global Impact Officer for Mosaic and Engagement Officer for the Peace and Action Network. He is a graduate of Florida International University and has completed coursework at both Harvard University and Harvard Business School's President Management Program.

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Boots Dunlap is the Co-founder and CEO of RRA Capital. With offices in midtown New York City and Phoenix, Arizona, RRA Capital is a real estate investment firm that provides customized debt products at institutional pricing for real estate sponsors across the United States. Notably, RRA is a Veteran-founded, owned, and operated real estate investment firm.

Boots leads the investment strategy and strategic direction of RRA. He leverages over 15 years of experience consulting on and managing credit assets for banks, insurance companies, CMBS servicers, and private equity firms. Since co-founding RRA, Boots has overseen the origination and management of more than $1.5 billion in bridge loans and consulted lenders on over $2.4 billion in distressed commercial real estate.

Prior to co-founding RRA, Boots served in the U.S. military as an Airborne-Ranger-qualified Infantry Officer in the 10th Mountain Division. Over his 10-years of military service, Boots led combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and supported global training missions in Kazakhstan, Korea, and

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Adam Heine is the CEO and President of both Consolidated Development Corporation and Camden Securities Company. He is also the founder of Great Hill Investments, LLC.

At Camden Securities, Adam is responsible for overseeing all aspects of investment, development, and property management. Since joining Camden in 2009, he has successfully overseen the acquisition, development, and repositioning of over 2 million square feet of retail property and 8,000 multi-family units throughout the United States.

His current focus is on further growing the Companies’ national portfolio of mixed-use, multi-family and retail investments in U.S. cities and states with the criteria of growing populations, attractive environments for corporate operations, sound government fiscal policy and where demand clearly outstrips supply.

Prior to joining Camden, Adam spent 14 years in the capital markets while working for Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse. Adam is a graduate of Denison University and a member of the Urban Land Institute and International Council of Shopping Centers.

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