My Mother Always Said...

Some people are only able to refer to their mother in past tense, however I am blessed to still have my mother around, and to have her involved in both of our family businesses. Mom has always been a great teacher who taught life lessons by example. Lessons that have translated into our core principals at Big Adventure Inflatables and at Monte Vista. One of those principals that I believe every business leader should embrace is, "Never ask somebody to do something, that you are not willing to do yourself." The idea that the "boss", the "head honcho" the person who is in charge of others would do some of the menial jobs or tasks such as take out the trash, clean the bathrooms, etc., is basically unheard of in the business world, but at Big Adventure we are bringing that idea back around. At BAI and Monte Vista, we want to be sure that there is no task too small that any of us from the owners to the greenskeeper or inflatable operator wont do. When all of us work together as a team to get the jobs done, we will notice better efficiency, not to mention a great respect for the team as a whole. There are times that a team member may be fed up with a particular job or task and decide that they are above that, or that they "deserve" to shirk the job and get somebody else to do it. It's at that moment, the worker has forgotten that there are no levels of jobs for certain levels of employees and that if something needs to get done, ALL of us are qualified and expected to help get it done. Sure, there is a chain of command, and there is an organizational chart and levels of responsibilities and pay, but in our family businesses, you will often find us as owners working along side of our employees and hopefully our team is willing to do anything that is asked of them because, like my mother always said, we never ask a team member to do something, that we are not willing to do ourselves. Business take away: You aren't much of a boss, if you don't lead by example. Let your employees see your willingness to work beside them, and they will always be willing to work for you!

Our Business Philosophy

At Big Adventure Inflatables we are about more than making money, although thats always a good thing. We are about more than inflatables, even though its in our name. We are about people! When Melissa and I started this company, we committed to always using our business to serve others, and to make a positive impact on every person that we connect with. From our team members to our customers, we hope to impact each life for the better. Sometimes this happens by simply providing clean inflatables, on time delivery and friendly service. Sometimes it happens by our team going the extra mile to make sure that your event exceeds your expectations. We hope that we also serve those that work on our team, and help provide a good job for them that they can be proud to have. We want each person on the team to have take ownership and pride in our company, and be glad they are here. We also wanted to give back to both our hometown community of Middlesboro, KY and the area Laurel County KY, where I currently serve as a local associate Pastor. We believe that God wants to use us as funnels to bless others as we can, and that our business is nothing more than a tool to make a difference in other peoples lives. By treating people right, doing business with integrity and working hard, we hope to become a stronger company with many years ahead of us serving others. With us, people aren't just customers, but they are considered friends and family, and its not just business, its service!