Insight: Randy Bushey

By Michelle St. Onge

Photo by Jessica McCafferty

Hometown: Beekmantown, NY

Family: Adult children including a daughter, a son and a future daughter-in-law

Education: Graduate of Beekmantown High School, Class of 1984

Occupation: President, Bushey’s New & Used Furniture

Born and raised in Beekmantown, Randy Bushey grew up with the family business in his backyard, both literally and figuratively. His father, Harry Bushey, started his business in 1960, selling only used furniture part-time while working full-time at the former Diamond International Paper Mill. Randy and his brother, Richard, were immersed in the operation from a young age, helping their father after school and learning the ropes firsthand.

During his high school years, Randy chose to focus on working in the family business rather than pursue sports or other interests. He quickly found that he enjoyed the work, and over time with some growing pains, forged a strong business partnership with his father. “That role is reversed now, because I am the father, and my son, Josh, is an adult who has just gone through that stage,” he said. In 1990, with his father’s health declining, Randy officially took over as company president. Though Harry continued to work until just before his passing, he did so knowing the business was in capable hands. “By that time Richard and I had been working side by side with him long enough to know that we were ready to take over running the business.”

Today, the store is still a family affair. Randy works alongside Richard and Josh, with plans for his future daughter-in-law to join the operation. With about eight employees, Randy makes sure that the business remains proudly local and customer focused. “I still like going out on the delivery truck from time to time,” he explained. “A lot of customers are happy when they see the owner helping to deliver their furniture. It’s personal, and it shows that we care, from the beginning to the end.”

Beyond the showroom, Randy is committed to giving back. He supports local charities, particularly those focused on mental health, and believes deeply in being a business owner that makes the community stronger. “I’m surrounded by good people,” he said. “I’m a lucky man with a great family.”

Randy recently sat down with Strictly Business to reflect on his life and career and shared the following insights.

SB: What lessons did you learn early in your career?

RB: One of the best lessons I learned was the rule of “95 and 5.” Ninety-five percent of your customers will be relatively easy to keep happy; the other five percent might take a little more effort. Whether it’s customers, or employees, if you can keep 95% of the people you’re dealing with happy, you’re doing alright.

SB: Who has been your most influential mentor?

RB: I’d have to say my father. He taught me to be honest with people and, just as importantly, with yourself. Sometimes we convince ourselves we can take something on, even if we don’t have the time or it’s not realistic. You’ve got to be honest about your limits too.

SB: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

RB: Take care of yourself first so you can take care of the people you care about. Both my father and my uncle taught me that. If everyone focused a little more on keeping themselves well, there would be less burden on others to take care of them.

SB: How do you deal with difficult people?

RB: If a customer is unhappy, I like to handle that difficult situation personally. I want to hear directly from them and understand why they’re unhappy. If there’s a way to make it right, I will try to get there. My father used to say, ‘The squeaky wheel goes around a lot faster than the happy wheel.’ Especially with social media today, people tend to talk more about bad experiences than good ones. I believe word of mouth is still the best advertising.

SB: If you could talk to your younger self, what advice would you give him?

RB: Don’t let the little things bother you so much, and take life one day at a time. Work is work, so don’t let small stuff turn into big stuff. I think that’s something a lot of people struggle with now, which you can see by how common anxiety issues are today.

SB: What is one quote that guides your life?

RB: Focus on Plan A, and you won’t need a Plan B.

SB: What does success look like to you?

RB: Success is comfort and happiness. If you’ve got what you want in life, and the people you care about are well and enjoying themselves, that’s success to me.

SB: Do you have any habits that contribute to your success?

RB: I like to work hard and make the most of every day. Even when I’m not working, I like to keep moving, stay active, and get things done. I believe in staying ambitious.

SB: If you could have dinner and spend an evening with any well-known person, living or dead, who would it be and why?

RB: Warren Buffett. He’s one of the wealthiest people in the world, but I’ve read that he still lives a simple life by choice. I’d like to know if that’s true, and if so, what benefits he gets out of living simply.

SB: What do you do for fun?

RB: I like working with my hands. I’m helping my kids build their homes, and I enjoy refinishing furniture in the garage. I also like running, exercising, snowmobiling, riding ATV’s with my son, and walking in the woods with my girlfriend.

SB: What inspires you?

RB: Healthcare workers, particularly my daughter Chelsea. She works in a cancer center and helps people on some of the worst days of their lives. She stays composed, helps others, and doesn’t walk away from hard things. That inspires me.

SB: When you’re having an off day, how do you get back on track?

RB: If it hits me early, I like to go for a run with some good music. That usually clears my head.

SB: How would you like to be remembered?

RB: As a nice guy who contributed to the community and cared about people.

SB: What are you most proud of professionally?

RB: Our accomplishments as a local business. I like contributing to the community and buying local. I’ve become friends with many customers over the years. My dad always said, ‘Treat your customers the way you want to be treated.’ If you want them to become a friend, start by being a friend to them.

SB: What do you think the North Country needs to do today to ensure our prosperous future?

RB: I hope people recognize how beautiful this area is and continue to take care of their neighbors. We’ve had nice, steady growth here throughout my lifetime. While I think we need more industry, we also need to grow carefully. We have good companies that have chosen to do business here - it’s important to support them so they can keep supporting the community.