Susan Brashears

At Brashears Furniture, "Things Are a Little Different Here," but the past year got a little too different.

In July, a new store opened in Springdale, and Doug and Susan Brashears have had quite a year.

Making the new store a reality was every bit as challenging as you might guess. "This last year been really hard," Susan acknowledged. "We worked from early in May to September without a day off…and they were long days."

Having an unusually close-knit staff made the task easier. From the sales floor to the offices, the Brashears team has worked together for many years.

For example, vice-president Sam Warren has been with the company for 30 years. He and Doug decide what products to carry in the store. Susan said, "I have opinions, but I stay out of it." She said she and Doug are good partners, but they try to maintain very separate roles at work.

Vol and Helen Brashears have been very supportive of the dramatic steps the company has taken in the last few years. Susan said the new Springdale sales team spent time with Vol, learning what sets Brashears apart.

"We want to be different from the national chains," Susan said. "'Things are a little different here' is more than just a marketing slogan." 

Susan moved to Springfield, Mo., for junior high and high school. The climate in her house apparently encouraged achievement. Her older sister has recently been appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court. "She is a great example," Susan said. "She has always been someone I could look up to."

Susan majored in finance at the University of Texas, and then landed a job as a financial analyst in the defense division of Texas Instruments. She was just out of college, and dealt with older program managers in a primarily male environment.

"I was very fortunate--it was an excellent job," Susan said. She felt confident in her abilities, but in that environment, she also felt the need to dress impeccably and overachieve.

"I tried to think of myself as a worker, not as a woman," she said. "The business climate is much better now for women." 

Her next step brought her back to Springfield, where she became business manager at KOLR-10.

Susan and Doug had dated during high school, and they married in 1983.

Doug commuted to Berryville for a few years, but after Susan began working with the company in 1991, the couple moved to Eureka Springs.

Susan does accounting and personnel for all the Brashears locations, totaling about 50 employees.

Susan still finds time for community involvement. She's on the Arvest Bank board, she's a Rotarian, and she was president of the Berryville Chamber of Commerce a few years ago.

She enjoys her role with the board of the Carroll County Community Foundation. "I get to be involved with so many nonprofits, learn about them and support them," she said.  

And maybe 2008 will bring a little more time for hiking, reading, or just "quiet time."