Recorded during the April 2026 High Point Market, Dennis Hoy shared his perspective on the current state of the home furnishings industry along with his rich history in the business. Dennis now works at the Furniture Marketing Group (FMG) which describes itself as "the premier home furnishings networking and buying group made up of independent retail furniture dealers throughout North America." https://fmgbuyinggroup.com/

Dennis was described by coworkers as "quite silly... very smart too" and "one of the most genuine gentleman you will ever find in the workplace" perhaps influenced by a brief stint in a charm school.

To say Dennis has "done it all" in the furniture business would be an understatement.

After college, Dennis went to work for Hecht’s division of May Department stores in what is now referred to as the DMV (for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia). After five years there, three in the Case Goods Buying Office, Dennis went to work for Reliable Stores in Landover, MD as Regional Case Goods Buyer. Two years later he moved to Marlo Furniture in Alexandria, VA as Buyer of case goods, dinettes, mattresses and occasional furniture. After nine years at Marlo, Dennis left retail behind to join Bassett Furniture Industries where he served as VP Merchandising, VP Upholstery Manufacturing, and VP Corporate Retail. Then Dennis moved to Collezione Europa for four years with responsibility for purchasing and inventory management. Dennis then did some design work and attempted to get a case goods line off the ground before settling at FMG where he has been for over a dozen years now.

Recorded during the October 2025 High Point Furniture Market, Randy & Troy Kush, owners of Kush's 7 Day Furniture stores in Omaha and Lincoln, NE, graciously carve out time to give us a retailers perspective of the state of our industry. Troy & Randy have built a fabulous business through grit, determination, and just treating their team and their customers right.

In this episode we discuss:

Retail Success_ How We Thrive Through Market Changes

Positivity's Power_ How Energy Influences Others

Entrepreneurship's Ego_ Why Businesses Fail Under Pressure

Their Dad's & Grandpa's Wild Life_ Jockey, Mob, & Pizza!

Funny Commercials_ Behind the Scenes with Crazy Costumes!

Customer Delight_ Transform Your Brand with Positive Emotions

Customer Service_ How We Built a 4.8-Star Rating!

Wayfair's Problem_ Broken Goods & Unsustainable Business

Golf Cart Shenanigans_ Wild Night at the Showroom

Retail Price Increases_ Strategies for Inventory & Tariffs

Tariffs Explained_ How They REALLY Impact Retail Prices

Family Business_ Success Secrets and Avoiding Pitfalls

Store Fight! Wrestling Eight Years Ago! No Winner!

7 Day_ Staying Family-Owned & Avoiding Corporate Growth

They Bought a Racehorse! (Named Little Crush)

Tariffs & Manufacturing_ How We Survived

Join us in welcoming Craig Theiler to this episode of Two Home Boys. Aside from his sweet mustache, Craig brings a wealth of business expertise to Classy Art from outside of the home furnishings industry, along with a healthy dose of levity. Follow along as we discuss:

Accidental Antidepressant Mix-Up_ My Wife's Crazy Story!

Wine & Whiskey Tasting_ Our Honest Thoughts & Funny Moments!

Wine Tasting Notes_ Tennis Balls and Melted Crayons

The Awkward Trade Show Question

From CEO to Partner_ Unexpected Friendship & Business

From Barge Basics to CEO_ My Journey in Manufacturing

How to Become a CEO_ Leadership, Skills, and Strategy

Young CEO's Challenges_ Building Respect & Leading Older Folks

Company Titles_ How to Choose the Right One

Titles & Statuses_ How They Impact Perception

My Hilarious Fake Person Advertising Scam!

Retail Insights_ Key Deficiencies & Winning Strategies

ChatGPT Revolutionizes Sales_ Retirement Home Success Story

Vaping, Booze & Fun_ Our Honest Take

Dad's Hilarious Astronaut Prank on His Kids!

Body Image_ Self-Focus in Photos is a Real Problem!

Vegas Nights & Late Celebrations_ Our 21st Birthday!

Business Owners' Biggest Mistakes_ The Silent Killers

Retail Burn Rate_ Avoid Failure and Know Your Break-Even

July 4th Sale Mistake_ Website Error Exposed!

Lead with Heart_ Transform Your Business Today

Building a REAL Company Culture_ Authenticity Matters!

Lead With Heart_ Stop Being a CEO, Be Human

Why Apple Switched Chargers & EU Privacy Rules Explained

iPhone Obsolescence_ My Experience & New Phone Review

Why Mustaches Remind Us of Firemen & Authority

Macy's Effect_ How a Name Change Destroyed a Business

ChatGPT & Ads_ The Future of Search & Content

Brick and Mortar's Comeback_ Why Younger People Shop

Recorded August 20, 2025

In this episode we launch into how hard it is to be in the furniture industry, how it's never been easy, and we're lucky to be a part of it. And we taste bourbon gifts from our friends at Planned Furniture Promotions, including Old Fitzgerald 7 Year from Tom Liddell and High West batch 24B19 from Rob Rosenberg.

Call your parents.
Classy Art. Navigating Tariffs in the Market
Selling to the Navy. E-Commerce & Base Sales Explained
Hamilton & Napa. Our Amazing Trip & Relationship Drama
Should Businesses Watch Their Competitors
Google Campus Tour. Exploring Google's Massive Headquarters
Whiskey & Wildlife. How Scotch Tours Led to Birding
Grocery Store vs. Garden. Which Is Cheaper
Beat Depression Naturally. Gardening & Barefoot Grounding
Psychology in Business. Why Trust Beats Better Deals
Trust & Business. Protecting Yourself From Those Closest
Stop Complaining! Build Generational Wealth & Succeed

Recorded June 23rd, 2025

Recorded during the April 2025 High Point Furniture Market we had the honor of being joined by Georgie Kidder, co-owner of Ross Alan Lumber, with her husband, Ross, and talented voice actor.

Some highlights from this episode include:
Actor's Brutal Truth. Find Your Backup Plan NOW!
Awkward Cheers Challenge. Eye Contact Drinking Game!
Big Boi From Outkast Hit On Georgie! (Crazy Story)
Building Dreams. From Craigslist Saw to Baby Changing Table
Chilean Sea Bass. Patagonian Toothfish REBRANDED! You're Eating WHAT
Egypt Pyramid Discovery. Giant Copper Coils Underground!
Pyramid Power. Free Energy & Antarctic Connections!
Hollywood Dreams. Pursuing Acting Despite the Odds!
Ross Alan Lumber. High-End Vintage Wood Design Secrets
Surgery Nightmare. Waking Up! From Trauma to Voiceover Success
UFO Sighting. Gabriel Saw a Mysterious Light in Wimberley, TX!
UFO Sighting! Camping Trip Turns Into Alien Encounter
Voice Acting Pay. Secrets of the Session Revealed!
Voiceover Secrets. Home Studio vs. Professional Sound!
Voiceover vs. On-Camera. Which Hollywood Path is Easier
Voice Acting. From Naive Actress to Cartoon Voice Pro!
Barn Shadows & Bartender Mishaps. Uncut Hilarious Moments!

We welcomed Ethan, the newest addition to Classy Art who they've dubbed their AI Magician. Ethan has forgotten more than most of us will ever know about AI and in this episode he shares some interesting use case for AI in the home furnishings industry. Recorded April 9th, 2025, right in the thick of the Trump Tariff uncertainty, we also got into the weeds of some tariff talk. Listen in for discussions of:
AI vs. Chat GPT. Understanding the Real Difference
AI's Impact - Will It Replace Coding Jobs
Large Language Models - Understanding Vector Creation with Transformers
Chat GPT for Novices - Is the Paid Version Worth It
GPT-4 Free vs. Paid - Which Plan is Best
Chat GPT Model - Which One is Best for YOU
Hermes Belt Dupe - Chinatown Challenge! Real vs. Fake
Furniture Retail - Reaching the 26-Year-Old Buyer
The evolution of search and where we'll go to search for Treating Sunburn - Google vs. ChatGPT - Guardrail Bypass
Bing Blocks "Gemini" - The Bizarre Keyword Ban Explained
Chat GPT Financial Insights - Find Business Bleed & Forecast
AI Fashion Advice - Is My Outfit a Mistake
Chat GPT roasts Gabriel Cohen - The "Motivational Poster" CEO of Classy Art
Chat GPT learns from the internet - Internet Truth - How to Trust Online Sources
Reciprocal Tariffs - Are They Fair - Understanding Trade Economics
Is America The World's Biggest Consumer? Trump's Trade Strategy
Freight Forwarders in the Dark - Tariff Confusion Explained
Tariffs Explained - How Customs Impacts Import Costs

Furniture Industry luminary and Sr Vice President & Managing Director at Planned Furniture Promotions, Inc. (PFP to those in the know), Tom Liddell, joins us for Episode 2 of Season 2 of the Two Home Boys Podcast. Tom has worked myriad jobs on both the retail and wholesale sides of the furniture industry from a very young age. After starting his furniture career working in the family furniture store, Tom moved on to rep for Berkline, Catnapper, Powell Co., and Craftmaster, and then became Senior VP of Sales & Marketing for CR International, before joining PFP. Tom has vast experience in the home furnishings industry, and is often called upon by major industry publications to share his insights and advice. Tom has a passion for helping furniture retailers, along with being a dedicated family man, a skilled photographer, collector of rare bourbons, and drone pilot. This was a fun conversation, and we are grateful Tom shared his wisdom and humor with the Two Home Boys.

During this episode we covered:

Using AI Instead of Google. Fact-Checking Made Easy

How PFP Saved a Business From Bankruptcy with One Legal Clause

AI Image Generation. The Challenge of Large Formats

The Surprising Spelling Flaws of AI. Why It Matters

Why the Younger Generation Prefers Weed Over Alcohol

Why People Skills Matter More Than Financials in Business

How GPTs Analyze Social Media Trends Like Birthdays

How American Express Battles Phishing. Insider Strategies Revealed

Why Retailers Are Frustrated with Price Comparison Shoppers

New City Ordinances. Pressure Washing Reforms in Houston & High Point

Revolutionize Your Marketing. Guerrilla Tactics for Furniture

Boost Local Engagement. Win with Giveaways Today!

Recorded February 17, 2025