By Jason Lovell – Harrison, Arkansas
Working with family is different from almost any other working relationship.
At Main Street Merchandise Outlet, work and family naturally overlap. There are decisions to make, problems to solve, customers to help, and days when everyone is trying to accomplish several things at once.
Working alongside my dad has given me an appreciation for the knowledge that gets passed down in a family business. Not everything you learn comes from a manual. Sometimes it’s watching how someone handles a difficult situation, communicates with a customer, or figures out a solution when the original plan doesn’t work.
Family businesses also require you to learn how to disagree and keep moving forward. You’re working toward something you both care about, even when you don’t approach every situation exactly the same way.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a business with family roots here in Harrison and continue learning along the way.
Related reading:
https://medium.com/@rglovelly/what-coaching-kids-taught-me-about-encouragement-b7cfec96abe1
https://jasonlovellharrisonarkansas.blog/2026/08/21/why-i-still-believe-local-businesses-matter/