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In this episode, Dwight Morris, Carrot-Top Founder shares his inspiring journey from being a hospital administrator to starting and successfully running his own flag business. Born and raised in the District of Columbia, Dwight moved to Chicago for work before deciding to start his own business, driven by a desire to control his ethics and the quality of service. Starting from his home and initially facing significant challenges, Dwight managed to expand his business over time. He attributes his success to persistence, support from his wife, and a keen entrepreneurial spirit. Dwight discusses the importance of treating employees well, the competitive nature he inherited from his athletic background, and the legacy he built that is now being carried on by his daughter, Liz. The episode emphasizes the values of resilience, family support, and the enduring opportunities available in America for those willing to take risks and innovate.
00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:38 Starting a Business from Scratch
03:44 Challenges and Early Failures
04:29 Finding Success and Growth
07:58 The Drive Behind the Business
09:22 Family Support and Legacy
18:50 Disrupting the Industry
21:32 Reflections on the American Dream
23:19 Continuing the Legacy
25:30 Conclusion and Takeaways
28:34 Preview of Next Episode
Creators and Guests
What is Freedom and Glory - Tales of American Spirit?
Welcome to Freedom and Glory: Tales of American Spirit—a podcast celebrating the heart of American craftsmanship, resilience, self-reliance, and the power of disruption. Through inspiring stories and authentic storytelling, we shine a spotlight on individuals and communities who embody these values, proving that small, determined efforts can spark meaningful change.
Join us as we share personal tales of triumph, innovation, and hope—moments that define the American spirit and shape our nation’s identity. Whether you’re seeking motivation to pursue your dreams or a reminder of the power of community, Freedom and Glory offers a powerful dose of inspiration rooted in resilience and determination.
Listen, be inspired, and take action.
Jim: [00:00:00] [00:00:15] Dwight. Thank
Liz: you,
Jim: Liz. My goodness. Your [00:00:30] daughter does a heck of a job and you're not a bear fan. I understand that. I am a
Dad: bear fan.
Jim: You are a bear fan.
Dad: Yes.
Jim: Well, in any case, I wanted to welcome you to the show and you do have an inspiring story.
And let's start with something really [00:00:45] easy and just tell us a little bit about yourself.
Dad: Okay. I am born and raised in the District of Columbia and moved to the Chicago area for a job and. Eventually decided that I wanted to [00:01:00] have my own business where I had my own sense of ethics and I could control, um, what happened with my, the people I served.
I started business in my [00:01:15] house. I really didn't know anything about what I was doing. Nothing. I had no preconceived ideas. Um, but I did, as Liz referred to, I um, read a very small article in the Wall Street [00:01:30] Journal about flag sales. This was right after the bicentennial.
So I started my business in 1980. Bicentennial was in 76. And, um, flag sales were booming, but I couldn't find a flag for my house. [00:01:45] So I decided to try to, to get into the flag business and was refused by a couple of the major offenders because the Chicago area was served. I wanted to reach [00:02:00] out. I, I in, when I, my former life as a hospital administrator, I was the writer.
I created a small catalog and tried to serve not the Chicago area, but Illinois, [00:02:15] Indiana, the Iowa, you know, just surrounding states. And then I began to get further and further out. Away from the Midwestern states as time went [00:02:30] on.
Jim: Can I ask, can I ask you this?
No. No, you can't. You can't. Well, then Liz, you know, you were a hospital administrator. Mm-Hmm. I know you graduated from Duke, which is No,
Dad: well, my undergrad is Duke. Okay. But you
Jim: were in religious studies, [00:02:45]
Dad: right? Well, yes. Okay. I have a ma, I have an undergrad in religion and I have a. Master's degree in hospital administration from gw.
Jim: Okay. But I mean, listen to a hospital administrator, that's a pretty good gig. Yeah. All right. Most people would [00:03:00] say my future is pretty solid from this point forward. What, what was going through your mind at this point that said, you know, I, I want to do something else.
Dad: There were things go there, there are things, I don't know, there [00:03:15] were things going on behind the scenes in hospital administration that bothered me a lot.
I was trying to do everything right as I was, I had my heart into it. These people, they didn't care. They didn't seem to [00:03:30] care. Um, so that really was the, the point at which I decided, forget this, I'm not doing this.
Liz: what did Mom say when you were talking about starting your own [00:03:45] company?
Dad: Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Wow. Really? It blows me away. It totally blows me away. She was so supportive. Um, for the first five years starting my business, [00:04:00] um, most people, most intelligent people would say I failed.
It didn't work. Okay.
Liz: Mm-Hmm.
Dad: You know, I never started a business by myself, number one. Number two is, [00:04:15] you know, I, I was learning all these things, accounting, marketing, I had never had marketing, um, all, all, all these things that I had to learn, doing it by myself. I started the business outta my [00:04:30] home.
And I was a one man band, but I was reaching out to, you know, like multiple states, like I said before. And, um, after about five years, finally things started to click [00:04:45] and, um, I reached out to some consultants that I had met and really was able to expand pretty rapidly after that point.
Jim: You didn't know what you wanted to do [00:05:00] though.
No. From the hospital administrator job to whatever your future was going to be. Flip a coin. How, how did you arrive at doing flags? I mean, right, it your patriotic spirit, Uhhuh. [00:05:15] Okay. Wasn't the patriotic spirit. What, what was it to like,
Dad: you know, the Wall Street Journal article prompted me, but, but also I had this sense of, I don't know, I, I would [00:05:30] call it entrepreneurship or whatever we want to say.
Just wanting to build something, you know, on my own. With, um, you always have control. It's your customer's control, and that's what I was looking for [00:05:45] in hospital administration, patience, control, but, you know, I didn't see it. Um, and, I, I wanted to do things my way. Um, that was really important [00:06:00] to me.
Really, really important to me. I mean, selecting flags was sort of a fluke. And to be honest with you, in the early years of my business, I tried to get away from it. Um, I started selling [00:06:15] municipal supplies, you know, rain wear, traffic cones, things like that. But those customers wanted the flags, even if I didn't wanted to sell the other [00:06:30] stuff.
Jim: You know, it, it sounds like you prepped somewhat for this or you were prepared for it. Am I wrong or?
Dad: Well, so, you know, I was referring to what, one of the things I did in hospital administration is you, you have to be [00:06:45] accredited every couple years by the joint commission. Or you don't get Medicare funds and if you don't get Medicare funds, you're sure out of business. Mm-Hmm. Um, our hospital's very old and was not in good [00:07:00] shape, even though it was a major hospital in town and I helped build the written part for the Joint commission.
That was very important. All the policies and procedures that the [00:07:15] hospital had completely revamped them. Had meetings with, you know, all these departments, medical departments, whatever. Um, so I did a lot of writing and I just [00:07:30] felt like, you know, I'd like to build a catalog.
Jim: Was he always this way?
Liz: I think, yeah. I mean, just. A feisty guy, you [00:07:45] definitely, um, always had a chip on your shoulder. Um, and I think just ready to take on the competition.
Dad: Yeah.
Jim: Well, you know, here you have something that's a flag and we're talking about American spirit and American dreams. [00:08:00] Everybody has a different kind of dream, I think.
Um, was there somebody in your life that and kind of inspired that, gave you that? Sense drive that I can do it if I want to do it, kind of, get up and go,
Dad: [00:08:15] huh? Is that actually the exact opposite really? Yeah. So I'm the eldest of five and I remember a conversation with my dad one time where, um, I don't, [00:08:30] I was, I just went up to him and I said, I'm gonna do better than you.
And he said to me.
Jim: No way. Okay. Well that would inspire somebody. And so subsequently, [00:08:45] you were gonna show him.
Dad: Yeah, exactly. Well, maybe Do you think that he had
Liz: the same ethics as you and his, you know,
Dad: he, I think he did. I think he did. That was one of the things I [00:09:00] admired about him. Um, and also, um, like, like my daughter, um, I was a competitive athlete.
I was a distance runner and so I had that competitive, [00:09:15] highly competitive spirit. Mm-Hmm. Um, which it's hard to get rid of.
Jim: I know the feeling as well. It can be a, it can be a negative or a positive, depends on how you use it.
Dad: Well, in [00:09:30] business it was a positive.
Jim: Absolutely.
Dad: Yeah.
Jim: Now, did you have kids at this point?
Dad: Um, started off in 1980. All right. And my first daughter, Jenny, was born in 1983 and Liz [00:09:45] in 80, 19 85. So in the very beginning, no, I didn't. I was doing this all by myself and um, the first year I had 34 orders. Okay. That's not even one a [00:10:00] week. This is why I'm sort of implying that, you know, even after the first year you'd think maybe he should try something else.
Jim: Well, but you didn't give up. No. But [00:10:15] you had a support system it sounds like. Yes. Someone who believed in you. Maybe many people.
Dad: I'm not sure about the many people, but you had, I remember one important one. I remember her, my wife's father saying this is he was [00:10:30] in service. This is very admirable, Dwight, but I don't know if you'll be able to sell more than a hundred dollars worth of
Jim: goods a year.
But you know, people who who [00:10:45] want to go out on their own and do something like that. I don't know. There, there, like I said, I think a lot of people would like it, but never take that first step, right? No.
Dad: Well, or they take the first step and they gets hard and quit and they, persistence [00:11:00] to me is the, is the key.
I, I really, I should have, I should have failed in 3, 4, 5 years, whatever. Did you have doubts?
Jim: If you ever get to that point where you say, well, this ain't worth it.
Dad: You know, I No never said [00:11:15] that. I did have doubts and I would go to my wife and say, you know, I don't know if I'm succeeding, Dwight, you're doing just fine.
Keep going. We had saved money and my wife had a good income, so [00:11:30] we weren't under financial pressures. Um, but, um, well, I felt. The financial pressures. Sure. 'cause I wasn't really contributing the first couple years. Um, but [00:11:45] Lynn's my wife Lynn, her support was, was really the only thing I needed really. Well then I got the kids, but, you know, did you have her packing flags?
Now, they would lick the stamps. [00:12:00] This is the old days when you actually lick stamps. Yeah, they, um, you know, I, my wife worked full time and I took care of the kids during the daytime unless they [00:12:15] were in school. And, um, so I had the kids and business, these both, I was Mr.
Mom. Um, I then when I, we moved down here to North Carolina. [00:12:30] Um, I had a place that wasn't in the house and they would be in the little warehouse hiding in boxes and doing all sorts of cool things.
Jim: [00:12:45] [00:13:00] [00:13:15] would you call it your American dream? I mean, to do something like this on your own build something was Yes.
Dad: That's what you Absolutely. [00:13:30] Um, you know, I was, there were years where I was. After the first five, five years, there were years where I would double each year, you know, revenues and I was [00:13:45] feeling wonderful.
Jim: Oh, I bet.
Dad: I mean, really, really pumped. Every day I'd go into work, I'd be like, what am I going to do today?
Yeah. To build this thing. Um, and then, and then. I [00:14:00] remember I went to a very early on, I went to a meeting. No, I went to a supplier in up in the Milwaukee area. And, um, he, there were two other people from from Oregon [00:14:15] there who had all these rings on their fingers and they were, oh man, they look really wealthy.
Okay. And I'm there, I'm pretty young there. Middle-aged guys who were obviously very sophisticated and whatnot, [00:14:30] and I said to them, and, and first of all, the, the CEO of this manufacturing plant walked with me, not with them. They would be behind us. Anyway, I finally said to these guys, wow, [00:14:45] how many employees do you have?
And they said, employees. That's a four letter word. In other words, they didn't have any employees. Oh my, yeah. Well, I only had one at the time, but I mean, [00:15:00] when I finished, when I retired I had 45. Wow. Okay. I mean, to me that was the most rewarding part of building a business.
They were my family. I, I used to tell people, I have three kids, [00:15:15] Jenny lives in the business. Um, I treated my employees well. Turnover was ridiculously low in an, in an environment, which usually is very high. [00:15:30] I was very proud of that.
Jim: I think from the beginning that's what you had mentioned. That value that you didn't see at your old job you wanted to create?
Dad: Yes.
Jim: What's that like? I [00:15:45] mean, seriously. What's that like? How does it feel? 'cause those people depended on it. They came in, they had a paycheck. You provided something
Dad: right
Jim: to that, that group of employees. So what did you feel inside? Had to be proud.
Dad: Yes. I was very [00:16:00] proud. I was very, I just felt good. I love it.
It really. There's a real parallel to where I was in hospitals early on, or even at the end. I wanted to help [00:16:15] people. I wanted to help these patients. I, I really sincerely cared. Okay. Um, and my employees, you know, like by. You know, 10th year or whatever, I was [00:16:30] making sufficient money that I, you know, it wasn't a problem anymore.
And, um, and so I, these were people who were, you know, coming from rural parts of North Carolina, [00:16:45] um, so I just felt really good about that. That may be one of the most significant things I had that in building the business
Jim: for [00:17:00] those who want to do what you have done.
This is where you went. You told me when we came in here, you know, when you start to lose your hair like me and you. Yeah. That's wisdom. Yeah, exactly. So, and parts of wisdom, would you, if you could, for [00:17:15] those who are watching, who have that same kind of burning desire and would like to do something, I mean, do you have any tips, any, any cautions you'd like to throw out there?
Dad: Well, I think on the caution side, [00:17:30] I, if you don't, if you're not a persistent. Person. If you're not self-sufficient, persistent person, then it's probably not for you. Um, you know, I've seen many, many other people who [00:17:45] have these incredible aspirations and, oh, my brother went into business. He succeeded more in six weeks than I did in the first two years combined.
But he stopped right at six weeks. Didn't [00:18:00] have that persistence. And I think a lot of people are looking for someone to guide them, um, you know, not to be by themselves or to, for that matter, even if they're [00:18:15] hiring people immediately for, you know, making the, the decisions. Um, say we're looking for people to make the decisions for them and make it an easy, sort of an easier life, if you will.
Um, [00:18:30] but for the entrepreneurs, ones that wanna take the risks, and, and in my case, I upset the industry that I was in. Okay? So that was another [00:18:45] thing. If you're interested in, you know, turning things upside down and trying them backwards, um, and you've got persistence, and man, get out there and do your thing.
Liz: Can you talk a little bit about [00:19:00] what you did to, you know, disrupt the Yeah. Status quo?
Dad: Yeah. Um, so at the time, the industry was, I think retail in general was [00:19:15] geared around geographical areas of expertise. I think that, you know, Walmart was a big disruptor in this case. Um, but prior to that time, it was small [00:19:30] town, whatever, you know, Joe Blow, mom and pop shops or, you know, bigger regional retail operations.
Um, I was, I did, you know, I [00:19:45] was involved with catalogs a lot. I, I just enjoyed, um, looking at them and I had this idea of. Creating a catalog for this industry, which no one else [00:20:00] had. And, um, so as I built the business, I remember going into a meeting one time, I just love this. As I'm walking into the meeting, I'm a little, I'm just [00:20:15] like a minute late or two minutes or whatever, and as I'm walking in, they're, they're saying.
The problems with the industry are Walmart, Carita, [00:20:30]
Liz: and then
Dad: I'm like walking down the aisle. I'm so proud of myself. Oh, congratulations. You're like, I have disrupted the industry. Yes, because I, I would get threatening calls from, I remember I got a threatening [00:20:45] call from a guy in Ohio. I'm in North Carolina and this guy from Ohio calls and says, get outta my my area.
You're, you know, don't send any catalogs over here. I'm saying, well [00:21:00] you know, if I at a distance, I'm just dropping catalogs, and you're right there. I got news for you. You can undercut me price wise. You can talk to them, you can do anything. Nope. No, he, you know, you're bad. [00:21:15] You're, you're not doing things the way you know it should be done.
Jim: I wonder if he's in business any longer.
Dad: I don't know. That's a good question.
Jim: Seems like people like that don't stay in business too well. Well,
Dad: I got news for you. There's two guys that I was talking about in [00:21:30] Oregon with all the rings and all that. They're not in business anymore.
Um,
Jim: If you were to, define what you've gone through and look it over your shoulder. I mean, [00:21:45] you know, this is, I don't wanna, well, we can wave the flags because it's kinda like what you, you guys do. Um, this country's still pretty good, isn't it? I mean, it's still an opport a place you can, you can be whatever you wanna be.
I mean, we've kind of gone through a period where sometimes I, [00:22:00] there's, there's that doubt out there that maybe this country's changed, but I don't, I don't know. Do you think it has?
Dad: Well, no. I don't really think it has. Um, I mean, we see this now, you know how I, [00:22:15] you know, I built a, a small business, but a profitable small business, successful business could do it today.
Oh yeah. Okay. Um, and I mean, we're seeing this all the time still, you know, nowadays it's somebody starts a business and it's [00:22:30] worth a billion dollars. So, you know, it's, it's endless. It's endless the, the capacity for the economy and for, for, um, people [00:22:45] who have ideas, you know, ideas that are different or, or, you know, structured differently or whatever,
Jim: builds a better mouse track.
Make
Dad: unique, yes.
Jim: Liz, [00:23:00] you gotta be proud of
Dad: this guy.
Liz: Yeah.
Dad: Well I'm proud of her. Yeah. Oh. Yeah. 'cause she was
Jim: such a good
Dad: stamp flicker or Oh yeah. Well, yeah. She could stamp four four, that's of course four. Four stamps at a time. Four [00:23:15] stamps, yeah. Standing on her head. Wow. That's incredible. No, ever since she's taken over the business, I'm just, um.
She's just been amazing, really, truly [00:23:30] amazing. Um, and, you know, I didn't build, the interesting thing is as I was building the business, I never thought of what was, what was gonna happen, you know? Mm-Hmm. Um, at some [00:23:45] point I started to write things about, you know, like, if, you know, if something happens to me and then sell the business this way or that way for my wife, instructions for my wife.
But for Liz to take it over. It really, you know, to [00:24:00] me, one of the ultimate success stories in business is whether you sell it or it goes to, um, your daughter or son, is that second generation. If it makes it to the second [00:24:15] generation, you know, a lot of people say if it makes it past third year, you're, you're fine.
Well, if it makes it the second generation to me. That's really a sign of progress and, and for her to take it where it's gone [00:24:30] you know. Wow.
Liz: Yeah. Well you were definitely, you know, an inspiration to that. I think just watching how hard you worked and how you went after your goals. I think, [00:24:45] you know, that's something I try and carry on.
Dad: Yeah,
Liz: for sure.
Dad: Well, growing up. This very competitive athlete and, um, it was, [00:25:00] she is, I look up to her
Jim: in many ways.
Dad: Wow.
Liz: He's my number one fan.
Jim: That's good though. Yeah. Tearing up a little bit. Hopefully this has been an inspiration for [00:25:15] everybody who's watching because it certainly has been for me and, see, I just, I love stories like this, a life story, and it has a happy ending too.
Dad: Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
Jim: Dwight was a pleasure. Thank you for sharing your [00:25:30] story with us. Thank you, bill. Appreciate it. I appreciate
Dad: it. Thanks, Lizzie for having me. I appreciate it. now we're gonna jump into the takeaways from that interview. First of all, your dad is awesome. Thank you. He's just an awesome guy. So there's a lot [00:25:45] there. He had a lot to talk about.
Jim: What did you take away from it?
Liz: Yeah, I just loved hearing him, um, you know, tell his story. I think, um, I really meant what I said that he, you know, I just watched him growing up. I [00:26:00] think just, um. You know, jumping over obstacles, like taking on the competition. Just all the hard work and determination, you know, he put into the business.
And I think, you know, that inspired me in, in [00:26:15] sports and in my, um, early career. And then when I took over care at top, you know, I really wanted to make him proud. Um. And I, I think you know it, he, he, he [00:26:30] didn't, you know, exactly come out and say this, but I think everyone is, is motivated, you know, to support their family.
And really, um, for, for my mom who had multiple sclerosis, um, he was really [00:26:45] motivated to kind of build the business to a place that it could support her when she needed care. Um, I think just seeing that and seeing how people, you know, leverage their, the motivation of supporting their family, that [00:27:00] was just really inspiring.
Jim: He was an inspiring guy. He seems, I think a couple of things you take away from it. It was a team effort, obviously with your mom. He, she played a very important role. And the pride and the, oh, his, his eye [00:27:15] sparkled when he talked about you
Liz: Yeah.
Jim: Taking it over. And that meant a lot. But I, I really love the fact too.
He, he values his employees so much.
Liz: Yeah.
Jim: That they become family. It, it, it, I think if anybody who's watching, it's, if you have the desire, well, [00:27:30] he's proof that you can make it happen if you truly, truly want to pursue it. Now you, you've taken over the reins.
Liz: Yeah.
Jim: So what's going on today? I mean, you still have 45 employees.
What's going on?
Liz: Well, we, we look a little different today. Um, when I took over in [00:27:45] 2019, I knew I really wanted to grow the business and, um, we spent some time, you know, looking at our systems and, and processes, looking at the, the team that we had. Um, I knew I wanted to, [00:28:00] um. Grow and, you know, evolve to kind of figure out, okay, what does the business look like now that I'm running it?
You know, how can I carry on his legacy but also make it my own? And [00:28:15] um, two years ago we actually acquired another business american flags.com and that's been one of the first, you know, kind of the next steps of growth for us. And, um, just looking towards the future, you know, I [00:28:30] mean, starting this podcast, I think, you know, I wanna try and get our name out there and talk about some of the values that are important to us, you know, of resilience and self-reliance and really, um, you know, the American [00:28:45] spirit.
And so I'm just really excited to work with you, bill, and, and start to, to kind of get that, that message out.
Jim: The American Spirit. It's, it's alive and, and breathing and well, and everybody can partake in it. And this is still the best place on the planet. If you really [00:29:00] wanna, achieve something, you can.
Now, the next podcast, I'm very excited about it because I, I love these, these veterans. Tell us about it. This is a 99-year-old.
Liz: Yes. Yes. We have Mr. Doma Holt. He's a [00:29:15] 99-year-old World War II veteran. And, um, he was, um, drafted in, I think 1944 in the US Army, and he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. And, um, he also liberated a [00:29:30] concentration camp in Austria.
Jim: Amazing.
Liz: Yeah. So he lives in Burlington and, um, we'll talk to him next episode after, um, he, he started he, he's a successful businessman. He's also a father. [00:29:45] Um, and he's really inspiring, so I'm excited to talk to him. Oh, I
Jim: can't wait. I can't wait. Well, this was fun. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of it, and as I said, your dad's very cool. [00:30:00] [00:30:15] [00:30:30] [00:30:45]