What does it actually take to step into a family business and make it your own? In this episode, hosts Roy Richardson and Sean Murphy sit down with Adam Mikkelson; President, CEO, and Owner of Liberty Investment Properties; to unpack one of the most layered leadership journeys you'll hear.

Adam didn't inherit a title. He swept units, managed stores, and earned the respect of his team before he ever held the wheel. Since joining the company his parents built in 2005, he's grown Liberty into a platform participating in over $1 billion in capital investments across more than 80 properties nationwide.

In this conversation, Adam opens up about:

• Flying solo at 16 before he could legally drive, and the grandfather who sparked that love of adventure
• Growing up inside a family business. Dinner table deal talk, birthday parties on construction job sites, and what that instilled in him
• The renovation vs. ground-up analogy for taking over a family business — and why most successors get it wrong
• The 5-year leadership transition from proverbial deckhand to captain, and why his dad's ability to let go was just as important as Adam's readiness to lead
• A panic attack in 2018 that forced a high-performing, all-gas leader to confront what burnout and suppressed anxiety actually look like
• Being a "cycle breaker or cycle maker" how faith, mentorship, and intentional values shaped who he is at every level of life
• The pain behind his passion for foster and adoptive care. A deeply personal chapter rooted in his own family's fertility struggles
• Building for the next generation and how Liberty is structured today and Adam's vision for the next 5–10 years

Whether you're navigating a family business transition, leading through adversity, or just trying to build something that lasts, this episode is loaded with hard-won wisdom and genuine authenticity.

Sponsored by Aurora Infotech — helping organizations grow with confidence by protecting the systems and data they depend on. Innovation should never come at the cost of trust.

Connect with the Dynamic Business Leaders Podcast Hosts:

• LinkedIn: Roy Richardson
• LinkedIn: Sean Murphy

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The Dynamic Business Leaders Podcast is brought to you by Aurora InfoTech, a Cybersecurity Firm that serves the information security needs of small—and medium-sized businesses.