We’re back with another exciting episode of our “Celebrating Small Family Businesses” podcast! This time, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Mark and Jenny McMurray, the dynamic duo behind Floor Coverings International of Tampa. Their story is one of transition, teamwork, and triumph as they navigated the challenges of building a successful business together.
Every business has a beginning, and the McMurrays’ story starts with quite a journey. When they first met, Mark was at the United States Naval Academy while Jenny was studying in Birmingham, Alabama. After getting married, they lived overseas during Mark’s military service before returning to the States where Mark began working in quality process improvement with General Electric.
Jenny, a CPA by trade, supported their family as they moved around for Mark’s career. Eventually, Mark ventured into consulting, working with various companies to improve their processes and efficiency. As Jenny told us:
“When you tell everybody how to do things better for many, many years, you kind of want to start doing it yourself and trying to implement a lot of those things.”
The turning point came when Mark was working for the parent company of Floor Coverings International. He was impressed by their business model, particularly their approach to in-home consultations and technology integration. In 2016, they decided to “take the plunge” and purchase a franchise in their own West Chase neighborhood.
Mark’s expertise as a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (yes, that’s actually a thing!) gave the McMurrays a unique advantage when starting their business. While many new business owners struggle with creating processes, Mark had built an infrastructure ready for growth from day one.
“I think at the time I maybe sold a total of like a half a million dollars. So it was still really very, very early days,” Mark laughed. “They said, ‘Mark, you have built the process infrastructure of a 6 million business for your little teeny tiny branch.’ I was like, ‘I know, that’s what I do!'”
Jenny joined the business full-time shortly after launch, bringing her meticulous attention to detail to complement Mark’s big-picture thinking. Their division of responsibilities happened naturally based on their individual strengths, creating a partnership that just worked.
One of the biggest challenges for couples who work together is maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The McMurrays admit this wasn’t easy at first.
“It is a little bit of a challenge when you work together all day and then live together at night,” Jenny shared. “We were not as good at it at the beginning, we’re better at it now.”
They’ve learned to set boundaries, declaring weekends as family time and knowing when to step away from the computers. As Mark pointed out with a dose of reality:
“You’re free to work whatever hours you want… which means you work all of them unless you set boundaries because it’s your business, it’s your baby.”
What really impressed us was their approach to conflict resolution. Mark’s background in change management equipped them with frameworks for addressing disagreements in a healthy way. They emphasized the importance of creating neutral language to identify when conflicts arise and having structured ways to work through them.
If there’s one lesson the McMurrays wanted to share, it’s the importance of being extremely selective about who joins your team. As Mark put it:
“Really, really, really be selective over who you bring on to your team. Take the extra time, take the extra delay, take the extra expense… because you’re going to live with them.”
Their hiring process includes multiple stages, with Jenny serving as the final interviewer. Her role? Evaluating not just technical skills but cultural fit. She looks for subtle indicators of character:
“The way they talk about their spouse or family… are they polite and kind to the waitress who messed up their order? Things like that really do give you their true non-interview outlook on things.”
For a business that involves going into people’s homes, these character traits are essential. As Jenny explained, “They’re in someone’s home… Are they going to pet the dogs and be considerate to the kids that are climbing on their stuff?”
Home renovations can be stressful, and the McMurrays have developed a unique approach to managing customer expectations. One of our favorite insights was how they prepare clients for what they call the “freak out moment”:
“Mark always tells people when we’re doing the estimates, ‘You will have your freak out moment. I promise you it will hit a point where you will be freaking out. Please remember when that happens that I’ll tell you, remember we had this conversation. It’s going to be okay.'”
This proactive approach helps build trust and reduces anxiety during what can be a disruptive process. It’s just one example of how the McMurrays apply their conflict resolution skills to customer interactions.
The McMurrays don’t just apply their process improvement skills to their business operations—they use them to grow personally and professionally too. Mark regularly asks team members for feedback after sales appointments:
“Which step do you think you absolutely nailed? What’s the one thing you want to try and incorporate in the next sale?”
This approach extends to their own interactions. They’ll even conduct mini-reviews after meetings with just the two of them, asking “How did the meeting go?” even though they were both present. It’s a practice Mark developed during his time as an assistant scout master, asking young scouts:
“What went really well today? What was not so great? Based on what you learned, what are you going to do differently tomorrow?”
They also make a point of conducting exit interviews with departing employees, seeking honest feedback about their experience with the company. This commitment to continuous learning has helped them refine their approach over the years.
When we asked about their future plans, the McMurrays shared an interesting vision. Rather than necessarily passing the business to their children (their son works as a graphic artist and occasionally helps with marketing materials), they’re considering an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
“I’d love to get to that team with six or seven people who are all emotionally invested in the business who want to be part of an ESOP plan,” Mark explained, looking ahead to eventual retirement.
This approach reflects their belief in building something sustainable that benefits their entire team, not just themselves.
If you’re in the Tampa Bay area and looking to transform your space with new flooring, the McMurrays would love to help! You can find them at Tampa-Flooring.com or visit their showroom in Oldsmar, just off Duncan Road. They offer both in-home consultations (with their impressive mobile showrooms in their vans) and showroom appointments.
“We can cover the whole Tampa Bay area,” Jenny assured us. You can reach them directly at 813-501-7554 to set up a time to meet.
We thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with Mark and Jenny and came away impressed not just with their business acumen, but with their thoughtful approach to working together as a couple. Their story is a testament to how complementary skills, clear communication, and shared values can create a thriving family business.
Have you worked with a spouse or family member? What challenges did you face? Share your experiences in the comments below!
