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 This Episode's Guest:

• LinkedIn: Adam Mikkelson

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.