Phil Marcus, David Haber, and Ben Haber – Wild Business Growth Podcast #120: J. Marcus, Family Business

Around Thanksgiving, I love to feature family members and family businesses close to my heart. This year was extra special, as I got to interview my cousins Ben Haber, David Haber, and Phil Marcus. They’re part of the awesome team behind J. Marcus, their 4th-generation family business, and they shared their story in this week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur or innovator joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the crazy creative and unusual ways they grew their business, and provides tips for you to do it, too. Hear the woman who became the voice of Siri, the man who’s reinventing the sandcastle, how GaryVee’s partners are turning the wine world upside down, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

Episode #120: Phil Marcus, David Haber, and Ben Haber – J. Marcus, Family Business

Phil Marcus, David Haber, and Ben Haber of J. Marcus join the show for a very special family edition during Thanksgiving week to be interviewed by their cousin, Max Branstetter. Hear how they’ve grown and pivoted their 4th-generation family business, how to take your business from local to national to international, excel at eCommerce, the pros and cons of working with family, and their favorite parts about Pittsburgh. This episode covers everything from funny family stories to pivots on pivots. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• How did J. Marcus start
• How has Ben driven the adoption of eCommerce
• How do they stay open to new business lines
• What are Phil’s memories from growing up with the business
• What are the best and worst parts of working with family
• How did David get into sports licensing
• Why are insurance commercials so funny
• What are the coolest parts of Pittsburgh

Enjoy the shooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Intro & J. Marcus
  • [0:30] Email me at for help using your podcast as a business-building tool
  • [0:49] Family Business
  • [0:51] Greg Branstetter (my dad) on the Wild Business Growth Podcast
  • [0:55] JoAnn Branstetter (my mom) on the Wild Business Growth Podcast
  • [1:04] 120
  • [1:46] Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers (yes, in the same sentence)
  • [3:08] Hippo Direct (my family business)
  • [3:17] Pittsburgh, PA
  • [3:36] What is Phil’s background
  • [3:42] Lawyer
  • [4:05] Utility Infielder
  • [4:18] What baseball position would David be
  • [4:44] What baseball position would Ben be
  • [5:11] Pittsburgh Pirates
  • [5:32] Zinger!
  • [5:48] When did Phil know he would join the family business
  • [6:41] Litigation
  • [6:47] What was David’s reaction to Phil joining the business
  • [7:25] How did J. Marcus get started
  • [7:33] Wholesale
  • [7:52] Pittsburgh Tri-State Area
  • [7:55] Walmart, Kmart, Target
  • [8:16] Retail
  • [9:30] Trade Shows
  • [10:22] Small Business, Mom & Pop Stores
  • [10:33] Internet
  • [11:33] How did David grow efforts from local to national
  • [11:54] Pittsburgh Penguins
  • [12:18] Suppliers
  • [12:28] Board of Advisors
  • [12:45] Why did they get into the sports business
  • [13:02] Penn State, Pitt, Ohio State
  • [13:21] NFL (National Football League)
  • [13:35] Licensing
  • [14:38] Customer Base
  • [15:14] Mass Merchant
  • [15:31] Amazon
• Growing and Pivoting J. Marcus
  • [17:09] How did Phil add the international dimension to the business
  • [18:08] Big Mouth Billy Bass
  • [19:44] How does J. Marcus decide what new areas to add to the business
  • [21:37] Digital Marketing
  • [21:45] How did Ben add the eCommerce dimension to the business
  • [23:00] Online Business
  • [23:27] What keeps J. Marcus open to accepting new lines of business
  • [24:55] Manufacturers
  • [25:28] Shoutout Jack Marcus!
  • [25:58] What advice do they have for any small business that needs to pivot
  • [26:34] Warehouse
  • [27:18] Shoutout Pam Haber from the rafters!
  • [27:40] Sydney Love
  • [27:57] Digital Selling
  • [28:22] Business Model
  • [28:40] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool

• Inspiration & Creativity: Family Business
  • [29:24] What was it like for Ben growing up with the business
  • [31:18] Sunday Dinners
  • [31:34] What was it like for Phil growing up with the business
  • [32:42] Product Lines
  • [33:04] What was it like for David marrying into the business
  • [33:29] This part is G-rated. Prepare yourself
  • [33:52] Bypass Surgery
  • [34:47] Thank you Pam!
  • [35:50] How did Jack create the company culture
  • [36:09] Work Ethic
  • [36:58] Pete Rose
  • [38:01] Customer, Merchandise
  • [38:08] Jack Hustle, Jackie Hustle
  • [38:28] What are the pros and cons of working with family
  • [39:19] Common Goals
  • [40:05] Where did the idea for Sunday Dinners come from
• Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
  • [41:05] TV Commercials
  • [41:06] Insurance
  • [41:20] GEICO, Progressive, Liberty Mutual
  • [41:32] Marketing
  • [41:42] Product
  • [42:02] What do Ben and David think about the commercials
  • [42:23] “Don’t Be Like Your Parents” Commercial
• The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
  • [43:51] What are their biggest pet peeves
  • [44:14] What quirks do they have
  • [45:12] David likes to eat?!
  • [45:37] Fantastic memories on the Cousins Cruises
  • [45:48] Corky & Lenny’s, Jack’s Deli
  • [46:03] Primanti Bros.
  • [46:12] What weird talents do they have
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [46:46] What are their favorite foods of all time
  • [47:17] Joe’s Stone Crab
  • [47:30] Pittsburgh Cheesesteak
  • [47:48] What are their favorite parts about Pittsburgh
  • [48:06] Mt. Washington
  • [48:21] Squirrel Hill
  • [48:40] Strip District
  • [49:05] Shadyside
  • [50:01] Proof Browns and Steelers fans can be in the same family
  • [50:22] Stanley Cup
  • [50:33] “I do miss Cleveland.” – David Haber
  • [51:13] What are their final thoughts
  • [52:02] Subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast
  • [52:14] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on GoodPods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [52:15] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @MaxBranstetter
  • [52:16] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but dreading the time commitment? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool

Thanks for listening to Phil Marcus, David Haber, and Ben Haber on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!