Editor’s Note: Eric L. Goodman is CEO and owner of three companies with 66 employees, including MVS Inc., which won a Business Journal Family-Owned Business Award in 2023. The following is excerpted from his autobiography,“What’s Your Mindset? Meditations on Life and Leadership,” which was published last year. The Business Journal’s annual report on Healthcare begins on page 1.
When I was a child, I was diagnosed with Scheuermann’s kyphosis, which is a rare skeletal disorder that causes the vertebrae to grow unevenly. Most people have heard of scoliosis because they would check kids for it in elementary school. That’s how I found out I had the disease.
Scheuermann’s is similar but much more severe; scoliosis might be a 45-degree curvature, while Scheuermann’s can be a 90-degree curvature.
At its most severe, one is hunched over. I knew I was eventually going to have surgery for my condition, but doctors don’t want to do surgery too early in life because it stunts your growth. My parents and I went to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to see a special orthopedic surgeon who ran tests and referred us to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, which was close to where we lived.
My condition was putting pressure on my internal organs, and my lungs were collapsing, so without surgery, I was not expected to live. This news was devastating to me, my parents and my family.
I was 15 and a half years old when my life changed forever. I had a nine-hour operation that included opening my entire back from the top of my neck to the bottom of my back, exposing my entire spine and then inserting metal rods connected from my shoulder to my hips.
Portions of my rib bones were fused with my spine to support my body. I spent 11 days in ICU, 31 days total in the hospital, and nine months in a full-body cast.
Because my spine was straightened, I grew two inches on the operating table!
Setting the Stage
What happened to me set the stage for the rest of my life. I learned two crucial lessons.
First, this experience gave me empathy toward others with disabilities who can’t take care of themselves and depend on others and gave me compassion to help those in need.
Second, I have devoted my life ever since to helping others with disabilities.
From a young age, entrepreneurship was a fundamental part of my life, thanks to my parents, both of whom owned their own businesses. My father, Terry, ran his own company, Chem-Pak, while my mother, Debbie, was a partner in Arrowhead Capital Corp., a mortgage firm.
This environment shaped my understanding of work and ambition, as I often found myself in their offices, absorbing the hustle and bustle of their entrepreneurial endeavors.
After my surgery in high school, I decided to channel my love for cars into a car detailing business. In college, I partnered with my best friend, Dave, to start a carpet cleaning business. My father, who had connections in the janitorial supply industry, helped us secure a contract with 3M for its popular Scotchgard service.
In 1996, I began my business journey as a consultant for MVS, an acronym for Mountain View Services, which delivers food and supplies to the disabled. Simultaneously, I kept working at my family’s Chem-Pak, which provided essential products for businesses like janitorial supplies, office goods, paper products and chemicals.
For two years, I balanced my full-time job with consulting as I focused on building a robust sales team and structuring their marketing efforts. It was an exciting time; I was deeply invested in both roles, shaping my skills while nurturing my passion for helping others.
I was asked to join MVS full-time, which was a difficult decision. I had been a vital part of my family’s business, serving as the vice president and leaving that role felt daunting. I approached my dad, sharing the opportunity and my desire to explore this new path. He pondered for a moment and then said, “Maybe we can make this a win-win for both of us.”
MVS was a significant customer of Chem-Pak, and my father recognized that my departure could potentially benefit both businesses as MVS grew. Encouraged by his perspective, I decided to take the plunge, believing it would ultimately be advantageous for both companies.
Up the Corporate Ladder
I climbed the corporate ladder at MVS, eventually becoming its president.
When COVID-19 hit, it complicated our operations. The partners, who were older than me, expressed their exhaustion from the demands of the pandemic. They came to me and said
they no longer wanted to work at such a relentless pace; they wanted to sell the business. They laid out their expectations for the sale, but I wasn’t in a position, financially or otherwise, to meet their valuation.
When the nine-month process drew to a close, I felt a deep unease about the impending sale. I confided in my wife, expressing my concerns for our employees—some of whom had been with us for more than 30 years. I feared that the acquiring company, despite promising to keep things the same, might not honor our culture or the commitment we had built together. My gut instinct warned me that they might break the company into pieces for profit.
In a moment of introspection, I prayed for guidance and expressed my concerns to God. I hoped for a last-minute change where the prospective buyer would back out, giving my partners and me a chance to renegotiate and keep the company whole.
To my surprise, just days before we were to sign the sale paperwork, the buyer’s representatives called, announcing they were backing out of the deal. It felt like a divine intervention.
I approached my partners, suggesting we either re-list the company or that they consider selling it to me directly. After negotiations, we struck a deal where they would finance the sale, allowing me to buy the business.
The Family Angle
I never actually envisioned my company as a family business. For the first 25 years, I was the sole family member navigating the complexities of MVS.
I spent over two decades working alongside my father, but in a unique capacity—we ran separate companies. I was one of his customers, and he was one of my vendors. This arrangement worked beautifully; it allowed us to maintain our independence while benefiting from each other’s expertise.
When I bought out my partners at MVS, something shifted in my perspective. I began to invite family members into the fold. My daughter, armed with a degree in marketing, became our marketing manager. My son joined the office staff, and soon after, my son-in-law came on board to assist with our e-commerce operations. Suddenly, my family was not just a support system; they were integral to the business.
In 2023, my father approached me and said, “I’m turning 70. I’ve run this business for 37 years, and I’m tired. I want to retire.”
I asked about his options, and he told me he could either shut it down, liquidate the assets, or I could take it over. After discussing it, we decided to have the business appraised at fair market value. I bought it, which allowed us to keep it in the family and maintain our relationships intact.
MVS has been servicing homes for developmentally disabled adults and children with food and medical supplies for more than 38 years. We service more than 500 homes today.
And for more than 23 years, I’ve been on the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California, helping parents to be present for their kids who are hospitalized—just like I was.
