And good evening.

You've got More Than Money.

You've got Gene Dickison, your host, your personal financial adviser for the next half an hour, serving you with everything.

I've got.

780 years of experience.

It's good make-up.

That's all it is.

I'm just telling you that we can help in lots of ways.

If you're a loyal viewer, you already know that you've sent us your emails.

We are the most relevant financial show on television because we answer things that you're interested in.

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It's top of mind for you, and our answers give you peace of mind as we unfold, unpack and maybe sometimes uncover the right answers for you that are maybe hidden.

Maybe you've seen them, maybe you just haven't acknowledged that that's the direction you need to go.

And sometimes you just need somebody a little further down the path to give you that guidance and make sure that you're heading in the right direction for you specifically.

So if you're a new viewer to us, welcome.

We think you're going to find two things are true.

Number one, half an hour goes very, very quickly.

So don't get lackadaisical about this.

You got to hang in.

If you drift off, you're going to miss an awful lot.

And number two, if you find yourself at any point during the show being even mildly entertained, you have my deepest apologies.

We are two flavors.

We are, some say, schizophrenic.

I just say that we are multi-dimensional.

Often in our shows we'll go through an entire show of questions and answers.

Questions you have sent us.

answers that we provide.

Often in our shows, we do an entire interview process, and tonight we're doing a hybrid.

Hybrids are all the rage.

I guess we just borrow the word from our friends in the automotive industry, but we'll give you a little bit of an insight into how we answer your questions so that you might be inspired to send that email to me... And then I'm going to bring you some very special guests that I think you're going to really enjoy.

So, Megan, our financial correspondent, let's give them a sense of how we answer questions on More Than Money.

- Hi, Gene.

Our first question for tonight says, My wife and I spend a fair amount of time in Florida, generally three months a year.

Florida's inheritance tax laws are much better than Pennsylvania.

We're wondering how can we set it up so our estate is taxed in Florida?

Thank you for your help.

- You are not the first to notice that different states have different tax laws, particularly on the inheritance side, and it might be advantageous to be the resident of a state other than Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania laws are not terrible, but they're also not terribly accommodating to folks who pass away as residents of Pennsylvania.

Florida, totally different issue, and lots of advantages there.

So if you're three months a year in Florida, you can write off the entire idea of becoming a resident of Florida.

It isn't going to happen.

The general rule is half the time or longer.

So you're looking at 183 plus days.

You've got to be able to verify.

You've got to be able to document.

And if you're going down that route, make sure that you get documentation that can verify that it's a credible residency.

Your licenses are there, your mail is delivered there, your voting - important topic this time of the year - your voting registration is there as well.

The IRS is well familiar with the fact that folks like to put themselves in the best tax position they can and often they might cut a few corners.

This is not a place that you want to cut a few corners.

because when it comes time to challenge the estate residency for you, you're no longer here to defend yourself.

So don't put your heirs in a position where they have to.

Speaking of heirs, one of my best segues ever.

We happen to have as our guests the heirs to a family business that has been flourishing for well over 100 years - Josh Early Candies.

We have Barry Dobil, we have Amy Barnett.

- Thank you for being here.

- Thank you.

- Thank you for having us here.

- Brother and sister.

And yet you say nice things about him.

Oh, my goodness.

- On most days.

- Good.

So we're normal.

This is very good.

I was worried.

I was a little concerned.

Josh Early... Gosh, in the interest of full disclosure, we had a client come through our More Than Money world headquarters doors this week.

We're in the Holy Lands between Bethlehem and Nazareth.

And she wanted to give us a special thank you gift.

And she brought Josh Early's vanilla creams.

My favorite.

Just beyond good.

So I'm a little inclined in your direction to start just because... And it is not untypical.

It's not an unusual circumstance that clients who have a special thank you, and we have a wonderful team - there's lots of reasons why clients want to thank them - that they bring Josh Early.

So to be part of, gosh, that kind of result, it's got to be great.

- It's phenomenal.

Yeah, we're all about tradition, and it means the world to us when we see and hear stories like that, generations old... As generational we are, we also appreciate the generations of customers that come back to visit us.

- That's a very good connection.

Very good.

Now, speaking of generational, how many?

- We represent the fifth generation.

- Wow.

So what would it be?

- Great, great, great grandfather?

Three greats?

- So our great great, we can trace our roots back to around 1904 when our great great was in business selling wholesale candy.

And then our great grandfather is who started the retail business in Redding, Pennsylvania, in the '30s.

Our grandfather brought it here to Allentown, and then our parents and aunts represented the fourth generation, all three of them recently retired within the last year.

And here we sit as the fifth generation.

- That's fantastic.

Is there any hint that there might be a sixth generation?

- Well, we've got a handful of children between us, so, you know, we present it.

It can't be something that's forced.

It has to come naturally... - Good for you.

- Yeah, our children are...

They have a hand in it in some ways, but they're still kind of figuring out what they want to be when they grow up.

- Now, your dad was, as I was growing up, we always referred to them as outlaws.

He was not direct descendant.

He married into the family and his commitment was shaky.

It was only, what, 50 plus years... - We tried to get more out of him.

He called it quits.

- By all reports, from everyone that knew him, it was his passion.

He had his hands on...

Whether it was a few minutes here, a few hours or an entire 18 hour day.

It was his passion.

So having that as a role model... - It was something else.

He absolutely...

I couldn't have asked for a better role model, and to take it a generation further, he had a great role model in our grandfather because he learned the business from our grandfather, his to-be father-in-law.

Our mom and dad were high school sweethearts.

They started dating at an early age.

And my father-in-law...

I'm sorry, my grandfather extended kind of the invite, the opportunity to him to get involved in the business.

And he started day one washing cream beaters and learning all the ropes and spent years in the kitchen, and ultimately over what was 50 years, learned every aspect of the business from top to bottom.

- Well, did you get to know your grandfather?

- Fairly well.

He passed away when I was 18.

In 1993, he passed away.

So we knew him as children.

And I personally have the best memories of him.

It was just...

He had the best sense of humor.

He had a very strong business sense, but also was just the most fun to be around.

Very, very fond memories with my grandparents.

- When you're sharing such joy... Who doesn't enjoy Josh Early Candies?

When you're when you're literally sharing such joy, I guess one would kind of go hand in hand.

That's fantastic.

That generational feel, that family feel is often fantastic, but not as often as a lot of people would like to believe.

The statistics out of Harvard say that third generation families, 7% of family businesses make it to the third generation.

You're at five.

What do you think?

What your theory?

What allowed it to reach this generation?

- It's a very good question.

Many things.

First and foremost, dedication.

You have to truly want to be part of an organization like this.

You can't force it.

It can't be a foregone conclusion.

You know, back to the sixth generation, the potential sixth, that will not be a foregone conclusion with our kids.

I mean, we'll introduce it to them similarly to how we were.

And if there's something there, we'll continue to foster that the best we can.

But ultimately, you have to truly want to do it from within.

- Were both of you in the business from right out of school, right out of college, or did you go off and do something else and then come back?

How did how did that work?

- So we have two different stories.

I graduated from Penn State with actually a social work degree.

- We were at Penn State.

- We are.

So and I did that for a couple of years in and around the area.

And then I actually found myself moving to Chicago.

I moved to Chicago for about two years, had a short stint out there, and I came home from that with the intention of going back to pursue psychology.

And we happened to have a staff member who retired right before our most busy time of year at Christmas.

And my parents called me up and they said, Any chance you can help us out just for the season?

And I never left!

- Just for the season.

How many years ago was that?

- That was 20 plus years ago.

- Just for the season.

- And sir?

- I had a similar story.

I can remember as a kid, you know, my dad would go in nightly to close the shop and crack chocolate, take inventory, that kind of thing.

And I would often go in with him and sweep floors and kind of keep busy.

And that was probably my first introduction as a child.

I always liked it, but it was always just kind of out there.

Ultimately, I went to Lafayette College to study business economics.

I went into college with the idea that... Do we say, Go Leopards?

I don't know.

OK. - But no, I went to school, to college, to study business economics with the hope of either working on Wall Street or the family business.

I wasn't sure at the time, but by my sophomore year I'd kind of dabbled enough in the business... And a similar story - we had a gentleman who was working in our production line break his leg, of all things, and right at a critical time to where my dad asked me to step up to cover him short term.

And that was a really good introduction for me of the heart and soul of operations.

And after that summer, I fell in love with it.

And that was actually in college when that happened.

But ultimately, when I graduated, it was something I knew I wanted to do and that was in 2000.

I've been there ever since.

It's a serious business.

I mean, I don't mean to make light of it's candy.

It's a serious business.

It's a product.

Your customer either likes your product or they don't.

It would seem pretty clear after 120 years that they like the product.

What do you think it is?

Is it secret family recipes?

Is it the presentation?

What do you think sets Josh Early apart from other very good but not nearly as the longevity that you folks have had?

What do you think sets you apart?

- I think it's a number of things.

I think it's time tested recipes that our great grandfather developed and have not changed since we started.

And, you know, a quality product, not cutting corners.

There are many ways that we could cut corners to mass-produce things quickly, more efficiently.

But it's something we refuse to do because it would interfere with the integrity of the product.

So staying true to those roots and, honestly, secondary to that, too, is creating a culture for our staff that just supports and treats our entire staff like family.

- I have heard both first-hand, having been in the Valley for a very long time, and through media, but predominantly first-hand, the commitment your team has.

I've never met either one of you.

I never met your dad.

I'm sure he was a great guy.

But the people I've interacted with, they're enjoying being there.

The word culture is very prominent in today's business management world.

A lot of folks have no clue, number one, what it means.

and, number two, how they might foster a really effective culture.

In the Josh Early world, what does it mean and how do you have that culture grow within your employees?

- I deal mostly on the production side, and I'd say on that side it's, for me, it's not asking anybody to do anything you haven't done yourself.

Similar to my father, I learned all the nuts and bolts of operations behind the scenes from a production standpoint, and being in a position to delegate where necessary but also roll up the sleeves and get involved where necessary sets a really positive tone to where...

They know... All of our employees, I'd hope that they know that we're not asking to do anything that we haven't done ourselves, can't do ourselves.

And it's that kind of collaboration that truly yields amazing results.

- Fantastic.

Production.

And what the heck do you do over that?

- Well, similarly, I manage the retail operations and whatnot, but there's a lot of crossover there as well.

And it's a very similar philosophy.

You know, I started waiting on customers.

I started in the mail order department doing things.

I've done everything from sweep floors to now try to manage 65 plus employees.

So it's really remaining humble in all of that and reminding yourself from where you came from and being so appreciative of that that I think that just naturally allows you to extend yourself to others.

- Businesses today have tremendous challenges finding employees and then keeping employees.

Culture goes a long way to that that that retention piece, I'm guessing.

So maybe I'll rephrase that in the form of a question, if the judge will allow.

Do you think that's important in terms of your ability?

65 is a significant number.

There's a lot of humanity there.

Do you think that's also part of the secret sauce?

- 100%.

Our tenure is something we're very proud of.

We have numerous stories of people that have applied for positions, wanting a seasonal job for a year.

And they did this in their 70s and they've been with us 15, 20 years.

- Well, once again, doing what you yourself were willing to do - I'll fill in for the season.

- Right.

Exactly.

- Then stay for 20-plus years.

I've also heard through the grapevine that you are not reluctant to hire senior citizens.

I've heard that.

Is that a value add?

Is that a hey, I've got to?

Where is your philosophy on people who maybe have a bit of gray hair?

- Yeah, we're very open to anybody who's willing to work and find that awesome balance between working hard and having fun, age be what it is.

We do find a lot of semi-retired people or people coming out of retirement looking to keep busy.

It's a great fit for them and we welcome them with open arms, - I would expect.

Speaking of balance, the two of you grew up at a dinner table, where...it was Josh Early.

It's just...

I mean, it was.

Your mom and dad were high school sweethearts, for goodness' sakes.

This was not, It's another job.

And I just took this and... No, this is...

This is part and parcel to the family.

What were dinner tables like?

What was the discussion around the dinner table?

Was it business?

Was it kept separate or were you brought into this discussion?

- There was inevitably crossover, you know what I mean?

And I can remember... We're very seasonal business.

And I can remember around Christmas time Dad getting in late.

And, you know, knowing as a kid, he was putting in some pretty rough hours and grinding.

And so that kind of set a tone.

But that said, more times than not we had a family dinner together as well.

So there was the family dynamic, there was the business dynamic and that inevitable crossover.

But it was... As it pertains to Amy and I, you know, we've gotten along since day one and we're lucky to have kind of formed the friendship and bonds that we have over the years to be able to now work so well together.

- Amy, what...

The dynamics of a family business are pretty challenging.

Are there other family members in the business?

- Not currently.

We have two other siblings, and my mom grew up with three other siblings, but currently it's just my brother and I.

- We tease that you're nice to each other.

That's nice.

But for folks who are in a family business where maybe the dynamics weren't as naturally accommodating, what advice would you give to siblings that are involved in a family business together?

- What has worked beautifully for my brother and I is just open, honest feedback.

We have identified early on that we are a beautiful yin and yang working together.

His strengths might be my weaknesses and vice versa.

And we recognized that many years ago, and there's not a day that goes by where we're not appreciating that within each other and recognizing when one of us might have to take a back-seat because it's the other person's strong suit, and vice versa.

That might happen the next day for the other one.

And it's just it's worked really, really well for us.

And recognizing that we're human beings, we don't have all the answers, but just being able to be open and honest with each other has worked beautifully for us.

- We've had the honor of interviewing some other multi-generational families.

Chris Martin has been behind the very desk that you're at and the sisters from Yuengling.

Fantastic.

So that... That legacy is very real and very tangible.

But the common theme of all those discussions is it's the 21st century, so it's not 1904 anymore.

What do you see as the future of Josh Early?

Does it stay regional?

Do you have growth expansion plans?

What do you say?

- We've been asked that for probably, you know, at least two generations.

Once we had a foothold in the Lehigh Valley, people instantly started asking us to branch out.

And I would say our answer will, at this point, remain the same.

And the fact that, at this point, if and when we take that next...

If we take that next step, it would compromise quality.

We're not in a position to do that, and we will not look to extend ourselves any further if it means compromising quality on any level.

So until we kind of resettle here as fifth generation, get some stuff figured out and make sure that we don't compromise on any quality, would we have that conversation.

But at this point, we're happy just with our two stores in Lehigh Valley.

- I was fascinated to see you nodding right along with Barry.

Yes, that's...

So you're obviously you're both committed to that same litmus test.

If it can't be as good as Josh Early always has been, we're not going to do it.

- Absolutely.

And we love challenges.

We love growth.

We love trying new things, but not at the sacrifice of quality or our culture.

And we communicate that daily to sure to make sure that we're on the same page with whatever new projects we do take on.

But staying true to what has worked for us for so long.

- Fantastic.

The internet has been both the blessing and the curse of our generation.

The opportunities for business are dramatically good and horrible.

Has the internet had an influence on Josh Early?

- Yeah, absolutely.

We developed a website in, and launched it, in 2003.

And so we've been around for some time.

You know, we're approaching 20 years with the website and it's been doing really well.

It's growing every single year.

With COVID, we saw a huge influx in business going in that direction because we actually had to shut down our stores for a period of time, and that pushed online a lot.

And that really hasn't waned since.

It continues to be probably the biggest growth in the business at this point.

- Outstanding.

Outstanding.

Your commitment, Josh Early's commitment.

the company's commitment to the community is legendary.

Legendary.

Is the part that philanthropy pays...plays...

..I tried to say Try that three times fast!

The part that community service plays in Josh Early, is that a personal decision, a business decision?

Is it both?

- For me, it's both.

It's been something that was... it was very important to generation four.

And when I entered the business with my brother, we started dabbling in how we could extend that even beyond what had been doing or had had been happening in generation four, and, you know, for me personally, coming from a social work background, it really checks many boxes for me.

I love the opportunity to be doing a job that I love so much, but also be able to use that for good in the community.

- Give us an idea of several, one or two or three of the organizations you tend to support as a company?

- Sure.

-Give a shout out.

- So the entire month of October, we make pink nonpareils and we dedicate the entire purchase price of that to the Women's 5K Classic, which is a grassroots local organization here in the Lehigh Valley.

We've been doing that for 17 years.

That is a very, very important organization to us.

We have very close ties to the Salvation Army Foster Care and Adoption.

My dad's served on their board for many years and they are a fantastic organization that we're very happy to be tied to.

- We have an employee that was placed with us through Via - it's a job placement organization for special needs individuals.

And Robert's been with us for... - 12 years, - 12 years.

Just a phenomenal individual that was placed with us through this amazing organization - Via.

So we're very proud of that association.

But, yeah, we're very proud of our philanthropic... - As you should be.

As the father of three daughters, I am always anxious to take advantage of my guests and see what advice you might give young women who are considering business.

You've had social background, social work background, you've got business background, you've got community involvement background.

So you're well qualified to give up and coming young superstar women some ideas.

So what's your best advice to young women in business today?

- Great question.

First and foremost, don't be afraid of hard work.

You know, as a mom, a full time businesswoman, it's a lot to balance.

But I enjoy every single part of it.

And I work hard to balance both of those things.

But I think... One of the things that allows me to do that is recognizing my strengths but also my weaknesses and not being afraid to ask for help and getting a team around me, whether that's my brother and I, or the entire 65 that we have at our two stores, to really work together, to collaborate and to and to make things a team effort so that there's dedication from the get go from everyone.

And it just snowballs into these positive, wonderful things that empowers everybody men, women, young, old.

It ultimately has a really good result for everyone.

- With the admission that I'm incredibly prejudiced, I think young women have tremendous skills that they bring to the business world, that men, sadly, are genetically... Maybe we're impaired!

I think the collaboration piece is tremendous.

I think, men, we in a very lucky position, we can learn from our colleagues in our own business, sister or not, that are women that can develop that feeling of we're in this together.

And that's a tremendous leadership.

You mentioned people get to see you.

He swept floors.

He stirred pots of chocolate.

He's done it.

She's done it.

That's a tremendous leadership position.

We've covered a lot of ground in a very short period of time.

I know folks out there may have questions for you.

If they do, they'll send them to me.

I'll pass them on.

But thank you so much.

- Thank you for having us.

- God bless Josh Early.

- Thank you.

- Folks, fantastic.

Unbelievable.

Five generations and still best candy.

Unbelievable.

If you're coming by the More Than Money world headquarters and you're feeling particularly appreciative.

swing by Josh Early.

Would it kill you?

We've just seconds left in this edition of More Than Money.

So if you've seen anything on tonight's show or any other topic that's important to you, your financial life, your retirement, your estate planning, your business planning, send those to me... We can't answer every single question on future shows.

We simply don't have enough time.

But we do promise you we answer every single question back to you.

I'm blessed.

As Josh Early has, we have a wonderful team, and these are folks that are really dedicated to serving you in any way that they are able.

So again, send us your questions.

Hopefully you picked up enough good feeling, good information, good ideas that you'll want to return next week when we're right back here on More Than Money.

Goodnight.