When Max was eight, his two favorite things were basketball and hot chocolate, so he designed a mug with a hoop to shoot marshmallows through. Nine years later, he and his family have built a small business that is on the cusp of large-scale distribution.

But is that what’s best for Max and his family?

In the first episode of Amazon’s new podcast This Is Small Business, host Andrea Marquez talks with the Ash family, getting their backstory and journey from elementary school crafts to a decade of securing patents and building MAX’IS Creations into a thriving business.

Max Ash and his family in front of their family barn

Carolyn Ross

When MAX’IS Creations first started, Max, the founder and inventor of “the Mug with the Hoop,” was only a second-grader. Now Max is one year away from college and his next steps for the future involve graduating high school and going to college. But his parents still feel an obligation to keep the company moving forward, and the family is deciding whether to invest and try to scale up—or pivot to the future. The Ash family is unsure of their next steps, and looking for guidance.

We invited Verne Harnish to join the podcast and provide his perspective on MAX’IS Creations. Harnish, the founder and CEO of Scaling Up and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, shares his wisdom from over 30 years working with small businesses all over the globe. Harnish talks about what the Ash family could do next, and how each entrepreneur’s journey is unique.

Listen to episode one of This Is Small Business to hear Harnish’s advice for the Ash family, and subscribe to This Is Small Business anywhere you get your podcasts.