Royal Supply owner Missy Wilson joins Wymond Wong to share how she went from juvenile corrections and disability services into an industry she knew almost nothing about, bought into a business during COVID, navigated a difficult family-business split, learned to repair commercial cleaning equipment herself, and rebuilt Royal Supply from the ground up. On this episode of Twin City Tales, host Wymond Wong sits down with Missy Wilson, owner of Royal Supply, for a story about career reinvention, family, entrepreneurship, resilience, and learning to lead when you don’t have all the answers. Missy grew up in Crystal, Minnesota, four houses away from the fire station where her dad worked for 23 years and on land with deep family roots. Her grandparents once farmed inside the Crystal city limits, and some of Missy’s earliest memories include working around the farm and selling tomatoes. Her first career had nothing to do with janitorial supplies. After earning a sociology degree, Missy worked in juvenile corrections and later spent more than a decade supporting adults with disabilities. Those years taught her lessons about people, patience, service, empathy, and perspective that would eventually follow her into entrepreneurship. Then came an unexpected opportunity to become involved with Royal Supply. Missy bought into the company in April 2020—just as COVID was changing the world around her. Less than a year later, a family member and business partner left the company, creating another major turning point. Missy suddenly found herself trying to protect the business, maintain customer relationships, learn an industry she was still new to, and determine whether she could actually make it work. Instead of walking away, she went to work. Missy began calling manufacturers and suppliers and asking them to teach her. She learned the products, the equipment, the customers, and eventually the technical side of the business. Today, Missy can work hands-on with commercial cleaning equipment herself, including vacuums and floor scrubbers. Royal Supply currently provides repair services for automatic scrubbers, carpet extractors, floor machines, vacuums and numerous other types of cleaning equipment. She and Wymond also discuss what it means to build a business with family, lessons she learned from watching her mom become an entrepreneur, the relationship she maintains with Royal Supply’s previous owner, and the difficult realities that can arise when family and business collide. The conversation goes deeper into imposter syndrome, self-doubt, loneliness in entrepreneurship, customer service, resilience, courage, and finding an advantage inside the very obstacles that once seemed capable of stopping you. Missy also reflects on what she wants Royal Supply to become, the reputation she hopes to leave with customers, and—more personally—what she hopes her children someday remember about how she built the business. Royal Supply is currently a woman-owned janitorial supply and cleaning-equipment business based in Elk River, Minnesota. The company emphasizes expertise, customer service and building lasting relationships. Learn more: https://royalsupplymn.com/ Twin City Tales is powered by Twin City Heating, Air & Electric.
