We were lucky to catch up with John Deane recently and have shared our conversation below.
John, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
I believe that if I am a generous person the root of my generosity is a passion for making a difference. There are endless needs all around! When I see a need that I have the capacity to fill, I seriously (and often very quickly) take action. Conversely, when an opportunity to demonstrate generosity presents that is off the mark or beyond my capacity, I don’t hesitate to decline.
The opportunity to demonstrate generosity by taking action is driven by my proximity to the need. I love and care deeply for my community where I live and work.
I am a lifelong Christian who believes we are called to help those in need. Feed the hungry. Care for the prisoners and the widows. Help with healing the sick. It’s all in the good book.
“To whom much is given, much is expected.” I subscribe to a Judeo-Christian ethic that since I have a lot, there is a lot I can do to make a difference in the world, especially in my local community where I am proximate to the needs.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I guess you could say I am a serial entrepreneur. I enjoyed a fantastic career in health care working with the nation’s preeminent health systems and their doctors at the intersection of the hospital/physician relationship. I helped to build many businesses in this space, including the development of my own physician practice management and consulting company, Southwind Health Partners, which was acquired by The Advisory Board Company which, in turn, was later acquired by United Healthcare’s Optum Division.
During this time my wife of 34 years, Natasha Deane, was a research scientist focused on finding a cure for colon cancer at Vanderbilt University in Nashville where we lived and raised two adult daughters. Natasha and I retired from our respective careers about the same time and made the decision to acquire the former Granville Marina in Granville, Tennessee, just an hour’s drive from Nashville where we had maintained a second home for the past 20+ years.
Granville is noted for its historic town indoor/outdoor museum that features multiple displays depicting life in yesteryear, including an authentic 1890 country store named by a national magazine as one of the top 10 most charming country stores in America. The T.B. Sutton Store features a worldwide live radio show every Saturday, 52 weeks/year with a live bluegrass band.
We re-branded Granville Marina as “Wildwood Resort & Marina” and invested in new and expanded facilities that today includes 39 “keys” for overnight lodging representing 43 bedrooms, 120 boat slips for annual contract rental, tri-toon motorboat, kayak, canoe and stand up paddle board rentals, a full-on food and beverage program including an upscale restaurant, a grab-and-go cafe and an off-the-docks food trailer serving casual fare and live entertainment on weekends. This business is now in its sixth season, the third season with the newly expanded facilities and has proven to be a successful enterprise serving weekend getaway guests, weddings, family reunions as well as corporate executive retreats.
In 2023, my wife and I are launching two new businesses just off of the quaint town square in Gainesboro, Tennessee, the county seat for Jackson County about 12 miles or a 20-minute drive from Granville and Wildwood. The first is a walk up fresh frozen custard shoppe named “Honest John’s Frozen Custard” which opened May 13th and has become a very popular place to visit for visitors and residents alike. The second business, Miss Sallie’s Market, is a passion project led by Natasha featuring fresh fruits and vegetables, local dairy and meats as well as assorted groceries along with take home options and a fresh take out salad bar.
All three of these projects, Wildwood, Honest John’s and Miss Sallie’s Market have in common that they are located in Jackson County. Prior to opening Wildwood in 2018, Jackson County was on the list of Tennessee’s most economically distressed counties, also among the top ten percent most distressed counties in America on account of unemployment, poverty, education, opioid addiction and a host of other measures. We are proud to say today Jackson County is no longer on the distressed counties list and that these new businesses are providing employment with rising wages, significant tax revenue for the local government and a rise in visitors from Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis and beyond.
Meanwhile, both Natasha and I have active roles in the nonprofit community, working directly with and supporting the development of organizations like The Friends of Cordell Hull Lake, The Granville Fire Department, The Jackson County Chapter of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and other civic oriented non-profits.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Natasha and I came to hospitality from disparate careers, health care management and cancer research science. We have traveled widely and experienced hospitality in dozens of foreign countries and across the United States which informed our view of what excellent hospitality should look like. This translates at Wildwood into great food, music, lodging with high thread count sheets and luxurious linens, access to the lake with quality boat rentals, etc. We get a lot of positive feedback about the “attention to detail” that we have given the Wildwood experience in every element of the business. The rest of it we learned as we went with a series of first times, learning and trying again until we got it right. It runs pretty good today, now in its sixth year.
Above and beyond our hospitality sense, I have a strong business background. I do believe “business is business,” whether it be a health care company or a resort. Wildwood incorporates several lines of business such as boat rentals, food and beverage, slip rentals, lodging, spa/massage, etc. Each one of these needs to be accounted for and manage well.
Two important ingredients in running a business of any kind are first, to ensure there is consistent, reliable, accurate, timely and relevant financial and operational information/metrics on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis. The second key ingredient is to recruit great people and to empower and equip them.
At Wildwood, we have a General Manager, an Executive Chef, a Food & Beverage Manager, a Harbormaster, a Group Business Director, a Marketing Director, and a Housekeeping Manager as well as a Concierge Manager. This leadership team runs Wildwood day-to-day. Natasha and I are present enough of the time to ensure this team has the resources they need to be successful as well as someone to help to when challenging issues arise.
Of note, besides developing and running businesses, I have worked in complex sales which has translated well to leading the marketing and development plan for our new businesses in Jackson County. I am a generalist and I can focus a mile wide but typically less than an inch deep. Natasha, by contrast, is a former research scientist. She goes a mile deep and an inch wide. We are a potent combination. Working with my wife on a daily basis has been one of the most satisfying elements of my “retirement.”
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
We all have strengths and weaknesses. The trick is to surround yourself with people whose strengths will make your weaknesses irrelevant.
It’s important to husband your strengths, to stay current on knowledge and remain practices in what you are good at and share your abilities freely with your colleagues. That said, it’s important to be fluent in areas you are not strong in but are relevant to your business. Find the best people who are strong in those areas where you are weak and keep them close.
Some of the key actors in our Wildwood journey that have canceled out my weaknesses include obvious ones such as our Executive Chef (I can’t cook anything like he can), our Finance Officer (always keep a finance talent nearby when running a business), as well as our architect, builder and our heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing and electrician talent. It takes a broad range of skills and talent to develop a significant enterprise. We are grateful for our team!
Contact Info:
- Website: VisitWildwood.com
- Instagram: WildwoodResortTN
- Facebook: WildwoodResortTN.com
- Linkedin: Wildwood Resort and Marina in Granville, Tennessee
