Brandon Solem, 38

Owner
Magic City Home Leisure
Minot, North Dakota

With over a decade of experience in hot tub sales, Brandon Solem has witnessed firsthand how personal relationships shape success in small-market businesses. He spent 11 years as a sales associate exclusively selling Master Spas before launching Magic City Home Leisure, where he now offers Hot Spring and Sundance Spas.

Solem’s favorite part of the business goes beyond closing sales — it’s about helping customers find the right product and then hearing from them months or even years later. “[I love] helping customers with their buying and service needs and then see them out and about town … to have them approach me with how great we took care of them,” Solem says. “Word of mouth is such a big part of our business.”

Building a strong team has been a major point of pride for Solem. Finding employees who are “self-motivated and take pride in their work” was a barrier he broke through with patience and careful hiring. That effort has allowed his business to grow and expand into new markets, which he attributes to the culture.

Solem’s sales philosophy focuses on the customer experience rather than simply the product. “One stigma I hear quite often is someone questioning if they will use a hot tub long term, and they fear it will be a novelty purchase,” he says. “I’m a firm believer that if the salesperson does his or her job correctly, the customer will have a product that should exceed their expectations.” 

Solem’s goal is to continue expanding into new markets with the right people on board, maintaining a focus on great customer service after the sale as the foundation for long-term success.

Outside the showroom, Solem enjoys golfing, a pastime that provides both a break from work and a way to build meaningful professional and personal connections.