Fred Holladay.

• Author: Heffes, Ellen M.
• Position: BalanceSHEET

The concept of being in the right place at the right time sure applies to Fred Holladay's rise to his current role. Having worked as an independent consultant (with NFIB as his client), he jumped at the opportunity to become CFO of the $100 million organization that represents 600,000 privately held independent businesses in Washington, D.C., and all 50 state capitals.

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Title: Senior Vice President/CFO

Company: National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a 501(c)(6), not-for-profit organization.

Born: Huntingdon, Tenn., Aug. 4, 1940

Spouse: Gayle, for 40 years

Children: Brett, 38; Nikki, 36 and her husband Guy Brooks; Kolin, 32 and his wife Misty Holladay

Grandchildren: Grace Anne, 6; Bradford, 5; Bryden, 3; Brantley, 1 (Holladay); Morgan Brooks, 2

Education: BA, Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tenn., 1958-62, Accounting major; Certifications: CPA, CFP, CSA

Career Summary: KPMG, Senior Accountant, 1963-65, Nashville; Holladay Furniture Co. Inc., President, 1965-85, Huntingdon, Tenn.; Holladay and Associates Inc., President, 1986-92, Nashville; NFIB, SVP/CFO, 1992-Present, Nashville, and Washington, D.C.

FEI Chapter: Nashville

Leisure: Photography (family and still life), family events--"big bashes" and spending time on the beach at my condo on the Gulf Coast of Alabama.

Time Management: I utilize Microsoft Outlook in all of my business and personal activities. And, since time is a precious commodity, I believe it smart to allow a margin between appointments. Also, I employ what I call "Fred" time, meaning I expect people to arrive five minutes early so that meetings start on time, regardless of who is--or is not--there!

Stress Management: Work out regularly, do not over-promise and take time to breathe deeply.

Favorite Book/s: Business: Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey. It helped order my life with nuggets such as "first things first" and "begin with the end in mind." Personal: The Company of the Committed, by Elton Trueblood. When I read it in the late 1960s, it helped shape my personal future.

My hero is: Dietrich Bonhoffer, who was hanged in a Nazi prison camp in 1945 because he would not recant his personal belief and commitment.

What's the best advice you've ever received? "If you had not wanted to work you should not have hired out." I heard this from a manager of a drug store in which I worked at age 14.

Favorite Job/s: My current job is my...