Startup Hustle, Second Chances & Smart Growth with RJ Telecommunications In this episode of Beyond the Mark, we sit down with Mark Friday and Emily Ostroski of RJ Telecommunications for an honest, inspiring conversation about risk, resilience, and reinvention. Mark shares how a childhood fascination with technology evolved into a career that took him from cable pulling to owning a full-service telecom company. Along the way? A sandwich shop, flipping a house during the 2008 crash, a stint at Family Video, and a hard-earned lesson in leadership. Emily shares her journey stepping into a role she had to build from scratch, and how the two of them have grown RJ into a thriving business by focusing on people first and never losing sight of integrity. We talk about: What it takes to buy and grow a business Firing someone you’ve known for a decade — and why it was necessary How small customers can lead to big opportunities Lessons from running a restaurant, working retail, and starting over The power of saying no to bad fits — even if they’re huge accounts 👉 If you're an entrepreneur, business owner, or just someone who loves real stories about building something meaningful — this one’s for you.
In this episode of Beyond the Mark, host Joe Toma sits down with Mark Friday and Emily Ostroski of RJ Telecommunications — and this one’s a masterclass in perseverance, reinvention, and people-first leadership.
Mark’s journey started with breaking computers at age 5 and ended (well, continues!) with owning and scaling a Michigan-based telecom company. In between? He flipped a house, opened a sandwich shop, ran a Family Video store, and made a few tough but defining calls in business. Emily, who joined as Mark prepared to buy out the original owner, brings a fresh perspective on financial systems, contracts, and the backbone of company operations.
Whether you’re growing a small business, leading a team, or just love stories about real-world entrepreneurship, this episode delivers.
Mark’s wild ride from food service to full ownership of RJ Telecommunications
Why flipping a house during the 2008 crash led to opening a sandwich shop
The painful but necessary decision to let go of a long-time employee
How RJ chooses clients based on values, not just revenue
Emily’s growth from new hire to key operations leader — and how she rewrote their legal agreements from scratch
Why taking care of people (not just customers) drives growth
What the future of RJ looks like — and why it’s about systems, service, and strategy
“I’ve never run away from responsibility. I just keep adding more and more and more.” – Mark
“We’re not looking to nickel-and-dime anyone — we’re here to do the right thing.” – Emily
“I don’t hire people to be yes men or yes women. I hire smart people to help me lead better.” – Mark
🔗 https://now.rj10.com
📞 (248) 442-2100
📍 Michigan-based, serving clients nationwide
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