Meet Martha Percival Brown

As the former chief executive officer of her family’s multigenerational business, Tipperary Sales, Inc. (La-Z-Boy Southeast), Martha Percival Brown is a proven retail industry executive and franchise expert who has transformed companies, cultures and careers. Brown immediately joined the Tipperary business out of college.  “Over the decades it was gratifying to work in the family firm, watching the company grow from a small and regional organization to a large and successful one,” she said. “In addition to retailing, Tipperary has always been passionate about giving back to communities as well as making a positive impact on our employee base.”

Brown prepared for a leadership position with Tipperary by working in all of the company’s departments. Therefore, it was a natural progression for her to lead the company when her brother Byron Brown III, then the business’s top executive, was ready to retire in 2012. “You need to be our next CEO,” he said. These words that shaped Brown’s corporate career are echoed in the first sentence of her book, “It’s on You: Empowerment for Leaders Seeking the Highest Level of Personal Satisfaction and Corporate Success.”

Byron made the right choice in tapping his sister in to take the reins. As the first woman to lead Tipperary, Brown secured the company’s success by growing the team to 170 employees and exceeding $70 million in revenue. These achievements have been recognized in “Furniture Today,” the industry’s premier publication, which regularly lists Tipperary as one of America’s top 100 stores. 

When Brown decided in Dec. 2023 that it was time to step down, she passed the torch to her nephew, Byron Brown IV. “We are very fortunate to have him,” Brown said, explaining that before he came on board with the family business, he had already created successful careers in commercial real estate and development. “By working with so many people from all different backgrounds and across all kinds of industries, he has gained vast knowledge. His broad spectrum of experiences and skill set make the company even stronger.”

After leaving her position as CEO, Brown launched a coaching business to guide aspiring corporate executives and leaders to top-level positions. “The programs we’ve created are designed to meet clients where they are and to simultaneously advance professional growth alongside the growth of their organization,” she said. “Together, we connect the dots of their leadership realities so that they can maximize their full potential. We do this by educating our clients on how to combine numbers and systems with heart and culture to lead a thriving team or organization, sharing how to experience greater personal growth and satisfaction by gaining confidence to take the next step in their career.”

In 2024, Brown was honored with the prestigious Vistage Legacy Award, an annual accolade that Vistage Worldwide presents to a leader who is leaving behind a positive, impactful and memorable legacy for future leaders to follow. 

Brown also achieved another milestone recently. On Feb. 4, 2025, she published the aforementioned book, “It’s on You: Empowerment for Leaders Seeking the Highest Level of Personal Satisfaction and Corporate Success.” In the first week, “It’s on You” became an Amazon number one new release in the business mentoring category, as well as two others. 

The no-nonsense leadership style guide draws from her expertise as an executive, leading readers through the actionable steps that are required to attain the next level of success. Brown’s stair-step manual also provides proven strategies to effectively manage day-to-day challenges in business. Designed to help others find their groove and rise to their potential, the book’s lessons are the products of bumps, bruises and moments of intuition and insight drawn from Brown’s own experiences that worked out for the best. 

“As a CEO or leader, you become a center-point in your organization,” Brown said. “Everything that happens in the company or within your team, whether a victory or a failure, is on you. The good news is that the heights of success and the realization of your true personal and organizational potential are also on you.” 

When asked about her next chapters, Brown responded, “At 59 years old, it’s wonderful to be able to look at the second half of the journey in front of me. I’m excited about working with our executive coaching clients, helping them elevate their success by encouraging and empowering them to be who they authentically are as unique individuals, as leaders and as organizations.”

For women like herself who are pivoting careers later in life, Brown said, “If you realized that all the success you desire lies within you, wouldn’t you take the journey there? Listen to the call and go for it. Find the right people in the space where you want to be. Seek out knowledge, resources and connections. Connecting people and helping them succeed brings me the greatest joy. There are plenty of other women and men who want to see you succeed, too, and who will be willing to share their experiences and networks as well.” 

From Brown’s experience, women have a tendency to negative self-talk. “We want to do things right. But it’s important to recognize that it’s okay if we don’t have all the answers all the time. So don’t doubt yourself, just go for it. Run swiftly toward the light but also toward silence and stillness. Sometimes success takes a little longer than we expect, so be patient. In the meantime, don’t stop. Instead, dig a little deeper and you will see that who you are as a leader impacts your people and the state of your organization. Always remember there is a bigger picture to your ultimate potential.”

The former CEO of a thriving corporation and now of her own private business concluded, “I have nothing but gratitude for the journey and nothing but optimism for the future.