It isn’t easy interviewing Sharon Lundgren. The temptations are wicked. To my left are open bags of chocolate chips and shredded coconut; to my right is a bottle of rum. Fortunately, the interview took place at 10 a.m. – way too early for chocolate.

I showed up expecting a chair and a desk, but soon realized that if I was going to interview Lundgren for this article, I was going to do my job while she did hers. On this particular morning, her job was baking rum cakes for one of the many charity events to which she contributes time, money and materials. So, I pulled up a stool and we spoke amidst the flour, sugar and spirits, louder at times when the mixer was whirring, softer at other times when she stopped to make eye contact with me during particularly important moments.

We began with the basics: Lundgren moved with her parents and younger brother, James W. Welch, Jr. to Volcano from Huntington Park, California when she was eleven years old. She has been married to her husband, Richard, for 59 years. In addition to the various duties she performs at Volcano Telephone, Lundgren keeps the road hot to a variety of community service clubs and charity events.

As a member of the Soroptimist Club, Lundgren participates in the cooking projects, something she has a natural affinity and talent for, which includes: the annual teas held each February, the snack bar at Daffodil Hill, a fifties-themed dinner in Jackson each May following the classic car show downtown and the dinner for the Family Christmas Gathering held each December.

Mother Lode Youth Soccer keeps both Sharon and Richard busy from August through October each year. As the treasurer for approximately a dozen years, Lundgren scored a goal when she decided that the newly formed soccer fields needed refreshments.

“My oldest grandson was playing at the time and they moved the older teams to Howard Park before the fields were built. There were no facilities at the park and I was hungry and thirsty. So, the next week, I purchased a small table top BBQ and brought an ice chest with a few sodas and water. I had a very mini snack bar selling hot dogs and drinks to raise a few bucks for the league,” said Lundgren, of the operation that has become a full-fledged brick and mortar snack bar and grill, with adjacent restrooms.

Lundgren is also a member of the Longtimers Club, the Amador County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Amador County Women’s Network and has been the head chef for the Volcano Memorial Golf Tournament for many years.

While we spoke, Richard moved around the kitchen putting away things as she finished, unloading boxes and organizing his end of the operation. Much of their communication was non-verbal, or just slightly verbal, which I could tell was a well-practiced method for the two. I’ve seen them work together seamlessly on many occasions at the Howard Park snack shack during soccer season.

It was on that topic, work, that we began. Sharon began by explaining that she is a shareholder in Volcano Telephone Company, of which the Lundgren family has controlling interest. However, that controlling interest was not something that came easily. As a businessperson from a business-oriented family, Lundgren was no rookie when in 1989 the battle royale of her life began against a massive company from out-of-state, called Telephone and Data Systems.

Four years later, the war over except for the sorting out of some collateral damage that ensued, Lundgren and her family had won. Business owners, take note. In the best of times, or in the worst of times, there are a few basic principles of owning and operating a business that one would do well to keep in mind.

Lisa Lucke:  What drove your decision to fight a company that was obviously so much bigger and seemingly more powerful than yours was?

Sharon Lundgren: I had to do it for my family, and for the employees. Many people would have lost their jobs. I didn’t want the company owned by a huge, out-of-state company.

LL: What would you say is a guiding principle behind the success you have had running Volcano Telephone?

SL: Well, there are many people who run the company besides me – a lot of great people. The key to success for any company is a qualified management team. Finding qualified people is important and then I make sure I keep tabs on what they are doing.

LL:  Many people hire qualified people, but then do not delegate. Do you?

SL: In the early days, I tried to do everything…it was my way. I’ve learned that I have to delegate. Even if someone isn’t doing something as well as I could have, it is still something I can’t control.

LL: In your opinion, what else is at the top of the priority list for running a successful business?

SL: Customer service needs to be on target. You have to have a good reputation for being part of the community and taking care of customers.

LL: Speaking of taking care of customers, what have you done differently, if anything, to keep the business thriving during a difficult economy?

SL: We’ve increased advertising to compete for customers…sort of an offensive approach I suppose. We’ve also improved what we offer, like added channels, more HD channels and video-on-demand options.

LL: What does the future hold for Volcano Telephone? What is on the horizon?

SL: We’re working on Internet hotspots around the county that are free to Volcano internet subscribers.

LL: Yes, I’ve taken advantage of one of them at Silver Lake during the summer.

SL: We’re still adding them – there are twenty-six around the county already.

LL: What are you working on right now? Is this telephone related dessert making?

SL: No, this is for the Soroptimist Club’s dessert auction tonight. I spend much of my time out doing community service these days.

LL: I will let you return to this business. Thanks for a look into a successful businessperson’s life in Amador County.

SL: Thank you.

Note: Later that night, Lundgren’s rum cakes brought in $55 dollars – a piece.