![\"Julie](\"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/julie-matt-dance.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>It all started when Julie was a kid. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cI remember going out as a kid, jumping in the truck with my dad to go freeze protecting with him,\u201d recounts Julie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dad would get a call, usually in wintery evenings, and they\u2019d scramble to get to the farm to turn off the water pumps and prevent the ferns from freezing overnight. Underhill Farms used to grow ferns, and that was the family business she grew up knowing and loving. This was the family rite of passage. The kids would beg to go with her dad to the farm, because they thought it meant they could stay up all night \u2013 you know, like the grown ups do!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Julie learned to drive this way, riding on her dad\u2019s lap in that pickup truck. Mr. Underhill was the kind of man who believed in the work that came from sweat and persistence, and he passed that understanding down to Julie and her siblings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI saw my dad work so hard. It wasn\u2019t easy. You just keep your head down \u2013 it\u2019s about not giving up. His trust in the Lord and seeking Him daily for guidance and wisdom set the example for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Julie also regards her father as a wonderful boss, who took the time to get to know and build relationships with his employees. He was all about quality, always underpromising and overdelivering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like most teenagers, Julie wanted a change of scenery when she came of age. So, brave and intrepid, she hit the road to South Carolina, where she attended Converse College. Her first year was not what she expected, and Julie ended up missing her home in Florida. She transferred schools, enrolling at Stetson University in DeLand, not far from home at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Julie Underhill Roth, you know she\u2019s got sunshine and a treasure trove of love where most people have a heart. \u201cI knew early on I just wanted to help people. I was going to be a nurse, a physical therapist, or a teacher.\u201d Sure enough, she chose her path, and it suited her well: Elementary\/Early Childhood Education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>And Then Along Came Matt\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\nMatt\u2019s childhood walked straight out of Peter Pan. He grew up right next to the beach, before big real estate developers got their hands on the gorgeous natural lands. Every day was full of dirt, trees, and scraped knees as he and his friends \u2013 a regular band of Lost Boys \u2013 went to play in the woods where they hoped they\u2019d never grow up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Young Matt\u2019s world was diving into the shorebreak, fishing in rivers, building forts, and climbing every tree he could get his hands on. To this day, Matt credits his childhood with his lifelong love and adoration of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matt also enrolled at Stetson University for college, and he pursued a degree in accounting. He\u2019s good with numbers, and it made sense. Unfortunately, the early days of his career and his time as an accounting student left Matt feeling empty and unfulfilled. Sure, it was a good and respectable career choice, but there\u2019s more to life than work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t a good fit for my personality, but I learned a lot of valuable skills for operating a business that benefitted me in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/matt-julie-fishing-med.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>College Sweethearts<\/h2>\n\n\n\nLike a story straight out of a romcom, Julie and Matt met at a party in college, where even before their dance lessons, they\u2019d always find themselves on the dance floor together. Stetson is a relatively small school, so it\u2019s no surprise their paths kept crossing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a flirty little time of \u201cwill we, or won\u2019t we\u201d hopes and smiles, they finally went out on an ice cream date. \u201cIt was the best decision I ever made,\u201d says Matt with a grin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To this day, Julie still recalls the exact yellow shirt Matt wore on their very first date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>After College<\/h2>\n\n\n\nJulie went on to start her teaching career at a middle school in DeLand, while she and Matt were still dating. He, of course, went on to begin his career in accounting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In June of 1993, our local lovebirds said \u201cI do!\u201d They went on to have 4 children together, while they both continued working. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually, Matt transitioned to working in sales for Julie\u2019s dad (remember him from earlier?). In an effort to spend more time together and with their kids, Julie later made a career switch from teaching to also working in the family business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Matt](\"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/matt-julie-kids-couch.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Working and Growing Together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cIt was an easy transition,\u201d says Julie. Underhill Farms sprouted The Magnolia Company in 2001, and Julie & Matt have never looked back. While plenty of folks love and adore their spouses, most people would not want to work with their spouse. Julie and Matt, however, are the exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne of the biggest challenges was remembering to stay in my lane. We really do opposite things. Matt\u2019s the visionary \u2013 great big picture brain that can see above it all. I\u2019m into all the little details and execution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, they have a good laugh recounting the learning curve of their early workflow. Julie chuckles as she admits she lovingly fired Matt from the operations department after 6 years of working together, and Matt laughs through a sigh of relief at the memory. \u201cIt\u2019s freed me up to work on other important projects, and I love getting to be outdoors instead of in an office,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe best part about working together is getting to celebrate the successes together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe get to give each other a lot of grace and patience together, and that\u2019s really beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Julie and Matt welcomed their 4 amazing kids into the world together, and those kids are now grown, with careers and families of their own. Balancing being present parents with the family business was no small feat. \u201cWhen you\u2019re raising kids, the kids are everything. I think that through having kids, we\u2019re able to still have purpose together. We invested in each other and our relationship, so we\u2019re not strangers or just work colleagues now that we\u2019re empty nesters,\u201d says Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As farmers and business owners, no one knows better than Julie and Matt the rewards of slowing down and being patient, and they made sure to savor every season with their kids.\u00a0 The life lesson in all of this, according to Julie, is learning to be content with where you are.\u00a0 She views it as a kind of counter-culture, especially in a world of instant gratification and overconsumerism.\u00a0 She\u2019s proud to have passed that lesson and mentality on to her kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Matt](\"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/julie-matt-kids-beach.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>It Takes a Village<\/h2>\n\n\n\nBoth Matt and Julie are \u201cpeople person\u201d personalities, and it shows. During the interview for this piece, which is all about them, they insisted upon the importance of and the pride they have in their team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think Matt really invested in the people here for sure. Our team is incredible<\/u><\/em>. When you\u2019re really intentional in investing in a great team, you can really do anything. No project is too big,\u201d says Julie, and you can hear the beaming smile in her voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMatt estimates that 30% of The Magnolia Company\u2019s workforce has been with the company since day one, and over two-thirds of the company has been there for at least 15 years. That\u2019s a big deal – and incredibly rare – for a farming entity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But most importantly, she adds, \u201cwe take care of our team together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grown – and Growing – with Love<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Matt](\"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/family-wedding.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Matt\u2019s childhood walked straight out of Peter Pan. He grew up right next to the beach, before big real estate developers got their hands on the gorgeous natural lands. Every day was full of dirt, trees, and scraped knees as he and his friends \u2013 a regular band of Lost Boys \u2013 went to play in the woods where they hoped they\u2019d never grow up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Young Matt\u2019s world was diving into the shorebreak, fishing in rivers, building forts, and climbing every tree he could get his hands on. To this day, Matt credits his childhood with his lifelong love and adoration of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matt also enrolled at Stetson University for college, and he pursued a degree in accounting. He\u2019s good with numbers, and it made sense. Unfortunately, the early days of his career and his time as an accounting student left Matt feeling empty and unfulfilled. Sure, it was a good and respectable career choice, but there\u2019s more to life than work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t a good fit for my personality, but I learned a lot of valuable skills for operating a business that benefitted me in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like a story straight out of a romcom, Julie and Matt met at a party in college, where even before their dance lessons, they\u2019d always find themselves on the dance floor together. Stetson is a relatively small school, so it\u2019s no surprise their paths kept crossing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After a flirty little time of \u201cwill we, or won\u2019t we\u201d hopes and smiles, they finally went out on an ice cream date. \u201cIt was the best decision I ever made,\u201d says Matt with a grin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To this day, Julie still recalls the exact yellow shirt Matt wore on their very first date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Julie went on to start her teaching career at a middle school in DeLand, while she and Matt were still dating. He, of course, went on to begin his career in accounting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In June of 1993, our local lovebirds said \u201cI do!\u201d They went on to have 4 children together, while they both continued working. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, Matt transitioned to working in sales for Julie\u2019s dad (remember him from earlier?). In an effort to spend more time together and with their kids, Julie later made a career switch from teaching to also working in the family business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was an easy transition,\u201d says Julie. Underhill Farms sprouted The Magnolia Company in 2001, and Julie & Matt have never looked back. While plenty of folks love and adore their spouses, most people would not want to work with their spouse. Julie and Matt, however, are the exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the biggest challenges was remembering to stay in my lane. We really do opposite things. Matt\u2019s the visionary \u2013 great big picture brain that can see above it all. I\u2019m into all the little details and execution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, they have a good laugh recounting the learning curve of their early workflow. Julie chuckles as she admits she lovingly fired Matt from the operations department after 6 years of working together, and Matt laughs through a sigh of relief at the memory. \u201cIt\u2019s freed me up to work on other important projects, and I love getting to be outdoors instead of in an office,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe best part about working together is getting to celebrate the successes together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe get to give each other a lot of grace and patience together, and that\u2019s really beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Julie and Matt welcomed their 4 amazing kids into the world together, and those kids are now grown, with careers and families of their own. Balancing being present parents with the family business was no small feat. \u201cWhen you\u2019re raising kids, the kids are everything. I think that through having kids, we\u2019re able to still have purpose together. We invested in each other and our relationship, so we\u2019re not strangers or just work colleagues now that we\u2019re empty nesters,\u201d says Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As farmers and business owners, no one knows better than Julie and Matt the rewards of slowing down and being patient, and they made sure to savor every season with their kids.\u00a0 The life lesson in all of this, according to Julie, is learning to be content with where you are.\u00a0 She views it as a kind of counter-culture, especially in a world of instant gratification and overconsumerism.\u00a0 She\u2019s proud to have passed that lesson and mentality on to her kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both Matt and Julie are \u201cpeople person\u201d personalities, and it shows. During the interview for this piece, which is all about them, they insisted upon the importance of and the pride they have in their team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think Matt really invested in the people here for sure. Our team is incredible<\/u><\/em>. When you\u2019re really intentional in investing in a great team, you can really do anything. No project is too big,\u201d says Julie, and you can hear the beaming smile in her voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt estimates that 30% of The Magnolia Company\u2019s workforce has been with the company since day one, and over two-thirds of the company has been there for at least 15 years. That\u2019s a big deal – and incredibly rare – for a farming entity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But most importantly, she adds, \u201cwe take care of our team together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>College Sweethearts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>After College<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Working and Growing Together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>It Takes a Village<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Grown – and Growing – with Love<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n