Movers & shakers: Jeff Sales and Greg Sales, Seward Inc.

JEFF SALES and GREG SALES, SEWARD INC.

Title: Jeff Sales, president; Greg Sales, CEO

Age: Jeff Sales, 58; Greg Sales, 60

Jeff Sales is both the new president of Minneapolis e-learning and digital marketing company Seward Inc. and a familiar face to its founder and CEO, brother Greg Sales.

Jeff Sales said he was "acting as brother consultant" as he answered Greg Sales' questions about making a hire to replace the company's retiring president.

"The more I talked with him, the more I liked his answers, so I made the offer," Greg Sales said.

Jeff Sales, who took the job in December, didn't see the offer coming but didn't consider turning down his brother. "I thought at this point in my life it would be a really fun thing to do," he said.

The company, based in the neighborhood of the same name, offers technical, informational and educational design for public and private organizations. It has developed training and educational materials for 3M, Target and the U. The company has worked internationally, developing educational programs in Zambia, Jordan and other countries.

The brothers are focusing on rebuilding Seward's corporate business, which faded in the recession.

How has working with your brother been?

Greg Sales: It's been surprisingly pleasant, after having been kids and fighting over everything for quite a while. Now he's on board and even if he weren't my brother, I would be truly impressed with how he's doing.

Jeff Sales: We're very complementary in our styles and our approaches and I think that works to the client's benefit. Because I see it from the business point of view and he sees it from the educational, teaching point of view.

Jeff Sales: Some of it is to raise awareness, to get more involved in the community, to network better, to re-establish links that we had before. Seward is a problem-solving company. They have a problem or a need and we come in and assess their options and help them figure out the best solution and design that product to meet their needs.

Any advice for working with a sibling?

Greg Sales: I was a little more casual about it than Jeff was. He wanted to make sure we had good formal agreements on things before we entered into it, and that was prudent. You don't want to ruin a family relationship over a business disagreement.