Biography
The Doug Fearing Story
Doug Fearing is a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. On a professional level, Doug is an entrepreneur, author, mentor, speaker, and nonprofit leader whose life journey reflects both the rewards of perseverance and the transforming power of faith. Best known as the co-founder and retired leader of Fearing’s Audio Video Security, Doug has spent decades building businesses, serving communities, mentoring others, and encouraging people to pursue lives of greater purpose. Yet the story behind his accomplishments is ultimately not about success in business—it is about a spiritual awakening that forever changed the direction of his life.
Born and raised in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, Doug grew up with strong Midwestern values rooted in family, work ethic, and community. He and his wife, Lois, became high school sweethearts and were married in 1976 after completing their secondary education. Their partnership would become the foundation for both their family life and many of the endeavors they would later pursue together. After graduating from DeVry Institute of Technology in Chicago, Doug returned to Wisconsin to work as a television technician in the family business, Fearing’s TV & Appliance.
Beyond business, Doug has invested deeply in people. He has served on multiple nonprofit boards—including one he helped found—and mentored youth through programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters and Kinship Mentoring. As a church leader and speaker, he has encouraged others to walk by faith and pursue God’s purpose for their lives.
The Fearing family
A defining turning point came in 1981 with the tragic death of Doug’s father. In the aftermath of that loss, Doug witnessed firsthand how deeply his father’s life had impacted the community. People from all walks of life attended his father’s visitation and funeral service and shared stories about the kindness, generosity, and influence his father had carried into their lives. That experience awakened something profound within Doug: a desire not merely to make a living, but to make a difference. It became a guiding theme that would shape the rest of his life.
As Doug, Lois, and their two young daughters built their future together, they relocated to Portage, Wisconsin, in 1984. It was there that Doug became involved in civic and leadership organizations. His passion for service and leadership development led him into the Wisconsin Jaycees (Junior Chamber International), where he rose through the ranks to become State President, with Lois and their daughters joining him in the endeavor. Under Doug’s leadership, the Wisconsin Jaycees grew to more than 10,000 members, and Doug was recognized by the United States Jaycees with the Clint Dunigan Memorial Award as one of the top State Presidents in the nation. Through the Jaycees, Doug expanded his vision for leadership, public service, and the importance of investing in people, becoming known as a communicator and motivator who inspired others to believe they were capable of more than they imagined.
The Fearing family
After leaving the Jaycees, Doug pursued his entrepreneurial dreams, eventually co-founding Fearing’s Audio Video Security with Lois in 1997. Through hard work, risk-taking, persistence, and innovation, they grew Fearing’s into a highly respected company serving commercial and industrial clients across Wisconsin and beyond. Under Doug and Lois’s leadership, Fearing’s AVS earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and received numerous honors, including Columbia County Small Business of the Year (2003), Dane County Small Business of the Year (2015), Marcus Theaters Vendor Partner of Excellence Award (2017), and the Wisconsin Security Association’s Dealer of the Year Award (2017).