#150 - Brewing Grit & Growth: Darrel Grumman, CEO of Bubbles Tea Company | Mark Perkins, The Necessary Entrepreneur

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If you want to go into this world of operating a business, you have to have massive grit.

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There's no one coming to save you.

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There's no one coming to give you kudos on the things that you actually should behind the
scenes.

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They don't care about that.

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But everything that happens is definitely your fault too.

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Today on The Necessary Entrepreneur, we're joined by Darrell Grumman.

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Darrell's the CEO and franchiser of Bubbles Tea and Juice Company.

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I'm pumped about the conversation today about this business.

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Since acquiring the brand in 2024, Darrell's expanded its presence across central Ohio,
introducing innovative concepts like mobile units and a revamp menu.

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Today we're gonna delve into his journey of franchise ownership, the evolving beverage
industry, and his vision for the future of Bubbles Tea.

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Basically, this is a really nice guy who's busting his ass in entrepreneurship.

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So welcome to the party.

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So we were talking a little bit, but welcome to Cincinnati.

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And we were talking a little bit about the evolution of just business and entrepreneurship
and where you guys are.

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And some days it feels like it's all worth it.

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And some days it feels like what the hell am I doing?

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Totally.

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uh Yeah, mean we're about a year, a little over a year in, we took over last year in July
the bulk of the stores.

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Before that we had one of our own and we had another one in the works.

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um so to your point, being a year in, we're like in the throes of, you hear a lot of
stories about entrepreneurs and like the hardships and like the long days, the long hours

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and they'll talk all day about that stuff and.

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I feel like we're, me personally, guess I'll speak for myself is that I feel like we're
right at that inflection point of feeling a lot of that.

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And it's starting to get heavy, right?

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Like, I mean, we're just at the point where it's starting to get heavy, where you're
starting to, after 12 months and you're starting to see the onion peel back and you're

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starting to see some of the layers and uh gaining an appreciation, I guess, for.

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what it is to operate an organization that's, you know, we're at like about 70 people
right now.

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We came from like 104 when we took over and there's a lot of that, I think, and talking to
the founder, who we're really good friends with, known for many years, coming out of

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COVID, that there was a lot of complacency built.

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I feel like across the workforce, especially in the hourly employees, folks that the
younger generation that doesn't necessarily need a job, they can always move back in with

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mom and dad.

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So they're like, whatever, I don't need this anymore.

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it was like a weird shift that he experienced um from they need us to get a job and now we
need them.

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And it's like a weird dynamic.

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so when we took over, had about

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a hundred people or so and we found that there was just a lot of fat if you will and there
was just a lot of people standing around waiting for the ball to drop and the balls didn't

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drop very often and so it was just a lot of cleanup effort.

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What's been your guys' to, I think it was Warren Buffett or Charlie Munger that said, show
me the incentive, I'll show you the outcome?

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So, what's incentive look like as you guys build this?

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You've gone from 100 employees to 70 employees.

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I don't think everybody necessarily wants to be an entrepreneur and they definitely
shouldn't.

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But they're always looking for personal and financial and business and job growth all the
time.

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So what's the incentive look like for these employees as you grow?

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What's that look like for these 70 people in all the future?

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Employees that come to work for you

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Yeah, I think something that has come from some of the coaching and an EQ work that we've
done in the past pops up a lot for me uh in the process of being a leader.

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uh And I see a lot of potential in our people at different levels.

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to answer your question, guess, for managers, see

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For instance, there's a lady that's been with the Bubbles for a while.

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She manages multiples of our locations and she's phenomenal.

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She's committed to it.

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She's dedicated to it.

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She puts her life into it.

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uh for her, like I never want to see someone stay at Bubbles, right?

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Like when it comes to, we're making smoothies and boba tea.

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Like I don't want you making boba tea for the next 50 years of your life.

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That's crazy.

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But what I do want is I want you to come in and I want you to learn something.

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Like whether it's learning how to mop the floor and sweep, or if it's learning to lock the
door when you close at night.

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Like simple things like that that you can take foundationally into your life and create
something greater or just show up prepared at whatever you're doing.

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ah I tell people all the time that my experience and the things that I do now are so
dependent on

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the foundation that I built in a customer service electric company call center, like the
first four years of me out of high school.

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I started as an intern in high school, I went to a career center, and then I worked at the
power company for four and a half years or so as a customer service rep.

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Coming out of high school, you deal with all kinds of shit.

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I had an interesting ...

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upbringing, uh know, single mom, five kids, and it was rough sometimes for sure, but you
dealing with other people that are irate or, you know, as somebody right out of high

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school, you're dealing with some complex issues, and being able to keep your cool and
still talk to people, meet people where they are, and uh bring some comfort to them in

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some kind of way, uh depending on what the situation is, that's some valuable shit.

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And it's applicable to

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any walk of life, feel like.

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so, to my point is, for a lot of our employees that are under 18, the bulk of them, uh for
them specifically, I just want them to learn something that they can take with them.

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I don't want them to be a uh career bubble tea person, but I want them to be able to say,
I'm ready for the next thing.

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What's your approach to help them learn and teach them?

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ah Caring.

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think meeting them where they are and showing them that you actually care.

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ah I've never been the type of person to ever ask somebody to do something I wouldn't be
willing to do myself.

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ah And so getting my hands dirty, ah working alongside them, showing them that we're not
just some, I guess, company that's going to like

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We don't have some C-suite that everyone's sitting up in, like, cracking the whip at these
kids to make tea at the end of the day.

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It's like, no, it's not that at all.

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It's like, my hands are going to get as dirty as your hands, if not dirtier, and we're
going to do it together.

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uh And so, you know, a lot of the mobile events and stuff like that, I mentioned it
before, is that we brought that on this year, and so we do a lot of work on that uh

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alongside them.

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uh I mean, shit, if it's ...

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I think when we took over one of the stores that we did up north near Cleveland, there was
a day that we had uh my daughter, she's my youngest daughter.

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She's she was 11 at the time.

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But we went up there and there was a barista working and uh we went up to kind of clean up
the place because it was a mess.

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It terrible.

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And uh so when we got up there, I brought a flathead screwdrivers and we had like a steam
cleaner.

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And boy, we were for about three hours on our hands and knees scraping.

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Taco Bell grease from the previous tenant out of the floor in the back.

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That is a nasty job.

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And I finally, if I could tell you like the dirty looks that that barista gave me, she's
like, why the hell are you doing that?

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I'm like, look around, who else is gonna do it?

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Are you gonna do it?

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Let's do it together.

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Like, cause you get to have a clean environment to work in.

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uh You matter.

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Like that's, they matter.

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Pretty important culturally.

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Yeah, I think so.

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I think some of the people that I look up to as mentors um carry the same sort of grit and
um kind of ruthlessness to what they do.

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And I think on some levels it's necessary in a lot of ways.

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What those mentors, I don't usually say, you have to name them or who are they, but em
what I know is it's really hard to do it on your own, anything.

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You need a good team.

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And if you have to figure out on your own, it's going to take you longer and you're going
to need more runway and you're going to have to have more grit and probably more

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discipline because you're going to have to make sure you're going to see it through and
it's going to feel tougher every day.

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if you can find a mentor, there's a challenge in that is

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Who should you pick as a mentor or do you wait for them just to show up?

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So as you reflect on yours, how are you impacted them?

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How did they show up?

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How did you connect with them?

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Was it intentional or not?

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Yeah, um

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I think a lot of it was subconsciously intentional uh for most of the people that I
consider to be mentors.

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uh

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Were they guys?

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Did they go back to being raised by a single mom?

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Not a dad and your wife probably as much?

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I definitely had a dad in my life uh They got divorced when I was young so it was like the
whole you know every other weekend kind of thing and um But I'll say as I got older that

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relationship didn't percolate into the things that you know what you're gonna do Yeah
exactly I think uh Yeah, I don't yeah It's a good yeah, I mean uh

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I don't regret the things and also every now and then you might have a moment where you're
like man, you know, that's really cool.

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I'm really happy for that kid or you'll see a kid with his dad.

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I'm like man Yeah, what could have been cool, Sure, but you know what we get to do but to
your point I think that when it comes to mentors, one of them I would have to say is And I

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don't mind mentioning it's it's my wife's grandfather I'm gonna get emotional talking
about but uh

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When we got married, I didn't have a lot of guidance, I guess, in life.

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No, it wasn't pointed at all.

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I was making some random good decisions, and I had made some bad decisions, too.

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um And there was never really a North Star, if you will, to say like,

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that's where I want to go, that's what I want to do.

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to be clear, he was a uh lifelong um is, a lifelong engineer.

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worked for the state of Ohio and made his career that way and had a beautiful family and
uh a beautiful career in life uh and financial, really responsible, something I had no

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clue about.

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so actually when we got married, one of his stipulations was that we...

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He came to me and it was a green binder.

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It was a one inch binder that he showed up with and in that binder was a number of things
that was talking about, you know, uh things that have made him successful in his life.

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And one of them was the Wheel of Life.

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And it was like a literal wheel.

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And I think it had, I'm gonna get this wrong.

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So I hope he never hears this, but like, uh it probably had eight or something spokes on
it.

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But the point was, is like you had your marriage, you had children.

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You had your family as a whole, had your career, you have your faith, you have all these
different spokes.

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And the whole point of it that he was trying to deliver was that if you're going to be a
leader in this family, uh you get to have a good handle on all of these things.

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And they all get to be in sync.

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And sometimes they're going to fall out of sync, but know that someone's here to help you.

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Like someone's here to support.

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And never really had that.

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Yeah, it was it was awesome, and it took me probably ten years to really Which sounds
crazy, but it took me ten years to really own it and understand it and start to benefit

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from it like oh

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on in those 10 years because I think what can happen on these podcasts, I try not to make
it entertainment like we're all growing and learning together.

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What was happening in those 10 years of failure and not doing the right thing and not
balancing stuff, what's that look like and how do you keep it together for 10 years so you

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put yourself in a spot where you can do these business and entrepreneurial things?

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Yeah, so my wife and I got married when we were 20.

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We dated for six months ah and then we were engaged for six months and then we got
married.

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So we are coming up on 20 years now.

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um that during.

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you.

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Yeah, it's cool.

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ah I love I love her.

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She's my best friend.

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Like we we we do life.

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It's great.

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ah She keeps.

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she does for sure.

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Yeah, Shout out.

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I love you, baby.

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ah

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So the 10 years where you thought you were learning from 20 to 30.

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I mean they say that in men our frontal cortex doesn't even form until like 25 to 28.

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So by default you were still a kid.

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For sure.

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And yeah, so I was fortunate that I, you know, in that customer service job, I stayed with
that electric company ah for 17 years.

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So all through my 20s I was there, I was progressing through uh different jobs.

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I I went from the customer service stuff to I was an administrative associate for like 40
engineers, which was like so cool and so boring and weird at the same time.

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It was nuts.

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Because if you've ever been around engineers, man, like

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they have a way of doing things and like I was more of a

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They're system people.

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You're more like, let's throw it to the wind, dude.

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Shit, who cares if they did it all that way?

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Just come on.

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But no, so I did that for a while and then I got into some compliance stuff.

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I did some cyber security things.

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uh So I stayed in that path, I guess.

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So it was kind of uh an umbrella.

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I always felt like, because I saw a lot of people, a lot of friends of mine that would go
in and out of jobs and in and out of different things.

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it was like, at some point, from what I understand, it was cool to like.

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be with a company for two years and then go to a different company for two years and
because you're gaining experience.

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I remember some people talking about that and I was like, shit, I'm probably going to
retire here.

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Like this is going to be my forever.

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And then during that time I started getting curious.

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I actually did some woodworking and it started very oddly.

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I made my daughter a little bed for her American Girl doll.

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We had our first child when we were like 25, think.

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And so I made her this little bed, I guess that was my first cut at entrepreneurial
activities, I guess, if you call it that.

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But I made her a doll bed, and my wife posted it, everybody wanted a doll bed, so I
started making doll beds.

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then somebody was like, hey, can you do a desk?

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And I was like, yeah, probably, in my apartment, sure.

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And so I made a desk, and then I did the dining tables.

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And so for about three years, I did, as a side gig, I made like 40, 50K a year.

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It's a side hustle.

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in revenue and sales, uh

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margin though because you were the one doing the work.

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It like 70 % margin.

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and it was killing me.

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yeah.

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so with that, I hit a point where it was like, I'm building and doing these things.

206
00:16:32,531 --> 00:16:33,933
I start at 8 a.m.

207
00:16:33,933 --> 00:16:34,883
or 8 p.m.

208
00:16:34,883 --> 00:16:40,488
when the kids go to bed and I'll go until 1, 2 in the morning and then I got to be up at 5
30 ah and go to work.

209
00:16:40,488 --> 00:16:50,746
And so it was I did that for about three years and it hit a point where it was like, you
just got to stop and um or go all the way in.

210
00:16:50,746 --> 00:16:54,448
And at that point, I just wasn't ready eh in hindsight.

211
00:16:54,448 --> 00:16:56,210
I just wasn't ready for it.

212
00:16:56,210 --> 00:17:00,572
And we hadn't financially prepared ourselves to even attempt it at that point in time.

213
00:17:00,572 --> 00:17:06,666
so um right about the same time, I got a job offer to do some consulting work down in
Texas.

214
00:17:06,666 --> 00:17:08,317
And so we moved to Texas for two years.

215
00:17:08,317 --> 00:17:13,120
That was uh right around COVID, which ended up being a blessing.

216
00:17:13,120 --> 00:17:16,222
And um we went down to Texas.

217
00:17:17,614 --> 00:17:22,514
It was, I would say, a little bit more lenient down there than was in Ohio during that
time.

218
00:17:22,514 --> 00:17:28,534
So we had a little bit more freedom, but it was also like a pain in the ass because like
all of a sudden nobody wanted to meet you, nobody wanted to go out of their house.

219
00:17:28,534 --> 00:17:38,124
So we were there for about two years and then our girls collectively overrode my position
and were like, we get to go home.

220
00:17:38,124 --> 00:17:43,074
So consulting, how did that arrive, that opportunity?

221
00:17:43,074 --> 00:17:49,418
Yeah, I had been doing, I met a guy at a conference, a utility conference in Baltimore
actually.

222
00:17:49,418 --> 00:17:55,821
uh Really great guy, still know him, fantastic family.

223
00:17:57,102 --> 00:18:06,751
him and I just clicked like when I saw him and uh I was trying to do more so I won't name
the company that I was with before for the 17 years but I hit a point when I was there, I

224
00:18:06,751 --> 00:18:10,450
was going out doing a lot of advocacy for the company.

225
00:18:10,594 --> 00:18:18,738
I uh was in the compliance field, was em doing a lot of audit activities, like that,
industry interactions.

226
00:18:19,599 --> 00:18:23,711
I had applied for a few positions internally to get to management, because I knew I wanted
something else.

227
00:18:23,711 --> 00:18:26,022
I was getting stale.

228
00:18:26,663 --> 00:18:32,806
When I met this guy, I told him, was like, hey, here's what I'm doing, here's what I've
been doing, here's some of the ideas I had, and I got shot down.

229
00:18:33,427 --> 00:18:37,229
I don't think that this company's going to be for me forever.

230
00:18:37,229 --> 00:18:39,860
He goes, just hold the phone.

231
00:18:39,894 --> 00:18:43,916
I'm gonna call you on Monday and we're gonna get something going because I'm looking for
you.

232
00:18:43,916 --> 00:18:44,847
Like I'm looking for that.

233
00:18:44,847 --> 00:18:48,679
so ah yeah, that Monday we had a call.

234
00:18:48,679 --> 00:18:58,105
uh And I think I made the decision, wife and I had the conversation about it and we almost
didn't do it, but we did.

235
00:18:58,105 --> 00:19:07,210
And I think it was like 35 days after that, something like that, that we were down in Fort
Worth and living life.

236
00:19:07,330 --> 00:19:10,134
When you reflect on it, was it good or bad that you did that?

237
00:19:10,134 --> 00:19:12,415
It was exponentially good.

238
00:19:12,415 --> 00:19:22,799
There's not a piece of that experience that both my wife and I have this conversation
every now and then that we would not be where we are today had we not done that.

239
00:19:22,799 --> 00:19:36,145
um Because as a family, it created a situation where she is very close to her family,
where I'm a little bit more distant, not for a lack of love, it's just a different

240
00:19:36,145 --> 00:19:38,734
mentality, a different family dynamics.

241
00:19:38,734 --> 00:19:50,122
um So for her it was like going out on an island because we didn't know anybody down there
Her closest family was in Houston, which if you're familiar with Texas Four states away,

242
00:19:50,122 --> 00:19:54,406
but like um and so when we down there All we had was each other.

243
00:19:54,406 --> 00:20:05,654
It was the four of us and we grew uh Tremendously in that time like I mean we were able to
get very close together I we had like nerf gun fights in the house like through kovat we

244
00:20:05,654 --> 00:20:06,136
had

245
00:20:06,136 --> 00:20:09,848
you know, Marvel movie marathons I remember doing and different things like that.

246
00:20:09,848 --> 00:20:23,521
But um we are in a lot of ways, we also contribute that growth to our girls because both
of them being in school, being in the situation with COVID and stuff, there weren't a lot

247
00:20:23,521 --> 00:20:29,479
of opportunities to meet people and try to make it normal, if you will, to like try to
make a home down there.

248
00:20:29,479 --> 00:20:34,722
And um it's just so happens that our kids are

249
00:20:35,106 --> 00:20:43,680
They just like to talk to everybody and so they go to school and they're making friends
and like You know 12 months into that thing It was like all these people that were

250
00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:53,174
starting me the only reason we met them is because our kids put their neck out there Not
because we did we were too busy ah and so we started to make some really good friends and

251
00:20:53,174 --> 00:21:02,818
but it was an attribute to them and what they were kind of creating in the world which in
hindsight was really cool after having done all the EQ stuff that we've done together and

252
00:21:02,818 --> 00:21:04,118
ah

253
00:21:04,118 --> 00:21:07,448
It was like, wow, we made some good decisions.

254
00:21:07,448 --> 00:21:15,646
What advice if any employees come to you or you find yourself in a mentorship role, um did
you seek out advice when you were thinking about going to Fort Worth?

255
00:21:15,646 --> 00:21:18,841
Did you talk to people or was just you and your wife's conversation?

256
00:21:19,148 --> 00:21:20,839
We did talk to a couple people.

257
00:21:20,839 --> 00:21:26,021
um There was uh a colleague that I worked with at the time.

258
00:21:26,021 --> 00:21:28,922
uh He had done some consulting himself.

259
00:21:28,922 --> 00:21:30,563
He worked for Cardinal Health and a few others.

260
00:21:30,563 --> 00:21:33,594
ah He traveled a lot internationally and stuff.

261
00:21:33,594 --> 00:21:37,556
so when I talked to him about it, he was like, freaking go, man.

262
00:21:37,556 --> 00:21:38,946
He was like, you've got to go.

263
00:21:38,946 --> 00:21:48,150
And so even when we talked to some of our personal friends, was like, guys, I hear what
you're saying, but this is a crazy opportunity for you guys to go and.

264
00:21:48,150 --> 00:21:56,795
try something and if it doesn't work like we knew very well like we talked about it like
you know God forbid we got in a situation where we you know we went down there and it

265
00:21:56,795 --> 00:22:07,290
failed because my wife's parents they had moved to Hawaii at one point early on and um and
they got there the job wasn't what he thought it was and they just had a freaking

266
00:22:07,290 --> 00:22:16,015
container bring their whole life down there and they lost like some of the stuff and it
was crazy that expensive as hell the job didn't work through and now they're stuck on an

267
00:22:16,015 --> 00:22:17,698
island and it was like

268
00:22:17,698 --> 00:22:21,051
And so was like, honey, it's not an island, it's Fort Worth.

269
00:22:21,051 --> 00:22:22,862
There's a lot there.

270
00:22:24,404 --> 00:22:32,070
It was very, I will say the actual decision to pull the trigger and do it was very
difficult to say, yes, it's happening.

271
00:22:32,070 --> 00:22:37,186
uh But the idea around it was like, we gotta do it.

272
00:22:37,186 --> 00:22:41,390
So what advice do you give to folks and do you think in the future when they bring things
like that to you?

273
00:22:41,390 --> 00:22:46,525
Because it's easy to be a person that you could find all the problems with it, right?

274
00:22:46,525 --> 00:22:49,938
Because really the only positive is, well, what could happen?

275
00:22:49,938 --> 00:22:51,880
It seems like a great opportunity, what could happen?

276
00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,524
You could come up with all the things that could happen that may, right?

277
00:22:54,524 --> 00:22:55,963
There's a lot more of those.

278
00:22:55,963 --> 00:23:01,969
So what do you garner and learn from the experience that you would tell others when
they're evaluating something like that?

279
00:23:01,969 --> 00:23:03,660
Do you just always go?

280
00:23:03,830 --> 00:23:05,888
No, not always, but I mean...

281
00:23:05,888 --> 00:23:10,733
It's a weird thing though, because...

282
00:23:13,298 --> 00:23:23,661
Yes, actually I'm gonna say yes, I would tell them to always go because here I am sitting
I'm trying to think of reasons not to write but I would say go I mean unless you have some

283
00:23:24,381 --> 00:23:35,674
Compelling health reason, know or something that's like really stopping you because to be
clear my wife was I would say Tremendously dependent upon her grandparents and her

284
00:23:35,674 --> 00:23:38,035
grandparents are you know like her parents?

285
00:23:38,035 --> 00:23:42,726
They they serve that role in her life for a very long time and they're getting elderly

286
00:23:42,854 --> 00:23:51,501
And there was a huge conversation of like we might not have another Christmas with them
like they can't travel down here on an airplane like they can't do it and so ah There were

287
00:23:51,501 --> 00:23:59,949
a lot of real complications around us going and to your point we had every reason in the
world not to The paycheck was nice.

288
00:23:59,949 --> 00:24:11,502
That was a big positive But it was like at the end of the day the question that I was
asking and that we had to ask ourselves is like are we gonna regret it if we didn't and I

289
00:24:11,502 --> 00:24:13,503
That would be the question that I would ask.

290
00:24:13,503 --> 00:24:21,365
Like, are you more afraid of regret or are you more afraid of failure?

291
00:24:21,386 --> 00:24:25,747
Because if you're more afraid of failure, get your ass on the plane and go.

292
00:24:26,287 --> 00:24:28,928
Because regret will eat you for life.

293
00:24:29,048 --> 00:24:34,316
But if you don't try it, like, you know, you gotta try it.

294
00:24:34,316 --> 00:24:37,929
Yeah, in this mastermind I was talking about, if you...

295
00:24:38,510 --> 00:24:41,532
There's all these studies, we're trying to figure out how to live our lives.

296
00:24:41,532 --> 00:24:42,302
What's the purpose?

297
00:24:42,302 --> 00:24:43,434
What are we all doing here?

298
00:24:43,434 --> 00:24:46,036
Because then you hear people like, one thing I know is we're all gonna die.

299
00:24:46,036 --> 00:24:47,637
Okay, I get it.

300
00:24:50,670 --> 00:24:59,490
You consistently hear the majority of the things that people regret when they get to the
end of their life are the things they didn't do.

301
00:25:00,070 --> 00:25:04,310
You hear that they don't dwell on what didn't work if they gave it their all.

302
00:25:04,310 --> 00:25:06,290
They don't dwell on usually the mistakes.

303
00:25:06,290 --> 00:25:07,350
No, they don't dwell on those things.

304
00:25:07,350 --> 00:25:08,570
That's a part of life.

305
00:25:08,570 --> 00:25:15,370
But you consistently hear the two or three things that they didn't do is what they regret
because I think it's like, well, what could have been?

306
00:25:15,370 --> 00:25:16,902
You don't have the answer.

307
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,111
And you'll never will.

308
00:25:19,111 --> 00:25:27,537
And I think also to double down on that is like how much it hurts when somebody else
stepped in and did it.

309
00:25:28,558 --> 00:25:42,297
And I think that uh actually, I we might get into this, like the bubbles, know, uh what
we're at now is uh the situation that we were in was we had opened a store and we had

310
00:25:42,297 --> 00:25:44,118
talked to Eric Ling.

311
00:25:44,118 --> 00:25:45,149
He's the founder.

312
00:25:45,149 --> 00:25:46,990
He's like 20 years ago.

313
00:25:46,990 --> 00:25:53,370
that he founded the company and he was getting to the point where he was just kind of
tired and just wanted to get out of operations.

314
00:25:55,790 --> 00:26:08,650
He and I had talked even before we went to Texas about doing something and so when it came
back it was like, he approached me and I know you're opening the store or you guys, but I

315
00:26:08,650 --> 00:26:14,118
got some people that are potentially interested and what do you want to do?

316
00:26:14,498 --> 00:26:16,740
And I was like, yeah, yeah, buying the business.

317
00:26:16,740 --> 00:26:20,052
And I was like, there's no fucking way I'm going to let somebody else.

318
00:26:20,052 --> 00:26:23,024
That was my just off the cuff, like no way.

319
00:26:23,024 --> 00:26:26,042
Um.

320
00:26:27,976 --> 00:26:44,701
I saw it as my you always I guess I always hear like em People talk about opportunities
and sometimes an opportunity will hit you in the face and You regret not taking it or it's

321
00:26:44,701 --> 00:26:55,694
like, you know I'm going through life and I feel like this is my chance like this is my
chance to do something that could be huge and I think that like just subconscious

322
00:26:55,884 --> 00:27:00,555
Some conscious feeling that I had was like, I loved the brand.

323
00:27:01,336 --> 00:27:04,696
I thought the branding was, was fantastic.

324
00:27:04,696 --> 00:27:07,857
ah The following is there.

325
00:27:07,994 --> 00:27:20,351
I could clearly see through my communications with him about, about the business was like,
there was a lot of things that weren't happening that ah I think was a symptom of COVID,

326
00:27:20,351 --> 00:27:25,662
but also I think it was a symptom of him just like, you know, being where he was with the
business and kind of tired.

327
00:27:25,766 --> 00:27:31,671
and from a day-to-day energy standpoint, that I felt like I was fresh and ready to roll.

328
00:27:31,671 --> 00:27:33,493
Like, was ready for an opportunity.

329
00:27:33,493 --> 00:27:36,275
We had just come back from Texas.

330
00:27:36,535 --> 00:27:44,022
I was still working for a company that was based out of Texas and ah doing cybersecurity
stuff, and it was like, this is good.

331
00:27:44,022 --> 00:27:54,314
And the consulting stuff, I feel like in hindsight, prepared me in a lot of ways to take
that jump.

332
00:27:54,314 --> 00:27:56,615
even though I knew I wasn't fully ready to do it.

333
00:27:56,615 --> 00:28:09,023
ah There were definitely some gaps I knew that I had, it was like, if I'm ever gonna try
to do something massive, this is like handing to me on a silver platter was kind of the

334
00:28:09,023 --> 00:28:09,878
mindset around it.

335
00:28:09,878 --> 00:28:16,837
And I was like, there's no fucking way I'm gonna like open this one store and then let
somebody take over the rest and then I'm gonna be kicking my ass for the rest of my life

336
00:28:16,837 --> 00:28:21,334
saying, man, you should have jumped in and taken the reins of that thing.

337
00:28:21,334 --> 00:28:25,038
seen a year and a half later that that was the right approach.

338
00:28:25,038 --> 00:28:27,619
uh Yeah at times.

339
00:28:27,619 --> 00:28:41,365
I mean I'll be honest I mean at times right like there are times that I just want to throw
my head through a window to be honest and and that's often I see a lot of like

340
00:28:42,286 --> 00:28:51,362
motivational podcast different things like that that I that I catch and read and get
snippets of that were like people like man entrepreneurs are sick like

341
00:28:51,362 --> 00:29:02,740
There is a disease there's something wrong with you and and I I laugh about it, but also
There's a real piece to that because you have to be willing in hindsight and again I'm

342
00:29:02,740 --> 00:29:13,767
only you know, I did the woodworking thing that was like, you know what it was ah But I'm
a year half a year and a half or so into it I'm like, yeah, man I get excited to wake up

343
00:29:13,767 --> 00:29:15,598
in the morning get kicked in the nuts.

344
00:29:15,659 --> 00:29:20,702
It's exciting and it sounds ridiculous to most people

345
00:29:20,750 --> 00:29:28,343
Uh, but it, it's something, but it hurts massively, man.

346
00:29:28,343 --> 00:29:30,434
You get your bank account down to zero.

347
00:29:30,434 --> 00:29:36,936
Like I heart, I had never had an anxiety attack in my life until about eight months ago.

348
00:29:37,016 --> 00:29:42,360
And it was like, uh, I felt like I was going to die.

349
00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:43,674
coming out of the winter.

350
00:29:44,974 --> 00:29:51,754
Oh, not for bubble tea at all, Yeah, and it was like, oh my god, were supposed to have
built this big bank up in the summer.

351
00:29:51,754 --> 00:29:55,674
That didn't happen because of a number of circumstances that no one foresaw.

352
00:29:55,674 --> 00:29:56,494
I mean, it was crazy.

353
00:29:56,494 --> 00:30:04,594
went, actually, from when we purchased the company, we had a total of 10 locations when we
purchased it.

354
00:30:04,954 --> 00:30:12,274
There was a franchisee that was up north that had had some problems and was on getting
evicted and things.

355
00:30:13,134 --> 00:30:15,274
You air compression is like, do you want to do that too?

356
00:30:15,274 --> 00:30:17,534
And I'm like, bring it on.

357
00:30:17,534 --> 00:30:18,614
Like, let's do this.

358
00:30:18,614 --> 00:30:22,954
I mean, my adrenaline still pumping, you know, a couple of months in I'm like, yeah, we
could do whatever.

359
00:30:23,034 --> 00:30:30,454
And, uh, and so we took it on and good God, that was like my first, like got hit by a car
overnight.

360
00:30:31,614 --> 00:30:33,274
That was one of the scraping the floors.

361
00:30:33,274 --> 00:30:33,494
Yeah.

362
00:30:33,494 --> 00:30:33,754
Yeah.

363
00:30:33,754 --> 00:30:34,654
Yeah.

364
00:30:35,114 --> 00:30:39,094
Um, at South park mall, actually, or that was a Eastwood mall in Youngstown.

365
00:30:39,094 --> 00:30:42,254
If you've never been out there, um, it's an interesting town.

366
00:30:42,254 --> 00:30:47,816
uh It's not much going on but uh that that mall man, it's they they keep it pristine.

367
00:30:47,816 --> 00:30:48,847
Yeah, it's pretty cool.

368
00:30:48,847 --> 00:31:02,796
But but yeah, so we went actually from from one store to 10 to 14 and Then back down to I
think we're at eight right now

369
00:31:02,796 --> 00:31:03,967
How's that feel?

370
00:31:05,664 --> 00:31:07,715
It feels liberating in some ways.

371
00:31:07,715 --> 00:31:11,907
I struggled with some I'm not one to really have an ego about it.

372
00:31:11,907 --> 00:31:14,237
Like I kind of don't care.

373
00:31:14,578 --> 00:31:21,920
I don't say I shouldn't say I don't care but like it's I It is what it is man.

374
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:32,185
I'm a numbers guy like I look at it if it's right is right I who am I to argue with it and
I have emotions about it, but I sidelined my emotion about it pretty easily I like one of

375
00:31:32,185 --> 00:31:33,926
my I guess

376
00:31:33,950 --> 00:31:40,446
Attributes and flaws would be my ability to box things out and and like I'm lot of mental
eyes.

377
00:31:40,446 --> 00:31:40,766
Yeah.

378
00:31:40,766 --> 00:31:40,926
Yeah.

379
00:31:40,926 --> 00:31:52,766
Yeah and like it's like hey I like a moat I did this with emotions before the IEQ stuff we
did like I mean I hadn't cried in probably 25 years before we did that EQ stuff and like

380
00:31:52,766 --> 00:31:59,201
let out like this big, you know thing and ah But I still I feel like over time.

381
00:31:59,201 --> 00:32:02,624
I've I'm starting to learn and learning

382
00:32:03,698 --> 00:32:18,775
Healthy way to compartmentalize things versus the unhealthy way to compartmentalize things
like So like I would say a healthy version of that right would be if Headed to a manager's

383
00:32:18,775 --> 00:32:29,719
meeting in the morning and You know It's it was a rough week for the business right and so
it's like a rah rah kind of thing that I got to bring to the table that morning and you

384
00:32:29,719 --> 00:32:31,610
know got two teenage daughters, so

385
00:32:32,118 --> 00:32:39,711
Every morning is a little rough but like you know if I let that get to me because I'm
pissed off about something or if something bad happened at home my wife and I if we were

386
00:32:39,711 --> 00:32:49,975
arguing like I can't bring that in I got to compartmentalize I got a turn I got close that
door and I got to open another one and I can't even think about that door and That's the

387
00:32:49,975 --> 00:33:01,570
healthy version the unhealthy version is like uh I mean gosh It all goes back to emotions
for me because I would

388
00:33:01,570 --> 00:33:05,192
turn off emotions to people and turn off people.

389
00:33:05,192 --> 00:33:21,921
like if I felt like something was hurting me or holding me back, instead of talking to the
person, not necessarily to get a response, but to get, I guess closure maybe of the issue,

390
00:33:21,921 --> 00:33:23,242
I would just turn it off and walk away.

391
00:33:23,242 --> 00:33:28,425
Like, you're not working for me, we're just door closed, done.

392
00:33:28,425 --> 00:33:30,405
We're just Just done, not gonna.

393
00:33:32,374 --> 00:33:39,741
it serves to a degree right i think i think it comes like we're talking about before the
comes with a lot of regret uh...

394
00:33:39,741 --> 00:33:41,322
i can be built in the air

395
00:33:41,322 --> 00:33:44,824
A of failure, a lot of failure and lot of losses through learning and growth.

396
00:33:45,184 --> 00:33:46,485
Sure.

397
00:33:46,485 --> 00:33:54,158
So this journey you're at now with these eight locations, do you feel like you have a
grasp on the business now or are you still getting that?

398
00:33:54,158 --> 00:33:55,619
I'm still getting it.

399
00:33:55,939 --> 00:33:57,980
definitely feel like we've...

400
00:33:58,161 --> 00:34:02,744
I mean, so when we took over, the company was in a really rough place.

401
00:34:02,744 --> 00:34:07,927
ah You wouldn't notice it because sales were decent, know, things like that.

402
00:34:07,927 --> 00:34:11,269
ah on the back end, things were rough.

403
00:34:11,490 --> 00:34:16,613
There were a number of managerial issues that were tough.

404
00:34:16,613 --> 00:34:19,535
had people just kind of around waiting for the ball to drop, like said before.

405
00:34:19,535 --> 00:34:22,597
um And so we went from...

406
00:34:22,670 --> 00:34:30,810
they were running something crazy like 40 % labor and like plus 30 inventory percent.

407
00:34:30,810 --> 00:34:32,450
Like it was insanity.

408
00:34:32,450 --> 00:34:40,270
And it was like, came in, was like, it took me a couple of weeks and I was like, oh my
God, like I am not a professional in running a business yet, but I can tell you right now,

409
00:34:40,270 --> 00:34:40,930
shit ain't gonna work.

410
00:34:40,930 --> 00:34:47,330
And so we gave the, my brother and I, cause he has done operations for a long time, retail
operations.

411
00:34:47,330 --> 00:34:49,250
So he's got a mind for the operation side.

412
00:34:49,250 --> 00:34:52,237
I've got a mind for the business side, which is we work really well together.

413
00:34:52,237 --> 00:35:02,477
uh And uh I told him I was like dude we got to get it to 20 and 20 And he goes there's no
fucking way we can't do that and I was like well We either do that or this ain't gonna

414
00:35:02,477 --> 00:35:02,787
work.

415
00:35:02,787 --> 00:35:03,150
Yeah

416
00:35:03,150 --> 00:35:05,878
You had to cut, like 40 % out of it.

417
00:35:05,878 --> 00:35:06,978
It's crazy.

418
00:35:07,039 --> 00:35:11,842
And so I had a lot of people pissed off at me for a while at first.

419
00:35:11,842 --> 00:35:16,415
Like it's like this guy came in, he bought the stores, he's firing people, he's cutting
this inventory.

420
00:35:16,415 --> 00:35:18,407
Like we can't have our store rooms full of product.

421
00:35:18,407 --> 00:35:20,788
How are we ever gonna serve the customer?

422
00:35:20,788 --> 00:35:26,292
ah We went from four people in the shop to two people, sometimes one person in the shop.

423
00:35:26,292 --> 00:35:28,554
Like how am I supposed to close the shop on my own?

424
00:35:28,554 --> 00:35:35,558
And fast forward to now, I mean, we are hovering around 20%.

425
00:35:35,638 --> 00:35:37,979
labor, 19 % labor in and out.

426
00:35:37,979 --> 00:35:50,106
uh Our inventory, fully loaded, I guess we're like maybe at 25%, 26 % labor, but uh in the
stores, we're having around that 20 mark and uh our inventory hovers right around 22%.

427
00:35:50,106 --> 00:35:54,328
We do, we do.

428
00:35:55,829 --> 00:35:58,871
And some of that is, some of that's calming.

429
00:35:58,871 --> 00:36:04,414
And I think that's some of the optimism that I have is I recently took over

430
00:36:04,814 --> 00:36:05,234
uh...

431
00:36:05,234 --> 00:36:14,234
the management operations of the franchise and so not only do we have our stores as a
franchisee but also now serving on that franchise or model role because there are two

432
00:36:14,234 --> 00:36:16,914
other franchisees in ohio uh...

433
00:36:16,914 --> 00:36:21,854
and i have good relationship with them there for their fan near their fantastic operators
and uh...

434
00:36:21,854 --> 00:36:23,954
they're feeling same struggle i am uh...

435
00:36:23,954 --> 00:36:28,294
in a lot of ways it's what's been natural to be able to support them uh...

436
00:36:28,294 --> 00:36:33,398
and we're just at the beginning phases of it but like to to have i guess

437
00:36:33,398 --> 00:36:44,225
honest and transparent conversations with them versus like I'm the franchise or franchise
or you know and I'm telling you you got to do this and they don't have there weren't uh

438
00:36:44,225 --> 00:36:53,882
any corporate stores so it was just office people so like a couple of these franchisees
they're like including myself right it's like the fuck are you telling me what to do you

439
00:36:53,882 --> 00:36:57,797
don't know like you're not operating a store right now you have no idea what I'm dealing
with

440
00:36:57,797 --> 00:37:04,524
was valid or do you think the operations of the franchisor that they had some valid
perspective?

441
00:37:04,524 --> 00:37:06,255
they definitely had valid perspective.

442
00:37:06,255 --> 00:37:20,185
I won't I won't say that they don't and I think it was Communication was a huge problem ah
There wasn't a lot of back-and-forth it was like hey we did this for the long time and you

443
00:37:20,185 --> 00:37:23,367
came in here changing these things and so like Sales went down.

444
00:37:23,367 --> 00:37:33,570
That's your fault and I was like well Sure, maybe I'll take some of that and I also will
take the fact that you know Going from four people into us in a shop

445
00:37:33,570 --> 00:37:37,174
to one person in a shop, you're gonna have some growing pains with that.

446
00:37:37,174 --> 00:37:40,077
Like that person's now accountable for a lot more.

447
00:37:40,077 --> 00:37:49,167
And I think that's one of the things we've struggled with is uh for a long time, people
that were in the organization were getting paid to do a job.

448
00:37:49,167 --> 00:37:56,110
uh And that job is probably 25 % of what it is in most organizations.

449
00:37:56,110 --> 00:37:59,020
Should you pay for jobs or should you pay for outcomes?

450
00:37:59,020 --> 00:38:11,571
gotta pay for outcomes like yeah I mean like that I've always been of the mindset and I'm
I bring the mindset to you know this and I with my daughters too is that I'm I don't you

451
00:38:11,571 --> 00:38:25,533
don't get paid first that's not the way this works like you get to show me what you got
and I will I I will put you up on a mountain but you got to show me because especially now

452
00:38:25,533 --> 00:38:26,794
and I hate to

453
00:38:26,922 --> 00:38:42,147
use COVID but like I mean it's real I think that like you know post COVID and the the
complacency the uh like the you need me sort of mentality and and it's it's more important

454
00:38:42,147 --> 00:38:49,585
than ever right now to like in my opinion to double down on that because it's like you you
don't just get that's not the way life works and that's definitely not the way life is

455
00:38:49,585 --> 00:38:50,045
going to be.

456
00:38:50,045 --> 00:38:51,122
uh

457
00:38:51,122 --> 00:38:52,662
That's the biggest thing.

458
00:38:52,662 --> 00:38:54,372
They could always go find another job.

459
00:38:54,372 --> 00:38:55,853
And I say they as people who are employees.

460
00:38:55,853 --> 00:38:57,404
I was an employee for a big part of my life.

461
00:38:57,404 --> 00:38:58,504
You were too, right?

462
00:38:58,504 --> 00:39:01,625
And so you could always go get another job.

463
00:39:01,625 --> 00:39:03,585
But what's that leading towards?

464
00:39:03,606 --> 00:39:10,968
If it's just another job that's going to be easier, if it's another job that the manager
is going to let you do what you want to, but you're not challenging yourself and

465
00:39:10,968 --> 00:39:13,808
developing attributes and skills, what's that leading to?

466
00:39:13,808 --> 00:39:20,066
That's tough to be the person, though, that has to instill that mindset in folks if they
didn't grow up with it, if they haven't been around it.

467
00:39:20,066 --> 00:39:29,196
That's a challenge that you're operating a tea company and they're making juice and making
drinks and you're trying to tell them there's a bigger picture here.

468
00:39:29,257 --> 00:39:30,818
I'm sure that's a battle.

469
00:39:31,072 --> 00:39:32,614
It is every day.

470
00:39:34,220 --> 00:39:36,590
and this could your wife better like you're right

471
00:39:36,590 --> 00:39:52,309
Yeah, you're gonna feel so good about yourself after you ace that tea, ah You know,
there's so much truth to that, and I think that uh the, I actually am like halfway through

472
00:39:52,309 --> 00:40:00,954
the book right now, but I'm like glued to it, uh what is it, the hospitality, unrelenting
hospitality?

473
00:40:00,954 --> 00:40:01,624
Will Godera.

474
00:40:01,624 --> 00:40:03,905
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

475
00:40:03,926 --> 00:40:05,090
And I think,

476
00:40:05,090 --> 00:40:14,625
That has landed with me so hard because I think it's something that we struggled with with
some of the changes that we've made is keeping stellar customer service and uh I think to

477
00:40:14,625 --> 00:40:26,252
your point it comes back to ah It comes back to the customer and what you're doing for the
customer and what you're making someone else feel so in in our EQ stuff that we did one of

478
00:40:26,252 --> 00:40:29,083
the things that has stuck with us and Sucked for me.

479
00:40:29,083 --> 00:40:33,806
I guess is when in doubt focus out like because a lot of us

480
00:40:34,741 --> 00:40:37,162
speaking for myself, definitely.

481
00:40:37,402 --> 00:40:50,641
We get so caught up in our own shit and woe is me, somebody cut me off or I stubbed my toe
on the bed or I burned that tea or I screwed up that smoothie.

482
00:40:52,482 --> 00:40:55,102
at the end of the day, it doesn't matter.

483
00:40:55,822 --> 00:40:57,842
And then you start doubting yourself and all that thing.

484
00:40:57,842 --> 00:40:59,910
And what has worked for me...

485
00:41:01,010 --> 00:41:15,944
Through those trainings and and the experiences I had with it and coaching it and and
things as It you can't ah It's very difficult to get down on yourself when you make

486
00:41:15,944 --> 00:41:28,554
someone else smile is Really hard to feel bad when you're the source of someone else's joy
Like I haven't met anybody yet that has had

487
00:41:28,588 --> 00:41:30,561
Like, you know, like you, you.

488
00:41:31,625 --> 00:41:32,367
Yeah.

489
00:41:32,367 --> 00:41:32,828
Yeah.

490
00:41:32,828 --> 00:41:35,575
And it's not about, it's not about making yourself feel good.

491
00:41:35,575 --> 00:41:38,798
Like that's probably not the healthy way to look at the perspective.

492
00:41:38,798 --> 00:41:39,708
Isn't that a balance?

493
00:41:39,708 --> 00:41:41,070
A balance is we have these goals.

494
00:41:41,070 --> 00:41:44,083
We have these big goals that are our goals.

495
00:41:44,083 --> 00:41:55,894
We have this vision for our life that's our vision, but the only way to really achieve it
is providing significant value in a marketplace and doing things for others.

496
00:41:56,964 --> 00:41:57,488
Sure.

497
00:41:57,488 --> 00:41:58,726
ah

498
00:41:58,726 --> 00:42:00,066
put that together.

499
00:42:00,708 --> 00:42:05,321
If you know it and you fundamentally believe it, that's good.

500
00:42:05,321 --> 00:42:08,154
So you're like, okay, I know for me to get what I want.

501
00:42:08,154 --> 00:42:10,535
This is back to the Zig Ziglar days.

502
00:42:10,535 --> 00:42:13,478
For me to get what I want, I got to help a lot more people get what they want.

503
00:42:13,478 --> 00:42:15,759
Once you understand it, it's easy.

504
00:42:16,020 --> 00:42:18,591
But before you do, it doesn't make any sense.

505
00:42:18,591 --> 00:42:20,363
It's like, these are my goals.

506
00:42:20,363 --> 00:42:21,223
This is what I want.

507
00:42:21,223 --> 00:42:22,534
You're not doing that for me.

508
00:42:22,534 --> 00:42:24,814
You have to help me live my life better.

509
00:42:24,814 --> 00:42:26,314
Yeah, it's tough.

510
00:42:26,314 --> 00:42:27,034
It is tough.

511
00:42:27,034 --> 00:42:42,794
I you know, I think we try to Emulate I've been trying to emulate in some ways My daughter
my 15 year old daughter and I were talking about this the other day as I said, you know

512
00:42:42,794 --> 00:42:50,674
It's really easy because she actually because she works for us like she does some work and
she's probably one of the best baristas we have actually and she's fantastic even on her

513
00:42:50,674 --> 00:42:52,794
own and

514
00:42:53,566 --> 00:43:02,433
She said something about the culture and she goes because I have been focused a lot about
culture been talking about a lot and um and she overhears these things and and she's like

515
00:43:02,433 --> 00:43:05,135
dad Why don't they just get it like if I don't get it?

516
00:43:05,135 --> 00:43:15,164
She's like, why don't you just like and I I said you have to understand your perspective
is different because you're my child and These are people that come from different

517
00:43:15,164 --> 00:43:23,490
families different value structures different and not that there's anything wrong with it,
but it's just different and I said uh the

518
00:43:24,664 --> 00:43:37,534
Who you are today is because your mom and I facilitated that That reality for you like
right we we we hold you accountable like if you don't do the dishes I'm gonna be on your

519
00:43:37,534 --> 00:43:48,693
ass I don't care if it's 11 o'clock at night like you know it had to get done So you're
get it done and you it's about what you do when we're not here That's that's who you be ah

520
00:43:48,693 --> 00:43:54,214
And I said it's easy to do when you're my kid because I'll just ground you like you know

521
00:43:54,606 --> 00:43:55,856
I can't ground these kids.

522
00:43:55,856 --> 00:44:02,218
it's also, it's the environment that she's around all the time that's even unintentional,
right?

523
00:44:02,218 --> 00:44:11,190
It's when she's around you hearing about culture, you're just constantly breathing fire
about it because it's your entire professional world.

524
00:44:11,190 --> 00:44:19,453
And what you know is, if you don't solve this and fulfill the vision that you have, you
can't connect it to giving your family the life that you want either.

525
00:44:19,453 --> 00:44:24,064
And so I bet, what I remember as being a kid,

526
00:44:24,108 --> 00:44:30,062
and what adults lose track of is they're always listening.

527
00:44:31,283 --> 00:44:36,246
I was always listening and I heard everything.

528
00:44:36,246 --> 00:44:43,751
And so the culture that you give her at home by default, she's being impacted by that
every moment.

529
00:44:43,751 --> 00:44:47,414
And so even though you put her in the environment, it's what you go home to.

530
00:44:47,414 --> 00:44:49,305
It's a struggle with education these days.

531
00:44:49,305 --> 00:44:54,028
get in battles with people about this and I'm like, Hey, listen, at the end of day,

532
00:44:54,028 --> 00:45:01,232
when you go home at night, if it's important for those kids in that house, I don't care
the reason why it's not or whatever, but if it is, doesn't matter, you can be poor, you

533
00:45:01,232 --> 00:45:10,146
can be destitute, if when those kids come home at night, that it is important, it's an
important part of your family to make sure they do their work, that they learn.

534
00:45:10,146 --> 00:45:12,789
If that is, they're gonna be a better student.

535
00:45:12,789 --> 00:45:19,682
It's not the school's fault, it's not the other kid's fault they're around, and so she has
the opportunity and the benefit to be around it all the time.

536
00:45:19,682 --> 00:45:21,614
That's somewhat to your point, right?

537
00:45:21,614 --> 00:45:22,774
It's as if...

538
00:45:23,030 --> 00:45:25,932
your business is also a school.

539
00:45:26,013 --> 00:45:32,038
But when they leave you, they go back to the environment that they were born in, that they
choose to be around, and who they're impacting.

540
00:45:32,038 --> 00:45:36,130
And usually, that's going to have a bigger influence than the four-hour shift they clock
in for you.

541
00:45:36,130 --> 00:45:46,135
Totally it and it was the same thing going back I price I sound like a broke record but
the same game going back to those the trainings that we did like the EQ stuff because it

542
00:45:46,135 --> 00:45:51,898
was a situation where And to be clear when we started it It was like a you go through
different phases, right?

543
00:45:51,898 --> 00:46:01,133
like you there's like a three a three day thing and then you go through a four day thing
and then uh there's like a six month thing where you go for multiple weekends or something

544
00:46:01,133 --> 00:46:06,006
and uh and so to that point like

545
00:46:06,006 --> 00:46:09,409
you have the first three days I thought it was bullshit.

546
00:46:10,831 --> 00:46:19,680
Yeah yeah yeah it was and and I thought was bullshit I wasn't going to share my feelings I
hadn't cried I was like I don't but like through it I was like my god this is like

547
00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:29,290
valuable and there's something here for me and blah blah blah blah and down the road and
like uh but those those people that were in that myself included like.

548
00:46:30,882 --> 00:46:39,340
The the whole point was to take that first course and then quickly get to the next one and
then quickly get to the next one me I thought it was a pyramid scheme at first and I was

549
00:46:39,340 --> 00:46:49,149
like this is bullshit like you just want my money like you just want me to be here fill a
seat and in hindsight the reality is exactly what you said and it's even worse when you're

550
00:46:49,149 --> 00:46:57,550
an adult because like you already have that learned structure of life and expectations and
your environment that

551
00:46:57,550 --> 00:47:00,910
You go through those three days and it could be the most beautiful three days.

552
00:47:00,910 --> 00:47:03,970
You could feel most acknowledged you've ever felt in your life.

553
00:47:03,970 --> 00:47:13,629
Like, uh, you can feel like you're on top of the mountain and then you go home and your
rent's overdue and the electricity gets turned off.

554
00:47:13,629 --> 00:47:14,870
You're late for work.

555
00:47:14,870 --> 00:47:17,530
And then what the fuck do you real?

556
00:47:17,530 --> 00:47:23,690
And, and so, but to that point is like when, when the kids go home, uh, it is a challenge
and it's a real challenge.

557
00:47:23,690 --> 00:47:26,590
And I do not have the silver silver bullet for it.

558
00:47:26,590 --> 00:47:27,362
I think.

559
00:47:27,362 --> 00:47:42,761
the I think the uh I think meeting people where they are whether it's a teenager or
whether it's a uh five year old or or you know somebody that's retired and and you know in

560
00:47:42,761 --> 00:47:53,506
their elder years uh there's value to that to understand where they are so that you can
support them and creating a different result because

561
00:47:53,506 --> 00:47:55,299
Yeah, give them a different narrative for life, man.

562
00:47:55,299 --> 00:47:55,709
Yeah.

563
00:47:55,709 --> 00:47:58,073
About what's possible and what they could do.

564
00:47:58,073 --> 00:47:59,014
But you have to hear them.

565
00:47:59,014 --> 00:48:00,816
You can't judge them in the moment, right?

566
00:48:00,816 --> 00:48:02,729
You got to say, hey, listen, I don't know how this happened.

567
00:48:02,729 --> 00:48:03,821
The reality is it did.

568
00:48:03,821 --> 00:48:05,413
And I got your back while you're going through it.

569
00:48:05,413 --> 00:48:08,108
But just so you know, it can be different.

570
00:48:08,108 --> 00:48:16,124
Yeah, it can be different like I mean having a clean store for instance right like you
come you you know had a lot of friends though when I was younger their houses were a mess

571
00:48:16,124 --> 00:48:22,779
man and even in my own experience I didn't have the best I Mean it's pretty bad, man.

572
00:48:22,779 --> 00:48:24,014
I'm just kidding

573
00:48:24,014 --> 00:48:26,610
You're going to have judgment right on the other side of there.

574
00:48:26,610 --> 00:48:27,641
my gosh.

575
00:48:27,646 --> 00:48:38,616
But I mean it's like You know them being able to come into a clean environment and say
hey, I feel safe here like maybe it's not like you know I'm not in danger of my life But I

576
00:48:38,616 --> 00:48:46,223
feel safe in the sense that like I have a spot for my things I have I can come in I can
lay my jacket down Nobody's gonna mess around with it.

577
00:48:46,223 --> 00:48:49,115
I can uh you know, I have a snacks.

578
00:48:49,115 --> 00:48:54,670
I have a microwave I have a clean place to sit and take a break like

579
00:48:54,670 --> 00:49:06,310
There's music playing it's uplifting like and but that translates to the customer too like
It's all cyclical like I think something I've heard on on one of your talks before they

580
00:49:06,310 --> 00:49:15,470
were just talking about like that customer experience But it starts with the it starts
with the employee experience because if your employee experience sucks I got news for you.

581
00:49:15,470 --> 00:49:17,370
You ain't ever gonna get a customer in that door.

582
00:49:17,370 --> 00:49:20,294
That's gonna ever come back It's never gonna happen

583
00:49:21,692 --> 00:49:26,200
So, how the hell do you grow this thing from one to 14 down to eight?

584
00:49:26,200 --> 00:49:31,648
What's the, what's just give you a million bucks and you're good to go.

585
00:49:31,648 --> 00:49:32,578
uh

586
00:49:32,578 --> 00:49:33,579
Let's just do that.

587
00:49:33,579 --> 00:49:35,420
Yeah, like, my god.

588
00:49:35,420 --> 00:49:38,338
ah I mean from here, right?

589
00:49:38,338 --> 00:49:46,088
I think there is a reality of it's not hidden to anybody that like brick and mortar is
tough.

590
00:49:46,088 --> 00:49:47,328
It's really tough right now.

591
00:49:47,328 --> 00:49:49,960
ah The economy is not kind.

592
00:49:49,960 --> 00:49:50,991
Money is not cheap.

593
00:49:50,991 --> 00:50:00,257
ah And it's something that, you know, everybody I think at every level struggles with uh
right now from business owner or if you're just living your life and

594
00:50:01,706 --> 00:50:14,633
Something that we're learning I would say through this year adding a couple mobile
trailers to our to our our portfolio has been that Well, let me let me go back for a

595
00:50:14,633 --> 00:50:27,581
second the the previous when we took over everything the the intention and the Idea was
that you needed foot traffic and the most possible place to get foot traffic is the mall

596
00:50:27,581 --> 00:50:30,292
Whether it's rain or shine doesn't matter cold

597
00:50:30,478 --> 00:50:42,291
100 degrees outside doesn't matter people go to the mall and so I think what's kind of
changed in what I had to enroll the you the previous owner in uh was that uh That's not

598
00:50:42,291 --> 00:50:43,222
necessarily a case.

599
00:50:43,222 --> 00:50:53,615
You got to bring this shit to them like because now look at malls the malls are dying not
all of them, but most of them are struggling big time and Like I said brick and mortar

600
00:50:53,615 --> 00:50:58,858
stuff, but our intention of opening like a few of the brick and mortars we had was like

601
00:50:58,858 --> 00:51:01,700
trying to bring it out of the mall and closer to the customer.

602
00:51:01,700 --> 00:51:11,305
Like how can we get like, you got the door dashes and the Uber eats, but how can I get our
business integrated into their life?

603
00:51:11,305 --> 00:51:20,180
Like because in closer to their front door, if you will, because like it has to be an
easier decision because the reality is, is whether you're bubble tea or whether you're

604
00:51:20,180 --> 00:51:27,724
coffee or like some kind of spice store or something like that, you're an extra, extra
purchase.

605
00:51:27,746 --> 00:51:30,217
Like people are still gonna eat, they're still gonna go to...

606
00:51:30,217 --> 00:51:33,285
or seven bucks, Yeah, it's extra.

607
00:51:33,285 --> 00:51:35,191
That's beyond the dessert.

608
00:51:35,191 --> 00:51:36,990
That's a different category of a

609
00:51:36,990 --> 00:51:44,202
Exactly, you have to consciously make a decision that hey, I'm gonna go get tacos and then
I'm gonna go over I'm not gonna get a drink I'm gonna go over to bubbles and get a bubble

610
00:51:44,202 --> 00:51:56,576
tea or I'm gonna get a smoothie and it you know, you're you're probably doubling your
lunch cost at that point and so um And so that you know, that's real and and I so bringing

611
00:51:56,576 --> 00:52:01,378
the product to them and making it more of a hey, this is

612
00:52:02,914 --> 00:52:04,694
This is something you can't live without that thing.

613
00:52:04,694 --> 00:52:15,139
That's what I've told the employees and our managers our team members is like We get to
make this non-negotiable like especially with our managers my brother and I have this

614
00:52:15,139 --> 00:52:26,154
conversation often is like Bubbles gets to be non-negotiable like you have bubbles in your
life Because it's great and you have a fantastic experience you come and there's music

615
00:52:26,154 --> 00:52:32,024
playing like people are happy people are smiling like you feel good like you have to
there's like

616
00:52:32,024 --> 00:52:41,629
There's a thing that we talked about a long time ago where it's like in your mind you get
like the serotonin or whatever it is.

617
00:52:41,629 --> 00:52:49,264
I'm going to sound silly for a second, but like you get the dopamine effect and like it's
it's it's subconscious and it just it's like the feel good.

618
00:52:49,264 --> 00:52:51,385
Like you come into something and it feels good.

619
00:52:51,385 --> 00:52:54,186
ah We have to be that.

620
00:52:54,227 --> 00:52:56,008
But that that's what we get to be.

621
00:52:56,008 --> 00:52:58,729
ah It's not easy to create.

622
00:52:59,189 --> 00:52:59,550
But.

623
00:52:59,550 --> 00:53:00,686
ah

624
00:53:00,686 --> 00:53:10,886
But we get to do that and I think through the trailers it's really cool and exciting to
see because you are going out to, you know, like soccer tournaments, go to softball

625
00:53:10,886 --> 00:53:13,346
tournaments, go festivals and fairs and stuff like that.

626
00:53:13,346 --> 00:53:22,786
But it's cool because we've had, there's been a lot of people asking for a long time to
get bubbles out of the mall, even in drive-throughs and things like that, which we haven't

627
00:53:22,786 --> 00:53:23,946
tackled yet.

628
00:53:24,906 --> 00:53:29,966
And so I think, like the trailers are just a low cost entry.

629
00:53:30,394 --> 00:53:35,178
And it allows us to test out environments more adequately.

630
00:53:35,178 --> 00:53:45,424
Like if we wanted to move to Dayton or Cincinnati or Cleveland or something like that, it
gives us the opportunity to, we can drop a trailer in and find out how it's gonna do.

631
00:53:46,585 --> 00:53:47,386
Great question.

632
00:53:47,386 --> 00:53:54,570
uh We did have a truck uh and the problem with it was I can't work it all the time.

633
00:53:54,971 --> 00:53:59,534
So from an insurance liability perspective, would say that was our biggest driver for it
is that

634
00:53:59,534 --> 00:54:13,734
Most of our employees are teenagers and so logistically speaking having 18 year olds, 16
year old, whatever driving an RV for lack of better description.

635
00:54:15,054 --> 00:54:24,394
Yeah, well, and yeah, and the idea was like if we are going to grow the business, I can't
be working at festivals all weekend and all night.

636
00:54:24,394 --> 00:54:25,174
Like it just doesn't work.

637
00:54:25,174 --> 00:54:28,214
And my brother, you know, at that point, he can't either.

638
00:54:28,274 --> 00:54:29,122
But it's like...

639
00:54:29,122 --> 00:54:36,008
I feel like it's a stepping, you know, stepping process where, you know, you're gonna, you
know, I'm gonna do it at first and really heavy and figure it out.

640
00:54:36,008 --> 00:54:36,638
How does it work?

641
00:54:36,638 --> 00:54:37,439
You know, all these things.

642
00:54:37,439 --> 00:54:40,907
And then, and then he's going to take over some of that and he's going to worry.

643
00:54:40,907 --> 00:54:51,601
then like right now, I would say we've in a really good spot where we have through the
attrition period of our employees that we've been able to identify some rock stars and

644
00:54:51,601 --> 00:54:53,242
people that are doing really great work.

645
00:54:53,242 --> 00:54:58,488
Uh, and so working on the trailer is almost kind of a reward because, know, from

646
00:54:58,488 --> 00:55:04,509
like a tipping perspective and it gets you out of the shop usually they're going to pay
that the folks are going to tip a little better uh...

647
00:55:04,509 --> 00:55:11,788
it's more concentrated so like you're on there on your own sometimes and you're just
humming man i mean you'll go uh...

648
00:55:11,788 --> 00:55:14,284
margin's just been way better with these trailers.

649
00:55:14,386 --> 00:55:15,539
But you gotta put it at the right spot.

650
00:55:15,539 --> 00:55:18,572
I'm sure you've learned like, there's a few events don't work well.

651
00:55:18,572 --> 00:55:26,607
The worst thing ever is to pull up to it a bit and like you're like four hours annually
I've sold four drinks like what the fuck am I doing here?

652
00:55:26,888 --> 00:55:33,162
That's happened a lot man, and I you know I've actually there's a couple companies in
Columbus that have food trucks.

653
00:55:33,162 --> 00:55:37,095
There's one in particular I don't mind mentioning her name dose Hermanos.

654
00:55:37,095 --> 00:55:38,496
uh They're fantastic.

655
00:55:38,496 --> 00:55:47,456
They have delicious food, but they in my opinion have done a phenomenal job of uh

656
00:55:47,456 --> 00:55:55,871
Operating their mobile operation like they that's where they started and right picking the
right location their logistics Are fantastic.

657
00:55:55,871 --> 00:56:09,328
They have a really great team uh The the CEO over there she's amazing uh Very involved in
the community and I think just from a culture perspective It you know, everybody has their

658
00:56:09,328 --> 00:56:10,739
skeletons in the closet for sure, right?

659
00:56:10,739 --> 00:56:16,558
But uh I would say in my experience that uh they're they're doing it right and so

660
00:56:16,558 --> 00:56:31,638
We've been able to take a lot of cues from them and kind of learn because the mobile
operations is the food truck industry is like a massive thing in itself.

661
00:56:31,638 --> 00:56:35,538
Like it's a whole nother universe and kind of cracking your way into it.

662
00:56:35,538 --> 00:56:36,978
I mean, I thought we did pretty good this year.

663
00:56:36,978 --> 00:56:44,738
We had a good number of events and the schedule was pretty busy and we ended up adding a
second trailer midway through the summer just because we needed it.

664
00:56:45,090 --> 00:56:47,895
And so I had some experience in that, like just building out trailers.

665
00:56:47,895 --> 00:56:55,869
And so now I know, like, you know, from insulating them to run and plumbing, I know what
it takes to get it done ah and how fast we can do it.

666
00:56:55,890 --> 00:56:58,374
And, ah

667
00:57:00,134 --> 00:57:12,755
We haven't even cracked the surface like there's so much out there still available to us
like yeah and but to your point it is very calculated risk and and it takes a lot of time

668
00:57:12,755 --> 00:57:23,574
and energy to scroll through and be present to the opportunities that exist to make sure
that You know you're not putting yourself in shitty situations and missing out on

669
00:57:23,574 --> 00:57:29,438
opportunities that are much bigger than you know where you decided to park it this weekend
it will happen, but

670
00:57:29,987 --> 00:57:37,774
It's definitely going to take some time to kind of grow through optimizing what it looks
like to operate.

671
00:57:37,774 --> 00:57:39,774
Do you see that's your growth?

672
00:57:39,774 --> 00:57:40,134
Big time.

673
00:57:40,134 --> 00:57:41,026
Is because of mobile ops?

674
00:57:41,026 --> 00:57:41,966
Big time.

675
00:57:41,966 --> 00:57:49,529
I think even from a franchising perspective, uh like I said recently, you know, moving
over into that, putting that hat on.

676
00:57:49,529 --> 00:57:59,304
uh What I my vision for bubbles, I guess from day one is I said I want 50 stores from day
one.

677
00:57:59,304 --> 00:58:01,875
That's that's and I still have that vision.

678
00:58:01,875 --> 00:58:06,166
Looks a little different because I think now my brain is like, OK, I've seen what I've
seen.

679
00:58:06,166 --> 00:58:08,501
You know, we're we're growing and I'm still learning.

680
00:58:08,501 --> 00:58:10,548
I have a shit ton to learn still.

681
00:58:11,519 --> 00:58:26,977
but the way that the economy is going and, and, um, I think the demand from the customer
and the explosion and popularity of food trucks and just, you know, the nostalgic of, you

682
00:58:26,977 --> 00:58:37,212
know, having that, I think it would be short-sighted for us not to consider mobile
operations to be a pivotal part of our business.

683
00:58:37,993 --> 00:58:40,056
and, I, to that extent.

684
00:58:40,056 --> 00:58:44,277
we're working to figure out, you how can we get in a Sprinter van?

685
00:58:44,277 --> 00:58:53,990
Because I mean, you know, I see, I see the potential of accessibility to people.

686
00:58:53,990 --> 00:59:06,374
think uh I, to the budding entrepreneurs that like want to do something, I think what came
to mind for me was a conversation with my oldest daughter.

687
00:59:06,374 --> 00:59:08,084
We talk a lot, apparently.

688
00:59:09,214 --> 00:59:14,774
But the She wanted to do a pizza trailer and I was like, oh, yeah, we can do that That's
cool.

689
00:59:14,774 --> 00:59:16,954
And it's like but what does it cost to get into that?

690
00:59:16,954 --> 00:59:17,214
Right?

691
00:59:17,214 --> 00:59:24,534
Like and and we kind of went through the numbers and had the conversation about and she's
still interested in you know, we're gonna do something with it, but What what sparked my

692
00:59:24,534 --> 00:59:27,714
mind though is like how many people are out there?

693
00:59:27,714 --> 00:59:36,714
I don't care if you're 18 or if you're 30 Like you're trying to figure some out like me
with the woodworking, you know doing that like I tried to figure something out and it

694
00:59:36,714 --> 00:59:37,632
almost worked

695
00:59:37,632 --> 00:59:55,839
almost and ah if we can make this more accessible we have a stellar product our branding
is great uh the the system works well and uh you know a three hundred thousand dollar SBA

696
00:59:55,839 --> 01:00:07,468
loan to get a brick and mortar that ties you down to a five to ten year lease agreement
that ain't helping anybody right now like that that's tough and not

697
01:00:07,468 --> 01:00:18,201
you know, just an extra, you know, kick in the pants is like having to go through the
grueling process with some of these landlords to prove yourself and you're like, dude, I'm

698
01:00:18,201 --> 01:00:20,233
just trying to, I'm just trying here.

699
01:00:20,233 --> 01:00:23,407
I just want to get something started and it's almost impossible.

700
01:00:23,407 --> 01:00:24,558
Like some of the...

701
01:00:24,558 --> 01:00:25,301
They want see history.

702
01:00:25,301 --> 01:00:26,222
It's like, don't have any.

703
01:00:26,222 --> 01:00:27,954
I'm trying to make this happen.

704
01:00:27,954 --> 01:00:28,958
They want to see financials.

705
01:00:28,958 --> 01:00:29,844
Like, I don't have any.

706
01:00:29,844 --> 01:00:32,736
my god, I went through this like a couple months.

707
01:00:32,736 --> 01:00:33,375
I mean months ago.

708
01:00:33,375 --> 01:00:41,350
We just opened our newest location in Grandview uh It's a brick and mortar we opened in
January, but you know as we were going through that process It was like well, we want to

709
01:00:41,350 --> 01:00:42,537
see tax returns, you know soon.

710
01:00:42,537 --> 01:00:46,663
I'm like, don't have that and they're like well, sorry Yeah, I'm like, what are you
talking about?

711
01:00:46,663 --> 01:00:49,105
Like I have we have a cash flow.

712
01:00:49,105 --> 01:00:52,126
I could show cash flow I can show you you know these things is it great?

713
01:00:52,126 --> 01:00:59,700
No, but here's also why like here's the story why and and He had to the story like you
have to

714
01:01:00,962 --> 01:01:01,222
uh...

715
01:01:01,222 --> 01:01:03,384
but there's a lot of things that i want to listen

716
01:01:03,384 --> 01:01:03,634
Yeah.

717
01:01:03,634 --> 01:01:05,026
Did you have to pay for the build out?

718
01:01:05,026 --> 01:01:06,278
Were you able to borrow that?

719
01:01:06,278 --> 01:01:08,551
The landlord probably didn't participate in it too much.

720
01:01:08,551 --> 01:01:10,785
No.

721
01:01:10,785 --> 01:01:11,972
They don't in retail.

722
01:01:11,972 --> 01:01:13,003
No, not in retail.

723
01:01:13,003 --> 01:01:16,385
Usually like in a mall or something they usually give you some, you know, something or
another.

724
01:01:16,385 --> 01:01:21,706
But I mean, you can always like negotiate like some free rent or something.

725
01:01:21,706 --> 01:01:22,279
whatever.

726
01:01:22,279 --> 01:01:23,496
the sales you think you're gonna take.

727
01:01:23,496 --> 01:01:24,966
Yeah, the sales you think

728
01:01:24,966 --> 01:01:36,106
gonna have yeah, but uh, I Was borrowed yeah, yeah, so we're you know, I mean oh My god
beat my head in the table.

729
01:01:36,106 --> 01:01:40,686
Yeah, it's not pretty man and It's tough.

730
01:01:40,686 --> 01:01:48,121
I you know not to sound well as me cuz I I don't I don't go There's not yeah, it doesn't
matter

731
01:01:48,121 --> 01:01:48,391
care.

732
01:01:48,391 --> 01:01:50,705
Just make me your tea and shut up.

733
01:01:51,889 --> 01:01:53,160
Make sure it's good.

734
01:01:53,281 --> 01:01:54,059
make sure it's good.

735
01:01:54,059 --> 01:01:55,303
It better be fresh.

736
01:01:55,303 --> 01:01:57,350
and you hopefully you priced it enough and you're selling enough.

737
01:01:57,350 --> 01:01:58,182
can pay your bills.

738
01:01:58,182 --> 01:01:58,463
Yeah.

739
01:01:58,463 --> 01:02:00,312
I want to come back here next week and get another.

740
01:02:00,312 --> 01:02:06,098
Yeah, that's

741
01:02:06,098 --> 01:02:08,618
when I'm a customer and I walk in there, I have questions.

742
01:02:08,618 --> 01:02:10,178
I don't give a shit.

743
01:02:10,598 --> 01:02:11,258
to run it.

744
01:02:11,258 --> 01:02:12,578
Sell me the thing.

745
01:02:13,138 --> 01:02:14,247
Make me feel a certain way.

746
01:02:14,247 --> 01:02:22,927
yeah and don't don't make it expensive because you make it expensive like you should you
don't deserve to make that dollar like you kidding me at some of the best laughable

747
01:02:22,927 --> 01:02:30,963
moments I think that I've had entrepreneurial wise is the the criticisms that come in and
I think I'm I don't know if I

748
01:02:30,963 --> 01:02:31,442
do you do with them?

749
01:02:31,442 --> 01:02:32,664
You're not supposed to read the comments.

750
01:02:32,664 --> 01:02:35,418
my god, it's not even reading the comments.

751
01:02:35,418 --> 01:02:36,710
It's like the face to face.

752
01:02:36,710 --> 01:02:40,905
Like sometimes people are bold man and it kind of makes you chuckle.

753
01:02:41,226 --> 01:02:47,342
You know, going back to kind of, know, maybe what it takes like entrepreneur wise, what
I've learned is like you got a thick skin, man.

754
01:02:47,342 --> 01:02:51,722
You get no credit, You have to give all the credit to everyone else.

755
01:02:51,722 --> 01:02:52,822
This is the reality.

756
01:02:52,822 --> 01:02:58,862
If you want to go into this world of operating a business, and it's going to be anything
more than just you doing something.

757
01:02:58,902 --> 01:03:09,762
If you're going to interact with customers, if you're going to have employees, get ready
because you get none of the credit until one day it looks like you're an overnight success

758
01:03:09,762 --> 01:03:13,102
and you're making millions of dollars and they all want to give you all the awards.

759
01:03:13,102 --> 01:03:13,812
That is the

760
01:03:13,812 --> 01:03:18,994
only one moment in your entire history of being an entrepreneur and it's like what about
the 22 years?

761
01:03:18,994 --> 01:03:21,224
No, it's about everyone else.

762
01:03:21,224 --> 01:03:30,027
And you have to be okay with that and you have to develop this ability also to be very
humble in the moment but you have to have massive grit.

763
01:03:30,107 --> 01:03:31,887
There's no one coming to save you.

764
01:03:31,887 --> 01:03:36,369
There's no one coming to give you kudos on the things that you actually should behind the
scenes.

765
01:03:36,369 --> 01:03:41,134
They don't care about that but everything that happens is definitely your fault too.

766
01:03:41,134 --> 01:03:42,570
100 % right

767
01:03:42,570 --> 01:03:42,900
own it.

768
01:03:42,900 --> 01:03:43,578
no bitching about it.

769
01:03:43,578 --> 01:03:44,878
There's no crying in it.

770
01:03:45,384 --> 01:03:50,228
Now I will tell you though actually uh you say there's no crying and I'll challenge you on
that.

771
01:03:50,228 --> 01:03:53,300
Okay cares about

772
01:03:53,300 --> 01:03:55,800
you're crying about they're like suck it up and come back from

773
01:03:55,800 --> 01:03:58,872
They're like, you're doing fine, I bought four tees from you last week.

774
01:03:59,035 --> 01:04:05,613
And so and you can't here's thing this is an only environment because even some people
hearing this like I'll stop bitching about it No, we're talking about the reality of

775
01:04:05,613 --> 01:04:06,744
running a business.

776
01:04:06,744 --> 01:04:14,688
That's the loneliness Yeah, and those moments where no one can help you Yeah, and that's
the moments that you decide if you've got what it takes to keep going to make this shit

777
01:04:14,688 --> 01:04:20,290
So I have had a number of speaking on that specifically, uh like that moment, right?

778
01:04:20,290 --> 01:04:28,462
And I've had a number of those moments over the last year where I have like this aha
moment where I'm like, this is it.

779
01:04:28,462 --> 01:04:38,085
This is where like, you cried three times in your car, you know, a week because you just
got to get the frustration out and it's like real.

780
01:04:38,085 --> 01:04:42,520
but I had these moments where it's like, yeah.

781
01:04:42,520 --> 01:04:44,116
This is where people give up.

782
01:04:44,116 --> 01:04:44,638
is it.

783
01:04:44,638 --> 01:04:45,270
This is it.

784
01:04:45,270 --> 01:04:46,435
Like this is the moment.

785
01:04:46,435 --> 01:04:49,004
And like you said, nobody gives a shit.

786
01:04:49,004 --> 01:04:49,425
And you know what?

787
01:04:49,425 --> 01:04:50,907
They don't have to because they have their life.

788
01:04:50,907 --> 01:04:52,400
You're the one who said you wanted to do it.

789
01:04:52,400 --> 01:04:52,751
Yeah.

790
01:04:52,751 --> 01:04:53,174
So suck.

791
01:04:53,174 --> 01:05:09,990
it up and it hurts man and it's like uh but it goes back to what I said about I feel like
uh it's a disease like entrepreneurialism is a disease and it is yeah it is right I don't

792
01:05:09,990 --> 01:05:15,940
know how do you say that entrepreneurism Earl yeah whatever yeah there you go uh

793
01:05:15,940 --> 01:05:17,594
have to be able to say it like that.

794
01:05:17,697 --> 01:05:19,406
If not, this thing's a bust.

795
01:05:19,406 --> 01:05:29,857
Yeah, I mean it's it's a thing ah and it's addictive too uh Because you know for the
people that are in it and and that are committed to it.

796
01:05:29,857 --> 01:05:30,860
There's no other way

797
01:05:30,860 --> 01:05:31,751
What's that look like?

798
01:05:31,751 --> 01:05:38,581
So all the brilliant people, the me's and the us, and all the people that are going to
start businesses and carry our economy forward when we're gone.

799
01:05:38,581 --> 01:05:41,985
um Why do we do this?

800
01:05:44,718 --> 01:05:52,240
Uh, one of the, one of the things that the first thing that comes to my mind is something
I saw a couple of months ago.

801
01:05:52,240 --> 01:06:07,584
There, uh, somebody that said, uh, being an entrepreneur is chasing something and giving
up your entire life for a thing that you have no idea is ever going to create anything.

802
01:06:07,738 --> 01:06:11,325
Like you have no idea, no guarantees of the outcome.

803
01:06:11,325 --> 01:06:14,176
There, there is zero guarantees, but for some reason.

804
01:06:14,702 --> 01:06:22,946
For some reason, you are willing to put everything on the line and commit yourself to it
because it's possible.

805
01:06:23,506 --> 01:06:32,510
And ah it resonates with me ah massively because there are a lot of things you got to give
up.

806
01:06:32,911 --> 01:06:35,382
There's a lot of things you gain, but there's a lot of things you give up.

807
01:06:35,382 --> 01:06:38,763
And uh yes, what does it look like?

808
01:06:38,763 --> 01:06:40,114
I would say, I mean, it's.

809
01:06:41,698 --> 01:06:45,920
Family wise, we've had a lot of challenges with it, just time.

810
01:06:45,938 --> 01:06:52,405
I also think that though we've been able to create some flexibility as an entrepreneur.

811
01:06:52,405 --> 01:06:54,256
I get to have breakfast with my kids every day.

812
01:06:54,256 --> 01:06:55,487
I didn't get to do that before.

813
01:06:55,487 --> 01:06:57,709
ah I can go have lunch with them.

814
01:06:57,709 --> 01:06:58,799
Didn't get to do that before.

815
01:06:58,799 --> 01:07:03,273
can make it to most of their events and things like that.

816
01:07:03,273 --> 01:07:05,034
Didn't really have that flexibility before.

817
01:07:05,034 --> 01:07:10,207
ah And so the pull on life is hard.

818
01:07:10,207 --> 01:07:11,794
You never turn it off.

819
01:07:11,794 --> 01:07:20,071
You're working seven days a week ah You're taking you know your computer will of course be
attached to you when you call on vacation.

820
01:07:20,071 --> 01:07:31,151
There's no real vacation ah and it's being okay with that because You're committed to
something that's bigger than you know Then what you're currently up to that vision is

821
01:07:31,151 --> 01:07:36,336
there whether you have a clear whether you have a clear picture of what it is or not
Doesn't fucking matter.

822
01:07:36,336 --> 01:07:39,668
It's it's just something that's inside of you that you're like

823
01:07:40,654 --> 01:07:45,982
it's right there and I'm gonna keep grinding until I see it.

824
01:07:45,982 --> 01:07:57,208
I'm still, you know, it's still pixelated and that vision is coming together and it's a
hunger, I guess, I don't know.

825
01:07:57,208 --> 01:08:03,174
What do you wish that someone would have told you before you jumped out on this endeavor?

826
01:08:06,510 --> 01:08:08,206
something that somebody told me?

827
01:08:08,206 --> 01:08:10,292
What do you wish that somebody would have told you?

828
01:08:10,292 --> 01:08:11,665
What do you wish reflecting back?

829
01:08:11,665 --> 01:08:13,009
like, damn, I wish I knew that.

830
01:08:13,009 --> 01:08:15,985
I wish someone would have told me that.

831
01:08:27,854 --> 01:08:40,454
The emotional and physical toll that I think that it takes that I did not expect because I
was I I mean I before we did this I mean I again back to like the time right I was able to

832
01:08:40,454 --> 01:08:51,794
spend my time in different ways and I mean I was going to the gym five six days a week for
like four or five years and I felt good man like I was it was it was nice and and I got

833
01:08:51,794 --> 01:08:57,645
into this and I'm like at first I'm like yeah I keep going to the gym it's fine like I'm
going to go and then you know

834
01:08:57,645 --> 01:09:07,748
It's just start to get real and then stuff starts to squeeze and you start to feel like
the pressure and you you get close to a couple situations where like I can't pay payroll

835
01:09:07,748 --> 01:09:17,941
and the next thing you know, like your anxieties are through the roof and you those
feelings in those moments like as an employee, you'd never ever get anywhere close to

836
01:09:17,941 --> 01:09:19,652
feeling that in my experience.

837
01:09:19,712 --> 01:09:26,712
Like I mean, because it's not only, you know, in that moment, it's not only for those, you
know, that might be listening to this like.

838
01:09:26,712 --> 01:09:27,733
probably know what I'm talking about.

839
01:09:27,733 --> 01:09:30,444
like, you, it's not just payroll.

840
01:09:30,444 --> 01:09:32,586
It's, uh, it's your mortgage.

841
01:09:32,586 --> 01:09:34,487
It's your kids lunch.

842
01:09:34,487 --> 01:09:36,088
It's your, your car payment.

843
01:09:36,088 --> 01:09:37,739
It's the electricity bill at home.

844
01:09:37,739 --> 01:09:39,890
It's the electricity bill at every store.

845
01:09:39,890 --> 01:09:46,785
It's, uh, and then, you know, where my brain goes is like, well, shit, I can't miss
payroll because there are people depending on this.

846
01:09:46,785 --> 01:09:47,465
Like they're there.

847
01:09:47,465 --> 01:09:48,476
It's their life.

848
01:09:48,476 --> 01:09:51,678
Like even though they're teenagers, like it's important to them.

849
01:09:51,678 --> 01:09:52,462
And

850
01:09:52,462 --> 01:10:05,306
uh That kind of stress and strain is I was not ready for that like that hit me like a like
a brick wall man like a Mack truck like And I but in hindsight, I don't think anybody

851
01:10:05,306 --> 01:10:19,549
could have You could tell me about it ah but I there was there's no way that I could have
appreciated the the level of Accountability and responsibility that comes with it.

852
01:10:19,549 --> 01:10:21,920
You just don't know I feel like

853
01:10:23,759 --> 01:10:38,307
What also did you, what's something that you believed strongly, previous to acquiring
Bubbles and previous to going out and being a true entrepreneur?

854
01:10:38,307 --> 01:10:43,420
What's something you believed really strongly that now you don't?

855
01:10:47,790 --> 01:11:03,892
ah Yeah, no I was I what what comes to mind is called is like the culture push right like
uh in in my previous corporate roles I Believed that all that was just garbage Like I

856
01:11:03,892 --> 01:11:06,243
never and I was like man.

857
01:11:06,243 --> 01:11:12,468
We gotta go to these These big parties and the company spending all this money like why
don't you just give us bonuses?

858
01:11:12,468 --> 01:11:13,718
Like what the fuck are we doing here?

859
01:11:13,718 --> 01:11:15,800
Like this is crazy you like though

860
01:11:15,800 --> 01:11:18,212
They'll rent out like the zoo, right?

861
01:11:18,212 --> 01:11:23,938
Like, and you go to the zoo, like, my God, like, I got work to do, like, what the hell are
we talking about?

862
01:11:23,938 --> 01:11:34,019
And then like the emails that you would get about like mission vision, you know, all these
things, and uh these are our core values, and like, eh, whatever, doesn't feel like it,

863
01:11:34,019 --> 01:11:34,329
right?

864
01:11:34,329 --> 01:11:35,750
uh

865
01:11:37,878 --> 01:11:49,786
I used to think that that was just fluff and just like human resources are just there to
you know give somewhere to bitch about somewhere to bitch you know and now

866
01:11:52,194 --> 01:11:55,795
There's no way that we steer this ship without it.

867
01:11:56,116 --> 01:11:57,577
Like, it's impossible.

868
01:11:57,577 --> 01:11:58,797
Like, you can't.

869
01:11:58,797 --> 01:12:00,118
It's not lasting.

870
01:12:00,118 --> 01:12:02,699
It will never propagate into anything.

871
01:12:02,699 --> 01:12:04,350
It will never grow.

872
01:12:07,421 --> 01:12:09,012
Because where are you going?

873
01:12:11,074 --> 01:12:24,904
I mean that that's to me What I've learned is in this process is simple and and silly as
it might sound if if you don't have a map You ain't going anywhere.

874
01:12:24,904 --> 01:12:35,351
Somebody told me the uh analogy of like being in the taxi cab like you get a taxi and the
taxi will drive you around wherever the fuck you want to go It'll take you all day long.

875
01:12:35,392 --> 01:12:39,254
You know you ride day and night, but until you give them a destination

876
01:12:39,886 --> 01:12:41,806
You're just circling the city.

877
01:12:41,846 --> 01:12:44,126
Like there's nowhere to be.

878
01:12:44,766 --> 01:12:49,126
so, and I'll be perfectly transparent.

879
01:12:49,126 --> 01:12:53,126
We're still working on mission, vision, strategies, all of those types of things.

880
01:12:53,126 --> 01:12:59,506
We've iterated it a couple of times and I think it's still very much in the building
stages.

881
01:12:59,606 --> 01:13:08,126
But I think being transparent with our employees and our teams is that like these things
are important to us.

882
01:13:08,672 --> 01:13:19,880
Not sure what it looks like to like carve that message in stone yet, but these are the
things that are really important to us and these and here's why like it's not just you

883
01:13:19,880 --> 01:13:21,081
know, corporate propaganda.

884
01:13:21,081 --> 01:13:21,931
Yeah, man.

885
01:13:21,931 --> 01:13:26,274
I'm not just like, you know sitting in bed at night just thinking of things to make your
life a pain in the ass.

886
01:13:26,274 --> 01:13:38,062
um And but it's so true though, like having that North Star, which sounds so cliche to me
because I remember

887
01:13:38,082 --> 01:13:48,388
being in a meeting at the utility I worked with that they kept saying North Star probably
a hundred times in this meeting and I wanted to just throw up but it's true like you have

888
01:13:48,388 --> 01:14:02,406
to have something that you're shooting for yeah and and this is what we believe is gonna
get us there oh there's no doubt there's no that that's that's one thing I guess I've

889
01:14:02,406 --> 01:14:06,791
learned too is is that the result is non-negotiable

890
01:14:06,791 --> 01:14:08,984
You have to be defiant in the face of everything.

891
01:14:08,984 --> 01:14:10,635
You gotta be ruthless.

892
01:14:10,635 --> 01:14:14,197
I had this conversation with our daughter recently, both of them.

893
01:14:14,197 --> 01:14:19,230
It's something I saw Joe Rogan, think, made this comment and was like pasted everywhere.

894
01:14:19,230 --> 01:14:26,305
But he's like, your generation right now is the weakest generation that's ever been.

895
01:14:26,685 --> 01:14:30,287
All you have to do is be a little bit ruthless.

896
01:14:30,668 --> 01:14:34,702
Just be ruthless and you will lead everyone.

897
01:14:34,702 --> 01:14:36,962
You'll crush it might even been a day in the life because they're buddies.

898
01:14:36,962 --> 01:14:38,422
It might have been him.

899
01:14:38,422 --> 01:14:39,562
I think that's what it was.

900
01:14:39,562 --> 01:14:48,142
He's like the opportunity that this next generation has and what I would do is I would
even frame it for us because I don't think it's just them.

901
01:14:48,562 --> 01:14:54,822
you know it's that whole thing about you know strong people, great weak people but yeah
yeah right and so you're all's goal.

902
01:14:54,822 --> 01:14:55,762
I don't have kids.

903
01:14:55,762 --> 01:14:59,262
You're all's goal was just to make their life a little bit better.

904
01:14:59,262 --> 01:15:00,742
That was your mom's goal for you.

905
01:15:00,742 --> 01:15:04,230
It's your goal at some point you're going to take all the advice

906
01:15:04,242 --> 01:15:10,885
all of the adversity out and they wouldn't have developed any of the strengths to meet
life when it truly gets hard.

907
01:15:10,885 --> 01:15:11,975
That's the problem.

908
01:15:11,975 --> 01:15:16,634
So it's admirable that parents say, just want them to level up.

909
01:15:16,634 --> 01:15:18,808
I want their life to be a little bit better than mine.

910
01:15:18,808 --> 01:15:23,330
All the tough parts of my life that were massive struggle, let me take that out because it
sucked.

911
01:15:23,330 --> 01:15:24,671
That's a bad part of life.

912
01:15:24,671 --> 01:15:31,493
And even though you don't say it, that's what you're trying to do because you're always
worried about them and what's going to happen to them when they're sad and upset and

913
01:15:31,493 --> 01:15:31,854
stuff.

914
01:15:31,854 --> 01:15:33,474
But the reality is,

915
01:15:33,474 --> 01:15:34,935
They got to go through it.

916
01:15:35,956 --> 01:15:42,101
And by going through it, that's who, that's because so many people think it's about making
money or it's about the position or it's about the company.

917
01:15:42,101 --> 01:15:43,842
It's about the person you are.

918
01:15:44,903 --> 01:15:49,304
Because the person you are and you become that equates to what you can accomplish in life.

919
01:15:49,304 --> 01:15:51,227
Well, and the person you want to be like, right?

920
01:15:51,227 --> 01:16:01,151
mean, if you are the person you want to be in, in, in your traveling down the path that
creates happiness for you, everything else will come.

921
01:16:01,533 --> 01:16:02,678
And it's not.

922
01:16:02,678 --> 01:16:09,150
It's because if you're a person that believes that we can almost do anything we put our
mind to, like there are a few limitations.

923
01:16:09,150 --> 01:16:18,212
I'm not 6'6", I'm not the most athletic specimen, but when it comes to these business
endeavors, when it comes to getting a promotion at work, when it comes to further

924
01:16:18,212 --> 01:16:23,924
education, if you need to get another degree to do the thing, pretty much all of us now
have a shot at that.

925
01:16:23,924 --> 01:16:30,285
If we're on the IQ spectrum, if we're born and fortunate enough that we don't have these
disabilities, we all have the same opportunity.

926
01:16:30,285 --> 01:16:32,718
And if you believe that and understand that,

927
01:16:32,718 --> 01:16:38,358
That's the person I'm talking about that says, I want to take it from eight stores to 50.

928
01:16:39,458 --> 01:16:41,038
have to accept there's gonna be massive struggle.

929
01:16:41,038 --> 01:16:42,058
You don't know how you're gonna get there.

930
01:16:42,058 --> 01:16:45,878
You know you've learned all this stuff, but what you learn is not gonna get you to the
next 42.

931
01:16:45,878 --> 01:16:49,538
But you're like, our snort star is 50 and I believe we can get there.

932
01:16:49,538 --> 01:16:53,378
And then you design the business plan and then you get busy.

933
01:16:53,378 --> 01:16:56,058
So many people just are waiting.

934
01:16:56,378 --> 01:16:57,658
They're just waiting.

935
01:16:57,878 --> 01:17:01,166
Well they're trying to design the plan before they come up with the destination.

936
01:17:01,166 --> 01:17:02,527
oh So it doesn't hurt.

937
01:17:02,527 --> 01:17:04,506
Let me get the perfect plan so it's not hard.

938
01:17:04,506 --> 01:17:07,471
Let me take all the adversity out of it.

939
01:17:07,471 --> 01:17:08,892
Let me take all the pain out of it.

940
01:17:08,892 --> 01:17:10,834
No, that's what the journey's gonna be.

941
01:17:10,834 --> 01:17:15,097
So it's the person that you become that's willing to travel the journey that makes that
commitment.

942
01:17:15,638 --> 01:17:16,832
You get to 50.

943
01:17:17,426 --> 01:17:21,526
Oh, All that.

944
01:17:22,726 --> 01:17:37,086
mean, I think 50 now, I started to say before, think, that 50 now looks like, mean, maybe
that's maybe that's 25 stores and 25 trailers.

945
01:17:37,086 --> 01:17:37,766
I don't know.

946
01:17:37,766 --> 01:17:38,446
That's fine.

947
01:17:38,446 --> 01:17:43,226
And it's But we get there through scaling and like

948
01:17:44,170 --> 01:17:56,398
in the way that uh do the right things and the money will come that that's where where my
brain goes is as I'm cash flows king of course but do the right things and the money will

949
01:17:56,398 --> 01:18:08,667
come right do it be good to the people and and your system will grow like make a good
product be consistent uh I think some of the things that we're still working on that I

950
01:18:08,667 --> 01:18:13,454
think uh is gonna help substantially in the in the short term

951
01:18:13,454 --> 01:18:21,376
uh is some of our approaches to customer service and the way that we handle the customer.

952
01:18:21,376 --> 01:18:32,460
um Like I said, we've gone through lot of attrition and I feel like we're finally honing
in on what it is to, whether it's scripts or whatever it is that's registered to just

953
01:18:32,460 --> 01:18:39,694
reinforce what the expectation is and those kinds of things that I think that is first.

954
01:18:39,694 --> 01:18:42,674
Tell me if this isn't simple and I've never worked in your stores.

955
01:18:42,674 --> 01:18:53,234
I've never had one of your Well, I don't what the hell you're doing here and you did So so
here's that here's I'm assuming I could be somebody come through the door.

956
01:18:53,234 --> 01:19:02,394
This would be my mindset This is where I would start if I was starting a company or had a
franchisee I was a franchisee Every customer that walked through the door say what can I

957
01:19:02,394 --> 01:19:05,670
do to make sure this drinks takes taste the best it possibly could for

958
01:19:08,583 --> 01:19:09,456
Say your question again.

959
01:19:09,456 --> 01:19:11,502
Oh God

960
01:19:11,502 --> 01:19:18,622
would I would say that this would be my mindset What can I do to this drink and for you to
make sure that this drink tastes exactly the way that you wanted it to yeah?

961
01:19:18,622 --> 01:19:19,842
It's an awesome experience.

962
01:19:19,842 --> 01:19:20,682
Yeah, like that.

963
01:19:20,682 --> 01:19:22,542
That's all that has to be done

964
01:19:22,948 --> 01:19:32,640
It is very simple actually I tell them a lot man like we almost made it our mantra
jokingly is like It's just fucking tea

965
01:19:32,770 --> 01:19:35,677
How can I make it taste the exact way you want to and you're pumped about it?

966
01:19:35,677 --> 01:19:36,358
Yeah.

967
01:19:36,358 --> 01:19:37,459
Just ask them.

968
01:19:37,661 --> 01:19:40,108
Give them exactly what they want because you have the ability to.

969
01:19:40,108 --> 01:19:44,080
And we have every option that they could possibly ever want.

970
01:19:44,320 --> 01:19:44,620
you know.

971
01:19:44,620 --> 01:19:47,631
I have almost smile.

972
01:19:47,631 --> 01:19:50,442
I mean, God.

973
01:19:52,243 --> 01:19:54,785
Smiling is so underrated, man.

974
01:19:54,785 --> 01:19:58,246
Like, you know, we actually, had our company picnic.

975
01:19:58,526 --> 01:20:01,157
We did like an end of the summer thing and something that they'd never done before.

976
01:20:01,157 --> 01:20:07,246
And so ah it was a, I'm embarrassed to say that it was a pretty meager turnout.

977
01:20:07,246 --> 01:20:08,092
Who cares?

978
01:20:08,092 --> 01:20:09,692
Was there like 15 of you?

979
01:20:09,710 --> 01:20:10,670
Hardly.

980
01:20:10,970 --> 01:20:22,090
And I was one of our managers who, again, the one I was talking about before, she was
there and she was quick to remind me that like, she goes, this is first time we did it,

981
01:20:22,090 --> 01:20:25,430
she goes, Darryl, and she was like, she's like, I actually enjoyed myself.

982
01:20:25,430 --> 01:20:29,530
And she goes, so like, you know, like, this is good.

983
01:20:29,530 --> 01:20:30,930
She goes, this is step one.

984
01:20:30,930 --> 01:20:38,770
And it's one of those moments where, you know, you're surrounded by people that you're
hoping are gonna be influential in the way that we grow to scale, right?

985
01:20:40,643 --> 01:20:42,985
You actually do want her to be with you for life.

986
01:20:43,767 --> 01:20:46,581
think earlier we might have said the wrong thing that you didn't want her to.

987
01:20:46,581 --> 01:20:47,823
We were talking about employees.

988
01:20:47,823 --> 01:20:48,678
You do want

989
01:20:48,678 --> 01:20:57,112
Oh that one specific yes she gets to stay with us for a wife yes she doesn't have options
yes yeah no um yeah she doesn't have options

990
01:20:57,112 --> 01:20:58,474
Do you learn from her?

991
01:20:59,534 --> 01:21:00,996
Um...

992
01:21:01,899 --> 01:21:03,040
Man.

993
01:21:03,342 --> 01:21:04,764
That's a great question.

994
01:21:04,764 --> 01:21:06,006
Um...

995
01:21:08,334 --> 01:21:10,496
I don't apologize putting you on Front Street.

996
01:21:10,496 --> 01:21:11,378
No, it's okay, man.

997
01:21:11,378 --> 01:21:11,949
It's good.

998
01:21:11,949 --> 01:21:12,932
Uh...

999
01:21:12,932 --> 01:21:14,013
Because...

1000
01:21:15,724 --> 01:21:18,015
She actually was the one that trained me when I came in.

1001
01:21:18,015 --> 01:21:27,271
ah when I came in, ah it wasn't required, but I was like, I get to do this for two or
three weeks and make tea and figure out what the freaking crap is going on behind the

1002
01:21:27,271 --> 01:21:29,892
register before I go in here and start telling people what to do.

1003
01:21:29,892 --> 01:21:30,503
That's stupid.

1004
01:21:30,503 --> 01:21:36,300
ah And so she trained me and

1005
01:21:38,206 --> 01:21:44,231
She was the one I think that instilled in me the most that it's just, we're just making
tea.

1006
01:21:44,231 --> 01:21:50,135
It's not hard because my mindset, right, coming into this is like, I'm about to take over
a hundred employees.

1007
01:21:50,135 --> 01:21:53,558
The biggest team I've ever led prior to this is like 15 people.

1008
01:21:53,558 --> 01:22:02,845
uh And those people were seasoned professionals, like uh consulting, going around to some
of the biggest energy companies in the world and, you know, taking care of cybersecurity

1009
01:22:02,845 --> 01:22:03,135
stuff.

1010
01:22:03,135 --> 01:22:03,905
Like...

1011
01:22:04,802 --> 01:22:06,263
This is a very different thing.

1012
01:22:06,263 --> 01:22:15,850
And so to me, it was like this massive mountain and she calmed me in a lot of ways and
like those first couple of weeks to be like, do it, just make a tea.

1013
01:22:15,850 --> 01:22:16,701
It's okay.

1014
01:22:16,701 --> 01:22:18,012
Like just cool it.

1015
01:22:18,012 --> 01:22:29,830
And, um, the thing that I love that she brings to our team is in any of the teams, cause
now she went from just managing one store to we have her over three and you know, there's

1016
01:22:29,830 --> 01:22:32,686
a, she will be a critical role.

1017
01:22:32,686 --> 01:22:46,088
uh critical part to our training process going forward but like uh Where She's no bullshit
like she will call a spade a spade and if you're ain't gonna show up like she won't let

1018
01:22:46,088 --> 01:22:59,309
you know and uh It rains true even for me today like she'll call me on my shit uh Yeah,
yeah, like, you know, you were gonna fix that refrigerator three weeks ago where you at

1019
01:22:59,389 --> 01:23:00,662
and ah

1020
01:23:00,662 --> 01:23:01,562
I appreciate and love it.

1021
01:23:01,562 --> 01:23:06,643
And at the same time, she loves her teams like no one else.

1022
01:23:06,704 --> 01:23:13,386
And when people are doing what they're supposed to be doing, she makes them feel
appreciated.

1023
01:23:13,386 --> 01:23:15,256
She makes them feel like they have a home.

1024
01:23:15,256 --> 01:23:16,825
They have a safe place to be.

1025
01:23:16,825 --> 01:23:23,768
You know, some of the people that we do have on our team, like, you know, they don't have
the best home environment or what have you.

1026
01:23:23,768 --> 01:23:30,100
And so a lot of them, like me, when I was growing up, started where when I was 14, ah you
know,

1027
01:23:31,063 --> 01:23:36,308
And I had to pay for anything that I wanted right the things I want and so a lot of these
kids They're in that same situation.

1028
01:23:36,308 --> 01:23:43,384
And so uh she is like as Much as I don't like to bring family like the word family.

1029
01:23:43,384 --> 01:23:47,180
I I don't like using that word in business uh

1030
01:23:47,180 --> 01:23:53,785
Get used to it though because if you operate this business the right way, you can
eliminate the word, but it needs to feel the

1031
01:23:53,785 --> 01:23:54,951
gotta feel the same.

1032
01:23:54,951 --> 01:23:56,387
does, It does, it does.

1033
01:23:56,387 --> 01:23:57,510
uh

1034
01:23:57,978 --> 01:24:04,461
Family's overused, the reason is because for you to run something the way that you want to
run it, it's got to feel that way.

1035
01:24:04,461 --> 01:24:08,333
Because what happens is in life, family's the one that you show up for.

1036
01:24:08,333 --> 01:24:09,864
Like you say, that's a blood relative.

1037
01:24:09,864 --> 01:24:13,885
Even if they're not your best friend, when the shit's down, you show up for them.

1038
01:24:13,885 --> 01:24:15,746
That's the way a great company has to run.

1039
01:24:15,746 --> 01:24:17,687
Exactly, exactly.

1040
01:24:17,687 --> 01:24:28,833
And she does that and she creates that and ah I was not prepared, I will say, to support
the team in that way.

1041
01:24:28,833 --> 01:24:31,284
Like a group of teenagers, right?

1042
01:24:31,284 --> 01:24:35,677
I wasn't ready to, in hindsight, to give that level of support.

1043
01:24:35,677 --> 01:24:45,134
I think um she brings that and um it's rare, I would say, in the, I'm gonna,

1044
01:24:45,134 --> 01:24:52,714
I mean, because I guess we're fast food category, whatever is like, it's rare to find
those types of people, I think.

1045
01:24:52,794 --> 01:25:04,134
And I have a good friend of mine who has a friend of his that owns Chick-fil-A and I've
talked to him a couple of times about some of their culture.

1046
01:25:04,754 --> 01:25:05,614
Dude.

1047
01:25:06,114 --> 01:25:08,514
But yes, so right.

1048
01:25:08,514 --> 01:25:15,250
And I will say my conversation with him was was revealing.

1049
01:25:15,250 --> 01:25:24,682
Some ways because to me I thought you know looking at them and the way that they operate
things is a god lord like they're They've got to be so flexible with their employees man

1050
01:25:24,682 --> 01:25:31,547
like cuz because like they're just the employees are happy like people are good to be
there ah

1051
01:25:31,547 --> 01:25:37,578
Yeah, you don't have if you leave people to operate they the way they want you will not
have the brand that they have.

1052
01:25:37,578 --> 01:25:39,906
I know there is no joke that place does not play.

1053
01:25:39,906 --> 01:25:41,248
Nah, dude, they don't play at all.

1054
01:25:41,248 --> 01:25:48,199
And that was one of the first things he told me is like, cause I was talking about some of
the issues we had with employees and he goes, nah, dude, he said we fire him day two.

1055
01:25:48,199 --> 01:25:49,261
And I was like, what do you mean?

1056
01:25:49,261 --> 01:25:49,976
That's crazy.

1057
01:25:49,976 --> 01:25:54,734
Don't you have to document who you are in your process so then you can honestly and fairly
hold him accountable to it?

1058
01:25:54,734 --> 01:26:04,782
Exactly you gotta have and that's where the vision right the North Star this is what we're
headed to and this is what the team is bought into right and this is and so like ah

1059
01:26:04,782 --> 01:26:07,462
What do you say about that a little bit more though because we don't know who he is.

1060
01:26:07,462 --> 01:26:07,782
Yeah.

1061
01:26:07,782 --> 01:26:09,502
Yeah, sure sure sure sure sure

1062
01:26:09,829 --> 01:26:10,210
uh...

1063
01:26:10,210 --> 01:26:12,010
no no no no uh...

1064
01:26:14,098 --> 01:26:18,551
It was it was weird because he kind of looked at me like I was an alien in a way He's like
what do you mean?

1065
01:26:18,551 --> 01:26:28,208
You would just let him stay and I was like, well, you know, maybe like this and that and
he said no no, no He goes like you that person It would become very clear if you have a

1066
01:26:28,208 --> 01:26:40,457
strong culture if your people are committed to your brand and the store in each other And
they're holding that way and they're doing it that way then he goes that person will be

1067
01:26:41,934 --> 01:26:42,658
They'll ruin it.

1068
01:26:42,658 --> 01:26:43,250
They'll ruin it.

1069
01:26:43,250 --> 01:26:45,294
Well, but you'll see it so fast.

1070
01:26:45,294 --> 01:26:46,518
Constricized themselves.

1071
01:26:46,518 --> 01:26:50,830
That's what I think right you don't have to worry about it because they're gonna realize
they don't fit in real quick

1072
01:26:50,830 --> 01:27:02,090
Yes, and it gets uncomfortable and he said that you know He said he's they had had a
couple instances where somebody lingered and he said it took months to like what to write

1073
01:27:02,090 --> 01:27:12,090
the ship and He said yeah, we don't will mess around and I was like I was just kind of
blew my ears back or my hair back because I was like well shit I I just had this

1074
01:27:12,090 --> 01:27:18,006
assumption that like well, you know you hire somebody and you kind of let them work their
way into the culture now, dude like

1075
01:27:18,006 --> 01:27:20,570
You hire them and you make it super clear when you're hiring them.

1076
01:27:20,570 --> 01:27:21,491
This is what we're up to.

1077
01:27:21,491 --> 01:27:22,773
This is the expectation.

1078
01:27:22,773 --> 01:27:25,177
Our customers deserve nothing better than exceptional.

1079
01:27:25,177 --> 01:27:29,262
You get to be ruthless with your with your with your delivery to the customer.

1080
01:27:29,262 --> 01:27:31,990
You like get to.

1081
01:27:31,990 --> 01:27:34,434
It's your company and your vision, Yeah.

1082
01:27:34,434 --> 01:27:35,555
That's it.

1083
01:27:36,457 --> 01:27:37,168
That's the truth.

1084
01:27:37,168 --> 01:27:38,540
There's nothing wrong with that, right?

1085
01:27:38,540 --> 01:27:42,326
You have to establish what that is and then tell everybody, here's what we're going.

1086
01:27:42,326 --> 01:27:42,977
Get on board.

1087
01:27:42,977 --> 01:27:46,992
I'm going to treat you amazing if you get on board, but if not, that's okay.

1088
01:27:47,133 --> 01:27:47,898
You can't do this.

1089
01:27:47,898 --> 01:27:48,198
us.

1090
01:27:48,198 --> 01:27:50,298
Yeah, and I think that was really...

1091
01:27:50,298 --> 01:27:54,538
that was harder for me to land with myself over the last year.

1092
01:27:54,538 --> 01:27:55,238
Yeah, I had to go through that.

1093
01:27:55,238 --> 01:27:57,758
Man, that's hard, because it's like...

1094
01:27:57,758 --> 01:27:58,898
I care about people.

1095
01:27:58,898 --> 01:28:06,158
And I was that kid a lot of times growing up where, like, I knew I wanted it, but I kind
of just wanted somebody to challenge me.

1096
01:28:06,158 --> 01:28:06,900
But you know what?

1097
01:28:06,900 --> 01:28:10,252
needed to to help you redirect yourself to say this isn't okay.

1098
01:28:10,653 --> 01:28:14,857
We think we're actually doing people a service by being nice to them and pleasing them.

1099
01:28:14,857 --> 01:28:15,637
are not.

1100
01:28:15,637 --> 01:28:16,338
No.

1101
01:28:16,338 --> 01:28:20,781
You are actually doing them the biggest disservice by not looking at them and say you got
to take this more serious.

1102
01:28:20,781 --> 01:28:21,121
Yeah.

1103
01:28:21,121 --> 01:28:23,183
You want a better life, you got to earn a better life.

1104
01:28:23,183 --> 01:28:26,726
You want to be a part of something big, you want to be valued, you have to value this
place.

1105
01:28:26,726 --> 01:28:27,496
Yeah.

1106
01:28:27,746 --> 01:28:30,529
Yeah, you gotta treat it like, like, you know, better than your home.

1107
01:28:30,529 --> 01:28:34,753
Uh, yeah, like, I do college football.

1108
01:28:34,753 --> 01:28:40,718
I do, I do NFL to the extent that my fantasy football team is three and O shameless plug,
but yeah, you know, just.

1109
01:28:40,718 --> 01:28:42,178
you where i'm at my business?

1110
01:28:42,178 --> 01:28:50,918
i had to give it up yeah, even the league i started and they still play it but i had to
quit playing two years ago because i don't like doing anything i can't do well and it took

1111
01:28:50,918 --> 01:28:51,898
too much time

1112
01:28:51,950 --> 01:28:53,211
Man, I hear you.

1113
01:28:53,211 --> 01:28:55,614
So that's golf for me right now.

1114
01:28:55,614 --> 01:28:57,215
started...

1115
01:28:58,217 --> 01:29:00,058
Oh my God.

1116
01:29:01,060 --> 01:29:02,201
Is that true story?

1117
01:29:02,201 --> 01:29:03,308
Oh my God.

1118
01:29:03,308 --> 01:29:05,375
Only the back tires were able to save it.

1119
01:29:05,442 --> 01:29:06,503
That's good.

1120
01:29:06,704 --> 01:29:10,587
I can only imagine the strain on your face is trying to yank that baby out of it.

1121
01:29:10,587 --> 01:29:12,326
Eight people had to come and help us.

1122
01:29:14,463 --> 01:29:15,650
That's fantastic.

1123
01:29:15,650 --> 01:29:17,031
during a golf outing too.

1124
01:29:17,031 --> 01:29:17,462
my god.

1125
01:29:17,462 --> 01:29:18,892
The company golf outing.

1126
01:29:19,473 --> 01:29:20,112
I love that.

1127
01:29:20,112 --> 01:29:21,494
20 people saw it.

1128
01:29:23,056 --> 01:29:26,198
So anyway, back back back to sports.

1129
01:29:26,880 --> 01:29:32,324
I I'm becoming less of a fan because fans are fanatics.

1130
01:29:32,324 --> 01:29:32,705
Yeah.

1131
01:29:32,705 --> 01:29:36,347
I'm enjoying watching it as much uh more than I ever did.

1132
01:29:36,508 --> 01:29:41,352
But I think everybody watched The Last Dance, Michael Jordan.

1133
01:29:41,352 --> 01:29:43,980
That was a really good documentary if you watched it.

1134
01:29:43,980 --> 01:29:46,412
A lot of principles in life can be taken away from it.

1135
01:29:46,412 --> 01:29:56,671
I'm not, I said that to say, when I was a huge NFL fan, we like our Cincinnati Bengals,
but I wasn't a big Dallas Cowboys fan because anything that's like the other thing, like

1136
01:29:56,671 --> 01:29:58,963
America's team, it's like, out of here, you're not America's team.

1137
01:29:58,963 --> 01:30:01,045
So I wasn't a Dallas Cowboys fan.

1138
01:30:01,045 --> 01:30:06,910
However, their documentary came out a few weeks ago and I think it's on Netflix.

1139
01:30:07,391 --> 01:30:09,653
And we were talking about leadership styles.

1140
01:30:09,653 --> 01:30:11,654
um

1141
01:30:12,686 --> 01:30:17,486
There is a massive distinction throughout that four or six part documentary.

1142
01:30:17,486 --> 01:30:19,186
They interviewed Emmett Smith.

1143
01:30:19,246 --> 01:30:20,526
Michael Irvin was on there.

1144
01:30:20,526 --> 01:30:21,586
Aikman's there.

1145
01:30:21,586 --> 01:30:23,786
Jimmy Johnson, Jerry Jones, Barry Switzer.

1146
01:30:23,786 --> 01:30:25,086
I it was everyone.

1147
01:30:25,846 --> 01:30:33,626
It highlights a massive distinction between Jimmy Johnson's style that got them two Super
Bowls.

1148
01:30:33,626 --> 01:30:42,694
And then when him and Jerry Jones couldn't get along and he left or got fired and they
brought in Barry Switzer, there is an extreme distinction because here was Barry Switzer's

1149
01:30:43,150 --> 01:30:47,470
approach and he says this, said, Hey, you're professionals, you're professional football
players.

1150
01:30:47,470 --> 01:30:52,490
I accept the fact that since you're a professional, that if you know we have practice and
we have practice, you're going to be there.

1151
01:30:52,490 --> 01:30:54,950
If for some reason you're not there, there's a reason why you're not there.

1152
01:30:54,950 --> 01:30:58,410
And so that's what set in on that team and you get to the end of it.

1153
01:30:58,410 --> 01:31:04,910
And those players said, we liked playing under Barry Switzer more.

1154
01:31:04,910 --> 01:31:06,010
It was more fun.

1155
01:31:06,010 --> 01:31:07,270
It was easier.

1156
01:31:07,270 --> 01:31:09,050
The environment was great.

1157
01:31:09,110 --> 01:31:11,330
However, one of them said, however,

1158
01:31:11,532 --> 01:31:16,075
If Jimmy Johnson would have remained the coach, we probably would have won five Super
Bowls.

1159
01:31:16,840 --> 01:31:19,336
So what we have to understand is what's your job?

1160
01:31:21,324 --> 01:31:23,975
Your job is to get that thing to 50 locations.

1161
01:31:24,576 --> 01:31:29,986
If there's 10 people that aren't on board with your thing, even if it's your fault, they
gotta go.

1162
01:31:29,986 --> 01:31:30,599
They gotta go.

1163
01:31:30,599 --> 01:31:30,999
Right?

1164
01:31:30,999 --> 01:31:33,240
And it's time to reset the thing.

1165
01:31:33,341 --> 01:31:43,776
I would love to have everyone be an elite human being that comes to work for the companies
I'm running and they really buy into it in a big way and take responsibility and take

1166
01:31:43,776 --> 01:31:44,627
ownership.

1167
01:31:44,627 --> 01:31:46,508
I would love that because then guess what?

1168
01:31:46,508 --> 01:31:49,529
Then you can have a great, perfect relationship.

1169
01:31:49,529 --> 01:31:51,070
But I've learned that's rare.

1170
01:31:52,686 --> 01:31:57,555
And since it's rare, you're the one at the helm that's building the damn thing that said
this is what we're doing.

1171
01:31:57,555 --> 01:32:00,238
You unfortunately have to hold everyone accountable.

1172
01:32:00,260 --> 01:32:04,376
Yourself, them, the brand, the culture, that's your job.

1173
01:32:04,376 --> 01:32:06,720
Yeah, and that's

1174
01:32:09,175 --> 01:32:10,637
it yet and

1175
01:32:14,316 --> 01:32:15,687
It's a ride, man.

1176
01:32:15,687 --> 01:32:16,707
It's a roller coaster.

1177
01:32:16,707 --> 01:32:25,472
uh it fuels me in a lot of ways uh to know.

1178
01:32:25,492 --> 01:32:40,761
There's this weird pull and energetic burst of, I guess a burst of energy when I think
about it because it can be either super heavy or it can be like a rocket ship, just

1179
01:32:40,761 --> 01:32:42,422
spooling its engines.

1180
01:32:42,766 --> 01:32:55,146
And I feel like that's where we are right now is, you know, whether it's the conversation
with the Chick-fil-A guy or whether it's, you know, bouncing stuff off my neighbor who's

1181
01:32:55,146 --> 01:33:00,206
also an entrepreneur and some other people that are close to me.

1182
01:33:00,206 --> 01:33:07,346
There's so many things that we went through like the first six or eight months of just
sort of catching everything and we were just like sponging it up, right?

1183
01:33:07,346 --> 01:33:12,716
Like me, I speak for myself, is just sponging it up and just figuring it out, taking it.

1184
01:33:12,716 --> 01:33:23,407
of data and know hounding over spreadsheets you know going through you know talking to
employees doing reviews different thing and uh and then I hit a point where I've actually

1185
01:33:23,407 --> 01:33:36,649
I actually said this I said I think the game is slowing down you know I think it's slowing
down ah and boy was I fucking wrong like I slowed down for maybe a month and

1186
01:33:36,952 --> 01:33:39,998
slowing down mean it mean it felt like you were getting into the zone where you understood

1187
01:33:39,998 --> 01:33:53,286
Yeah, I felt like yeah, I felt like I had my hands wrapped around what I thought to be
true financially and what I thought to be true about Culture and people and some of the

1188
01:33:53,286 --> 01:33:55,137
people we had in leadership and stuff like that.

1189
01:33:55,137 --> 01:34:03,091
I thought that it was I was like man We're in a good spot like and we're only eight months
in like this is cool.

1190
01:34:03,091 --> 01:34:08,724
Like I had that moment for a second to hell if reality doesn't just have a way of

1191
01:34:09,184 --> 01:34:13,397
of letting you know you're wrong, or letting you know not there yet, right?

1192
01:34:13,397 --> 01:34:14,618
It's not that it was wrong.

1193
01:34:14,618 --> 01:34:16,859
It's like, it's not there yet.

1194
01:34:16,859 --> 01:34:22,783
ah But it's, like I said, I feel like we're spooling our engines.

1195
01:34:22,883 --> 01:34:30,828
That clarity that I had, that I thought I had, or whatever the situation was, it's still
there.

1196
01:34:31,629 --> 01:34:38,862
I mean, it might sound silly, but my anxiety attacks have, you know, they're not what they
used to be.

1197
01:34:38,862 --> 01:34:43,534
I've learned actually it was

1198
01:34:46,958 --> 01:34:54,838
Chris Hemsworth, I saw a thing, Chris Hemsworth recently where he was talking about how he
had anxiety attacks like crazy when he was doing a couple of the first Avengers movies and

1199
01:34:54,838 --> 01:35:01,978
he was like, he's like my chest, my heart, he's like I feel like my heart was gonna pound
out of my chest, he said I would sweat and just be like a mess mentally and emotionally

1200
01:35:01,978 --> 01:35:10,778
and he's like so I had talked to the therapist and all those things and he's like there's
a bunch of studies done or whatever that basically the people that are experiencing those

1201
01:35:10,778 --> 01:35:16,858
like panic attack symptoms, he said half of them were

1202
01:35:16,982 --> 01:35:27,333
You were in a state of joy were excited he said the other half of them were fearful like
that was the general sense that they had and he was like so through his therapy is like,

1203
01:35:27,333 --> 01:35:42,809
you know, I realized that it's It's me retraining my mind to say when I wake up at 2 in
the morning and my heart is racing and I can't catch my breath like I'm on point I I am

1204
01:35:42,809 --> 01:35:44,070
like in this moment.

1205
01:35:44,070 --> 01:35:45,150
I am a

1206
01:35:45,430 --> 01:35:57,475
aware to everything that's going on around me and like I'm in my best position to make a
decision or to dive into something and get something done and I think for me like hearing

1207
01:35:57,475 --> 01:36:10,280
that it was kind of like a whoo interesting because I've been approaching that from fear
and when I have those moments it's like it's just a wave of uncertainty and doubt and all

1208
01:36:10,280 --> 01:36:14,648
these things and so like when I'm going into that it's so easy to just want to

1209
01:36:14,648 --> 01:36:26,280
beat yourself up and just be in it and um and it was kind of refreshing to hear that it
just resonated with me in the moment and it still does today and I've I've actually been

1210
01:36:26,280 --> 01:36:34,758
able to kind of harness those thoughts to slow myself down and like nah dude like this is
actually the moment that you get to decide something like this is there is something

1211
01:36:34,758 --> 01:36:38,562
that's pending right now that that you get to make a decision on and make a difference
with

1212
01:36:38,562 --> 01:36:46,381
What have you found in those moments, works to, not just the thoughts, what have you found
that helps to ease that?

1213
01:36:47,854 --> 01:36:57,784
ah Something that my wife's grandfather has said, he's a big Ben Franklin guy, loves Ben
Franklin.

1214
01:36:57,884 --> 01:37:00,877
And I believe this came from Ben Franklin, somebody's gonna fact check that I'm sure.

1215
01:37:00,877 --> 01:37:06,653
But ah he says often, you are where you are when you were when.

1216
01:37:07,614 --> 01:37:11,856
And basically what it means is,

1217
01:37:13,774 --> 01:37:24,194
who you are and where you are in life and the experiences that you're experiencing and the
things that are happening around you are happening for a reason.

1218
01:37:24,254 --> 01:37:26,114
It's just where you're supposed to be.

1219
01:37:26,114 --> 01:37:26,694
That's it.

1220
01:37:26,694 --> 01:37:38,274
And so, you know, to be totally transparent, you know, recently we've we struggled
financially big time and made some questionable decisions.

1221
01:37:38,274 --> 01:37:41,670
And it was one of those moments where.

1222
01:37:41,934 --> 01:37:50,614
I was like, I started to feel it, you know, come up and it was like, uh, I was like, nah,
man, this is, this is happening for a reason.

1223
01:37:50,614 --> 01:37:57,834
I created this because I decided to do that and that and that, and there's a way out.

1224
01:37:57,834 --> 01:37:59,914
Like, I mean, there's always a way out.

1225
01:37:59,914 --> 01:38:05,814
And so it was like just telling myself that and making a couple of phone calls, of course,
right?

1226
01:38:05,814 --> 01:38:07,774
Like, I mean, cause you got to solve the problem.

1227
01:38:07,774 --> 01:38:10,574
It's like identify the problem and, and, and solve it.

1228
01:38:10,574 --> 01:38:11,178
Um,

1229
01:38:11,178 --> 01:38:13,283
And it might not be easy to solve it.

1230
01:38:13,486 --> 01:38:16,910
It might be messy to solve it, but you can solve it.

1231
01:38:16,910 --> 01:38:21,290
There's a study around here, the book, Everything is Figureoutable.

1232
01:38:21,350 --> 01:38:23,130
Marie Forleo, it's a great book.

1233
01:38:23,130 --> 01:38:24,450
Her mom taught her that.

1234
01:38:24,450 --> 01:38:30,310
And she used to have massive anxiety and stress and I think it was depression, but it's
like, Hey, just calm down.

1235
01:38:30,310 --> 01:38:32,130
Everything is figureoutable.

1236
01:38:32,370 --> 01:38:33,290
Everything.

1237
01:38:34,330 --> 01:38:41,250
If you understand and buy into that, it's like, so for me, what I know in those moments,
it's like, all right, what do I just need to take action on?

1238
01:38:41,290 --> 01:38:42,250
What's the thing?

1239
01:38:42,250 --> 01:38:42,610
Yeah.

1240
01:38:42,610 --> 01:38:43,510
That's it.

1241
01:38:43,510 --> 01:38:45,066
Just, I got to do something.

1242
01:38:45,066 --> 01:38:46,927
I need to try to fix the problem, let's find a solution.

1243
01:38:46,927 --> 01:38:47,768
What's the thing?

1244
01:38:47,768 --> 01:38:51,781
Instead of worrying about it all damn day long, just get to work on the thing, right?

1245
01:38:51,781 --> 01:38:52,152
Yeah.

1246
01:38:52,152 --> 01:38:52,502
Yeah.

1247
01:38:52,502 --> 01:38:54,674
Because whatever the outcome is going to be, it's going to be.

1248
01:38:54,674 --> 01:38:57,295
I figured that out in 17 years of business here.

1249
01:38:57,396 --> 01:38:58,827
Whatever it's going to be, it's going to be.

1250
01:38:58,827 --> 01:39:04,221
Now, I want to have the greatest chance and possibility that I can make a positive outcome
here.

1251
01:39:04,221 --> 01:39:07,063
But whatever it is, if I can't, I'm not going to be able to.

1252
01:39:07,384 --> 01:39:08,845
What do I need to focus on?

1253
01:39:08,845 --> 01:39:09,986
What's the problem I need to solve?

1254
01:39:09,986 --> 01:39:10,664
Let's just get to

1255
01:39:10,664 --> 01:39:11,875
Man, that's so hard though.

1256
01:39:11,875 --> 01:39:20,902
ah Well, I will say for me was hard because I never really considered myself to have an
ego about shit because I'm you know, I'm just kind of like it is what it is kind of guy

1257
01:39:20,902 --> 01:39:32,091
and but man like in those moments that Ego wants to creep in like nobody's business
because it's like now I can wrestle this out I can I can manhandle this thing and it'll be

1258
01:39:32,091 --> 01:39:32,652
fine.

1259
01:39:32,652 --> 01:39:34,373
No, dude You can't manhandle it.

1260
01:39:34,373 --> 01:39:36,075
It's that's that that's not the answer.

1261
01:39:36,075 --> 01:39:40,758
Like you can't fight your way out of some of these things

1262
01:39:40,844 --> 01:39:44,852
just have to not care about what people think man and that is tough to get there.

1263
01:39:45,023 --> 01:39:46,363
It is tough to get there.

1264
01:39:46,363 --> 01:39:57,546
mean, you know, just even taking feedback from from Eric, you know, as he, you know,
visits the stores uh like, you know, he'll call me up and be like, hey, you know, that

1265
01:39:57,546 --> 01:40:06,538
sink, dude, you got to wipe that sink down because he's like, hey, the you know, somebody
forgot to turn on the light like you got him in the first thought that comes to my mind is

1266
01:40:06,538 --> 01:40:09,969
like, come on, man, the fuck you like, what are you calling me for?

1267
01:40:09,969 --> 01:40:13,122
And the reality of it is that uh

1268
01:40:13,122 --> 01:40:14,385
You want that.

1269
01:40:14,769 --> 01:40:15,917
You want that.

1270
01:40:15,917 --> 01:40:16,782
He cares.

1271
01:40:16,782 --> 01:40:17,546
Yeah, man.

1272
01:40:17,546 --> 01:40:17,807
Right.

1273
01:40:17,807 --> 01:40:18,570
Like that's

1274
01:40:18,570 --> 01:40:19,217
aren't going tell you that.

1275
01:40:19,217 --> 01:40:20,984
They're just going to see it and not say anything.

1276
01:40:20,984 --> 01:40:28,329
They're gonna see it not say anything and then the next time they come around like it's
and then if something else let's say the cooler lights off or something's out of stock

1277
01:40:28,329 --> 01:40:34,119
then they're in their brain like it's like oh It's going downhill Yeah on downhill

1278
01:40:34,119 --> 01:40:38,921
I don't know why we can't be honest with ourselves that that's the way we would perceive
establishments too.

1279
01:40:39,341 --> 01:40:41,982
It's so personal we think we're better in all this.

1280
01:40:42,782 --> 01:40:46,124
We still haven't said um some people can do it just not many well.

1281
01:40:46,124 --> 01:40:47,344
Not many do it well.

1282
01:40:47,344 --> 01:40:48,935
Some can but not many do it well.

1283
01:40:48,935 --> 01:40:51,526
Yeah I'm like you have 50 grand on the table how'd that feel?

1284
01:40:51,526 --> 01:40:51,896
Yeah.

1285
01:40:51,896 --> 01:40:53,947
You got mad over that 20,000 you're gonna pay me?

1286
01:40:53,947 --> 01:40:57,188
It seems like a bad business decision I'll put 30 more in your pocket.

1287
01:40:57,378 --> 01:40:59,619
That's okay don't let the professionals handle it.

1288
01:40:59,619 --> 01:41:01,670
What um

1289
01:41:01,902 --> 01:41:03,902
Is there secret sauce about how you're gonna get to 50?

1290
01:41:03,902 --> 01:41:05,062
Do you not see it yet?

1291
01:41:05,062 --> 01:41:06,202
Do you see it?

1292
01:41:06,202 --> 01:41:07,382
Like how are gonna get there?

1293
01:41:07,382 --> 01:41:10,062
Is it through franchisees?

1294
01:41:10,062 --> 01:41:11,302
Is it?

1295
01:41:11,458 --> 01:41:12,769
I think it's a mixture of both.

1296
01:41:12,769 --> 01:41:14,579
think franchisees is going to be big piece of it.

1297
01:41:14,579 --> 01:41:16,240
ah Do I see it?

1298
01:41:16,540 --> 01:41:19,041
Mostly, is the honest answer.

1299
01:41:19,101 --> 01:41:25,924
see, ah I'm starting to see, I guess I should say, ah the path forward.

1300
01:41:25,924 --> 01:41:34,307
And um like I said before, I think a big portion of it is going to be introducing mobile
into it and finding a way to franchise mobile operations.

1301
01:41:34,307 --> 01:41:40,622
And there's a lot of, like if you look at the Kona ice trucks, things like that, that are
just kind of everywhere.

1302
01:41:40,622 --> 01:41:42,563
Figure out they figured it out.

1303
01:41:42,563 --> 01:41:44,404
Yeah, dude.

1304
01:41:44,404 --> 01:41:57,089
I mean, yeah, like it's I Will tell you building the first two trailers was like a really
interesting weird experience because it was like how do you take and it was also kind of a

1305
01:41:57,089 --> 01:42:03,171
duh because we had a Couple shops that are like 500 square feet or so and then we had a
couple shops are like 1400 square feet.

1306
01:42:03,171 --> 01:42:10,254
So it there wasn't a real like Now no, it was just kind of we made the items fit that
needed to fit and you know, we did it

1307
01:42:10,254 --> 01:42:17,414
And so when you move it to a truck, mean you got, or a trailer, it's like 16 by eight or
something, and so you're packing it all in there.

1308
01:42:18,370 --> 01:42:21,242
But here's what I would say, this is what's good about having people come before us.

1309
01:42:21,242 --> 01:42:22,338
They had to do the same thing.

1310
01:42:22,338 --> 01:42:24,459
They sure did, They sure did.

1311
01:42:24,459 --> 01:42:31,886
uh good part of, I guess to answer your question partly is like.

1312
01:42:33,926 --> 01:42:34,787
How do we get there?

1313
01:42:34,787 --> 01:42:43,535
mean, we're gonna get there through through people We're gonna get there through our
systems and processes continuing to be honed I mean like, you know, we're already looking

1314
01:42:43,535 --> 01:42:53,964
at a couple of new locations and we're already uh Looking at and trying to design trailers
and put together a franchise packet so that we can uh Make it more accessible for someone

1315
01:42:53,964 --> 01:42:55,606
to be able to have a bubbles franchise.

1316
01:42:55,606 --> 01:43:00,334
Like I think it's uh I don't I don't want it to be an onerous thing like

1317
01:43:00,334 --> 01:43:02,514
Yeah, because right now what do they have to come to the table with?

1318
01:43:02,514 --> 01:43:05,094
They got to come to the table with 150 grand.

1319
01:43:05,954 --> 01:43:07,034
Like net worth.

1320
01:43:07,194 --> 01:43:07,834
Sure.

1321
01:43:07,834 --> 01:43:09,691
Yeah, you got to have 150k sitting there.

1322
01:43:09,691 --> 01:43:14,378
And then to build it out you have to be able to go and get uh a huge SPA.

1323
01:43:15,180 --> 01:43:16,181
Easily.

1324
01:43:16,570 --> 01:43:18,950
you're a half million dollars really commitment.

1325
01:43:19,452 --> 01:43:22,388
Realistically, if you're gonna do it right, because then you need operating cash, right?

1326
01:43:22,388 --> 01:43:24,633
I because that was a mistake that we had, right?

1327
01:43:24,633 --> 01:43:27,369
We did not have the operating cash that we needed.

1328
01:43:27,369 --> 01:43:29,742
And so that was another lesson learned, but.

1329
01:43:29,742 --> 01:43:31,622
How do you make that less painful?

1330
01:43:31,622 --> 01:43:32,302
Maybe it's a truck.

1331
01:43:32,302 --> 01:43:33,522
Maybe it's the truck.

1332
01:43:34,402 --> 01:43:37,176
Maybe you could sell a truck for 125 grand to them and here you go.

1333
01:43:37,176 --> 01:43:43,915
Yeah, exactly, and I think it's the same mentality of bringing the product to the
customer, I feel like.

1334
01:43:43,915 --> 01:43:52,072
We're bringing somebody that wants to be an entrepreneur, that wants to spend something
up, but maybe isn't ready to commit their entire life.

1335
01:43:52,072 --> 01:43:53,255
How can you finance it for him?

1336
01:43:53,255 --> 01:43:55,160
There's a lot of money in the financial piece.

1337
01:43:55,160 --> 01:43:58,591
Sure, that too.

1338
01:43:59,092 --> 01:44:02,593
Making it more accessible I think is going to be key.

1339
01:44:04,454 --> 01:44:07,956
Working around the brick and mortar so that we're not dependent on that anymore.

1340
01:44:07,956 --> 01:44:12,878
um I think we actually are looking at an opportunity right now in Florida.

1341
01:44:12,878 --> 01:44:13,186
oh

1342
01:44:13,186 --> 01:44:19,754
say, it seems like somewhere that's good weather 12 months out of the year, that has to be
a restriction with our weather.

1343
01:44:19,754 --> 01:44:32,208
Almost it is a huge restriction and I almost actually opened when we were in Dallas or in
Fort Worth and um it was so close and we didn't do it we decided not to but but there is a

1344
01:44:32,208 --> 01:44:42,570
franchisee that's operating the the northern stores that they actually live part-time down
in Florida and so um They're very much wanting to do something similar with the with the

1345
01:44:42,570 --> 01:44:48,364
trailer type operations So we're going to that now and I think it's going to be it will be
our first

1346
01:44:48,364 --> 01:44:52,918
If everything works out, of course, it will be our first try to say like, does this really
work?

1347
01:44:52,918 --> 01:45:02,016
Because the conversation that we've had internally was like, man, because there were some
people that were like, I don't really, you know, that's kind of weird and they don't know

1348
01:45:02,016 --> 01:45:03,087
how to operate a store.

1349
01:45:03,087 --> 01:45:04,388
Like they haven't been in a store.

1350
01:45:04,388 --> 01:45:07,781
Like they have those up North, but like they're not there every day.

1351
01:45:07,781 --> 01:45:09,433
They don't know how to operate.

1352
01:45:09,433 --> 01:45:12,215
And my point is like, well, hang on a second.

1353
01:45:12,376 --> 01:45:15,414
If we're saying that mobile trailers is going to be our future.

1354
01:45:15,414 --> 01:45:17,327
It's gonna be people who have never done it before.

1355
01:45:17,416 --> 01:45:27,870
I never done and you know we got it We're working on the distribution front with a couple
other suppliers that is gonna make a huge wave for us I think and like how we get our

1356
01:45:27,870 --> 01:45:37,515
products and things like that ah in the near future and You know being able to dropship do
different things like that is critical I think to be able to grow but I mean if this

1357
01:45:37,515 --> 01:45:38,318
the inventory.

1358
01:45:38,318 --> 01:45:46,078
Yeah, yeah, because right now and there's been a lot of challenges with like, you know
waste product and stuff like that because we're on a container every few months come from

1359
01:45:46,078 --> 01:45:49,138
Taiwan and you're talking to the

1360
01:45:50,966 --> 01:45:53,108
for flavors and all that stuff and everything.

1361
01:45:53,108 --> 01:46:03,721
yeah for yeah, but the tariffs that are hitting everything and making it a little bit
strenuous and so Actually, yeah, so that was one of the great things that he did uh Eric

1362
01:46:03,721 --> 01:46:12,394
when he you know Was operating everything uh he got stuff private labeled through some of
the more traditional companies that were down in Taiwan So our products to be perfectly

1363
01:46:12,394 --> 01:46:20,096
honest itself say a shameless plug but like I truly believe our products are the best out
there like uh I mean when you're talking

1364
01:46:20,120 --> 01:46:25,895
You know, milk teas, the flavored teas, the popping bobas uh most specifically.

1365
01:46:25,895 --> 01:46:36,694
If you go to some other places that serve lots of coffee, I'll say, I won't name any
names, but a lot of times when you get popping bobas, they'll be hard casing shells.

1366
01:46:36,694 --> 01:46:38,745
It's almost like a crunch when you bite into it.

1367
01:46:38,745 --> 01:46:43,489
It can be kind of fleshy is one of the ways that people use to describe it.

1368
01:46:43,489 --> 01:46:47,372
And then when you get in the inside, it's supposed to be like a burst of flavor.

1369
01:46:47,593 --> 01:46:49,518
But a lot of times it'll be like a thick syrup.

1370
01:46:49,518 --> 01:46:51,018
and it's just kind of weird.

1371
01:46:51,018 --> 01:46:53,818
it's in a flavor tea is like water, right?

1372
01:46:53,818 --> 01:46:55,618
With flavored water, basically.

1373
01:46:56,698 --> 01:47:04,278
And so when you pop into it, it changes the complete texture of the drink, which a lot of
people get weirded out by.

1374
01:47:04,338 --> 01:47:05,898
Our popping bubbles are that way.

1375
01:47:05,998 --> 01:47:17,854
They are what would be traditional popping bubbles in that it's a very, it's a lot less
viscous, I don't know to say, like liquid.

1376
01:47:17,854 --> 01:47:25,901
It's it's it shares the consistency of the tea I guess is what I'll say and so as you're
drinking you you're literally just changing the flavor of the tea as you're drinking it

1377
01:47:25,901 --> 01:47:34,307
like which is interesting and You're not getting like weird textures to throw you off in
the midst of having your drink Which is kind of cool a lot of people appreciate that but

1378
01:47:34,468 --> 01:47:45,216
but yeah, That was one of the things he did was he got a private label, which is really
cool ah and so But with that of course like you know you got your shipping uh woes and

1379
01:47:45,216 --> 01:47:47,598
like I said with tariffs and stuff like that they kind of

1380
01:47:47,598 --> 01:47:48,699
It's been fun.

1381
01:47:48,699 --> 01:48:01,869
dude, like I mean you go from a container, the container, you haven't changed what you're
ordering, but the container now today versus a year ago is gonna cost you three times the

1382
01:48:01,869 --> 01:48:04,992
amount just to get the container to the states.

1383
01:48:04,992 --> 01:48:17,516
uh And so like, you know, and we've done it without increasing price, which you know,
obviously hurts a little bit, like, um but you gotta bump the volume.

1384
01:48:17,516 --> 01:48:22,449
Yeah, and I think through some of the changes, I mean, I've only been on the franchise
side for two weeks now.

1385
01:48:22,449 --> 01:48:27,333
And to be fair, some of this stuff was already in the works, but it was taking a really
long time.

1386
01:48:27,333 --> 01:48:32,516
And my mentality when I came over, was like, what's holding us back here?

1387
01:48:32,516 --> 01:48:33,597
Let's just make some phone calls.

1388
01:48:33,597 --> 01:48:35,218
Like everybody just kind of spins on this.

1389
01:48:35,218 --> 01:48:38,811
And I'm like, nah, like I'm just, I'm to talk to this guy directly and we're just going to
get it going right now.

1390
01:48:38,811 --> 01:48:45,085
Like let's get this moving now, because as a franchisee, like wearing both hats, like I'm
on the other end of this.

1391
01:48:45,085 --> 01:48:46,680
And I'm like, ah, like.

1392
01:48:46,680 --> 01:48:47,786
Our costs are pretty high, man.

1393
01:48:47,786 --> 01:48:49,687
Like we gotta feed this out.

1394
01:48:49,687 --> 01:48:50,274
Yeah.

1395
01:48:50,274 --> 01:48:53,032
So now you're on the side, you gotta help him, you gotta figure it out for him.

1396
01:48:53,056 --> 01:48:54,106
Right, which is weird.

1397
01:48:54,106 --> 01:49:03,555
uh Because sometimes in the conversations I'll have with my brother, like I said, does our
operations, ah I'm like, yeah, I'll franchise this or the franchise that.

1398
01:49:03,555 --> 01:49:07,058
And he'll like, hey, you're the franchise.

1399
01:49:07,079 --> 01:49:07,809
Tell him to do it.

1400
01:49:07,809 --> 01:49:10,241
And I was like, shit, yeah, that's right.

1401
01:49:10,401 --> 01:49:15,066
And ah so it is kind of a weird thing uh to do.

1402
01:49:15,066 --> 01:49:16,166
uh

1403
01:49:16,270 --> 01:49:18,304
Could you get the T anywhere else?

1404
01:49:18,702 --> 01:49:20,043
Could for sure.

1405
01:49:20,043 --> 01:49:27,249
I mean like there's good tea all around the world ah For sure, and I think well that and
that's one of the things that we're looking at is like I think a lot of that stuff is

1406
01:49:27,249 --> 01:49:42,872
still coming from uh Not within the US but uh the way that you get it can greatly change
your cost I mean like so, you know if you're going through a Supplier or distributor that

1407
01:49:42,872 --> 01:49:47,666
has distribution methods here already logistics and stuff then

1408
01:49:47,714 --> 01:49:52,510
you there's an opportunity you lose some of that private labeling perhaps uh...

1409
01:49:52,510 --> 01:49:54,795
you price to keep some of it maybe but

1410
01:49:55,086 --> 01:49:57,791
At end of day, even though you like it, might not.

1411
01:49:57,842 --> 01:50:07,289
It might not matter uh and you know, we've done some testing and stuff and so like the
products are Damn near what we have today.

1412
01:50:07,289 --> 01:50:10,771
And so it's Yeah, whatever it is.

1413
01:50:10,771 --> 01:50:19,807
Yeah, and and I mean You know trying to cut some of that out makes a huge difference
because the franchise gets to be healthy and the franchisees get to be healthy And that's

1414
01:50:19,807 --> 01:50:21,238
how you grow right now.

1415
01:50:21,238 --> 01:50:26,982
We've had the problem where we don't have a really good story to tell ah Like if you would
have come to me

1416
01:50:27,798 --> 01:50:31,820
eight months ago and said, uh hey, Darrell, I want to start a franchise.

1417
01:50:31,820 --> 01:50:33,040
Like what's bubbles doing?

1418
01:50:33,040 --> 01:50:34,621
I was like, go back home.

1419
01:50:34,621 --> 01:50:35,521
You don't want to do this.

1420
01:50:35,521 --> 01:50:38,763
um We're figuring it out.

1421
01:50:38,763 --> 01:50:45,796
And there was some people that were hired at the franchise level that were doing some
marketing efforts and stuff like that, that were just kind of misguided.

1422
01:50:45,796 --> 01:50:46,676
They weren't local.

1423
01:50:46,676 --> 01:50:47,987
They didn't really know the brand.

1424
01:50:47,987 --> 01:50:51,428
They didn't have an appreciation for kind of the culture and what we were trying to
create.

1425
01:50:51,428 --> 01:50:53,753
And so they were constantly just trying to sell franchises.

1426
01:50:53,753 --> 01:50:55,020
And I was like, what the hell are you doing?

1427
01:50:55,020 --> 01:50:55,936
Like you're posting on

1428
01:50:55,936 --> 01:51:05,319
LinkedIn and and like Instagram nobody's gonna buy this franchise and they're like well we
need you to do a Testimonial and I was like no, you don't want me to do that like ain't

1429
01:51:05,319 --> 01:51:20,653
gonna be real And so now though I would say I Feel confident that like we're moving in a
good direction and I still feel like we're in that growing phase and I Putting the

1430
01:51:20,653 --> 01:51:24,344
timeline to myself that you know within 12 months we get to

1431
01:51:24,344 --> 01:51:31,027
we get to be franchising and growing because we have a tremendous following in Columbus
and the surrounding area.

1432
01:51:31,027 --> 01:51:36,149
We have a store in Athens actually as well on campus and um people love it, man.

1433
01:51:36,149 --> 01:51:44,272
I think that was one of the hardest things coming in was like I came out and I started
branding everything when I came in and like uh I was one of the brand whores, man.

1434
01:51:44,272 --> 01:51:48,534
Like so when I worked for my last consulting company, I always had all the shirts on like
right.

1435
01:51:48,534 --> 01:51:50,005
I always had the polisher or whatever.

1436
01:51:50,005 --> 01:51:52,766
And um so when it came over to this, I was like, hey, it's marketing.

1437
01:51:52,766 --> 01:51:54,006
I'm very clear.

1438
01:51:54,182 --> 01:52:02,296
You know, it's not about just having a bubble shirt on it's the brand it's like getting
the brand out there putting it on our trucks so like my brother and I have it on our

1439
01:52:02,296 --> 01:52:08,968
business trucks or whatever and um I Remember Eric saying why would you do that?

1440
01:52:08,968 --> 01:52:10,489
Like why would you put that other?

1441
01:52:10,489 --> 01:52:11,555
He's like that is so silly.

1442
01:52:11,555 --> 01:52:12,750
I'm like dude.

1443
01:52:12,750 --> 01:52:14,782
It's marketing I was like people love it.

1444
01:52:14,782 --> 01:52:17,432
I was like, why aren't you selling shirts in the stores?

1445
01:52:17,532 --> 01:52:22,464
And he's like nobody wants to buy that like nobody what he's like he was so like down on
his

1446
01:52:22,464 --> 01:52:26,837
Not down on his brand, he is not the kind to go out and do this.

1447
01:52:26,837 --> 01:52:27,806
Be here talking to you.

1448
01:52:27,806 --> 01:52:29,098
You don't want to do that.

1449
01:52:29,179 --> 01:52:34,402
He just wants to give a good product and make some people happy and not really be
acknowledged for it.

1450
01:52:34,402 --> 01:52:41,827
And that's unfortunately a trait that we both share is we don't take acknowledgement well.

1451
01:52:42,047 --> 01:52:46,931
to me, when I came in, I was like, well, we have to put the brand everywhere we can.

1452
01:52:46,931 --> 01:52:48,603
So I started stamping the shit on everything.

1453
01:52:48,603 --> 01:52:50,073
I put stickers on everything.

1454
01:52:50,073 --> 01:52:50,783
We're insurers.

1455
01:52:50,783 --> 01:52:52,206
I'm buying shirts for the team.

1456
01:52:52,206 --> 01:52:53,876
What it is there's nothing bad that happened from it.

1457
01:52:53,876 --> 01:52:54,757
No!

1458
01:52:54,762 --> 01:53:04,722
bad at all and in fact like it's actually I mean we haven't started selling merchandise in
the store yet We're still working on that piece of it, but like We're working with a

1459
01:53:04,722 --> 01:53:12,522
company right now through a marketing company that we're working with is to do like be
able to do like drop ships and stuff like that of Merchandise and start selling it online,

1460
01:53:12,522 --> 01:53:21,942
but um there's some clever things you can do with the brand and I think it's like that's
one of the things that I'm excited to bring to the brand now that I feel like we're

1461
01:53:21,942 --> 01:53:22,946
starting to

1462
01:53:22,946 --> 01:53:25,037
Like I said, the game is starting to slow down a little bit.

1463
01:53:25,037 --> 01:53:26,527
There's still a ton to learn.

1464
01:53:26,527 --> 01:53:32,909
We still have so much growing to do and the vision is so big that, you know, there's still
a of stuff to do.

1465
01:53:32,909 --> 01:53:42,952
But I feel like it's slowing down to the point where we can focus on some of these more
intangible things that they're not going to, they're not going to change the business

1466
01:53:42,952 --> 01:53:52,194
tomorrow, but it's an opportunity to put us out there and be a constant reminder that if
you want something to drink,

1467
01:53:52,364 --> 01:53:54,730
You're having a bubbles and that's what you get to do.

1468
01:53:54,730 --> 01:53:56,812
That's like a yeah.

1469
01:53:56,812 --> 01:54:03,379
If you take your, um, you can't give away all the trade secrets, but if you take your
trailer somewhere, selling how many drinks makes it a good event.

1470
01:54:03,379 --> 01:54:05,541
Not great, but like you're like, yeah, this is what we need to hit.

1471
01:54:05,541 --> 01:54:06,376
uh

1472
01:54:06,376 --> 01:54:07,019
Ummm...

1473
01:54:07,019 --> 01:54:08,341
I think...

1474
01:54:11,566 --> 01:54:16,126
If we hit 100 to 150 cups, it's a day.

1475
01:54:16,126 --> 01:54:17,086
Yeah, we feel good about it.

1476
01:54:17,086 --> 01:54:18,486
It's a good day.

1477
01:54:19,746 --> 01:54:20,766
About 10 bucks.

1478
01:54:20,766 --> 01:54:21,286
Is that what it is?

1479
01:54:21,286 --> 01:54:23,126
Eight to 10 on the mobile.

1480
01:54:23,226 --> 01:54:31,606
I mean, when we're doing mobile stuff, we mark it up a little bit just because, like, you
know, in my opinion, there were some others that didn't share this at first, but in my

1481
01:54:31,606 --> 01:54:34,446
opinion, food trucks are kind of novelty.

1482
01:54:34,566 --> 01:54:39,786
And I think that there is a value to us bringing the product to you.

1483
01:54:39,966 --> 01:54:40,866
Like,

1484
01:54:41,102 --> 01:54:49,822
You know, I if you're at a soccer tournament, I think one of the worst things ever I was
never a soccer parent but like when we go to some of our dance stuff with my daughters and

1485
01:54:49,822 --> 01:55:03,142
stuff there's nothing there right like it's it's like hot dogs and and Hard pretzels,
right and so I think you know, it's a novelty for us to be there and supply to you and

1486
01:55:03,142 --> 01:55:11,162
it's a familiar brand You know what you're get and so, you know, we have a little bit of
markup on it, but we do our we do

1487
01:55:11,426 --> 01:55:12,546
We don't do our whole menu.

1488
01:55:12,546 --> 01:55:15,908
We do a compressed menu.

1489
01:55:15,908 --> 01:55:22,331
normally we have a dozen, you know, milk teas and flavor teas each.

1490
01:55:22,331 --> 01:55:25,672
And then we have like four bowls and we started doing waffles recently as well.

1491
01:55:25,672 --> 01:55:27,063
And so we're doing those bubble waffles.

1492
01:55:27,063 --> 01:55:34,066
But but in the trailer, we'll do five milk teas, five flavor teas and one bowl.

1493
01:55:34,066 --> 01:55:39,922
We just do acai bowls um and we haven't figured out the waffle yet because we pull a
tremendous amount of electricity.

1494
01:55:39,922 --> 01:55:41,762
with all the heating elements and everything.

1495
01:55:42,784 --> 01:55:45,925
But it's been really successful, I would say.

1496
01:55:45,925 --> 01:55:48,467
This summer kinda surprised us in a way.

1497
01:55:48,467 --> 01:55:53,109
ah We've gotten a lot of requests, we've had to turn some stuff down, which has been
beautiful.

1498
01:55:53,109 --> 01:56:00,173
ah And we're gonna build out at least another trailer over the winter to take us into next
summer.

1499
01:56:00,173 --> 01:56:01,754
We're already starting to build the schedule out.

1500
01:56:01,754 --> 01:56:05,836
And like I said before, with the food truck stuff, it's just a weird environment.

1501
01:56:05,836 --> 01:56:07,077
It's very, very different.

1502
01:56:07,077 --> 01:56:08,998
um

1503
01:56:09,458 --> 01:56:23,342
It just trying to get connected to the right people and the right channels to to maximize
the effort and to make sure it's like how do you Dude, it's so weird and God in Columbus

1504
01:56:23,342 --> 01:56:32,814
specifically they have I mean, I'm sure this is true anywhere else But you have your
Columbus Health Department and Columbus is inside of Franklin County So like you can do

1505
01:56:32,814 --> 01:56:39,506
your Franklin County health license and your Franklin County health license is good inside
of Columbus as long as you're doing a private event

1506
01:56:40,044 --> 01:56:45,433
Now, if I wanted to sell on the street, then I gotta go and get additionally a Columbus
license and all this.

1507
01:56:45,433 --> 01:56:46,892
And so like, it's this.

1508
01:56:46,892 --> 01:56:55,709
selling on the street versus the private event because sometimes it's crossover probably
it's like is it a private event but then people are coming off the street is it a clear

1509
01:56:55,709 --> 01:56:56,868
distinction between them

1510
01:56:56,868 --> 01:57:05,734
Yeah, yeah, it has to like it's a private property basically it's kind of the way that it
lands Yeah, yeah, yeah like Yeah, if I wanted to park on Broad Street downtown and just

1511
01:57:05,734 --> 01:57:14,109
sell you just have to like a special permit for that and stuff like that but But yeah,
that was kind of a wake-up because I like my brother's like hey I'm just gonna take this

1512
01:57:14,109 --> 01:57:17,231
like downtown blah blah blah and I was like, you can't do that You can't do that.

1513
01:57:17,231 --> 01:57:18,332
Don't do that.

1514
01:57:18,332 --> 01:57:24,322
You get some big trouble, but uh it's uh Yeah, man, I think

1515
01:57:24,322 --> 01:57:31,097
Trailers are a huge benefit and low cost entry even for us, not even just for future
franchisees.

1516
01:57:31,097 --> 01:57:36,110
But my point, like I think is I want to, I believe in the brand.

1517
01:57:36,110 --> 01:57:44,306
I think it's a tremendous opportunity uh and I think the growth potential is there for us.

1518
01:57:44,306 --> 01:57:53,482
Like I really think the market is kind of, it boomed a lot, like with the Bova Tea stuff
boomed and I think one of the things that I ran into

1519
01:57:53,590 --> 01:57:56,672
I know I'm like just my brain is kind of just scattered at the moment.

1520
01:57:56,672 --> 01:58:03,705
But like one of the things we ran into was um like he had never done he being Eric had
never done much marketing before.

1521
01:58:03,705 --> 01:58:08,578
Like he's like, well, actually one of the comments he made is before COVID, I didn't spend
a dollar marketing ever.

1522
01:58:08,578 --> 01:58:10,679
And I had some of the best years I ever had.

1523
01:58:10,679 --> 01:58:12,350
And he's like, so why do I got to spend it now?

1524
01:58:12,350 --> 01:58:14,701
And how do know I'm even going to get any money back on it?

1525
01:58:14,701 --> 01:58:16,142
And I was like, well, you don't.

1526
01:58:16,226 --> 01:58:17,988
Yeah, we got you here is probably not going to get you there.

1527
01:58:17,988 --> 01:58:18,546
That's what I'm

1528
01:58:18,546 --> 01:58:20,337
Yeah, you just gotta just gotta do it do it.

1529
01:58:20,337 --> 01:58:27,633
Yeah, and so one of the challenges right though is that now You can get popping bubbles
anywhere.

1530
01:58:27,774 --> 01:58:38,493
I mean like not anywhere but like I mean your starboard you go to wherever you they have
it available So it's no longer the novelty that it was pre-covid um You know just looking

1531
01:58:38,493 --> 01:58:47,720
at the calendar like pre-covid it wasn't it wasn't wildly available and So now we just
have like these other things and that's I talking about before is just

1532
01:58:47,720 --> 01:58:51,554
We have to press in order to be successful.

1533
01:58:52,316 --> 01:58:55,899
We have to press to the customer and be everywhere.

1534
01:58:56,000 --> 01:58:57,388
You just have to blanket the market.

1535
01:58:57,388 --> 01:58:59,543
Is this a replacement for somebody getting a coffee?

1536
01:58:59,543 --> 01:59:01,014
that where you're honestly competing?

1537
01:59:01,014 --> 01:59:02,745
where I'm I think that's where we're going.

1538
01:59:02,745 --> 01:59:16,089
Yeah is like uh No, right no, no you're not and I think that a lot of people Because you
know some of the things that we've talked about doing which we haven't done yet but like,

1539
01:59:16,089 --> 01:59:27,202
know looking at caffeine and stuff like that that we currently don't do but um Yeah,
because you know, we've gotten those requests and I think it's a reasonable thing to add

1540
01:59:27,202 --> 01:59:27,810
and I

1541
01:59:27,810 --> 01:59:36,845
You know, it doesn't mess with our flavors or anything like that depending on which
direction you go and um But yeah, I think that was one of the earlier conversations that I

1542
01:59:36,845 --> 01:59:48,595
had with Eric was uh That it gets to be a destination a lot of times uh my kids love to go
to the mall like uh I got some bougie kids man, and they like to spend money it's just

1543
01:59:48,595 --> 01:59:56,025
what kids like to do and So when they go to the mall like the first thing that they want
to do is they want to go get Starbucks?

1544
01:59:56,025 --> 01:59:57,934
that's first thing want to do and

1545
01:59:57,934 --> 02:00:09,457
uh I've seen it already a number of times over the last year where people have told me I
had somebody at Easton Town Center actually come and they were from Toledo and They had

1546
02:00:09,457 --> 02:00:18,830
drove down for the husband's birthday because he wanted to go Experience the movie theater
there and get a bubble tea from our company because he had had it before and he hadn't had

1547
02:00:18,830 --> 02:00:24,742
it in like two or three years and that was like that was why they came there and uh

1548
02:00:24,802 --> 02:00:27,247
You know why we have no idea what you're talking about?

1549
02:00:27,522 --> 02:00:28,680
You didn't bring any.

1550
02:00:28,680 --> 02:00:29,781
Damn it.

1551
02:00:31,027 --> 02:00:34,034
I'm like, I'm just, I know, know.

1552
02:00:34,668 --> 02:00:37,402
the experience that he was looking for that he drove all the way.

1553
02:00:37,402 --> 02:00:37,983
don't get to have.

1554
02:00:37,983 --> 02:00:39,644
We don't even know what it is.

1555
02:00:39,898 --> 02:00:41,698
It's like corporate propaganda.

1556
02:00:41,698 --> 02:00:43,018
yeah it is huh.

1557
02:00:43,018 --> 02:00:45,969
Yeah, exactly exactly.

1558
02:00:45,969 --> 02:00:58,102
Yeah, but it I've heard a number of times and it just put off a light bulb in my head like
man We we get to be the destination and that means that man There's some heavy-ass hitters

1559
02:00:58,102 --> 02:01:06,164
like I mean just you know Speaking of all the coffee chains and stuff like that They're
heavy hitters and you know, some of the challenges is that some of those brands are

1560
02:01:06,164 --> 02:01:11,606
actually uh To my knowledge have re

1561
02:01:12,392 --> 02:01:25,392
renegotiated a lot of contracts to include exclusives that you know, frankly make it
almost impossible for other brands to even get close and and you know, that's business and

1562
02:01:25,392 --> 02:01:32,587
that sucks right like No, I mean like at like all location like their locations.

1563
02:01:32,587 --> 02:01:40,108
Yeah, so let's say I'm Yeah, like an outlet mall you have like somebody like a Starbucks
that's there and they're like, hey, you know

1564
02:01:40,108 --> 02:01:47,711
We want to we have an exclusive on coffee, but we should probably have an exclusive on tea
because we sell it and you know a brand like that you know if it was them like you know,

1565
02:01:47,711 --> 02:01:55,064
they have the pull to be able to make that change and make it happen and uh You know when
you talk about like an outlet mall that would be like an outdoor outlet mall that makes it

1566
02:01:55,064 --> 02:02:04,638
read That's tough man like less than 10 % of your sales are tea and you're telling me
you're do So I mean that's this one of the challenges we have and to your point is I

1567
02:02:04,638 --> 02:02:09,110
definitely consider those types of things competition uh for the

1568
02:02:09,272 --> 02:02:10,463
For the dollar, yeah.

1569
02:02:10,463 --> 02:02:14,017
It's not even the, I mean, you know, even like the pretzel shops and stuff like that.

1570
02:02:14,017 --> 02:02:19,492
It's still a choice where somebody's not eating a meal and they're choosing something
extra.

1571
02:02:19,633 --> 02:02:21,354
Where are they gonna put their money?

1572
02:02:21,612 --> 02:02:25,324
What about these pop-up drive-thrus that some of these coffee companies are going up with?

1573
02:02:25,324 --> 02:02:27,255
I love those things.

1574
02:02:28,556 --> 02:02:41,012
You know, they're super small modular um and you can get them for a pretty decent, I mean,
for what you would build out a store and do like your whole remodel and everything, you

1575
02:02:41,012 --> 02:02:43,253
can get them pretty decently priced.

1576
02:02:43,253 --> 02:02:50,836
The challenge that I've seen so far is your, um lot of it just lies in relationships and
like,

1577
02:02:51,895 --> 02:02:59,388
Because I'd love to drop one into like a grocery store parking lot and just like I've Big
B coffee is one that I've seen in Columbus growing big time.

1578
02:02:59,388 --> 02:03:00,769
Yeah.

1579
02:03:00,769 --> 02:03:00,989
okay.

1580
02:03:00,989 --> 02:03:01,219
Cool.

1581
02:03:01,219 --> 02:03:05,021
Yeah and They're doing a great job.

1582
02:03:05,021 --> 02:03:17,602
That's sad to hear ah Yeah, that's tough, We forgive you we forgive you But uh, but yeah,
I mean it's a great model and I think it could

1583
02:03:17,602 --> 02:03:20,930
There's Dutch Brothers, there's 7 Brew, there's all these things blowing up.

1584
02:03:20,930 --> 02:03:22,544
Do 7 Brew is fantastic too.

1585
02:03:22,544 --> 02:03:24,025
I love.

1586
02:03:24,450 --> 02:03:25,211
What is their thing?

1587
02:03:25,211 --> 02:03:27,455
Cause they opened one in Newport.

1588
02:03:27,596 --> 02:03:29,901
It has caused traffic problems.

1589
02:03:29,901 --> 02:03:31,884
That is, I don't even get it.

1590
02:03:31,884 --> 02:03:33,387
What is going on with that?

1591
02:03:33,387 --> 02:03:35,158
It's just damn coffee, isn't it?

1592
02:03:35,158 --> 02:03:36,829
It's just coffee.

1593
02:03:36,829 --> 02:03:47,523
So their stick if because I've been there a number of times and even we were in South
Carolina we went and my daughter's had to had to go like they just love it and um I think

1594
02:03:47,523 --> 02:03:57,142
they have something like in the thousands of Combinations of what they can do with their
drinks I mean the drink drink menu is endless like I mean they have something like 40

1595
02:03:57,142 --> 02:04:01,759
different syrups and like all these different things that they do and They do phenomenal.

1596
02:04:01,759 --> 02:04:03,264
I mean I would honestly

1597
02:04:03,264 --> 02:04:12,521
in my experience as a customer of theirs, I would say that it's very similar to a
Chick-fil-A sort of level of service and experience that you get.

1598
02:04:12,521 --> 02:04:21,968
Like because they are coming to you ah in your car, know, you're, it's an of course
attitude.

1599
02:04:21,968 --> 02:04:28,512
uh I, it's interesting.

1600
02:04:28,512 --> 02:04:29,134
I don't know.

1601
02:04:29,134 --> 02:04:31,174
I guess what I'm thinking is, uh

1602
02:04:32,302 --> 02:04:37,998
It's one of those things that I'm trying to crack that code.

1603
02:04:37,998 --> 02:04:39,198
but a brand envy.

1604
02:04:39,198 --> 02:04:39,858
I'll say it you.

1605
02:04:39,858 --> 02:04:40,194
don't have.

1606
02:04:40,194 --> 02:04:40,994
Dude, it is.

1607
02:04:40,994 --> 02:04:43,875
It's completely and it's like, how did you do that?

1608
02:04:43,875 --> 02:04:52,878
Like, how did you take a well, a coffee and a seemingly normal teenager, right?

1609
02:04:52,878 --> 02:04:54,218
Whatever that means.

1610
02:04:54,598 --> 02:05:07,682
Convince them that it's cool and fun to hold an iPad and walk in the rain sometimes in a
raincoat or when it's cold and walk over to somebody's car, smile at them and take their

1611
02:05:07,682 --> 02:05:08,492
order.

1612
02:05:08,822 --> 02:05:11,329
I think all they did man, said this is who we are.

1613
02:05:11,329 --> 02:05:12,210
Yeah.

1614
02:05:12,282 --> 02:05:13,302
I think that's what it is.

1615
02:05:13,302 --> 02:05:15,862
I do think it's that simple in hindsight.

1616
02:05:15,862 --> 02:05:18,988
I, I have struck, you know, I wrestled with it.

1617
02:05:18,988 --> 02:05:24,394
And like I said before, I think I've had a lot of realizations lately and it's like, damn
it.

1618
02:05:24,394 --> 02:05:27,877
Like you said earlier, it's just you.

1619
02:05:28,378 --> 02:05:32,562
Like it's what you decide to do and do it.

1620
02:05:33,128 --> 02:05:35,082
What you have to be scared of?

1621
02:05:35,082 --> 02:05:37,612
It doesn't work like all the other shit that doesn't work too.

1622
02:05:37,612 --> 02:05:53,163
Yeah Yeah, I mean just go for it yeah, and I think if if I had a if I had to um Man if I
had to sum up anything if I'm like the last year I just say just fucking go for it like

1623
02:05:53,163 --> 02:06:06,342
They're gonna make really bad decisions Let me let me retract that you're gonna make some
really ineffective decisions and you're gonna make some really awesome decisions um

1624
02:06:07,182 --> 02:06:10,522
And I have a lot of both of those still ahead of me.

1625
02:06:10,982 --> 02:06:14,162
Neither one are no, because you can always pivot.

1626
02:06:14,322 --> 02:06:15,542
You can always pivot, man.

1627
02:06:15,542 --> 02:06:21,202
There's always like I said, there are always another way out or around or through.

1628
02:06:22,382 --> 02:06:26,142
And it's not it's not final.

1629
02:06:26,482 --> 02:06:29,602
I mean, as long as you're just still.

1630
02:06:30,282 --> 02:06:32,139
Yeah, nobody's quit.

1631
02:06:32,139 --> 02:06:33,439
Yeah, so here, that's good.

1632
02:06:33,439 --> 02:06:41,042
So one of these days, maybe Cincinnati, Ohio, maybe North Dakota, maybe we'll have an
opportunity to experience what that gentleman experienced.

1633
02:06:41,042 --> 02:06:41,622
I don't know.

1634
02:06:41,622 --> 02:06:42,452
I'm just wondering.

1635
02:06:42,452 --> 02:06:43,143
Maybe we will.

1636
02:06:43,143 --> 02:06:47,724
uh If you ever get here, we'll be one of the first people to pull up and get one, man.

1637
02:06:48,884 --> 02:06:49,985
Thank you for coming.

1638
02:06:49,985 --> 02:06:53,622
Do we go to like, I don't want to just assume it's like bubbles, whatever.com.

1639
02:06:53,622 --> 02:06:55,843
Is it bubbles tea company calm?

1640
02:06:56,322 --> 02:06:57,085
That's it.

1641
02:06:57,085 --> 02:07:09,954
Yeah So yeah, we're on LinkedIn Instagram tick-tock ah Now we recently started tick-tock
and that's why I say man the marketing company's been super helpful for us They've been

1642
02:07:09,954 --> 02:07:18,452
phenomenal with that stuff oh really started to make a change on it and and steer a
different direction which has been fun and cool ah but

1643
02:07:18,540 --> 02:07:21,223
Yeah, we have order online now.

1644
02:07:21,223 --> 02:07:24,002
We even got an app going, which is exciting and cool.

1645
02:07:24,002 --> 02:07:28,530
um But DoorDash overheats all the fun things.

1646
02:07:28,970 --> 02:07:30,054
We're doing it.

1647
02:07:30,492 --> 02:07:36,595
One parting shot, this is an advice, but I was wondering when I was gonna get to this.

1648
02:07:36,656 --> 02:07:47,864
You had the tear up with your wife's grandfather, and he gave you the green binder about
the wheel of life and all the important things.

1649
02:07:48,405 --> 02:07:50,326
What about the Bubbles green binder?

1650
02:07:51,606 --> 02:07:54,486
great yeah

1651
02:07:54,486 --> 02:08:01,905
If it made that much of an impact on your life, maybe that's the thing that you could lay
to your customers and for you guys and for all your employees to say like, here's the

1652
02:08:01,905 --> 02:08:03,056
wheel of the things are important.

1653
02:08:03,056 --> 02:08:05,750
uh You could take that from him.

1654
02:08:05,750 --> 02:08:07,822
could be his legacy that you carry it forward.

1655
02:08:13,592 --> 02:08:14,094
Yeah.

1656
02:08:14,094 --> 02:08:14,786
Okay.

1657
02:08:14,786 --> 02:08:16,140
Bubbles tea company.com.

1658
02:08:16,140 --> 02:08:17,824
Thanks for coming from Columbus, man.

1659
02:08:17,974 --> 02:08:18,958
Thank you.