Who's Driving
Who's Driving with Wesley Turner & Steven Merck is all about the entertaining stories we share and brainstorming topics we discuss as two best friends would on a long road trip. Come along for the ride as we check in with friends & offer a wide range of informative topics centered around running small businesses, social media, and all things Home and Garden.
Who's Driving
Who's Driving - Derby Decadence & Q&A S2E15
Hop in and ride along for this week's episode of Who's Driving. Have you been to the Kentucky Derby? Do you watch? These are questions we have for you. Dylan is joining The Nested Fig Team, and we answer question from our inbox.
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I didn't even Hello. Hello, heather, you're here, yeah, get in.
Speaker 2:Get in, let's go. I started up and I think you were talking to me. I was oh yeah, get in. It's time for another episode of who's Driving. Welcome to who's Driving. I'm Wesley Turner.
Speaker 1:And I'm Stephen Merck. We're two best friends and entrepreneurs.
Speaker 2:Who's Driving is an entertaining look into the behind the scenes of our lives, friendship and businesses.
Speaker 1:These are the stories we share and topics we discuss, as two best friends would on a long road trip.
Speaker 2:Along the way, we'll check in with friends and offer a wide range of informative topics centered around running small businesses, social media and all things home and garden.
Speaker 1:Buckle up and enjoy the ride. You never know who's driving, or?
Speaker 2:where we're headed. All we know is it's always a fun ride and on this week's episode, diving into the little question box I put on Instagram and I have several good questions to answer on there that's a mixed bag. I like it when it's like that little mixed bag and it's also a busy week for us. It's Mother's Day week. Yeah, very busy week. So very busy week here on the farm for petal pickers and super busy week at the garden store.
Speaker 1:But I'm feeling good.
Speaker 2:Ready to tackle it.
Speaker 1:Ready to get on it.
Speaker 2:Yes. So if you're local, make sure you come out to our garden shop, the Nested Big Garden on Augusta Road here in Greenville, and if you're not, you might can still order from Daniel. He ran out of bouquets, but then he did a recount. The weather has been amazing the last week, so everything is nailing it for Mother's Day for him. And then even I think he said he's going to add sunflower bouquets which weren't previously listed, so he added a few more, so maybe you can still get some if it hasn't sold out by.
Speaker 2:Tuesday I say it'll be sold out. Yeah, by Tuesday. We're recording this on Sunday and it's also a big week because Dylan Dylan, yeah, my Dylan. Your Dylan.
Speaker 1:Working for us tomorrow.
Speaker 2:Yes, so we talked about this inside one of our live sales on the Nested Fig app. So a lot of you know but some don't. But that was a question in my question box is what is Dylan going to be doing now that he's on the Nested Fig?
Speaker 1:payroll himself a title uh-huh, and he is vice president of marketing of marketing?
Speaker 2:yes, which really is he. Well, I mean because there ain't no one else above. So I said I would have called myself president of marketing.
Speaker 1:But technically, you and I are president of everything right right, it doesn't necessarily mean that there's a body there.
Speaker 2:That's so funny, so I'm super excited. I am, too. He's so excited. And do you think this is going to like change your dynamic at home, like are you going to boss him around more?
Speaker 1:No, Because you do that plenty and you know I was talking to someone about that yesterday and I said you know, honestly I'm glad he didn't come work for us any sooner, because we've been together for five years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think the timing is better and he's done so much other things.
Speaker 1:He's done so many other things and he's proven himself and he is very smart and very hardworking Right, and he brings a lot to help us Right and it makes our life better too. Yeah, because when we want to travel, we travel Right. We can't deal, we don't do well with other people's schedules.
Speaker 2:I know right. So Dylan is coming on to handle the social media for the Nested Fig Warehouse, so the Nested Fig Online, the Nested Fig Garden and the Nested Fig Home, so coordinating all of those. That's one area as business owners, we have slashed in the most, that needs the most improvement, and so that's what he's going to be coming and also to work with influencers for the Nested Fig, our online store. And he'll help us with special projects.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all types of you know he'll get sucked into other things, but his day-to-day job is creating content and posting and responding on all the social media platforms Because we have, you know, fortunately, we you know our business. Starting thinking from starting back when I started Roots, the garden store, back in the day, daniel and I, and how we advertised then and how advertising works now is a thousand percent different, completely different, is a thousand percent, completely different. So the funny thing is we haven't for the nested fig um online. We haven't paid for any advertising. I mean, we've worked with influencers.
Speaker 2:We haven't at the stores in five years and we haven't at the store since 2020 or a little before, Actually before that we stopped.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's five years, it's 2019.
Speaker 2:So we used to do local magazines. There was like a local paper, like a neighborhood paper. We did TV ads at one time.
Speaker 1:We've done radio ads, but all of that, you know it's so it's morphed into something different and I was telling you gosh, we were just talking about it a few weeks ago. So I sold my McDonald's in 2017. And when I got out of McDonald's, we were just in for a co-op. A McDonald's co-op is basically a large group of McDonald's that band together for advertising Right a large group of McDonald's that band together for advertising.
Speaker 2:Right, and you talked about this on here that you're advertising for social media was nothing.
Speaker 1:Nothing. I mean like maybe $5,000. Yeah, and you know, and we were working on a you know $6 million budget, yeah, so I would really love to see it now. How it's shifted Not to be nosy, but just from my edge. Yeah, how it has changed. Right, because all businesses I mean if you're still doing you know, if you're still stuck in that TV and radio, you are missing the boat.
Speaker 2:Which there is a place there for some, for the right, whatever, but that you should also be including the soap.
Speaker 1:There is a place for it, but there's all. And you know what I feel like has gotten left behind and I was thinking about this driving down the highway the other day is outdoor. I feel like there's still potential for outdoor. I feel like the marketing world has kind of let that go with TV and radio, but outdoor still works. You're still in your car Right and you still see, yeah. So I feel like outdoor we've kind of forgotten about, but it's still there.
Speaker 2:I wonder how affordable that is now too, and should we? Have it nested big across the country on Billboard. We maybe should do some out.
Speaker 1:I was thinking.
Speaker 2:Because it's really not.
Speaker 1:It's very affordable. Right, it's very affordable, and I'm like it catches your attention.
Speaker 2:I have checked. It's been a long time since I've checked into it, but you can also get you know. Now they have digital boards for outdoor where they're flipping as well, which you know obviously. Obviously you're missing some of the people that drive by, but if you do it consistently, you know whatever. But those are also much cheaper.
Speaker 1:I think we should look into it. Just, I think it's for local it's very good. Yeah, because it goes. Oh, I need to go by there, or I thought I saw that. Yeah, because I see out some outdoors sometimes and I'm like I forgot about that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is true. So it's just funny how the transformation of advertising, so one thing that we've done badly at as business owners, if we check ourselves, which we like to do from time to time. All the time Whether we do anything about it. You know sometimes it takes longer than other times, but is our social media present overall?
Speaker 2:I mean, I feel like customers probably don't think of it that way, but consistency for the businesses. You know I'm on social media every day but we also, you know, on farm shenanigans. But we also have the nested fig for our online store and it has a lot of other followers that don't follow me that we have gained from influencers, because when an influencer is talking about the nested fig, they're talking about the nested fig, not farm shenanigans. So we've picked up a lot of you know, fig, not farm shenanigans. So we've picked up a lot of you know followers and customers on that page. But then, like I look, until I posted, like maybe a week and a half ago, we hadn't posted since.
Speaker 1:Like, the fall and we need to be cross-referencing. I mean, there's so many followers we could be getting across the board, just sharing right and moving them around, and that sort of thing and keeping them engaged, which is the name of the game.
Speaker 2:So that's where Dylan comes in. And then our store platform, social media. They just have never hit right. It's hard to get someone. I mean, our employees do the best that they can and they post for us and that sort of thing, but it's usually like one employee will take it over and do it good for a while and then someone else does and then it just it never meshes. So I still want our employees on there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, and having their spin.
Speaker 2:But we need to be more consistent with a schedule, a posting and planned content and that sort of thing. Dylan will be the consistency. Yeah. So that's where Dylan comes in and having a point person that we can say, I can say, dylan, this is what I'm going to be doing, tie this into the nested big, you know whatever. So I'm super excited, yeah.
Speaker 1:To have him, really good To have him come in.
Speaker 2:I do want to. You know, bring up that I'm the one that was like, okay, it's time for Dylan to come on. You were like I was never going to say anything. I didn't want this bias.
Speaker 1:You were forcing him in or anything like that, and you probably you know me well enough to know I'm not going to do that. No, I know.
Speaker 2:You had to bring it up. You know, I'm sure some people are like he's just going to work for them. No, it was a needed thing, it was a long conversation.
Speaker 1:Anyone that knows me Well knows he, we will get 150% value.
Speaker 2:So it's going to be awkward if you have to fire him. No, I ain't worried about it, I know, so I'm excited about that, but I did tell him.
Speaker 1:I was like I will fire you.
Speaker 2:Oh, I know, he knows that you will. He knows I would.
Speaker 1:He knows it. But, that's why it works.
Speaker 2:So hopefully we see some improvements there yeah yeah For that.
Speaker 1:So it's Sunday. We're recording Sunday before Tuesday, before this airs. So the big thing this weekend was the Kentucky Derby yes, which I'm having a little FOMO. I've never really thought about it, but you know I like a good gambling event.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, is that what it really is about? I have to admit something. First of all, I've never watched the Kentucky Derby. Oh, I've watched minutes total in my life, I mean the only thing I've seen from the Kentucky Derby is you know, every once in a while I know there's like some huge upset. And it will be on on social media and it will be the last 10 seconds of a clip or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know, you know I grew up with horses. I love horses. It's not about the horses. For me, they're beautiful, amazing animals and it would be great to see all of the beautiful horses. But for me, I think I would enjoy mostly the gambling and excitement around it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, how long does the Derby actually last? It's like a two-day event. Okay, so are there multiple races leading up to the final one.
Speaker 1:Yes, is that how it works? I know that much. Okay, I know that much. I mean, I know enough to be dangerous. I do know. What I do know is that—.
Speaker 2:I mean, all I know is people get dressed real fancy and put their hats on and we're going to go next We've got to go, next year or the next We've got to go experience it.
Speaker 1:We're wearing hats, like the women With flowers on it.
Speaker 2:I want someone to invite us Like. I want someone to like include us. I want someone to include us. I want the full experience. I follow the Renovation Husbands on Instagram and they got invited by a marketing team or somebody I don't know exactly who and it looked like they were getting all the treatment.
Speaker 1:I want right there on Millionaire's Row.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I want to be sitting in some millionaire's lap. Yes, I mean, that may be me sitting in your lap, and then the celebrities that are there.
Speaker 1:I just think it would be a fun experience. Here's what makes me have a little anxiety about it is I feel like you have to know, like you have to kind of follow the horses and the trainers and the farms and kind of know For the gambling, for the gambling Like, I feel like and I guess they produce materials with odds and kind of background on horses and trainers but how we would know, I'd be like, oh, that one's pretty. Yeah, that one looks cute, he's looking at me, he looks muscular and that jockey's cute.
Speaker 2:Let's bet on that one. Okay, but all those people are going there. They're not following that that closely. No, it's like Vegas it's something there, somehow someone's getting noticed or picked up.
Speaker 1:I think it's like the Vegas of Kentucky and for South Carolina. Here we have dirt track racing.
Speaker 2:But no, but I'm saying how do they? There must be rumbles of who's going to win.
Speaker 1:There are, and I can't remember the horse that came in just a nose, second Sierra something. That horse, I mean, almost won the Derby. Yeah, and on social media it caught my eye because the owner of the horse, which I do not know who it is, went to Clemson. Oh, so those horses are from all over the country and the owners are all over the world.
Speaker 2:But then there's jockeys.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a whole thing, it's a big thing, yeah, but yeah people. So our friend Danielle and Big Daddy went, danielle and Big Daddy, shout out to you, they were on the podcast. Yes, a long time ago. Yes, they went and they just said it was amazing. Yeah, but they were in the fancy place. Did they normally go? No, they got one of those invites.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, how did they get invited?
Speaker 1:Through Big Daddy's work.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, okay, I mean they got Invited Through Big Daddy's work. Oh, yeah, okay, I mean they got Big Daddy must have been doing good this year and not invited.
Speaker 1:They got taken in on a in a motorcade. Oh oh yeah, they were right there with the millionaires.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:So what was it like?
Speaker 1:Did she tell you anything? Oh, she said it was awful. I mean, she said it was amazing.
Speaker 2:Awful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like awful, like she can never go back as a commoner. Oh, it was just amazing, she's ruined. Yeah, she's burnt, she's burnt. Yeah, she said it was just amazing and she's ruined. Now I'm like, well, how? Much are the tickets for where she went, because that's where I went. Yeah, $10,000 a person. I need a sponsor $10,000 a person for two days.
Speaker 2:And that doesn't include the gambling staying.
Speaker 1:Food, your outfit. I mean your fit is going to be a lot. Yeah, your fit is going to cost you some money. I mean, those hats that the women wear are hundreds, if not. Some probably are thousands.
Speaker 2:Okay, so what did she say? Did I mean, it's a big? Did she see any famous people? She?
Speaker 1:did she saw Thomas Rhett. That's a country singer. Yeah, kid Rock. Oh yeah, paula Deen was staying in their hotel. Oh, so yeah, there were. There were peeps, wanky, yeah, fancy, I felt a little and you know people around here.
Speaker 2:You feel a little less than now. I do A little left out.
Speaker 1:I feel a little dirt track, white trash. Yeah, I do so. People around here in Greenville they do the. They have their derby party. Oh yeah, don't invite me to that, that will just make it worse for me.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, our garden shop does a lot of arrangements for derby parties.
Speaker 1:I know they do, I know they do, but that's just like. It's just like watching the prom on a live cam from home, because you're just missing out. Just missing out, but I guess it could be fun if you were betting and you could bet from home. From home, I assume.
Speaker 2:Hell, I don't know, but do they bet at those parties amongst themselves? Yeah, how'd that work? Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you know, I went to a Super Bowl party one time and I don't know anything about football other than those pants look mighty nice and went to the Super Bowl party and I had some dollars and I think it was $2 a bet and I just took what money, cash I had and just wrote my initials down and it was for first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter and I won every quarter. I won the whole pot. You did Didn't know shit about shit, I didn't know what I was doing and I won like $380.
Speaker 2:Well, that's fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but they couldn't read my handwriting. You know my initials, how they look.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:No one knew who it was. They were getting ready to donate it to a charity. I was like hell.
Speaker 2:no, that's the charity, here's charity, this is the charity.
Speaker 1:Call me charity, yeah, call me charity. Give me my money. Oh my goodness. Okay, so if you guys have been to the Derby, message us, tell us about it. Yeah, what's the ins and outs? Or if you have a box or anything and you want to invite us, we would be happy to come. Yeah.
Speaker 2:If you can spare a few tickets.
Speaker 1:Keep us in mind.
Speaker 2:Keep us in mind, we'll be a fun time.
Speaker 1:Fun time, and I mean, I think Paula Deen would love sitting next to me.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Our hotline number is 864-982-5029. I'll put it down in the show notes. Text us or call and leave a voicemail and let us know your derby experience. Have you been?
Speaker 1:Have you won? Send us our invite. Have you won? Have you won? Have you won a lot of money? Yeah, and how do you bet? That's what I want to know how do you bet?
Speaker 2:I think there's like a stand right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I'm saying what is your method of yeah, Like if you study, or is it a if you're dumb, ass is like us. What do you do? Do you just go by? Who the pretty horse? Or what do you do? I don't know. I mean, there's got to be some luck in there. All gambling, there's luck.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, I think we're putting it out in the universe that someone is going to invite us and have the experience, because you?
Speaker 1:also just went and got your fit for it. I did just go get my fit for it. And that would be amazing. So, stephen, I would look so good.
Speaker 2:The other day. He's like I have an appointment, well, this appointment. He's been telling me about this appointment randomly for like two weeks because he had to move it. First he said I can't do, I wanted to do something. And he's like I can't do it that day because I have an appointment. And then he's like, well, let me see if I can move the appointment.
Speaker 1:And then finally, I want to say this was not supposed to be discussed on here.
Speaker 2:Well, that's what you said, but we can leave out whatever details you don't want to discuss.
Speaker 1:We're discussing the overall appointment. Well, first of all, I want to say it is a genius marketing strategy.
Speaker 2:So hold on. Well, you tell part of it.
Speaker 1:There's a clothier. How do you say that Clothier?
Speaker 2:That's not how you say it Clother.
Speaker 1:Clother, Whatever, I don't know. They measure every square inch of your body and they make your clothes custom for you and they handle all your needs If you need socks, if you need Ferragamo loafers, whatever you need for your fit, they take care of you. So, when you buy a new car, and I think-.
Speaker 2:Not a new car when you buy A Range Rover A Range Rover it has to be, I think.
Speaker 1:I don't know exactly, but you must have to spend X amount of dollars there and then you get a quote unquote gift card for $750.
Speaker 2:Okay, so that's where we're going to stop you right there. Okay, Going back to. I have my appointment I heard about for a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1:Well, I didn't get it with the first one. I blew them off in 2020. To I have my appointment I heard about for a couple weeks. Well, I didn't get it with the first one. I blew them off in 2020. And then I was like I got this new one and I was like well, let me go.
Speaker 2:So Stephen's like well, I have an appointment to get a free. No, not a free, that's what you said. That's what you said I'm getting a free Well that's what you said. That's what you said I'm getting a free. Well, that's what I had in my head. That's my point of this story. I'm getting a free jacket, sport coat, sport coat. And I said a free sport coat. He said yeah, when I bought the Range Rover, they give you a gift card for a free sport coat.
Speaker 1:No, it's $750. He thought it was going to be free. I knew it wouldn't be free, but I thought I might be paying $300. Right.
Speaker 2:So he went and had his fit done the other day and it was considerably more than the gift card was worth, which I was dying laughing. You know which you're into clothes and that kind of thing. You will love it and appreciate it.
Speaker 1:I did need some and I got there. And you know I was like I just want one sport coat. And then they bring out all these Italian fabric and I'm like well.
Speaker 2:I like that one.
Speaker 1:Well, and then they do're.
Speaker 2:They're just, they're good they give you sticky marketing.
Speaker 1:They give you sticky notes to mark all the fabrics you like. Uh-huh, and I said I'm just gonna get one, yeah, and just start with one, yeah and he was like well, let's go ahead and put two in the system, and that way your fabric will be reserved and your measurements will be.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, let's just go ahead and put two in the system then he said and he's a great guy he's a great guy if he ends up listening to this.
Speaker 1:He is a super guy and he's been doing this for 41 years so I, I do trust him and uh, he was like, what are you gonna wear to wear these with? I said, well, typically I wear, you know, with jeans, I like denim. And he was like, but what about when you can't? And I'm like, well, that is a problem.
Speaker 2:Oh, so now we got pants.
Speaker 1:Oh, we've moved on to trousers, trousers. So my first order ended up being like two sport coats and two trousers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they were pricey. We're not going to talk about price, but they were pricey. They were that $750 gift card was equivalent to maybe like a $50 gift card. Yeah, yeah, so anyway. Yeah, but now that you are getting that, that will be the perfect fit to wear to the Kentucky Derby.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that would be great.
Speaker 2:The only bad thing is you'll then have to pay for me to get that.
Speaker 1:You really need, like you should go get one, Just a hat.
Speaker 2:Okay, but here I hear what you're saying, but the problem is, the problem is I wear them so far and few between. If I got it now, it probably wouldn't fit when I actually needed to wear it. That is true. That's the problem. Like, I'll be in a different like.
Speaker 1:But I love to wear sport coats.
Speaker 2:I mean, I can't remember the last time well, I mean, we wore sport coats at our wedding. Yeah, that was 2018.
Speaker 1:You'd probably an ad one time an ad.
Speaker 2:But if you were going but if you were going to dinner.
Speaker 1:Here's the thing if you were dressed just as you are. This is my point black t and tennis shoes, you can go to a nice dinner downtown. You can literally throw a nice sport coat on and you are dinner ready Just about anywhere in downtown Greenville.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, anywhere in downtown Greenville. If you just throw a nice coat on, you're good to go, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean because I'd go like this Pretty much anywhere downtown Greenville there's only a few places. We couldn't go like we are right now. But, yeah, so to my, you know, it's just what I like to accessorize and throw on and dress up. Because I really don't like dressing up up anymore.
Speaker 2:I don't like wearing the tie.
Speaker 1:I wore ties every day.
Speaker 2:When I first met you, you wore a tie and a jacket every day, every day, every day For a long time, but I had to.
Speaker 1:You know it was. He was trying to impress some. It was part of the McDonald's McDonald's I gotta. I gotta look good, I gotta meet my numbers. I ruined, okay so, all of those clothes I had then and they were not as nice as what I buy now, but they were very nice. Everything, everything ruined, because I would have a meeting at a school or have an owner's meeting or something, and I would end up going by one of the restaurants they would need help on French fries or wherever, and I would get grease on everything. Wirt, wirt, Just like that yeah I.
Speaker 1:I would get grease on everything.
Speaker 2:Wirt, wirt, just like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I had to get rid of everything, and everything did smell like McDonald's. Oh, I'm sure. After all you know, I just had to go so thin. Yeah, grease Dylan had a ceremonial moment last night when he got home from work. He took all of his Aldi shirts, anything with Aldi on it and his shoes everything and bagged it up and put it in the trash.
Speaker 2:Like as soon as he got home.
Speaker 1:I said you might better save those. You might have to go back in a week or two. Poor Dylan.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, we're going to have to get him on to tell us some Aldi secret, Although there really weren't. I mean nothing crazy. Nothing crazy, we shopped, daniel loves to shop at Aldi, and there's good food.
Speaker 1:It is actually really good, really good food, and it's big on TikTok right now the problem is their business model, but that's what keeps them small. Cheap Cheap.
Speaker 2:I mean yeah, that's what keeps them small, Cheap, Cheap I mean yeah is not having enough employees or whatever, but that had nothing to do with them leaving. The only reason he left is because we were like, hey, you want this, or?
Speaker 1:do you want, so I mean literally. I said do you want this job or do you want us to hire somebody? Yeah, whatever. If you don't want it, that's fine. Yeah, and he was like, um, no, I'll put my notice in immediately. Uh, he did give a notice. He gave a two and a half week notice, because that's how he is. I would have and I I would have wanted to have done that, but I would have probably not no, no right, I know.
Speaker 2:I called you yesterday and I was like because he had to close too on his last day, and I said has he finished? He's like no, you're like no, he's closing tonight. And I said, closing On the last day, I definitely wouldn't have been there. No, I mean, I would have told them like I'll show up my last day, but I'm not closing, so you better switch that schedule around.
Speaker 1:It's really hard, like I remember when I sold you know I sold my McDonald's like almost six months before we transitioned the sale Right you talked about that but the day. I was done, done, do you hear me Done.
Speaker 2:But that's like any job or school or anything. When you get to that last day, you're done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I didn't even want to go do inventories when I like at the night of transition. I just like, oh god and I counted up the money and I was like I guess I'll go, yeah, but oh, I get my money out yeah, I couldn't wait that's crazy.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I have a bunch of random questions here. Okay, you want me to just dive into some of them read, read, read the first, I mean because it is a mixed bag.
Speaker 1:But it's good. That's the best yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay. So someone asked on Instagram these are all from Instagram I put up a box. Someone said what nighttime temps are okay to put out and leave houseplants for the summer, so that's a good one.
Speaker 1:It is good.
Speaker 2:If you like to move out. Some people like to move out their houseplants. I don't do that, I just put them in my house and they stay there. I do move them out, maybe if there's one struggling and I'm like, oh, if I move this out and it's summertime, it's going to do good. Some plants need that. Yeah, it will be good, but the best rule of thumb is when it's not going to drop below 50 degrees is what you're saying. That's the safest. Yeah, some can take down to the lower 40s, some can take mid 40s.
Speaker 2:But, if you just, in general, no lower than 50, you're good to go. You don't have to worry about it. Yeah, and it is good to move your plants out. You can hose them down. If they've gotten dusty, you can leave them out there. Let them get some fresh air. The only thing you want to keep in mind is they're going to want to be in the shade, even if they do like sun. They're going to want to be in the shade because you know the sun's a lot more intense outside than it's been in your house, even if they've been in a sunny window.
Speaker 1:And some plants need that transition, like your orchids Right. Your orchids will do very well in the humid summer. Hang them in a tree, yeah, because they've got a shade and that filtered light, they'll be really happy yeah.
Speaker 2:Which funny, you mentioned that A few questions down. Someone asked my orchid hasn't bloomed in two years. Green leaves and nice roots, but no blooms. Should I just give up? No, so if you have an orchid that you have saved, it's finished blooming but its leaves are green. It has good roots. Move it outside. Move it outside now if you're going to be above 50, just like everything else. Leave it out all summer long. It's really good if you can tuck it in, like Stephen said, like in a tree or even like behind your shrubs next to your house, as long as it's getting watered. Crook of a branch. Yeah, they're going to want shade and they're going to want to get regular water, like splashed on and humidity and make sure they're in a well-drained pot.
Speaker 2:So if you've had them inside and your pot doesn't drain, you might need to repot it or something like that. But make sure it's well drained so when it rains it's not sitting in water, an orchid pot.
Speaker 1:It needs an orchid pot, so it will have lots of holes, yeah lots of holes, like Stephen said you can get what's called an orchid pot that has holes drilled all in the side.
Speaker 2:That's perfect for outside. And if you leave it out there, start now and leave it out there all summer until the nighttime temperatures are hitting right at 50 degrees or 48 at the lowest then bring it back inside and that will force it to bloom. That swing in temperature from being out there in the heat all summer and then bringing it in your house for the winter and those cold nights and stuff will make it bloom.
Speaker 1:And it really works.
Speaker 2:So that's what you want to do with your orchid.
Speaker 1:And if you have them out there, you can water it, like Wesley said, kind of indirectly, like if you have them hanging in the tree, you can spray the water into the tree and just let it yeah, just let it splash Like it's growing in Hawaii. And in the tree you can spray the water into the tree and just let it yeah, just let it splash on it Like it's growing in Hawaii, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's a good tip on your houseplants. But if you do like to move them outside, maybe on a porch, a covered porch for houseplants in general, now's a good time once you start not dropping below 50 degrees. The flip side of that you're going to want to remember in the fall to bring them in, you know, when it starts hitting right at 50 degrees and you may want to treat them with the insecticide in the fall before bringing them in, because they could have gotten, you know, some little insects on there that you don't want to bring in and then have to deal with all winter. So just take a weekend, a Saturday, before you bring them in in the fall, give them a little spray down with some insecticide, let them dry outside and then bring them in.
Speaker 1:Just a little prep there.
Speaker 2:But that will help them a lot. The other question I got was are the cicadas loud? In Greenville Said they're super loud here in Charlotte. This person wrote with both broods so I've heard on the news. Have you heard about?
Speaker 1:this yeah, I've seen it on social media saying they're going to be.
Speaker 2:But I've been hearing they're going to be loud and really bad. Like this is, I guess, every so many years, like certain broods kind of line up so it becomes like a super brood type thing. But I haven't noticed any here. I love. I mean, we live on the farm so we hear, like you know, crickets and frogs all the time, but I haven't noticed them being I love, love, love.
Speaker 1:The sound of cicadas, really. Oh, that could be. Yeah, that could be. I could sleep to that for days. That's funny, love it. And um, I looked up, you know they're not bad. They're not bad for crops or anything. I really. The only negative thing I could find is their shells. The skeleton of their body is not easy for certain animals to digest.
Speaker 2:That's it. They don't cause damage. What about, not the cicada itself as it hatches, but when they're in the larva stage? Is that what you'd call it? When? They're in the ground. Do they eat roots or do they just eat?
Speaker 1:Are they just in?
Speaker 2:general not bad.
Speaker 1:No, they're not. It says you know that they're not dangerous and can benefit the environment.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the article I first read was talking about how much waste there would be from how big the brood is supposed to be, a lot of you know droppings and that sort of thing. But they were also saying it wasn't harmful or whatever. But I feel like I remember a couple of years ago, do you remember? I feel like they took over Las Vegas. I remember that. Look it up and see if that was a thing. I feel like a few years ago the cicadas took over Las Vegas, or was it grasshoppers or cricket? No, it wasn't cricket, it was grasshoppers or cicadas. And I remember people walking and it was like crunching under their feet, like it was just mass amounts of whatever.
Speaker 1:It says cicadas are a big thing in Las Vegas.
Speaker 2:I swear, a few years ago it was like crazy amount. I mean, it could have been 10 years. You know, I just don't remember, but I just remember seeing the videos.
Speaker 1:Like Now, I wouldn't want to be aware that you were crunching them under your feet.
Speaker 2:That's how it was.
Speaker 1:I like them when they're in the woods behind you and you can hear them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's supposed to be pretty dramatic in spots this year.
Speaker 1:Well, I would like to see some videos of that. I don't necessarily want them crunching.
Speaker 2:I'm sure we'll see them on social media, but they haven't made it here yet.
Speaker 1:Some people hate the sound, but I love it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they can get loud. I'll have to notice tonight.
Speaker 1:I mean, I would notice, though you would notice getting out of your car at night.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I'm outside at night.
Speaker 1:I just didn't know they were in the desert. It seems odd.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, it's a thing, whatever I mean what?
Speaker 1:I guess they're just like camping out on a cactus.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know where. Well, you know they live in the soil, but you think it would be. You would think it would be too dry for them. I know that is kind of odd, but maybe they come over from good old California or something. I don't know.
Speaker 1:Oh, it was an invasion in 2023, las Vegas, was it cicadas?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Or grasshoppers. It was cicadas, okay.
Speaker 2:In 2023, there was a oh, so that was just last year.
Speaker 1:There was a big thing of invasion of cicadas, yeah, and I swear they were everywhere. Seems like I might have seen that Like crunchy on the sidewalk. No, I don't want that.
Speaker 2:That's that would nauseate me here's another um question for us that I've gotten is as a small business and actually someone messaged me this um, as a small business, how do you know or get over the feeling of hiring your first employee, which I guess you really never had to deal with that, because you were, I had to have them, you had to have them?
Speaker 2:I dealt with that when we started the garden shop, because it was just me and Daniel and you can only do so much. And then we hired a designer and hired one more and Daniel's dealt with that here at the farm, like originally it was just him, then he had one helper and then helper, helper, helper then had another, you know, and then built from there. So the thing is and I think we've talked about this before but if you don't have other hands and help, you are holding yourself back and you can't make more money. So it seems like you're never really ready to have that first employee. Like as a small business owner, if you're starting something on your own, you have that feeling of I can do it, I can do a little more, I can save that money I can save that money.
Speaker 2:I can do a little more. I'm not ready yet, but the truth is, even if you are feeling like, oh my gosh, I need someone, but how am I going to pay for that person Every time we've hired someone Daniel or myself starting in the very beginning hiring that first person. As soon as they come on, they make you more money so that you can pay them. Like it works out instantly and my thing is go for it. And if you can't pay them, you can fire them.
Speaker 2:It didn't work out Like you can't be scared to take that next step.
Speaker 1:And for me in McDonald's it was hiring store managers, restaurant managers and mid managers, supervisors and that kind of thing, right, and it's scary because the scary parts you're giving up control.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like there's a few scary parts. First of all, the financial part, especially if you're a small business and you're like okay, I'm just barely making money and making some money for myself, Now how am I going to make money for someone else? And you have to look at it from the standpoint of well, they're going to pay for themselves, and if they don't, that's when they can go.
Speaker 2:And it just works itself out and it works itself out. Then there is the scary part of well, am I giving up control, or do my customers only want to see me? And you? Just you bring in one employee and then you just go from there and it falls, it just morphs out Like when you.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's always a struggle but even on a McDonald's, you know your first one, you're there every day.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:All your customers know you. And then you buy more and you're like, oh, I can't be there, those customers know me, right, you, yeah. And then you buy more and you're like, oh, I can't be there, those customers know me, right. And you, you do get the comments like when you're, when you're in there, oh, I haven't seen you in a while. It's not as good as when you're.
Speaker 2:But you know, for the most part, right, 90 plus percent they don't give a crap, right well, and the good thing is and we talked about that that's where social media and really why I got on social media was I was able to connect with our local customers and I did it.
Speaker 2:At the same time we moved to the farm and we're renovating the farm and that's the first time I had really stepped away from in. I had designers in place and employees, but I was still there every day at some point. But that summer, when we moved to the farm, is when I really stepped back, like I didn't go there regularly every day and we put the focus on the farm. But I found I was still connecting with the customers on social media and I would go to the store and they'd be like, oh, I love watching your social media, I feel like I know everything you're doing. And it was almost like they became more connected because they were following along and shopping at my store and like, oh, I know he's at the farm doing this and I'm in here buying flowers or whatever. So it's kind of crazy.
Speaker 1:And you always have to remember the reason you go into business. You go into business because you want to own the business. You don't want the business to own you. Correct, so there's a balance there. Is there a time when the business owns you? Absolutely Right, for probably too long. But you have to transition away from that or you will be bogged down and you will not grow and you'll burn out, uh-huh, yeah, and you've talked about that before.
Speaker 2:Just between us is like the difference in running a business and owning a business versus buying yourself a job, and you know doing it that way Because that's two different things. And you see some boutique owners and hey, it's whatever they want out.
Speaker 1:Whatever works for you. Whatever works for you.
Speaker 2:Whatever works for you and what you want out of it. But you see some small business owners that get in their business they're going to be the only employee or they might have one, and they don't ever get that mentality. I feel like switch between owning a business and buying themselves a job?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I know one very successful McDonald's owner. He only has one restaurant. He kind of bought himself a job, yeah.
Speaker 2:But he's not going to leave it.
Speaker 1:He drove that McDonald's like that McDonald's does over $6 million a year. Yeah, so he makes an insane amount of money Just off of one, off of one store, and then his whole family's in it. Yeah, so they run the wheels off of it. Personally, I would want at least two because, like I know, he went through a rebuild and he's not even in this state, but he went through a rebuild and your McDonald's is closed for three months. Where are you going to put your employees? Where's your income? You don't have any Right.
Speaker 2:So it's got its downsides. Yeah, I would definitely in that situation.
Speaker 1:It's got its downsides and you know, and there's some franchises you buy and you're buying yourself a job, like UPS stores. I know people that own those and the way they ran them. They bought themselves a job. And it worked for them. That's what they wanted.
Speaker 2:Right, because it still gives you some flexibility, but you're kind of tied to it. But our mentality is completely different, where we're trying to build businesses and grow people and grow people and the whole thing, which, because we know it's going to be handled. You know, we have people in place and the business is being built bigger and bigger and bigger. So it just depends on you know what you want.
Speaker 1:Personally, I think I believe this to my core Every business comes back to developing people and having good people, and we have a lot of good people.
Speaker 2:I think I've said we do have a lot of good people. I think I've said this before on here. If not, I know I've said it to someone. But when I was first in Roots, I went to this man's house and to plant his containers. His wife had passed away and he had never done anything with that. That was always her thing and he wanted it to plant his containers. His wife had passed away and he had never done anything with that. That was always her thing, and he wanted it to still look good.
Speaker 2:And we went out and planted containers. So I went to do his and I was probably 29 at the time and he was a lawyer. And so he was like well, I love your business and it looks so good, but how are you going to sustain that? How are you going to make money off of this business? And I was like, well, I think I just hired a designer. So I was like I just hired a designer, we have this service, we're doing this, whatever. So we were just talking about it and he said well, I'm going to tell you one thing the way that you make money is off of other people's time, meaning you have to have employees, you have to have people that work for you and that's how you can grow your business.
Speaker 2:So, thinking back to especially something like the garden store where we do a lot of design services, where we're planting people's containers, making cutter, you know, arrangements, flower arrangements and that sort of thing making cutter, you know, arrangements, flower arrangements and that sort of thing you can have, like we started with just me.
Speaker 2:I was the designers, daniel, you know, worked the counter and the floor watered and all that, and that's how we started. But I could only pot and make so many arrangements a day. And then if I wouldn't have hired someone, that's where it would have put a cap on what you can do in a day. But then I hired another designer and people I remember, like close to me, like family, would be like you can't do that, like they, they're coming there because they want you to design it and I would be like that's what I don't want, like not that I don't want them to want me to design it, but I don't want to be the only designer, because then I'm stuck there for 30 years, designing everyone's arrangements and burn out Like, no like, and so then I hired one designer, then we hired two design, you know, and that was the way that we multiplied the business and was able to really really grow.
Speaker 2:The business was again hiring employees and on other people's and it and then that works all across businesses.
Speaker 1:And the more you're in there. You know, for a long time it was like oh, I want Wesley to do this, right, and then it was I want Steven to do this, and then it was like I want so-and-so to do this.
Speaker 1:Whoever they get used to, yeah, right, and I'm like for some people I would say one good way to transition it well, I can do it, but it will be two weeks, or I can talk to so-and-so and she can do it, and she'll do just in a few days, yeah, and they're like well, we'll try that, and then after that it was better than mine. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. I mean, it was it?
Speaker 1:there was no disappointment. And then they're like oh, I don't have to wait on him, right? Yeah, which is good yeah, really good.
Speaker 2:And that goes like to daniel at the farm he can only plant so much and harvest so much. So that's when you have to have employees because, yeah, he could have stayed really small and harvested stuff and done it all himself, or you start hiring employees. Next thing, you know, know, you're growing more, you're selling more. Like I was saying, the employee pays for themselves.
Speaker 2:And like this year for Mother's Day. This is going to be his biggest shipping ever as far as the amount of flowers and, like you, got to have the people in place to do that.
Speaker 1:And it takes a lot of labor.
Speaker 2:It does, it does All right. So next question is do you still have chickens and turkeys? I only see one in stories. Well, well, about that one. So no, I currently do not have any chickens or turkeys. Our last turkey got snatched, while where we were at High Point we were at High Point.
Speaker 1:Market and Daniel was in Italy and the Netherlands.
Speaker 2:Yeah, is that when it was? I guess so. So you know, from time to time, there were just white feathers left.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was. Yeah, there were just white feathers left. Don't know what happened, but from time time to time, especially with the chickens. Um, we did get the chicken coop. It's not finished, but we got a new run built for it because the old run, uh, like a raccoon had gotten in there. And so then the you know, it's always something with chickens and, yeah, sometimes a hawk could get one here or there in the daytime if they're out in the field.
Speaker 2:One night a fox got in there. I remember that. Oh my gosh, that was so traumatic. I was out there, I was sitting by our fireplace, which the chicken coop is just right outside the door, and I heard this hollering. Well, it was a fox and he was running along the outside of the coop like chasing, you know, trying to get in, trying to dig. Well, when I went out there, the fox jumped away from me and jumped through the wire like it broke the wire. So then the fox is in the chicken house With the chicken, with the chickens, and Wesley's in his underwear with flip flops on, trying to save the chicken With the chickens, and Wesley's in his underwear with flip-flops on Trying to save the chickens.
Speaker 2:Trying to save the chickens and get the fox out, Because there was only there's only one big door and then there were like little chicken doors or whatever. And he's in the corner. It was a whole thing.
Speaker 1:Well, I have to say, you know, and I grew up farming and with all these animals, and it is, it's the way, it is Right, it just happened. It just happens. But I had gotten attached to that little fat turkey waddling over. He was so sweet, I know I mean that usually birds like chickens, that doesn't bother me, but they're not. They don't have that personality. He was like a little person.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it really yeah it made me, so I'm gonna have to get some more. You know, chickens, I mean, those lasted a few years. I mean I. They would just slowly dwindle, I think I started with 20, then one here. It's time to redo, get more, yeah, but we got to finish the chicken coop. I gotta get that done. They built the new run and everything, but I wanted new doors and I want to add windows to it. So I'm like I really don't want to put chickens in there and then have to do this construction.
Speaker 2:So, anyway, that's where we are with the chickens. So no chickens or turkeys at the moment. Did you ever get your guest room painted? No, it is at a standstill.
Speaker 1:we got sidetracked with the warehouse move and that's the second that's the second um whole plant design plan for that room.
Speaker 2:So, since you've been here, I'm going through with this one it's gonna happen, we're gonna start painting. If I don't get something done soon, you're gonna start painting start painting.
Speaker 1:I will. I told you I would I like to paint.
Speaker 2:I know I hate to paint. I just got to call someone, but you know we got busy with moving the warehouse. Well, okay, the first quote was way too expensive. I'm like I'm not paying, that I will paint it myself before I pay what it was. So then I was referred to another person, but they were busy, so I called them and then I just haven't followed up with that, with the warehouse move and getting settled and that sort of thing. So I know, left you hanging on that one, but we'll get back to it at some point, some point there.
Speaker 2:I have another question, which is how do you leave a review on the podcast? I use Spotify and don't see how, so I'll pull it up. I think on Spotify it's different for each platform that you listen to us on, and I know at the end of every episode we say leave us a review whatever. On Spotify or on some platforms you can only leave like a star rating, and I'm pretty sure Spotify is like that. So what you do is you go not just to this current episode, you just click on who's driving where. It takes you to our page and all of the episodes and on there you can hit a star rating, so that's what you would be looking for. At the top it will say like rate this. It'll have a rating up there Like we have 4.9 stars. 4.9? 4.9. How dare somebody? Someone said mm-mm. Well, you remember I told you that one person was like oh, I couldn't get it to click five, so I just gave you four and I'm like no, that means you probably already rated us five.
Speaker 1:You can't do it, but I think ever so often to give us the rating, yeah, gosh, if we were like at three or so, it would really hurt my feelings, wouldn't?
Speaker 2:it, hugh, it would hurt my feelings. I mean, god, don't leave us a bad I get upset over reviews I take it very personal, yeah so at the very top you can um on spotify. At the very top when you're on our main page listing um, you'll see it says four point. Right under our picture, 4.9 stars over to the right there's three little dots. You can tap that um and it says rate show. So you can do it that way there and just hit that five star and hit the five star on um apple podcast.
Speaker 2:You can leave a written review for us, um, and so you can even leave a little uh note for us and over there. We've had a lot of reviews over there. I think it is a little easier on Apple to do it. Let me see.
Speaker 1:Love these guys. They're awesome.
Speaker 2:The same thing. You have to go to the main page. If you're on Apple Podcasts for our podcast who's Driving, and we have five stars out of 176 rated, Wow. If you're on Apple Podcasts for our podcast who's Driving, and we have five stars out of 176 rating. So now that's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is what I am talking about. So, yeah, tap to rate myself. Such fun, it's a delight. Oh, there are some nice ones on there Worth the listen. I love Wesley and Steven. Well, thank y'all, we love them. So anyway, yeah, leave us a star review or a written review wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1:And send us a message wherever you live and tell us about your cicadas. Oh yeah, I want to know, yeah, are the cicadas.
Speaker 2:And how long is this supposed to last? Is this like they're around for a week or is it like a month?
Speaker 1:And if they're crazy where you are, how are they crazy? Do you like step on them on the sidewalk? Are you weeping them off? Are they just?
Speaker 2:loud and I would assume that might be a process. Do you think it's like? First they come out and they're loud and they're over things? And then they die, and then you're stepping on them.
Speaker 1:No, I would like that part. I like the way they sound, but I don't want crunchy, I don't want a mess.
Speaker 2:Yeah, remember, our hotline number is 864-982-5029. It's down in the show notes, so let us know about that, and I believe we're pulling up to our little destination. It's time to get out of here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's time to get out of here. It's time for us to go work at the warehouse.
Speaker 2:We got to go into our next job. Let's move right along, but that's it.
Speaker 1:And remember, just like I mentioned, leave us a review wherever you're listening to your podcast, and we'll see you next week. Thanks guys, Bye.