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 - Just Say No & Market Mayhem S2E28
Managing a successful market event is no small feat, and this time, it was our most exhausting yet incredibly rewarding experience in years. Conducting 20 live sales over 10 days, featuring more than 500 products, brought its own set of challenges and triumphs. From the latest trends in home decor to our mutual love for historic coastal cities like Savannah, this episode is packed with business insights, friendship moments, and the art of saying no.
Meet Teena our first Franchisee.
We want to hear from you give our hotline a call at 864-982-5029. Happy listening! And remember to leave us a rating and review.
We mentioned The Nested Fig App in this episode. You can Tap Here to get our app and join our live sales on Sundays and Thursdays at 8pm est.
Follow the progress at the Savannah store on Instagram at @Thenestedfighomesavannah
Follow Steven on Instagram at @Keepinupwithstevenand follow Wesley on Instagram at @Farmshenanigans. Shop our online store at TheNestedFig.Com Find The Nested Fig on Instagram at @TheNestedFig
Come on, get in. I'm here, I'm ready to go and you're on time. I'm on time. It's time for another episode of who's Driving. Welcome to who's Driving. I'm Wesley Turner.
Speaker 2:And I'm Stephen Merck. We're two best friends and entrepreneurs.
Speaker 1:Who's Driving is an entertaining look into the behind the scenes of our lives, friendship and business.
Speaker 2:These are the stories we share and topics we discuss, as two best friends would on a long road trip.
Speaker 1: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 2:Buckle up and enjoy the ride. You never know who's driving or where we're headed.
Speaker 1:All we know is it's always a fun ride. So on this week's episode we are going to be talking about our recent market trip. So we love going to market. We love finding and sourcing the new things. This was a big market for us.
Speaker 2:And it's truly my favorite part of the business. Yeah, mine too. It's the fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because you're hunting for everything You're getting to order. I mean it's the ultimate the fun. Yeah, because you're hunting for everything You're getting to order. I mean it's the ultimate shopping trip. Yeah, if you want to say that. So, anyway, before we get to the market trip and we're going to have our first franchisee Tina is going to be on and we're going to talk to her about market and what she experienced and that sort of thing as well what she experienced and that sort of thing as well. Before we get there, though, I had a I'm going to call this a compliment I just thought about, when I was at Market, our friend Amanda, who does the live sales sort of thing.
Speaker 1:Yes, we love her. She gave me the best compliment unexpectedly while we were there. She said I think you I don't know if you were, I think you were standing there, or whatever. She said to me. Wesley's the only person I know that will flat out tell you no to your face. When I don't want to do something or I'm not going to do something, oh, you're good at being at doing.
Speaker 2:hey, do you want to go to dinner?
Speaker 1:No, I think that is something that everyone needs to embrace. When she said that, I was like is that not what a lot of people do? And I know in the past Daniel has said okay, this year my goal is to say no, like when something doesn't work for me or I'm not going to do something, to say no. And I just think why not say no when you know you're?
Speaker 2:not going to do it. I need to be, and I'm a very blunt person, typically. I mean, I'll just tell you the way it is. Like if you say, does my hair look good? No, but I'm not good with that. Like if somebody says, oh, do you want to go to dinner? I'm like, well, let me think about it, I need to just be. No, I'm not going.
Speaker 1:Because that's what we were doing. One of the reps Tom, who's great, or got us in live sales was like hey, after the live sale, do y'all want to go across the street and have some drinks? There's, this other showroom owner is in a band. I did say no.
Speaker 2:I was like no, but I was tired.
Speaker 1:I said no, absolutely not, we're not going like, instead of just saying I'll think about it We'll see at the end, see how we feel. No, I said no. That was one time I was like no, but I'm good, and that's when Amanda was like God, you will just tell people no straight off the and I'm like yes, everyone should practice saying no. So we're going to do that collectively together.
Speaker 2:I need to practice just flat out saying no, just say no, it makes it.
Speaker 1:I mean, maybe you feel awkward in the moment. I don't, I don't. I mean I just say no, I'm not doing that, but then you're not leading the other person on.
Speaker 2:Well, I used to work for someone back in McDonald's days and he would say, no, that ain't happening. I mean, it was just like that. I was like, well, maybe we could do that. No, that ain't happening. That's what he always said that ain't happening, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's a good thing, okay, and going along with that. It just sets the expectation, I feel like. And why do you want to have to dread now? I got to tell them no in an hour because you knew when you said, oh, maybe we will, maybe maybe you knew right that you know instantly whether you're doing something or not. Well, it's not a I'm not doing it yeah, like the only time a maybe is if your schedule permits, like if this meeting gets done in time, then maybe yes, I'll do it.
Speaker 1:But you'll know right then, if you're doing it.
Speaker 2:But if I know I'm not doing it, I know I'm not doing it Right, so just say no. No, I'm not doing it. Yeah, no, that's not going to work for me and it's funny how people and it can be reps, it can be whoever yeah Is well, maybe you and Wesley can do this and I'll say he's not going to do that. Yeah, no. But, I just know not to make it awkward.
Speaker 1:Or we'll get reps that will say, oh, I'm going to be in Greenville and maybe you can meet me at the store. I'm like, no, no, I'm not going to do it. Why set them up? No, I'm not going to do it, why set them up? They can go ahead and plan their own schedule Because I know I'm not going to meet you. It's not happening. It's so true you probably can't pay me enough to meet you, whatever it is. Or the ones that are like well, I'm going to be in Greenville and I'd like to stop by the store and see things or whatever. Maybe take you out for a drink. No, never going to happen. Not, not, maybe whatever. Never going to happen. So just say no.
Speaker 1:So we all need to practice saying no. I feel like it is true. And I will tell you the other thing, and I'm going to say women are the worst at this, but that's just because that's who we deal with more in our lives, with customers, and that sort of thing, because that's who we deal with more in our lives, with customers, and that sort of thing. The other thing that I really hate is when it kind of goes back to saying no, is when people will blame their spouse, like oh, I got to check with my husband to see if he'll let me do that, knowing you ain't checking with your husband.
Speaker 2:Don't lay it on them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't lay it on them, don't make them look like the bad guy when they're not and you're using them as an scapegoat. Yeah, I'm not going to do that. Like Daniel and I have talked about that before I'm like don't blame something on me If you don't want to do it. Don't say, oh well, wesley doesn't want to do that, or I'll have to check with Wesley or whatever you say to that person. No, I'm not doing it. Like, don't make me look like the bad guy. We deal with that so much in retail. That's a woman's again. I'm saying women, I'm sure it's everyone, but that's their go.
Speaker 2:We're going to get hotline messages. That's fine.
Speaker 1:That's fine, because they know they do it. That's their number one go-to.
Speaker 2:Okay, ladies, our hotline number is 864-982-5029. Get in.
Speaker 1:But no, dealing with them in retail they will over and over. Well, my husband didn't like this. If they want to return something, oh, I have to check with my husband for that. And I'm sitting there going. Your husband doesn't give a damn what color these pillows are. You didn't like them, but you feel like to make it less awkward. You need an excuse.
Speaker 2:And if he's worried about your pillows, you got bigger things to worry about Just for Sam.
Speaker 1:Get him, get him, get him 864-982-5029. They're going to get you on that one. God, that was funny. I couldn't resist. No, it is true, but it's the same way. They won't say, no, I don't want this. No, that doesn't work for me. No, I have to think about it. Oh, I have to check with my husband and I just hate when people because if you do that enough, especially around to your friends- or something it makes your spouse look like the negative person or they're controlling you when they're not Now.
Speaker 1:If they are doing that, that's a whole different story, but I know a lot of the people that we work with do it as an excuse because they don't want to just say you know no or whatever.
Speaker 2:So let's all practice saying no when we know Sometimes it is a respectful thing. Well, let me see what they're doing.
Speaker 1:If it's legit, that's different. When it's legit, we'll have people that will say, hey, this is the sofa I want. Let's write it up, but I do want my husband to at least come by and sit on it so he knows what we're doing.
Speaker 3:That's a respect thing.
Speaker 1:Like hey, honey, I'm getting this sofa. I wanted you to make sure you know, unless he's literally like oh my gosh, I hate this, it's horrible, they're gonna get it.
Speaker 2:That's different than using them as a mistake, can you imagine me coming and saying there was this Mercedes I want over at the dealership and Dylan said no, you can't get it. I know and I'm not listen.
Speaker 1:We're both like that.
Speaker 2:We do have a rule in our house and I try to abide by it. If it's a purchase of $1,000 or more, we run it by the other person. Hey, I think I really would like to do this out of respect.
Speaker 1:But we don't have that rule. Ours is more I think mine is now on pets. Like, at least check with me before you bring home another animal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's just a respect. But I want to tell you something I work seven, always six days a week, sometimes seven, and if I want a new Mercedes, you can bet your ass you're going to see me pulling up in it. Now you can go with me and be excited about it, but I'm going to get it. But I do try to pace myself with things.
Speaker 1:Right, you try to be reasonable.
Speaker 2:reasonable like you're spending yourself out into, you know yeah, and just like with cars, like it's dylan's time, the next time he's got the oldest cars, you know it'll be time for him.
Speaker 1:He's only had that car like two years I said the oldest, said the oldest.
Speaker 2:Um, I said the oldest, but you know, I just don't get into that. But if he wants a pair of shoes, I'm not going to say, well, you can't get those, you shouldn't get those.
Speaker 1:Y'all try to do which is so funny and silly Y'all try to do. We're on a spending freeze. We are on a spending freeze.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for like a day or two. I'm like what did it help? Y'all were on a spending freeze for like two weeks. What the hell did that help? That didn't do nothing. It helps my sanity to say I know it goes back to you justifying purchases. We've talked about this in a previous podcast. You feel like you have to justify it. So if you buy something, no matter how big or small, but that wasn't a necessity then you'll say we're on a spending freeze, so it makes yourself feel like you're not going to spend any money for you know at least a week or two. And then you know next thing comes along and you're buying that. But you always have to justify it.
Speaker 2:I do well, I think we've talked about I think, well, if you get into my head, I mean there, we don't nobody wanted I. I think it all goes back to growing up without a lot of money, so I I feel guilty spending yeah money um, I feel less guilty than I used to.
Speaker 2:You have to admit that but it's true I still, um, I still don't want to be wasteful, because I feel like you know it's it's hard, you know it's hard to make money. We work hard and I don't want to waste it, right, so I try. You know, I'm very proud of myself, my, my, uh, my guy from ferragamo in las vegas, where I buy my shoes.
Speaker 1:Text me this sounds, so I just just shut up that sound. My guy from ferragamo text me this morning.
Speaker 2:he's very nice, he does, he is very nice he texted me this morning. He's very nice. He is very nice and he always sends me the sales. Yeah, when he needs a sale he sends me pictures and the last time I was like I don't like anything and I didn't. And this time he sent me. He said we've got our new fall introduction. Would you like to?
Speaker 1:see it, it's on sale and I said no.
Speaker 2:I said yes, I would like to see it's on sale. And I said no, I said yes, I would like to see. And I'm going through there. And I said, oh, I said so I text him back. I screenshotted the shoes. I said I really like these shoes. Um, can, can you send me more pictures of these shoes? He knows he's, he knows he's dealing with a drug addict in shoes, uh--huh. He said yeah, here are the shoes and here's the matching belt.
Speaker 1:Oh, he's got upsell right there I said ooh Okay, the spending freezes on hold until I make this purchase.
Speaker 2:So I showed it to Dylan and he said oh my Lord, you and your belts and your shoes. And I was like I know, I don't need those. And then I sent it to Tina, our new franchisee, and she said you need those.
Speaker 1:And you haven't met Tina yet she's going to be on later in the episode which is our franchisees is open in the store in Savannah. She is truly like your sister, she's my sister and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's like it's. She's the female version of you and I have to be. I have to be the bad one that steps in and it's like, okay, you booze bougie people. We got to reel this back in to reality. I know.
Speaker 2:Let's bring it back down. I'm proud of myself. I did not get the belt and I did not get the shoes.
Speaker 1:at this moment, yeah because we've been recording the podcast.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, I don't need them.
Speaker 1:But why don't you like? Here's the thing you don't. If you were to order those. Here's the thing If you were to order those, you don't get rid of something and I feel like you should be passing other used items down. My way. We wear the same size shoe, okay.
Speaker 2:I would happily do that. Every now and then I give you shoes that I know you'll wear, but you're only going to wear sneakers and maybe some three-quarter boots gonna wear sneakers and maybe some three-quarter boots, but you, I can feed the donkeys and the goats and your loafers.
Speaker 1:Hell, no, listen, it ain't they will. But here's the other thing here's the other thing.
Speaker 2:You like to call me bougie and make fun of me, but here's the other thing I wear my stuff for 15 years. Oh, I do, I'm just, I don't.
Speaker 1:I do, yeah, because you have so much of it, you only have to wear it once a year. And you're like, oh, I've had this for 10 years, I'm going to start picking on you about something.
Speaker 2:I'm going to think about what I can pick on you about. I could be worse. I could be worse, you could. I like belts and shoes it doesn't matter it does not matter how how much weight I've gained or I've lost, they fit. That's true, they fit. That's why women buy shoes I just purses yeah. Yeah, I might start carrying a purse next.
Speaker 1:That's true. So how did we get on that from saying no, going back to that, let's all practice telling people no to their face. No, that doesn't work for me.
Speaker 2:It's really easy Just say no. I need to practice, I seriously need to practice. Just say no. No, I'm not doing that. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you don't have to do it in a negative way. Just say no that's not going to work for me and you don't have to explain yourself to anyone. I'm grown. Just say no, no, no, that's not going to work. No, I'm not doing that and leave it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you don't have to do it. And you don't stop but it's not gonna happen and it probably won't happen next. But but it is true, because I'm the same way, I'm not gonna do it yeah, yeah, see, you'll say oh, maybe, and then I'll be, like I'll call you and be like you don't want to go and then I'm like are you going, hon?
Speaker 1:I was like you don't want to go, it's fine and you're like okay, then it makes me.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I guess it makes you feel yeah just say no, no, it's the word. It's funny. I mean I had a neighbor invite me to a party out their lake house house.
Speaker 1:You know you weren't driving out there.
Speaker 2:I'm not going out there and it's not. Nothing against them, I really like them, right, but then when I really think through it, there's mosquitoes, the logistics, of driving out there, I got to drive all the way to Anderson. I'm like, oh yeah, it just faded. I mean, oh yeah, it just faded. I mean I'm just gone, yeah, like if it was, you know, upstairs, down the hall maybe you can say just count me out, it's not going to happen this time.
Speaker 1:Well, we're going to. I'm going to come up with ways to say no. We're going to start a second. We need to. How do you say no, we can have, we can, we can have. You ask me things and I'll tell you how to say no.
Speaker 2:I would love to, but that just doesn't work into my plans Exactly.
Speaker 1:That's nice, that is nice. But see, then some people will what if we change? So you got to say no.
Speaker 1:You can't sugarcoat it too much. Well, we could do it at nine instead of eight. No, that's what you got to. Just you got to say no, let's practice together. All right, I have a riddle for you, though I've got one for you. Oh, we both have a riddle. Okay, riddle me this. I think this is a good one. This five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it. What is the word? Say it again. This five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it. What is the word? Say it again. This five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it. What is the word? Short? It is.
Speaker 2:Is it?
Speaker 1:Yes, I love it. You got it Because short, you add two words two letters it becomes shorter. Well, hot damn, you're good, you got that one right off the bat this time.
Speaker 2:I've got you one. Let's hear it. It's kind of along the same lines. Okay, what begins with a T, ends with a T and has T in it.
Speaker 1:Okay, so has T in. It could be like the drink tea or not, or not. Okay begins with a T. I don't know why I think of tit when I hear T. Tit, okay Begins with a T. I don't know why I think of tit when I hear T Say it again.
Speaker 2:Begins with a T, ends with a T and has T in it.
Speaker 1:Begins with a T, ends with a T and has T in it. Oh, my goodness, I feel like there's some trick wording in here. Begins with a T, ends with a T and has T in it. This goes along. I feel like the feeling you know the time it was an envelope and it has something in it T in it, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Oh, this is a good one.
Speaker 1:Teapot, oh teapot, you over See, it had a T. I thought of the drink tea in it.
Speaker 2:yeah, I was thinking tit, I don't know oh my goodness goodness, I don't even know what to say to that one. To that one, I really don't?
Speaker 1:oh well, you know how we are. You just never know what's going to come busting up in this little brain of mine. It's tits, oh my goodness. All right, let's talk about before we get Tina on the line with us, before she joins us for a ride. Let's talk about market.
Speaker 2:Okay, it was absolutely, without a doubt, the most exhausting market I've been to in 15 years.
Speaker 1:Okay, I will give you that. But it was one of the best, one of the best, I feel like.
Speaker 2:So fun, most exhausting, very successful and but it kind of it couldn't be one of the best, one of the most successful without being the most exhausting right, it's true.
Speaker 1:So we kind of had two different parts to this market, I feel like so we went you know, we were there yeah were there.
Speaker 1:You and I were there for a total of 10 days, and we were there a few days before our new franchisees joined us who were opening the store in Savannah, and so we were getting things together and ordering. Then we also had live sales happening and we set this crazy goal that we wanted to do at market and um, all of these live sales. And then our franchisees joined us and so then we had to split up and you were helping them order everything to get their store open, which is very important to have the right mix coming in and all of that going on, um, and then I was and you were also ordering for our retail stores as well, and it's not the most ideal situation because we generally order the bulk of our furniture at the high point market, not the Atlanta market, right?
Speaker 2:So I'm only used to doing fill-in in Atlanta, in Atlanta, and I had to change my mindset to filling up a store Right.
Speaker 1:And then so you were also ordering for our retail store, and then I was ordering for our retail stores and online and gifts and holiday fill-in and spring of next year. So we were all over.
Speaker 2:I can't wait to see what I'm going to kill you for buying. I know right, it's going to be interesting, it'll be fun.
Speaker 1:I don't think I went anything too far out there but with that. So when we were at market, we were there 10 days. We did 20 live sales in addition to ordering, and I know we talk about it, but I don't think people understand what goes in, you know, to doing all of the live sales, of getting that in the system set up, getting to a showroom, samples pulled or knowing what we're going to show. It's a whole thing. That was. I forgot all the stats. I had them. We talked about it in a live sale. I think it was 14 hours that we were live total and market over 500-something different products there.
Speaker 1:Over 2,000 orders, Over 2,000 orders, huge stuff From our customers, from our customers. So it was a lot of fun doing all the live sales but, like you said, it was very exhausting and it was weird for me, because you and I usually go by ourselves and we are, I mean together the whole market. Sometimes we'll split up Like hey, you're working on this vendor, I know, you know what it is a few.
Speaker 1:It might be a few vendors yeah, I'm gonna go down the hall and order this while you're doing that, and we're always like yeah, no, no.
Speaker 2:What are you thinking? We play off each other that way, and we?
Speaker 1:didn't have. When we were split up, we were on our own and I'm like what is he buying? Not that I don't trust you, but I know you'll buy stuff. It's out of just curiosity. Yeah, it's the unknown of like well, what are they buying? But we were buying different categories, so it was fun.
Speaker 2:And what was really eye-opening to me and I should know this, but I didn't is just how much we know about our business and what we're doing Right, because I've never had to teach that.
Speaker 1:Right. So you were there. Not only were you ordering for their store, you were also teaching them the ropes of markets setting them up. Look for this you know you got to look for this, you got to watch out for this. We can get this from a different vendor. That's going to be less, but it's going to be the same quality.
Speaker 2:You know, teaching them things to look for because you're wanting to you know, set up them to be successful and thank god that they are just the nicest people and they don't have um a know-it-all attitude. They're open to learning and listen.
Speaker 1:I know what would you have done if you would have gotten there and they would have been like, what's going to happen one day when you have that franchisee who thinks they know it all and they're going to, like, question everything, or you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 2:I don't do well with that.
Speaker 1:That will be the challenging part. But I think you would know, going through the whole process leading up to really getting them signed up. What kind of person? Because there's a lot of aspects of getting before you start ordering for your store.
Speaker 2:I think you would have figured that out before, and Tina you know, tina definitely has her her own look and span to put on the business, which I love and I embrace, yeah, and that's what's going to make her such an asset to us. But see, I could explain to her I think that's great, but we don't need to invest in that until we get this going, and then you can layer that in, right, because we don't want to tie up that much money. You know, and I'm not, I'm not opposed to her carrying a high end crystal or China, right, or what have you. I think it's great.
Speaker 1:But you got to start with the basics and then you layer that in over the next couple years, right, right.
Speaker 2:And I mean I'm excited about her carrying some of it, because I don't want to invest in it, but I want some of it Right, so you can go down there, it's good for me, yeah, so. I do like what she brings to the table. But see, she and Mark, they are smart and intelligent enough to say, oh yeah, that makes sense, right? And?
Speaker 1:hopefully we will, and that's the benefit of us coaching them through getting the store open. Like, you got to cover these bases and we've gone through this in our own store you got to cover these bases before you cover these extra bases.
Speaker 1:Because if you don't have the basics and the basic, look down, it throws the whole dynamic off. We've run into this in our own store before when I've called you and say we're in trouble, we're out of balance, we're out of balance, we have too much going in this direction and not enough of the basics. Just walk in If I'm looking for this. We're missing out on that customer. We got to correct this.
Speaker 2:Well it's great, it's great to have a five thousand dollar chandelier right in your store as a wow yeah, but that's not gonna sell every day, all day long, you've got to have the twelve hundred dollars, chandelier, right, and the six hundred dollars. Yeah, you gotta have a mix, right. But then you want somebody, you want a franchisee that can look at it and say we need the mix, we need this mix and sometimes it's very important to have that mix.
Speaker 1:Not sometimes it's very important to have the mix, because sometimes it's like going to a car dealership the cheaper one will sell the upgrade because you can compare them. Well, this one is $600, but damn, I really like the $1,200 one because you can see them side by side. You know, we've had to explain upholstery like sofas in car versions before to people when they're like what's the difference between this? And we're like this is your everyday, all day. This is your Honda, this is your Mercedes, right here and you can get it to people with the car analogy.
Speaker 2:I always use that.
Speaker 1:And then when you sit on it or try it out that's why it's important to have the mix is because sometimes they'll sell the higher end one. Well, you know, so you got to have that mix. Because if you just walk in and only see a $5,000 chandelier and you think, well, that's out of my budget, they don't have anything to offer me, right? So you got to have the other. You know, you got to have the whole.
Speaker 2:And what we have always said. This, and I want this to be I don't care if we have 50 stores open. I think this is important. I want someone to be able to walk into any store any of the nested pig stores with $20. And be able to buy something and leave with something Right, Because for the majority of my life, I was that person that had $20 to spend.
Speaker 1:Right and you wanted to buy something. You want to go shopping yes, you want the experience and, no, you may not. Can walk out with the you know $3,000 something that you're dreaming about but you're going to walk out with a picture frame or a candle or something that makes you feel satisfied that you went shopping.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I think that's important to make everyone. I want everyone to have that feeling when they leave our store. I don't want anyone leaving thinking I cannot afford anything in there, right? So when you come to our stores, we promise you there is an item in there you can afford, even if you're on a spending freeze, right?
Speaker 1:You want to spend $20.
Speaker 2:But I'm that way, right, and you're that way. When we go to Florida, we go shopping and we literally want to go buy something.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Even if it's for our beach house.
Speaker 1:Right or whatever, even if it's just a little, like you said, a candle.
Speaker 2:It's just a feel-good Purch candle, it's just a feel good purchase.
Speaker 1:It is Right and I want everybody to feel that I was just thinking about this and I don't know if our listeners care or not but talking about getting the right product mix in the store. That's actually how our home store became a furniture and home decor store, because when we originally opened the home store, it was a spinoff of the garden store and it was just supposed to be like home accents. We were never in it for the furniture side.
Speaker 1:Y'all, we did it so damn wrong and we opened, you know, with accessories and stuff, and then we were like, well, we need just for the feel of it, we need to have a sofa or two in here. Were like, well, we need just for the feel of it, we need to have a sofa or two in here. Blah, blah, blah. Well, that's when we realized, starting out, the product mix was wrong, because if you're going to have a sofa, people don't want to. They're not going to buy a sofa from just seeing one sofa. They want to sit on three or four sofas before they pick a sofa.
Speaker 2:But we put, okay, our sofas. Then we were at a different time in our lives and, with a car reference, they were Kias, yes, and so they were inexpensive. We bought them honestly for the look and for accent furniture, not your living room.
Speaker 1:They were not expensive.
Speaker 2:They looked good, but they sold Like we couldn't keep them.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Do you remember? Yes, we were like, because we were like nobody going to buy this, but we need it to sell pillows off.
Speaker 1:Yeah, to create the look of everything.
Speaker 2:Yes, and then we were like hmm.
Speaker 1:People want this. There's a need for this.
Speaker 2:Maybe we need to get a BMW or a Mercedes in here.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:You know different choices, but then we realized we ain't got enough store to do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So then we upgraded stores and here we are today, but anyway getting the product. If you're opening a store, you have a store, you have to get your product right. And I think one of the things I don't know how we're I guess this is going to be an instructional podcast now One of the things we hear from other store owners sometimes when we're at market. You know we love to talk to other store owners and we'll give our opinion and all kinds of things. They'll say, oh, but my customer won't pay that much or whatever. And we're always like you do have to know your market, but you also have to push the envelope. That doesn't mean if you're in a, you know, rural area and your customers aren't going to pay high end, what's high end to you, what is pushing it for you? And you got to make sure you have that in there.
Speaker 2:I'll call myself out on that because when we first opened the store, pillows were my thing Right, and I ordered pillows in retail. I'll never forget One pillow was $276. I still remember what it looked like. One pillow was $276. I still remember what it looked like and I said to you no damn body is going to pay this for a pillow. I don't care what kind of fabric it is, I don't care, sold immediately. I even remember who bought the pillows. That's funny.
Speaker 1:And I still have to to remind you that sometimes, when we go to work, I'm like come on, now we got to have the mix because we will have pillows. We've had pillows that are, um, not custom. You know uh, I don't know what you want to call it bulk manufacturer. You know, we've had pillows that are 68 or whatever they are, and then we've had pillows up to $200 and something or more. So what is your whale? Because you ordered pillows without me at market.
Speaker 2:Well there, were these pillows? They were gorgeous, they're gorgeous, they are breathtakingly gorgeous.
Speaker 1:They're the prettiest pillows Landing at the Nesty Pig home in Greenville, South Carolina.
Speaker 2:But I was like, oh, my word. I mean I'm having this conversation in my head. Yeah, I'm like I can't believe I'm doing this. They're going to retail for like $380 a piece. They'll be sold, but they are stunning. So I went back to that. First, I went back to 2013, when we sold those pillows that were $276 a piece, and if y'all are listening and y'all are saying that's crazy, I hear you. I've never paid that for a pillow in my life because I get them wholesale. But I'm like somebody is going to appreciate that. That's the mix we need.
Speaker 1:We need the $68 pillows and we need our normal everyday custom pillow which are $138.
Speaker 1:Isn't that what they are? Yes, which to me is expensive for a pillow. But if you walked into the showroom that was the custom pillow line and you were like, oh, if you can see the value in it, then a customer will too, and you're not going to sell those. You're not going to sell as many of those as you do our everyday $138 pillow, but it's going to sell. So you have to push that envelope and offer, and I was really proud of Tina.
Speaker 2:I've got to give Tina credit here. I was trying to keep her in the more modest pillow range and she said she insisted. And we went back and added to her order. She was like no, I want to show people what we can have. And I said you know?
Speaker 1:That is fine, and that's what.
Speaker 2:I'm talking about pushing the envelope and having the right mix.
Speaker 1:You can show them. Hey, if you're that extra bougie Steven person, we can serve you too, yes. Or if you are, you know, normal person, we have this for you. And if you're shopping on a budget, we have this for you too, yes, yeah, so, cause there can be all different. You know shopping budgets and it's not even just the budget, it's the use, like somebody might be buying it for their Airbnb and don't want to spend what they would spend at their home. So it's not just sometimes a budget thing. You're not having money.
Speaker 2:It's the use of where you're, and a lot of times, a lot of times, wesley and I shop at box stores for our airbnbs. Yeah, we don't sit in, we'll mix in stuff from our stores, but then at times, you know, it's just not appropriate right.
Speaker 1:well, you know we've talked about that with airbnbs. We'll do those key features that will really upgrade really nice light fixtures, maybe really nice chest or dressers. We put in nice sofas and stuff like that, the staples, but we're not going to put in our fine china or, you know, lamps.
Speaker 2:When I sold my last Airbnb, though, I got to admit something. I so wanted to drive down there and switch out some things, because I had done that. Like every room in our Airbnbs, we try to put something expensive in every room. Whether it's a pair of lamps, pillows, a chandelier, a piece of furniture, and I was like, damn, I really like these, like a handful of things I was like. You know that's what sold it. I need to let it go.
Speaker 1:Right, I did, that's good. But.
Speaker 2:I was reluctant, yeah, but yeah, I mean, and I like the fact that Tina sees that and I think she that's, you know, among many reasons. I think that's why she's a great fit for us.
Speaker 1:Right, I think they're a perfect fit. So let's talk go back to market a little bit before we get into trends. We're going to get Tina on when we start talking about trends and that sort of thing I will say this was a busy market. Yes.
Speaker 2:I mean it was busier than any market I remember in the past few years, but it did die off quicker.
Speaker 1:I feel like Some vendors were saying they had the best market and then some were like it started out good but it died off a little bit. Yeah, there was no one there on Sunday, yeah, and it ended on Monday, Sunday and Monday it was like me and you and maybe 15 people it was a ghost town, people, it felt like um there, uh.
Speaker 1:So I did the shopping for gifts, so I have some great gift items coming up I did a little spring shopping because you know we had to start getting in easter, uh. But this is also why we went to the dallas market. We talked about that. You and I went to the dallas market and we got in some of our spring orders there because we knew it was going to be kind of hectic with having the franchisees there and doing live sales and trying to get everything done for that.
Speaker 1:But I am interested in hearing what trends you all spotted in home decor Because I for the first time didn't really go through that part of the market, since y'all did the bulk of that and, like I said, I focused on gifts and accessories.
Speaker 1:I did fill in fall decor, some fill in Christmas decor and some spring items, but I didn't do any of the home decor part. So I'm interested to see what trends y'all saw and I know July market the trends don't shift quite as much as they do in January, the July market. I'm so happy and thankful that this franchise landed in July because it is an easier market, like in January. January you're pretty much ordering some form of orders for the entire year. There's no way we could have done the amount of live sales that we did in all the things that we did at the July market in January, because it is so much more important to have, like, all your holiday orders in and that sort of thing. So July is typically a slower market and less new introductions other than they're introducing spring, like Easter spring for the next year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it would be very challenging in January.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, but if we have a new franchisee by then, we'll work it out. We'll be going to Dallas and Atlanta and Las Vegas and wherever we got to go.
Speaker 2:What I would say, and we'll pick Tina's brain when we get her on here. But one thing that I have noticed a lot in lighting is there's a lot more texture, even like with shells and different things. Even for non-coastal, I just feel like there's a lot more Like natural elements incorporated. Yeah, it's almost that 70s kind of vibe you're getting. Interesting. You know it's just in a lot of shades on chandeliers.
Speaker 1:Well, we've been seeing more and more of that the last few markets.
Speaker 2:And then pleated shades are coming back, which I don't like.
Speaker 1:Do you know what shade is? I don't know the name of it, I do not like it and it's coming back or coming with a vengeance. It's the short kind of squatty and it's not a drum. It's flared. Do you know? It almost looks aged Empire. Is it empire?
Speaker 2:It's empire. Yes, and I hate them.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, they're everywhere now.
Speaker 2:And I ordered a pair of lamps with them.
Speaker 1:The scale. It always looks like the shade scale is off to me because they're shorter and they're so flared. I did it.
Speaker 2:I did it because one of our designers loves those and they're hot right now, so I did it, and this time I'm sure it will sell. It will go in somebody's house, but it won't be going in mine.
Speaker 1:I just don't like them. I hate when I see things like that and I'm like let's not let this be the real trend, because I do not want this in my house. They were everywhere.
Speaker 2:I had a lamp like that in the late 70s in my room.
Speaker 1:I remember it. It's just that I'm Googling them right now and I just don't like it. Empire lamp.
Speaker 2:I don't like it. Empire lamp I don't like them and and um our designer that I'm talking about I mean she's phenomenal, right, extremely talented lover. She has a pair of my lamps that I have in my home are in her home and she has the empire shades on there. I said, girl, get them off there. Those, those shades is ugly. She said you crazy they. I love those shades. It's funny how um designers can have such a strong opinion opinion about one little thing like that.
Speaker 2:It's funny that we have the exact same lamps with totally different shades. Right, she's like drum shades are boring and I'm like I like my boring drum shades.
Speaker 1:But they just fit so much better to the scale of thing and the table.
Speaker 2:I mean, everything just fits better. Oh my goodness, but there wasn't anything like nothing jumped out at me. There wasn't anything like nothing jumped out at me. Home decor wise.
Speaker 3:This market like does some.
Speaker 2:It's like we're going down that same road. I did notice one thing that I felt like had died down and I noticed more, and that is heavy lacquered furniture.
Speaker 1:Is dying down. No, it's coming back, oh, it's coming back.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's coming back For like accent pieces yes, because I felt like it was really really popular and then kind of went away and now for accent pieces, that heavily lacquered is coming back, like in bar carts and small chest, accent chest and things, and I'm like, hmm, which I like it. I mean it's fine, fine it's not for me, but I like it because I'd scratch it off to hell and back you know, mine would be oh, it would look like a cat.
Speaker 1:Just I know every time that, and you know, acrylic things have come and gone and they and I love the chairs those come and go and every time I see like an acrylic side table or piece of furniture, I'm just like I cannot imagine what that would look like in my house. Well, we've ordered them for the store and we've scratched the hell out of them at the store before they've even gotten sold.
Speaker 2:They can break an anvil with a toothpick sometimes.
Speaker 1:Well, let's pick up Tina, because we need to talk to Tina. We need a little background on Tina. Introduce her to everyone listening and then we'll talk to Tina. We need a little background on Tina, Introduce her to everyone listening and then we'll talk about.
Speaker 1:They need to know about her previous life. Yeah, let's get Tina on the phone. Hold on just a second. We have Tina in the car with this joining us and hello, tina, are you here? Hello, hello, hello, hey girl, you should know if you're listening by now. You should know, but we'll reintroduce. So Tina and her husband Mark are our first franchisees. They're opening the store in Savannah, georgia, on Abercorn. We'll put her Instagram handle below as well. So if you want to follow the store and the store address, yeah, we'll put the store address and the store and her contact and website and all that below. But if you want to follow the progress of them, you know they're just starting construction on the store to getting open and hopefully it's opening around the 1st of October. See all that in the show notes below. But we have Tina joining us. So Tina and her husband Mark joined us at the Atlanta Market. We've been talking about that, but we want to hear all about Tina?
Speaker 3:We're going to let Stephen take over.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what y'all saw at Market?
Speaker 2:So this was not Tina's first rodeo at Market, that's right, but this was her first rodeo as a buyer at Market. So, Tina, why don't you tell us what you did before you were a stay-at-home mom?
Speaker 3:Well, I worked for Mount Vernon Meals. I worked for their weaving division for years in fabric design and merchandising and marketing. So we would create fabric or different textiles to go into different markets furniture, home textiles, accessories. So yeah, I did that for a number of years. We covered all of the markets from the West Coast to Dallas. We were in New York several times a year and just tried to stay on. You know the cutting edge of what was happening in trends. You know the fabric drives a lot of it. Um, and we would just try to marry the correct fabric with the right frames in furniture and then accessories. Um, we did a lot of licensed product, um, so yeah, so basically, she knows too damn much about fabric.
Speaker 2:That's what I was's what I was going to say.
Speaker 1:It's a real thing when she's picking out fabric. Oh, what the rub on this. Oh my God.
Speaker 2:She wears me out. I absolutely adore her, yeah, and love her like a sister. I truly do.
Speaker 1:But Well, we already talked about. Y'all are basically brother, sister, bougie people.
Speaker 2:I could kill her when it comes to fabrics and we have fun talking. But see this nut, she can tell you why that pillow is going to be worth $400. Right, she will make you believe you will want to pay that man $400 for that pillow. Before she leaves, she's like oh, this is this fabric. Oh, what it went to to make this fabric. This fabric Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. She's exhausted.
Speaker 1:She knows too much. So the good thing is you do have a background in the home industry via fabrics and that sort of thing, so you were familiar with markets in a different aspect, but this was your first shop-to-drop, get-completely-overwhelmed, overstimulated market.
Speaker 2:Which was easier, tina? Was it easier from a vendor standpoint, doing market, or was it easier as a buyer, in your opinion?
Speaker 3:Easier from a vendor because you're working with one product. You have one product to sell. Now you may put that product in different markets or it may have a different end use, but you knew your product inside and out market is just like the most fabulous shopping trip, right? You can imagine for days on end and you, you know this, you see, go from one thing to the next and each showroom had their their own. You know, take on what they may do with a similar product, but as far as ease, much easier to be a vendor.
Speaker 2:But, maybe more fun and exciting as a buyer, oh sure, and this was by far my I just said earlier in the podcast podcast it was by far my most fun market ever, but it was also my most exhausting market, you know, because we were buying for your store and our store. You know, it was just a lot a lot more to balance yes, but I'll tell you what I enjoyed most about this Mark? What did you enjoy most Spending her money?
Speaker 1:Oh, Changes the whole aspect. Yeah, so you're not thinking about that. Part of it is out of your.
Speaker 2:you're thinking about what you like and why this would be so perfect she better be glad that I am such a level head conservative minded person, because I would have been, I would have really gone crazy conservative minded person, because I would have been.
Speaker 1:I would have really gone crazy. But I know. I said well, you know you're gonna help her buy everything and they're gonna get it all. And I said their store is gonna be better than ours because they're gonna have their shit together where we only have half of her.
Speaker 2:I told her that I said you know, because she, she by nature, you know, she just does all the things right I know, you know she's gonna outdo us, but it's okay we got a lot of.
Speaker 1:We're frying a lot more fish. It's all part of the brand.
Speaker 2:Yes, but if you seriously if you are shopping for a sofa, for pillows. Tina's a lot more knowledgeable than we are about fabrics and she can tell you more than you want to know. That's true.
Speaker 3:We'll try to keep it to a minimum.
Speaker 1:It's a good thing. So one thing I know and I don't know, I don't care. Oh my gosh, I don't guess y'all care if we mentioned this, but we haven't mentioned this in this aspect. But, tina, if you followed Steven on Instagram and the fabulous design client that he's been helping with the magnificent fireplace and style and the kitchen that you all love. That's Tina's house.
Speaker 2:I haven't told that but that's before she mentioned to me. And she mentioned it to me. Tina, I don't even know if I had told you that we were considering franchising. I don't even remember if we'd gone there or if one day. You just mentioned that you would like to open a store.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:You were like, yeah, maybe a group conversation, I mean just in some of our design consults and just I mean just in some of our design consults and just I think, the whole process and we were ready for a new challenge and a new concept. And you know I love everything about design and putting it together and we just we worked so well together on the house and it just seamlessly kind of flowed one conversation to another and it just it came up well, you didn't it was very organic, yeah and she had
Speaker 2:stellar she has stellar taste. Honestly, she didn't need me to do the house, but you were a great resource and everyone, even like when you do your house.
Speaker 1:You like to ask you know like house. You like to ask you know like me opinion. You like to have someone to play off no matter how good of a designer you are. It's true. You like to have some kind of you know input from some other, you know person's opinion. Like when I do stuff for my house I'm like, hey, come help me get a plan together, or whatever.
Speaker 2:It is good and she you know, and it was really good working together on her house because I got to see firsthand what great taste she had.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was a good kind of like interview for being a friend. It really was, because you got to see how she worked and what her process was.
Speaker 2:And if she'd been a pain in the ass, we wouldn't be here.
Speaker 1:Right, because you would have known.
Speaker 2:Well, I did wear you out in my oh my god, let me tell you I know everything there's to know about a damn marble fireplace.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I build a marble fireplace and know and know how to get it in and on the wall, how to install it.
Speaker 2:Yes, that that in, in and French cooking equipment, but look how fabulous it is being very curated, because it's not. She is very much like me and she likes to pair old with new, right and new with old and mix it up a little, and I think that's so important.
Speaker 1:Layer. It gives you a really good look, mm-hmm, really good look.
Speaker 3:So that's how I do like to layer, mix the old with the new.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's very important, mm-hmm, because layering in those old elements, those are your found elements, whether you found them at, you know, our retail store, because we bring in old found elements and that sort of thing but those are the one-of-a-kind elements that really bring out the personality in a design or your room and, you know, set you apart from the new stuff that you, you know are necessity and completes the design. But those few little elements really make it and it can be something that you, you know are necessity and completes the design, but those few little elements really make it.
Speaker 2:And it can be something that you found at a yard sale or a junk store on the side of the road. Like some of my favorite things in Tina's house are definitely not the most expensive things, it's just that special thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's those one of a kind yeah.
Speaker 2:And I literally put my name on it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you got the claim, if something happens? That Stephen yes, and I told her children.
Speaker 3:His name is on the back.
Speaker 2:I said you better hope I go first, because if they go first, that shit's, mine that's funny Her kids are like okay, whatever, yeah, they're like whatever.
Speaker 1:So give us an update on the Savannah store, because I know you just got back from Savannah. So the goal is to open around October 1st, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so where are we in construction and things like that? Because you have things showing up for market in about four weeks, I'm thinking.
Speaker 2:And some stuff that's already been dropped on our front porch.
Speaker 1:Well, there you go, you know we go to market and we give them ship dates and employees will never understand. We tried to explain to them like we're doing our part. We have ship dates for things. Addresses Addresses correct. They don't pay attention half the time to that.
Speaker 2:They send it where the hell they want, when they want.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so Stephen was telling me some things have already shown up from market.
Speaker 2:She asked me yeah but it's good she asked me yesterday, so is it a problem if we update our shipping dates? I said go for it and good luck yeah say a prayer?
Speaker 1:yeah, because I suggest good I mean we'll see, it'd be good okay yeah, well, we have a warehouse if you need to store a few things over at our place.
Speaker 3:Yeah that is true, that could maybe happen, but the store is coming right along. I mean, the construction is probably halfway finished and they'll start painting and, yeah, we'll start bringing display and shelving in. I think we're, hopefully. I feel good about October 1st, beginning of October, yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm going to be there in two weeks, so I'm excited.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can't wait to see a progress report and see what's happening down there.
Speaker 2:I mean, we got signs and awnings going on. We're in the thick of it. We are in the thick of it, and another thing that Tina's really good at is managing all the minutiae and making it happen. I think that's probably from being a mom with three boys more than anything.
Speaker 1:Yes, very organized in that.
Speaker 3:Manage the chaos.
Speaker 1:Yes, manage the chaos.
Speaker 1:That's what it's all about. So we're excited for you to get your store open, but let's go back to market. So you and Steven, I was saying I didn't really get to see the home decor area. I focused more on gifts, some fill-in fall decor, fill-in Christmas decor, spring and Easter decor, but I wasn't over as much in the home decor furniture. So we want to hear what kind of trends y'all were seeing at this market. So let's talk about that. So what did you see, tina? Yeah, for your first time, was there any big color that was standing out or big trend that you saw when you were there?
Speaker 3:I think that I did see more color. You know, I think for a long, and that's over the past couple of years, I think we I did see more color, you know, I think for a long, and that's over the past couple of years, I think we branched out more into more color, instead of just all gray and white.
Speaker 3:I did see more earth tones and some pretty, like really pretty velvet, that were rich in color, not maybe dark, but just had good depth of color and good texture. You know, seeing all of that, I still love that pairing of that real soft, the velvet, with the stone, the natural stones, and then still just lots of aged brass, any kind of rich patina, whether it will do that over time if it's a living finish or if that finish has already been applied but just kind of mixing all of those elements of the warm brass, those wonderful plush, just feel good velvets along with that rich earth tone. Velvets, yeah, um, along with that rich earth tone. Um, and just you know, moving maybe certainly not away from gray that's certainly still important in the color palette, but a warmer gray right.
Speaker 3:Um, just a warmer, cozier feeling overall, I guess, is kind of what spoke to me. It was just very warm and inviting. That's how you want your home.
Speaker 1:Right, and I love a good velvet and I love some color, but I do love we've been seeing more and more color the last, I would say, about a year and a half to two years, bless you. Yeah, we've been seeing more and more of that rich, just color and I love that. Layered in with the neutrals whether you're doing a neutral white or a gray tone it really makes those rich colors pop too by layering those in.
Speaker 2:And I feel like there's a definite nod to the 70s, like with some of the brass the antique brass Travertine, the stone, which I love. It's updated.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you told me at market I'm glad you said that that you were seeing a lot of Travertine.
Speaker 2:Yes, I feel like Travertine was really, really hot a lot in flooring and that but now I'm seeing a lot in furniture, so like the top of a coffee table being travertine.
Speaker 3:In tables. Yes, just lots of accessories, some a little bit in lighting, just some accents and lighting, but just very warm.
Speaker 2:We ordered some lighting for your store that was travertine.
Speaker 1:Oh, really. So that's definitely a newer introduction.
Speaker 2:And shades on lights. You know that was big in the 90s, yeah.
Speaker 1:We've been seeing more and more of those shades on chandeliers and light fixtures and that sort of thing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like plain and pleated shades, and some shades were printed which were very pretty on fixtures, it just you know whatever suits your need and um your look.
Speaker 1:We've already poo-pooed imperial shades, but that might be your thing how do you like?
Speaker 3:imperial imperial shades it's probably not my, but we can certainly embrace it.
Speaker 2:Good, exactly.
Speaker 1:We'll embrace what the consumer wants. But sometimes you start seeing those things pop up and they don't really go anywhere. So it'll be interesting to see if that continues to be a trend or if it plays out, because sometimes I feel like they're trying to reinvent themselves or make a trend kind of happen and we'll see it a lot at market. And then you might go back the next market and it's nowhere to be seen because no one ordered it and I don't know. I feel like the Imperial shade I was saying always looks a little out of scale.
Speaker 2:No matter what lamp it's on it, always kind of looks out of scale well, I ordered a pair um, I ordered a pair of asian pottery lamps with imperial, and I didn't hate them. Did you, tina, remember those?
Speaker 3:no, I think, paired with that kind of asian influence was kind of the days just go hand in hand.
Speaker 2:So I think, yeah, it did it did work um and cow, I'll be the judge, I mean we, we still.
Speaker 3:I saw lots of cow hide on everything yeah um, and I think that's just another great texture and pattern to layer in.
Speaker 1:Just gives you another element of always texture and it gives you that good natural element to it. Yeah, that feel. And cow hides I feel like they never go out of style. But we've been doing the home store 11 years now and we have seen it go way up and then just kind of level out and I feel like it's going back up again. It never went away and it never stopped, but it was at one time that we couldn't keep them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we could as many cow hides as we can get we could sell and we still buy them every market, but we're just buying smaller numbers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but now I feel like it's starting to go back up again. But see.
Speaker 2:My favorite thing with cow hides now is I love to get things covered in it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Get like a ottoman or something, but the funny thing is, I still have our original cow hides from like 2013.
Speaker 2:So do I.
Speaker 1:Because they never wear out, they only get better, so you don't even have to worry about you know, I've had the dog pee on one and I just took it outside and washed it off the water hose little dawn, let it dry and throw it back in the house and it's great to layer.
Speaker 3:I feel like it just gives you that, that layer, that nice texture it does and to get it off the floor, you know, to do something with it other than just a floor covering what about?
Speaker 1:um, because I didn't make it over to the home decor area, I felt like the rattan furniture was kind of trickling down the last few markets was that a continuous trend like boho's really going down yeah, so kind of the rattan and the woven not as much.
Speaker 2:What do you think, Tina?
Speaker 3:I did not see as much of that. I felt like things were a bit more refined and there was more planning, thought, put into a look instead of and I love that haphazard just toss it and most of the time it just works so beautifully. But I did feel like looks were a little bit more um, tailored and refined the more curated, and I think you can still use the boho pieces.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's just gonna be that one piece you have tucked over in the corner right as a as a wow piece. Right and not so much of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like it was and that goes back we talked about after the january market, or maybe it was april, I don't know recent um, but they are calling it modern cottage is modern car cottage modern cottage is the new um overall style and it's kind of the evolution from farmhouse to, you know, modern farmhouse.
Speaker 1:Now they're calling it modern cottage because a cottage is more quaint, has those, um, you know, earthy colors in it but it just feels a little more refined and refined, not, as you know, shabby chic as, yes, farmhouse, so a little more, like you're saying, elevated, still curated, still found items, but just an elevated look because it all started with shabby chic, right talked about that and then it went, you know it kind of phased into farmhouse kind of went to the pottery barn farmhouse and then with joanna gains it went to the farmhouse farmhouse. Then it went to modern farmhouse you know. Then with Joanna Gaines it went to the farmhouse farmhouse, Then it went to modern farmhouse.
Speaker 2:It's modern cottage, going back to a little more refined.
Speaker 3:A little more glamour. I felt like it was a little more glamour this market.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I mean, you can even see it in Christmas.
Speaker 3:In.
Speaker 2:Christmas decor. You see more rhinestones and a little more glitz, Simmering glitz.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:One big, very random thing is disco balls. Oh yeah, and disco ball ornaments. Yes, anything disco is back. Yeah, and we ordered some for our Christmas.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we ordered a few fun elements. We didn't do a whole theme.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but we found an element for Tina's store I forgot to tell you this and it was very interesting. It is the disco ball, but they are mercury glass, very interesting.
Speaker 1:Very pretty.
Speaker 2:Yes, an elevated disco ball yes, we're gonna be fancy discoers it's um.
Speaker 1:I feel a little jealous, like I might have me too I felt a little.
Speaker 2:I felt like I needed to add on to our order I may need to, yeah, and we can all share. I feel like that's very Savannah too. Yeah, Like some things, I feel like and you know, you it's all a shot in the dark with opening a new store, but I felt like that would be really cool in some homes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, savannah, yeah, that is going to be interesting it works both in old, historic and in new.
Speaker 3:I think it, you know, and can be coastal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, in holiday, there is a lot of glamour in that. So we ordered our holiday, stephen and I, back in January and I was still getting asked at market like what's the trend for Christmas or whatever, and I'm kind of like, well, it's the same we talked about in January. But for us, for a recap, we're doing kind of an iced glass look. So any of that iced look is cream and white. Back a neutral cream and white with maybe some wood elements, if you want to introduce that into it was a big look. Of course traditional, you know Of course traditional. You know reds and golds, but we did it more with the dark, like wine.
Speaker 2:We did a red and a wine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh yeah, we did, we did like a wine golds, and then we did a traditional red for holidays.
Speaker 2:So that was kind of— my personal tree is going to be the deep wine With brass, with brass and cream brass, and cream for a pop and mine's going to be the traditional red and gold and I can't remember what other.
Speaker 1:I'll have to look and see what I did. Red just the traditional red looks so good in my house. Every year I try to like.
Speaker 2:And we're probably going to have to go to. Every year I I try to like and we're probably gonna have to go to, we're probably gonna have to just go to savannah and do some holiday lives and just sell her shit out from under her I know we'll just have to because I really like it, and it was.
Speaker 2:It was. I felt like it was a little bit of a challenge for tina and I both, um, because we have never lived coastal. It's different owning a home, but we've never lived coastal Right, so I think it was a little bit of a challenge for us, like buying a little coastal to work in Don't you think, tina?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think so, it's a little challenge.
Speaker 1:I'm sure y'all found some fabulous. We did, I'm sure you found the best coastal fabulous pieces. We did, I'm sure you did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we made sure it didn't scream welcome to the beach. Yeah, urban coastal.
Speaker 1:Yes, it wasn't. Toes in the sand and beer in your hand, hell no coastal.
Speaker 2:Yes, it wasn't toes in the sand and theory, but I may. I may pick up something like that and hang in her store just to watch, because it is different you know those fun elements.
Speaker 1:If you have an airbnb or rental versus living, it's different, you know and we did give our store a night.
Speaker 2:Uh, we did give our it's urban, coastal, oh home decor oh, is that what it is urban coastal there you go so um, you know, it's just a little wink there you got a little wink at the coastal yeah and um, I mean, and I felt like we we chose a lot of things that if I did have a home in Savannah, which I hope I have one day and not too far off, that, I would use Okay, let's back this train up, because I know you're going to end up buying a place down here in Savannah.
Speaker 1:Are you going to buy a house every time someone opens a store?
Speaker 2:Maybe Need to be there. I told her. I said I'm buying a house here because if you don't run it the way I want, I will kick your ass out and take it over. That's funny, I felt I've just well, I've always loved Savannah.
Speaker 1:You have always loved Savannah.
Speaker 2:That is true, and you, I know you're not huge into the old city Charleston, You're not into major old anything. You don't like the cobblestone streets.
Speaker 1:No, I do. I really appreciate it and I love visiting. It's cool it smells like horseshit and I don't want to live there. That's all I said.
Speaker 2:I definitely think. Well, I know to love Charleston, savannah, any place like that, annapolis, wherever it is, any old coastal city. You have to love that old.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it has to speak to you.
Speaker 2:And if you don't, you just don't, right.
Speaker 1:I love visiting it. Yeah, I love visiting it and I love visiting it and it's really cool, like super cool, but I do not get that warm, fuzzy feeling like, oh, I would love to live here. It doesn't bubble up in me like it does you two, which is a good thing, because there's plenty of people that do. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 2:There's places that I would want to live, that you wouldn't want to live, and I'd love to go to New York City, but I wouldn't want to live there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's the same thing. It's the same thing, it's the same.
Speaker 2:It's the same and you know.
Speaker 1:It's just knowing what you do like and it's kind of like okay, savannah is coastal and you have the coastal elements and you love that because it's an old city. You know the whole picture of savannah and then if you compare that, say, to destin, which is on the beach, a total different vibe you would never want to live in.
Speaker 2:Destin like it doesn't give you I love our house I know we talk about I love the house and you love the visiting but you would never go and then like me.
Speaker 1:every time I'm there I tell Daniel like, oh, I want to. I would move here in a minute, like if we can just move down there, I would move down there like next week and do it.
Speaker 2:See if I lived in.
Speaker 1:But that's the difference in the type of places like okay, they're both, they're coastal, but it's two different feels, okay they're both.
Speaker 2:They're coastal, but it's two different feels. And I would be more if I lived in Florida. I think, just from driving through I would be more into Jacksonville where it's a little more Savannah-like with the trees and the old cottages.
Speaker 1:That's why everybody likes their own flavors.
Speaker 2:That's why they chocolate and vanilla.
Speaker 1:That's right, and I like a good swirl.
Speaker 2:But it's been fun, because Mark and Tina's home is here in Greenville, right, but they're buying a home in Savannah, so I've been their realtor here in Greenville. So I'm not licensed in Georgia but I have gone with Right.
Speaker 1:And we've learned so much you have been getting these little home tours.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's a different animal, isn't it Tina?
Speaker 3:It is, it is.
Speaker 2:We've learned so much, but in a good way.
Speaker 3:It is In a really good way, yeah, yeah. Well, you know the good thing about go ahead, just the whole downtown historic district and you know the squares are beautiful and the homes on the squares and you know, then they have a completely different residential, more feeling, residential feeling just right, a block over yeah um, so it's just yeah after the concept is great.
Speaker 2:After our first uh tour with a realtor, I was like blown away. I was excited about our store opening there, but I was, I was beyond excited, just because you know, get a good feel for everything when you go look at houses.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I think that's something I want to do when we're looking at locations, because realtors know all the pockets in the areas. I mean I have visited Savannah a lot I mean every time I go to Hilton Head for the past 10 years Right, and I felt like the location was good from just a real estate and retail standpoint Right, and I felt like the location was good from just a real estate and retail standpoint Right. But when we looked at all of the outlying neighborhoods, I'm like, oh my gosh, we picked the right spot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I told Tina. I was like if this doesn't, if this isn't a huge success, it's all your fault If this isn't a huge success it's all your fault and it is such a warm community.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I mean it's friendly, it's warm, Great hospitality. I mean I can see why it's called the hostess city.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's all those things In all the pockets. You've got little beach communities, you've got little island communities. You've got little island communities, you've got new builds, you've got the historic. I mean it's just so many different pockets and so many different ways of living. Like, if you went on that tour with us Me, if you personally did, wesley you would be, I know you you would say, oh, I could live, I could live here, but this would be my pocket yeah, like I can agree with that you?
Speaker 2:I just going there. You don't see that like I never knew there were that many neighborhoods right there around downtown, did you tina?
Speaker 3:no, and with so much diversity, I mean you really, you really, you can find, you know your niche wherever there's just Well.
Speaker 1:I'm excited about y'all buying a house, because then that becomes content, because now you can decorate your house with the things from your store, and I can't wait to see that.
Speaker 3:Personally, I know Well, we're excited. I know.
Speaker 1:We're so excited to have you and Mark as our first franchisees. I love how it came together and so organic.
Speaker 2:Couldn't be a better fit.
Speaker 1:Y'all passed the market test With flying colors Flying colors Y'all held in there, yay I cannot believe. Mark just was in there with it, didn't complain.
Speaker 2:It was very impressive.
Speaker 1:The good thing is it shows how supportive he is in the whole thing and of you, because I think a lot of men would have been like I'm out, I'll see you at the hotel tonight.
Speaker 2:I knew he was really here. I mean, I knew he was a great man and a great father and husband.
Speaker 1:But when you see that right, let me just tell you you don't see that that often, the way that he hung in there and everything he was done.
Speaker 3:He had an opinion. You know sometimes we didn't take it.
Speaker 2:Sometimes we said shut it, he does have a great eye for color.
Speaker 3:His color is great eye for color.
Speaker 1:I know, I know you two did him like I do poor Daniel when he would go to market with me. Yeah, uh-huh. No, yeah, we're not doing that.
Speaker 3:But we'll get this.
Speaker 2:Here's the thing. Here's the thing. Here's the thing when, when we became friends, I asked tina, I said okay, do you dress, do you dress him?
Speaker 1:and she said no yeah, he's got good style he always looks, always his, he dresses beautifully.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he does.
Speaker 2:The clothes he puts together, and so he does have remarkable good style for an old straight man.
Speaker 1:It's true.
Speaker 3:We won't tell him. You said that.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no no.
Speaker 3:But yeah, he does, he really does.
Speaker 2:We can't let him get too much of a big head. It could be a problem, that's right?
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness. Well, we're running out of time for this episode, but we'll definitely have to have you on again and we'll check in before the store opens. And, of course, everyone can watch on social media. If you want to follow Tina and their store it's the Nested Fig Home, savannah on Instagram I'll put it down in the show notes below, along with their website. You can sign up for their email list. Any of that If you want to stay in touch. Maybe you're going to be visiting Savannah soon or maybe you live in the area and you don't ever come to Greenville and you want to go check them out. It's just an extension of us and you will absolutely love it. And we can't wait to see the store open and it all come together with you, tina, because I know it's going to be fabulous. I can't wait.
Speaker 3:I can't wait. We're excited. Thank you for having me today. Yes, great, I enjoyed my ride, all right.
Speaker 1:Well, it's time to get out, get out.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 1:Bye. So it's such an exciting time and we'll definitely have to. We've gone way over this week so we'll definitely have to have her back on again and do a little check in because I would love to hear her opinion along the way or not?
Speaker 2:opinion experience opinion along the way or not, opinion experience.
Speaker 1:You know you and I have opened many stores and how things derail and things happen and what's expected and unexpected, so I'd love to get her to talk about, you know, the process of it coming together when she's further along.
Speaker 2:I've had to tell her. I've told her several times listen, girl, this is your business. I've told her several times listen, girl, this is your business. When I am stepping on your toes too much, tell me to back off. Yeah, and because you know, we have been self-employed for a long time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're unemployable. And we have opinions.
Speaker 2:We got lots of opinions, but she's just been great.
Speaker 1:We could not have picked but that's why she invested in us as a company, because she you know she respects our opinions and she's seen our stores and that's what you get with it, so um and she's you know we're building her up and we'll let her go and we'll be there to guide her.
Speaker 2:She's a a smart little cookie.
Speaker 1:And you know answer things and help her along the way. But so I'd love to hear you know the process and maybe it will all go totally smooth. You know our contractor would have, you know, got the wall opened up and left for three weeks.
Speaker 2:But you know, going back to what you said, with me working on her house, her current house in Greenville. She handles disasters very well, very well, so I got to see all those sides, you know, dealing with stress dealing with money.
Speaker 2:When you're dealing with money and things going wrong, because you know in real estate, that's when you really see the worst come out in people, when things go wrong and money's involved Right. So I've got to see her in all those situations where a contractor messes something up or you know things happen Right, or there's a delay, there's a delay.
Speaker 1:She still doesn't have a refrigerator. Yeah, did they have a meltdown or did they handle it this way? So that was a really good interview process. She's better. She's better than.
Speaker 2:I am. I would have had like 8,000 meltdowns, yeah, and she's and I you know a lot of that, I think comes with she's a mom.
Speaker 1:Right, you know they handle, they know how to go with the flow or bob and weave.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she has twins. Her twins are 21 years old now, but that's a lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is a lot To juggle. It is Well, we're going to wrap up this episode. We'll see you again next week with something brand new, but remember to check out the show notes below to get Tina's Instagram. You can follow that process. Our Instagram is there. Steven's going to be heading down to Savannah, so he'll be showing things on his Instagram as well. Whether you live nearby or not, it's fun to watch the whole process come together and maybe you're thinking about opening your own store whether it doesn't have to be a home decor, doesn't have to be the nested dig, but there's a lot you can learn through watching the process. We've watched a lot of people do things and you know that sort of thing, so it's fun to follow along and see all of that.
Speaker 2:And we're an open book. If you didn't know it.
Speaker 1:We're happy to always A success. We tell it all we will. All right, we'll see you next week. Bye y'all, thanks.