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 - Season3 Ep1 Let's Go! New Season Kickoff
Join us as we kick off Season 3 of "Who's Driving" with Wesley Turner and Stephen Merck, bringing you a fresh perspective on balancing life, business, and the inevitable chaos of everyday living. This episode features a mix of laughter and insight as we navigate Wesley's Instagram handle makeover, discuss the launch of our new website, and introduce our exciting new video format for storytelling. Get ready to be part of our members-only community, where you can access exclusive content and join us on this exciting journey.
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Here's All the links to everything you need:
Join our members only community or see more details about this and past episodes at www.WhosDrivingPodcast.com
Visit www.WesleyTurnerLiving.com to find so much more about all the things we do!
Follow Steven on Instagram at @Keepinupwithsteven and follow Wesley on Instagram at @WesleyTurnerLiving. Shop our online store at TheNestedFig.Com Find The Nested Fig on Instagram at @TheNestedFig
We want to hear from you give our hotline a call or text 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.
Well, here we go. Are you ready? I'm ready, Are we? It's time for Season 3. Season 3. Can you believe we're still doing this? No, it is time for another season of who's Driving. Welcome to who's Driving. I'm Wesley Turner and I'm Stephen Merck. We're two best friends and entrepreneurs. 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?
Speaker 1:where we're headed. All we know is it's always a fun ride. Oh, we are back together again. It's been weird not recording. It has been weird. You know we were supposed to record last week but you got a little sick. I did. It was only supposed to be a five-week break and here we are six weeks later.
Speaker 2:I just sounded a little Coughing and snotting and everything.
Speaker 1:Are you better now?
Speaker 2:I'm better and I tested for everything, but nowadays I don't know.
Speaker 1:Who knows with you. I know you were just all over the place, so we got a lot of catching up to do. Not only do we have a lot of catching up to do, we have a lot of big announcements. So, I think we should start with those, the announcements, first. So season three, episode one, here we go.
Speaker 2:We have given in to something I don't know if we should have we held off on it for two years. I know and I'm should have we held off on it for two years, I know.
Speaker 1:And I'm not sure. I'm not sure how it's going to go or if we should have given in, but you can now, starting today, watch our episode. So I'm going to give you all those details. For all of those. I want to hear the world clapping right now. That's how I hear it in my brain.
Speaker 2:Okay, and I, you know, I've got to say this I don't listen to podcasts and we know we've talked about that yes, um, but hell. If you're listening to podcast, why do you want to watch it?
Speaker 1:well, I guess, but I would rather watch it than just listen to it. That's true I, I would too, especially knowing your face and probably my face and the things that are going to happen. I don't know, but we're excited about it. I guess I'm a little nervous because I've had to learn all new like editing software and uploading and hosting, and I feel like I've been in a college class the last week.
Speaker 2:Y'all better be glad he's techie, because if it were up to me, it would never be video. Never, never.
Speaker 1:So, anyway, okay, so here's the deal. First of all, I guess, besides that you can now watch us, we now have a website for the podcast, which we've never had. That either. We're finally three years in. We're getting our shit together, maybe Trying, we're trying, you know who knows? So our podcast website is whosedrivingpodcastcom and that is where you can go to find the latest episodes. You can go there to listen for free or get to whatever directory you want to listen to our podcast, and then that is also where you will go to watch the podcast if you want to do so. So watching the podcast is. There is a now a members only community, so you got to go to the website.
Speaker 1:You got to sign up and once you're in because that's like the special club, so that's where you'll get access to the video podcast that you can watch anytime, Plus in there, that's where I'm going to post. You know, when we talk about people, we can post those reels so they can see what we're referencing. Now I don't know, that might be what ends us this year.
Speaker 2:It could be, but I think it's kind of a public service. Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1:So I thought that way there's visuals, like when we're talking about, maybe, trends, I can post examples of trends. How wrong.
Speaker 2:It is or right.
Speaker 1:Right or wrong, or when we're talking about something we saw on Instagram and we want to share that real there. I mean it's sharing for them. You know, Sharing is caring.
Speaker 2:Sharing is caring.
Speaker 1:Plus, we'll be able to take polls, you know when we're like tell us if you like this or your thoughts or your feedback.
Speaker 1:All of that will be inside the members only community at who's driving podcastcom. So if you want to support us and be part of the community and maybe you don't want to watch the podcast but you still want to be able to participate and see kind of like the visuals of what we're talking about, all of that's at that website. So it's who's driving podcastcom and you can join the community, I think we should charge for that. We are charging.
Speaker 2:Oh, we are yeah.
Speaker 1:It's a paid subscription to be part of that. It's not 99 a month or the podcast.
Speaker 2:Because I didn't even know we were.
Speaker 1:Yeah, girl, we're charged. He doesn't know anything.
Speaker 2:Let's, let's back it up, listen, I would.
Speaker 1:And here's why we're charging for it, because to host the video version and the different editing it's a lot more expensive. And we've talked about we don't have sponsors, we're not doing advertisements, we're not doing anything. So I'm like, if we're going to do this extra step, we have to break even.
Speaker 2:It at least has to pay for itself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we have to break even on it, because I'm not going to pay out of pocket and it's, you know, just to host the podcast, like we were doing just the audio version.
Speaker 2:It cost us money.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it probably cost us, I would say, at least $100 and something a month to do that.
Speaker 2:At least because I've been doing our tax stuff and I've seen it. You've seen the QuickBooks but it's fine tax stuff and I've seen it, but it's fine. It's fine Because it's advertising and that sort of thing.
Speaker 1:But the video version costs a substantial amount more, and then to have the website for it to be on. So, you know, it makes sense.
Speaker 2:And that's fine. It's a break even.
Speaker 1:It'll be fine. So come sign up. You know that's probably the cost of a Big Mac these days $ fun yeah. So come sign up. You know that's probably the cost of a Big Mac these days $9.99.
Speaker 2:A meal. Yeah, it's the damnedest thing I've ever seen, and it's only $9.99 a month.
Speaker 1:You know, a Starbucks coffee is like $8 and something now. So you can skip one coffee and give it to us and support the podcast. And it'll also be a community Like. You can leave comments back and forth about, like the episodes. There'll be some special like behind the scenes so that I downloaded on my phone.
Speaker 2:Will I be able to see this?
Speaker 1:no, no, no, that's just to record okay we had to use your phone. We have three phones recording it's like uh it's.
Speaker 2:I don't know where to look. I know I'm just going to look at you and pretend they aren't there, I'm not, I can't look at all this stuff.
Speaker 1:Because I don't know, and then it's a new system over here on my computer.
Speaker 2:I mean, there's so much to look at. There's there and there and there and there. I mean I'm like boo. I just hope we don't get done and hadn't recorded it If I short circuit and just start flipping around in my chair, you'll know what happened.
Speaker 1:We need a fourth camera, like against the back wall, so you can see the whole my gosh, but anyway. So I'm super excited about that, because I'm excited to be able to, you know, do the video post about what we're talking about. Have the visuals to go along with it do polls and comments and some behind the scenes or like stuff that doesn't make the right.
Speaker 2:Right, I mean we've been talking about this for a year and a half. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and so it's time I would. I was really against it, but not not against it, like not wanting to share it with you guys. I was just against it Like, oh my gosh, there's that much, there's another layer on it, yeah, and I'm glad we waited until now because we've gotten used to doing the podcasting and I couldn't have handled it. I would have definitely short-circuited and so much more.
Speaker 1:And now, though, I'm like god, you know how many times we've just I've rolled out of bed, and just I know I was like well shown up with live sales because I'm on the back side of the live sales most of the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know I do more live sales than I used to do, but I'm on the backside. So if I know I'm going to be on the backside, I can look like hell. Right yeah, and you do sometimes Like if I don't feel well or I've just been working at home and I'm like I am not getting on camera. Yeah, and today I was like I am not getting on camera.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And today I was like well, I guess I got to shave.
Speaker 1:Got to look good. Clean up a little, yeah. So head over there, sign up, join the community and be a part of it. Help support us.
Speaker 2:And then I feel like it should be like $999 a month. I'm kidding, we are so not greedy.
Speaker 1:No, that's not what it's like. $999 is reasonable. There's four episodes a month on average. You know, so you're breaking it down to what it's like $5 an episode. No, it's like $2.50. Yeah, yeah, $2.50. $2.50 an episode? No, it's like 250. It's yeah, yeah, 250, two dollars and 50 cents an episode.
Speaker 2:I mean, listen, I go through my subscriptions, yeah, and you know you don't think about, oh, this little app to watch. You know, watch this and this and um news apps and different things and I'm like, oh my gosh see, I go through and I get rid of them I do too, or like when I sign up for one.
Speaker 1:I'm like okay, which one do I need to get rid of?
Speaker 2:well it adds up.
Speaker 1:But uh, luckily, most all of our stuff, all of our stuff, dylan pays yeah the other thing that's also different is we used to have our microphones on stands like arms and steven used to sit here and I used to sit there, and so now I already feel like I'm crouched down, trying to talk like this, which I don't have to.
Speaker 2:It's just getting actually, I think this is a little better for me, is it?
Speaker 1:better, better for you. I think I feel like I'm like well, you are.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a whole different story, don't start.
Speaker 1:Listen, it's a new year, be nice for at least an hour.
Speaker 2:I have been nice. I have started this year off very good. I have not cussed anyone out yet.
Speaker 1:I have not Wait, are you sure I think you did at market? Yeah, I mean, I think a couple of people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was not my fault.
Speaker 1:So we recently got back from the Atlanta. I want to talk about that. We're going to do all about the market in the next episode, but we got some catching up to do in this one. But before again we get to that, we have other big announcements Next up. Today I am changing my Instagram handle.
Speaker 2:We also talked about this a year ago and I'm so glad you are, because farm shenanigans does not encompass your Instagram and know it's kind of and nobody can spell shenanigans, they cannot.
Speaker 1:Nobody can spell shenanigans and everyone thinks it's farmhouse shenanigans and that's going to be one of those. What do you call those? You know, where people remember things one way and it never was like we've talked about that.
Speaker 2:Well, and mine too. I need to change my. I need to get my ass back on Instagram. But don't start. I just call myself out. But uh, a problem with mine was that it is keeping up with Steven. No G on keeping, yeah, and I feel like I lose a lot of followers because they search keeping.
Speaker 1:Right when you're out and about or we're at market and you're like, oh, follow me. And you try to explain it, and then it's a whole thing.
Speaker 2:You don't realize how you're messing something up until you're using it. Just like our corporate name. Yeah, we didn't realize that was a mistake. I mean, you just don't know till you know Right and hell. You know you can go back and change it, it's true, it's true. I mean, ain't nothing perfect, and it's something else to crow about.
Speaker 1:I know it's true. So I do feel like it's time. I felt like it was time last year and then I never really committed to changing it, and then there was a lot of different names I looked at and then someone would already have it and that sort of thing. So, but I'm now ready, I'm doing it. I'm doing it today. So my new Instagram handle will be Wesley Turner Living. So it's just simple. It's nothing earth shattering. It's what? Look? Can you see his face already? Come on.
Speaker 2:How original Martha.
Speaker 1:Stewart, I know right, what about it. No, I knew you were going to say that because I've talked about that with you and I'm like but the living part, just I didn't want to do like a lot of people now are just doing like their name, and I wanted it to have something that wasn't just Wesley Turner, that kind of tells what it is. Because when you see the living you know there's like some kind of lifestyle whatever behind it. So there's that, and you can make fun of me.
Speaker 2:And actually it's funny you mention that. So Dylan just told me yesterday he has this new idea and plans and I'm all for it. I mean hell, I'll pit myself out however, so he's going to start a YouTube channel he should, so I don't know what that is going. You know the name of that yet, so I'll announce that when he gets that together. So that should be interesting. He definitely should Something else to annoy me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because you love that yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean I don't even know what aspects of my life are out there. I mean I just assume everything is out there on social media at some point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's just out there. Yeah, I mean, I was smacking gum intentionally in my living room in my leather chair, intentionally. That is not how I chew gum. You know I chew gum a lot. Sounds like you're embarrassed. No, I'm not embarrassed, I don't care. It sounds like you're embarrassed. No, I'm not embarrassed, I don't care. But I was over there going. That is not how I sit around the house and chew gum. I was just. I had just had something to eat and I was just wanting the freshness of the mint in my mouth because I was just going to chew it for a few minutes and spit it out, right, and Dylan felt the need to record that and put that on Instagram.
Speaker 1:So everybody thinks it's.
Speaker 2:I'm going no.
Speaker 1:Well, you know whether you chew your gum like that or not, you're always being annoying.
Speaker 2:So maybe so, but I didn't do. I mean, that is not my norm.
Speaker 1:But yeah, no, you don't so wesley turner living is just simple, I feel like it will. You know, it's easy to find the next problem is.
Speaker 2:The next problem we're gonna find is it's gonna be wesley. Yeah, they're gonna put a t in it. Well, I can't help that, I know.
Speaker 1:But it's my name, does not have a t in wesley. People message me on instagram hey, wesley, there's no t, it's wesley e s, l e, y.
Speaker 2:It's wesley and it's not wesley.
Speaker 1:There's no z, there's no t so I can't help if you can't, can't find it that way, that just.
Speaker 2:It amazes me, I mean, how people are with names.
Speaker 1:Yeah it is so Wesley Turner Living, just simple. None of the content is still going to be what we already do. It's nothing, or?
Speaker 2:shattering data. Nothing's changing.
Speaker 1:It's just. You know, we talked about it a year ago when I said I needed to change. It is like you said no one can spell farm shenanigans. And then, when they ask me to spell farm shenanigans, I'm like you can't spell shenanigans.
Speaker 2:You have to write it.
Speaker 1:I have to write it because it's. You know, I go especially on the spot and I'm like S-H-E-N-A-N-I-G-A-N-S. And then like I said, a lot of people put farmhouse shenanigans and then a lot of people think it means like farmhouse style and it's just time for an update, because we've grown, everyone grows, it's time for a change I wish.
Speaker 2:I could change my own name sometimes. Oh, I did change your name.
Speaker 1:You did so, okay.
Speaker 1:The other part of changing my name is something else is happening today, and I've been trying to work on this for a year and a half or two years and I was going to pay someone to do it and then I never did because I knew there would be a lot of back and forth and I never had a time to get it done myself. But I finally sat down and got that done as well. So now to go along with the new name change Wesley Turner Living. Now I have a website and I'm calling it like a hub was my vision. So it's WesleyTurnerLivingcom is the website, and you can go there anytime and find anything related to us and me and our business and our businesses so you can go there when I post something.
Speaker 1:I have blog posts there, because sometimes you know you do a post and you want a better explanation that you can't do on social media, so things like that will be there and guides, um. So blog posts. You can get to the nested fig there. You can get to our vacation rentals there, because that's one thing. The big thing is, you know, I don't see all the messages on Instagram and social media and I'll see like weeks later. Someone was asking for what's the link to your Florida house.
Speaker 2:See, I get that one all of the time. And it's even more difficult because Airbnb didn't update and now so stupid the way they changed it. It is harder for us as hosts to access that link. Yeah to share our link it's buried, so it's very cumbersome. So it's nice that that's going to be there, so you can just send that link to them.
Speaker 1:WesleyTurnerLivingcom, and it's right there, so it has vacation rental information there.
Speaker 1:has your condo in Hilton Head Can rent our condos, or our house and the Pigeon Forge cabin my parents' cabin, you know. House in the pigeon forge um cabin, my parents cabin, you know we talked about. I do the airbnb for that as well. So all of that is in one place. That way I can just send. Like you said, it's hard to get those links and then sometimes people will ask me for different ones, so I have to log out of one account, go to the other account. Not that I mind, but it's just so much easier.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's. It needed its own place. So, like I said, I said blog posts will be there, the Nested Fig links will be there, vacation rentals will be there, our podcast link is there and Pedal Pickers the farm. So when we talk about something about that as well, it's all there. One hub the Wesley Turner Living Hub right there, so that we can build on that. The Wesley Turner Living Hub right there so that we can build on that. And I have some fun things that I want to do with that as well, as I'm adding more content and that sort of thing. So that's the big three things Name change, video podcast Well, I guess it's four.
Speaker 2:The podcast has its website, but now we just have to catch up now. We have been gone since before.
Speaker 1:Christmas. The week before Christmas was our last episode. I feel like that was like two years ago it does. I know I feel kind of weird. I'm like do we go back and talk about Christmas and the holiday and New Year? I mean, I've been home to Tennessee. We've gone to Florida. You and I went to Dallas for a day. We went to the Atlanta market for 10 days.
Speaker 2:What else have we done? How much we've done. In that, I feel like you did something too. We went to the mountains. Oh, you went to the mountains. Um, I mainly just needed to rest.
Speaker 1:Honestly, yeah, I mean, I mainly just needed to rest. Honestly, yeah, you did rest and then you got sick one or two times randomly. Yeah, just once, just once. Yeah, it feels like more than that, but, like I said, everything Christmas feels like six months ago I got like a sinus infection.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, and I didn't get that and thank goodness I made it through the holidays and got nothing. Made it through the holidays and got nothing. Made it through market everything and then I got some. I just was like coughing and drainage. It may have been allergies, I don't know. I tested negative for everything right and uh, and I'm over it, so and it, and that wasn't bad. I just didn't feel good. I think it may have just been a cold, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I tried to make some notes along the way to see if there's and I'm trying to read, if there's anything that strikes. But you had a good Christmas, we had a great Christmas. I had a good Christmas too. I went home to my parents' house and my niece she's five she's actually today, which is Sunday, february 2nd her birthday, and so she's turned six today, so she was at that perfect age.
Speaker 2:It was just so fun for the holidays.
Speaker 1:And I got to spend more time than I normally did. I went a little longer this time and it was just so good, so that was a lot of fun there. And then came back and we went to Floridaida for a week.
Speaker 2:How is our house?
Speaker 1:our house is amazing and you know we leave a week from today to go back. Um has it been two years is. The last time you went was with daniel july.
Speaker 2:Yeah, july will be two years since I've been, so it's like a year and a half year and a half, almost two years because y'all used to go with us and then y'all been doing your own thing. But then you got COVID, so we didn't go. Oh yeah, that's when we didn't go the last time. We need to go, I need to block it.
Speaker 1:And then this time you're just like eh, this time, no, I'm not picking on you.
Speaker 2:Well, I gave Dylan last summer the choice I said you can get a new car, which he's always up for that, or we can buy vacation points through Marriott and that'll be two vacations a year forever.
Speaker 1:Which do you want? He got conned into buying some vacation points.
Speaker 2:He decided he wanted the vacation points. So we bought those and it's actually kind of good Because it forces you to. It makes me book a vacation. Yeah, like if I know I'm going to lose weeks, I'm like, oh, we got to book.
Speaker 1:Which is the thing with us. You know, we've talked about going to Greece for your birthday and we've never planned it Because there's nothing. There's always a reason not to go with us and the businesses and that sort of thing. So it is good that that forces you to go with us and the businesses and that sort of thing. So it's, it is good that that forces you to go, so because there's no reason for us really not to go.
Speaker 2:No, so we are going, the four of us are going to Europe, and I'm just going to say Europe because I have not booked it. Wesley has given me his approval. Just book wherever.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So the four of us are going next June to your 2026. 2026.
Speaker 1:He had to use his points this year on his sale. Well, here's the thing we weren't invited this year.
Speaker 2:Here's the thing, explain, I'm just kidding the. Here's the thing, explain, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding the negative about the points. There is a negative is you had to book, you had to plan. Yeah, or you do it last minute and you don't plan, right you know, because somebody will cancel something, will cancel something. So what we did was we decided we're going on my birthday to South Beach. I have not been to South Beach.
Speaker 1:That's this year, that's this year.
Speaker 2:March 21st, we're flying to South Beach for a vacation. I have not been to South Beach in at least 25 years and the last time I was there I said I was never going back yeah which is not fair to south beach. But I got food poisoning. Oh my gosh, it was horrible. I mean, I was so sick and I was in the most beautiful ritz-carlton there, right on the ocean. It was great, it was beautiful. Had to call a doctor in to the hotel. Seriously, oh, it was bad. It was so bad.
Speaker 1:Was it light?
Speaker 2:Oh, it was Both ends. Yes, I was so sick. The sweet Cuban ladies that worked in the kitchen at the Ritz Carlton, I guess, knew, I guess it was all over the hotel. I was sick. When you call in a doctor, I guess it's kind of a big deal, a big deal. And they were so sweet to me and they would cut up ginger root and send to my hotel room for me to suck on ginger root and it helped.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they say it does With the nausea.
Speaker 2:Oh, it was bad Nausea. I was like I am never going back to that place and who knows where I got the food poisoning. But I was like, okay, it's been 25 years, I can go back, you can go back, yeah. So we're excited and we're staying at a little boutique hotel right there on Ocean Drive. Yeah, and we'll give it a go and then It'll be fine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, y'all have so much fun.
Speaker 2:And then in August we're going to Kauai. Dylan's never been to that island, neither have I. Well, I was going to book that for all of us, but we could only get a studio. Oh, only get a studio. Well, you can go. Yeah, just had to pay for the hotel. I have some points. Yeah, I told you You've got a week. I don't know. But, y'all want to do your own thing too. It's fine, it's fine. It doesn't matter, no, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1:But then I know Europe will be fun and I think, Europe is more fun to go like the four of us, and you're going to Hawaii, I think, the same time that we already have planned to go to the beach house. It kind of overlaps. Not that we couldn't give that up, but it'll be fine. Y'all get to do your own thing.
Speaker 2:It'll be fine.
Speaker 1:We can't always be together.
Speaker 2:No, Evidently. I mean everybody wants to be with me.
Speaker 1:I know right, Whatever.
Speaker 2:Oh, and then you know, and we don't do politics ever, yeah, and I never want to, but you know, we've gone through all that, through all the changes with that, oh yeah, and the fires.
Speaker 1:I mean it's just all this crazy. It's been a crazy month, january.
Speaker 2:Lots of crazy changes and everything TikTok went down. Tiktok, all this in everything TikTok went down. All this crazy stuff Just went down and came back. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean it is crazy. So we went to the market Atlanta market we're going to talk about that in our next podcast but the whole time I was so nervous Speaking of getting food poisoning, of getting sick there. We made it through this time of market without getting sick. It's the first time in a long time. But I was so nervous because the flu was going around like crazy and the stomach bug.
Speaker 2:And it's so scary when we're there and we have friends and reps there and people are dropping. You know, oh, so-and-so, had to go home. Got the flu.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Got COVID, got the stomach and I'm like and we're around all these people and it's not that we don't. You know everyone gets sick and you know we're going to get sick. It happens, it's life.
Speaker 1:It's life. It's just that we have so much important work to do for those 10 days. So when we got there, I was like, okay, let's start with the most important and work our way backwards, in case one of us goes out in the middle of market Cause it could happen, you know, cause we're there. So it's not like we're there three days and now you know we're there for nine or 10 days, whatever it was. But we made it through and I was. So now I am trying to.
Speaker 1:Now that we're back home, I'm trying not to go anywhere except for here in the warehouse, because now I don't want to get sick, because we're going to Florida next week and I want to be like. This is how I am every January, though in February, but I'm always like can't do this because I don't want to get sick, like I want to start working out again, but I'm like I'm not going to the gym until I get back from Florida because I don't want to catch something being around all those people. Yeah, that's how I like. Also, just if I'm gaining five more pounds between I said. When Steven came in, I was like okay, put your chair low. We don't want to look too fat in this video podcast. The way we're sitting, we've been turned.
Speaker 2:But you know, I mean.
Speaker 1:I've gained since, like last year, this time like 20 pounds. 20 pounds, that's a lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I feel it, but I'm going to tell you, I'm going to tell you, the older you get, the harder it is.
Speaker 1:I know. That's why I don't want to gain 20, because it's that much harder to get it off. But I'll get it off again. I'm confident I'll start going to the gym and that sort of thing Before you know it six months later. I know you know. So anyway, there's that. I have a question, though, about going back to Christmas. Okay, I saw this during Christmas on social media. Someone was asking this and I was like I have to ask this to you too, this, and I was like I have to ask this to you too. So when you go, or with your family growing up, or if you go there now, or in your experience, or maybe Dylan's family, when you go to open gifts like oh, it's time to open our gifts, Does everyone do y'all just like pass out gifts and everyone opens them at the same time, or do you do it like Stephen's going to open his gifts?
Speaker 2:and everyone's watching you. No, we pass them out and everybody opens whatever as you go. That's the way I like to do it. That's the way it should be done. Yes. I don't want to be on display opening gifts.
Speaker 1:I saw that and I was like people do that, like I would, I would leave. I like, if I, if my grandparents they did it that way and I wouldn't, I wouldn't show up for the gifts I.
Speaker 2:I love giving gifts. I'm not a good gift receiver. I'm just not. It's just, and'm just not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just and it feels awkward. Yeah, no matter if it's something you love, it feels awkward that someone I don't know All of gift giving feels awkward to me.
Speaker 2:I don't like. I don't like getting gifts.
Speaker 1:I feel I like getting them. I mean, if you give me something, I like it, but the act of opening it and it's like I would just rather give, feel the pressure to respond a certain way. Or what if you don't like it but you got to act like you like it? Or what if it's something really nice and you didn't get them something? So then you kind of feel it's just awkward, but like if I went somewhere and they did it one by one, I wouldn't go.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't like it, I would not, I would not.
Speaker 1:So let us know, you can text our hotline Now the games are fun. That's totally different.
Speaker 2:The games are fun yeah.
Speaker 1:You can text our hotline we still have that at 864-982-5029 can I see that from you? See it, now that we made 864-982-5029 damn girl you're. Those new contacts did wonders. He used to not could see it right. It's like four feet from me and now you're like 10 feet away. That's crazy. Or go to the members only community of the podcast and I'll put up a poll, or let us know in the comments.
Speaker 2:I like it being called members only, because in the 80s, oh God, the members only jackets, um, I mean, that was the shit. To have a members only jacket, uh huh, that was the. I remember there was like a two year period. That was the jacket Everyone had to have. I think you were too young. Yeah, that missed you.
Speaker 1:I mean, I know what they are but yeah, it was.
Speaker 2:I mean you were too young, yeah, that missed you. I mean I know what they are, but yeah, I mean it was just a damn windbreaker, but yeah, and if you know, certain colors were more popular. I had a black one and then I wanted a white one because nobody had white. Yeah, and why did I want white?
Speaker 1:It just gets so dirty. But you're OCD and if anybody was going to have white you were dirty Just from being at school on desk it's nasty, so that makes me think of the 80s. Members only Members only Community.
Speaker 2:Members, only you got to be special, special, exclusive. Put your credit card number in.
Speaker 1:Put your credit card number in and you're a member only and you can enjoy the exclusive club. Do you have anything in your notes? I took a bunch of notes over the holidays. I have some.
Speaker 2:And one thing is just general. Are you talking general notes? Yeah, just anything you want to talk about. Um, just Jen, are you talking general? Yeah, just anything you want to talk about. My thing is and we've you and I have talked a little bit about it is like if you're in business, if you have a small business, do you, you do you? Well, right, don't try to emulate someone else or be someone else.
Speaker 2:Like and I'm not saying I'm perfect Right, Because I've never I mean, I'm far from perfect, Right. Own McDonald's and then our business. Now, I've never tried to be a competitor or be anyone else.
Speaker 1:Right. We've always really talked about it and I'm a true believer that small business is a community and not a competition. There is enough room for everyone. Do your own you, even if I have a furniture and home decor store and you have a furniture home decor store. There are plenty of variations. You do you, I do me, and there's room for everyone. You'll get the same customers because they'll like both. Maybe Maybe they won't, maybe your style is different, maybe that's not, but you ain't got a copy, because if you are having to look at everyone else to run your business, then you're not a business owner.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:You don't need that business because you're not going to be able to sustain it.
Speaker 2:You're an investor and you probably should do something else, yeah it's true. I mean, I don't know how to say that. Other than that and that, just I've just noticed. I've just noticed that in the past months, of people that just obviously don't have their own identity and they run their business it's like well, what are you today? Oh, oh, I did that, so you're going to do that now.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Right Kind of makes me feel sorry for them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we've had that, we've had that. We've had that in our own business of people following just what we do and we're always moving on to something new by the time they catch up. We're like that's all news. Why are you copying us now? Oh you have that now.
Speaker 2:Good, because we got rid of that Right.
Speaker 1:We don't need that know. This goes back to again touching on market and I put up a box on instagram and one of the questions was like how do you, as a business owner, know what to buy? Um, you know, you're going through market and there's everything there and I explained I don't think you were with me, but but I've used this analogy a lot it's like you're a restaurant, even a small business that's doing, say, home decor and furniture, or like our garden shop or the nested fig online. You think of it as a menu is the only way I can tell people when they ask me that, because each restaurant has to have its menu and a retail store has to have its categories that it sells. I mean there's millions of things that we would like to sell but they don't fit our menu. It's like you're not going to go to an Italian restaurant and get sushi. You're not going to go to our nested pig home and get whatever it may be. That doesn't fit.
Speaker 1:I mean there's a lot of address yeah, so that's how, when we go to market, that we narrow down. I mean, we get bright eyed and bushy tail. We love everything. Not everything, there's some shit there, but we love a lot of stuff. And then we're like, oh you know, it doesn't fit our. It doesn't fit our menu.
Speaker 2:And the other thing is, from the beginning, you and I have always it's all because you know I didn't have any money for most of my life. You went through every. We've all gone through that and we want everyone to be able to come to the stores and leave with something. Right, we've talked about that that's important, because you want everybody to have that positive experience.
Speaker 1:Right, and that's why we try to find a wide variety of you know you can come in our again home store. You can buy a sofa table, for example, for a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars.
Speaker 2:Or you can get a $20 candle.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I mean, there's a variation. You can get a $20 candle, and you can also get a $70 candle.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. So we try to have the mix, and that's what you have to do as a business. But it is funny to talk about, though, and that's why, on Instagram, I've gotten a little bit better about when we're at market, not laying out exactly what we're buying, because I get messages asking like did you get this, are you getting this? And for the majority of the people they're following along and they genuinely are just, you know, looking, they love seeing it. So I try to show general what we're seeing, but not specifically what we're buying. Now because?
Speaker 2:Well, some people are asking because can you help me run my business?
Speaker 1:Yeah. And then some people are like, well, you're not going to show that. I wanted to know if I wanted to order it, or something like that.
Speaker 2:Do your own legwork.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm like you come to market and shop. Yeah, you know, I mean there's people, there's a lot of people and I don't mind generally. You know it depends on who it is. I'll see people in my messages saying what vendor is this?
Speaker 2:I want to order for my store or whatever, and we know when to answer and when not to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it just depends on the person.
Speaker 2:And the other thing is what people don't realize is we personally make a huge investment into our business by going and spending 10 days at market. I mean we are literally spending at least $10,000 out of our pocket just in hotels and food. Yeah, while we're there, yeah, I mean it is very expensive.
Speaker 1:And we go there and we exhaust ourselves and we shop every inch of market that we can, hoping to bring the best of the best and not only the best, like the different, the best, the newest, and also we shop vendors. We'll go like, oh, we love this, but so and so also had this. Let's go back and see which is the better price, which is the best price for the best quality is what it comes down to. Then we're like, oh, let's get it from here, not them, or it's worth paying more because this is significantly better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like, oh well, it was only a dollar more over there, but the quality was so much better, so there's things like that. But anyway, yeah, that's a whole thing. It's a whole podcast right there, that is a whole podcast. Getting back, I have a couple of Christmas kind of PSAs, I guess you would say. I want everyone to look around Right now. If you're driving in your car you can just make a middle note when you get home.
Speaker 2:But it is February, it's going to be 4th when this comes out, because it's February 2, it's going to be 4th when this comes out, because it's February 2nd today.
Speaker 1:Look around and look at that old nappy poinsettia that has two leaves hanging on it.
Speaker 2:Throw it away. It's time, throw it away it was funny. So one of my family members sent me a photo oh this is funny of I have been working on their house, um, you know, just helping, yeah, um, with our furniture and it's looking great, yeah, say. But in this picture I could just see in this, you know it wasn't, it was just like in the bottom of the photo there was a poinsettia on its last leg in a saucer and I said throw that damn thing away.
Speaker 1:It's time. It's time, it's February. Throw it away, it's never going to look it away. It's never gonna look good, it's never gonna be. It's probably got spider mites on it right now and they are not.
Speaker 2:What people don't realize is they are not shrubs or flowers.
Speaker 1:It is a tree yeah and it, but now they've been bred so many different ways and hybridized to get this showy, they're very weak. They're very weak and they're only meant to be a holiday plant.
Speaker 2:Throw it away, they're not going to do anything. And if you get one that does linger, it's going to get very leggy because it is a tree.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's going to be lanky and leggy. Yeah, you're not you ain't going to keep it looking that good, anyway, throw it away.
Speaker 2:Unless you're in Mexico and you can plant it in your yard. But they've been like you said, they've been so hybridized. Is that a word?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So they're so weak and they're not even word.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so they're so weak and they're not even my next PSA, which is going to hurt some people's feeling, I know it will, but take your. Your Christmas tree, I mean, Still looks like your Christmas tree if you have hearts all over it. We've talked about this I know, I'm just telling them Holiday trees are wrong, wrong, wrong.
Speaker 2:Do your hearts on your tablescape.
Speaker 1:Yeah, why are you going to try to leave up your flock tree and cover it in some hearts and go, oh look what I did.
Speaker 2:It looks like a Valentine Christmas tree and then they're going to make a shamrock tree, and then it's.
Speaker 1:Easter.
Speaker 2:And then it's Easter, and then it's well, we're going to leave it up for the 4th of July. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then we're going to do fall.
Speaker 2:It looks dumb. It looks like you're too lazy and you didn't take your tree down.
Speaker 1:Because my thing is, if you're going to do a Valentine's tree, then go, get some. Like, do something like get some branches, go out and cut some big branches, put them in a pot and decorate it like a Valentine's tree.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hang some hearts that say be mine.
Speaker 1:Then it looks like you did something but your cone shaped christmas tree looks like a christmas tree, no matter how much you stuff up in there it drives me crazy it does. I just had to get that out, since we're starting a new year, we're gonna try to help you out this year. Get you you looking right.
Speaker 2:So yeah, get off your butts and it's fine, you know, depending on where you are in the country, and especially if you're up north, it is fine to leave like a green, a Christmas greenery wreath up with berries or flocked, or especially if it's snowing where you are, yeah, I think that's really attractive. But the Christmassy stuff needs to go Mm-hmm. Christmas lights need to go, mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:Time to go. We used to have our garland up on our front porch.
Speaker 2:I wasn't going to call you out, but I was like, oh, I have to admit, it's still there, mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to talk to myself. And I have to admit it's still there, so I'm going to talk to myself, and it looks kind of sad it does. It looks pathetic, but it's still there. We'll get it down. This week, though, it's been cold and I was like I ain't worried about it.
Speaker 2:No, it has been really cold. Yes, not normal.
Speaker 1:I mean, I know it looks out of place. It's not like ooh, look at my Valentine, garland.
Speaker 2:No, because it's a section fallen, it's just a hot mess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I saw someone else, though, talking about their. I think they were doing a Valentine tree and with their hearts, but they are also just using like pink and what I can't remember what color red, pink and white, and it looked like a Christmas tree Ball ornaments. They a Christmas tree Ball ornaments. They're Christmas ornaments. I'm like, just because it's a different, those are Christmas ornaments, those aren't your Valentine ornaments. Anyway, I'll get off that one too, but I'm just trying to help some people out this year and I love when I see it on social media and then everybody's like oh, my God, I love your tree.
Speaker 2:That is so creative.
Speaker 1:No, it's not.
Speaker 2:No, it's not Mm-mm no. That's lazy, and you will be happier when you get it out.
Speaker 1:Yes, and get something new in there. Go get a faux ficus tree and decorate it for Valentine's or something. Go get your white your branches and spray paint them white, like we used to do back in the 80s and 90s, and hang your easter eggs yeah, there's something like that that's fun, put it in a big urn, but your cone-shaped tree is is still your christmas tree. Yeah, okay, that that was my two things. I've been waiting to get that off my chest chest for weeks and did we, did we did we think.
Speaker 2:See, it's been so long since we've had a podcast I can't remember. Did we talk about the pillows or the pillows?
Speaker 1:using making the bows. Yes you, you talked everyone out of that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we don't, we're not doing that. No, no, no, no. If you want a bow, make a bow, not with a pillow.
Speaker 1:Okay, do we have something to discuss with you? We have, we got a few. This can be one more topic has nothing to do with catching up, but again in my notes I was. I can't access mine.
Speaker 2:Yeah, his phone is recording me.
Speaker 1:So there's no access to that, but in my notes. So I had someone I don't know how this came up actually, but I had someone message me about it and I was like that's not true, like that can't be true, and I looked it up and then I put a poll up or a box on social media this was over the holidays and I said ask, has anyone experienced this? And I got stories and confirmation that this happens. So evidently, I don't know what generation I'm not going to say, but the current generation of younger employees. They are bringing their parents to an interview with them and not like the parents is if you can see his face, not like the parents are dropping them off for the interview and waiting in the car, like they are coming to the interview, into the interview with their kid. What do you have to say about that? I'm speechless.
Speaker 2:I don't even know what to say.
Speaker 1:But if you I even screenshotted that's not a word Screenshot some of the responses I mean why?
Speaker 2:would and I'm sorry. I know I have not raised children, so do not message us saying you haven't. We know we are not parents. We have not raised children. However, I was raised Right and I do know that you're not raising a child. You're raising an adult. Right, and if they are old enough to be getting a job, even if they're 15 years old, they are old enough to do. You know, role play with them at home, teach them at home how to behave and conduct themselves during an interview Right. But if you're going with them, you are raising a child, you're not raising an adult. Yeah, and I wouldn't hire anyone.
Speaker 1:I know I can't imagine If I went out to interview someone, no matter which one of our businesses it was at, and their parent was in there, I would just say, oh, I'm sorry I don't have time, Something's come up, no.
Speaker 2:I would just say oh, I'm sorry I don't have time. Something's come up. No, I would say, you're nuts is what I would say. This is a problem and this is not going to work.
Speaker 1:So I found where I screenshot and the funny thing is a couple of people like this person said my daughter, like people admitted that their kid would do this. This person said my daughter would do it. Seriously, she's the worst in public. And I'm like, but I mean the parents were saying they wouldn't do it, but like their kid would indeed ask them to do this and I'm like what is that? Too much screen time growing up so they don't know how to communicate in person. I don't know when does that come into? Have you ever had that happen?
Speaker 2:No, even in McDonald's. No, I had parents. I had parents come to McDonald's and talk to me and say I would really like my child to work here, and and then I would say we'll bring them in for an interview. But see, those parents had enough sense. They sat in the car and waited on their kid so that they could do that on their own. I mean, who does that? I know.
Speaker 1:No, I mean, like I said, I could see you driving them, especially when you can hire younger 15, 16 or whatever this person said. We had a teacher interview and he brought his wife. We were so confused. Brought his wife to the interview. Now what? Oh, and then it was a follow upup. No, that's someone different. There must have been another teacher. Um response, because there's something else about another teacher. I just don't.
Speaker 2:I don't understand. You know, I guess I'm getting to that age where I just don't understand a lot.
Speaker 1:This person said, yes, had this happened, and her dad answered all the questions and then called and asked why she didn't get the job. Like who are you interviewing? I this?
Speaker 2:oh Well, you know, dylan was a Starbucks manager and I learned a lot of this stuff that I didn't know and it's just um, I just feel like our younger generation. They're just weak, but I think they've been raised to be weak Not everybody. Obviously we've got some sensible people, but, um, and I don't know other companies. I don't know of another company other than Starbucks and the only reason I know that is because Dylan was a manager there. But they would call in yeah, I mean anybody can there, but they would call in and said I need, I need to take an emotional health day.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, there's a lot of that.
Speaker 2:If I did that, I would never go to work.
Speaker 1:I mean.
Speaker 2:I'm like, okay, and the thing is, I can see if something catastrophic happened in your life.
Speaker 1:Hell yeah, and there's a lot to mental wellness and stuff, as we know, absolutely, but sometimes for me I'm just speaking for me everyone in life struggles on different days with different things or whatever, but getting up and forcing myself is what gets me through those moments and that stuff. When you don't give, when you don't, you don't give yourself the option to just lay in bed all day. You got to get your ass up.
Speaker 2:We have to compartmentalize things and say, you know, I always said, if you can just get to the shower, right, you can. You know it's taking that next step. And I mean I, I've had my share. I feel like I can say what I said. I mean I've had my share of challenges with you know, depression and different things like that, and I'm very ADD and OCD. I mean legit, but my gosh, you just have to make yourself sometimes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what I'm saying, and there's a lot you just have to make yourself sometimes. Yeah, that's what I'm saying, and there's a lot, you know, with depression and I understand there's a fine line there is. But, it's thrown around a little too much sometimes. Well, yeah, especially when you're giving it easy out, because I feel like part of like I just said, part of it is making yourself do it to work through it. You got to work through the situations, not run from the situation.
Speaker 2:And you know, and I grew up I've never talked about this but I mean I could write a book on this. My mother was bipolar and if you live with that, that is a very difficult, challenging disease, mental illness and it really bothers me when people that really don't know how hard and how challenging a serious mental health issue is Right you don't even know how bad it can is Right, like you don't even know, like how bad it can be Right. And I guess that's the frustrating part for me because I lived with that for 45 years watching my mother struggle with a very serious mental illness and bless her heart. You know there were days she didn't feel like doing lots of things but I watched her and she did and there were days she couldn't, in all fairness, but my gosh, some of these in their reasoning was just Well sometimes everything in a system like that gets abused.
Speaker 1:It does so, him working at Starbucks being the manager and that being a company policy where you can just call out for a mental health day. Then you know, sometimes you just don't want to go to work, so you need a mental health day, but that's well and it's like everything sickly, everything can get abused and and I'm not saying it's not legit sometimes, but it's all that.
Speaker 2:You know there's a line there you have to watch and I think, as an employer and a parent, you have to watch that Right, Because it can get crazy.
Speaker 1:So back, though, to people showing up with their parents for interviews. We need this in the comments or on the hotline. Our hotline number again is 864-982-5029. Text or call us on the hotline or go to the Members Only community. Leave it in the notes, Let us know has this happened?
Speaker 2:We want to hear your stories, If you have if you're an employer and you've had that happen, I want to hear about it, and if you, as a parent, have done that with your child, I want to hear about that too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I want to hear all sides. I would love to hear someone that said okay, first of all, I want to hear from someone that says yes, I did this, I took my parents and I got the job, because I want to know what job you interviewed for and they let you do that too. From the parent, like, oh yeah, I did this with my kid, I didn't see anything wrong with it. That's fine. You know what Do you? But I want to hear about it.
Speaker 2:Now I will say this. There's one caveat, because you said have you ever had this happen? So when I owned McDonald's, I worked with a state representative and I employed special needs.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, that's a whole different thing. That is different. That's a whole different thing.
Speaker 2:But not all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:There were some individuals that were very high-functioning, that came on their own, but then there were only a few that you know. But even then, even in that situation, the parent just sat back and let them, you know, take the lead. It was more of a security thing, right, you know, take the lead, it was more of a security thing, right? But? And there was never a time when that happened that I thought it was inappropriate, you know cause? It was like, oh, I get their coaching, their help, their, their teaching them, yeah, that that makes sense.
Speaker 1:That's acceptable, but not yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I don't. I don't want anybody to misconstrue Like, if you're a parent with a special need, I get that. That's totally different. It's different.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, can you believe it? It's time to wrap up episode one of season three.
Speaker 2:Can you believe we've?
Speaker 1:stuck with this, I know, but I love it, so I think we're sticking with it. So again, just a little recap. My name has changed to Wesley Turner, living on Instagram. So go over there today and give me some love, like some posts, leave some comments so that I don't get, you know, lost in the shuffle of changing my name. Go check out our new website, wesleyturnerlivingcom, where you can get to everything. Us, I guess we'll say, and from there, see, you can just go right to the podcast as well. But if you want to go directly to the podcast, you can go to whosedrivingpodcastcom and that's where you can find everything about the podcast. And remember to join our members only community. Show your support, it's members only.
Speaker 1:Leave your comments there, yeah, hopefully it's all smooth and I don't have to edit this out and say, oh hell with it, we didn't. No, I'm just kidding. I've been recording little clips and practicing the editing and everything, so hopefully that's me. No matter where you listen or watch our podcast, remember to leave us a review. It really helps us out and helps us get you know, not recognized. Whatever Listen to, listen to, it helps us get Spread the word. Spread the word Whatever. Leave a review. Share us with your friends. It helps us get Spread the word. Spread the word Whatever. Leave a review. Share us with your friends. Share our website with your friends. Do all the fun things to help us out. Yeah, because that's all support without having to do anything. Yeah, just share us. Yeah, and well, now we'll see you next week, right? Yeah, bye y'all. Okay, bye guys.