Who's Driving

Who's Driving- Where Have We Been S4 E13

• Wesley Turner • Season 4 • Episode 13

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We’re back after an unplanned 2 week break, catching up on travel, a full home store overhaul, and why online selling looked easy until we had to learn e-commerce for real. We talk trends, what’s changing in shopping and customer experience, and the little things that randomly get under our skin.

Don't forget to join our online community at WhosDrivingPodcast.com 

Join the conversation by calling their hotline at 864-982-5029 with your own stories or topic suggestions, and experience the authentic charm of two best friends who truly never know who's driving or where they're headed.

Look For The Water Bottle! Tap Here For Hidrate Spark water bottle.

Visit www.WesleyTurnerLiving.com to find so much more about all the things we do! 

Follow Steven on Instagram at @Keepinupwithstevenand follow Wesley on Instagram at @WesleyTurnerLiving.  Shop our online store at TheNestedFig.Com  Find The Nested Fig on Instagram at @TheNestedFig 

We mentioned The Nested Fig App in this episode. You can Tap Here to get our app and join our live sales 

Welcome Back To Who’s Driving

SPEAKER_02

Oh, look who's back, but not for long. Jump in, let's go. Yeah, I've got you gotta give me a minute. I'm slap worn out. That's right. It's time for another episode of Who's Driving? Welcome to Who's Driving? I'm Wesley Turner.

SPEAKER_00

And I'm Steven Merck. We're two best friends and entrepreneurs.

SPEAKER_02

Who's Driving is an entertaining look into the behind the scenes of our lives, friendship, and business.

SPEAKER_00

These are the stories we share and topics we discuss as two best friends would on a long road trip.

SPEAKER_02

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 party.

SPEAKER_00

Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

SPEAKER_02

You never know who's driving or where we're headed. All we know is it's always a fun ride. We're back after two weeks unintentionally. Listen, y'all, you're just gonna have to pause. You get an episode when you get one, and you don't when you don't. That's where we are at this point in our life. We, you know, the last one we did when we were signing off, I just remembered. I'm like, I think at the end I said, Oh my gosh, you're leaving because you were going to Atlanta. I was like, we got to record another podcast. And I think the very last sentence is like, oh, we can do that. We didn't do it because we recorded and you were leaving like two days later. And then, so you went to Atlanta. Went to Atlanta.

SPEAKER_00

We did market lives.

SPEAKER_01

I can't even remember what's happened in the last week.

SPEAKER_00

Well, it's been so busy. We we Dylan and I were in Atlanta, and then I stretched it out an extra day. Yeah, I was prepping. So literally, we came home from Atlanta. Mm-hmm. I took no downtime, went, got up Friday, and started over here working, continuing to pay.

SPEAKER_02

We've been the home store's been in business since 2013. We moved to this location that we're currently in in 2019,

Why Online Felt So Easy

SPEAKER_02

you know, fresh new store. Steven and I did everything. Every damn thing. We got it open. It was beautiful. And then, you know, a few months later, we once we'd gotten settled in was when, you know, COVID hit. And that just, you know, it started a crazy time and turning things upside down. But more importantly, as soon as that hit, so when we moved to this location, we opened in July of 2019. And that is when we actually started selling online. But we were just dabbling. Dabbling. We had a closet in the back, literally about eight by eight. Yeah. It went not. We had a folding table.

SPEAKER_00

It was a damn mess. I mean, it was a cluster.

SPEAKER_02

And we were shipping out of that, but just really our inventory off of our retail store floor. But when what started was every time I would post something, it would sell out within like an hour. And then we were packing orders in the closet. And so we did that from July. And then when March, when COVID hit, I was like, now that we've had our store, you know, up and running, but now we're in COVID. I was like, this is we need to take online to the next level. Cause it would be so easy. Because it would be so this is the one line Steven makes me eat my words all the time on this. It's gonna be so easy. It's gonna be so easy. Which online is pretty easy. It's the line that I will always regret saying is it's not like a retail store. I mean, anyone can pack a box. And it turns out not anyone, not just anyone can pack a box.

SPEAKER_00

There's a specific person for every job. And we you I mean, you convinced me um, oh, this is gonna be so easy, and then and stupid me was like, oh yeah, this is gonna be easy. Yeah. And the rent at the time was dirt cheap. Yes. I mean, it was crazy town cheap. Yeah, we were like, the rent's dirt cheap. This is easy, it's a no-brainer.

SPEAKER_02

Right. Anyone can pack a box. You don't have to have a, you know, at our stores, you have to have both stores. We have to have designers, you have to have skill in that kind of talent. Talent and skill, which can be harder to and interest because you have to have people that are interested in plants to work at the plant store and flowers. You have to have designers that can actually design with them. Home store, you got to be interested in home decor, you got to be interested in design. But I was like, aware how anybody, I mean, that just broadens it.

SPEAKER_00

Anybody can pack a box. It was like taking us out into the Pacific Ocean and dropping us out of an airplane, shark-infested waters. I mean, we lit we literally had no, not one slight clue about e-cur e-commerce and all all of the different areas and how complicated it actually is and what it isn't. And I mean, it it's a whole different beast. Yeah, it's a whole industry in its in and of itself. Yeah, and we were like, oh hell yeah, I can drive this train. Hell yeah. Hold my bear.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that yeah, that was that. Yep. We're still holding it. I will say I feel like so that was 20, we're six years in. So in March, when we shut down for COVID, luckily here in South Carolina, we were only shut down for like 10 weeks.

SPEAKER_00

Three weeks. Well then we stretched out a little an extra, but it was two weeks. Right. Two weeks we were shut down. And then, but we had, you know, we took the opportunity to take do some projects.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, we redid the garden store in our shutdown. And then we didn't open up like the first couple of days. We're like, let's ease back into it. But anyway, during that time, I was like, we need to go big online. This is our chance. People are gonna be and it was, and it was, but from March, we found a warehouse and then we opened our warehouse our online in June. So from March to June, we came up with the name, the logo, we started getting it um trademarked.

Learning E-Commerce The Hard Way

SPEAKER_00

Didn't know a damn thing we all it was it was the blind leading the blind. And in honest, in all honesty, we have I can just say we figured this whole thing out this like nine months ago.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, within the last year.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I would really nine months.

SPEAKER_02

I can say we've got it fine-tuned, but you know but it takes so long online, and I guess our retail stores, but online is kind of like Daniel and the flower farming. If there's something you need to correct, you have to go like a full year, like because we're so seasonal. Like we can look back at a holiday season of oh, this is what we did right, this is what we need to expand on, this is what we didn't do so good on, and this is what we need to change. But we gotta wait a year to change it.

SPEAKER_00

But when you think about it, we learned a whole new industry in five years.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Which is n crazy. It is crazy. Yeah. I mean, it's not like it's not like we opened a retail store and had to I mean, we know how to do that, and we know we know all those challenges, but we knew nothing about about e-commerce. I mean, it is a whole different animal. And and so honestly, we we were distracted.

SPEAKER_02

So my point was once we opened the store, six months later or so was COVID, and we really changed our focus to online for the last several years. I mean, not that we haven't, you know, obviously we've kept up with our stores and they're doing whatever, but it was time to give the home store some attention and love. So that's what we did last weekend. So we gave it a literally a complete overhaul. And I fell in love all over again.

SPEAKER_01

Me too. I'm like, oh, I love coming here and working now.

SPEAKER_00

It's so pretty. It's pretty. I love the product. We added some new lines. I mean, it's it uh we really took it up a level.

SPEAKER_02

And it's right. It's it's right. Like I got to complete some projects that I wanted to do all along, or when we were moving in, and it's it's just right. It's so good. So Steven and Dylan got back from Atlanta last this was been over a week ago, Friday. And then so all last weekend, Memorial Day weekend, um, we worked at the home store. One night, the first night we started, I think we left at like 2 30. The next night we left at like 4 30. And the memorial day, well, actually it would have been Tuesday morning. We left, Steven and I left at like 5 30. I think it was 6 a.m. when I got in bed. I do know that. So we didn't obviously didn't record a podcast last week because that was Tuesday and we were just trying to hang on and recover and finish things up. But I didn't have anything good to say. I was so tired. I know. So it's literally, so that was this past Tuesday that we went to bed at 6 a.m. and kind of wrapped it up. But today is what is today? Today is Sunday that we're recording this. I'm still trying to recover. So I went and got me a IV today, a vitamin IV, because I was like, I need that. I need something. I can't decide. Am I dehydrated and feeling sluggish? Am I just tired? Do I need vitamins?

SPEAKER_00

I I'm I'm still not I'm still not over it and recuperated. Just not.

SPEAKER_02

So today, Sunday, and we're recording tomorrow, which is Monday, be the day before this comes out. Daniel and I are headed down to um Florida to Miramar Beach. My parents are there. So we're gonna go meet them and we're gonna be there, let's see, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday night. We get back Thursday night. So we're going on it. So that's why I was like, I need to go get me a little vitamin IB and give me a little.

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely sounds miserable to me to drive seven.

SPEAKER_02

No, we're flying. Oh, you're flying. Yeah, we're flying. Well, that's better. Yeah, we're flying, and then we'll be back Thursday night. But then Well, that makes it much better. It does make it better. Um, so we're flying down there, we'll have some fun. Um, you know, my niece is gonna be there, and I just want to, you know, hang with her and have some family time. But we don't get back until like 11 o'clock on Thursday night, and then on Sun, so I'll be home Friday, Saturday, then on Sunday, we are going to Atlanta for the actual summer market, which is normally in July, but they have moved it up to this, I guess it's the second week in June, because Atlanta's having the World Cup playoff something, something. I I thought this was some big ass deal, which I guess it is, but they have these playoffs every like there's several cities that are doing this.

SPEAKER_00

And it's crazy. I didn't we didn't talk about we let's revisit this on this podcast because you and I have not discussed it. Okay. Um, but I'm taking a day some somewhere between to now and Sunday. My ass is not working one day. I don't know what day it is. Pick a day, but I'm picking, uh I don't know if I'll shower. Probably can you hang in until Friday? Yes. I'm gonna work, but see, I've got a lot, I've got a lot of things like timeline things that have to be done. Like we have um, we have our workers' comp audit, we have like all these timeline things that have to be done before I leave. Yeah. So I'm like, well, I just gotta get it all and I and I I won't enjoy a day off until it's done. Right. But what I was gonna tell you is when Dylan and I were in Atlanta uh at mar doing the market lives, and we stayed at the we've been staying at the Ellis Hotel when we go, which is a little further up across the street from the Ritz Carlton. So we walked a little it's a little it's a block or two more than what we normally, but you see more. They have been doing some you wouldn't believe how they've planted it looks really taking it.

SPEAKER_02

Uh let me tell you, Atlanta downtown has gone to a pile of shit. Literally. And you walk through it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So that is funny that they've really like they had pl all the you know how they've they just kind of forgotten about the plants? The landscape, yeah. Yeah, between the street and the sidewalk. Yeah. All that would they had like fat sia and and perennials and they really beautifying it for the oh well it'd be dead by the time the playoffs are. If you if you those people are gonna go, oh, Atlanta's so nice. No. It used to be. It wasn't.

SPEAKER_02

It was before it before COVID. It was nice. I guess COVID changed the whole how many people are down there because of the offices and stuff.

SPEAKER_00

It all the all I smell is pee.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

That's all I smell. It's true. Ammonia.

SPEAKER_01

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00

The ammonia in the air. But I was like, they are really, even like they were digging up sections of the street, we were laughing about it. We were like, they are putting on the show. That's funny.

Giving The Home Store New Life

SPEAKER_02

Well, you know, the playoffs start like maybe in about two weeks. I think right as market is ending, the game starts.

SPEAKER_00

Now I don't know what what will be interesting while we're at market to see what they've done like with the homeless population, because y'all, since COVID, uh the homeless population in downtown Atlanta is so much more prevalent. I know it is in a lot of cities, but I mean we we're there every month. Yeah. So it's so much more. So I'm interested in seeing did they ship them away? Like, did they you know they're not gonna let there I mean I'm not being ugly or cold hearted. I'm just saying the city is not they're not going to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_02

They're gonna try to put on the best show that they can. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

They probably take took them all down and dumped them off at like Cheshire Bridge or something.

SPEAKER_02

Somewhere outside the downtown area.

SPEAKER_03

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02

So make your way back in about a month.

SPEAKER_00

And they were and we were like, they had paper up at Hooters. I wonder if they're like redoing that. Because I'm like, they're gonna make, I'm telling you, it's gonna look like a Broadway show downtown. I guarantee you when we're there.

SPEAKER_02

It's gonna be interesting to see like next week. Because the funny thing is, we found out about this two years ago. Like they announced literally two years ago when we were there in the summertime. Hey, in 2026, the market will be in June, not July. Because the market schedule is set for years in advance, and it's always in July. And so it was a big thing for the market dates to be moved, not only for the people going, but you don't understand for like the vendors, they're following market schedules as to how they get their samples. That's been a big thing. This is the earliest they've had to get samples like ever this year, you know, in when we go in June in two weeks, we're ordering for spring of like spring holiday of 2027. So Easter items, next year's spring decor, that sort of things. We'll also be doing fill-in for fall regular, but but the bulk of it, what vendors are there, um, are showing their new products for 2027. So, but when they do that, we've talked about this even with Christmas items. Those are samples. They don't have those sitting in their warehouse yet. They're not even produced yet. If people don't order them, they don't end up producing them. So it's been a big deal about they're gonna have to have their samples earlier than ever, like for product development and that sort of thing. So they were saying for two years about how they're putting all of this money, Atlanta, like these billions of dollars for you know, new infrastructure and city beautification.

SPEAKER_00

And I hadn't seen a damn dime till we were That's what I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_02

But we like when we were there in January, nothing. It looked like it's looked for the last five years. The only thing that was different, they had paved the street. That's it. New pavement. But nothing they hadn't cleaned any, they had to do it.

SPEAKER_00

They hadn't cleaned, they hadn't planted, there was no there was nothing. Well, it let me just tell you, they got this ago, a week ago, it was like it was like when I owned McDonald's and they saw my car at the traffic light. That's how it looked in downtown at every busy little bees. Everybody carrying something, doing planting something, watering something. I mean, it was it was like it was like an intermission of a Broadway show. I mean, it there were they're scurrying ever which way. That's funny. And I thought, well, I guess they knew they couldn't start too early with Yeah, it'd already be torn up.

SPEAKER_02

So the other thing that I have noticed that they've done with that, speaking of and it's funny what I guess perception is. So they have starting in January also, they have paved, I guess it's 85 and 75 where they merge because that goes from downtown. From downtown all the way to the airport, they've paved the highway. Outside of that's part of the show, yeah, because they know everybody's flying in to the Atlanta airport, but and then heading downtown. But outside of that, they haven't paid. Like you get on our side, yeah. So it is truly it's a dog and pony show. It is to make the city look good. But that I don't know how we got off on that, but anyway. Um, so we'll be back there for nine or ten days. It's gonna be, it's gonna be interesting coming up.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I mean, I can't wait to see what I mean. Cause Dylan and I were like, damn. I mean, they're on it. I've never seen you you live there, you've probably seen other things. I know when the Olympics see, I wasn't there.

SPEAKER_02

That was before my yeah, when the Olympics did a lot was there, it changed the whole city. Like it really revamped

Recovery Mode And Travel Juggling

SPEAKER_02

Atlanta downtown, and that's when it kind of came back up, and people were moving back into downtown and in town in general. Um, but then since then it's gone down a little bit. But that's crazy. Yep. Down down, down. So yeah. So I'm gone to the beach this week, get back for two days, and we go to Atlanta Market. And remember, we'll do live sales every day from there. And y'all, it's my part to get the live sales lined up. Most of them, I've only gotten one lined up. I mean, I have the whole calendar, but I haven't contacted everybody. So that's my stress while I'm at the beach, is to but I mean uh they have already gotten text messages. You want to do a live?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, but and then I've got fill-ins. Like we're gonna do a lot of fill-ins.

SPEAKER_02

So I don't it's not I don't feel as bad for the live sale. Like I know we can do them. Who I feel bad for is Lisa in the office because she has to get everything online for us in real time. But what I usually try to do is get um a couple of vendors like orders already for the first couple of days. So she's like a day ahead. I don't have anything for she was messaging me today. I said, put on some, put on your extra strength deodorant and bring a fan because it's gonna be hot and you're gonna be sweating in that office. She we were laughing about that. Um, so right before we went to record, you asked me about something. I said, Hold on, we got to talk about this because I don't know what this is. You said, Have you ever heard of frog pudding? Frog jam. Frog jam.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and you thought it was a concert.

SPEAKER_02

Uh I was like, yeah, I was like, like a festival? And you're like, no, like a jam.

SPEAKER_00

No, I just saw it on social media and I was like, frog jam. Yeah. And I love jellies and jam. So I was like, well, I mean, it obviously looks like something you would find in Pigeon Forge. Well, I mean, I'm like, well, it can't be made from a damn frog. Right. I mean, but it had a frog on it, so I was like, hmm. Yeah. So then I could not find it. Any I even clicked on the item. It didn't say. So finally I zoomed in on the picture and I could see what was on there. And I'm like, oh, I get it. Fig, raspberry, orange, and ginger. Oh. So it's a fruity, and I'm I'm assuming a little spicy jam. Probably very good.

SPEAKER_02

Is that so? Is that a southern thing?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know. A Midwest? A northern? I don't know. I think I need to look that up. You do need to look at that. I think that's a southern thing. Maybe.

SPEAKER_02

No, I've never heard of it. Maybe we listen. Maybe a real southern, like Louisiana or something.

SPEAKER_00

Maybe, yeah, further south, because I think I've had just about every jam or jelly known.

SPEAKER_02

Uh, is where is Frog Jam from? Oh, I have uh you have to remind me. I have a new ick to talk about this week. Just thought of it.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, funny thing you say that. So I what is Jenna Bush, whatever her name is. What is your biggest dick?

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

See how it how it sounds. What is your biggest dick? And they said, egg. It sounded like dick. So what's your biggest dick? Well, back about but that's what she said. Yeah. That's funny.

SPEAKER_02

Oh my gosh. I was laughing about that too. I saw that on social media, the clip from that interview.

SPEAKER_00

Um so I asked Chat GPT, and it thought it was a rock cover band.

SPEAKER_02

See? Um that is funny. We're gonna have to Google frog jam. I said no, jam like jelly. Um chat GPT will mess you up sometimes.

SPEAKER_00

It's a southern, it is Appalachian. So

Downtown Atlanta Before Market

SPEAKER_00

it is um popular in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky. Never, I mean it's never. I have my the we have never, which my family for whatever reason, um, I don't I don't know why. Um probably I guess grandparents didn't like them, but we've never been a raspberry family.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_00

Mm-hmm. I like raspberries. But we've never had raspberry jelly, raspberry, nothing. Nothing with raspberry on either side of my family. That's random.

SPEAKER_02

But we black every other berry. Daniel planted raspberries for the foliage on the flower farm, but of course they still produce. So we were out there, they were ripe on the plant. We were just plucking and eating. They're so good. I don't like raspberry.

SPEAKER_00

You don't? And maybe, maybe I don't like the artificial raspberry flavor.

SPEAKER_02

I do not like artificial raspberry, but I do like fresh raspberries.

SPEAKER_00

Or are they more similar to like a blackberry? I've never eaten a fresh raspberry. You've never eaten a fresh. We never I I mean, we had blackberries, we had blue. I don't like blueberries either. But you like fresh blueberries or no?

SPEAKER_01

Mm-mm.

SPEAKER_02

But I love blackberries. You know what's funny? I love blueberries fresh, like eat them right out of the bowl, but I don't like a lot of blueberry stuff. Like, I don't like a blueberry muffin or like a blueberry um scone, mm-hmm, a blueberry pie. Mm-mm. No. But I like fresh blueberries. Mm-mm. So pass on all. My ick this week is, and I don't know why it dry, it's like it hurts my ears. And I'm I don't know, I had to look up and I can't remember where this came from. But when people say like, you'll see it in marketing, and I've started seeing it more and more like this week's edit. Have you ever seen that? Like, and then they're showing their collection of stuff. Like there was a home decor store, and theirs was like this week's warehouse edit. And I'm like, that makes no sense to me.

SPEAKER_00

And it it kind of irks me. Was it so Was it their new stuff or was it their changing up? Because edit sounds like I'm correcting or changing.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Um, it really means look they used it as just like this week's picks, I guess you would say. Well, that's dumb. Instead of this week's picks, it's this week's edits. Um, that's weird. And I've seen it more and more. And then when I see it, it always aggravates me. Ooh. Ooh. You done hit something over there. Um, I'm gonna have oops. Um, let me see what it said. Oh Lord, I don't even know how it's gonna bring up so many things. I found it when I was googling it last time. It refers back to like, I think at magazines when you edit, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

Let me see. Um doesn't make sense to me. That sounds like they were just looking for a word. Something to sound fancier.

SPEAKER_02

Um this week's edits mean in advertising? I don't know. No, but I've seen it more and more. Um, so anyway, I'll have to look it up. But that's one that irks me. So if anyone has an opinion on it, let me know. Text us on our hotline. Uh oh, I had something I hadn't even told you about. I have notes here. What? We got selected. This is so random. Someone emailed me. Shout out to them. Um, I mean, the company, I guess, email me. Podcast.feedspot.com is like a podcast directory. Podcast.feedspot.com. We didn't pay them anything. I literally just got an email and I was like, is this true? So they're like a podcast directory, and they have podcasts listed by categories like entertainment, political, science, what they have all these different um podcast categories. And one of their categories is like best road trip podcasts, like podcasts to listen to when you're on a road trip. And we are number 19 out of 40 on their list. Hell yeah. Hell no. Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I was like, well, we were. And you were surprised?

SPEAKER_02

I was surprised that somebody even listens to.

SPEAKER_00

I'm not. Hell no. Right? They know they know something good when they hear it.

SPEAKER_02

So, but I thought the directory shout out to that is a good thing to have, is because you can go. Podcast. I mean, not as good as this one. Exactly. We should have been number one.

SPEAKER_00

All right. They missed that.

SPEAKER_02

But podcast.feed19.com.

SPEAKER_00

They got that wrong, but thanks for putting us on there.

SPEAKER_02

Nineteen out of 19 out of 40 in that category.

SPEAKER_00

Listen, if we can make it in the top 50%, that's pretty damn good for us. I know. I was like, that's just crazy. The funny thing is, year after year, our little podcast ends up in the top 10%. I know. Isn't that crazy? It is.

SPEAKER_02

It ain't gonna end up if we don't do them regularly.

SPEAKER_00

I've got a lot to say, so I'm glad that it, you know, somebody's listening. Oh, gosh. Sometimes I feel like I'm running out of things to say. Well, I mean, if you ever run out, all we gotta do is get some mirrors in here, and there'll be plenty for us to talk about. What does that mean? We just talk about ourselves.

SPEAKER_02

I was like, well, we I I can talk about myself all day long. That's funny. But yeah, I was trying to find this on here, but yeah, um podcast.feedspot.com. Shout out to them, number 19 under the road trip podcast to listen to.

SPEAKER_00

And something else, you know, it's graduation time, so everybody's

Frog Jam And A Marketing Ick

SPEAKER_00

been graduating and all that. It's very interesting to me that how how that whole the whole photograph thing, it's a whole thing now. So, you know, used to everybody made their own photos. Well, now, you know, when they started hiring photograp your your private photographers for proms. So now we've taken it a step further. We're hiring for graduation photos.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_00

Oh yes.

SPEAKER_02

Oh no, we had the Kodak disposable. Click and you know, click it yourself and fa forward the film by winding it. No, no. So now um, you know, that's what When I was graduating, I mean the only photos I have is like my school graduate like school high school year photograph.

SPEAKER_00

Like I have some I have a snapshot with my mom on high school graduation and college graduation day.

SPEAKER_02

But that was capping out. But family photos, yeah, yeah, like your aunt your aunt took it. Yeah, yeah. And y'all are standing out in front of the Tootie took it out there on the grace. Yeah, in front of the school football field.

SPEAKER_00

No, no, no, no, no. Now you and you still do those, but you know, anyone that is anyone, they hire a photographer to take pictures wherever you want.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, at the local pond or park or by the waterfall or something. But see, now the difference is with social media, you have someone to show those photos to. Oh, yeah. Back in the day, Aunt Sharon took those photos and you got them developed about six or eight months later. If then. And then you're like, oh, these are cute, and you threw them in a shortcut.

SPEAKER_00

Or these didn't turn out worth a shit. Your finger was over the Aunt Mary put her finger over the whole time.

SPEAKER_02

You can see the finger in the corner.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, God.

SPEAKER_00

You didn't know what you were getting at all. No, and it was something to be proud of. I took great photos.

SPEAKER_02

I actually took good photos too.

SPEAKER_00

I took very artistic photos when it was really something to be proud of. Now, hell, it ain't nothing. I mean, anybody can take a good photo now. Well, not anybody. It's like a good biker. But you can t touch them up. I mean you can. Now you can see if you need to retake it. Yeah, it's not as it's not an art like it used to be. You know, when you got that 35 millimeter developed and you got some amazing photos, you were like, oh hell yeah. Yeah. Hell, yeah, I did it. I did it. And then when people see them, they're like, uh, let ain't Mary take these pictures. She takes good pictures. Yeah. First turnout.

SPEAKER_02

It's so funny. And you always had the family member with the nice camera that was always taking photos.

SPEAKER_00

Oh yeah. They would have that Nikon or that canon.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Yes. They were thought they were professional.

SPEAKER_00

Oh my god. Yeah, they had the coveted fancy camera, which you know what? We my mom always had. I don't know if you y'all had this, the disc. Do you remember the disc? It was a round disc. I don't think so. Went into it. It was a disc camera. No, I don't remember those. It was a it was real e it was an easy

Road Trip Podcast List Surprise

SPEAKER_00

camera. It was all automatic.

SPEAKER_02

It was easy. No, we had literally the Kodak disposable and the Kodak that you pushed out. Yeah. And it had the the thing on top, the flash.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, at one time I can remember having the camera that was, I'm sure it was a Kodak, and then the flashlight the bulb only lasted so long. So you had to clipped on the top. Yeah. And then you had to turn it around and then get a new one. Yes.

SPEAKER_00

And do you remember the long way? Do you remember the little jackrabbit kiosk that like one person would sit in in the parking lots at like a Kmart or somewhere? It was like in a shopping center and it looked like a yellow camera in the middle of the parking lot, and you would drop off your No, we didn't have that. That was a thing. No, we were if y'all are listening and you're 53 or older, you remember the the Kodak thing sitting the kiosk in the parking lot.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. And we took ours to Walmart to the and then remember when the like one hour photo development came out, you could take your things to Walmart and they develop them in an hour. That was fancy. Think the photo section used to take up a whole section in Walmart. You know what I'm saying? Like they had the where you dropped it off. They don't even develop film, I guess, anymore. No.

SPEAKER_00

And remember when you couldn't take uh naughty photos because they wouldn't develop them back in the day? I mean, I can remember just scantily clad bathing, you know, and and be and being like, ooh, that's racy.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Cause someone had to look at them to develop them. Oh god, that is hilarious. And now you can take pictures of anything, anywhere, anytime. Yeah, that's true. We've advanced. Or have we? I don't know. But yeah, I was like looking at that and I'm like, it is so crazy how things have changed. Yeah. And it is, it's all driven by social media and everybody bragging. Right. Well, when well their photos look good.

SPEAKER_02

I need good photos.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, they hired they hired her to do their pictures, y'all. We got to hire her.

SPEAKER_02

She's they say she's the

Graduation Photo Culture Shift

SPEAKER_02

best. Yeah. You know, she got they got so and so from, and you know, it's the next town over. Like when you live in small towns, you always it's a thing if you can get someone from the another town or the big town. They're the best. Yeah. You got to get so-and-so from like if you like where you lived in Six Mile, you oh, you gotta get so-and-so from Greenville. Yeah. Or hell, if you made it to Easley, you'll have something big. Yeah, that's funny. Yeah, I can't imagine that.

SPEAKER_00

And I was looking at um prom pictures. You're too probably too young to remember this, but back in the day, weddings and proms, um, all the girls would buy satin shoes and they dyed their shoes.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, yeah, to match. Yes, I remember that. That was I don't know if that was a thing when I was like graduate, but I remember satin shoes for especially for weddings and dyeing them, and it had to be in the you had to be the right shade and it wasn't the right oh, this is too pink, it's supposed to be blush.

SPEAKER_00

You're they got them too dark. Oh, they matched them perfect. Yeah, I forgot about the old satin shoes. I wonder when that's gonna come back. That'll come back. That will come back, but with cooler shoes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

It should come back. Yeah, that is a good thing. That's one thing that should come. I'm surprised that's not that needs to come back. Let's bring it back. Yeah. Let's I mean, can let's start a satin shoe dyeing company. Anyone can dye shoes.

SPEAKER_00

We'll just get bats of writ dye.

SPEAKER_02

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00

That's funny. That's when I was no, I remember everybody and um it was evidently it was like a big deal. I mean, it was a big deal that they match and you got the right shade. Right. And I can remember everybody taking their shoes to drop them off to get them dyed.

SPEAKER_02

Because they started out just white. White. Yeah. I think white or black. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

But I remember that. Oh, I remember my cousins. Well, we gotta get our shoes dyed. And that was fancy.

SPEAKER_02

What did you take those to?

SPEAKER_00

I don't re I don't I mean, I don't I never went.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Um that was a game, but what did they take those to like dress shops? I must be able to do that.

SPEAKER_00

I mean it was like David's bridle or something, like a bridle shop. Yeah. Huh. I don't know. We need to find out about that. So yeah, if you dyed your shoes, where'd you get them dyed? And don't you think they should come back? Yeah. I mean, how cute would that be like with sandals and stuff? It seems like you could it seems like that would be a trend that would come back.

SPEAKER_02

Remember we talked about it. It'll be back in a year or two.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Yeah, y'all remember when we c talked about the dyed satin shoes.

SPEAKER_02

Everybody having the same thought. Oh, let's bring that back.

SPEAKER_00

And then um and you are to well, you might remember it, you would have been little, but when Madonna, when Madonna came on the scene, like with um Like a Virgin, when that album came out. With her cone. No, no, no, no. This was prior. This was when she first came out, and it was all silver and lace. It was the eighties, so it was a lot of lace and silver. Mm-hmm. So that was big with silver shoes and silver uh silver bags and and lace and it's so funny how trends come and go. And back then it seems like it seems like a lot more music, like the music industry influenced trends a lot more. Like now I don't think they do at all. Yeah. But back because of social media, but back then, like your hair bands in the eighties really influenced style and trends by what they wore. Yeah. And it isn't that way anymore. Right. I mean that and I guess it was because that is what we saw, like on album covers.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I'm gonna I am look at that. I'm gonna get me one of those.

SPEAKER_00

I want my hair like Brett Michael's. I'm letting it grow to my ace.

SPEAKER_02

I guess that is where you looked for inspiration, we'll say.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, because we didn't have social media.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I at one time I I had a oh so embarrassed. I shouldn't have even brought this up.

SPEAKER_02

What's the there's a social media thing? What is it? Um, oh, I had to think like I don't know. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_00

There's I had a a mullet. I had a mohawk mullet that was permed from front to back. What? Yes, yes. There are pictures. I need to find them. Yes, I had a mohawk mullet that was permed. And I thought I was the shit. You couldn't tell me I was. I had a mohawk. I had a spiral perm mohawk that ran, and I had it. It went long, yeah, it went down my back. It was real classy.

SPEAKER_02

That is funny. That was real. Not proud of it, but gay enough to admit it. That's your tag. That's your tagline right there. That's been gone around on like social media.

SPEAKER_00

Yep. I mean, it was what it was. You know, winning wrong. That's right. Winning wrong.

Nido Dumplings And Trend Timing

SPEAKER_02

That is just too crazy. It is crazy. Like the trends that go around. This is the most, I'm glad y'all are riding around with this. This is the most random ass podcast. I don't know how we got near. But like trends talking about the Nido that kids are and the dumplings that kids are going crazy over now. Have you seen that? Oh, yeah. The I mean, and I asked someone because I've been seeing it on social media so much about Nido and the dumplings, which you can open. And when y'all were in Atlanta, y'all did some of the dumplings and like they sold out immediately. Um, Amanda was running back and getting more and more from the vendor. But so asked. After that, and I knew it was such a big trend, but I was asking someone that had kids and I was like, Well, are your kids in Danita? And they're like, Oh my gosh, like it is all they talk about, ask about. Can we find some? Can you call for me? Because they're weird trying to call these stores. And I was saying, I was telling this person, I was like, This, I don't even know if I've told you this or not. But one of our reps reached out to me back in February, wanting their the vendor of Nido. And they wanted, they were like, This is super hot. Do you want to go ahead and put in an order for it? And I had already kind of heard of it at the time, but when she reached out, again, this was probably February, because it was after the Atlanta market. Um, she was like, You need to go ahead, we're taking orders right now for July. And I was like, mmm, that's kind of risky. Is it gonna really hold on till July? And it would have. And I was like, dang, we should have ordered it. And then she reached out last week again and was like, I can't believe you haven't ordered Nito from me. Do you want all the everyday sold out? But we're now the orders you're putting in now are for pre-orders for Valentine's Day. And then I'm like, again, is it gonna it probably after holiday season? People everybody get them in their stocking stuff, or it'd be over. I'm not ordering them, but it's one of those things. If you got in when you could get the orders right away and you could pre-order it, there's always a lot of money doing that. I remember in the 80s it was um But we can get the dumpling ones.

SPEAKER_00

Rubik's Cube.

SPEAKER_02

Oh yeah. I re and Oh, everybody had to have I had every kind shape. Did you? I loved those. Well, I mean, right now I feel like Nito's kind of on the le getting on the level of beanie babies. And you never know which would never be another beanie. You never know which trend is gonna la like beanie babies lasted a long enough time. Um I don't know what the whole span was, but it was probably at least two years.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_02

Was it longer than that?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, yes, because when um the only reason I know about beanies is McDonald's, huh? McDonald's. We so it hit us, it blindsided us the first year. We made good money. Then we prepared for them and we made money insane. Like I'm I'm talking like money like paying for a new house kind of money. Just from the sales of beanie bags.

SPEAKER_02

Yes. And then again. And then it just went why doesn't McDonald's try to get back in on I don't I do not. See, they should have a neat version that looks like a freaking McNugget.

SPEAKER_00

I still have cases and cases of beanies. Yeah, because you saved them.

SPEAKER_02

They're gonna be worse up one day. No, they were at the time. Now they're not.

SPEAKER_00

Well, I figure now, I mean they've had them for over 20 years, so maybe somewhere sometime.

SPEAKER_02

Now they're just good memorabilia. Um, but see, why don't they why is it McDonald's partnering to come out with like food like burger, chicken McNugget, Nidos?

SPEAKER_00

Don't even get me. Don't even get me started. I mean, how cute. Do you know how people would go crazy if if they had like the Fry Guys, Grimace, Ronald McDonald, Nido? Yeah. They would make it.

SPEAKER_02

And did they not learn anything from what they did do the one, the green, the what'd they do last year? The burger, the Grinch socks.

SPEAKER_00

The Grinch socks. That did really well. And and like they should bring

What McDonald’s Forgot About People

SPEAKER_00

back like the Starbucks does their drinks, cool cups, cups, yeah, last year.

SPEAKER_02

Stanley, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Collector cups. That would make them so revelent with with that, you know, the age group. Yeah. I don't get it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, they've lost that part. Well, they've lost so many parts. They've lost so many parts. But that's one part that is marketing that brings people in. Like people would go there. If they brought out Nidos tomorrow, their sky their sales would skyrocket because people would be going there just to get the meal to get the mic neato, the ne do.

SPEAKER_00

I think the I think McDonald's CEO is so out of touch, like so clueless of what what really they need to be doing. I think they're just trying to do a a make it a huge vending machine. Rather when it was, you know, one of the greatest brands in the world.

SPEAKER_02

Instead of focusing on connecting with the customer and marketing and the things that would really make a difference. But you know You know, maybe a lobby with some actual places to sit down and eat and And maybe some lighting and seating that you would want to sit and eat.

SPEAKER_00

Maybe customer service. Yeah. Maybe not kiosk to order, maybe a person to say, Hey, how are you?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Can I get you anything? Yeah. Are you having a good day? No, no, we're not gonna do that.

SPEAKER_02

Cause think the way these McDonald's are set up now. I I don't again, we're much so random. There's no way they have the breakfast crowd that they used to have.

SPEAKER_00

Hell no, because older people are not gonna go in there and order on a kiosk and sit down.

SPEAKER_02

But like think how many people, the same people would come in multiple times a week, meet their friends there. It was the breakfast clubs. Right. Yeah. And they can't have that anymore because it's not even, you know, you could go get your coffee refilled or whatever. You couldn't even do that.

SPEAKER_00

Like Dylan's grandmother goes, she does that at Hardy's. And I'm like, Yeah. But see, Hardy's has kept that atmosphere to where people want to go there, yeah, you know, and have their little breakfast groups and sit and talk and cut up. Have their coffee and it was uh I mean, that was that was part of McDonald's.

SPEAKER_02

And I wonder how that affects their sales, like also, you know, their hot cakes growing up were the thing. But you can't drive through the drive-thru and get pancakes and eat them in your car. I mean, you know what I'm saying? That's not like I wouldn't do that because you can't, it's not a handheld. But I'm not going in because their lobbies aren't comfortable anymore. It's like eating in They don't want them comfortable.

SPEAKER_00

Right. So how does that I don't know. It's really weird, and there's only about six seats in the place. I mean, I remember I remember when we would build a restaurant and we would be literally I would spend hours, days trying to seat weeks working on the seating package to squeeze in as many seats as I could get in. Because you had to have your ADA seating. So basically it's a table without a chair, you know, so people in wheelchairs can get to it. You could have a chair there, but it changed your seating plan. Right. So you had to do that, and then, you know, just I can remember squeezing in a seat, you know, everywhere. Everywhere because I wanted the seating capacity to be enough and I wanted big tables for families, but I wanted enough for a business person to eat. Right. Now, hell, that ain't a concern. I think they say, what is the least number we can get in? Can we just have none? Right.

SPEAKER_02

Can we line them up like they're at the health department waiting room and just have some chairs over here against this window?

SPEAKER_00

In all restaurants, you go in and now they've taken I I I went in and ate at Chick-fil-A right here next to us. They have taken a lot of they've taken one whole section of their indoor seating, just taking it out.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And it is a wall of DoorDash. It's where they organize they took out their whole one whole section of seating, and I'm like, these people are losing their minds. Like that like if you because if you can't do both, I don't know. And I mean, there's so much more money in the drive-thru. Right. But I mean, I still think eating inside and serving families is so important. Right.

SPEAKER_02

And but the problem is you gotta step back like with any business and look at the whole, you know, package. And we even do this with our business. Sometimes we're like, we don't really need this product or whatever, but then we're like, but it adds value to this product. And it's kind of the same thing they need to think about with drive-throughs is if it's not convenient, for example, for me, like if it's not convenient to go inside for like a McDonald's or whatever, then I'm not gonna go. And then I just don't go to McDonald's. Like, yeah, sometimes I could go through the drive-thru, but because it becomes a turn-off on one side, I don't need to go in every time, but because it's not comfortable to go in at all, I just don't think of the overall place as being comfortable. So I just I literally don't go anymore.

SPEAKER_00

Well, and I ask an owner friend of mine, I was like, I I went to McDonald's and it was not one of his, but I said I I just I waited for I I timed it, it was like 16 minutes, unheard of. I mean, that's an insane amount. Service time in McDonald's has never changed. It's still 90 seconds. Yeah. And I'm like, but all of these DoorDash orders were going like piling out constantly going out of hand. If they do not get that out on time, it literally costs that order costs the owner money. Yeah. So that takes priority over everything.

SPEAKER_02

Everything. Yeah, it is that is crazy. I mean so I see the need because obviously they're getting a ton of those orders, but there has to be the balance, is I guess my whole point.

Reviews, Hotline, And Goodbye

SPEAKER_02

I don't know. I feel like we've rambled on enough, and we got to get to a live sale. Can you pull this? Can you pull this baby over? Hopefully, we'll be back next week. Uh, like I said, I'm going to Florida, but I'll be back next week, Friday and Saturday, and maybe we can get in a podcast on Friday and Saturday. And then that will come out the next week. If not, we'll see you when you we see you because we are so unpredictable right now. Sorry. Remember to leave us a review wherever you're listening. Only if it's a good one. That's right. And if you have any messages for us, remember our hotline number is always down in the show notes. No matter where you're listening, you can hit like see description of the episode and the hotline numbers there. Text us, call us, leave us a voicemail. We appreciate it. Bye, y'all. Bye.