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April 17, 2024

With Humility Comes Wisdom 197

With Humility Comes Wisdom 197
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We're rolling out the red, white, and blue carpet to give you a transparent tour of the first Loud Proud American event of 2024. My wife and I are living proof that American dreams are woven from the threads of hard work, passion, and a sprinkle of madness. As we recount the setup shenanigans at Mohegan Sun, the electric first sale, and the highs and lows of a tattoo convention buzzing with Ink Master royalty, you're invited to peek behind the curtains of a vendor's life. Amidst the chaos, we celebrate the heartbeat of our future patriot, sharing our journey towards parenthood with all its hopes and hilarious hiccups.

Embrace the rollercoaster of running a business that marries the essence of American grit with the realities of financial bruises and belly laughs. We'll take you from the excitement of dazzling slot machines and tattoo artist encounters to the sober aftermath of counting costs versus intangible rewards. Through our reflections, we map out the pivot points essential for growth and introduce you to the thrill of new ventures on the horizon. Our conversation is a tribute to the unwavering spirit of entrepreneurs who dare to dream, stumble, and rise again.

The melody of our life is a soulful tune, blending notes of Sgt. Brian's wisdom on mental and physical readiness with the poignant realizations of life's forward march. We shed light on the moments that shape our being, from personal struggles to triumphant revelations. And as we sign off, we're turning up the volume on American pride, inviting you to join our loud and proud community across social media, where the stars, stripes, and stories are plenty and the dream is as big as the sky.

If you found value in today's show please return the favor and leave a positive review and share it with someone important to you! https://www.sharethestrugglepodcast.com/reviews/new/
Find all you need to know about the show https://www.sharethestrugglepodcast.com/
Official Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077724159859

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Thank you for Supporting My American Dream!

Chapters

00:01 - Event Recap

09:33 - Convention Center Set Up and Sales

19:58 - Reflections on Tattoo Convention Experience

26:08 - Tattoo Convention Reflection and Struggle

37:17 - The Reality of Convention Expenses

42:03 - Business Pivot Discussion for Growth

53:01 - Mind and Body Balance and Overcoming

59:07 - Life Must Be Lived Forward

01:03:38 - Exciting Pregnancy Appointment Preparations

01:10:04 - American Patriot Podcast and Social Media

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:01.340 --> 00:00:12.250
The first event of 2024 for Loud Proud American is in the books, and so many of you have reached out wanting to know just how did it go.

00:00:12.250 --> 00:00:17.870
So, for all of you who need to know, today's show is a recap special.

00:00:17.870 --> 00:00:21.225
Let me tell you something Everybody struggles.

00:00:21.225 --> 00:00:26.736
The difference is some people choose to go through it and some choose to grow through it.

00:00:26.736 --> 00:00:29.128
The choice is completely yours.

00:00:29.128 --> 00:00:35.052
Which one you choose will have a very profound effect on the way you live your life.

00:00:35.052 --> 00:00:42.734
If you find strength in the struggle, then this podcast is for you.

00:00:42.734 --> 00:00:49.673
Do you have a relationship that is comfortable with uncomfortable conversations?

00:00:49.673 --> 00:00:55.393
Uncomfortable conversations challenge you, humble you and they build you.

00:00:55.393 --> 00:01:00.404
When you sprinkle a little time and distance on it, it all makes sense.

00:01:00.404 --> 00:01:05.549
Most disagreements, they stem from our own insecurities.

00:01:05.549 --> 00:01:09.835
You are right where you need to be.

00:01:10.320 --> 00:01:13.444
Back on time.

00:01:13.444 --> 00:01:16.647
We need to back off.

00:01:17.269 --> 00:01:26.944
I'm falling behind Way too fast, way too fast.

00:01:26.944 --> 00:01:28.338
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.

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What it do, what it do, hot diggity, damn.

00:01:33.647 --> 00:01:38.554
This is so exciting to be back with you.

00:01:38.554 --> 00:01:45.370
It's extra exciting to be back with you because today I'd be joined by my boo.

00:01:46.694 --> 00:01:47.075
That's me.

00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:49.206
Yeah, that's you over there.

00:01:49.206 --> 00:01:59.915
I feel like you are a critical part of this episode and this message today, because you just partook on the journey.

00:01:59.915 --> 00:02:00.742
Is that a word?

00:02:00.742 --> 00:02:02.930
Partook, partaken, partooken.

00:02:03.240 --> 00:02:04.385
You just made that up.

00:02:04.960 --> 00:02:10.310
Man, I'm an idiot, I shouldn't be allowed to reproduce, but we're a little too late on that.

00:02:10.310 --> 00:02:10.770
That happened.

00:02:10.770 --> 00:02:20.435
So you were a part of the inaugural event for Loud Proud American, the first roadshow event of 2024.

00:02:20.435 --> 00:02:23.306
And so many folks have reached out.

00:02:23.306 --> 00:02:36.072
I had the opportunity to talk to quite a few people, but a lot of folks really wanted to know how things went and I said you know, here's a quick little screenshot, but we're going to share some more details on this week's podcast.

00:02:36.072 --> 00:02:48.651
So that's what we're here to do, and I thought it was critical to have you join me today to share the highs and lows of the event, the transparent look back as to what just happened.

00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:56.188
But before we get rocking and rolling into today's show, it is time to acknowledge all of our day ones.

00:02:56.188 --> 00:02:59.844
There you go, yeah, you got it.

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For those of you that can't see, you're not in the studio audience today, my lovely wife has her number one up up.

00:03:06.825 --> 00:03:07.807
She's got her fingers up.

00:03:07.807 --> 00:03:23.205
So, those of you day ones out there, you loyal listeners that have been here since the first one this is episode 197, and I appreciate each and every one of you, all of you beautiful people I'm not telling you which one is up oh yeah, that's real cute, real cute.

00:03:24.527 --> 00:03:26.711
anybody that is just tuning in for your first episode?

00:03:26.711 --> 00:03:29.194
I truly appreciate you.

00:03:29.194 --> 00:03:41.370
I want to let you know you can find all things podcast related over to the website wwwsharetheshucklepodcastcom, and we are on all major podcast platforms.

00:03:41.370 --> 00:03:48.185
Feel free to leave a review to say how do you do, hit, subscribe, grow the tribe, all those good, beautiful vibes?

00:03:48.185 --> 00:03:53.676
You feel me, you got me great, grand, yes, good job.

00:03:53.676 --> 00:03:57.826
Last week's episode, we were getting ready to head to mohegan sun.

00:03:57.826 --> 00:04:05.348
It was a mad dash to make it to das casino because we were stepping out of our comfort zones.

00:04:05.348 --> 00:04:06.524
We were going to.

00:04:06.524 --> 00:04:09.848
Actually, that's definitely the furthest we've gone south.

00:04:09.848 --> 00:04:12.825
Right, the furthest we have gone to date was New Hampshire.

00:04:13.748 --> 00:04:15.573
So yeah, I think you're right.

00:04:15.860 --> 00:04:17.259
Yeah, we're expanding our horizons.

00:04:17.259 --> 00:04:19.668
We're leaving the couch.

00:04:19.668 --> 00:04:22.867
You know what I mean Jumping out of the comfort zones.

00:04:22.987 --> 00:04:25.406
Excuse me, is that a plug at me, because I'm sitting on the couch?

00:04:26.331 --> 00:04:29.422
I mean I didn't intend it to be, but I mean you could take it however you want to take it.

00:04:29.521 --> 00:04:30.302
Listen, I'm pregnant.

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I just worked all day.

00:04:33.069 --> 00:04:42.660
So we went as far south as we've gone for the business and we were extremely optimistic about this event, feeling great about it.

00:04:42.660 --> 00:04:49.428
It was a mad dash to make things happen on our last episode and I think all of those things went well.

00:04:49.428 --> 00:04:52.689
We created a whole new display and we tried new things.

00:04:52.689 --> 00:04:57.869
Actually, one of the backdrops was created from your vision of a dog kennel.

00:04:57.869 --> 00:04:58.550
Am I right?

00:04:58.550 --> 00:04:59.591
Yeah, it was.

00:04:59.591 --> 00:05:00.413
I did pretty well.

00:05:00.413 --> 00:05:05.552
Yeah, the wife found some spare parts from a dog kennel and we turned it into a backdrop.

00:05:05.552 --> 00:05:09.326
So while I was building it, you didn't have any faith in me.

00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:10.963
Well, say that again.

00:05:10.963 --> 00:05:15.024
I said while I was building it you had no faith in me.

00:05:15.225 --> 00:05:18.406
I do believe I was the one that built it, but it was your vision that created it.

00:05:19.108 --> 00:05:29.490
Okay, while I was trying to put things together, building it, while you were on the phone jibber jabbering I don't really think that's how that went, but I mean we'll agree to disagree on this one, all right.

00:05:29.490 --> 00:05:35.999
So the point is, um, everything went smooth on that thursday heading down to the convention.

00:05:35.999 --> 00:05:47.952
We decided we needed to get there a day early because, looking at the paperwork on how things were going to go, I was a little worried about it being too hectic on Friday, the day of the show, and that's exactly how things went.

00:05:47.952 --> 00:05:54.153
So I'm glad we actually headed down on Thursday, the night before which um to the casino from here.

00:05:54.153 --> 00:05:55.363
It's actually not a bad little ride.

00:05:55.363 --> 00:05:56.226
It was like three hours.

00:05:56.226 --> 00:05:56.968
It's not too bad.

00:05:58.380 --> 00:06:01.065
And uh yeah, I think everything was was smooth sailing.

00:06:01.065 --> 00:06:07.625
We use my dad's truck, his eight, his eight foot bed single cab, pick me up, truck freighted, that sucker as far as you could see.

00:06:07.625 --> 00:06:10.791
And uh, I think I was pretty organized.

00:06:10.791 --> 00:06:13.605
I think I made a little chart, a little pie chart.

00:06:13.605 --> 00:06:23.603
It wasn't a pie chart at all but that's my favorite of all the charts if I'm ranking them as the pie chart because I mean you just love pie, you damn right, I do I think you did a good job.

00:06:23.865 --> 00:06:27.091
I was impressed on how organized you are, because you're never organized.

00:06:27.471 --> 00:06:28.112
Well, thank you, dear.

00:06:28.512 --> 00:06:28.994
I'll take that.

00:06:31.620 --> 00:06:33.247
So I was organized for once.

00:06:33.247 --> 00:06:35.903
Didn't have to use it, unfortunately.

00:06:39.632 --> 00:06:41.646
Anyways, we did a couple of times yeah.

00:06:41.740 --> 00:06:44.968
We got down there nice and smooth, things were great.

00:06:44.968 --> 00:06:47.869
Our hotel's only a few minutes down the road from the casino.

00:06:47.869 --> 00:06:49.668
All that worked out fabulous.

00:06:49.668 --> 00:06:57.213
But the way they had things set up for the initial check-in is you go to a mysterious parking lot a couple miles from the casino.

00:06:57.213 --> 00:07:04.473
You wait there to check in and they're supposed to organize you going to the loading dock, which that didn't really happen.

00:07:04.473 --> 00:07:07.480
So I don't understand the point of why we were waiting in the parking lot.

00:07:07.480 --> 00:07:10.288
But I mean, who am I?

00:07:10.288 --> 00:07:15.884
They did give us a sticker when we were there, so we got there.

00:07:15.904 --> 00:07:17.209
It was a participation award.

00:07:17.228 --> 00:07:17.850
Damn right it was.

00:07:17.850 --> 00:07:18.322
We got there.

00:07:18.322 --> 00:07:19.065
We waited around.

00:07:19.065 --> 00:07:22.406
We wasted an hour waiting for them to get us to the loading dock.

00:07:22.406 --> 00:07:24.803
We had a sticker placed on our windshield.

00:07:24.803 --> 00:07:25.946
We waiting for them to get us to the loading dock.

00:07:25.946 --> 00:07:27.007
We had a sticker placed on our windshield.

00:07:27.007 --> 00:07:27.629
We thought we were checking in.

00:07:27.629 --> 00:07:30.574
We get to the loading dock, fall in line like we were told to do.

00:07:30.574 --> 00:07:35.038
We get all the way up to the front of the line and they say where's your booth number?

00:07:35.038 --> 00:07:36.598
I don't fucking know, miyagi.

00:07:36.598 --> 00:07:37.966
I thought that's what we were here for.

00:07:37.966 --> 00:07:47.992
So you had to jump out of the truck, run in and wait for a booth number to check in and get your paperwork which I heard that was a nice friendly experience oh yeah, that was real nice.

00:07:48.052 --> 00:07:50.420
I walked, walked in and there was a table.

00:07:50.420 --> 00:07:56.666
To me looked like a registration booth because it was a couple of tables all in an l shape like look at all fancy.

00:07:56.666 --> 00:08:00.199
There was two people standing there as fancy as tables could look.

00:08:00.341 --> 00:08:02.723
Yeah, with the tablecloth and I had a drop cloth and everything on it.

00:08:02.723 --> 00:08:12.644
It looked nice, and I asked these two people if this was registration and the lady was like, oh no, and like, pointed over to the registration table.

00:08:12.644 --> 00:08:20.526
Mind you, ahead of me, because this table was off to my right and the registration table was straight ahead.

00:08:20.526 --> 00:08:30.987
However, there was a line that was covering the words registration on the bottom of said drop drop cloth, right, so I couldn't see it.

00:08:30.987 --> 00:08:36.109
So the gentleman that was standing there to my right I don't think he was gentle at all.

00:08:36.529 --> 00:08:38.965
No, he was a real douche canoe, if you ask me.

00:08:38.965 --> 00:08:41.912
He says why don't you open up your eyes?

00:08:41.912 --> 00:08:47.623
And I, why don't you open up your eyes?

00:08:47.623 --> 00:08:52.298
And I was like I whipped my head around so quick and I said excuse me, and immediately he turned around and didn't want to make any other conversation with me.

00:08:52.298 --> 00:08:55.687
Yeah, go figure, because I called him out on his fucking bullshit.

00:08:55.687 --> 00:09:00.126
Like listen, I am not the one, I am not the one, not the one.

00:09:00.126 --> 00:09:06.009
I will call you on your shit and ask you to repeat yourself, because I'm giving you a second chance.

00:09:06.460 --> 00:09:08.506
To rethink the previous statement.

00:09:08.687 --> 00:09:09.208
To retain yourself.

00:09:09.539 --> 00:09:11.145
So I'm waiting in the truck because they're not letting me in.

00:09:11.145 --> 00:09:17.205
I move forward Supposedly I can't answer without a number and then some other jabroni says, yeah, come on in, so he just hauls me in anyway.

00:09:17.205 --> 00:09:18.168
So it was all for nothing.

00:09:18.168 --> 00:09:19.900
But Tommy gave us a great location for our first time.

00:09:19.900 --> 00:09:21.462
I Great location for a first time.

00:09:21.462 --> 00:09:27.049
I felt like it was a good spot and the whole process of unloading was pretty smooth.

00:09:27.049 --> 00:09:27.410
What's that?

00:09:27.451 --> 00:09:30.735
Yeah, I was going to say, before you get there, you got to explain how we got in there.

00:09:30.735 --> 00:09:31.436
That was pretty neat.

00:09:33.899 --> 00:09:35.102
Yeah, you literally drive right into the convention center.

00:09:35.102 --> 00:09:41.802
You just park and then there's all these pull carts and dollies and things set up and you just unload all your shit and get the hell out.

00:09:42.043 --> 00:09:45.105
You have truck and trailer in the convention center Right in the convention.

00:09:45.125 --> 00:09:46.748
You drive straight in Straight in.

00:09:46.748 --> 00:09:50.552
So we get in, unload everything we can as fast as we can in a pile on the side.

00:09:50.552 --> 00:09:52.914
You pull the vehicle out and then you go in and start to set up.

00:09:53.495 --> 00:09:54.576
Didn't they tell you?

00:09:57.442 --> 00:09:59.068
Didn't they tell you like do not get out of your vehicle?

00:09:59.068 --> 00:10:08.921
They told me I couldn't even get out of the truck, the damn truck.

00:10:08.921 --> 00:10:16.826
So we were told via email that we had to set up between nine and one, and at one o'clock you had to vacate the premise for a health inspection and then come back in at three o'clock for a meeting and the doors open at four.

00:10:16.826 --> 00:10:18.149
That's what we were instructed.

00:10:18.149 --> 00:10:23.664
So we left some stuff in the hotel room because we realized we're going to be kicked out of the convention center for a few hours.

00:10:23.664 --> 00:10:29.312
So we waste an hour, um, waiting for this to get into the parking garage.

00:10:29.312 --> 00:10:32.402
So now we have, um, what's this?

00:10:32.402 --> 00:10:35.129
We get in there around 10 o'clock, so we have 11, 12, 1 o'clock.

00:10:35.129 --> 00:10:37.724
We have three hours to set up, which is not possible.

00:10:37.724 --> 00:10:39.649
Okay, but we get in there.

00:10:39.668 --> 00:10:44.061
Uh, we build the walls which we measured a 10 foot space.

00:10:44.061 --> 00:10:53.054
Because of the way the convention center is set up, we don't have exactly 10 feet of grid wall space because there's dividers in our area.

00:10:53.054 --> 00:11:02.403
So we're trying to renegotiate and reconfigure all those things and time is just ticking on by Before we realize it.

00:11:02.403 --> 00:11:13.849
We're noticing that it's one o'clock and there's no said meeting, people aren't getting kicked out, so we just start rolling right through on our setup and then what is it?

00:11:13.849 --> 00:11:15.066
Three o'clock 3.15.

00:11:15.066 --> 00:11:17.606
We're like where is this meeting supposed to happen?

00:11:17.668 --> 00:11:18.409
There was no meeting.

00:11:18.539 --> 00:11:21.109
This was all a smoke screen scenario.

00:11:21.109 --> 00:11:30.248
So now we're realizing well, thankfully we didn't have to stop, but now we have to get back to our hotel room because that's where all of our stuff is.

00:11:30.248 --> 00:11:36.094
So we left a tote to kind of block our entrance so people couldn't just roll around our display.

00:11:36.094 --> 00:11:50.258
And we ran to the hotel room, changed real quick, grabbed our money bag and computer and came back and the plan was I was going to pull into the loading area, you were gonna run in and grab our last tote, we're gonna throw it in the truck park and go in.

00:11:50.258 --> 00:11:52.144
But that didn't go according to plan for you did it?

00:11:52.364 --> 00:11:53.868
no, that was another douche canoe.

00:11:53.868 --> 00:12:03.347
I don't know what it is with people in connecticut, but they're a bunch of real fucking nice guys, real.

00:12:03.347 --> 00:12:16.625
No, I walk up to the door that we had been coming in and out of the entire fucking morning and afternoon and the door is like locked and I was like what the heck?

00:12:16.625 --> 00:12:17.664
So I like pull on it.

00:12:17.664 --> 00:12:20.369
And this guy like comes to the door and he was like, can I help you?

00:12:20.369 --> 00:12:32.727
And I was like, yeah, I'm a vendor, mind you, I'm wearing a wristband that we were not allowed to take off and a lanyard and a massive lanyard and a massive lanyard that said like I am who I am.

00:12:32.727 --> 00:12:34.169
And he was like, yeah, no, this door is locked.

00:12:34.169 --> 00:12:38.062
Yeah, no shit, sherlock, like I'm a wearer.

00:12:38.703 --> 00:12:42.850
And he was like I was told that this door is going to be locked and you're going to have to go around.

00:12:42.850 --> 00:12:43.870
And I was like go around.

00:12:43.870 --> 00:12:45.072
He's like, yeah, do you know where you're going?

00:12:45.072 --> 00:12:47.035
Yeah, where you are Behind you.

00:12:47.035 --> 00:12:51.386
I was like I look at my watch in front of him, like I like literally pull my watch out.

00:12:51.386 --> 00:12:53.860
And I was like I have to open my booth in two minutes.

00:12:53.860 --> 00:13:06.182
And he was like not my problem and pointed me halfway across the fucking parking lot, lot told me that I had to go in that garage, which was Winter Garage walk a

00:13:06.010 --> 00:13:07.412
mile around to the convention center.

00:13:07.412 --> 00:13:10.325
It's no joke when you say a mile at the casino, that's a real thing.

00:13:10.525 --> 00:13:22.629
Legit, so we had to, you know, hoof it, find a parking spot, drive, walk all the way around, to then pass by the entire line of people trying to get in.

00:13:23.500 --> 00:13:25.467
Which to fast forward it to that point.

00:13:25.467 --> 00:13:35.708
At that moment we're pretty encouraged because it's opening night, it's four o'clock and we're walking past this massive line of people I mean, there's hundreds of people waiting to get in.

00:13:35.708 --> 00:13:37.426
So we're like man, this is gonna be awesome.

00:13:37.426 --> 00:13:43.589
And I run into the booth I think he must've stopped for the bathroom or something.

00:13:43.589 --> 00:13:48.751
And as I'm trying to put things out, people are already come over and asking questions, trying to get in.

00:13:48.751 --> 00:13:51.788
The doors just open up and we have our first sale.

00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:54.589
And there's another guy that's in love with a few things.

00:13:54.589 --> 00:13:55.806
He's going to go find his wife.

00:13:55.806 --> 00:13:57.986
So we're like this convention just started.

00:13:57.986 --> 00:14:06.917
We passed a whole mess of people in the doorway on the way up here I would say in the walkway hall, whatever you want to call it that are going through security right now.

00:14:06.917 --> 00:14:08.466
We're going to crush this.

00:14:08.466 --> 00:14:11.107
That's the feeling I have at this moment.

00:14:11.107 --> 00:14:14.485
We've been open for 38 seconds and we already have a sale.

00:14:14.485 --> 00:14:28.528
This is going to be awesome and I was feeling super stoked and excited because I will say that on opening day of something, when you only have one day to do set up, it is the most stressful thing.

00:14:28.929 --> 00:14:29.130
Yeah.

00:14:29.633 --> 00:14:38.966
Especially when you've never been somewhere before, because you're dependent on other people's attitude and information, and we had some negative attitudes giving us some negative information.

00:14:38.966 --> 00:14:47.013
So I will say the process was smoother than I thought, but it's nerve wracking when you know you have a deadline to get set up.

00:14:47.013 --> 00:14:55.409
So we're getting there at nine trying to get things going, doors open at four, we're coming out of the gates like gangbusters and we're feeling good about it.

00:14:55.409 --> 00:15:13.813
And as quickly as things got started and got exciting, it was just as quickly that things slowed right down and went to a crawling pace, because we are to be open until 11 pm on Friday and I think our last official sale the day was at 6.

00:15:15.821 --> 00:15:17.807
Friday was discouraging, to say the least.

00:15:17.807 --> 00:15:19.346
It was a discouraging experience.

00:15:19.346 --> 00:15:23.250
I mean we were excited but we were exhausted because we worked our ass off.

00:15:23.250 --> 00:15:27.644
We were excited but we were exhausted because we worked our ass off Opening day.

00:15:27.644 --> 00:15:32.274
When you consider the setup time and then the entire event till close down, it's a 14-hour workday.

00:15:32.274 --> 00:15:41.346
So day one is 14 hours and we maxed out with a total sales on our first day of $82.

00:15:41.346 --> 00:15:52.303
So to work 14 hours and to gross 82 bucks is not something you really strive for when you go into business?

00:15:52.303 --> 00:15:53.265
Am I right?

00:15:53.265 --> 00:15:56.455
You're laughing?

00:15:56.455 --> 00:15:57.818
Are you doing the math?

00:15:57.839 --> 00:15:58.039
over there.

00:15:58.039 --> 00:15:58.721
I'm glad you did.

00:15:58.880 --> 00:16:02.629
It's $5 an hour $5 an hour for one of us or both of us.

00:16:02.629 --> 00:16:05.313
One of us, so you take both of us.

00:16:05.313 --> 00:16:11.773
That's 28 hours that we clocked in basically because 14 and 14, 28 hours of work.

00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:14.927
That's $2.92.

00:16:16.681 --> 00:16:25.254
So $3 an hour and then, if you really wanted to think about it and say that that was a gross number of $82.

00:16:25.254 --> 00:16:27.969
So we probably profited 40 bucks, right.

00:16:27.969 --> 00:16:32.678
So you cut that in half and say we maybe made a dollar an hour, right, yeah?

00:16:32.678 --> 00:16:35.587
Or buck 50 an hour, or something like that it's depressing.

00:16:35.849 --> 00:16:39.068
It's depressing and it'll get you down.

00:16:39.522 --> 00:17:14.348
And what I will say is, now that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, when we're talking about our life and where we're headed and all the exciting things that are happening, we are bringing a child into the world, when you are trying to be the provider for the family, you invest your entire savings and everything you have in your future on a business and your future on a business, and you're sitting around and, let's say, you're 10 hours into your 14 hour fucking work day and you haven't had a sale in hours and you're thinking about the impending birth of your child.

00:17:14.901 --> 00:17:23.851
It can eat you up, it can get into your brain, it can swirl all around and it can make you capital D depressed.

00:17:23.851 --> 00:17:26.246
All right, it's tough.

00:17:26.246 --> 00:17:38.273
It's hard to have a positive mindset during these experiences, but I would say we still felt pretty encouraged on Friday, even though it was as bad as it was.

00:17:38.273 --> 00:17:47.134
We were thinking Saturday is going to be it, because we had so many other vendors and tattoo artists that we know talk to us and say just wait.

00:17:47.134 --> 00:17:50.627
How many times did somebody tell you how busy it was going to be on Saturday?

00:17:50.667 --> 00:17:51.530
Yeah, a lot of people.

00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:55.609
And I think traffic-wise it was busy on Saturday.

00:17:55.609 --> 00:18:01.611
Spoiler, we're going to get there in a minute, but everybody was leading us to believe Saturday is the day.

00:18:01.611 --> 00:18:06.564
So we're like you know what to believe Saturday's Saturday's the day.

00:18:06.564 --> 00:18:07.125
So we're like you know what?

00:18:07.125 --> 00:18:10.901
In all honesty, we went into it hoping let's at least make 500 bucks on Friday and then kind of see what the chips lie by the end of the weekend.

00:18:10.901 --> 00:18:12.384
We know Saturday's going to be our day.

00:18:13.126 --> 00:18:45.191
80 bucks is a far cry off from where we want it to be but I mean normally when we set up though, like we don't anticipate like very much on set up day, opening day, that's like the way we look at it, like we're like all right if we make a couple sales, like okay, like not that big of a deal, but we have, like we always set a goal like all right, this is, you know, opening day, we're gonna make this much and I think that we try to set things in a realistic, um way, and I thought five hundred dollars was pretty realistic based off of what we were doing, but, um, we fell well short of that.

00:18:46.401 --> 00:18:48.266
But I want to say this we fell on our face.

00:18:48.467 --> 00:18:49.388
We definitely fell on our face.

00:18:49.388 --> 00:18:59.569
I want to say this, and I'm going to highlight these people in a moment, but I want to thank everybody that listens to the podcast that gives us support and positive vibes.

00:18:59.569 --> 00:19:06.642
Friday, when we were getting things going, we were getting messages from Lance and Jen picture messages and they were in Tennessee thinking of us.

00:19:07.063 --> 00:19:08.343
They were wearing our stuff.

00:19:09.003 --> 00:19:11.785
They're repping our stuff in Tennessee, scott was reaching out, checking on us.

00:19:12.865 --> 00:19:16.367
Matt called me as soon as the doors opened when we were making our first sale.

00:19:16.367 --> 00:19:17.688
Matt from Ledgway.

00:19:17.688 --> 00:19:30.595
We were having a conversation with him and I got an amazing message from a good friend of mine, Brian Nason, which I'm going to violate his personal trust and confidence and I'm going to share that message with you all in a little bit.

00:19:30.595 --> 00:19:56.288
But I just want to take a moment here to say thank you to everybody that reached out and sent positive vibes our way, and just to those of you that are close to us, that are in that circle like we're talking about, um, when you knew we were struggling or you knew talking to me that it was, uh, not turning out to be the way I had hoped for, you were there for me and encouraging me, uh, to stay positive and to not let one experience get me down.

00:19:56.288 --> 00:19:58.353
So I just wanted to say say thank you for that.

00:19:58.353 --> 00:20:02.046
We came into Saturday, uh, feeling encouraged.

00:20:02.046 --> 00:20:06.394
I actually felt excited about Saturday when we were there.

00:20:12.859 --> 00:20:15.028
This is one of the things that I want to say the, the display this time around, the way we did things.

00:20:15.028 --> 00:20:16.135
We kind of mapped things out in the driveway at home.

00:20:16.135 --> 00:20:31.941
We kind of laid out a little bit of an idea so we wanted to do, but we didn't know where things were going, and the only way for this event to function in the amount of time that we had was I was hanging things, putting clothes together, because I knew how they were organized, and you built the entire display.

00:20:31.941 --> 00:20:37.251
So thank you for building the entire display and I think you did a great job.

00:20:37.553 --> 00:20:37.873
Thank you.

00:20:38.299 --> 00:20:49.026
And then, on Saturday morning, we walked in and changed so much of that display all over again, walked in and changed so much of that display all over again, just to make things a little more friendly.

00:20:49.026 --> 00:20:51.853
We analyzed every single aspect of the customer experience.

00:20:51.853 --> 00:20:54.525
While we were there, we walked around and checked out other vendors.

00:20:54.525 --> 00:20:58.343
We tried to observe vendors that seemed to be busier than us.

00:20:58.343 --> 00:20:59.950
How were they interacting?

00:20:59.950 --> 00:21:01.355
What was their layout like?

00:21:01.355 --> 00:21:04.003
What was the customer interaction and experience like?

00:21:04.003 --> 00:21:05.489
And we changed everything.

00:21:05.769 --> 00:21:06.511
I think every day.

00:21:07.221 --> 00:21:08.326
Every day we did.

00:21:08.326 --> 00:21:17.689
Yeah, I'll also say we didn't bring our tent and um, we didn't think anybody else would, and in hindsight I think we were the only vendors that didn't have our tents with us.

00:21:18.500 --> 00:21:21.220
And I wouldn't say only but what's that?

00:21:21.421 --> 00:21:32.084
I wouldn't say only that I only saw maybe one or two vendors that didn't have tents.

00:21:32.084 --> 00:21:35.112
To be honest, um, I think that our tent would have been a nice sales pitch for us for people to understand, um, what it is that we do.

00:21:35.112 --> 00:21:45.460
But I was excited about the way that things turned out and, based off the space we had, bringing just my dad's vehicle, I think that you know it was a wise decision to not try to stuff the tent in there.

00:21:45.460 --> 00:21:51.182
But we know, next time I'm going to bring the tent or I'm going to bring one of them to figure something out.

00:21:51.182 --> 00:21:56.384
But I was encouraged about the fact that we went in there on Saturday and we changed a bunch of things around again.

00:21:56.805 --> 00:22:24.430
I thought the flow was really good and, um, when I was going back and forth, moving things around, you were organizing the booth and I had to bring some totes inside and out, and I was coming up through the back door of the convention center and I held the door open for a lady that was pulling in a big cart of stuff and she was going over to work in the lemonade stand and I was holding the door for her and when she came in she was like it was her first day there.

00:22:24.430 --> 00:22:32.929
She wasn't there on Friday, so she came in and she was like oh my God, and she was just looking around and it's impressive.

00:22:32.929 --> 00:22:37.888
It's a whole different feeling, like we take those things for granted because we see them all the time.

00:22:37.940 --> 00:22:39.406
We go to these conventions all the time.

00:22:39.406 --> 00:22:42.044
This clearly was new for this person.

00:22:42.044 --> 00:22:43.967
I mean, when you walk in there, there's what?

00:22:43.967 --> 00:22:47.554
Six bars lined up on the side yeah, it's intense.

00:22:47.554 --> 00:22:49.186
There's sports cars.

00:22:49.186 --> 00:22:53.359
There's a Dodge Challenger fully wrapped up with decals and stuff.

00:22:53.359 --> 00:23:00.281
There's Eddie Munster's coffin freaking vehicles there from the Addams Family whoever the hell.

00:23:00.281 --> 00:23:02.685
Show that was All these custom hot rods.

00:23:02.685 --> 00:23:03.820
All this cool stuff's in there right Full stage.

00:23:03.820 --> 00:23:04.060
Bands of health.

00:23:04.060 --> 00:23:04.779
Show that was all these custom hot rods.

00:23:04.779 --> 00:23:06.241
All this cool stuff's in there right full stage bands.

00:23:06.241 --> 00:23:09.970
And then there's 500 tattoo artists and businesses all lined up.

00:23:09.970 --> 00:23:11.291
So it's impressive.

00:23:11.953 --> 00:23:15.267
And I just was kind of present to her conversation.

00:23:15.267 --> 00:23:19.442
She was talking to herself and I could just hear her as we were walking in together.

00:23:19.442 --> 00:23:21.806
She was like wow, look at this place.

00:23:21.806 --> 00:23:23.428
And I heard her say this.

00:23:23.428 --> 00:23:28.234
She said I get to do this for work today.

00:23:29.961 --> 00:24:00.329
And when I heard that, it just was kind of one of those moments where I'm like you know what, I just slowed down and I just kind of started walking through and observing everything and kind of putting myself into her place, in her shoes and seeing things for the first time and realizing into her place in her shoes and seeing things for the first time and realizing you're damn right, we get to do this and it's one of those things where I've had many jobs in my life that I just punched the clock and I saw the same four walls for the same 40 hours a week and with our business, as much as we get to travel and do things.

00:24:00.329 --> 00:24:06.823
You see so many things for the first time but oftentimes you take for granted the things that you've been doing.

00:24:06.823 --> 00:24:09.750
That are amazing experiences for people.

00:24:09.750 --> 00:24:13.426
One of the most fun things you do as a kid is go to the fair, am I right?

00:24:13.666 --> 00:24:13.867
Yeah.

00:24:14.269 --> 00:24:16.481
Even as an adult, that's one of the most fun things you can do.

00:24:16.481 --> 00:24:19.028
We live at the damn fair right.

00:24:19.028 --> 00:24:21.051
Yeah, this tattoo convention.

00:24:21.051 --> 00:24:29.092
You know how many people listening to this podcast have probably never been to a tattoo convention and when they walked in there they'd be like where the fuck am I?

00:24:29.092 --> 00:24:30.954
Because it's a third world man.

00:24:30.954 --> 00:24:35.204
It is wild, my bad, no, you're all good.

00:24:36.046 --> 00:24:48.683
I can tell you, like when I was telling the girls at work, like I mean, a few of them have tattoos, they've had ink therapy, but but you know, last week, when they were asking me like, oh, where are you headed?

00:24:48.683 --> 00:25:04.388
You know, because they know what you do for work and I was like, oh, we're headed to a tattoo convention and they're like a what and like, so you have to like break it down for them and I'm like explaining, like you walk into this expo and it's like rows and rows and rows of just tattoo artists and all you can hear in the world.

00:25:04.689 --> 00:25:07.093
All you can hear is buzzing the entire time.

00:25:07.093 --> 00:25:10.306
So when I got back today, everyone was like so did you get any tattoo ink?

00:25:10.306 --> 00:25:12.145
Did you get any piercings?

00:25:12.145 --> 00:25:20.506
And I was like, listen, that was the hardest thing for me to not get either one of those because I'm pregnant, but it is pretty cool.

00:25:22.840 --> 00:25:26.371
This is me being a squirrel dog scenario and I'm going to go off topic real quick.

00:25:26.371 --> 00:25:38.554
I went to a tattoo convention and I'm obsessed about tattoos, and one of my favorite tattoo artists on the planet was there, who I have a deposit with to get a tattoo at any time.

00:25:40.222 --> 00:25:51.311
And we were so focused on the business of making this a success and the fact that it wasn't being a success and the financial philosophy we have moving forward with the little one on the way.

00:25:51.311 --> 00:26:00.189
I didn't get one little tidbit of ink this entire time, not even a banger, and I put $20 in a slot machine and that was it.

00:26:00.308 --> 00:26:01.192
That was it.

00:26:01.420 --> 00:26:03.606
Shiny blinky lights at a slot machine.

00:26:03.606 --> 00:26:04.891
The cowboys.

00:26:04.891 --> 00:26:07.826
I did find a Dallas Cowboys slot machine.

00:26:07.826 --> 00:26:10.422
But the point is those things.

00:26:10.422 --> 00:26:13.243
They suck me in, dude, like I'm a little kid.

00:26:13.243 --> 00:26:16.563
I go to the bright lights and I just say take my money.

00:26:16.563 --> 00:26:17.346
You do.

00:26:17.346 --> 00:26:19.244
You're terrible, I'm so bad at it.

00:26:19.244 --> 00:26:21.839
I love slot machines, man.

00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:22.442
They're addicting.

00:26:22.442 --> 00:26:24.067
They are addicting.

00:26:24.067 --> 00:26:25.711
Where's the Capella's catalog?

00:26:25.711 --> 00:26:28.032
Hand on the catalog.

00:26:28.636 --> 00:26:30.686
Eye to the sky Beating little eyes to the sky.

00:26:30.859 --> 00:26:33.750
The truth from this guy is I'm a sucker for a slot machine.

00:26:33.750 --> 00:26:42.823
I said slots, all right, slots With an O, not a U Slot machines and I love tattoos.

00:26:42.823 --> 00:26:48.247
And I got a whole list of tattoos in the back of my mind that I want to get, and this weekend only added to it.

00:26:48.247 --> 00:26:52.130
But it wasn't on the docket because we were focused on what we needed to do.

00:26:52.130 --> 00:26:54.907
But to get back to what you were just saying, what's that?

00:26:55.101 --> 00:27:05.339
We were surrounded by all these amazing tattoo artists, and not to mention there was what Like six Ink Masters from the TV show there this weekend.

00:27:05.380 --> 00:27:09.471
So one of the guys that hosts the whole convention is Stephen Teft, who won.

00:27:09.590 --> 00:27:09.730
Ink.

00:27:09.750 --> 00:27:12.627
Master and we got to see him several times.

00:27:12.627 --> 00:27:17.056
We were setting up at Anthony, who won Ink Master, I think a couple times.

00:27:17.056 --> 00:27:21.150
Yep, he was tattooing, he came over and started talking to us and he interacted with us the whole weekend.

00:27:21.150 --> 00:27:24.710
I actually wanted to go over and give him something, but he was gone by the time.

00:27:31.119 --> 00:27:45.290
Holly has tattooed both of us from ink master, that girl that was helping us like, or next she was next to us, um, when we were unpacking, and then, when she was leaving, she said bye to us like that, I don't know I don't know who the heck was that I'm trying to think remember she was getting out of that trailer next to us, oh yeah yeah, uh, her thing is like ash tattoos or something.

00:27:45.290 --> 00:27:46.153
She was an Ink Master.

00:27:46.601 --> 00:27:48.327
I saw Danny Ryan from Ink Master.

00:27:48.327 --> 00:27:52.632
I saw one of my favorite Ink Master artists of all time Clean Rock One.

00:27:52.632 --> 00:27:59.970
He walked by two or three times, but every time he was busy and I didn't get a chance to go over and talk to him.

00:27:59.970 --> 00:28:02.465
I was hoping he had a booth and I could have interacted with him.

00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:04.609
I was hoping he had a booth and I could have interacted with him, but I didn't see him.

00:28:04.609 --> 00:28:04.934
I didn't see he had a booth.

00:28:04.934 --> 00:28:05.750
He was just there more as a visitor.

00:28:07.020 --> 00:28:10.871
And we saw Jimmy Snaz walking around for McMaster, we see Jimmy a lot.

00:28:10.871 --> 00:28:13.828
Which spoiler alert there folks.

00:28:15.520 --> 00:28:16.803
You said you were going to bring it up this week.

00:28:17.886 --> 00:28:18.569
Do I bring it up now?

00:28:19.164 --> 00:28:20.269
You said you were going to last week.

00:28:20.288 --> 00:28:20.830
Should I do it now?

00:28:20.830 --> 00:28:33.755
Another If all goes according to plan, in June at Bentley Saloon we're going to have a tattoo contest, not a conference where you go in and get tattoos done.

00:28:33.755 --> 00:28:36.413
This is just a pure judging of tattoos.

00:28:36.413 --> 00:28:40.977
But the owner and organizer for the convention that I just went to his name is Tommy.

00:28:40.977 --> 00:28:44.311
He has a major, massive line of tattoo supplies.

00:28:44.311 --> 00:28:46.131
Tommy's going to be a guest judge.

00:28:46.131 --> 00:29:07.633
A local artist that has probably the best tattoo studio in the state of Maine, chad Chase from Venom, from Venom Inc, is going to be there and the other judge is Jimmy Snaz from Ink Master, is going to be on the panel of judges and yours truly will be hosting the event that's coming in bike week this year at Bentley Saloon.

00:29:07.633 --> 00:29:09.237
I believe it's June 12th.

00:29:09.297 --> 00:29:25.791
I want to say so, just putting that out there on all y'all's radar, but as I'm walking in with this lady and I hear her say I get to work here today, I get to do this today, it was really that Zen moment for me and it was kind of that prideful.

00:29:25.791 --> 00:29:34.222
I made it moment Because when we talked about it last week, we mentioned that the first event I ever targeted for our business to do was this convention.

00:29:34.222 --> 00:29:37.816
Might've taken us a few years, but we finally showed up at it and we made it.

00:29:37.816 --> 00:29:58.212
I'm going to say this before I move forward had we gone to this convention day one like we planned on and it went the way that it did, I probably would have just cried myself to sleep and never gone anywhere else again because you needed to harden your emotions to make it through some of the things that we went through.

00:29:58.272 --> 00:30:02.606
But I hear this lady talking and I'm thinking about how excited she is and it really gets me jacked up and juiced.

00:30:02.606 --> 00:30:06.238
Hear this lady talking and I'm thinking about how excited she is and it really gets me jacked up and juiced up about the day.

00:30:06.238 --> 00:30:09.209
I'm continuing to get all these positive messages from everybody else.

00:30:09.209 --> 00:30:21.171
And we ran outside to grab some breakfast real quick before the event opened and when we were waiting for our breakfast sandwiches to be made, that line behind us just kept getting longer and longer and longer.

00:30:21.171 --> 00:30:23.634
There had to be what?

00:30:23.634 --> 00:30:26.539
500 people at least waiting in that line.

00:30:26.825 --> 00:30:27.789
I think yeah, at least.

00:30:28.806 --> 00:30:33.874
I literally turned my phone on to record it and it took me so long to record the people.

00:30:33.874 --> 00:30:35.672
The video was too long to actually post.

00:30:35.672 --> 00:30:39.990
It was over two minutes of me literally walking through people to get to the front door.

00:30:39.990 --> 00:30:48.155
So when you see that many people and you're riding this high, you just totally expect this day to be absolutely tremendous.

00:30:48.155 --> 00:30:50.192
How are you feeling on Saturday morning?

00:30:55.291 --> 00:30:56.756
Well, my feet hurt from walking.

00:30:57.164 --> 00:31:00.944
Well, I got to listen to your three-hour walk to get a sandwich.

00:31:00.944 --> 00:31:05.392
I'm just trying to hear about Saturday and how you were feeling when the doors were blowing open.

00:31:07.174 --> 00:31:07.895
I was overwhelmed.

00:31:08.717 --> 00:31:08.936
Yeah.

00:31:09.959 --> 00:31:10.759
There's a lot of people.

00:31:10.759 --> 00:31:14.692
There is a lot of people, and it is tight, tight quarters.

00:31:14.792 --> 00:31:21.317
The way you're set up, I mean you're like we're having conversations and there's people like a half an inch away from you in their booth, you know what I mean.

00:31:21.317 --> 00:31:28.711
Or tattoo conversations and there's people like a half an inch away from you in their booth, you know what I mean.

00:31:28.711 --> 00:31:29.854
Or tattooing, like right next to you, it's.

00:31:29.854 --> 00:31:31.277
I mean, it's up close and personal for sure.

00:31:31.277 --> 00:31:37.671
So I was feeling super excited and the day's so, um, energy packed, like your adrenaline just stays up because there's constantly something happening.

00:31:37.671 --> 00:31:53.451
There's live bands, there's um, you know, crazy tricks and um oddity shows and pin-up shows and all these things that are happening, tattoo competitions, and we had a few flurries of business.

00:31:53.451 --> 00:32:07.415
But our Saturday was not the day that we hoped and prayed for, prayed for, and I kept telling myself that as people started drinking and spending a little more time, they would start to spend a few more dimes and things would pick up.

00:32:07.415 --> 00:32:22.486
And by the end of the night that just was not the case and it didn't take long or I guess it might've taken long because it was a full day before it actually hit us, but by the end of the night on Saturday day before it actually hit us.

00:32:22.486 --> 00:32:31.528
But by the end of the night on Saturday we were both pretty depressed and evaluating life and whether this business is right for us and our family, whether we're making the right decisions.

00:32:31.528 --> 00:32:49.769
We're bringing a child into this and we had the conversation that if you and I weren't expecting and things were a little bit different, you know where this year is the toughest financial position that business has been in, based off of the things that happened at the end of the year last year.

00:32:49.769 --> 00:32:53.324
Otherwise we would have said this is a vacation for us.

00:32:53.324 --> 00:32:55.232
You would have gotten a tattoo over the weekend.

00:32:55.232 --> 00:33:02.147
I would have gotten a tattoo over the weekend and we would have treated it as a vacation that didn't cost us much money because we were on on there like as a business trip.

00:33:02.147 --> 00:33:05.109
At the same time, we would have had it as a vacation that didn't cost us much money because we were on there like as a business trip.

00:33:05.109 --> 00:33:07.230
At the same time, we would have had a whole different perspective on it.

00:33:07.612 --> 00:33:16.637
But when you're preparing to be parents and you're looking at things differently, I think it just put a whole higher level of priority and importance on the event.

00:33:16.637 --> 00:33:20.300
So when it's not going the way that you want it to go.

00:33:20.300 --> 00:33:23.742
It gets depressing and you start to doubt your business.

00:33:23.742 --> 00:33:31.998
You start to doubt your abilities, and Saturday night was a dark night for Loud, proud American and our confidence.

00:33:31.998 --> 00:33:32.479
Wouldn't you say?

00:33:32.479 --> 00:33:55.448
Yeah for sure I never imagined myself at a conference or at a tattoo convention at mohegan sun and uh, by 11 o'clock we're already in bed at our hotel room and uh, just waiting for this to be over and um, that's about as bleak of a description that I could give you.

00:33:55.448 --> 00:34:00.198
I can say that the goal we set for friday we didn't need on saturday.

00:34:00.438 --> 00:34:08.630
So it was so bad and and maybe it was because I'm pregnant, but I cried at the tattoo convention yeah, in our booth.

00:34:08.630 --> 00:34:11.128
That's how bad it was.

00:34:11.710 --> 00:34:12.172
It was bad.

00:34:14.208 --> 00:34:15.373
I thought I was walking home.

00:34:17.827 --> 00:34:19.172
What did I do to make you walk home?

00:34:19.364 --> 00:34:20.148
It was that bad.

00:34:20.148 --> 00:34:20.931
It was depressing.

00:34:21.445 --> 00:34:22.530
Yeah, it was definitely depressing.

00:34:22.530 --> 00:34:36.112
I mean, let's just share the struggle so we can be here and share the struggle, but I've never been so close in my life to thinking that I shouldn't be in business anymore as I was on Saturday night.

00:34:36.112 --> 00:34:53.353
It's tough and you start to evaluate your entire life when you're faced with the experiences that that we were having, because there's so many other things behind the scene that just haven't been adding up Right and we've talked about it many times.

00:34:53.353 --> 00:35:08.416
We were dealing with the loss of your, your grandmother, my father, all these things, um, just the financial weight of the business, the slow times of the season, the exciting, expecting news, but the pressure that that brings.

00:35:09.425 --> 00:35:10.811
I just feel like it was all on us.

00:35:10.811 --> 00:35:19.405
It was all weighing on us and there was moments where we tried to talk each other off the ledge and then, very quickly, we were back to just shoveling dirt on ourselves.

00:35:19.405 --> 00:35:22.393
Because there was times when you would say something positive, positive.

00:35:22.393 --> 00:35:24.570
Or then I'd be like, hey, we're actually up on the year.

00:35:24.570 --> 00:35:26.586
And then it'd be like you know what, shoot me?

00:35:26.586 --> 00:35:27.570
It was.

00:35:27.570 --> 00:35:30.630
It was a rollercoaster dude, it was a total rollercoaster.

00:35:30.824 --> 00:35:42.931
This entire like last, I don't even I'll say last eight months has been a fucking rollercoaster of ups and downs and swirly worlds.

00:35:43.711 --> 00:35:48.423
I'm seasick oh yeah, I, I, uh.

00:35:48.423 --> 00:35:58.416
When I prayed before asleep I I literally said I don't know what else you want to give me, but if you don't start taking it off of me, you might as well just take me, because I don't know what else to do here.

00:35:58.416 --> 00:36:01.576
I don't know what else to do and you have to ask know what else to do?

00:36:01.576 --> 00:36:15.385
And you have to ask yourself is this and I've said this many times before is this struggle the sign for you to say, hey, man, I'm throwing more shit in front of you to show you you don't need to be doing this anymore.

00:36:15.385 --> 00:36:18.309
This isn't responsible and you need to be doing something else?

00:36:18.309 --> 00:36:22.456
Is this all a sign to say, hey, go some other way?

00:36:22.456 --> 00:36:24.840
Or is this just that?

00:36:25.280 --> 00:36:33.771
The depth of the valley that you have to go through, that on the other side of the greatest obstacles, is the greatest triumphs and successes.

00:36:34.572 --> 00:36:55.456
And what I tried to come out of this weekend with is the feeling that when you get so close to thinking you're going out of business, when you get so close to having legitimate conversation about changing our lives, like we're having conversations about, if I have to pull the plug on this, this is what we do.

00:36:55.456 --> 00:36:56.987
This is what has to happen.

00:36:56.987 --> 00:37:05.137
What are we feeling on this when we are literally having these transparent, difficult conversations in our damn booth at Mohegan Sun?

00:37:05.137 --> 00:37:17.246
What I can tell you is it makes you realize if something's important to you or not, because if this wasn't so important to us, we would have walked away.

00:37:17.246 --> 00:37:36.175
Sometimes you have to get so desperate and so low to realize that when the thought and the reality of actually losing something you've been doing is on you and you can't handle the losing of that dream, that's when you realize just how important the dream is.

00:37:36.175 --> 00:37:39.097
And I kind of feel like that's where we ended up over the weekend.

00:37:39.097 --> 00:37:41.016
How do you feel?

00:37:42.297 --> 00:37:42.737
I agree.

00:37:43.938 --> 00:37:45.139
That was so convincing.

00:37:45.338 --> 00:37:45.840
I have to pee.

00:37:45.860 --> 00:37:49.820
really bad I'm pregnant, you can go pee and.

00:37:50.101 --> 00:37:54.023
I'll just keep on recording Just try to not flip the couch over while you're doing it.

00:37:54.023 --> 00:37:55.623
I'm not saying that as a fat joke.

00:37:55.623 --> 00:38:01.045
I'm saying it because the leg rest is up.

00:38:01.045 --> 00:38:02.909
You only get away with this because you are pregnant.

00:38:02.909 --> 00:38:07.672
So Saturday didn't go the way that we wanted it to go, and neither did Sunday, to be honest.

00:38:07.672 --> 00:38:12.007
But we ended at a point that was respectable to us.

00:38:12.007 --> 00:38:15.273
We paid for our booth fee.

00:38:15.273 --> 00:38:17.175
We paid for the bulk of our hotel.

00:38:17.175 --> 00:38:28.818
When you factor in the gas expense, the hotel expense, the vendor expense, the food, things like that, we lost a few hundred bucks.

00:38:28.818 --> 00:38:30.630
I'll be honest, we lost a few hundred bucks.

00:38:31.704 --> 00:38:37.297
And when you start to think about the hours that are invested and when you come back here, maybe you can do some calculator work for us.

00:38:37.297 --> 00:38:43.016
Thursday, you're looking at three hours down to drive down.

00:38:43.016 --> 00:38:45.454
Monday's three hours back, so that's six hours.

00:38:45.454 --> 00:38:51.353
On Friday, we worked 14 hours, so that brings us up to 20 hours.

00:38:51.353 --> 00:38:54.434
On Saturday, we worked 12 hours.

00:38:54.434 --> 00:38:56.931
That brings us up to 32 hours.

00:38:56.931 --> 00:38:58.235
Does that sound right?

00:38:58.235 --> 00:39:03.931
And then on Sunday, we worked 10 hours 42 hours.

00:39:03.931 --> 00:39:07.356
We put 42 hours into this convention.

00:39:07.356 --> 00:39:19.965
And that's not the lead up, that's not the build up, that's not us making displays in the driveway and cutting dog kennels into backdrops and painting things and doing inventory on things and making spreadsheets.

00:39:19.965 --> 00:39:26.271
42 hours of just drive time and work time at this convention is what we put in.

00:39:26.271 --> 00:39:36.936
So when you took a vacation and you took some time off to be with your husband, you worked more fucking hours with your husband than you did at your regular 40 hour a week job.

00:39:36.936 --> 00:39:37.838
How do you feel about that?

00:39:38.326 --> 00:39:39.668
Oh, what a relief it is.

00:39:40.170 --> 00:39:41.114
Oh, you peed Good job.

00:39:41.474 --> 00:39:42.016
What's the math?

00:39:44.085 --> 00:39:49.304
Well, we did 42 hours and I was gonna say that if I took our total and broke down what our hourly pay was, we could figure that out.

00:39:49.304 --> 00:39:52.331
But I can't do that because we didn't make any money.

00:39:52.331 --> 00:39:53.875
We actually lost money.

00:39:54.896 --> 00:40:09.092
So going by, just the total that we made like well, I think we could actually say um, could actually say I don't know if I want to get too deep into the numbers, but let's just put it this way and say we probably lost what?

00:40:09.092 --> 00:40:11.353
$200, $300 on the weekend.

00:40:11.353 --> 00:40:14.152
At the minimum.

00:40:14.152 --> 00:40:15.987
I'm going to say we were in the hole $300.

00:40:17.050 --> 00:40:17.271
Sure.

00:40:17.873 --> 00:40:21.244
Take $300, divide that by 42.

00:40:21.244 --> 00:40:26.335
Take $300,.

00:40:26.356 --> 00:40:27.739
Divide that by 42.

00:40:28.561 --> 00:40:29.664
$7.14.

00:40:29.664 --> 00:40:34.233
We lost $7 an hour.

00:40:34.233 --> 00:40:35.416
I love that.

00:40:35.416 --> 00:40:36.858
So yeah, it's tough.

00:40:36.858 --> 00:40:47.710
It's tough you could take if you wanted to look even at like a gross sale situation for the two of us not a profit scenario at all, not anything like that.

00:40:47.710 --> 00:40:52.893
Just look at gross numbers and take just a rough number of $1,000.

00:40:52.893 --> 00:41:00.396
Take $1,000 and divide that by it'd actually be $84 because it's two of us.

00:41:00.396 --> 00:41:02.177
Divide that by $84.

00:41:02.197 --> 00:41:03.398
$11.

00:41:03.398 --> 00:41:03.898
$11.

00:41:03.918 --> 00:41:04.438
$11.90.

00:41:04.438 --> 00:41:12.123
We would have made $11 an hour gross, which, if you think about that, it's a heck of a lot better than I thought, actually.

00:41:12.123 --> 00:41:16.367
But that doesn't take into consideration expenses.

00:41:16.367 --> 00:41:19.757
So if you're looking at a gross number, you would say that we made $11 an hour.

00:41:19.757 --> 00:41:22.536
If you look at the actual reality situation, we made $11 an hour.

00:41:22.536 --> 00:41:28.592
If you look at the actual reality situation, we lost $7 an hour, but we learned a lot.

00:41:28.592 --> 00:41:38.777
And I know that sounds ridiculous to say, hey man, yeah, I just basically gave away seven bucks an hour for 80 hours and I learned a lot.

00:41:38.777 --> 00:41:58.014
But it's the truth, man, Because we ended this convention extremely positive and I know that's scary and for everybody that's listening to this podcast and you've heard the buildup and the reality of the situation, you would never expect us to say this.

00:41:58.014 --> 00:42:03.936
This is the most convincing thing I can say about how positive we are.

00:42:03.936 --> 00:42:04.556
On the weekend.

00:42:04.556 --> 00:42:08.235
We plan to go back in October.

00:42:08.235 --> 00:42:13.893
You're looking at me like you don't agree with that.

00:42:14.706 --> 00:42:15.811
No, we talked about it.

00:42:18.306 --> 00:42:19.231
Are you changing your mind?

00:42:20.815 --> 00:42:21.824
No, this is your plan.

00:42:21.824 --> 00:42:23.612
I'm not disagreeing.

00:42:25.547 --> 00:42:26.893
It comes down to a few things.

00:42:26.893 --> 00:42:36.804
Number one I want this demographic to work so badly for our business because I want our customer base and our event base to be diverse.

00:42:36.804 --> 00:42:51.012
I want it to be something that you just can't profile us or project us as to what our customer base is and what we do and where you're going to find us because we're Americans and we go everywhere, and that's what Americans do.

00:42:51.545 --> 00:42:52.590
We are a melting pot.

00:42:52.590 --> 00:42:54.050
Our society is a melting pot.

00:42:54.050 --> 00:42:57.034
That's why I want you to find me at a biker rally.

00:42:57.034 --> 00:42:58.911
I want you to find me at a state fair.

00:42:58.911 --> 00:43:01.193
I want you to find me at a tattoo convention.

00:43:08.565 --> 00:43:11.733
I want you to find me at a state fair, I want you to find me at a tattoo convention, I want you to find me at a craft fair, it don't matter to me.

00:43:11.733 --> 00:43:20.217
I think what we talked about, like with things changing and kind of pivoting a little bit, I think let's just say, like if you were to tell me that we're going back in October but not making any changes, no, I don't want to go.

00:43:20.626 --> 00:43:27.068
But, we've talked about some changes that need to happen and some pivots that need to happen, but that's all.

00:43:27.068 --> 00:43:34.753
The part of growing a business is like learning from your mistakes and how do we get better, how do we do better, how do we grow?

00:43:34.753 --> 00:43:38.012
And that's what we're about.

00:43:38.012 --> 00:43:48.521
We're looking into some different avenues, trying to make some things, make some changes, um, and like listening to the customer base like, what are you looking for?

00:43:48.521 --> 00:43:48.925
What do you?

00:43:48.925 --> 00:43:50.251
Where do you want to see us?

00:43:50.251 --> 00:43:53.161
What, what can we do to grow?

00:43:53.161 --> 00:43:58.010
Like you know what I mean, looking at it in a different perspective and, um, and going from there.

00:43:58.010 --> 00:44:12.327
So I'm not hesitant to go back because I think that it has potential to be what we need it to be, but, at the same time, there needs to be some movement, we need to make some changes, and we know that.

00:44:12.347 --> 00:44:12.907
Yeah, I agree.

00:44:12.907 --> 00:44:24.498
I really want this to fit for our demographic, because I think it's really important to love what you're doing, and I love going to fairs, right.

00:44:25.126 --> 00:44:25.226
And.

00:44:25.266 --> 00:44:33.932
I love going to rallies and I love going to tattoo conventions and I don't want to get bored of something and I don't want to get burned out by something.

00:44:33.932 --> 00:44:38.773
When I spent 10 years working for Harley Davidson, I got burnt out for Harley Davidson.

00:44:38.773 --> 00:44:40.713
I don't want that to happen with this brand.

00:44:40.713 --> 00:44:59.213
So when in one week I'm going to be at my favorite state fair for a week, and then in another week I'm going to be in connecticut at mohegan sun, at a freaking casino, at a tattoo convention, and a few weeks later I could be in florida at a fair, I could be in virginia at a craft fair.

00:44:59.213 --> 00:45:10.097
I have a plan for how to make this business move and I'm excited to keep it diverse and to have a wide range of products that offer to everybody.

00:45:10.438 --> 00:45:13.351
And, like you said, we looked at so many different things.

00:45:13.572 --> 00:45:16.427
Number one how are we going to lay out our products next time?

00:45:16.427 --> 00:45:36.351
We left there taking photos of where we want to be next time and we have different ideas on how we can lay out our products, what we think works best for that environment, because what we do at fairs doesn't really work for a convention, and we learned that because we were doing things the way that we've learned to be successful for ourselves.

00:45:36.351 --> 00:45:44.527
We learned over the course of what, four years, five years how to properly display ourselves at a fair, to be successful and interactive.

00:45:44.527 --> 00:45:47.855
We tried that at a convention and it flopped.

00:45:47.855 --> 00:45:50.730
So we're pivoting, we're going to do something different.

00:45:50.730 --> 00:45:59.706
But also what's exciting is, by pivoting and doing something different, it's also going to open us up to do events that are different, that we weren't prepared for before.

00:45:59.706 --> 00:46:05.891
It's going to change how we look at things and the things that we can apply for and try to do for ourselves.

00:46:05.891 --> 00:46:07.130
So that's exciting.

00:46:07.130 --> 00:46:13.353
So we left it with all these great, positive ideas, new designs to come once we can afford them.

00:46:13.726 --> 00:46:15.693
That's going to appeal to this audience as well.

00:46:15.693 --> 00:46:21.414
It also appeals to what we like style-wise, because we're diverse as well in what we like.

00:46:21.414 --> 00:46:26.416
So we're prepared to bring back a new product and a new presentation when we go back.

00:46:26.416 --> 00:46:33.197
And we sat down for dinner and we had pizza at an Italian restaurant, peppes.

00:46:33.197 --> 00:46:37.235
Peppes I was drinking Italian light beers and eating cannoli pie.

00:46:37.465 --> 00:46:39.413
Oh, I was getting hammered on birch beer.

00:46:40.304 --> 00:46:41.889
So the birch beer was so good.

00:46:41.889 --> 00:46:44.016
You actually get something to go and it's in the fridge now.

00:46:44.425 --> 00:46:46.512
It's not actual beer, in case you were wondering.

00:46:46.512 --> 00:46:51.231
It's a soda, it's a DHB, but I was getting shrammed.

00:46:51.251 --> 00:46:52.215
You damn right, you were.

00:46:52.764 --> 00:46:55.173
That lady was so nice, she gave me one she was super nice.

00:46:56.867 --> 00:47:05.528
What I want to say is Over pizza, we might have had the most productive conversation for the business since we started the business.

00:47:05.528 --> 00:47:20.440
We ended one of the most negative events weekends we've ever had With arguably the most positive and potentially powerful discussion for this business that we've ever had.

00:47:20.440 --> 00:47:36.072
Yeah, we are going to be digging into a potential change for the business that motivates us, that inspires us, and we'll do the same for all of our followers if we can pull it off.

00:47:36.192 --> 00:47:44.909
Yep I agree, so we're excited about what's to potentially come from this weekend and what it might have led us to.

00:47:45.195 --> 00:47:46.824
This doesn't mean that we're closing the business.

00:47:46.824 --> 00:47:49.938
This doesn't mean that we're doing a rebrand or anything like that.

00:47:49.938 --> 00:47:51.663
Everything is going to be the same.

00:47:51.663 --> 00:48:02.402
We're just going to literally like we've been talking about we're just going to pivot and make a few changes and it's going to better the business, hopefully.

00:48:02.402 --> 00:48:09.965
I mean that's the goal, but it's going to be a good avenue if everything pans out.

00:48:09.985 --> 00:48:10.507
Everything works out.

00:48:10.507 --> 00:48:15.481
We have some communication, we have a lot of research to do, Some meetings that take place.

00:48:15.481 --> 00:48:19.380
Again, I just want to echo exactly what you said the business ain't going nowhere.

00:48:19.380 --> 00:48:24.956
We're doubling down on the business if anything ain't going nowhere.

00:48:24.956 --> 00:48:25.797
We're doubling down on the business.

00:48:25.797 --> 00:48:32.813
If anything, it's about just aligning ourselves and a philosophy and making things just a little more important.

00:48:32.813 --> 00:48:34.777
I guess I don't even know the best way to explain it.

00:48:34.998 --> 00:48:42.943
Well, I think the goal for us is more getting our name out there and pushing our mission more than we have been.

00:48:42.943 --> 00:48:57.989
I think that that's the goal is is we have so many great followers and people that want to wear our stuff and want to wear, uh, be a part of the business, um, but we need to voice our, our mission and why are we here?

00:48:57.989 --> 00:48:59.398
What are we doing?

00:48:59.398 --> 00:49:07.155
What's the reasoning this, that and the third and I think that that's going that right, there is going to be what our pivot is Like you're going to understand and you're we doing, what's the reasoning this, that and the third and I think that that's going that right.

00:49:07.175 --> 00:49:25.536
There is going to be what our pivot is, like you're going to understand and you're going to know where we're going, what we're doing, and why we're here and I think the thing is that I've learned to be rather discouraging over the course of our early existence here is there's a major portion of our population that doesn't give a shit that we're made in america.

00:49:25.797 --> 00:49:27.342
No, it breaks my heart.

00:49:27.342 --> 00:49:32.780
After covid, people should have realized that we should be able to be uh, self-sustainable.

00:49:32.780 --> 00:49:33.141
We should.

00:49:33.141 --> 00:49:34.985
We should be able to take care of our own.

00:49:34.985 --> 00:49:37.862
We don't need to go outside this country for the things we need in this country.

00:49:37.862 --> 00:49:42.860
And that's been the founding mission for the business and that's not going to change.

00:49:42.860 --> 00:49:45.206
We're not going to pivot from American made.

00:49:45.206 --> 00:49:52.628
We're not going to go from going exclusively American made to branching out and bringing anything from foreign soil.

00:49:52.628 --> 00:49:54.242
It's not the plan at all.

00:49:54.242 --> 00:49:59.447
We just want to align something else with our mission that goes hand in hand.

00:49:59.447 --> 00:50:17.606
Goes hand in hand that the people that don't know currently how important it is to buy American might find something else to latch on to and when they do, they will realize just how important it is to buy American and to justify partnering up with Loud, proud American.

00:50:17.606 --> 00:50:23.666
So it's a quick little philosophy upgrade, attachment, add-on, right?

00:50:23.666 --> 00:50:28.791
We're not changing anything, we're not rebranding anything, we're not running away from anything.

00:50:28.873 --> 00:50:33.505
Nope, bringing on new designs and new things that make you want to buy even more.

00:50:34.394 --> 00:50:36.342
And to work on new designs and new things.

00:50:36.342 --> 00:50:42.086
Anybody out there listening that's a fan, that's a supporter, that's a believer of Loud Pride.

00:50:42.086 --> 00:50:45.661
American, if you could share our mission, if you could share our brand.

00:50:45.661 --> 00:50:49.338
We need to move product to realign with new product.

00:50:49.338 --> 00:50:51.063
It's just the nature of the beast.

00:50:51.063 --> 00:51:10.255
When you're funding everything for your business out of your own pocket, you get to a point where there's a medical diagnosis for it and it's called a lack of funza and that's where I'm at right now right, I've got a prescription for a lack of funza and, um, the only the only way to fix it is to sell all the shit we have.

00:51:10.356 --> 00:51:23.925
So, right, um, if you guys could spread the word, spread the love and, uh, help us grow our brand and our mission, that would be greatly appreciated, and we'll be sharing more events coming forward here that we're going to be partaking in, but when?

00:51:23.925 --> 00:51:31.708
When we free up some capital, we can reinvest in the business, and by doing so, there's going to be some exciting things that come our way.

00:51:31.708 --> 00:52:04.840
But, as we kind of close in on the end of this podcast, there's a few things that I want to highlight that I've really been thinking about and that I've taken with me from this weekend, and a few minutes ago I mentioned all the people that reached out with their support and the phone calls, and you know, after having a down weekend, I spoke with Matt from Ledgeway Farm and he was really just pushing me to stay motivated and to believe in our mission and our product, and Matt and Sarah is one of our biggest believers and supporters.

00:52:04.840 --> 00:52:26.257
We had great conversations with uh scott from freedom designs over the weekend as well, and you know lance and jen, but I mentioned to you guys that um, a great friend of mine, brian nason, sent me a message over the weekend and I know Brian will let me share his message because he's a fellow podcaster.

00:52:26.257 --> 00:52:27.481
I was on his podcast.

00:52:27.481 --> 00:52:32.740
He's since hung up the microphone, but at some point we're going to get him on here as a guest.

00:52:32.740 --> 00:52:46.878
But, brian, I hope you don't mind, I don't think you're going to mind, but I'm going to share some of the advice you gave to me because I think it's positive advice that can be delivered and accepted and acted upon for anybody listening today.

00:52:46.878 --> 00:52:49.224
So I just want to give you.

00:52:49.224 --> 00:53:00.677
There was some personal stuff for me, but I want to hit you with the last point of his conversation and it goes as follows mind and body.

00:53:01.639 --> 00:53:06.088
When I was a first sergeant, these are the two things they told people they needed to focus on.

00:53:06.088 --> 00:53:09.563
Your body is useless without a strong mind.

00:53:09.563 --> 00:53:13.224
Get yourself right upstairs so you're good downstairs.

00:53:13.224 --> 00:53:15.862
Mental toughness is crucial in life.

00:53:15.862 --> 00:53:20.565
Your ability to adapt and overcome starts with a solid mind.

00:53:20.565 --> 00:53:26.679
Then, when shit hits the fan, you need to be able to adapt and let your body take over.

00:53:26.679 --> 00:53:31.192
Your mind will shut off and say one word run or fight.

00:53:31.192 --> 00:53:33.036
Now your body takes over.

00:53:33.036 --> 00:53:38.494
If your body ain't ready, you're about to let the devil come in your house and fuck it up.

00:53:38.494 --> 00:53:44.648
Everyone in and out of uniform is useless without a solid mind and body.

00:53:44.648 --> 00:53:53.385
If you're out of shape, your confidence is lower, your abilities to perform are lower and your functionality is hindered, and your brain knows this.

00:53:53.385 --> 00:53:58.567
This creates a fog preventing you from adapting and overcoming the obstacles.

00:53:58.567 --> 00:54:09.090
If your mind ate right, it won't send the right message to the body, and then you are allowing the situation to run you instead of you running the situation.

00:54:09.090 --> 00:54:14.882
So, yes, make peace or make change, adapt and overcome.

00:54:14.882 --> 00:54:20.990
Stop accepting what life is and start dictating it to go where it should be.

00:54:20.990 --> 00:54:27.826
When God decides he's going to bring the storm to you, you need the ability to look back and tell him to bring it.

00:54:29.315 --> 00:54:35.764
Man, I had a hard time getting through that because I was tearing up, because that's exactly what happened to me when I read the message on.

00:54:35.764 --> 00:54:42.027
I think that was Saturday when I got that, or Friday.

00:54:42.027 --> 00:54:49.349
Sergeant Brian, my brother, first and foremost, thank you for your service, for your years of service, your dedication.

00:54:49.349 --> 00:54:53.726
It's because of you that I get to chase the dreams that I get to chase.

00:54:53.726 --> 00:55:13.597
And the fact that you took the time to listen every week to this podcast, to take words that I delivered and then give me your own take and your upgraded point of view, and to take the time to deliver that message to me, the fact that it hit me exactly when I needed it.

00:55:13.597 --> 00:55:17.686
Man, I love you.

00:55:17.947 --> 00:55:29.989
And I've read that message over and over multiple times and I'm going to continue to read it because it's going to be a challenge for me to change some things and to look at things differently.

00:55:29.989 --> 00:55:34.742
And every ounce of that the mind and the body.

00:55:34.742 --> 00:55:44.347
When I think about the body, since I lost my dad, I've let the body go again and it's so hard to go on that journey to lose weight and to feel good about yourself.

00:55:44.347 --> 00:56:00.347
And when Allie and I were having a conversation over the weekend, when we were at the event on Saturday night, we were talking about it and I said, if I just go back to the beginning of October, I was in the best shape that I've been in in 10 plus years.

00:56:00.347 --> 00:56:15.702
I was feeling great, my family was healthy, everything was good and we were having the best year the business has ever had, with a few months to go and that was as close to having things figured out as possible.

00:56:15.702 --> 00:56:22.822
And then a few days later I would lose my dad and everything would go downhill and I feel like I've just been swimming towards the bottom ever since.

00:56:24.103 --> 00:56:29.911
So your message has challenged me to get the body right and challenged me to get my mind right.

00:56:29.911 --> 00:56:45.445
And you know I come on here week to week and I'm not being a hypocrite, I'm just trying to echo the things that I'm going through, what I'm trying to grow through, and to also shed that positivity on each and every one of you, because I do my best to try to keep my mind right.

00:56:45.445 --> 00:56:55.762
But when things aren't lined up perfectly and you get punched in the face, like we did, in the words of Mike Tyson, everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.

00:56:55.762 --> 00:57:07.945
We were punched in the face, we were rattled and we were second-guessing life, but by Sunday we left that event with a smile on our face and a new plan and a new vision.

00:57:07.945 --> 00:57:19.561
And it's because of those messages, with the message I got from Brian, I'm going to share a couple more quick messages that I received and then I'm going to wrap this thing up.

00:57:19.695 --> 00:57:40.585
But I've been on this challenge this month to read a proverb a day and ironically, the proverb I read on the day that we headed to the event might have summed up what was about to come for the event and I didn't realize it when I actually read it.

00:57:40.585 --> 00:57:43.090
But when you look back on it it makes a lot of sense.

00:57:43.090 --> 00:57:48.643
Proverb 11, when pride comes, then comes disgrace.

00:57:48.643 --> 00:57:51.548
But with humility comes wisdom.

00:57:51.548 --> 00:57:55.362
I was so prideful going into this event.

00:57:55.362 --> 00:58:22.266
I was so jacked up and excited and I was on cloud nine about what the possibilities were and very quickly I felt disgrace and I dealt with so much doubt about my future and my life and my business and I was just disgraced and that's a great word to think about how I was feeling when I went to sleep on Saturday.

00:58:22.266 --> 00:58:48.177
But with humility comes wisdom and we were certainly 1,000% humbled by this event and from that humility and that humbling experience we certainly found wisdom Because we sat down for pizza and had such an inspiring conversation, a motivating and challenging one.

00:58:48.177 --> 00:58:55.949
But with the humility came the wisdom and I know that that message was right on target and right on time.

00:58:55.949 --> 00:59:07.463
When we came home on Monday we took my mom out for dinner to thank her for taking care of all of our animals, and my mom loves Chinese food and we went out for dinner to thank her for taking care of all of our animals and my mom loves Chinese food and we went out for some Chinese.

00:59:07.503 --> 00:59:18.230
And the fortune that I was given at said happy dragon is life must be lived forward but can only be understood backwards.

00:59:18.230 --> 00:59:25.137
And I really think that goes hand in hand with the message that you live forward, life has to be lived forward.

00:59:25.137 --> 00:59:27.755
You got to go one foot in front of the other and you have to try to figure things out.

00:59:27.755 --> 00:59:30.663
But you often don't understand it until you look backwards.

00:59:30.663 --> 00:59:37.275
And when we were in the middle of it on Saturday night, I definitely didn't understand it and we were trying to march forward.

00:59:37.275 --> 00:59:42.329
But it was rather depressing and it really made you second guess.

00:59:42.329 --> 00:59:47.844
It made me second guess my life and my direction and what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

00:59:48.920 --> 01:00:05.842
So the fortune of life must be lived forward but can only be understood backwards makes so much sense because I can only understand the message now that I look back on it and I've said in my own way that when you sprinkle time and distance on it, it always makes sense and we haven't put a lot of distance on it.

01:00:05.842 --> 01:00:08.009
And I've said in my own way that when you sprinkle time and distance on it, it always makes sense.

01:00:08.009 --> 01:00:11.396
And we haven't put a lot of distance on it well, a few hundred miles because we had to drive home.

01:00:11.396 --> 01:00:23.737
But with the distance that has been put on it, looking back, which I can understand a little bit more and that I'm thankful we learned the lesson at our first event I'm thankful that it'm thankful we learned the lesson at our first event.

01:00:23.737 --> 01:00:32.985
I'm thankful that it's not the lesson we learned at our last event and that we didn't just continue to do things the same way and to try to make things work.

01:00:34.190 --> 01:00:51.110
The nice thing about this event is the fact that it was the first event, and normally our first event isn't for a few months yeah, we're ahead of schedule and I also want to point out, so like your, your verse and also um and your fortune.

01:00:51.110 --> 01:00:54.059
But if you remember saturday, was it?

01:00:54.059 --> 01:00:59.679
I don't know if it was saturday or sunday morning, I think it was sunday morning we went to dunkin donuts and that jeep cut you off.

01:01:00.639 --> 01:01:12.043
Perfect sign, perfect sign, and the Jeep tire cover actually had a quote on it and it said everything is going to be all right.

01:01:12.043 --> 01:01:19.422
Yeah, right there in front of you, cut you clean off, like almost ran into us and there was that message right there.

01:01:19.422 --> 01:01:28.288
And I was just telling you like a couple weeks ago about that TikTok video, that I, right there, and I was just telling you like what, like a couple of weeks ago about that, um, that TikTok video that I was watching about the.

01:01:28.288 --> 01:01:39.974
You know, when you're in a rush and all of a sudden, this car pulls out in front of you and they're going slow, there's a reason because God wants you to slow down, because he's trying to protect you for what's ahead of you.

01:01:39.974 --> 01:01:45.088
Right, and I said to you, I said there it is, there's your message right there.

01:01:46.195 --> 01:01:58.065
Yeah, I think it's all so accurate, you know, and all those messages line up because I mean, I think it's the right attitude to go into something expecting to succeed.

01:01:58.065 --> 01:02:01.184
I don't want to sign up for things and not expect to succeed.

01:02:01.184 --> 01:02:35.445
But maybe I got too cocky, going into this with my expectations and what my hopes were, and it didn't take long for me to be humbled, and I'm just thankful that from that humility came some wisdom and realizing that yeah, we have to live life forward, but it really can only be understood backwards, and there's so many things that happen in our lives that we don't really understand why they happened or what the true meaning for the actions or the events were, until we put some time and distance on it and we look back on those.

01:02:35.445 --> 01:02:49.177
I think often about some of the messages and things that my dad said to me over the course of the years that didn't make sense in the heat of the moment or in the middle of the discussion, but now when I look back on them, they ring so true.

01:02:50.079 --> 01:02:55.798
All the times he told me how to do something, why to do something that I just didn't believe in or didn't understand.

01:02:55.798 --> 01:03:16.894
Look for the shortcut, and now you realize how valuable those things are and that's true for all things in our life, that it's important that we get up each and every day and continue to put our one foot in front of the other and to march forward and to live our life in motion, moving forward.

01:03:16.894 --> 01:03:21.114
But we really won't understand it until we look backwards.

01:03:21.114 --> 01:03:38.304
Until we looked backwards Also, it was a great set of crab rangoons that I got from a restaurant and I had some left over today, which is going completely against Sergeant Nason telling me to take care of my body and I'm off to a bad start.

01:03:38.304 --> 01:03:39.853
Back-to-back rangoon.

01:03:40.496 --> 01:03:43.545
I'm rather disappointed that you just skipped over.

01:03:43.545 --> 01:03:45.242
You're talking about your crab Rangoon.

01:03:45.242 --> 01:03:50.217
You don't want to talk about your unborn child that we got to see beforehand or hear.

01:03:50.458 --> 01:03:52.043
I should say I didn't get to see.

01:03:52.635 --> 01:03:55.302
I didn't see either, but I did get to hear him.

01:03:55.963 --> 01:03:56.264
I didn't.

01:03:57.246 --> 01:03:57.927
Chugging along.

01:03:58.235 --> 01:03:59.018
All the caffeine.

01:03:59.500 --> 01:03:59.902
I had.

01:03:59.902 --> 01:04:02.460
It was great.

01:04:02.460 --> 01:04:11.445
Well, before we had gotten back and we got to, before we went to dinner, I should say I had a quick doctor's appointment.

01:04:11.445 --> 01:04:14.681
You know, come in step on the scale fatty, take a pee.

01:04:14.681 --> 01:04:16.925
You know how are you doing, no questions.

01:04:17.106 --> 01:04:22.242
Great, get the fuck out it used to be how all mine were yeah, well, well, guess what Well-rounded circle.

01:04:22.742 --> 01:04:31.599
So I go into the doctor's, do my scale, pee in a cup, but before I do that I pull in.

01:04:31.599 --> 01:04:38.001
I get out and I was like, all right, who's coming with me, you or your mom?

01:04:38.001 --> 01:04:46.409
And your mom sat in the back seat and just said I'll wait here, just like that mopey pants.

01:04:46.409 --> 01:04:49.844
And you said, nope, you're gone.

01:04:49.844 --> 01:04:52.802
She couldn't got her belt off soon enough.

01:04:52.822 --> 01:04:53.945
She flew out of there, oh my.

01:04:54.025 --> 01:04:54.385
God.

01:04:55.396 --> 01:04:58.105
My mom normally would have been like no, buddy, you were short.

01:04:58.105 --> 01:05:00.623
It was like nope, okay, all right, and she just jumped out.

01:05:00.623 --> 01:05:06.521
I heard the seat buckle hit the back of the seat and the door shut before I even heard her finish her sentence.

01:05:06.742 --> 01:05:07.806
That was hilarious.

01:05:07.806 --> 01:05:10.623
So she comes like tailing right behind me.

01:05:10.623 --> 01:05:13.240
I'm like a minute late for my appointment and she is like tailing behind me.

01:05:13.240 --> 01:05:30.719
I thought that she was like still by the door shutting the car and she was there holding the door for me and I was like, well, jesus, she was ready to go, she was ready.

01:05:30.719 --> 01:05:32.525
And then we get in there and we're talking, uh, to the doctor who I love, dr maxwell.

01:05:32.525 --> 01:05:34.690
He's, he's great, he reminds me of the guy on that uh, million dollar show millionaire house hunter.

01:05:34.710 --> 01:05:35.713
Show people that win the lottery.

01:05:35.713 --> 01:05:37.416
Yes, he helps sell them houses and stuff.

01:05:37.556 --> 01:05:40.601
That's literally dr maxwell, anyway.

01:05:40.601 --> 01:05:45.050
So we're talking and he's like all right, let's hear that baby.

01:05:45.050 --> 01:05:56.242
And pulls out the Doppler and starts like cruising around and that baby is flipping, doing all the things Back flips, front flips, all the flips.

01:05:56.242 --> 01:06:04.063
And I look over at your mom and she's just got this like just look on her face Like she's just like so happy like and uh.

01:06:04.543 --> 01:06:18.409
So then, um, dr maxwell actually finds the heartbeat and I look over at your mom and she's like crying and I was like oh boy, but I think it made her day I think so too.

01:06:18.530 --> 01:06:39.567
I when, when you guys were in there, I was actually on the phone with Matt in the car, just kind of going over everything, and I was happy because I knew how much it would mean to my mom and I brought her to work this morning at 5.15, 5.30, wherever it was, and she wanted to talk about how thankful she was that she got to go in there and listen.

01:06:41.556 --> 01:06:42.242
She's got another surprise coming.

01:06:42.242 --> 01:06:43.128
Yeah, that's really what it's all about.

01:06:43.148 --> 01:06:43.934
So she's got another surprise coming.

01:06:43.934 --> 01:06:58.420
Yeah, that's really what it's all about, and um, that's why we do it, but it's also one of the reasons why we just are ultra sensitive to our results of everything right now and I think anybody that's a parent out there they understand where we're coming from.

01:06:58.420 --> 01:06:59.403
This is all new to us.

01:06:59.403 --> 01:07:01.217
It's a scary new world to us.

01:07:01.277 --> 01:07:01.498
And you.

01:07:01.518 --> 01:07:02.099
This is all new to us.

01:07:02.099 --> 01:07:09.989
It's a scary new world to us and you know it just makes you second guess your every step, and I guess that's a tough thing because you already kind of do that when you're in business anyways.

01:07:09.989 --> 01:07:21.545
So it's been a magic little recipe over here, but we're navigating it and we're excited about what's to come, and this event didn't beat us down.

01:07:21.545 --> 01:07:24.641
It actually might have helped turn us around.

01:07:25.282 --> 01:07:31.242
I guess Yep, and next Friday we find out what this little buckaroo is.

01:07:31.623 --> 01:07:33.880
Yep, I got my thoughts.

01:07:34.795 --> 01:07:35.880
Anybody want to cast a vote.

01:07:35.880 --> 01:07:36.623
You're welcome to.

01:07:37.594 --> 01:07:38.858
Might have to put one together next week.

01:07:38.858 --> 01:07:41.403
You should Put one together, mm-hmm.

01:07:42.085 --> 01:07:43.047
I mean, I'm team boy.

01:07:43.047 --> 01:07:46.496
You're damn right, I am I.

01:07:46.496 --> 01:07:49.865
It's not about you, it's about me, you're damn right it is, I really just think that it's a boy.

01:07:49.865 --> 01:07:52.418
I mean, if you've listened, I just feel it.

01:07:52.619 --> 01:08:34.747
And like when anybody says like oh, you think it's gonna, you think it's a boy, then it's gonna be a girl, I just don't get that feeling like I just don't get like I don't know, I don't get this inkling, but when I talk about a, when I talk about um a boy, or we say his name or something like that I just I think we've manifested things so much because all the appointments we actually say the name, it's his appointment, right, and everything's about him and the everything we do, we do or talk about our plan, we use his name and I just feel like it's so fitting because of my dad's involvement in all of this, and I'm not saying that I would be disappointed if it's not a boy, because I don't want to come off like a jackass.

01:08:34.948 --> 01:08:35.188
No, no.

01:08:35.188 --> 01:08:37.641
A healthy baby is the end result.

01:08:37.715 --> 01:08:44.930
A healthy baby is all you can hope and pray for, absolutely and I would never want to have a daughter and then, years later, he'd be like her, listen to it and be like man.

01:08:44.930 --> 01:08:46.351
You guys are assholes.

01:08:46.351 --> 01:08:49.902
Like you, really wanted a boy so bad, you were disappointed when I showed up.

01:08:49.902 --> 01:08:51.921
I don't want it to be that scenario?

01:08:52.222 --> 01:08:52.744
No, not at all.

01:08:52.895 --> 01:09:18.668
I'm just saying, based off of the way things are, it just kind of has me hopeful that this is, this is you know the way it goes, and I just I've done like my research and when it comes to like certain things like that, lean more boy pregnancy than the girl pregnancies, that's I mean, that's another reason the little wise tale stuff right, yeah, yeah, um, but I mean in one, uh, one week.

01:09:18.788 --> 01:09:21.990
we will find out 8am on the 26th.

01:09:21.990 --> 01:09:30.895
In case y'all are wondering 805, do not reach out because we'll be a lot of the answers at 9 o'clock but we can't look at them.

01:09:30.895 --> 01:09:43.396
Yeah, we'll do them that night and then post a video it's also draft day draft ourselves a little boy, mm-hmm right yeah, number one pick for the Dallas.

01:09:43.417 --> 01:09:44.078
Cowboys.

01:09:44.078 --> 01:09:49.220
I think the dog stole on the porch yeah, she is, she's looking at you all right.

01:09:49.220 --> 01:09:52.507
Well, we gotta go feed the horse too you gotta feed me first.

01:09:52.568 --> 01:10:03.626
I'm and the boy, and no, I'm not having vienna sausages for dinner I'm gonna kick your ass On that note.

01:10:04.087 --> 01:10:08.270
Thank you for supporting the babies American.

01:10:08.310 --> 01:10:13.641
Dream Wash your fucking hands, don't feel too savage.

01:10:14.194 --> 01:10:16.117
That's it and that's all Biggie Smalls.

01:10:16.117 --> 01:10:38.180
If you're a loud, proud American and you find yourself just wanting more, find me on YouTube and Facebook.

01:10:38.180 --> 01:10:42.604
At loud, proud American Put the face page, as my mama calls it.

01:10:42.604 --> 01:10:46.039
If you're a fan of the Graham Cracker, you want to find me on Instagram.

01:10:46.039 --> 01:10:49.802
Or all the kids by tickety-talking on the TikTok.

01:10:49.802 --> 01:10:52.363
You can find me on both of those.

01:10:52.363 --> 01:10:57.266
At loud, underscore, proud, underscore American.

01:10:57.266 --> 01:11:13.561
A big old thank you to the boys from the Gut Truckers for the background beats and the theme song for this year's podcast.

01:11:13.561 --> 01:11:18.163
If you are enjoying what you're hearing, you can track down the Gut Truckers on Facebook.

01:11:18.163 --> 01:11:19.761
Just search Gut Truckers.

01:11:19.761 --> 01:11:42.451
Give them, motherfuckers, a like too.

01:11:42.451 --> 01:11:45.292
I truly thank you for supporting my American dream.

01:11:45.292 --> 01:11:50.693
Now go wash your fucking hands, you filthy savage.

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