November 17, 2025 • 49 mins
In this episode of Wired Together, we sit down with Michael Vaughn, owner of Lakeside Butcher Shop in Bracey, VA, to talk about what small businesses bring to the table that big box stores and online giants just can’t:
- Knowing your name and your order
- Supporting ball teams, fire departments, and families in crisis
- Bending over backwards to special-order what you actually need
- Living that “choose your hard” life of 24/7 small business ownership
We also get honest about negative reviews, algorithms that make you “pay to play,” and why relationships built on trust, not just consistency, are the backbone of a healthy community—especially heading into the holidays.
Plus, Miles (our AI co-host) jumps in to run a round of The Slogan Game—from “Just Do It” to “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
If you’ve ever wondered whether it really matters where you spend your dollars… this one’s for you.
🎧 Wired Together is produced by WinternetWeb Technologies, a family-run web design and tech studio based in Bracey, Virginia.
💻 Visit us at winternetweb.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Melanie (00:06):
All right, welcome again to Wired Together with
your hosts uh Jason Winter andMelanie Winter.
Jason (00:13):
Alright, so yeah, we we're just uh thankful to have
another guest uh this week.
Melanie (00:20):
It's always good to have guests and not just hear
yourself.
Jason (00:22):
I know, yeah.
Well, we're tired of hearingeach other.
Melanie (00:25):
Yeah.
Jason (00:26):
Um and and and that that's on the podcast too.
Melanie (00:32):
It's true.
Jason (00:33):
Right.
So um, but yeah, like I said,we have a special guest and
we're gonna get Miles here.
And um and if anyone's missed acouple episodes, our AI guest
host, we name Miles.
Sometimes he remembers that'shis name, sometimes he doesn't,
but he's trying to get better.
So let's go with that.
Hey Miles, can you introduceour podcast guest today?
Miles (AI Guest Hos (00:59):
Absolutely.
So let's do it once more.
Today we're welcoming MichaelVaughn, the owner of Lakeside
Butcher Shop in Borace,Virginia.
He's all about quality meetsand that personal hometown touch
and bringing a bit ofsmall-town charm to the table.
So let's give him a warmwelcome.
Let me know if that works foryou.
Jason (01:17):
That was a great introduction.
I do appreciate that, Miles.
We'll bring you back in later,okay?
Miles (AI Guest Hos (01:25):
Absolutely.
Happy to help out.
Just call me back in anytimeyou need me.
I'll be here and ready to jumpin whenever you're ready.
Jason (01:33):
I bet you will.
That's pretty cool.
Melanie (01:35):
Miles has a cold.
We don't really know whathappened.
Jason (01:38):
Yeah.
Well, it's not at least hisvoice incorrect so much this
time.
Melanie (01:42):
You know, but but Michael, welcome.
Yeah, well thanks for havingme.
Jason (01:45):
Yeah.
Um we're just we're going todoing a segment on, you know,
kind of like big business, smallbusiness, and I guess
advantages and disadvantages ofthat.
Melanie (01:55):
And how convenient we actually have a butcher shop
across the street, and uh welike Michael and we figured he'd
come by and say hello.
Jason (02:05):
We shop there as much as we can.
Micahel Vaughan (02:06):
Appreciate you guys coming by and spending time
with us and shopping with us.
So we appreciate it.
Jason (02:13):
Oh, yeah, definitely.
Melanie (02:15):
And we're gonna kind of talk about, you know, the the
difference between small townand big um small town, small
business and big business, andum, you know, the the struggles
that may happen, but also whyit's really, really important, I
think, especially in today'stime.
Jason (02:32):
Definitely.
Melanie (02:33):
What do you think, Michael?
Micahel Vaughan (02:35):
Yes, good topic.
Good topic.
Melanie (02:41):
Well, with the holidays kicking into gear, um, you
know, I I don't know abouty'all, but I've been seeing
Christmas stuff since what,August?
Micahel Vaughan (02:50):
It might have been like everywhere you go, you
see.
Melanie (02:53):
Christmas trees, ornaments, and but getting into
November, we're kind of settlinginto holidays are gonna happen
regardless of what we feel.
So, but you know, that's when alot of small business is, you
know, need the customer pull.
So we need to definitely alwayspromote that.
Jason (03:13):
Yeah, the you know, small businesses especially, and it
we have a good community and wedo support one another, but it's
always a good reminder that youknow it the small businesses
are the money isn't going tosome corporate city out there,
you know.
This is what people rely on topay for dance classes, baseball,
(03:37):
you know, and things like that.
And it's um I think we'll getinto why some people may make
decisions to try to go with thebigger companies and all that,
but maybe what what you'resacrificing in that, you know,
you don't always get the levelof service, you don't always get
the quality.
Um, yeah, you may get itcheaper, but is that maybe in
(04:02):
the bigger scheme of things towhat you're going for?
Melanie (04:05):
And then maybe you don't.
Jason (04:08):
Right.
Dun dun dungeons.
Exactly, yeah.
No, it's definitely true.
Micahel Vaughan (04:12):
That's right.
Well, a lot of the support thatsmall businesses get, it does
go back into the firedepartment, the ball teams.
We we get sponsored peoplecoming by and asking for
sponsorships, and and then whenthere's catastrophes or things
in the community that familiesneed, um, we want to give back a
(04:33):
small business.
We want to help and we wantassist.
So um we really need thesupport of the locals to shop
and patronize us so that we havethe funds to do that.
Um most small business ownersare uh it's a struggle to stay,
you know, with the economy upand down and with the changes of
times, um you don't always havethe ability to make
(04:57):
adjustments, but you doeverything possible to
accommodate everybody.
Melanie (05:01):
Exactly.
Yes.
And we do, we have to bend overbackwards a little to it's not
about well, this is what we doand that's it, and we can't
shift.
Uh small business bends overbackwards.
We're gonna make it work foreach customer.
And that's you know, one of thethings that's the difference
(05:23):
the personal touch.
You know, a lot of ourcustomers we already know.
They, you know, we know whatthey got for Christmas last
year, and you know, things likethat.
Sometimes you can answer thosequestions.
I've had so many people, youknow, um, I also work with a um
winery nearby, and so a lot ofthose people come in and say,
(05:45):
What is this customer like?
Jason (05:48):
And and I can actually rattle it off, and you know it's
like, oh yeah, they gravitatetoward this or right, because it
it is small enough to be ableto do that.
Micahel Vaughan (05:56):
Well, you begin to see where they live in the
small communities, you know whenyou know somebody is sick
because they don't come in on aweekly basis, so you you're
concerned about where are they?
Because they typically come inand they may purchase something
every week, and then when theymiss a week or two, you know,
you want to reach out and call,and your big companies they
(06:17):
don't do that.
No, I've never had bigcompanies that call me and say,
Hey Michael, I haven't seen youin a couple of weeks.
Where are you?
Melanie (06:24):
Right, how you doing?
As your family.
Jason (06:27):
You might get something generically in the mail.
Right, well.
Melanie (06:33):
And you know, it's a big difference between you know,
going ahead and being able toto have that conversation, walk
in a store, walk in a abuilding, and and you already
know the people, you already,you know, you can kind of go
right into it, and you can goright into your fix of what you
need, you know.
Uh for us, we do a lot ofcomputer repair, and so you
(06:56):
know, we don't have to alwaysrun through the high higher use.
Sometimes it's like, okay,well, this broke.
Right.
You know, and and you can kindof go ahead and and shift
quickly.
Jason (07:08):
Right.
And it's like you know I messedsomething up, and it's like,
no, no, no, you know, justbecause I know this doesn't mean
you don't, it's not, yeah.
Melanie (07:16):
You try to be timely because you know, you want that
person to be able to have whatthey need.
Jason (07:20):
Yeah.
Melanie (07:21):
And and as opposed to like submitting a ticket and
waiting forever for oh sure, youknow, or or you know, something
bigger where you're you'reyou're online or you're on the
phone call for hours, thingslike that, where you did they
have too many customers to dealwith.
You walk into one of ourbuildings and yeah, you're gonna
(07:42):
be talking to somebodyimmediately.
That's right.
Micahel Vaughan (07:44):
I mean that's yeah, go ahead.
That's what it's about.
I mean, just making a personalcontact and a personal touch
where you can communicate, whereyou can relate, and um you can
also build a relationship withpeople.
That's a part of what we try todo with Lakeside Butcher Shop
is adding on to have people comein and sit.
(08:05):
And so on Saturdays you'll seea lot of that Saturday morning.
They'll come in and congregatefor one hour or two and sit and
watch the westerns and you know,just talk to local people
getting together, and uh that'show you get to know your
customers and that's what it'sall about.
Melanie (08:21):
I mean, the gathering place was the most important
place since ancient history, youknow?
I mean that is who we are as ashumans.
Jason (08:29):
We are social beings.
Yeah.
And um I think COVID reallymessed us up with that because
we couldn't be social and thenit also changed a lot of the
rules and but the wonderfulthing about COVID is when you
came out of it, it was like thisis necessary.
Melanie (08:43):
It is, yeah.
You know, we had to it'ssometimes you have to experience
something to realize, wow, thisis what we need.
Jason (08:50):
Right.
You know, that's what I wasgonna get at.
We didn't realize no, you'refine.
I mean it it it kind of provesthe point that that is how we
feel that as being socialbeings, we didn't realize how
much that was part of our being.
And I I swear I think it tookme a couple months to get back
into the socialization, youknow, because it was so long,
and I mean of course, well well,we didn't like lock ourselves
(09:14):
in the closet.
We still went about and didstuff, but society as a whole
didn't really function the wayit used to, and a lot of the
programs weren't back up andrunning and all that, but well,
the good thing about rural area,you've got a little more space.
Oh yeah, we can take six feet,it's like, man, I could fit
everybody, you know.
Right.
Melanie (09:32):
Yeah, so but and you know, one thing about small
business that we've always umand this is any kind of system,
also, you know.
Um bigger systems move slowly.
Jason (09:50):
That's true.
Melanie (09:51):
You know, so you think about the Titanic heading for an
iceberg.
The Titanic was too big, it wasit you can't move it but so
fast.
Whereas a skift, you know, youcan sit there and you know fly
through an iceberg and not haveto worry about it.
And so the smaller thebusiness, actually the easier
and quicker decision making canbe.
I mean, we've decided to dosomething in like within 24
(10:13):
hours.
Jason (10:13):
We didn't even know that morning we were going to.
It's ordered, it's on the way,we are shifting.
Melanie (10:18):
Let's have this happen.
Micahel Vaughan (10:19):
You don't have to go through all the chain of
commands.
Melanie (10:22):
Right.
I mean, all we did was askourselves, hey, do you think
that's yeah, I do think that's agood idea, you know.
That's right.
Micahel Vaughan (10:28):
That's right.
Melanie (10:29):
Yeah, and you know, for the customer, that's great
because we can shift on saying,you need that, I can offer that.
Micahel Vaughan (10:36):
That's right.
Melanie (10:37):
I will I will look this up, I will find it, you know.
Micahel Vaughan (10:40):
That's right.
We do that oftentimes um withcustomers.
They'll come in andspecifically order something
that we don't customarily have,and we'll place that order, and
you know, we'll get that in forthem, and your big stores are
not gonna do that.
So that's something that youknow the smaller local people
really, like you said earlier,bend over backwards to
(11:02):
accommodate um whatever they canto uh please their customers
and make them happy.
And it also shows you know theeffort that we put into it.
Melanie (11:14):
So sometimes just seeing that need.
Micahel Vaughan (11:18):
Right.
Yeah.
Jason (11:21):
Yeah, and again, you're talking about the nimbleness of
small business and everything,um you know, and all the chain
of command with big business,and uh I think it's the reason
why we always feel sodisfranchised oftentimes with uh
a lot of the larger companiesbecause it's like one size fits
nobody.
Melanie (11:42):
Right.
Jason (11:42):
You know, and but again with small business, and you
talking about just a few momentsago, there's a customer that
comes in every week and it'sjust almost clockwork, you know.
You know you're gonna see them,and then when you don't, you've
got concern, and it's likemaybe something going on, and
you know, and it's always out ofconcern with that, and but
again with a small business,you're able to to bend, to
(12:06):
change your product line umrather quickly based on needs of
people and things like that.
And I think it's what a lot ofpeople we hear a lot of
complaints, you know, of course,Walmart, this, whatever, and
other b you know businesses wecomplain so much because we kind
of just we we feel like anumber.
Melanie (12:25):
Um get you frustrated, right?
And you know, a lot of timesthe big business, what they've
done, um, you know, of course wehave box stores still like big
businesses, Walmart and youknow, things like that.
Micahel Vaughan (12:36):
Sure.
Melanie (12:37):
But also also a lot of big business went online.
And you know, for us, I I getwe're tech, but at the same
time, it we're tech with thecustomer service.
Jason (12:48):
Oh yeah, I mean service has always been a big part of
it.
Melanie (12:50):
It's not we would not tell you, oh, just go online and
and don't even worry abouthaving a conversation with me.
No, we want the conversation,we want to make sure that we're
are sitting down talking withyou face to face is the best.
Jason (13:03):
That's right.
Always.
Melanie (13:05):
But that whole, you know, we'll just go online and
get it done.
And and they're telling ageneration, you know, several
generations in there who haven'tgrown up with this.
Sure, it's not maybe don't wantto go online and get it done
and actually want to talk to ahuman.
And and we're automating thingsso much in the big business
that people are starting toreally gravitate to that small
(13:28):
business.
Right.
Can you help me with this?
It's like, absolutely.
You know, they that that'sthat's what they're familiar
with.
Jason (13:35):
Yeah.
Melanie (13:35):
And it was kind of this in-between where it was like
the small stores grew intobigger stores, but you still had
some customer service.
Yeah.
Well, now we've gone so farpast that anything real big is
automated.
Yeah, there's no customerservice.
Micahel Vaughan (13:51):
Yep.
Melanie (13:52):
So now we kind of have to start back over with small
business and say, hey, let'slet's have something still where
you can come in and talk topeople.
Jason (14:00):
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (14:00):
That's right.
Jason (14:02):
I mean, they're they're competing with a different level
of fish.
You know, they're tryingthey're trying to make whatever
overhead and all that becausethey have so much put into the
infrastructure of how they do itthat it's like, yes, the more
we automate, the more we cancompete with that level, but
you're sacrificing, you know,that person-to-person level of
(14:23):
service.
Melanie (14:23):
It's expensive to talk to customers on that level.
Micahel Vaughan (14:28):
With the small business owners, they are the
customer service.
They they are the janitors,they're the cash.
No, right, yeah.
They're the managers, they theydo everything.
The 20 hats.
You can go to them and talk tothem, and they're gonna do
what's necessary to make itright.
Yeah.
That's the beauty of havingsmall businesses.
And so many times, you know,what frustrates me a lot of
(14:51):
times is instead of peopleaddressing it with you or coming
talking to you, they post itall over social media.
Uh yeah.
And then it's like, what youcould have just came in here and
said something and we fixed it,or you know, we accommodate
you.
And so that's you know, I guessthat's what they're used to
doing with big businesses.
And so they don't it doesn'taffect them, but it like it does
(15:15):
a small business.
Sure.
Melanie (15:16):
Right.
You can throw it on Yelp andyou know, you're mad at Amazon.
Well, sure, but that's youknow, don't don't post post it
on a small business when youknow you you might be killing
somebody's livelihood doingthat.
Jason (15:30):
And you know, I don't I don't know about I guess what
I'm thinking about going into isa lot of people that aren't in
business for themselves don'tunderstand what the pressures of
that business actually are andwhat you're having to deal with.
And I mean, yes, I can talkabout taxes and things like
(15:51):
that, but and it's amazing Umhow many things you have to
worry about, so at the end ofthe day, it's like, well, why
don't they just do this?
And it's like because you'rehaving to worry, like you said,
you're the jammer, you're I meanyou're every part of it,
especially in a very smallbusiness.
Um but it there are a lotthere's a lot of things you're
(16:13):
responsible for that kind of Iguess get in that way.
Um some of it's out of yourcontrol.
Well, yeah.
Some of it is most of it isthat's what I'm saying.
And it's like, well, I'mobligated for this and this.
Melanie (16:26):
We still have to abide by the laws of any big business
that can, you know, hire alawyer out, you know, any time
they need.
We still have to abide by thesame things and and have to be
in compliance with this.
Right.
We might not always have thatlawyer on hand for compliance
issues, you know.
So it's you know, you've got toum figure out how to make that
(16:48):
work in your your smallersetting.
Jason (16:50):
Yeah.
Melanie (16:51):
And you know, it relationships with our our small
businesses that our customerbase is that relationship built
on trust.
If what people don't understandwhen they post something that's
negative, right?
Um, again, uh unlike Yelp,where you're mad at you know,
(17:11):
Texas Roadhouse.
Micahel Vaughan (17:13):
Sure.
Melanie (17:13):
I mean, they could care less.
They're not build building arelationship on trust, they're
building a relationship onconsistency.
Yeah.
That steak's gonna tasteexactly the same no matter which
Texas Roadhouse you go to.
Right.
They only build theirrelationship on consistency.
With small business, we buildour relationships on trust.
And that can be verydetrimental when you've got
(17:35):
somebody that's not willing tocome in and have a conversation
and post something that's goingto tear you apart when you
didn't realize or you could havefixed it.
Right.
And that's I think what a lotof um non-small business owners
or non-business owners don'talways understand when it comes
(17:55):
to this is not the same thing.
This is this is a bigdifference.
Micahel Vaughan (18:01):
The effects of it are different too.
And that's that's that's themajor thing, you know.
Um, you're buildingrelationships with people, and
some people will come in just topurchase whatever it is that
you have, they come in.
It could be my store, yourstore, anybody's store.
Jason (18:18):
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (18:18):
But they don't realize the effort that's put in
behind making that, producingthat, stocking it, the sacrifice
you may have had to have priceadjustments because the you
know, markets go up, right?
But you can't afford to do thatbecause it'll eliminate who
comes in.
True, right?
You know, so you you have to alot of times people don't
(18:41):
understand those, like you said,pressures.
Right.
What do I do with thissituation?
Um, just recently we've had tomake some a lot of changes in a
store, and amongst that we'vehad things breaking down and
repairs need to be made.
And so with the smallerbusinesses, you know, I've been
able to establish somerelationships with some people
(19:02):
locally.
Uh, just yesterday, one of mycustomers he came in and took
the refrigerate the freezerapart for me and helped me.
So that's what you get withsmall businesses.
You know, and so it goes bothways.
We appreciate them and theyappreciate us.
And so that's when you havethat's what it's about to me.
Jason (19:22):
Yeah.
Micahel Vaughan (19:22):
Is establishing that somebody that you never
knew.
Now they come in on aconsistent basis and you build a
relationship with that where ifsomething does go wrong, right?
They're not gonna ridicule orcriticize or they hey, what can
we do to help you?
Jason (19:37):
Sure.
Micahel Vaughan (19:37):
Right.
And uh that's when you really Ithink it it it's worth it.
Kind of see um the effort fromboth ways, and and it's the
appreciation of that, you know.
Um they didn't have to do that,they didn't charge me anything,
they stopped, took their timeto help me, and you know, in
return we try to do things forthem.
(19:59):
So that's what small businessesare based on anyway.
Jason (20:02):
Exactly.
No, you're exactly right.
Melanie (20:04):
And well, I mean, the reason we two years ago became
full time was uh the customers.
We were uh at a point where wehad so many and were building
more that it was gonna hurt ourservice to establish in the
service that we have for thecustomers that we already had to
(20:27):
continue um with full-timejobs, yeah.
The the business.
So we decided to take the leapand go ahead and go into the
business, and the relationshipsthat we have built from there
have just been amazing.
Jason (20:43):
Yeah, no looking back.
Melanie (20:44):
I yeah, I would never um imagine that that was the
reason, but it definitely nowthat you're you know in it, it's
like that's the reason.
It's it's the relationships,right?
Jason (20:55):
Yeah, definitely.
You're talking about you know,people coming out to help you
and all that, and I d I knowespecially with like locally
sourced stuff that you know asmall vegetable like in your
situation would try to bring infrom time to time.
You get a situation where yougot potatoes or corn or
something that might be um froma farmer.
(21:19):
And now these people aren't,you know, harvesting four
hundred acres of product.
You know, it's what they've puttogether and you know, you pay
them for that and it helps youbecause you have, you know,
someone's buying steaks, hey, Ineed you know, something to go
with it.
Um you can't charge 12 centsfor a you know, an item because
(21:43):
you're helping them out, andthat sometimes is something
people may not understand.
You gotta pay the farmer forit.
Yeah, but you can't buy it atthe same price that for some
wholesale whatever, but it'sit's local.
It's you know, we all I guessneed to be understanding of that
and helping each other out.
Micahel Vaughan (22:01):
And that's the challenges of um comparing a
small business to a bigcorporation.
There is really not a acomparison.
Right.
So comparison, you know, atwelve hundred square foot store
compared to uh twenty thousandsquare foot um with fifty
employees at a shift with asmall uh business.
(22:25):
It's only two people, three,four people running it,
sometimes one.
Jason (22:29):
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (22:30):
And so um people just they sometimes don't
have patience or understanding,and some people do.
And uh those are the peoplethat you want to really bend
over backwards for and helpaccommodate because they do
understand.
Yeah, they appreciate theservice that you provide, and
they appreciate the work and theeffort, and they can see the
(22:51):
consistency every day.
They understand the sacrificesthat are made.
You know, um, so it's you dothings because you love to do
it, you want to do it, and youwant to build relationships with
people, you want to provide aproduct or a service in the
community, and oftentimes that'swhat happens.
People get you know, work inthe corporate world and they get
(23:15):
tired of it and they want to beable to reach the local people.
Right.
So that's what it's about.
Jason (23:21):
Yeah, I think that that's very true, yeah.
Melanie (23:25):
It is, you can kind of get a cubicle brain.
Um, you know, if you're maybetoo much in one setting.
And you're right, a lot ofpeople that go from uh big
corporate, you know, um kind ofmake the leap into some small
(23:46):
business and stuff like thatbecause it is it's like I need
to breathe differently.
Jason (23:51):
Yeah.
Melanie (23:52):
You know, it's it's it's kind of a choose your heart
because it's not like it'seasier to be nine to five or
whatever in the corporate worldor you know, to have a shift.
Um versus you know, of course,your time when you're in small
business is 24-7.
Micahel Vaughan (24:11):
Yeah.
Melanie (24:11):
But also your time is still yours, so it's like, yes,
I work 24-7.
I you choose when.
But then there's often timeswhere there's a those moments of
okay, but I can go and and justyou know run up to the school
and and see my kids play andcome back, you know, that kind
of thing.
So it does give you that alittle bit of leeway, even
(24:32):
though the time is 24-7, youknow.
So it you kind of have um youcan make that for yourself.
Jason (24:40):
Right.
Melanie (24:40):
And so it's kind of again a choose your heart, it
it's constant, but at the sametime, you also get to make it.
Jason (24:48):
Right.
Yeah, yeah, that thatflexibility is there, but you're
still putting in the work, youknow, you know, same number of
hours, if not more, but you getto choose when you're gonna do
it because Right.
Melanie (25:00):
I mean, you're coming in on Saturday to meet with a
customer that needs to be hereon a Saturday.
Jason (25:05):
So, you know, it's like let's make it happen.
It's fine, you know, that worksout.
Melanie (25:08):
Um sometimes it doesn't, but you know, when it
does, it's like, you know, mightas well get that you know, bend
over backwards again for thecustomer's nest you know, needs.
Jason (25:19):
Sure, but like you said, in the same vein, if our kids
have a program at school orsomething like that, hey, I'm
closing up early and going, youknow, but you put those hours in
elsewhere.
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (25:30):
So oftentimes nobody sees those owls.
Jason (25:34):
No, they don't.
Right.
Melanie (25:35):
They'll see you out when you like decide to take a
lunch, but they won't see theYeah.
Jason (25:39):
I noticed you were there.
Melanie (25:40):
It's like they won't see you at eight o'clock at
night when well you last night.
Just last night.
Yeah.
Sometimes at eight o'clock atnight, you've got to just go
ahead and and get somethingfinished.
Micahel Vaughan (25:49):
Yeah, many a times you leave early and you
know, you have to go home latethat night and do paperwork, or
I've had to come back down hereand take care of the smoker and
or clean stuff or fix stuff orrepair.
Oh yeah.
Um, you know, it's not a orprep for the next hour week.
It's it's um it's a lifestyle,it's a something that you have
(26:14):
to adapt to and and make thechange, and it's kind of what
you signed up for when you tookownership of it.
Right.
Melanie (26:21):
You don't really get to kind of hang the hat and walk
away.
Yeah.
Right.
There is no walking away.
Micahel Vaughan (26:29):
I often tell people, you know, you work and
get a paycheck, you know.
Um we're working.
Right.
Hopefully we'll get one oneday, but you know, we're we're
working and trying to establishsomething here.
Melanie (26:41):
We don't work, we don't eat.
Jason (26:43):
It's like, hey boss, can I take the day off?
It's like, yeah, but who'sgonna do this?
Micahel Vaughan (26:47):
Yeah, right?
Jason (26:48):
I try to ask myself off for sometimes and it's like
well, I suddenly get this done,but you know, I mean it's its
own animal.
I mean it um and yes, you weretalking about the challenges and
you choose your hard, and yes,um it it's terrifying because
it's really month, it's month bymonth.
It is and you know, panic setsin sometimes like what if
(27:08):
everyone stopped coming and it'slike, oh my god, we would
start.
You know, but you know, thanksbe to God.
Thanks be to God every month.
It's like, you know, people aresent in your way, they're
thankful you're there, you'rethankful they're there too.
Yes, and it's like it's aservice, right?
Exactly.
And it's just just month bymonth, and it's just like you
(27:29):
know, so which is also a reallynice thing.
Melanie (27:32):
You know, it's with small business and and customers
need to remember that.
Yeah, we're happy to see you.
Jason (27:39):
Right.
Melanie (27:40):
We want to see you.
Jason (27:41):
That's right.
Melanie (27:42):
We're gonna put a big smile on our face because we
want you in there.
We you know, and and somepeople get, well, I didn't want
to bother you.
It's like you're not botheringme.
It's right, you're you're acustomer.
I want you here.
Micahel Vaughan (27:53):
You can't be here if you're not there.
Melanie (27:54):
If a customer, right?
If I don't have customers, Idon't have a company.
Right.
Jason (27:58):
Not only from a business standpoint, from an aura
standpoint.
How often have we talked aboutthat having the energy of people
coming by?
And you know, we'll havesomeone come by, like, can you
look at this and all that?
It'll take you five minutes.
And it's like, all right, justyou're you're fine.
Just go, no, I gotta pay you.
It was five minutes.
It it was a pleasure to seeyou.
And you know, in the energy ofother people, it's boring
(28:19):
working a job and nobody comingby, you know.
So you got that too, you know.
Again, we are we are people ofenergy and people that you know
um we we interact, we feed offeach other.
Yeah, right.
Micahel Vaughan (28:32):
We need to be human to one another.
That's some sometimes we are inthere, we're cooking, we're
preparing, we're you know, it'slike, has anybody come in yet?
What's going on?
Right.
And so, you know, we try tomarket or make a post or let
people know, you know, hey,we're here, we're fixing lunch
or whatever, and then you know,the the floodgates open
(28:54):
sometimes.
You know it's like thank you.
I know, and uh, you know, youyou really are appreciative to
see customers come in andsupport you, and um, you know,
that's that's what it's about.
Um, just making sure that youcultivate those relationships,
keeping the customers coming andalso getting the word out for
(29:15):
new people coming.
Yeah, you know, that's that'sreally what small businesses
depend on.
Jason (29:20):
Exactly.
Melanie (29:21):
Right, and marketing can be very difficult with small
business.
We don't get the big budget.
Jason (29:27):
Yeah, an algorithm doesn't help us as much.
Melanie (29:30):
Right.
The algorithms can kind offight us sometimes.
Exactly.
Jason (29:33):
You gotta pay to play when it comes to social media.
Melanie (29:35):
We're also getting into, again, some of the AI
tools and things like that.
We're big gets small and andwe've got access just as much as
anybody else.
Jason (29:45):
It's just that's that's an interesting angle, yeah.
Melanie (29:48):
Well, you know, but the technology is adapting to some
more freelance or smallerapproaches.
Right.
Well, we can Always use that inthe big business in the small
business world.
Jason (30:02):
Right.
And it's harder to adopt in abig business because you got,
okay, well, what's your plan?
How are we going to integratethis?
How you know what's that goingto do to this department that's
now handling this?
You know, does that mean weneed to cut these positions?
And you know what I mean?
All the red tape.
Right.
We're able to say, hey, this isa new product, this is a new
feature.
Let's leverage that.
And then within a day or two,it's like, now I'm using it.
(30:23):
So you can jump on somethingmuch faster.
Melanie (30:26):
We can.
And with what's coming out, youknow, with again AI tools,
social media, stuff like that,we can we can utilize that just
as much.
Um again, algorithms do tend toum shut us down in the smaller
industries, but um, you gottapay to play for a lot of this
stuff.
Micahel Vaughan (30:45):
Yeah, you do, yeah.
Melanie (30:46):
You know, there it's it's getting there.
I think there is um creativeways to get marketing out there.
And um and and word of mouth isobviously always gonna be the
most important in a community,but oh always, yeah.
Um word of mouth, along withyour web presence, is still part
of it.
Jason (31:06):
Yeah, I mean, we've been talking to a lot of people
recently about the AI tools andeverything.
We just made a post the otherday, and I'm I'm not gonna make
a platform on it at the moment,but um when you're in a small
business, oftentimes you canvery quickly see what changes
are happening and then be ableto dig in deep and um be able to
(31:27):
use it.
And so then it's kind of like,hey, look, we got something new
going on here, you know.
A lot of larger companies ittakes a lot more time, and of
course, understanding yourclientele, you're able to figure
out, well, this will work foryou as opposed to some bloated
ecosystem idea of big corporate,you know, it's kind of harder
to adapt that to what you need,whereas you can say, all right,
we just need to tweak this andyou'll be good, you know.
(31:49):
So yeah, that's true.
Melanie (31:52):
So learn looking into more creative uses for um a web
presence with small business isum kind of kind of our bread and
butter and where we where welike to shine.
So Yeah.
Jason (32:07):
And and and again, I think part of that advantage is
we know our customer base.
We're not just picking atemplate out of the air saying,
Oh, this might be good becauseyou told me this and this.
It's like, all right, I findwhat you do, I know what you're
trying to do and everything.
This is how I would present it.
Because you know, what we kindof put ourselves into the design
(32:30):
of the website because wewanted to really feature them in
a good light.
Right.
You know, it it's almost likeyou put yourself in their
position and you build it.
And um, you know, there aretimes where I mean, very
infrequently do we put somethingtogether where they go.
That's not where I'm going.
Oftentimes you're like, this ishow I would have done it if I
(32:52):
could, but that's why I hiredyou.
And it's like, you know, I'mnot gonna work on my car.
I'll hire someone to do thattoo.
You know, it's we all haveyou're working on your business,
and that's where your time is.
You rely on us for that.
Just like I rely on other, youknow, I don't cut my own meat, I
don't, you know, all the youknow I rely on I rely on you,
sir.
Rely on the people that knowwhat they're doing.
(33:13):
When my kids are begging for asteak, I'm coming across the
street.
So I don't have a cow.
Would be cool to have a cowthough.
But I would need both.
I'll need one familiar.
Melanie (33:24):
You would name the cow, and then once you name it, you
can't kill it.
Jason (33:28):
Yeah, right.
Can't name the cows.
You can't name it now.
Oh, but it's petty.
Yeah, so um I think we're gonnaget into something else here in
a little bit, but before we gothere, um if Michael, do you
have anything like that might bemore seasonal in the next month
(33:51):
or two that you might beoffering?
Micahel Vaughan (33:53):
Or well, um I trying to lead the witness, but
we we posted a lot.
We've had we have a lot offollowers on Facebook, and we
try to post and let them know,hey, we're um trying to do
Thanksgiving orders.
Jason (34:06):
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (34:06):
If there's anything you need, we typically
try to do it within two weeks,and then as soon as Thanksgiving
hits uh probably next week orthe week before, we're gonna
start, you know, with Christmas,and we get a lot of prime rhea,
bony and tie-ins and a lot ofseafood orders and things that
makes sense coming up forChristmas, and you know, with
(34:27):
the markets changing, we have toget pricing on a daily basis.
So you have to try to get it ascloser to the time they need it
because prices you knowfluctuate and change.
So um, yes, we do have you knowsome Thanksgiving orders in
place, and then we'll start withChristmas with again the prime
rib uh bone in we tie them andand then we'll have things where
(34:51):
people want um for Christmasparties.
Right.
Things like that.
And so we we would need to havethat um coming up as soon as
possible to order stuff so wecan make sure we have it in a
timely um manner, but also thatwe can get access to it because
we're not the only peopleordering yeah, you're not the
(35:12):
only one begging for it, so yougotta get gotta get in to get
it.
Jason (35:15):
That's right.
So cool.
So I guess anyone planninganything, just you know, check
out the uh Lakeside Butcher ShopFacebook page or stop in and
visit and talk and try to getthat all squared away.
Yeah, and I know we'll be ableto do that.
Melanie (35:30):
Small business, what what you're looking for, yeah.
You can go ahead and stop inand ask.
Jason (35:35):
Yeah, exactly.
Micahel Vaughan (35:36):
We're there to help people in the community.
You know, we oftentimes askwhat can we do, what can we
provide, what is it that youwant?
Um, you know, and it's uh Itold um Adriana that works for
us, I said sometimes we shouldcall it, well, you should do
this.
We hear that all the time, butyou know, we're asking what can
(35:58):
we help you with, what can weprovide more of in a community?
And so we want to accommodatepeople, we want to be able to
support the local whatever itis, ball teams and different
things, and the only way we cando that is the support of the
community.
Um, and so um that's the heartof the small business.
(36:20):
Yeah, you know, without thepeople's support, you really
don't have a business.
And um we want to pour backinto the community, we want to
show up at events and sponsorthings and and we want to do
business with other smallbusinesses, and so yes, so we
can kind of network together andhelp each other and um grow.
(36:42):
And and that's just a part ofit.
Sometimes we're limited becauseof the traffic flow.
We're limited because of uhpeople will wait till the last
minute, you know, and then onceit's gone, it's gone.
Yeah, you know, so um we'reopen four or five days a week,
and oftentimes people will waittill Saturday.
Well, we're closing on Saturdayevening, yeah.
(37:03):
Shut down for three days.
So a lot of things may be outof stock, or we've sold it
because you know, so we we tryto put it out there on Tuesday
and Wednesdays to let peopleknow, hey, what can we do?
We have this, we're you know,fully stocked.
If there's more product of thisthat you need, or if there's
(37:24):
something that to help you keepfrom driving so far, yeah, and
we can both benefit from it, letus know what we can do.
Because that's what uh being apart of the community is is
helping each other out.
Right.
Jason (37:37):
I agree.
Beautifully said, yeah.
Melanie (37:39):
Absolutely.
Jason (37:42):
So, you want to get go into our last segment, you
think?
Melanie (37:46):
Yeah, just a little teeny tiny game, but of course.
Jason (37:50):
We'll let Michael know what's going on here.
Melanie (37:52):
Um sometimes we play games.
Jason (37:54):
Sometimes we play games on the show, yep.
And uh this one in particular,because our conversation had to
do with you know business andeverything, um, if everything
goes according to plan, um ourAI guest host, Miles, will give
us the name of a slogan of abusiness, and then we'll try to
guess, you know, whose sloganthat is.
(38:16):
So he reads the slogan.
He reads the slogan, we guess.
So we'll get that fired uphere.
Alright, Miles, let's play theslogan game.
Miles (AI Guest Hos (38:29):
Absolutely.
Let's jump into it.
So here's how we'll roll.
I'll give you one slogan at atime.
No commentary, no stagedirections, just a slogan.
And then you and Melanie canguess away.
We'll keep it fresh each round.
So here comes your firstslogan.
Just do it.
All right, have fun guessing.
Jason (38:47):
Alright, so now we can talk.
I mean, so just do it.
We I think we pretty much knowthat one.
Yeah.
Melanie (38:54):
So overly easy.
Jason (38:56):
Right, or that's overly easy, yep.
Melanie (38:57):
So sometimes he's really I know.
Jason (39:01):
All right, Miles.
That's Nike.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (39:05):
You got it.
Nailed that first one rightaway.
Definitely a classic from Nike.
All right, I'll line up thenext logan whenever you're ready
to keep rolling.
Jason (39:13):
Go ahead, let's go.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (39:17):
All right, let's keep it rolling
then.
Here's your next logan (39:19):
the ultimate driving machine.
Go ahead and take your bestguess.
Melanie (39:26):
Well, definitely harder, I'm not sure.
Jason (39:29):
It's a car.
It's not GM, it's a classic.
Melanie (39:41):
I don't know why I haven't pictured Nissan in my
head.
Jason (39:44):
I think it's an ultimate driving machine.
Melanie (39:48):
Maybe because they have an Ultima?
Isn't that a Nissan?
Jason (39:52):
I'm thinking I'm I'm leaning toward like BMW.
Melanie (39:56):
Ah, okay.
Jason (39:58):
Which is weird.
I'm not gonna explain why, butuh IBM was a business machine,
it's a BMW.
I could be mixing this up, or Icould be like that could have
been my way of like storingthis.
Melanie (40:11):
For it just as much as anything.
Jason (40:13):
Okay, alright, well.
Alright, is it is it BMW?
Miles (AI Guest Host) (40:20):
Right on the money.
Oh, yep.
That's BMW's famous slogan.
Micahel Vaughan (40:23):
Okay.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (40:24):
You're two for two.
You got it.
Here comes the next one.
The slogan is think different.
Alright, let's see if we canget this one too.
Jason (40:33):
Think different, shoot.
Because their logo, there was aletter or something that was
different too.
Is that Nissan?
Melanie (40:42):
I'm feeling like this is in the tech industry,
shouldn't we?
Why this?
I was thinking like Apple orOkay, no, that might be Apple,
actually.
Jason (40:52):
Yeah, because of the whole idea of like creativity
and they were going off of that.
Um, we'll say Apple.
Melanie (40:58):
Sure.
Jason (40:58):
Alright.
Is it Apple?
Miles (AI Guest Hos (41:06):
Absolutely.
You got it again.
Yeah, hey, good job, baby.
Jason (41:09):
Good job.
Melanie (41:10):
I got the tech and you didn't.
Jason (41:14):
Right?
Yeah, Miles, you hear that?
My wife said that she got itand I didn't.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (41:21):
I did hear that.
Sounds like Melanie's on a rolltoday.
Hey, a little friendlycompetition just makes the game
more fun, right?
Keep it up, you two.
Jason (41:29):
All right, next one.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (41:32):
All right, let's roll right into the
next one.
Here's your next slogan.
Have it your way.
Jason (41:39):
Oh, well.
Yeah, Burger King.
Have it your way.
Melanie (41:48):
Yeah, okay.
Yeah.
Jason (41:49):
Yeah.
Restaurant Burger King.
Right.
All right, that's Burger King.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (41:56):
You got it again.
Jason (41:58):
All right.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (41:58):
That's definitely Burger King's classic
slogan.
You're on a winning streakhere.
Just let me know when you'reready for the next one.
Jason (42:04):
All right, let's go.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (42:08):
All right.
Next up it is.
Here comes your next slogan.
Melt in your mouth, not in yourhands.
I took a guess and let's see.
You guessed this one.
Jason (42:16):
Mm's.
Yeah, MM's.
From the Mars Company, one.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that was a cool guy.
Melanie (42:24):
That's been their slogan a long time, isn't it?
Jason (42:26):
Yeah.
Have you seen the uh I knowthis off topic and everyone else
can listen to our conversationright now because they have to,
but the um the Food That MadeAmerica program on the History
Channel?
Oh.
Look it up, it's incredible.
Like, as an example, the reasonwhy I brought it up is you see
how Hershey's and Mars cametogether and um as a business
(42:47):
move because of the MMs.
I think it was in France thathe was saw a coded candy and he
was, you know, it was aproposition.
So you get but they do so wellwith the casting and the history
of it that you really feel likeyou're watching entrepreneurs
and and like the development ofstuff that you know today we
take for granted.
Like we said, it's been aslogan for a long time, but it's
like you watch it in themaking.
(43:08):
It's really cool.
So anyway, and for anyone outthere, I recommend it.
Yep, that that's for you too.
Melanie (43:12):
The food that made America.
Jason (43:14):
Yeah.
All right, give us another one.
Melanie (43:18):
You didn't answer.
Jason (43:20):
Oh, we never answered.
I'm sorry.
All right, we said that wasMM's.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (43:27):
And you are absolutely right.
That is indeed M's.
No words at all.
I'm just here to keep theslogans rolling and the fun
going.
Just let me know when you'reready for the next one.
Jason (43:36):
All right, let's go.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (43:40):
Perfect.
Let's keep it going.
Here's your next slogan.
Maybe just one with it.
Maybe it's Milly fill in therest and get the right.
Exactly.
You got it.
It's definitely Maybelline.
You both are on a roll.
Just let me know when you're upfor the next one.
Jason (44:00):
All right, let's do one more.
Let's do a bonus round.
Miles (AI Guest Hos (44:06):
Absolutely.
Let's do a bonus round to topit off.
Here's your final slogan forthe day.
The happiest place on earth.
Alright, have fun guessing thislast one.
Jason (44:18):
The happiest place on earth.
Melanie (44:20):
Disneyland?
Jason (44:21):
It's definitely not Walmart.
Melanie (44:23):
It's definitely not Walmart.
Jason (44:25):
It'd have to be.
It'd have to be Is it Disney?
Yeah, I think I think it isDisneyland.
Or Disney.
Disney in general.
We'll go with that and thenwe'll stop on this one.
So all right.
We're saying it is Disneylandor Disney World.
Miles (AI Guest Host (44:47):
Absolutely spot on.
Yeah, that's the famous Disneyslogan.
Whether it's Disneyland orDisney World, you've got it
right.
Great job.
And that was a fun bonus round.
Thanks for playing.
Jason (44:57):
Alright, thank you.
Have a good one.
Alright.
So, well, that was fun.
And um and and again, uhMichael, thank you so much for
being on our podcast.
Micahel Vaughan (45:11):
It was a pleasure.
It was an honor to be here.
And uh I enjoyed this.
This was good.
Jason (45:16):
Yeah, so um just uh as a reminder to everyone, you know,
just try to support, you know,you see a lot about support
local.
Um just it as the season iscoming up for gifts and all
that, just uh take a look outthere and you know, before
before going online, I know it'sconvenient, but just drive
(45:37):
around, go online, try to findwho's nearby.
Melanie (45:40):
And don't forget extra expense when it comes to
shipping.
Oh yeah.
And extra expense when it comesto gas.
Jason (45:47):
Yeah.
Melanie (45:48):
So when we when we talk about what is more expensive,
always remember when you'reshopping local, you're saving in
shipping and in gas.
Jason (45:56):
Well, I know if we go out of shipping.
Melanie (45:57):
Sometimes those little extra bits of savings, why not,
you know, go go into your localshops.
Yeah.
And and, you know, even if it'sjust a little bit more, you
just save by not going out outof town.
Jason (46:10):
Yeah, that's true.
Because if you go down, youknow, say Richmond Raleigh or
somewhere, you know you're gonnaspend at least 200 bucks in
gas, and by the time you're doneshopping, you gotta eat.
Melanie (46:20):
Right.
Jason (46:21):
And you're gonna have to go out to eat in the restaurant,
and I mean, I ain't againsteating.
I get that.
Melanie (46:25):
And if you've got kids, you're you're eating more than
once.
Jason (46:27):
But here's a huge thing you can do.
You can buy steaks or whateverfrom Michael, have them ready,
um, go around town, shop, comeback home, and fix your own
steak exactly how you want it,and it's cheaper.
Micahel Vaughan (46:39):
Yeah, we have gift cards also.
Ooh, gift cards.
Yes.
So if people want to call andorder stuff, we'll have it cut
for you when you get there tosave time.
And we have a lot of that.
In the summertime, we havecustomers that when they fly in
or drive here, they will call usand place an order, and they
(47:00):
don't have to wait.
They know that we have it cut,packed, wrapped, and that makes
sense, and it's all bagged andready for them.
It's just a matter of payingand they're out the door.
Melanie (47:10):
There you go, people.
You didn't even have to wait.
Micahel Vaughan (47:12):
Yeah.
Jason (47:13):
I know that's awesome.
Micahel Vaughan (47:14):
So we're here for you know, we're here to help
people and make it convenientum for everybody, and that
that's what it's about.
So we want to provide the bestcustomer service we can, the
best products we can, and tomake it convenient for everyone.
So we're here, um we don'treally close for but
Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Jason (47:35):
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (47:35):
So I think it's only two days we've closed
since I've on the place, andit's probably only two days
we'll close this year.
It's Thanksgiving Day andChristmas.
Jason (47:44):
Okay.
Well, again, thanks for having.
Um, thanks for being on theshow.
And um I think we're going towrap things up here, and please
follow us on your favoriteplatform that you know helps get
this program out.
And um visit winternetweb.com.
(48:05):
You can check out um some ofthe merchandise we got that
we've actually had a couplepeople come by that they didn't
know we had.
We haven't been pushing it alot, but we got we haven't,
unfortunately.
Melanie (48:16):
We talked about marketing with our own, you
know, sometimes we don't get achance to market ourselves.
Um, that's true.
Jason (48:22):
And and we've just been busy, but but from what you've
heard, a lot of people said thatthese are gifts for people that
they don't know what to getfor.
Melanie (48:31):
Right, especially in the tech industry.
Exactly.
Jason (48:34):
They're fun little pieces of jewelry, exactly, made out
of circuit boards and stuff likethat.
Melanie (48:40):
For male and female, we've got them.
Jason (48:42):
We've got cufflings too.
We got and actually we do makethem so that they could be a
fridge ornament or ornament, I'mthinking Christmas, a fridge
magnet as well.
Right.
So, you know, that um is anoption as well.
So, all right.
Well, I think that's it fortoday.
So unplugging for now, butalways stay connected.
All right, welcome again to Wired Together with
your hosts uh Jason Winter andMelanie Winter.
Jason (00:13):
Alright, so yeah, we we're just uh thankful to have
another guest uh this week.
Melanie (00:20):
It's always good to have guests and not just hear
yourself.
Jason (00:22):
I know, yeah.
Well, we're tired of hearingeach other.
Melanie (00:25):
Yeah.
Jason (00:26):
Um and and and that that's on the podcast too.
Melanie (00:32):
It's true.
Jason (00:33):
Right.
So um, but yeah, like I said,we have a special guest and
we're gonna get Miles here.
And um and if anyone's missed acouple episodes, our AI guest
host, we name Miles.
Sometimes he remembers that'shis name, sometimes he doesn't,
but he's trying to get better.
So let's go with that.
Hey Miles, can you introduceour podcast guest today?
Miles (AI Guest Hos (00:59):
Absolutely.
So let's do it once more.
Today we're welcoming MichaelVaughn, the owner of Lakeside
Butcher Shop in Borace,Virginia.
He's all about quality meetsand that personal hometown touch
and bringing a bit ofsmall-town charm to the table.
So let's give him a warmwelcome.
Let me know if that works foryou.
Jason (01:17):
That was a great introduction.
I do appreciate that, Miles.
We'll bring you back in later,okay?
Miles (AI Guest Hos (01:25):
Absolutely.
Happy to help out.
Just call me back in anytimeyou need me.
I'll be here and ready to jumpin whenever you're ready.
Jason (01:33):
I bet you will.
That's pretty cool.
Melanie (01:35):
Miles has a cold.
We don't really know whathappened.
Jason (01:38):
Yeah.
Well, it's not at least hisvoice incorrect so much this
time.
Melanie (01:42):
You know, but but Michael, welcome.
Yeah, well thanks for havingme.
Jason (01:45):
Yeah.
Um we're just we're going todoing a segment on, you know,
kind of like big business, smallbusiness, and I guess
advantages and disadvantages ofthat.
Melanie (01:55):
And how convenient we actually have a butcher shop
across the street, and uh welike Michael and we figured he'd
come by and say hello.
Jason (02:05):
We shop there as much as we can.
Micahel Vaughan (02:06):
Appreciate you guys coming by and spending time
with us and shopping with us.
So we appreciate it.
Jason (02:13):
Oh, yeah, definitely.
Melanie (02:15):
And we're gonna kind of talk about, you know, the the
difference between small townand big um small town, small
business and big business, andum, you know, the the struggles
that may happen, but also whyit's really, really important, I
think, especially in today'stime.
Jason (02:32):
Definitely.
Melanie (02:33):
What do you think, Michael?
Micahel Vaughan (02:35):
Yes, good topic.
Good topic.
Melanie (02:41):
Well, with the holidays kicking into gear, um, you
know, I I don't know abouty'all, but I've been seeing
Christmas stuff since what,August?
Micahel Vaughan (02:50):
It might have been like everywhere you go, you
see.
Melanie (02:53):
Christmas trees, ornaments, and but getting into
November, we're kind of settlinginto holidays are gonna happen
regardless of what we feel.
So, but you know, that's when alot of small business is, you
know, need the customer pull.
So we need to definitely alwayspromote that.
Jason (03:13):
Yeah, the you know, small businesses especially, and it
we have a good community and wedo support one another, but it's
always a good reminder that youknow it the small businesses
are the money isn't going tosome corporate city out there,
you know.
This is what people rely on topay for dance classes, baseball,
(03:37):
you know, and things like that.
And it's um I think we'll getinto why some people may make
decisions to try to go with thebigger companies and all that,
but maybe what what you'resacrificing in that, you know,
you don't always get the levelof service, you don't always get
the quality.
Um, yeah, you may get itcheaper, but is that maybe in
(04:02):
the bigger scheme of things towhat you're going for?
Melanie (04:05):
And then maybe you don't.
Jason (04:08):
Right.
Dun dun dungeons.
Exactly, yeah.
No, it's definitely true.
Micahel Vaughan (04:12):
That's right.
Well, a lot of the support thatsmall businesses get, it does
go back into the firedepartment, the ball teams.
We we get sponsored peoplecoming by and asking for
sponsorships, and and then whenthere's catastrophes or things
in the community that familiesneed, um, we want to give back a
(04:33):
small business.
We want to help and we wantassist.
So um we really need thesupport of the locals to shop
and patronize us so that we havethe funds to do that.
Um most small business ownersare uh it's a struggle to stay,
you know, with the economy upand down and with the changes of
times, um you don't always havethe ability to make
(04:57):
adjustments, but you doeverything possible to
accommodate everybody.
Melanie (05:01):
Exactly.
Yes.
And we do, we have to bend overbackwards a little to it's not
about well, this is what we doand that's it, and we can't
shift.
Uh small business bends overbackwards.
We're gonna make it work foreach customer.
And that's you know, one of thethings that's the difference
(05:23):
the personal touch.
You know, a lot of ourcustomers we already know.
They, you know, we know whatthey got for Christmas last
year, and you know, things likethat.
Sometimes you can answer thosequestions.
I've had so many people, youknow, um, I also work with a um
winery nearby, and so a lot ofthose people come in and say,
(05:45):
What is this customer like?
Jason (05:48):
And and I can actually rattle it off, and you know it's
like, oh yeah, they gravitatetoward this or right, because it
it is small enough to be ableto do that.
Micahel Vaughan (05:56):
Well, you begin to see where they live in the
small communities, you know whenyou know somebody is sick
because they don't come in on aweekly basis, so you you're
concerned about where are they?
Because they typically come inand they may purchase something
every week, and then when theymiss a week or two, you know,
you want to reach out and call,and your big companies they
(06:17):
don't do that.
No, I've never had bigcompanies that call me and say,
Hey Michael, I haven't seen youin a couple of weeks.
Where are you?
Melanie (06:24):
Right, how you doing?
As your family.
Jason (06:27):
You might get something generically in the mail.
Right, well.
Melanie (06:33):
And you know, it's a big difference between you know,
going ahead and being able toto have that conversation, walk
in a store, walk in a abuilding, and and you already
know the people, you already,you know, you can kind of go
right into it, and you can goright into your fix of what you
need, you know.
Uh for us, we do a lot ofcomputer repair, and so you
(06:56):
know, we don't have to alwaysrun through the high higher use.
Sometimes it's like, okay,well, this broke.
Right.
You know, and and you can kindof go ahead and and shift
quickly.
Jason (07:08):
Right.
And it's like you know I messedsomething up, and it's like,
no, no, no, you know, justbecause I know this doesn't mean
you don't, it's not, yeah.
Melanie (07:16):
You try to be timely because you know, you want that
person to be able to have whatthey need.
Jason (07:20):
Yeah.
Melanie (07:21):
And and as opposed to like submitting a ticket and
waiting forever for oh sure, youknow, or or you know, something
bigger where you're you'reyou're online or you're on the
phone call for hours, thingslike that, where you did they
have too many customers to dealwith.
You walk into one of ourbuildings and yeah, you're gonna
(07:42):
be talking to somebodyimmediately.
That's right.
Micahel Vaughan (07:44):
I mean that's yeah, go ahead.
That's what it's about.
I mean, just making a personalcontact and a personal touch
where you can communicate, whereyou can relate, and um you can
also build a relationship withpeople.
That's a part of what we try todo with Lakeside Butcher Shop
is adding on to have people comein and sit.
(08:05):
And so on Saturdays you'll seea lot of that Saturday morning.
They'll come in and congregatefor one hour or two and sit and
watch the westerns and you know,just talk to local people
getting together, and uh that'show you get to know your
customers and that's what it'sall about.
Melanie (08:21):
I mean, the gathering place was the most important
place since ancient history, youknow?
I mean that is who we are as ashumans.
Jason (08:29):
We are social beings.
Yeah.
And um I think COVID reallymessed us up with that because
we couldn't be social and thenit also changed a lot of the
rules and but the wonderfulthing about COVID is when you
came out of it, it was like thisis necessary.
Melanie (08:43):
It is, yeah.
You know, we had to it'ssometimes you have to experience
something to realize, wow, thisis what we need.
Jason (08:50):
Right.
You know, that's what I wasgonna get at.
We didn't realize no, you'refine.
I mean it it it kind of provesthe point that that is how we
feel that as being socialbeings, we didn't realize how
much that was part of our being.
And I I swear I think it tookme a couple months to get back
into the socialization, youknow, because it was so long,
and I mean of course, well well,we didn't like lock ourselves
(09:14):
in the closet.
We still went about and didstuff, but society as a whole
didn't really function the wayit used to, and a lot of the
programs weren't back up andrunning and all that, but well,
the good thing about rural area,you've got a little more space.
Oh yeah, we can take six feet,it's like, man, I could fit
everybody, you know.
Right.
Melanie (09:32):
Yeah, so but and you know, one thing about small
business that we've always umand this is any kind of system,
also, you know.
Um bigger systems move slowly.
Jason (09:50):
That's true.
Melanie (09:51):
You know, so you think about the Titanic heading for an
iceberg.
The Titanic was too big, it wasit you can't move it but so
fast.
Whereas a skift, you know, youcan sit there and you know fly
through an iceberg and not haveto worry about it.
And so the smaller thebusiness, actually the easier
and quicker decision making canbe.
I mean, we've decided to dosomething in like within 24
(10:13):
hours.
Jason (10:13):
We didn't even know that morning we were going to.
It's ordered, it's on the way,we are shifting.
Melanie (10:18):
Let's have this happen.
Micahel Vaughan (10:19):
You don't have to go through all the chain of
commands.
Melanie (10:22):
Right.
I mean, all we did was askourselves, hey, do you think
that's yeah, I do think that's agood idea, you know.
That's right.
Micahel Vaughan (10:28):
That's right.
Melanie (10:29):
Yeah, and you know, for the customer, that's great
because we can shift on saying,you need that, I can offer that.
Micahel Vaughan (10:36):
That's right.
Melanie (10:37):
I will I will look this up, I will find it, you know.
Micahel Vaughan (10:40):
That's right.
We do that oftentimes um withcustomers.
They'll come in andspecifically order something
that we don't customarily have,and we'll place that order, and
you know, we'll get that in forthem, and your big stores are
not gonna do that.
So that's something that youknow the smaller local people
really, like you said earlier,bend over backwards to
(11:02):
accommodate um whatever they canto uh please their customers
and make them happy.
And it also shows you know theeffort that we put into it.
Melanie (11:14):
So sometimes just seeing that need.
Micahel Vaughan (11:18):
Right.
Yeah.
Jason (11:21):
Yeah, and again, you're talking about the nimbleness of
small business and everything,um you know, and all the chain
of command with big business,and uh I think it's the reason
why we always feel sodisfranchised oftentimes with uh
a lot of the larger companiesbecause it's like one size fits
nobody.
Melanie (11:42):
Right.
Jason (11:42):
You know, and but again with small business, and you
talking about just a few momentsago, there's a customer that
comes in every week and it'sjust almost clockwork, you know.
You know you're gonna see them,and then when you don't, you've
got concern, and it's likemaybe something going on, and
you know, and it's always out ofconcern with that, and but
again with a small business,you're able to to bend, to
(12:06):
change your product line umrather quickly based on needs of
people and things like that.
And I think it's what a lot ofpeople we hear a lot of
complaints, you know, of course,Walmart, this, whatever, and
other b you know businesses wecomplain so much because we kind
of just we we feel like anumber.
Melanie (12:25):
Um get you frustrated, right?
And you know, a lot of timesthe big business, what they've
done, um, you know, of course wehave box stores still like big
businesses, Walmart and youknow, things like that.
Micahel Vaughan (12:36):
Sure.
Melanie (12:37):
But also also a lot of big business went online.
And you know, for us, I I getwe're tech, but at the same
time, it we're tech with thecustomer service.
Jason (12:48):
Oh yeah, I mean service has always been a big part of
it.
Melanie (12:50):
It's not we would not tell you, oh, just go online and
and don't even worry abouthaving a conversation with me.
No, we want the conversation,we want to make sure that we're
are sitting down talking withyou face to face is the best.
Jason (13:03):
That's right.
Always.
Melanie (13:05):
But that whole, you know, we'll just go online and
get it done.
And and they're telling ageneration, you know, several
generations in there who haven'tgrown up with this.
Sure, it's not maybe don't wantto go online and get it done
and actually want to talk to ahuman.
And and we're automating thingsso much in the big business
that people are starting toreally gravitate to that small
(13:28):
business.
Right.
Can you help me with this?
It's like, absolutely.
You know, they that that'sthat's what they're familiar
with.
Jason (13:35):
Yeah.
Melanie (13:35):
And it was kind of this in-between where it was like
the small stores grew intobigger stores, but you still had
some customer service.
Yeah.
Well, now we've gone so farpast that anything real big is
automated.
Yeah, there's no customerservice.
Micahel Vaughan (13:51):
Yep.
Melanie (13:52):
So now we kind of have to start back over with small
business and say, hey, let'slet's have something still where
you can come in and talk topeople.
Jason (14:00):
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (14:00):
That's right.
Jason (14:02):
I mean, they're they're competing with a different level
of fish.
You know, they're tryingthey're trying to make whatever
overhead and all that becausethey have so much put into the
infrastructure of how they do itthat it's like, yes, the more
we automate, the more we cancompete with that level, but
you're sacrificing, you know,that person-to-person level of
(14:23):
service.
Melanie (14:23):
It's expensive to talk to customers on that level.
Micahel Vaughan (14:28):
With the small business owners, they are the
customer service.
They they are the janitors,they're the cash.
No, right, yeah.
They're the managers, they theydo everything.
The 20 hats.
You can go to them and talk tothem, and they're gonna do
what's necessary to make itright.
Yeah.
That's the beauty of havingsmall businesses.
And so many times, you know,what frustrates me a lot of
(14:51):
times is instead of peopleaddressing it with you or coming
talking to you, they post itall over social media.
Uh yeah.
And then it's like, what youcould have just came in here and
said something and we fixed it,or you know, we accommodate
you.
And so that's you know, I guessthat's what they're used to
doing with big businesses.
And so they don't it doesn'taffect them, but it like it does
(15:15):
a small business.
Sure.
Melanie (15:16):
Right.
You can throw it on Yelp andyou know, you're mad at Amazon.
Well, sure, but that's youknow, don't don't post post it
on a small business when youknow you you might be killing
somebody's livelihood doingthat.
Jason (15:30):
And you know, I don't I don't know about I guess what
I'm thinking about going into isa lot of people that aren't in
business for themselves don'tunderstand what the pressures of
that business actually are andwhat you're having to deal with.
And I mean, yes, I can talkabout taxes and things like
(15:51):
that, but and it's amazing Umhow many things you have to
worry about, so at the end ofthe day, it's like, well, why
don't they just do this?
And it's like because you'rehaving to worry, like you said,
you're the jammer, you're I meanyou're every part of it,
especially in a very smallbusiness.
Um but it there are a lotthere's a lot of things you're
(16:13):
responsible for that kind of Iguess get in that way.
Um some of it's out of yourcontrol.
Well, yeah.
Some of it is most of it isthat's what I'm saying.
And it's like, well, I'mobligated for this and this.
Melanie (16:26):
We still have to abide by the laws of any big business
that can, you know, hire alawyer out, you know, any time
they need.
We still have to abide by thesame things and and have to be
in compliance with this.
Right.
We might not always have thatlawyer on hand for compliance
issues, you know.
So it's you know, you've got toum figure out how to make that
(16:48):
work in your your smallersetting.
Jason (16:50):
Yeah.
Melanie (16:51):
And you know, it relationships with our our small
businesses that our customerbase is that relationship built
on trust.
If what people don't understandwhen they post something that's
negative, right?
Um, again, uh unlike Yelp,where you're mad at you know,
(17:11):
Texas Roadhouse.
Micahel Vaughan (17:13):
Sure.
Melanie (17:13):
I mean, they could care less.
They're not build building arelationship on trust, they're
building a relationship onconsistency.
Yeah.
That steak's gonna tasteexactly the same no matter which
Texas Roadhouse you go to.
Right.
They only build theirrelationship on consistency.
With small business, we buildour relationships on trust.
And that can be verydetrimental when you've got
(17:35):
somebody that's not willing tocome in and have a conversation
and post something that's goingto tear you apart when you
didn't realize or you could havefixed it.
Right.
And that's I think what a lotof um non-small business owners
or non-business owners don'talways understand when it comes
(17:55):
to this is not the same thing.
This is this is a bigdifference.
Micahel Vaughan (18:01):
The effects of it are different too.
And that's that's that's themajor thing, you know.
Um, you're buildingrelationships with people, and
some people will come in just topurchase whatever it is that
you have, they come in.
It could be my store, yourstore, anybody's store.
Jason (18:18):
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (18:18):
But they don't realize the effort that's put in
behind making that, producingthat, stocking it, the sacrifice
you may have had to have priceadjustments because the you
know, markets go up, right?
But you can't afford to do thatbecause it'll eliminate who
comes in.
True, right?
You know, so you you have to alot of times people don't
(18:41):
understand those, like you said,pressures.
Right.
What do I do with thissituation?
Um, just recently we've had tomake some a lot of changes in a
store, and amongst that we'vehad things breaking down and
repairs need to be made.
And so with the smallerbusinesses, you know, I've been
able to establish somerelationships with some people
(19:02):
locally.
Uh, just yesterday, one of mycustomers he came in and took
the refrigerate the freezerapart for me and helped me.
So that's what you get withsmall businesses.
You know, and so it goes bothways.
We appreciate them and theyappreciate us.
And so that's when you havethat's what it's about to me.
Jason (19:22):
Yeah.
Micahel Vaughan (19:22):
Is establishing that somebody that you never
knew.
Now they come in on aconsistent basis and you build a
relationship with that where ifsomething does go wrong, right?
They're not gonna ridicule orcriticize or they hey, what can
we do to help you?
Jason (19:37):
Sure.
Micahel Vaughan (19:37):
Right.
And uh that's when you really Ithink it it it's worth it.
Kind of see um the effort fromboth ways, and and it's the
appreciation of that, you know.
Um they didn't have to do that,they didn't charge me anything,
they stopped, took their timeto help me, and you know, in
return we try to do things forthem.
(19:59):
So that's what small businessesare based on anyway.
Jason (20:02):
Exactly.
No, you're exactly right.
Melanie (20:04):
And well, I mean, the reason we two years ago became
full time was uh the customers.
We were uh at a point where wehad so many and were building
more that it was gonna hurt ourservice to establish in the
service that we have for thecustomers that we already had to
(20:27):
continue um with full-timejobs, yeah.
The the business.
So we decided to take the leapand go ahead and go into the
business, and the relationshipsthat we have built from there
have just been amazing.
Jason (20:43):
Yeah, no looking back.
Melanie (20:44):
I yeah, I would never um imagine that that was the
reason, but it definitely nowthat you're you know in it, it's
like that's the reason.
It's it's the relationships,right?
Jason (20:55):
Yeah, definitely.
You're talking about you know,people coming out to help you
and all that, and I d I knowespecially with like locally
sourced stuff that you know asmall vegetable like in your
situation would try to bring infrom time to time.
You get a situation where yougot potatoes or corn or
something that might be um froma farmer.
(21:19):
And now these people aren't,you know, harvesting four
hundred acres of product.
You know, it's what they've puttogether and you know, you pay
them for that and it helps youbecause you have, you know,
someone's buying steaks, hey, Ineed you know, something to go
with it.
Um you can't charge 12 centsfor a you know, an item because
(21:43):
you're helping them out, andthat sometimes is something
people may not understand.
You gotta pay the farmer forit.
Yeah, but you can't buy it atthe same price that for some
wholesale whatever, but it'sit's local.
It's you know, we all I guessneed to be understanding of that
and helping each other out.
Micahel Vaughan (22:01):
And that's the challenges of um comparing a
small business to a bigcorporation.
There is really not a acomparison.
Right.
So comparison, you know, atwelve hundred square foot store
compared to uh twenty thousandsquare foot um with fifty
employees at a shift with asmall uh business.
(22:25):
It's only two people, three,four people running it,
sometimes one.
Jason (22:29):
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (22:30):
And so um people just they sometimes don't
have patience or understanding,and some people do.
And uh those are the peoplethat you want to really bend
over backwards for and helpaccommodate because they do
understand.
Yeah, they appreciate theservice that you provide, and
they appreciate the work and theeffort, and they can see the
(22:51):
consistency every day.
They understand the sacrificesthat are made.
You know, um, so it's you dothings because you love to do
it, you want to do it, and youwant to build relationships with
people, you want to provide aproduct or a service in the
community, and oftentimes that'swhat happens.
People get you know, work inthe corporate world and they get
(23:15):
tired of it and they want to beable to reach the local people.
Right.
So that's what it's about.
Jason (23:21):
Yeah, I think that that's very true, yeah.
Melanie (23:25):
It is, you can kind of get a cubicle brain.
Um, you know, if you're maybetoo much in one setting.
And you're right, a lot ofpeople that go from uh big
corporate, you know, um kind ofmake the leap into some small
(23:46):
business and stuff like thatbecause it is it's like I need
to breathe differently.
Jason (23:51):
Yeah.
Melanie (23:52):
You know, it's it's it's kind of a choose your heart
because it's not like it'seasier to be nine to five or
whatever in the corporate worldor you know, to have a shift.
Um versus you know, of course,your time when you're in small
business is 24-7.
Micahel Vaughan (24:11):
Yeah.
Melanie (24:11):
But also your time is still yours, so it's like, yes,
I work 24-7.
I you choose when.
But then there's often timeswhere there's a those moments of
okay, but I can go and and justyou know run up to the school
and and see my kids play andcome back, you know, that kind
of thing.
So it does give you that alittle bit of leeway, even
(24:32):
though the time is 24-7, youknow.
So it you kind of have um youcan make that for yourself.
Jason (24:40):
Right.
Melanie (24:40):
And so it's kind of again a choose your heart, it
it's constant, but at the sametime, you also get to make it.
Jason (24:48):
Right.
Yeah, yeah, that thatflexibility is there, but you're
still putting in the work, youknow, you know, same number of
hours, if not more, but you getto choose when you're gonna do
it because Right.
Melanie (25:00):
I mean, you're coming in on Saturday to meet with a
customer that needs to be hereon a Saturday.
Jason (25:05):
So, you know, it's like let's make it happen.
It's fine, you know, that worksout.
Melanie (25:08):
Um sometimes it doesn't, but you know, when it
does, it's like, you know, mightas well get that you know, bend
over backwards again for thecustomer's nest you know, needs.
Jason (25:19):
Sure, but like you said, in the same vein, if our kids
have a program at school orsomething like that, hey, I'm
closing up early and going, youknow, but you put those hours in
elsewhere.
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (25:30):
So oftentimes nobody sees those owls.
Jason (25:34):
No, they don't.
Right.
Melanie (25:35):
They'll see you out when you like decide to take a
lunch, but they won't see theYeah.
Jason (25:39):
I noticed you were there.
Melanie (25:40):
It's like they won't see you at eight o'clock at
night when well you last night.
Just last night.
Yeah.
Sometimes at eight o'clock atnight, you've got to just go
ahead and and get somethingfinished.
Micahel Vaughan (25:49):
Yeah, many a times you leave early and you
know, you have to go home latethat night and do paperwork, or
I've had to come back down hereand take care of the smoker and
or clean stuff or fix stuff orrepair.
Oh yeah.
Um, you know, it's not a orprep for the next hour week.
It's it's um it's a lifestyle,it's a something that you have
(26:14):
to adapt to and and make thechange, and it's kind of what
you signed up for when you tookownership of it.
Right.
Melanie (26:21):
You don't really get to kind of hang the hat and walk
away.
Yeah.
Right.
There is no walking away.
Micahel Vaughan (26:29):
I often tell people, you know, you work and
get a paycheck, you know.
Um we're working.
Right.
Hopefully we'll get one oneday, but you know, we're we're
working and trying to establishsomething here.
Melanie (26:41):
We don't work, we don't eat.
Jason (26:43):
It's like, hey boss, can I take the day off?
It's like, yeah, but who'sgonna do this?
Micahel Vaughan (26:47):
Yeah, right?
Jason (26:48):
I try to ask myself off for sometimes and it's like
well, I suddenly get this done,but you know, I mean it's its
own animal.
I mean it um and yes, you weretalking about the challenges and
you choose your hard, and yes,um it it's terrifying because
it's really month, it's month bymonth.
It is and you know, panic setsin sometimes like what if
(27:08):
everyone stopped coming and it'slike, oh my god, we would
start.
You know, but you know, thanksbe to God.
Thanks be to God every month.
It's like, you know, people aresent in your way, they're
thankful you're there, you'rethankful they're there too.
Yes, and it's like it's aservice, right?
Exactly.
And it's just just month bymonth, and it's just like you
(27:29):
know, so which is also a reallynice thing.
Melanie (27:32):
You know, it's with small business and and customers
need to remember that.
Yeah, we're happy to see you.
Jason (27:39):
Right.
Melanie (27:40):
We want to see you.
Jason (27:41):
That's right.
Melanie (27:42):
We're gonna put a big smile on our face because we
want you in there.
We you know, and and somepeople get, well, I didn't want
to bother you.
It's like you're not botheringme.
It's right, you're you're acustomer.
I want you here.
Micahel Vaughan (27:53):
You can't be here if you're not there.
Melanie (27:54):
If a customer, right?
If I don't have customers, Idon't have a company.
Right.
Jason (27:58):
Not only from a business standpoint, from an aura
standpoint.
How often have we talked aboutthat having the energy of people
coming by?
And you know, we'll havesomeone come by, like, can you
look at this and all that?
It'll take you five minutes.
And it's like, all right, justyou're you're fine.
Just go, no, I gotta pay you.
It was five minutes.
It it was a pleasure to seeyou.
And you know, in the energy ofother people, it's boring
(28:19):
working a job and nobody comingby, you know.
So you got that too, you know.
Again, we are we are people ofenergy and people that you know
um we we interact, we feed offeach other.
Yeah, right.
Micahel Vaughan (28:32):
We need to be human to one another.
That's some sometimes we are inthere, we're cooking, we're
preparing, we're you know, it'slike, has anybody come in yet?
What's going on?
Right.
And so, you know, we try tomarket or make a post or let
people know, you know, hey,we're here, we're fixing lunch
or whatever, and then you know,the the floodgates open
(28:54):
sometimes.
You know it's like thank you.
I know, and uh, you know, youyou really are appreciative to
see customers come in andsupport you, and um, you know,
that's that's what it's about.
Um, just making sure that youcultivate those relationships,
keeping the customers coming andalso getting the word out for
(29:15):
new people coming.
Yeah, you know, that's that'sreally what small businesses
depend on.
Jason (29:20):
Exactly.
Melanie (29:21):
Right, and marketing can be very difficult with small
business.
We don't get the big budget.
Jason (29:27):
Yeah, an algorithm doesn't help us as much.
Melanie (29:30):
Right.
The algorithms can kind offight us sometimes.
Exactly.
Jason (29:33):
You gotta pay to play when it comes to social media.
Melanie (29:35):
We're also getting into, again, some of the AI
tools and things like that.
We're big gets small and andwe've got access just as much as
anybody else.
Jason (29:45):
It's just that's that's an interesting angle, yeah.
Melanie (29:48):
Well, you know, but the technology is adapting to some
more freelance or smallerapproaches.
Right.
Well, we can Always use that inthe big business in the small
business world.
Jason (30:02):
Right.
And it's harder to adopt in abig business because you got,
okay, well, what's your plan?
How are we going to integratethis?
How you know what's that goingto do to this department that's
now handling this?
You know, does that mean weneed to cut these positions?
And you know what I mean?
All the red tape.
Right.
We're able to say, hey, this isa new product, this is a new
feature.
Let's leverage that.
And then within a day or two,it's like, now I'm using it.
(30:23):
So you can jump on somethingmuch faster.
Melanie (30:26):
We can.
And with what's coming out, youknow, with again AI tools,
social media, stuff like that,we can we can utilize that just
as much.
Um again, algorithms do tend toum shut us down in the smaller
industries, but um, you gottapay to play for a lot of this
stuff.
Micahel Vaughan (30:45):
Yeah, you do, yeah.
Melanie (30:46):
You know, there it's it's getting there.
I think there is um creativeways to get marketing out there.
And um and and word of mouth isobviously always gonna be the
most important in a community,but oh always, yeah.
Um word of mouth, along withyour web presence, is still part
of it.
Jason (31:06):
Yeah, I mean, we've been talking to a lot of people
recently about the AI tools andeverything.
We just made a post the otherday, and I'm I'm not gonna make
a platform on it at the moment,but um when you're in a small
business, oftentimes you canvery quickly see what changes
are happening and then be ableto dig in deep and um be able to
(31:27):
use it.
And so then it's kind of like,hey, look, we got something new
going on here, you know.
A lot of larger companies ittakes a lot more time, and of
course, understanding yourclientele, you're able to figure
out, well, this will work foryou as opposed to some bloated
ecosystem idea of big corporate,you know, it's kind of harder
to adapt that to what you need,whereas you can say, all right,
we just need to tweak this andyou'll be good, you know.
(31:49):
So yeah, that's true.
Melanie (31:52):
So learn looking into more creative uses for um a web
presence with small business isum kind of kind of our bread and
butter and where we where welike to shine.
So Yeah.
Jason (32:07):
And and and again, I think part of that advantage is
we know our customer base.
We're not just picking atemplate out of the air saying,
Oh, this might be good becauseyou told me this and this.
It's like, all right, I findwhat you do, I know what you're
trying to do and everything.
This is how I would present it.
Because you know, what we kindof put ourselves into the design
(32:30):
of the website because wewanted to really feature them in
a good light.
Right.
You know, it it's almost likeyou put yourself in their
position and you build it.
And um, you know, there aretimes where I mean, very
infrequently do we put somethingtogether where they go.
That's not where I'm going.
Oftentimes you're like, this ishow I would have done it if I
(32:52):
could, but that's why I hiredyou.
And it's like, you know, I'mnot gonna work on my car.
I'll hire someone to do thattoo.
You know, it's we all haveyou're working on your business,
and that's where your time is.
You rely on us for that.
Just like I rely on other, youknow, I don't cut my own meat, I
don't, you know, all the youknow I rely on I rely on you,
sir.
Rely on the people that knowwhat they're doing.
(33:13):
When my kids are begging for asteak, I'm coming across the
street.
So I don't have a cow.
Would be cool to have a cowthough.
But I would need both.
I'll need one familiar.
Melanie (33:24):
You would name the cow, and then once you name it, you
can't kill it.
Jason (33:28):
Yeah, right.
Can't name the cows.
You can't name it now.
Oh, but it's petty.
Yeah, so um I think we're gonnaget into something else here in
a little bit, but before we gothere, um if Michael, do you
have anything like that might bemore seasonal in the next month
(33:51):
or two that you might beoffering?
Micahel Vaughan (33:53):
Or well, um I trying to lead the witness, but
we we posted a lot.
We've had we have a lot offollowers on Facebook, and we
try to post and let them know,hey, we're um trying to do
Thanksgiving orders.
Jason (34:06):
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (34:06):
If there's anything you need, we typically
try to do it within two weeks,and then as soon as Thanksgiving
hits uh probably next week orthe week before, we're gonna
start, you know, with Christmas,and we get a lot of prime rhea,
bony and tie-ins and a lot ofseafood orders and things that
makes sense coming up forChristmas, and you know, with
(34:27):
the markets changing, we have toget pricing on a daily basis.
So you have to try to get it ascloser to the time they need it
because prices you knowfluctuate and change.
So um, yes, we do have you knowsome Thanksgiving orders in
place, and then we'll start withChristmas with again the prime
rib uh bone in we tie them andand then we'll have things where
(34:51):
people want um for Christmasparties.
Right.
Things like that.
And so we we would need to havethat um coming up as soon as
possible to order stuff so wecan make sure we have it in a
timely um manner, but also thatwe can get access to it because
we're not the only peopleordering yeah, you're not the
(35:12):
only one begging for it, so yougotta get gotta get in to get
it.
Jason (35:15):
That's right.
So cool.
So I guess anyone planninganything, just you know, check
out the uh Lakeside Butcher ShopFacebook page or stop in and
visit and talk and try to getthat all squared away.
Yeah, and I know we'll be ableto do that.
Melanie (35:30):
Small business, what what you're looking for, yeah.
You can go ahead and stop inand ask.
Jason (35:35):
Yeah, exactly.
Micahel Vaughan (35:36):
We're there to help people in the community.
You know, we oftentimes askwhat can we do, what can we
provide, what is it that youwant?
Um, you know, and it's uh Itold um Adriana that works for
us, I said sometimes we shouldcall it, well, you should do
this.
We hear that all the time, butyou know, we're asking what can
(35:58):
we help you with, what can weprovide more of in a community?
And so we want to accommodatepeople, we want to be able to
support the local whatever itis, ball teams and different
things, and the only way we cando that is the support of the
community.
Um, and so um that's the heartof the small business.
(36:20):
Yeah, you know, without thepeople's support, you really
don't have a business.
And um we want to pour backinto the community, we want to
show up at events and sponsorthings and and we want to do
business with other smallbusinesses, and so yes, so we
can kind of network together andhelp each other and um grow.
(36:42):
And and that's just a part ofit.
Sometimes we're limited becauseof the traffic flow.
We're limited because of uhpeople will wait till the last
minute, you know, and then onceit's gone, it's gone.
Yeah, you know, so um we'reopen four or five days a week,
and oftentimes people will waittill Saturday.
Well, we're closing on Saturdayevening, yeah.
(37:03):
Shut down for three days.
So a lot of things may be outof stock, or we've sold it
because you know, so we we tryto put it out there on Tuesday
and Wednesdays to let peopleknow, hey, what can we do?
We have this, we're you know,fully stocked.
If there's more product of thisthat you need, or if there's
(37:24):
something that to help you keepfrom driving so far, yeah, and
we can both benefit from it, letus know what we can do.
Because that's what uh being apart of the community is is
helping each other out.
Right.
Jason (37:37):
I agree.
Beautifully said, yeah.
Melanie (37:39):
Absolutely.
Jason (37:42):
So, you want to get go into our last segment, you
think?
Melanie (37:46):
Yeah, just a little teeny tiny game, but of course.
Jason (37:50):
We'll let Michael know what's going on here.
Melanie (37:52):
Um sometimes we play games.
Jason (37:54):
Sometimes we play games on the show, yep.
And uh this one in particular,because our conversation had to
do with you know business andeverything, um, if everything
goes according to plan, um ourAI guest host, Miles, will give
us the name of a slogan of abusiness, and then we'll try to
guess, you know, whose sloganthat is.
(38:16):
So he reads the slogan.
He reads the slogan, we guess.
So we'll get that fired uphere.
Alright, Miles, let's play theslogan game.
Miles (AI Guest Hos (38:29):
Absolutely.
Let's jump into it.
So here's how we'll roll.
I'll give you one slogan at atime.
No commentary, no stagedirections, just a slogan.
And then you and Melanie canguess away.
We'll keep it fresh each round.
So here comes your firstslogan.
Just do it.
All right, have fun guessing.
Jason (38:47):
Alright, so now we can talk.
I mean, so just do it.
We I think we pretty much knowthat one.
Yeah.
Melanie (38:54):
So overly easy.
Jason (38:56):
Right, or that's overly easy, yep.
Melanie (38:57):
So sometimes he's really I know.
Jason (39:01):
All right, Miles.
That's Nike.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (39:05):
You got it.
Nailed that first one rightaway.
Definitely a classic from Nike.
All right, I'll line up thenext logan whenever you're ready
to keep rolling.
Jason (39:13):
Go ahead, let's go.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (39:17):
All right, let's keep it rolling
then.
Here's your next logan (39:19):
the ultimate driving machine.
Go ahead and take your bestguess.
Melanie (39:26):
Well, definitely harder, I'm not sure.
Jason (39:29):
It's a car.
It's not GM, it's a classic.
Melanie (39:41):
I don't know why I haven't pictured Nissan in my
head.
Jason (39:44):
I think it's an ultimate driving machine.
Melanie (39:48):
Maybe because they have an Ultima?
Isn't that a Nissan?
Jason (39:52):
I'm thinking I'm I'm leaning toward like BMW.
Melanie (39:56):
Ah, okay.
Jason (39:58):
Which is weird.
I'm not gonna explain why, butuh IBM was a business machine,
it's a BMW.
I could be mixing this up, or Icould be like that could have
been my way of like storingthis.
Melanie (40:11):
For it just as much as anything.
Jason (40:13):
Okay, alright, well.
Alright, is it is it BMW?
Miles (AI Guest Host) (40:20):
Right on the money.
Oh, yep.
That's BMW's famous slogan.
Micahel Vaughan (40:23):
Okay.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (40:24):
You're two for two.
You got it.
Here comes the next one.
The slogan is think different.
Alright, let's see if we canget this one too.
Jason (40:33):
Think different, shoot.
Because their logo, there was aletter or something that was
different too.
Is that Nissan?
Melanie (40:42):
I'm feeling like this is in the tech industry,
shouldn't we?
Why this?
I was thinking like Apple orOkay, no, that might be Apple,
actually.
Jason (40:52):
Yeah, because of the whole idea of like creativity
and they were going off of that.
Um, we'll say Apple.
Melanie (40:58):
Sure.
Jason (40:58):
Alright.
Is it Apple?
Miles (AI Guest Hos (41:06):
Absolutely.
You got it again.
Yeah, hey, good job, baby.
Jason (41:09):
Good job.
Melanie (41:10):
I got the tech and you didn't.
Jason (41:14):
Right?
Yeah, Miles, you hear that?
My wife said that she got itand I didn't.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (41:21):
I did hear that.
Sounds like Melanie's on a rolltoday.
Hey, a little friendlycompetition just makes the game
more fun, right?
Keep it up, you two.
Jason (41:29):
All right, next one.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (41:32):
All right, let's roll right into the
next one.
Here's your next slogan.
Have it your way.
Jason (41:39):
Oh, well.
Yeah, Burger King.
Have it your way.
Melanie (41:48):
Yeah, okay.
Yeah.
Jason (41:49):
Yeah.
Restaurant Burger King.
Right.
All right, that's Burger King.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (41:56):
You got it again.
Jason (41:58):
All right.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (41:58):
That's definitely Burger King's classic
slogan.
You're on a winning streakhere.
Just let me know when you'reready for the next one.
Jason (42:04):
All right, let's go.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (42:08):
All right.
Next up it is.
Here comes your next slogan.
Melt in your mouth, not in yourhands.
I took a guess and let's see.
You guessed this one.
Jason (42:16):
Mm's.
Yeah, MM's.
From the Mars Company, one.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that was a cool guy.
Melanie (42:24):
That's been their slogan a long time, isn't it?
Jason (42:26):
Yeah.
Have you seen the uh I knowthis off topic and everyone else
can listen to our conversationright now because they have to,
but the um the Food That MadeAmerica program on the History
Channel?
Oh.
Look it up, it's incredible.
Like, as an example, the reasonwhy I brought it up is you see
how Hershey's and Mars cametogether and um as a business
(42:47):
move because of the MMs.
I think it was in France thathe was saw a coded candy and he
was, you know, it was aproposition.
So you get but they do so wellwith the casting and the history
of it that you really feel likeyou're watching entrepreneurs
and and like the development ofstuff that you know today we
take for granted.
Like we said, it's been aslogan for a long time, but it's
like you watch it in themaking.
(43:08):
It's really cool.
So anyway, and for anyone outthere, I recommend it.
Yep, that that's for you too.
Melanie (43:12):
The food that made America.
Jason (43:14):
Yeah.
All right, give us another one.
Melanie (43:18):
You didn't answer.
Jason (43:20):
Oh, we never answered.
I'm sorry.
All right, we said that wasMM's.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (43:27):
And you are absolutely right.
That is indeed M's.
No words at all.
I'm just here to keep theslogans rolling and the fun
going.
Just let me know when you'reready for the next one.
Jason (43:36):
All right, let's go.
Miles (AI Guest Host) (43:40):
Perfect.
Let's keep it going.
Here's your next slogan.
Maybe just one with it.
Maybe it's Milly fill in therest and get the right.
Exactly.
You got it.
It's definitely Maybelline.
You both are on a roll.
Just let me know when you're upfor the next one.
Jason (44:00):
All right, let's do one more.
Let's do a bonus round.
Miles (AI Guest Hos (44:06):
Absolutely.
Let's do a bonus round to topit off.
Here's your final slogan forthe day.
The happiest place on earth.
Alright, have fun guessing thislast one.
Jason (44:18):
The happiest place on earth.
Melanie (44:20):
Disneyland?
Jason (44:21):
It's definitely not Walmart.
Melanie (44:23):
It's definitely not Walmart.
Jason (44:25):
It'd have to be.
It'd have to be Is it Disney?
Yeah, I think I think it isDisneyland.
Or Disney.
Disney in general.
We'll go with that and thenwe'll stop on this one.
So all right.
We're saying it is Disneylandor Disney World.
Miles (AI Guest Host (44:47):
Absolutely spot on.
Yeah, that's the famous Disneyslogan.
Whether it's Disneyland orDisney World, you've got it
right.
Great job.
And that was a fun bonus round.
Thanks for playing.
Jason (44:57):
Alright, thank you.
Have a good one.
Alright.
So, well, that was fun.
And um and and again, uhMichael, thank you so much for
being on our podcast.
Micahel Vaughan (45:11):
It was a pleasure.
It was an honor to be here.
And uh I enjoyed this.
This was good.
Jason (45:16):
Yeah, so um just uh as a reminder to everyone, you know,
just try to support, you know,you see a lot about support
local.
Um just it as the season iscoming up for gifts and all
that, just uh take a look outthere and you know, before
before going online, I know it'sconvenient, but just drive
(45:37):
around, go online, try to findwho's nearby.
Melanie (45:40):
And don't forget extra expense when it comes to
shipping.
Oh yeah.
And extra expense when it comesto gas.
Jason (45:47):
Yeah.
Melanie (45:48):
So when we when we talk about what is more expensive,
always remember when you'reshopping local, you're saving in
shipping and in gas.
Jason (45:56):
Well, I know if we go out of shipping.
Melanie (45:57):
Sometimes those little extra bits of savings, why not,
you know, go go into your localshops.
Yeah.
And and, you know, even if it'sjust a little bit more, you
just save by not going out outof town.
Jason (46:10):
Yeah, that's true.
Because if you go down, youknow, say Richmond Raleigh or
somewhere, you know you're gonnaspend at least 200 bucks in
gas, and by the time you're doneshopping, you gotta eat.
Melanie (46:20):
Right.
Jason (46:21):
And you're gonna have to go out to eat in the restaurant,
and I mean, I ain't againsteating.
I get that.
Melanie (46:25):
And if you've got kids, you're you're eating more than
once.
Jason (46:27):
But here's a huge thing you can do.
You can buy steaks or whateverfrom Michael, have them ready,
um, go around town, shop, comeback home, and fix your own
steak exactly how you want it,and it's cheaper.
Micahel Vaughan (46:39):
Yeah, we have gift cards also.
Ooh, gift cards.
Yes.
So if people want to call andorder stuff, we'll have it cut
for you when you get there tosave time.
And we have a lot of that.
In the summertime, we havecustomers that when they fly in
or drive here, they will call usand place an order, and they
(47:00):
don't have to wait.
They know that we have it cut,packed, wrapped, and that makes
sense, and it's all bagged andready for them.
It's just a matter of payingand they're out the door.
Melanie (47:10):
There you go, people.
You didn't even have to wait.
Micahel Vaughan (47:12):
Yeah.
Jason (47:13):
I know that's awesome.
Micahel Vaughan (47:14):
So we're here for you know, we're here to help
people and make it convenientum for everybody, and that
that's what it's about.
So we want to provide the bestcustomer service we can, the
best products we can, and tomake it convenient for everyone.
So we're here, um we don'treally close for but
Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Jason (47:35):
Right.
Micahel Vaughan (47:35):
So I think it's only two days we've closed
since I've on the place, andit's probably only two days
we'll close this year.
It's Thanksgiving Day andChristmas.
Jason (47:44):
Okay.
Well, again, thanks for having.
Um, thanks for being on theshow.
And um I think we're going towrap things up here, and please
follow us on your favoriteplatform that you know helps get
this program out.
And um visit winternetweb.com.
(48:05):
You can check out um some ofthe merchandise we got that
we've actually had a couplepeople come by that they didn't
know we had.
We haven't been pushing it alot, but we got we haven't,
unfortunately.
Melanie (48:16):
We talked about marketing with our own, you
know, sometimes we don't get achance to market ourselves.
Um, that's true.
Jason (48:22):
And and we've just been busy, but but from what you've
heard, a lot of people said thatthese are gifts for people that
they don't know what to getfor.
Melanie (48:31):
Right, especially in the tech industry.
Exactly.
Jason (48:34):
They're fun little pieces of jewelry, exactly, made out
of circuit boards and stuff likethat.
Melanie (48:40):
For male and female, we've got them.
Jason (48:42):
We've got cufflings too.
We got and actually we do makethem so that they could be a
fridge ornament or ornament, I'mthinking Christmas, a fridge
magnet as well.
Right.
So, you know, that um is anoption as well.
So, all right.
Well, I think that's it fortoday.
So unplugging for now, butalways stay connected.
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