What if your logo could sell for you every day—quietly, consistently, and everywhere your customers go? We sit down with David Riddell of Big Frog Custom T‑Shirts to unpack a decade of growth powered by flexible production, community presence, and relentless follow-through. From single-shirt solutions to thousand-piece runs, David explains why a retail, touch-and-feel experience reduces guesswork, builds trust, and turns branded apparel into a high-ROI channel that outperforms many ads.
The conversation gets real about the financial heartbeat of a small business: cash flow. David breaks down the uncomfortable math of big orders with slow pay, the danger of over-leveraging in good times, and the simple “what if” exercises that protect your runway. We also explore the shift from being known to being chosen—why relationships don’t always convert, how to ask “Why not me?” without losing authenticity, and the importance of finding the decision maker early. If you’re leaving corporate expecting quick parity, this is the frank reset: a business plan, a marketing plan, and capital timing are non-negotiable.
Hiring and culture take center stage as David shares why he screens for service mindset, listening, and multitasking before design portfolios. Skill can be trained; fit and desire move the line. We talk about networking that actually fuels you—be interested, not just interesting—along with gratitude at scale, from personalized gifts to timely thank-yous that strengthen referral loops. And with ten years in and an empty nest, David opens up about stepping back from multiple boards to make space for a more intentional next chapter—mentoring, teaching, or building anew.
If you care about small business growth, brand visibility, and the human side of entrepreneurship, you’ll find practical wins here: model cash timing, hire for fit, ask for the sale, and keep learning in public. Press play, then tell us your biggest takeaway—and if this helped, follow, rate, and share it with a founder who needs a nudge today.
Thanks for Listening. You may contact me or our team at https://billgilliland.biz/
All the best!
Bill
Thanks for listening. Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review, and share this podcast. You can reach me at williamgilliland@actioncoach.com or at https://billgilliland.biz/
All the best!
Bill
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
BillGilliland (00:03):
Hey there, everybody.
Welcome to this week's episodeof Epic Entrepreneurs.
I am super pumped up about ourguest today.
But before we get that, let meintroduce myself.
I'm Bill Gilliland, theprincipal at Action Coach
Business Growth Partners, andone of the founders of the
Asheville Business Summit.
And uh today I'm super pumped.
I uh repeat guest.
(00:23):
He's been before on thepodcast.
I've got David Riddell.
And David, so tell us a littlebit about you and your business
and your company and how youserve this community.
DavidRiddell (00:36):
Perfect.
It's great to be here.
I appreciate it.
So I own Big Frog CustomT-shirts in Asheville, down in
Arden.
Um, quite simply, we doeverything apparel with your
logo on it, keeping you visible,whether it's um uniforms,
fundraising, networking, orgifts.
We can do one or we can dothousands.
We also print six differentways, whereas the traditional
(00:58):
printers will um just do screenprinting and embroidery.
So we have a retail shop.
You can come in, touch andfeel, sing and dance, find the
right solutions for brand styleand budget, which matters.
Being able to do one, beingable to do the many, being able
to just understand all of thosethings is great.
December is 10 years open forus, which is a milestone in any
(01:20):
business.
But in a place that'sevent-based and marketing based,
we made it a year and a halfthrough COVID when there were no
events in the trying economictimes that there are.
We uh uh people will cutmarketing first because they
can't cut payroll and they can'tcut rent.
So they cut marketing, of whichis apparel.
But anywhere you go, your logois your silent salesperson.
(01:44):
It is 100% return oninvestment.
So why not spend some money andgive out your brand for people
to wear or all of your peoplewear it?
And that's what makes us theexperts in the area.
And 10 years is is quite againquite the time.
We're proud of that becausethat gives us the longevity and
time served.
I also have a location inDurham, um, four hours away.
(02:08):
So then that gives me twodifferent markets to understand
um business and two sets ofresources and lots of different
people, and we all learn frompeople.
So, yeah, 10 years, big frogcustom t-shirts still rolling.
BillGilliland (02:22):
Yeah, well, that's exciting.
Congrats on 10 years.
Let me ask you this if you hadto start from square one in
business, what would you dodifferently?
DavidRiddell (02:31):
I think um the two things I've always done right
is people because that's thebackground I came from, is
always I'm hiring, and you can'thave your own people.
You can't have people exactlylike you.
So having a great team andleveraging the community and
being more than the name on thedoor uh are our staples.
But if I look back, it's liketake it a little slower because
(02:53):
the biggest thing in businessisn't top line, and it and
bottom line matters becausethat's where you make money, but
cash flow matters.
So how you spend it, how youhold on to it, do you have it in
the crazy times?
Um, don't over-leverageyourself, pace yourself.
Uh, but I mean that that'salways been my biggest issue is
(03:14):
those crazy times going, do wehave what we need to get through
it?
But when times are great, Ihave a great team, and I've
always been a part of thecommunity, right?
From day one, even before weopened, it was go out and be
more than the name on the doorand give back and be present and
engaged.
And that got us througheverything.
(03:35):
But you always need to makesure that again, I mean, cash
flow and and pacing yourself,don't go too crazy.
We got the second location inin Durham, probably a little
sooner than we should have.
But hindsight, foresight, andinsight are everything.
And if we were all perfect,then uh we wouldn't be having
some conversations.
BillGilliland (03:55):
Yeah, no, it's good.
Yeah, I think that's good.
I mean, you yeah, you did a lotof things right.
But obviously, uh keep an eyeon cash flow.
I always say cash flow is theblood of business.
You don't have any blood, youcan't keep going.
So well, starting with ourgovernment.
DavidRiddell (04:08):
I mean, our government and some Fortune 500
companies might look like theyhave a great financial
statement, but they don't haveany money and they keep
borrowing it, right?
And you can't do that.
It's like you have to be able,what if machine?
I've seen too many businessesgo down because they had to buy
equipment, or if I get a $20,000sale and I'm gonna see $10,000
of it, but it's gonna take mefour months to get paid.
(04:30):
I mean, four or four monthsrent, I'm gonna get in profit.
But how do I cover all of thatuntil until that happens?
Cash flow is king, andeverybody doesn't learn that
quick enough, and then they runout of money, even if business
is going well.
BillGilliland (04:45):
Yeah.
So give us uh well, you've kindof already done that, but give
us a maybe maybe one more biglearning that you've had as an
owner and an employer since youstarted.
DavidRiddell (04:55):
So I've been some of my team will say I'm a
salesperson.
What I'm not is a cold hardsell kind of guy, and where and
I'm never going to be, so alwaysstay with who you are.
But within that, the amount ofpeople I've met, and if they
reach out to me, then I'llfollow up like crazy.
But I don't think I've ever hadthe I don't know, the the the
(05:18):
the dark side to look atsomebody and go, but I've seen
you for five years, and nowyou're wearing apparel that I
didn't quote.
So trying to quantify that, Ithink it's a little bit more
aggressive, not in going coldhard sales, but asking those
questions, like, why not me?
Why, if I did all the rightthings and I've known you, did
(05:40):
you not even put me into theequation?
Right.
So I think I've missed someopportunities in some businesses
that again, they know me.
Um, they know everything I am.
I've never done anything wrong,but I've never been given the
opportunity.
Maybe because I didn't ask,right?
There's a thing that says, hey,they'll come to me, or I'm
doing everything right.
But how about you ask a littlebit more?
BillGilliland (06:01):
Yeah, I like that.
Well, yeah, I like I like thata lot because Yeah, I mean,
people are happy, people havehabits, right?
I mean, they may know you, theymay like you, they may trust
you, and they still buy thestuff from whoever they bought
it from last time.
DavidRiddell (06:14):
Right.
And then trusted trust andreferrals, and that's great.
The no like and trusting, I'mI'm amazed with.
But when people have never hadanything, like they've never
done those services, so uh youwould think you'd go to those
people that that you don't know,but the internet must be
cheaper, right?
It's like, or somebody knew aperson, but you know, I mean,
(06:35):
right?
Somebody in the and andoftentimes it might be somebody
in the same business, but uh umthe person that I'm dealing with
isn't the decision maker, butthey didn't go, like I didn't go
to them soon enough and say,come on, what about pitch me,
pitch me, can you help me out?
BillGilliland (06:49):
Yeah, yeah.
No, it's it's unbelievable.
Yeah, it's it's it's good.
Well, uh, yeah, you gotta ask.
It's a great, that's a greatlesson.
So what are some what's acommon misconception or
misconceptions about running abusiness?
DavidRiddell (07:05):
I I think everybody, like I watched a
couple people.
I'm a president of a businessassociation, and and I watched
three businesses last year wherethey were all over 40, so they
left their corporate Americajob, they came and started their
business, and all three of themwere doing something that they
had they had worked forsomebody.
So they thought it's easy.
I know how to do it, sotherefore I'll go into business.
(07:28):
And two things went wrong.
Two things went wrong.
Just because you know it andyou're good at it and can follow
the leader doesn't mean you cando it.
And then within that, you'vegot a couple of pain points and
say, I didn't have a businessplan andor marketing plan.
My sites were too high becauseI thought I'd make my corporate
America money back.
And six months later, you'regoing, why am I not making the
(07:50):
150 grand from corporateAmerica?
Um, and and so then it becamewhat I what I mentioned a few
minutes ago, then it becomescash flow.
Just because it's easy for youworking for somebody and doing
the task does not make you abusiness owner.
I mean, I am not a designer nora printer, I'm a retail
(08:11):
corporate middle manager guy.
What does that mean?
I understand decision makingsand all of the things in my
business (08:17):
the people, the workflow, uh, the the marketing,
right?
Everything keep going back toeverything.
People, and if if my my wifeknows the books because that was
her side and the franchise canteach us, and then we can learn
because in in corporate America,you got to keep learning and
keep pivoting, and they'll keepbeating you down into
submission.
Um, but I could hire the peoplethat can design because there's
(08:42):
a bunch of great people, andthen we can learn everything
together.
But it didn't mean that I hadto do exactly what I was doing.
I used a skill set and thenwent a different direction.
But if somebody's a plumber,they're great at that.
Doesn't mean they can be thebusiness owner of said task or
trade.
BillGilliland (09:00):
Yeah, I've seen a lot of GMs fail when they
bought the business from theirfrom their previous boss.
It's pretty interesting.
I it's shocking in a lot ofways.
I've seen them succeed as well,but a lot of them don't know.
They they just don't when it'syour own money, uh, you know,
it's a different, it's adifferent deal.
So what are you?
DavidRiddell (09:17):
It's leveraging, but isn't it leverage it's it's
leveraging your resources, whichis your people, and then they
say have the lawyer and theaccountant and the business and
have have the Bill Gillolands ofthe world, right?
And we don't do it.
I know how to do it, sotherefore I'll do it.
I don't need a coach, I don'tneed an accountant.
And um, oh by the way, I'm I'mgreat at it.
But yes, some have done very,very well and they understand
leverage the community.
(09:38):
We have, I mean, businessorganizations and different
things.
You can learn just by beingengaged.
BillGilliland (09:44):
Yeah, just show up.
Yeah, it's it's it's prettycool.
Yeah, go to things like thebusiness summit and uh other uh
any kind of educational businessevents, just show up.
I know you go.
DavidRiddell (09:55):
Oh, that's seven hours, right?
You walk away from there going,I've heard this all before, but
maybe not the way that thatMurphy, which is one of the
greatest in our area, it's likeshe says it and you just go, oh
yeah, now I get it, right?
Like Bob on.
BillGilliland (10:08):
Yeah, well, you know, sort of the students ready
when the you know, when theteacher shows up.
I mean, or the teacher shows upwhen the student's ready.
It's kind of an interestingthing.
So yeah, hey, what do youattribute your growth to?
DavidRiddell (10:24):
Uh I would say never stopping the grind is a
really weird word, but I mean,my wife will keep asking, why am
I why why am I looking at thephone at 10 o'clock on a
Saturday night?
That red dot that you see.
I mean, back in the day you sawthe cat chasing the red dot on
the wall.
But I mean, that's kind of whatI'm doing.
It's like, well, if somebodyemails me at 10 o'clock on a
(10:45):
Saturday and I'm the first oneto email back, maybe they won't
ask for any quotes.
We're on vacation and I'm stillgetting up in the morning with
a laptop.
You could debate the other sideof it and say, does Dave have
any work-life balance?
And and okay, work is my hobby,but there is a grind that says
fear of failure.
Even when you're doing well,I'll stand in the store saying
(11:06):
there's not enough boxes.
And they said, but we're ahead.
I said, Well, then we need toget behind, right?
And so there's thispsychological thing that says, I
don't want to lose.
It's my livelihood.
You can lose a house, you canlose everything you've got.
You don't want to go back towork for somebody once you have
a taste of doing it yourself.
So there's this maniacal umdrive and grind with an
(11:29):
entrepreneur, and you know thatit's like you may never make as
much as you did in corporate,and you will definitely work
more, but it's yours, it's allyours, and don't you don't want
to lose it.
BillGilliland (11:41):
Yeah, no, I love that.
I love that.
It's just the drive.
So speaking of personal life,how do you balance personal life
and the demands of running abusiness?
DavidRiddell (11:50):
I mean, well, it's my wife and I in the business,
so it's not, I mean, we have tolearn to shut it off when we're
home.
But what you don't want to dois come home and the rest of the
family hasn't been involvedwith and then download it on
them, right?
So you know how to keep itseparate when you're both in it,
but we just pick and choose ourbattles.
I mean, a work hard play hard,but our play hard is play
(12:13):
hardly.
Like we like to rest when werest, and whether whether our
our vice is is the beach orbaseball.
Um I mean, we're i it's like wejust know when to know when to
shut it down, but or or take itin moderation, right?
It's like as hard as we'reworking, some of that work is me
in a chamber thing or abusiness thing, which is feeding
(12:34):
my soul because it's people andlearning.
So somebody will go, you spentthe whole day working.
No, I spent the whole daylearning, or oh, you started at
an eight o'clock businessmeeting and you went to a
chamber thing till eight.
I said, but half of that, isthat really work?
I mean, it's net work, but ifthere's still something about
it.
And so I I always think, Imean, mindset matters is what
(12:56):
you'll hear coaches say, and howyou go about things.
And and the more stress you puton yourself at work, the less
you can enjoy the little bit oftime you have.
So it's uh how you look atthings, I believe, is is still a
big deal.
BillGilliland (13:10):
Yeah, no, I love that.
I love that.
And if you're um if you'rebuilt like you and you enjoy
people and networking, then it'snot that much work if you yeah,
it's networking, but like yousaid, if if it if it's it it
kind of it kind of gets youjazzed up, which is cool.
There are other of us who, youknow, we're like, man, I don't
want to leave my office and goout and hit another networking
(13:34):
event.
But you know, it's an it's aninteresting uh so that's Laney.
DavidRiddell (13:37):
But you're a great, you're a great coach, but
you've surrounded yourself witha couple of them that like to
be extroverted, go out and getthem.
I mean, who do you give credit?
You didn't say, um, yeah, I putthis thing together, this great
summit together.
Who did you say?
She did an amazing job.
BillGilliland (13:53):
No, no, yeah.
And and look, and I and I'vedone a lot of networking and
I've, you know, and I've and I'mreally good at it.
I just don't, you know, it'sit's at a point.
Uh, you know, I think there'speople who love it and people
who don't, and I'm, you know,I'm extroverted too, but it's
again, it's an interestingthing.
DavidRiddell (14:08):
It's but there's outsourcing for there's a
reasonable.
Yeah, yeah.
And and so then you can't go bybusiness development.
BillGilliland (14:14):
Yeah, I think you're amazing because you go to
all I I've I mean, you're ateverything.
But I, you know, I don't knowhow you do it because there's
uh, you know, I have three otherpeople and they're dividing to
try to get to everything, and wedon't even hit that.
I don't think we go to as manyas you do.
So, which is pretty, pretty,pretty exciting.
Let me ask you something else.
Let's change the subject just alittle bit.
How do you we know I mean, youknow, if you really want to
(14:36):
learn how to networking, youshould emulate David.
I mean, it's it's unbelievable.
Let me ask you something.
When you're looking, and thisis something you're you you
know, you've like you said,you're a people person.
What qualities do you look forin employees?
And how do you foster apositive productive work
environment?
DavidRiddell (14:53):
So everybody says skill set is everything, but fit
matters more, desire mattersmore.
There's a theory in football,if anybody remembers Jerry Rice
versus Randy Moss, and JerryRice is this little dude from
the middle of nowhere,Mississippi, who didn't have the
natural-born talents butoutworked everybody in his hall
(15:14):
of fame.
And then Randy Moss um was thisnatural-born talent, and nobody
liked him, and they put up withhis diva self, but he was
amazing.
But he didn't work as hard.
So when I'm interviewing,somebody will come in and they
want they're bringing theirresume and all these little
internships that they had done,and and they're um let me uh let
(15:36):
me show you my portfolio.
And I don't ask them designquestions because they haven't
worked for the client, they'veworked for themselves, right?
It's like, can you multitask?
Do you have the customerservice skills first?
Do you have multitaskingsecond?
Can you listen to a clientthird?
Can you use our software?
(15:56):
And and so I think they'redisappointed when I'm not
talking about their design.
But I said, you can clearlydesign, we'll get there.
I need a certain person.
So skill set matters, or wewouldn't be talking to you, but
I need to know who you are atthe core.
So I'm asking questions like,why do you work there?
How do you like that?
Why did you do this?
(16:17):
What did you want to be?
And um, and then especiallywhen I'm hiring, I don't know,
18 to 30 year olds in thisgeneration, they want to be a
part of something, and time offmatters.
We just spend time talkingabout my grind, and we all
grind, but the grind with thisnext generation is different.
It's like they're not thinking10 years ahead, they're thinking
(16:38):
about Saturday, and so schedulematters, environment matters.
I mean, pizza, pizza, t-shirts,tickets to something, because I
can only pay them so much.
I can't give health insuranceand everybody can't make 50
grand, but I can make them feelimportant.
And in my world, they all wantto be a designer, either owning
(17:00):
their own business or workingfor some massive company, but
they need the resume experiencefirst, which I can give them.
And what they don't think theyneed is the business experience,
which I can give them more thanI'm not gonna give them design
experience ever, if they'regonna get that by hands-on.
So feel a part of something andpersonality and fit matters
(17:21):
because when I was working mallretail for 20 years, I could
have hired the best manager inthe mall.
Great, you've got the skillset.
I mean, you're you're it.
Not if you can't fit thesystem, not if you can't fit the
vibe um and and the flow andthe people.
So I've always looked beyondthe words on the page of the
resume.
BillGilliland (17:39):
I love it.
I love that.
I really love that.
So, what advice would you offerother business owners who are
looking to grow?
DavidRiddell (17:49):
Um, I I would say it's a marathon, not a sprint,
that it's not a get rich quickscheme, definitely.
That you will go through everyentrepreneur emotion.
They've got that cycle andthat, and I know you know it,
but this upward thing, and nope,it's all over the board.
I mean, it is squirrel everyfive minutes and every day, and
(18:10):
how do you pivot?
And we don't like that wordfrom COVID, but it is, and so
you've got to go into it saying,How am I going to learn every
day?
Leverage my resources everyday, uh, and uh figure out the
bumps every day.
But I mean, those people, thethe marketing plan matters, the
(18:33):
business plan, uh, the the themonetary plan and marketing plan
matter, and the people aroundyou.
It's like I don't think I wouldhave gotten through it.
I could, if we had more time, Icould name not by name, but by
what they did for me, the fivemost influential people that I
don't think they know they'rethe most influential people.
And I'm I my plan is to thankthem because I've made it 10
(18:56):
years.
So they're gonna know it soon,if they don't already feel it,
or if I haven't told them.
But some people that you knowyou didn't pay, they just happen
to be there and they happen toteach you something, or you
followed their lead.
And and if you can recognizethose people and those
characteristics, but there werepeople that I mean, outside of
oh, the staff that I've had, ormy family or my wife, or my my
(19:19):
wife because she's in business.
There's a there are people inthe network, in the community
that have given me more thanthey will ever know.
And you need those people.
So that's where the gettinginvolved and being present,
right?
Be interested, not interesting.
You don't always have to be thelife of the party.
You can actually sometimes theythey go hand in hand because
(19:41):
I'm I mean, because I'm kind ofenergetic, but if you're there
to learn and you're there totake it all in, then being
engaged and interested, notbeing the um the takeover
person.
BillGilliland (19:54):
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
Yeah, I I think you can't writeenough thank you notes.
Um yeah, and it's yeah, it'skind of it's kind of cool.
I think you have I think youhave a good opportunity because
you have some swag and stuff youcould send people then you
know, thanking them for forbeing, you know, a big a booster
for you.
It's an easy, it's an easythank you.
(20:15):
And you you can give them agift that's kind of cool.
DavidRiddell (20:18):
We do that every year.
I'll run run a report inOctober now that'll show me my
biggest clients of the year andwhether I make them um make them
a tumbler or make them apersonalized shirt or gift
basket.
You're right.
BillGilliland (20:30):
Yeah, it's it's it's uh it's like wow, you know,
it's so it's so it's a wowthing.
I love that.
What's the big Nick, what's thenext big thing for Big Frog?
DavidRiddell (20:38):
So the biggest thing, and and it's funny
because there are still peoplethat have known me for 10 years
that may forget my name.
So I get to be the big frog,but the store gets to be the big
frog because I'm the face ofit, but it's also my business.
What's interesting is thatwe're as we're coming up on 10
years.
Our last child went away tocollege, so now we're empty
nesters, and I'm on four servantleader business boards that I'm
(21:01):
all for, or or four things thatI'm falling off of, all four of
them all at once.
So by January, you go 10 years,empty nesters, no servant
leadership, anything, but myheart and soul won't let me not.
So I don't know what that is.
What I've told everybody is ifyou ask somebody the middle of
September in 2024 what they weregonna be doing in January,
(21:23):
they'd have plans.
And we had this storm thatchanged everybody's plans.
And so what I'm going to do inJanuary, I would love to answer,
but I'm gonna take the next 90days and finish out all these
obligations and then sit back inJanuary and go, wow, what do we
do for the next 10?
What do I do to feed the soul?
Because the business feeds thefamily and the servant
(21:43):
leadership feeds the soul, and Ihave to do something, teach
something.
I don't know.
Um, and is it love that is itis it another business?
So I don't know.
Somebody says time off.
I don't know how to do thateither.
BillGilliland (21:56):
No, that ain't gonna work for you, David.
DavidRiddell (21:58):
Correct.
BillGilliland (21:59):
Um yeah, yeah, yeah.
What I yeah, so all right.
So if you're looking forsomebody to help you out, a a
servant leader, maybe a boardposition, board chair, board
something, or if uh you got anidea for David, uh, what's the
best?
This is the last question.
What's the best way for someoneto find or get in touch with
(22:20):
you?
DavidRiddell (22:21):
Well, we're easy.
I mean, Big Frog is very fun,very simple, very Googlicious,
right?
And so, I mean, you pull up BigFrog, there is a um a nursery,
a plant nursery, Big Frog, and Ithink something else.
We are not sweet frog theyogurt place, but if somebody
keys in Big Frog, it's rightthere.
It's gonna be Asheville at BigFrog.
Um, and and and the website.
(22:41):
And I mean, we always say thatin business.
You don't need to have yourphone number on your shirt
anymore if you can Google prettywell.
So, I mean, Big Frog CustomT-shirts Googles very well.
Find me.
I see every email on my phoneat 10 o'clock at night saying
squirrel chasing the red dot.
So yeah, it's no thing.
BillGilliland (22:57):
I love it.
I love it.
Hey, look, David, thanks.
This has been excellent.
This is really gonna help a lotof people.
I really appreciate it.
This is a uh a servant thingthat you're doing here as a to
help out our community.
We really appreciate it.
And uh thanks for being on thepodcast again.
DavidRiddell (23:12):
Yeah, I always appreciate it.
Good to see you and thank youfor two weeks of that.
I mean, the summit again.
If somebody, I mean, startplanning next year, you are, but
everybody else ought to thinkabout go.
Keep going to these seminars.
I mean, they cost a little bitof money, but the learnings are
uh more than you can get throughthe dollars.
BillGilliland (23:28):
Yeah, you can't.
Yeah, every time you every timeyou invest, you the best place
to invest is to invest inyourself.
Yep.
So no question, no questionabout that.
Hey, thanks for being here.
Really appreciate it.
Hey, and you got you out there.
Until next time, all the best.
Hey there, everybody.
Welcome to this week's episodeof Epic Entrepreneurs.
I am super pumped up about ourguest today.
But before we get that, let meintroduce myself.
I'm Bill Gilliland, theprincipal at Action Coach
Business Growth Partners, andone of the founders of the
Asheville Business Summit.
And uh today I'm super pumped.
I uh repeat guest.
(00:23):
He's been before on thepodcast.
I've got David Riddell.
And David, so tell us a littlebit about you and your business
and your company and how youserve this community.
DavidRiddell (00:36):
Perfect.
It's great to be here.
I appreciate it.
So I own Big Frog CustomT-shirts in Asheville, down in
Arden.
Um, quite simply, we doeverything apparel with your
logo on it, keeping you visible,whether it's um uniforms,
fundraising, networking, orgifts.
We can do one or we can dothousands.
We also print six differentways, whereas the traditional
(00:58):
printers will um just do screenprinting and embroidery.
So we have a retail shop.
You can come in, touch andfeel, sing and dance, find the
right solutions for brand styleand budget, which matters.
Being able to do one, beingable to do the many, being able
to just understand all of thosethings is great.
December is 10 years open forus, which is a milestone in any
(01:20):
business.
But in a place that'sevent-based and marketing based,
we made it a year and a halfthrough COVID when there were no
events in the trying economictimes that there are.
We uh uh people will cutmarketing first because they
can't cut payroll and they can'tcut rent.
So they cut marketing, of whichis apparel.
But anywhere you go, your logois your silent salesperson.
(01:44):
It is 100% return oninvestment.
So why not spend some money andgive out your brand for people
to wear or all of your peoplewear it?
And that's what makes us theexperts in the area.
And 10 years is is quite againquite the time.
We're proud of that becausethat gives us the longevity and
time served.
I also have a location inDurham, um, four hours away.
(02:08):
So then that gives me twodifferent markets to understand
um business and two sets ofresources and lots of different
people, and we all learn frompeople.
So, yeah, 10 years, big frogcustom t-shirts still rolling.
BillGilliland (02:22):
Yeah, well, that's exciting.
Congrats on 10 years.
Let me ask you this if you hadto start from square one in
business, what would you dodifferently?
DavidRiddell (02:31):
I think um the two things I've always done right
is people because that's thebackground I came from, is
always I'm hiring, and you can'thave your own people.
You can't have people exactlylike you.
So having a great team andleveraging the community and
being more than the name on thedoor uh are our staples.
But if I look back, it's liketake it a little slower because
(02:53):
the biggest thing in businessisn't top line, and it and
bottom line matters becausethat's where you make money, but
cash flow matters.
So how you spend it, how youhold on to it, do you have it in
the crazy times?
Um, don't over-leverageyourself, pace yourself.
Uh, but I mean that that'salways been my biggest issue is
(03:14):
those crazy times going, do wehave what we need to get through
it?
But when times are great, Ihave a great team, and I've
always been a part of thecommunity, right?
From day one, even before weopened, it was go out and be
more than the name on the doorand give back and be present and
engaged.
And that got us througheverything.
(03:35):
But you always need to makesure that again, I mean, cash
flow and and pacing yourself,don't go too crazy.
We got the second location inin Durham, probably a little
sooner than we should have.
But hindsight, foresight, andinsight are everything.
And if we were all perfect,then uh we wouldn't be having
some conversations.
BillGilliland (03:55):
Yeah, no, it's good.
Yeah, I think that's good.
I mean, you yeah, you did a lotof things right.
But obviously, uh keep an eyeon cash flow.
I always say cash flow is theblood of business.
You don't have any blood, youcan't keep going.
So well, starting with ourgovernment.
DavidRiddell (04:08):
I mean, our government and some Fortune 500
companies might look like theyhave a great financial
statement, but they don't haveany money and they keep
borrowing it, right?
And you can't do that.
It's like you have to be able,what if machine?
I've seen too many businessesgo down because they had to buy
equipment, or if I get a $20,000sale and I'm gonna see $10,000
of it, but it's gonna take mefour months to get paid.
(04:30):
I mean, four or four monthsrent, I'm gonna get in profit.
But how do I cover all of thatuntil until that happens?
Cash flow is king, andeverybody doesn't learn that
quick enough, and then they runout of money, even if business
is going well.
BillGilliland (04:45):
Yeah.
So give us uh well, you've kindof already done that, but give
us a maybe maybe one more biglearning that you've had as an
owner and an employer since youstarted.
DavidRiddell (04:55):
So I've been some of my team will say I'm a
salesperson.
What I'm not is a cold hardsell kind of guy, and where and
I'm never going to be, so alwaysstay with who you are.
But within that, the amount ofpeople I've met, and if they
reach out to me, then I'llfollow up like crazy.
But I don't think I've ever hadthe I don't know, the the the
(05:18):
the dark side to look atsomebody and go, but I've seen
you for five years, and nowyou're wearing apparel that I
didn't quote.
So trying to quantify that, Ithink it's a little bit more
aggressive, not in going coldhard sales, but asking those
questions, like, why not me?
Why, if I did all the rightthings and I've known you, did
(05:40):
you not even put me into theequation?
Right.
So I think I've missed someopportunities in some businesses
that again, they know me.
Um, they know everything I am.
I've never done anything wrong,but I've never been given the
opportunity.
Maybe because I didn't ask,right?
There's a thing that says, hey,they'll come to me, or I'm
doing everything right.
But how about you ask a littlebit more?
BillGilliland (06:01):
Yeah, I like that.
Well, yeah, I like I like thata lot because Yeah, I mean,
people are happy, people havehabits, right?
I mean, they may know you, theymay like you, they may trust
you, and they still buy thestuff from whoever they bought
it from last time.
DavidRiddell (06:14):
Right.
And then trusted trust andreferrals, and that's great.
The no like and trusting, I'mI'm amazed with.
But when people have never hadanything, like they've never
done those services, so uh youwould think you'd go to those
people that that you don't know,but the internet must be
cheaper, right?
It's like, or somebody knew aperson, but you know, I mean,
(06:35):
right?
Somebody in the and andoftentimes it might be somebody
in the same business, but uh umthe person that I'm dealing with
isn't the decision maker, butthey didn't go, like I didn't go
to them soon enough and say,come on, what about pitch me,
pitch me, can you help me out?
BillGilliland (06:49):
Yeah, yeah.
No, it's it's unbelievable.
Yeah, it's it's it's good.
Well, uh, yeah, you gotta ask.
It's a great, that's a greatlesson.
So what are some what's acommon misconception or
misconceptions about running abusiness?
DavidRiddell (07:05):
I I think everybody, like I watched a
couple people.
I'm a president of a businessassociation, and and I watched
three businesses last year wherethey were all over 40, so they
left their corporate Americajob, they came and started their
business, and all three of themwere doing something that they
had they had worked forsomebody.
So they thought it's easy.
I know how to do it, sotherefore I'll go into business.
(07:28):
And two things went wrong.
Two things went wrong.
Just because you know it andyou're good at it and can follow
the leader doesn't mean you cando it.
And then within that, you'vegot a couple of pain points and
say, I didn't have a businessplan andor marketing plan.
My sites were too high becauseI thought I'd make my corporate
America money back.
And six months later, you'regoing, why am I not making the
(07:50):
150 grand from corporateAmerica?
Um, and and so then it becamewhat I what I mentioned a few
minutes ago, then it becomescash flow.
Just because it's easy for youworking for somebody and doing
the task does not make you abusiness owner.
I mean, I am not a designer nora printer, I'm a retail
(08:11):
corporate middle manager guy.
What does that mean?
I understand decision makingsand all of the things in my
business (08:17):
the people, the workflow, uh, the the marketing,
right?
Everything keep going back toeverything.
People, and if if my my wifeknows the books because that was
her side and the franchise canteach us, and then we can learn
because in in corporate America,you got to keep learning and
keep pivoting, and they'll keepbeating you down into
submission.
Um, but I could hire the peoplethat can design because there's
(08:42):
a bunch of great people, andthen we can learn everything
together.
But it didn't mean that I hadto do exactly what I was doing.
I used a skill set and thenwent a different direction.
But if somebody's a plumber,they're great at that.
Doesn't mean they can be thebusiness owner of said task or
trade.
BillGilliland (09:00):
Yeah, I've seen a lot of GMs fail when they
bought the business from theirfrom their previous boss.
It's pretty interesting.
I it's shocking in a lot ofways.
I've seen them succeed as well,but a lot of them don't know.
They they just don't when it'syour own money, uh, you know,
it's a different, it's adifferent deal.
So what are you?
DavidRiddell (09:17):
It's leveraging, but isn't it leverage it's it's
leveraging your resources, whichis your people, and then they
say have the lawyer and theaccountant and the business and
have have the Bill Gillolands ofthe world, right?
And we don't do it.
I know how to do it, sotherefore I'll do it.
I don't need a coach, I don'tneed an accountant.
And um, oh by the way, I'm I'mgreat at it.
But yes, some have done very,very well and they understand
leverage the community.
(09:38):
We have, I mean, businessorganizations and different
things.
You can learn just by beingengaged.
BillGilliland (09:44):
Yeah, just show up.
Yeah, it's it's it's prettycool.
Yeah, go to things like thebusiness summit and uh other uh
any kind of educational businessevents, just show up.
I know you go.
DavidRiddell (09:55):
Oh, that's seven hours, right?
You walk away from there going,I've heard this all before, but
maybe not the way that thatMurphy, which is one of the
greatest in our area, it's likeshe says it and you just go, oh
yeah, now I get it, right?
Like Bob on.
BillGilliland (10:08):
Yeah, well, you know, sort of the students ready
when the you know, when theteacher shows up.
I mean, or the teacher shows upwhen the student's ready.
It's kind of an interestingthing.
So yeah, hey, what do youattribute your growth to?
DavidRiddell (10:24):
Uh I would say never stopping the grind is a
really weird word, but I mean,my wife will keep asking, why am
I why why am I looking at thephone at 10 o'clock on a
Saturday night?
That red dot that you see.
I mean, back in the day you sawthe cat chasing the red dot on
the wall.
But I mean, that's kind of whatI'm doing.
It's like, well, if somebodyemails me at 10 o'clock on a
(10:45):
Saturday and I'm the first oneto email back, maybe they won't
ask for any quotes.
We're on vacation and I'm stillgetting up in the morning with
a laptop.
You could debate the other sideof it and say, does Dave have
any work-life balance?
And and okay, work is my hobby,but there is a grind that says
fear of failure.
Even when you're doing well,I'll stand in the store saying
(11:06):
there's not enough boxes.
And they said, but we're ahead.
I said, Well, then we need toget behind, right?
And so there's thispsychological thing that says, I
don't want to lose.
It's my livelihood.
You can lose a house, you canlose everything you've got.
You don't want to go back towork for somebody once you have
a taste of doing it yourself.
So there's this maniacal umdrive and grind with an
(11:29):
entrepreneur, and you know thatit's like you may never make as
much as you did in corporate,and you will definitely work
more, but it's yours, it's allyours, and don't you don't want
to lose it.
BillGilliland (11:41):
Yeah, no, I love that.
I love that.
It's just the drive.
So speaking of personal life,how do you balance personal life
and the demands of running abusiness?
DavidRiddell (11:50):
I mean, well, it's my wife and I in the business,
so it's not, I mean, we have tolearn to shut it off when we're
home.
But what you don't want to dois come home and the rest of the
family hasn't been involvedwith and then download it on
them, right?
So you know how to keep itseparate when you're both in it,
but we just pick and choose ourbattles.
I mean, a work hard play hard,but our play hard is play
(12:13):
hardly.
Like we like to rest when werest, and whether whether our
our vice is is the beach orbaseball.
Um I mean, we're i it's like wejust know when to know when to
shut it down, but or or take itin moderation, right?
It's like as hard as we'reworking, some of that work is me
in a chamber thing or abusiness thing, which is feeding
(12:34):
my soul because it's people andlearning.
So somebody will go, you spentthe whole day working.
No, I spent the whole daylearning, or oh, you started at
an eight o'clock businessmeeting and you went to a
chamber thing till eight.
I said, but half of that, isthat really work?
I mean, it's net work, but ifthere's still something about
it.
And so I I always think, Imean, mindset matters is what
(12:56):
you'll hear coaches say, and howyou go about things.
And and the more stress you puton yourself at work, the less
you can enjoy the little bit oftime you have.
So it's uh how you look atthings, I believe, is is still a
big deal.
BillGilliland (13:10):
Yeah, no, I love that.
I love that.
And if you're um if you'rebuilt like you and you enjoy
people and networking, then it'snot that much work if you yeah,
it's networking, but like yousaid, if if it if it's it it
kind of it kind of gets youjazzed up, which is cool.
There are other of us who, youknow, we're like, man, I don't
want to leave my office and goout and hit another networking
(13:34):
event.
But you know, it's an it's aninteresting uh so that's Laney.
DavidRiddell (13:37):
But you're a great, you're a great coach, but
you've surrounded yourself witha couple of them that like to
be extroverted, go out and getthem.
I mean, who do you give credit?
You didn't say, um, yeah, I putthis thing together, this great
summit together.
Who did you say?
She did an amazing job.
BillGilliland (13:53):
No, no, yeah.
And and look, and I and I'vedone a lot of networking and
I've, you know, and I've and I'mreally good at it.
I just don't, you know, it'sit's at a point.
Uh, you know, I think there'speople who love it and people
who don't, and I'm, you know,I'm extroverted too, but it's
again, it's an interestingthing.
DavidRiddell (14:08):
It's but there's outsourcing for there's a
reasonable.
Yeah, yeah.
And and so then you can't go bybusiness development.
BillGilliland (14:14):
Yeah, I think you're amazing because you go to
all I I've I mean, you're ateverything.
But I, you know, I don't knowhow you do it because there's
uh, you know, I have three otherpeople and they're dividing to
try to get to everything, and wedon't even hit that.
I don't think we go to as manyas you do.
So, which is pretty, pretty,pretty exciting.
Let me ask you something else.
Let's change the subject just alittle bit.
How do you we know I mean, youknow, if you really want to
(14:36):
learn how to networking, youshould emulate David.
I mean, it's it's unbelievable.
Let me ask you something.
When you're looking, and thisis something you're you you
know, you've like you said,you're a people person.
What qualities do you look forin employees?
And how do you foster apositive productive work
environment?
DavidRiddell (14:53):
So everybody says skill set is everything, but fit
matters more, desire mattersmore.
There's a theory in football,if anybody remembers Jerry Rice
versus Randy Moss, and JerryRice is this little dude from
the middle of nowhere,Mississippi, who didn't have the
natural-born talents butoutworked everybody in his hall
(15:14):
of fame.
And then Randy Moss um was thisnatural-born talent, and nobody
liked him, and they put up withhis diva self, but he was
amazing.
But he didn't work as hard.
So when I'm interviewing,somebody will come in and they
want they're bringing theirresume and all these little
internships that they had done,and and they're um let me uh let
(15:36):
me show you my portfolio.
And I don't ask them designquestions because they haven't
worked for the client, they'veworked for themselves, right?
It's like, can you multitask?
Do you have the customerservice skills first?
Do you have multitaskingsecond?
Can you listen to a clientthird?
Can you use our software?
(15:56):
And and so I think they'redisappointed when I'm not
talking about their design.
But I said, you can clearlydesign, we'll get there.
I need a certain person.
So skill set matters, or wewouldn't be talking to you, but
I need to know who you are atthe core.
So I'm asking questions like,why do you work there?
How do you like that?
Why did you do this?
(16:17):
What did you want to be?
And um, and then especiallywhen I'm hiring, I don't know,
18 to 30 year olds in thisgeneration, they want to be a
part of something, and time offmatters.
We just spend time talkingabout my grind, and we all
grind, but the grind with thisnext generation is different.
It's like they're not thinking10 years ahead, they're thinking
(16:38):
about Saturday, and so schedulematters, environment matters.
I mean, pizza, pizza, t-shirts,tickets to something, because I
can only pay them so much.
I can't give health insuranceand everybody can't make 50
grand, but I can make them feelimportant.
And in my world, they all wantto be a designer, either owning
(17:00):
their own business or workingfor some massive company, but
they need the resume experiencefirst, which I can give them.
And what they don't think theyneed is the business experience,
which I can give them more thanI'm not gonna give them design
experience ever, if they'regonna get that by hands-on.
So feel a part of something andpersonality and fit matters
(17:21):
because when I was working mallretail for 20 years, I could
have hired the best manager inthe mall.
Great, you've got the skillset.
I mean, you're you're it.
Not if you can't fit thesystem, not if you can't fit the
vibe um and and the flow andthe people.
So I've always looked beyondthe words on the page of the
resume.
BillGilliland (17:39):
I love it.
I love that.
I really love that.
So, what advice would you offerother business owners who are
looking to grow?
DavidRiddell (17:49):
Um, I I would say it's a marathon, not a sprint,
that it's not a get rich quickscheme, definitely.
That you will go through everyentrepreneur emotion.
They've got that cycle andthat, and I know you know it,
but this upward thing, and nope,it's all over the board.
I mean, it is squirrel everyfive minutes and every day, and
(18:10):
how do you pivot?
And we don't like that wordfrom COVID, but it is, and so
you've got to go into it saying,How am I going to learn every
day?
Leverage my resources everyday, uh, and uh figure out the
bumps every day.
But I mean, those people, thethe marketing plan matters, the
(18:33):
business plan, uh, the the themonetary plan and marketing plan
matter, and the people aroundyou.
It's like I don't think I wouldhave gotten through it.
I could, if we had more time, Icould name not by name, but by
what they did for me, the fivemost influential people that I
don't think they know they'rethe most influential people.
And I'm I my plan is to thankthem because I've made it 10
(18:56):
years.
So they're gonna know it soon,if they don't already feel it,
or if I haven't told them.
But some people that you knowyou didn't pay, they just happen
to be there and they happen toteach you something, or you
followed their lead.
And and if you can recognizethose people and those
characteristics, but there werepeople that I mean, outside of
oh, the staff that I've had, ormy family or my wife, or my my
(19:19):
wife because she's in business.
There's a there are people inthe network, in the community
that have given me more thanthey will ever know.
And you need those people.
So that's where the gettinginvolved and being present,
right?
Be interested, not interesting.
You don't always have to be thelife of the party.
You can actually sometimes theythey go hand in hand because
(19:41):
I'm I mean, because I'm kind ofenergetic, but if you're there
to learn and you're there totake it all in, then being
engaged and interested, notbeing the um the takeover
person.
BillGilliland (19:54):
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
Yeah, I I think you can't writeenough thank you notes.
Um yeah, and it's yeah, it'skind of it's kind of cool.
I think you have I think youhave a good opportunity because
you have some swag and stuff youcould send people then you
know, thanking them for forbeing, you know, a big a booster
for you.
It's an easy, it's an easythank you.
(20:15):
And you you can give them agift that's kind of cool.
DavidRiddell (20:18):
We do that every year.
I'll run run a report inOctober now that'll show me my
biggest clients of the year andwhether I make them um make them
a tumbler or make them apersonalized shirt or gift
basket.
You're right.
BillGilliland (20:30):
Yeah, it's it's it's uh it's like wow, you know,
it's so it's so it's a wowthing.
I love that.
What's the big Nick, what's thenext big thing for Big Frog?
DavidRiddell (20:38):
So the biggest thing, and and it's funny
because there are still peoplethat have known me for 10 years
that may forget my name.
So I get to be the big frog,but the store gets to be the big
frog because I'm the face ofit, but it's also my business.
What's interesting is thatwe're as we're coming up on 10
years.
Our last child went away tocollege, so now we're empty
nesters, and I'm on four servantleader business boards that I'm
(21:01):
all for, or or four things thatI'm falling off of, all four of
them all at once.
So by January, you go 10 years,empty nesters, no servant
leadership, anything, but myheart and soul won't let me not.
So I don't know what that is.
What I've told everybody is ifyou ask somebody the middle of
September in 2024 what they weregonna be doing in January,
(21:23):
they'd have plans.
And we had this storm thatchanged everybody's plans.
And so what I'm going to do inJanuary, I would love to answer,
but I'm gonna take the next 90days and finish out all these
obligations and then sit back inJanuary and go, wow, what do we
do for the next 10?
What do I do to feed the soul?
Because the business feeds thefamily and the servant
(21:43):
leadership feeds the soul, and Ihave to do something, teach
something.
I don't know.
Um, and is it love that is itis it another business?
So I don't know.
Somebody says time off.
I don't know how to do thateither.
BillGilliland (21:56):
No, that ain't gonna work for you, David.
DavidRiddell (21:58):
Correct.
BillGilliland (21:59):
Um yeah, yeah, yeah.
What I yeah, so all right.
So if you're looking forsomebody to help you out, a a
servant leader, maybe a boardposition, board chair, board
something, or if uh you got anidea for David, uh, what's the
best?
This is the last question.
What's the best way for someoneto find or get in touch with
(22:20):
you?
DavidRiddell (22:21):
Well, we're easy.
I mean, Big Frog is very fun,very simple, very Googlicious,
right?
And so, I mean, you pull up BigFrog, there is a um a nursery,
a plant nursery, Big Frog, and Ithink something else.
We are not sweet frog theyogurt place, but if somebody
keys in Big Frog, it's rightthere.
It's gonna be Asheville at BigFrog.
Um, and and and the website.
(22:41):
And I mean, we always say thatin business.
You don't need to have yourphone number on your shirt
anymore if you can Google prettywell.
So, I mean, Big Frog CustomT-shirts Googles very well.
Find me.
I see every email on my phoneat 10 o'clock at night saying
squirrel chasing the red dot.
So yeah, it's no thing.
BillGilliland (22:57):
I love it.
I love it.
Hey, look, David, thanks.
This has been excellent.
This is really gonna help a lotof people.
I really appreciate it.
This is a uh a servant thingthat you're doing here as a to
help out our community.
We really appreciate it.
And uh thanks for being on thepodcast again.
DavidRiddell (23:12):
Yeah, I always appreciate it.
Good to see you and thank youfor two weeks of that.
I mean, the summit again.
If somebody, I mean, startplanning next year, you are, but
everybody else ought to thinkabout go.
Keep going to these seminars.
I mean, they cost a little bitof money, but the learnings are
uh more than you can get throughthe dollars.
BillGilliland (23:28):
Yeah, you can't.
Yeah, every time you every timeyou invest, you the best place
to invest is to invest inyourself.
Yep.
So no question, no questionabout that.
Hey, thanks for being here.
Really appreciate it.
Hey, and you got you out there.
Until next time, all the best.
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