November 19, 2025 • 44 mins
The kind of moment that keeps a dream alive doesn’t always arrive with a banner; sometimes it’s a quiet ping at the register and a lump in your throat. We finally crossed the sales number we set five years ago—through shutdowns, grief, a newborn, and more near-misses than we care to count—and it hit us with a wave of validation bigger than the math. The goal wasn’t about getting rich; it was about proving this American-made lifestyle brand could stand on its own legs and keep serving a community that’s carried us from day one.
Along the way, we open up about mental health and the heartbreaking story of Marshawn Nealon, reflecting on how fatherhood can rewire purpose and help us stay one more day. Then, at a Bangor Mall pop-up, we watched something rare: two women who had lost their jobs after blowing the whistle on abuse in a mental health facility nearly sold out their crafts. On day two, a local shop owner stopped to browse their partner’s Yu-Gi-Oh cards, paid sixteen hundred dollars, and then offered scrubs, toys, and a chance to bring the rest of the collection for a fair deal. Tears, hugs, stunned silence. Call it timing, call it grace—it felt like a Christmas miracle.
If you’re chasing a target that keeps slipping away, this story is for you. We talk candidly about setting realistic goals, the squeeze of cash flow during growth, and why showing up in real communities creates surface area for luck and kindness. We also share the laughs—yes, we said “Yogi cards” before getting corrected—and the gratitude that fuels us into the next season.
If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who needs a lift, and leave a review. Your words help new listeners find the show and help small, American-made dreams keep going.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:02):
On this week's episode of Share the Struggle
Podcast, we break the news on aloud, proud American milestone
achievement that has been fivelong years in the making.
And I also share with you thefirst Christmas miracle of the
season.
(00:22):
All that and more on today'sepisode of Share the Struggle
Podcast.
Let me tell you something.
Everybody struggles.
The difference is some peoplechoose to go through it and some
choose to grow through it.
The choice is completely yours.
Which one you choose will have avery profound effect on the way
(00:43):
you live your life.
(01:38):
Good.
Low Almighty, am I so excited tobe back with you?
Oh, it is true.
It is damn true because I loveyou, Boo.
Welcome to episode 280 of thisyear podcast.
Perfectly precisely named Sharethe Struggle.
(01:58):
Because everybody struggles.
This podcast is brought to youby the fine folks over to Loud
Proud American, home of thatapparel brand that focuses on
the American spirit, bringingback American manufacturing.
There is no better gift to givein this gift-giving season than
that of a gift proudly made inthe USA.
Support American manufacturingand this family right here.
(02:20):
Head on over toloudproudamerican.shop.
Get yourself something reallynice.
I'm going to be updating thewebsite here shortly.
We have a lot of major projectsgoing on at the home front.
I am eagerly awaiting andanticipating the announcement of
some cool stuff going on at homehere on the Ponderosa for the
(02:42):
family, both business, personal,pleasure, what have you.
All great things.
It is the busy time of theseason for us.
Usually things slow down thistime of year.
We come out of Freiburg and Itake a few months off.
We position ourselves to be uhgood to go through the holidays
and through the season.
(03:02):
Um, but that's not the case thisyear.
If you've heard me talking overthe past few weeks, I am
continuing to stay as active asI possibly can.
So we just wrapped up twoback-to-back weekends at the
Bangor Mall.
I'm going to get into somedetails on that here shortly.
But I'm just kind of giving youthe little screenshot of things
and how they're going here inthe home front.
(03:24):
Uh, we were looking into doingsome more shows, but the vehicle
situation is kind of holding usback.
Our uh company vehicle is out ofcommission right now, so it's
been kind of a juggling actbetween, you know, figuring out
where to go, how to get there,versus the things that need to
be done at home for the businessand for the family.
So um it's crunch time overhere, and uh, we're going hard
(03:46):
and fast as best as we possiblycan, navigating all that we can.
So that's really some of thestuff that's on tap for this
week.
I have an awesome announcementabout the business, and uh I
wanted to share a littleheartwarming thing that uh I
said heart warming.
It sounded like I said worming.
(04:07):
Nobody nobody wants heartworms,man.
My dogs are laying in the livingroom right now being jackasses,
and and I'm pretty certain oneof them just woke up when I said
heartworm.
They were like, oh no, not me,big daddy.
Heart warming.
I'm having a hard time saying itnow.
Warm.
I'm trying to emphasize the A,warming, but it ain't working
(04:29):
because it sounds like wormin'.
Heart, you know what I mean?
Whatever.
It makes you feel good, is whatI should say.
I only went far as far in lifeas my parents' taxpaying dollars
would take me.
I am publicly educated andover-regulated, so you know,
just it is what it is, okay?
(04:50):
Take it for what it's worth.
But Share the Trucker Podcast.
Let's get back on track here.
Y'all know the routine.
This is that show where we sharewhatever it is that we're going
through that we're growingthrough, and we know if we have
the the confidence and thevulnerability to share what it
is that we're experiencing inlife, then it will provide
strength to others experiencingsimilar situations in life.
(05:12):
That is the reason for thishere's show.
I still can't believe we are at280 consecutive weeks over five
years of this here beautifulpodcast.
We've got a lot of loyal dayones.
And when I say day one, I'macknowledging the folks in the
room that have been here sinceday one.
Get your ones up.
I love you.
I acknowledge you.
But I also want to welcome toyou a bunch of new listeners.
(05:35):
Thank you to all of you that arelistening for the first one.
The first time.
This is your day one.
I welcome you.
Don't forget you can go back anduh listen to all the years
episodes.
I think that uh a lot of peoplereach out and say they love
binging the podcast, they enjoydoing that.
Welcome back to Kevin Balanskifrom from New York, from out in
(05:59):
the Syracuse area of New York.
He is back on track with thepodcast.
Love you, big Kev.
Wanted to say thanks for comingback.
I got the message from you, butI'm saying these things about um
some new listeners because Ifound this little stat that I
think is pretty cool.
I never noticed it in mypodcasting app before, but it
actually lists out um a few newlocations.
(06:21):
So I think this is kind of cool.
I was um just getting ready fortoday's podcast, and I was
trying to refresh my memory asto what episode today was.
280, okay.
So I went on my um my uploadingsite to uh check what that
number was, and then I alsonoticed this spot that says new
(06:42):
locations.
So let's just throw them outthere.
Uh for all the regularlisteners.
I think it's just kind of coolfor you to hear different places
that people are coming in andtuning in from.
And for all of you that are thatare new here, hopefully maybe
I'm shouting you out, and ifthat's the case, then I welcome
you, I appreciate you, and uhsend on a little uh message, a
little how do you do on over.
That'd be great.
But uh welcome to the new folksin the room from Jackson,
(07:05):
Mississippi.
I've actually always wanted togo to Jackson, Mississippi.
So fun fact, I think um actuallyJackson is the my favorite
joining cash songs.
Maybe that's where that comesfrom.
Jackson, Mississippi.
Also, welcome to the room.
Madison, Wisconsin.
I wonder if that's Maddie out inWisconsin.
We made some friends on the roadin Wisconsin.
(07:26):
So Madison, Wisconsin, welcometo the show.
And uh I'm gonna have a hardtime pronouncing this one, but
uh uh it looks likeMechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania,welcome.
And this one I will definitelymess up, but welcome to the
show, Helsinki Usama.
(07:47):
The fine folks in Helsinki.
Booyah, I love saying Helsinki,so that's kind of helped make
this stick.
But four new locations.
Thought that was kind of cool.
It only showed uh like fourlocations.
I think that might be just kindof what it peeks out at when I
open it up to kind of like alittle news thing.
Like, hey, here's four new spotsfor you.
So probably changes every day,but very cool.
(08:08):
Maybe I get in the habit ofsharing that every time we we
jump on.
I thought that was kind of cool,kind of fun.
Shows the outreach that we havestarted to build, and I owe that
to each and every one of you.
So thank you.
I appreciate you, I acknowledgeyou, I love you, and I welcome
you back, and I welcome you in,friends.
Hope all y'all are doing well.
(08:28):
I hope you're uh gearing up forthe holiday season, you're
starting to count some lessons,you're starting to feel awful
thankful, and um, that's the wayI hope all of us can be moving
forward.
I want to touch on somethingfrom last week.
Last week's episode uh was a funepisode and a heartfelt, um,
difficult episode at the sametime.
We got into some difficultconversations on mental health,
(08:49):
and we talked about um being abetter version of you so you can
so you can help other people.
And uh we were talking aboutMarshawn Nealon and that story
of the young man at only age 24who took his life second-round
draft pick in uh defensive endfor the Dallas Cowboys, Marshawn
Nealan.
It took a little more sad turnum right after recording the
(09:10):
episode.
I learned that um they'reexpecting that Marshawn's
girlfriend is pregnant withtheir first child, so um crazy
to uh to think about.
And I say that because I am uh anew father here, and um so I
guess I'm ultra sensitive to allof those things, but it's
(09:31):
already easy to see and to saythat my greatest accomplishment
on this earth is already havingmy daughter and um welcoming
Paisley to the world.
She's already meant so much tome and my family and been an
amazing blessing and gift thatum I can't help but think if
(09:51):
Marshawn could have actuallymade it, like if he could have
just stayed strong long enoughfor that little one to show up,
that it might have changed hiswhole life.
I know he was dealing with thedeath of his mother, and um, you
know, for me here dealing withthe death of my father, and very
shortly actually on my father'sbirthday, his first heavenly
birthday, finding out I wasgoing to be a dad, it changed
(10:14):
everything for me.
And I was certainly scaredshitless, and I'm sure he was
too, and that might havefactored into it.
And I'm guessing when you'rebattling with mental health,
maybe you're thinking you're notadequate enough to be a father,
and those are all things that Ithink all men deal with and
battle with, but I can't helpbut think if he would have just
made it to that to that littlebaby's birth that his life would
(10:34):
have changed, and um, you know,it just it's really sad because
I spent the weekend.
Obviously, I spend every daywith my daughter, but I spent
the weekend at the Bangor Malland and um watching her interact
and talk to people and play withpeople and um just how special
it is and how so many peoplejust gravitate to her already.
And um, we actually spent thepast two weekends at my cousin's
(10:58):
house, um, something that I'vewe we haven't hung out since we
were children, and um just allof these things just kind of
connecting us together, and itjust you know, you think about
people missing out on that, andit was a special week for us
here because last week, well,first off, little Paisley's a
crawling champion and she'sgetting close to walking, and
(11:18):
she can walk and hold on tothings, but she hasn't really
been walking on her own.
And last week with the wifeworking from home and me working
from home, my mom had um littlePaisley and she sent us a video
that said it's happening, andshe was upstairs just walking.
And you know, we've been upthere with her, and now you
know, we ran up there with her,I should say, and watched her
walk and play, and now she'skind of a walking machine.
(11:40):
So she's off and running, she'soften walking, and uh life comes
at you fast, things come at youfast, but I'm feeling awful
blessed and awful fulfilled overhere, and um, it's just really
sad, it adds another sad elementto that whole story.
So I just wanted to drop thatthat recap on last week, kind of
connecting the dots a littlebit.
(12:01):
I didn't want to um you knowmake everybody sad, but I guess
I'm saying it in case there'ssome people out there that are
struggling that do have some um,you know, mental health battles
right now, and maybe you findyourself in a similar situation
as Marshawn, where maybe youhave a little one on the way,
and I just want to empower youto stay.
I just want you to know that ifyou can make it a few more
(12:23):
weeks, a few more months, whenthat little one comes, it's
gonna change your entire life.
Uh, if you're like me and you'relike Marshawn, you're you're
hurting from losing a parent,there's nothing like um the the
void in your heart that getsfilled when you have when you
have a child.
So hopefully that reaches somepeople out there, and that's
(12:43):
kind of why I'm I'm putting itout there.
But I want to remove ourselvesfrom last week.
Let's get into this week.
You know, we've been talkingabout our two weekends back to
back at the Bangor Mall and thereal inspiring feeling for us as
a brand to have a storefront, tohave a brick and mortar.
It's been tremendous to be ableto go into a store and
(13:05):
experience that Christmas hustleand bustle, the holiday season.
It's been tremendous.
This past weekend, we did not douh nearly as good as we did the
first weekend, but it was agreat weekend.
Uh, so much so that on ourSaturday this year, we actually
passed um the two-day combo oflast year.
(13:27):
So last year we did it for oneweekend, a Saturday and Sunday.
And on Saturday, this pastweekend, it was uh a bigger day
than both Saturday and Sunday oflast year.
And uh Sunday was another prettydecent day for us when you
package them all up together.
Um I actually had a great uhfour-day, two-weekend event.
(13:49):
And if you guys have beenlistening and you know me, you
know that I put some goals onthe table, some hopeful goals,
some realistic goals, and somelofty goals that are within
reason.
And I hit the lofty goal that Ithought was within reason.
So uh a major success for usthis weekend.
And and I just want to say thankyou to each and every one of you
that might be listening, thatcame out, that participated,
(14:10):
that that um that showed up,that showed out.
It took a village for us to getthere, and the village showed up
for us to have a tremendousweekend.
So I just wanted to say a thankyou, I appreciate you, and um,
I'm counting you as an absoluteblessing this year.
I got to spend time with some ofmy cousins, Hannah, Amanda,
Bree.
I get to see and spend time withsome new extended family, the
(14:33):
entire Tracy family showing upand showing out and supporting
us back-to-back weekends.
And if you guys have beenlistening throughout the year,
you know that um I met a youngfella that has been um a really
special addition to the family,somebody that I foresee us
always having a relationshipwith.
I was at the Scowhegan Fair, uhsuffering through a very slow
(14:57):
fair, and I met a really specialyoung man named Isaiah, and he
spent a week with us, and we'vestayed in touch, and he made the
trip from uh from his home tothe fair to the mall, I should
say, and spent the day with uson Saturday.
And it's really cool.
Like, you know how sometimesthings just fit, right?
Sometimes people in your lifejust fit, and I guess there's no
(15:20):
better judge of character thanthat, to that, than your
14-month-old daughter, becauseshe instantly starts to um like
play hide and seek and interactand socialize with Isaiah.
She's not really big onstrangers picking her up and
stuff, and uh she was basicallyasking him to pick her up.
So within a very short amount oftime, he's holding her and
(15:43):
walking around with her, andthey're interacting and and
playing, and and uh they werejust having a really good time.
So the that was reallyfulfilling for us to um to have.
So I met Isaiah this year.
I'm certainly counting him as ablessing this year, uh, meeting
this young man that gave me hopeand inspired uh the thought
process in me that maybe thisfuture generation is gonna be
(16:05):
okay, right?
And uh he's just a reallytremendous hardworking
individual, 18-year-old kid outon his own, um, putting in 80
hours of work at the farm, uh,followed by a 60-hour work week
at the farm, followed by uhhanging out for five, six hours
at the mall with the family.
So um very cool.
It was a great weekend and agreat blessing.
(16:28):
And I will say that I startedtoday's show mentioning a
milestone moment and achievementfor the business that has been
five long hard years in themaking, and I'm excited to share
that with you.
I can't get into exact detailson it, but what I can say, and
(16:48):
to all of you that have beenlistening all along the way,
you've heard me say this many,many times.
When I started this business, myfirst year in business, I
forecasted this number.
I said, Hey, if I can sell, if Ican net, if my net sales are
this number right here, I thinkthe business is working, I think
(17:09):
it's providing, I think we canmake a living, and I don't think
it'll hold us back.
This is the number that I needto be at.
Now, I will say over the yearsI've realized there's a lot more
to that number that I didn'trealize.
There's a lot more things thatcome out of that net profit that
don't really um correlate to memaking that amount of money.
So it's still not really acomfort level for me, but I
(17:32):
don't want to overshadow or orshy away from or not appreciate
and celebrate this particularstory here because this number
that I set for this business,I've been chasing for five
seasons for five years.
Actually, we're approaching oursixth year in business.
(17:53):
The first year we didn't comeanywhere as close to that
number.
We suffered through uh COVID,through the pandemic, through
all the shutdowns.
The second year we experiencedtremendous growth.
We almost doubled, maybe evendid double our number from the
previous year.
Um, every year since then, we'vewe've grown, we've gained.
Um, that following year afterthat, my father passed, and we
(18:16):
were having we were on pace tohave our best every year.
And um my father passed, and ourbusiness and our lives basically
shut down for months.
And um it certainly put us outof business for the whole
holiday season, and uh we missedout.
And then last year we, you know,battled and battled and tried to
(18:38):
overcome a lot of things.
And and little Paisley arrivedin September, and we took a lot
of things off of our schedulebecause you know we were we were
anticipating her birth and thenhaving the birth and then coming
out of Freiburg and not beingable to travel very much because
we have a newborn and all thosethings.
Um, we gained a little bit ofground and we came oh so close.
We came within thousands ofdollars, a few thousand dollars
(19:00):
shy of attaining that numberthat I set for myself.
So I'm saying this to tell youthat every year for five years
I've fallen short on this goal.
I am yet to hit the goal that Ithought we would attain in our
first year in business.
I thought first year you'regonna hit this number, and then
we're gonna start growing fromthere.
If you can hit this number onyear one, then you know there's
(19:24):
growth for you, that you knowthere's gains for you, you know
there's profit in dollars and alife for you.
There's hope for this dream tocome true for you.
But the truth is, folks, I'venever hit that number.
Not in year one, not in yeartwo, not in year three, not in
year four, not in year five.
As we're closing in, wrapping upwhat will be or the coming to
(19:46):
the end of year six, I'm reallybad at math.
Is that is this becomingobvious?
How many times do the wheels onthe bus go round and round?
My daughter's depending on me tocount America.
I guess I'm rambling and I'm andI'm uh confusing myself because
I'm excited to share with youthat Loud Proud American finally
(20:10):
attained that number.
Not only did we hit that number,we passed that number.
That number, that goal, thatlofty goal that I set for myself
on day one that began to feelimpossible, it came true.
I even remember the exacttransaction when we passed that
(20:31):
number.
Because it was a close familyfriend.
Um I think that made it evenmore special.
If you guys have been listening,you know my story about going to
Florida, and uh one of my bestfriends, Brian, and his boy
Zach, putting their life on holdto help me achieve a dream and
heading to Daytona and umselling there at Daytona at Bike
(20:56):
Week.
And um Brian and his wifeChristy were the first actual
people that I ever trusted torun my business for me, to cash
people out, to represent thebusiness and the brand.
And um it was very fitting thefact that Brian's wife Christy
and her girlfriends were on agirls' trip and they came up to
(21:17):
see us, and her and her friendsmade the final transactions to
push Loud Proud American intothe number that I've been hoping
for, praying for, and working ohso hard for.
It feels oh so good to finallyhit that number.
(21:40):
I don't know what it is.
The number doesn't provide thelife I expected it to provide,
but it validates the journey, itvalidates the fight and the
struggle, it validates thatthere is more growth here.
That Proud American, if you'redoing the math on this, folks,
this means right now, inNovember, the middle of
(22:01):
November, we have alreadyachieved the greatest net sales
year in the history of ourbusiness.
We have a month and a half togo, and we have attained the
greatest net sales of ourhistory.
We currently are up 14% in netsales for 2025 over 2024.
(22:29):
You guys know how difficult itis to make money this year.
Y'all should know how difficultit is to afford anything this
year, and here we are this yearachieving our greatest success.
14% net sales growth this yearwith more time to go.
I will say the ironic thinghere, folks, is I feel broker
(22:53):
than we ever have as a business,but I do know there's a lot of
growing pains of the business.
We're trying to expand, we'restruggling with some of those
hurdles, and we've broken a lotof things this year with this
business.
But I'm encouraged by thisbusiness, I'm rejuvenated by
this business, and I'm hopefulfor this business.
This is our greatest year ever.
(23:19):
I can't believe it.
Thank you to each and everysingle one of you.
Whether you have made apurchase, whether you've, you
know, liked, commented, sharedour business, invited other
people to follow our business,support our business, help grow
our business.
It means everything to us.
We love you.
(23:41):
Gotcha.
Lau Proud American is alifestyle brand dedicated and
determined to represent theAmerican spirit with an
unrelenting commitment toprovide made and the USA
products.
If you would like to join thetwo percent of Americans that
(24:05):
buy American and supportAmerican, head on over to
www.looproudamerican.shop.
Together, we can bring backAmerican manufacturing.
Alright, alright, alright.
Well, folks, in between all thecelebrations, in between all the
(24:28):
motivations, motivating myselfto take the brand to bigger new
levels, imagining ourselves withbrick and mortars and
storefronts and all thosethings, in between counting
blessings and being grateful andall the hustle and all the
bustle.
I also mentioned a Christmasmiracle.
(24:51):
And it was pretty damn cool thisweekend being at the Bangor Mall
and being on the sidelineswatching a Christmas miracle.
Let me try to explain this toyou folks as best I possibly
can.
We set up inside the storefront.
So I think I gave you a littleuh painted little picture the
(25:12):
past couple of weeks about this,but malls all throughout the
country, they are um beginningto be abandoned, right?
So many stores are empty andvacated, and um all the kiosk in
the middle, and most of them arepretty much gone.
So what happens in Bangor,Maine, is that um crafters and
small business owners,entrepreneurs take over the mall
(25:33):
for two weekends in a row.
So all through the center aisleof the mall, there's all these
pop-up shops, kiosks, foldingtables, pop-up tents, whatever.
Just the sea of crafters, andthen other ones will take over
storefront spaces.
And in the store I was in,there's let's say um one, two,
(25:54):
three.
This weekend there was fourdifferent businesses in there.
The previous weekend there weresix.
And um we are able to set up andthen sell for two days, lock the
doors, come back a week laterand sell for two days more.
Well, this weekend, when wearrived, two of the businesses
that we shared space with theprevious week had vacated, and a
(26:15):
new one had entered.
And I will say, originally whenI came in, I was like kind of
getting a strange vibe by thetwo new ladies that were in
there working together.
Uh they just weren't reallytalking to anybody yet, and um,
they were setting up, so maybeit's the you know, the the last
minute hustle of setting upwhile the rest of us are just
showing up because we've alreadyset up a week ago, you know.
(26:37):
So they're getting set up andthey have a whole mixture of
crafts, and some of it is um,you know, like wood stuff.
Um I don't know, man.
There's all these different likewood figurine type things
between dolls and necklaces andjewelries and crocheted and
knitted and uh I mean it's awide array of stuff.
We're talking from from gnomesto resin necklaces, okay?
(27:00):
All over the place.
Well, while I'm there, I'msitting there, um, and Allie
took Paisley to the bathroom oruh to kind of cruise about them
all.
And I was sitting there and um Iheard one of the ladies, the
younger one, talking to a friendthat came in, she hadn't seen in
quite some time, and gives her abig hug, and it turns into this
(27:24):
conversation that probablyshouldn't be happening on the
floor of a store, especiallywhen you're the only two people
talking.
You ever been around those?
Have you been around thoseconversations where you're like,
man, I don't think I could havethat conversation in public?
And if I did, I probablywouldn't be yelling it, right?
Like I hadn't even turned musicon yet.
(27:45):
It's it's quiet.
And she starts basically comingout and saying, Did you hear?
I got my kids back.
And uh that turns into I have,and I don't, I don't, don't
quote me, I don't remember thescenario, but it's like I know I
have a six-year-old, a12-year-old, a nine-year-old, I
don't know, a newer one with thestill has the new car scent.
I don't know.
She's got a few kids, right?
(28:06):
And she got them all back, andto the point where I think this
person didn't even realize shehad that many kids.
So I don't know the situation, Idon't know the history, but I do
find this odd to have thisconversation um take place,
right?
Well, um, this happens verybeginning of day one, and um,
(28:28):
they're right next to us, soit's not like I'm spying in or
anything.
There's this downtime whereyou're sitting around and you're
hearing things and you're seeingthings.
So some of these conversationsjust continue to kind of um
happen throughout the day.
And there's these two these twoladies that are running this
booth, and um the lady that umexpressed she just got her kids
(28:49):
back, uh, her husband shows up.
I sounds to me like a newhusband scenario.
And um basically what I'mlearning is these two women are
splitting this vendor spot andthey're splitting the bill.
And um, the woman that just gother kids back and her new
husband's there, the other ladygrants him the opportunity of
(29:10):
putting a folding table intotheir display and selling some
of his stuff.
So in the midst of the you know,the um montage of collectibles
that they're selling, he breaksout some collectibles of his
own, and these aren't crafts,these are collectibles, and
they're like yogi cards of somesort.
Now, I'm not an expert herebecause I only know two yogis.
(29:31):
I know yogi bear and I know yogibear, okay?
Yogi bear, one of them being thecartoon, hey boo-boo, and the
other one being Hall of Fame,New York Yankee, and World
Champion, Yogi Bear.
So, those are the only yogis Iknow, okay?
But they have these um bunch ofdifferent yogi collectibles on
(29:52):
this small fold out card table.
Um, and they basically have likeuh binders of cards and stuff,
right?
Small table.
Some things over there, nothingin my interest.
I pay it no attention.
Shortly thereafter, the otherwoman's husband shows up and
he's made a um wooden gun safeAmerican flag that you can open
(30:13):
with a digital card, basically.
So um what I'm gathering is wenow have four people selling out
of one location, trying to makewhatever they can for cash.
Which, if you know me and youknow our story, as a child,
that's how I paid for Christmas.
I would make crafts, go tothings like this, sell them.
I would set up outside inparking lots, I would set up
(30:35):
anywhere and sell crafts andgifts.
I learned to become a salesmanbecause at a very, very young
age, like maybe five or so, Iwas making Christmas ornaments
out of pipe cleaners and beads,and I was selling them in front
of Dunkin' Donuts all throughthe winter while my parents were
sitting there drinking coffee.
I was peddling bucks to gainenough money to buy Christmas
(30:57):
presents for my family.
I graduated into making wreaths,scavenging the woods, finding
ferns, making Christmas wreaths,to cutting down birch trees,
making decorated candles, goingeverywhere selling my crafts to
fund my holidays.
I did this all growing up.
It helped me to become asalesperson, it helped me get
over the fear of talking topeople.
(31:18):
These are some of the thingsthat we're doing with Paisley
already.
I was raised this way.
She will be too.
When I um left my career tochase this dream, when I left um
the Harlow Davidson world thatfirst winter, uh, the family, my
wife and my mother, my father,we started going back to our
history of making crafts, and wesupported our family's Christmas
(31:40):
doing the same things all overagain.
So I'm very familiar with thisscenario.
But as I was sitting there, Iheard them um just getting
excited with every sale thatthey made.
So at the end of day one, we allgo our separate ways, and and um
I returned in the morning on onday two, and um the ladies are
(32:00):
very excited about the day theyhad, and they're also way more
comfortable and willing to talkto us, to talk to Paisley, like,
oh my god, she's so beautiful,she's so friendly.
I can't believe she's been sogood.
They're coming over doing fistbumps and interacting and having
conversations and and kind of umyou know molding and melting
into the rest of the room,right?
(32:22):
And their their their cupboards,their cabinets, their shelves,
their tables are rather bare.
They sold almost everything theyhad on day one.
So here are uh four individualsthat clearly um are trying to
make ends meet.
And on day one, they just aboutsell out of everything, and
(32:42):
they're so excited, and they'retelling us, man, we sold so much
stuff yesterday, we're spreadingthings out to make it look busy,
we're um making things whilewe're here to try to have more
things on the shelf.
Uh, one lady was so excited totell me I made$400 yesterday
doing this, and I I can't eventell you how badly I needed it.
I am um I'm so so fortunateright now.
(33:05):
And um shortly thereafter, thisfella comes in, and I'd seen him
around the mall, and uh come tofind out he actually owns a
storefront in the mall, and thestorefront that we are in, he
used to own.
But he's on his hands and kneesbasically, and he's looking over
these uh yogi collectibles, notbear, not bearer.
(33:26):
He's looking them over, and umhe's asking lady number two
about these cards, but ladynumber one, who's the cards
belong to her husband, she umhasn't checked in yet.
So she's kind of entertaininghim and they're going through
things, and I'm opening up andyou know, just getting on with
my business.
And then lady number one showsback up and she starts talking
(33:48):
with this fella, and now ladyone and two plus this fella are
going over everything, andthey're writing down the prices
on each card that her husbandlisted, and they're going over
ballparks on this and that, andthey're just hemming and
hollering and going back andforth.
And I'm just going about mybusiness, and every once in a
while, when I sit back or sitdown, I look over, and they're
still going over these things,and um long to short of it, they
(34:13):
um make an offer and they kindof go back and forth, and I see
the agreement being made, andthen this fella takes out um a
wad of cash and he hands it toher and says, Well, that should
be most of it.
And I'm I'm not sitting very farfrom them, so it's not like I'm
(34:34):
spying on this, I just hearthis.
So I see her take the money outand she starts counting it out,
and she puts it in piles and shecounts out one thousand dollars,
and he says, I'm just gonna goacross to my store and um I will
uh I'll get you the rest of themoney.
I owe you another six hundreddollars.
(34:54):
And I'm thinking, sixteenhundred dollars on some fucking
yogi bear?
Good lord, man.
He walks across the way, andlady number one just starts
crying.
And um, she says to lady numbertwo, like, I I can't thank you
so much for for talking to himand keeping him here.
I have to call my husband.
(35:15):
And she calls her husband andshe says, like, you're not gonna
believe this, you're not gonnabelieve this.
I just sold everything, I justsold everything you had,
everything you brought here.
We just made sixteen hundreddollars, and she's bawling her
eyes out.
And um during this time, thisfellow walks back in and he sees
this whole interaction and herbawling, and he just doesn't
(35:37):
know what to do, and he'sthinking, like, I mean, are they
upset that they did the wrongthing selling these things?
And she just gives him a hug andsays, I can't tell you how much
I needed this, and then I hearthe story, and she said, Um, me
and my friend here, we work umin the mental health field, and
(35:58):
we work with adults with mentaldisabilities, and um, we work
with these adults at a facility,and I was a manager, and she
worked here with me, and wewitnessed these people not being
treated fairly.
We witnessed malpractice and wewitnessed abuse, and we tried to
stop it, and we complained aboutit, and we continued to complain
(36:20):
about it, and they wouldn'tchange, and um, we had to file
complaints with the state, andthey called us whistleblowers
and they took our jobs away.
We were wrongfully fired forstanding up for these adults
with mental disabilities.
They couldn't stand up forthemselves, so we stood up for
them, and it cost us our job.
(36:40):
So we're both out of work.
Neither one of us have jobs,neither one of us can pay our
bills, and um, this is whatwe're doing to try to make ends
meet through the holidays.
And I can't tell you how muchthis makes a difference for me,
the sixteen hundred dollars.
And they're both crying, and helooks at him and was like, I'm
so happy I was able to help.
(37:01):
I'm not very good with emotion,you know.
And he gave her a hug and and hesaid, This for me is a passion.
I love these things, I collectthese things.
This used to be my storefront.
I have several different umbusinesses that I'm involved in,
and one of them is right acrossthe hall, and across the hall
from us, I believe it's calledLiquidate Me N-E, as in Maine,
(37:23):
and everything in there is fivedollars.
And my wife found brand newboots for Paisley, and um she
found uh sandals for um my momand her for Christmas, all these
brand new things for fivedollars a piece, like a whole
mess of stuff from Pendleton, areally good name.
And um, every time, every yearthat we're there, we go in there
(37:44):
and find stuff because you neverknow what you're gonna find.
And it's all five dollars.
And so he's talking to theseladies and and and they're like,
he's like, you know, what areyou doing now?
Are you working?
And she's like, Well, I justtook like a part-time job back
in the medical field taking careof some people, but you know,
it's just trying to make endsmeet, and and um, you know,
she's just kind of going overthings and and you know, and
(38:06):
she's talking about how muchshe's struggling, and um, and
that she's getting back into themedical field, and that you
know, she's talking about likehaving the money just even to
buy scrubs and stuff, and herfriend was saying, like, there
are scrubs don't even fit.
She's got them held on by youknow clothespins or whatever,
and you can see this fella startto get emotional, and he says,
(38:26):
I'll tell you what, um, I'mhappy I was able to help, but I
also want to tell you that rightacross the way, that's my
business, that's my store,that's one of my businesses.
And I have a whole rack in thereof medical scrubs, a whole rack.
You can consider it part of thedeal.
You go over there and grab asmany as you need.
They're nothing fancy, they'rejust basic, but you can grab as
many as you need.
(38:48):
And you walk around that store,and you guys can grab whatever
you need, and on the back ofthat store, there's even toys to
help with Christmas.
You are more than welcome to goover there and take whatever you
want.
It's on me, it's part of thisdeal.
And I just watched these twowomen break down, and I couldn't
help but sit on the sidelinesand get emotional, and I started
smiling and seeing seeing God'swork right firsthand, God's
(39:14):
work, just seeing all thishappen.
And I can say God's work becauseI've even heard these two ladies
talking about um fellowship andtalking about um embracing God
and having those conversations,and then this happening.
Understand this, folks.
There's so many crafters,there's so much competition in
(39:35):
this place.
These ladies are telling me thaton day one they sold nearly
everything they had on theirtable.
And people could have boughtanywhere else, very similar
things.
They're buying from them.
Then to put out these yogi cardsand have every single thing
bought for sixteen hundreddollars, and then he says,
Whatever you have, you can bringit in.
(39:58):
I'll order lunch, and we can sitdown, tell stories, and go
through the whole collection,and I'll make you an offer on
everything you have.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys andgirls, that is a Christmas
miracle.
That is God's work.
I am incredibly blessed to havebeen on the sidelines and
(40:19):
witnessed God's work.
It was incredible, it washeartwarming.
There it is again.
Heartwarming.
I can't even begin to explainthe chills I had just sitting
there.
And then when they when whenwhen he left, lady number one
calls her husband and he startstell she starts telling him and
(40:41):
she's crying, and then she takesfrom the money and she grabs a
you know I don't know how muchmoney it is, if it's a hundred
dollars, if it's two hundreddollars, whatever it is.
And she gives it to lady numbertwo, and she said, My husband
wants you to have this.
And she's like, No, I'm nottaking that.
She said, No, he wants you tohave this.
You kept him here, you talked tohim, you helped make this work.
If I if you weren't here, thismight not have happened.
(41:03):
He wants you to have this.
You also split this booth withhim, he wants you to have it.
And she started crying.
The generosity, the opportunity,the timing, all incredibly
unbelievable.
All God's timing, all a realgood life Christmas miracle.
(41:28):
I hope that right there inspiresyou today to maybe maybe be open
to your own Christmas miracle,and maybe be open to providing
the next Christmas miracle.
Let this be the inspiration thateven a small gesture can make a
difference.
(41:48):
Let this be the inspiration thatGod's timing is perfect.
And whatever you're goingthrough, whatever you're growing
through, whatever you'restruggling through, this too
shall pass.
Opportunity comes, and timingcertainly does happen.
I pray each and every one of youare truly, truly blessed.
(42:10):
Thank you for supporting ourAmerican dream.
Now go wash your fucking hands.
Oh my god! Wow! I just shit mypants.
This is the problem with yourwife working from home.
God, even my nipples are hard.
That was painful.
They're Yu-Gi-Oh cards, not Yogicards, you get on.
(42:33):
Tell the people what they are.
Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
Hey, boo-boo! No! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yogicards.
Yu-Gi-Oh! I'm convinced they'rea Yankees Yogi Barra cards.
Either way, well, um, I clearlyyelled on the recording.
I turded my pants, and um I waswaiting for the right time.
(42:57):
I was standing on the stairs.
How long have you been there?
unknown (42:59):
Long enough.
SPEAKER_00 (42:59):
Wow.
Okay.
On that note, I have someexplaining to do.
Just kidding.
I gotta go.
Love y'all.
Appreciate you.
Until next week.
I'm being shot at by That's it,and that's all, Biggie Smalls.
(43:26):
If you're a Loud Proud Americanand you find yourself just
wanting more, find me on YouTubeand Facebook at Loud Proud
American on the Facebook.
If you're a fan of the GrandCracking, you wanna find me on
Instagram for all the kids, atickety talking on the TikTok,
(43:46):
you can find me on both of thoseat Loud underscore Proud
underscore American.
Big old thank you to the voiceof the gun truckers for the
background beats on the podcast.
(44:09):
If you are enjoying what you'rehearing, track down the gun
truckers on Facebook JustTruckers.
(44:41):
Now go wash your fucking hands,you filthy savage.
On this week's episode of Share the Struggle
Podcast, we break the news on aloud, proud American milestone
achievement that has been fivelong years in the making.
And I also share with you thefirst Christmas miracle of the
season.
(00:22):
All that and more on today'sepisode of Share the Struggle
Podcast.
Let me tell you something.
Everybody struggles.
The difference is some peoplechoose to go through it and some
choose to grow through it.
The choice is completely yours.
Which one you choose will have avery profound effect on the way
(00:43):
you live your life.
(01:38):
Good.
Low Almighty, am I so excited tobe back with you?
Oh, it is true.
It is damn true because I loveyou, Boo.
Welcome to episode 280 of thisyear podcast.
Perfectly precisely named Sharethe Struggle.
(01:58):
Because everybody struggles.
This podcast is brought to youby the fine folks over to Loud
Proud American, home of thatapparel brand that focuses on
the American spirit, bringingback American manufacturing.
There is no better gift to givein this gift-giving season than
that of a gift proudly made inthe USA.
Support American manufacturingand this family right here.
(02:20):
Head on over toloudproudamerican.shop.
Get yourself something reallynice.
I'm going to be updating thewebsite here shortly.
We have a lot of major projectsgoing on at the home front.
I am eagerly awaiting andanticipating the announcement of
some cool stuff going on at homehere on the Ponderosa for the
(02:42):
family, both business, personal,pleasure, what have you.
All great things.
It is the busy time of theseason for us.
Usually things slow down thistime of year.
We come out of Freiburg and Itake a few months off.
We position ourselves to be uhgood to go through the holidays
and through the season.
(03:02):
Um, but that's not the case thisyear.
If you've heard me talking overthe past few weeks, I am
continuing to stay as active asI possibly can.
So we just wrapped up twoback-to-back weekends at the
Bangor Mall.
I'm going to get into somedetails on that here shortly.
But I'm just kind of giving youthe little screenshot of things
and how they're going here inthe home front.
(03:24):
Uh, we were looking into doingsome more shows, but the vehicle
situation is kind of holding usback.
Our uh company vehicle is out ofcommission right now, so it's
been kind of a juggling actbetween, you know, figuring out
where to go, how to get there,versus the things that need to
be done at home for the businessand for the family.
So um it's crunch time overhere, and uh, we're going hard
(03:46):
and fast as best as we possiblycan, navigating all that we can.
So that's really some of thestuff that's on tap for this
week.
I have an awesome announcementabout the business, and uh I
wanted to share a littleheartwarming thing that uh I
said heart warming.
It sounded like I said worming.
(04:07):
Nobody nobody wants heartworms,man.
My dogs are laying in the livingroom right now being jackasses,
and and I'm pretty certain oneof them just woke up when I said
heartworm.
They were like, oh no, not me,big daddy.
Heart warming.
I'm having a hard time saying itnow.
Warm.
I'm trying to emphasize the A,warming, but it ain't working
(04:29):
because it sounds like wormin'.
Heart, you know what I mean?
Whatever.
It makes you feel good, is whatI should say.
I only went far as far in lifeas my parents' taxpaying dollars
would take me.
I am publicly educated andover-regulated, so you know,
just it is what it is, okay?
(04:50):
Take it for what it's worth.
But Share the Trucker Podcast.
Let's get back on track here.
Y'all know the routine.
This is that show where we sharewhatever it is that we're going
through that we're growingthrough, and we know if we have
the the confidence and thevulnerability to share what it
is that we're experiencing inlife, then it will provide
strength to others experiencingsimilar situations in life.
(05:12):
That is the reason for thishere's show.
I still can't believe we are at280 consecutive weeks over five
years of this here beautifulpodcast.
We've got a lot of loyal dayones.
And when I say day one, I'macknowledging the folks in the
room that have been here sinceday one.
Get your ones up.
I love you.
I acknowledge you.
But I also want to welcome toyou a bunch of new listeners.
(05:35):
Thank you to all of you that arelistening for the first one.
The first time.
This is your day one.
I welcome you.
Don't forget you can go back anduh listen to all the years
episodes.
I think that uh a lot of peoplereach out and say they love
binging the podcast, they enjoydoing that.
Welcome back to Kevin Balanskifrom from New York, from out in
(05:59):
the Syracuse area of New York.
He is back on track with thepodcast.
Love you, big Kev.
Wanted to say thanks for comingback.
I got the message from you, butI'm saying these things about um
some new listeners because Ifound this little stat that I
think is pretty cool.
I never noticed it in mypodcasting app before, but it
actually lists out um a few newlocations.
(06:21):
So I think this is kind of cool.
I was um just getting ready fortoday's podcast, and I was
trying to refresh my memory asto what episode today was.
280, okay.
So I went on my um my uploadingsite to uh check what that
number was, and then I alsonoticed this spot that says new
(06:42):
locations.
So let's just throw them outthere.
Uh for all the regularlisteners.
I think it's just kind of coolfor you to hear different places
that people are coming in andtuning in from.
And for all of you that are thatare new here, hopefully maybe
I'm shouting you out, and ifthat's the case, then I welcome
you, I appreciate you, and uhsend on a little uh message, a
little how do you do on over.
That'd be great.
But uh welcome to the new folksin the room from Jackson,
(07:05):
Mississippi.
I've actually always wanted togo to Jackson, Mississippi.
So fun fact, I think um actuallyJackson is the my favorite
joining cash songs.
Maybe that's where that comesfrom.
Jackson, Mississippi.
Also, welcome to the room.
Madison, Wisconsin.
I wonder if that's Maddie out inWisconsin.
We made some friends on the roadin Wisconsin.
(07:26):
So Madison, Wisconsin, welcometo the show.
And uh I'm gonna have a hardtime pronouncing this one, but
uh uh it looks likeMechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania,welcome.
And this one I will definitelymess up, but welcome to the
show, Helsinki Usama.
(07:47):
The fine folks in Helsinki.
Booyah, I love saying Helsinki,so that's kind of helped make
this stick.
But four new locations.
Thought that was kind of cool.
It only showed uh like fourlocations.
I think that might be just kindof what it peeks out at when I
open it up to kind of like alittle news thing.
Like, hey, here's four new spotsfor you.
So probably changes every day,but very cool.
(08:08):
Maybe I get in the habit ofsharing that every time we we
jump on.
I thought that was kind of cool,kind of fun.
Shows the outreach that we havestarted to build, and I owe that
to each and every one of you.
So thank you.
I appreciate you, I acknowledgeyou, I love you, and I welcome
you back, and I welcome you in,friends.
Hope all y'all are doing well.
(08:28):
I hope you're uh gearing up forthe holiday season, you're
starting to count some lessons,you're starting to feel awful
thankful, and um, that's the wayI hope all of us can be moving
forward.
I want to touch on somethingfrom last week.
Last week's episode uh was a funepisode and a heartfelt, um,
difficult episode at the sametime.
We got into some difficultconversations on mental health,
(08:49):
and we talked about um being abetter version of you so you can
so you can help other people.
And uh we were talking aboutMarshawn Nealon and that story
of the young man at only age 24who took his life second-round
draft pick in uh defensive endfor the Dallas Cowboys, Marshawn
Nealan.
It took a little more sad turnum right after recording the
(09:10):
episode.
I learned that um they'reexpecting that Marshawn's
girlfriend is pregnant withtheir first child, so um crazy
to uh to think about.
And I say that because I am uh anew father here, and um so I
guess I'm ultra sensitive to allof those things, but it's
(09:31):
already easy to see and to saythat my greatest accomplishment
on this earth is already havingmy daughter and um welcoming
Paisley to the world.
She's already meant so much tome and my family and been an
amazing blessing and gift thatum I can't help but think if
(09:51):
Marshawn could have actuallymade it, like if he could have
just stayed strong long enoughfor that little one to show up,
that it might have changed hiswhole life.
I know he was dealing with thedeath of his mother, and um, you
know, for me here dealing withthe death of my father, and very
shortly actually on my father'sbirthday, his first heavenly
birthday, finding out I wasgoing to be a dad, it changed
(10:14):
everything for me.
And I was certainly scaredshitless, and I'm sure he was
too, and that might havefactored into it.
And I'm guessing when you'rebattling with mental health,
maybe you're thinking you're notadequate enough to be a father,
and those are all things that Ithink all men deal with and
battle with, but I can't helpbut think if he would have just
made it to that to that littlebaby's birth that his life would
(10:34):
have changed, and um, you know,it just it's really sad because
I spent the weekend.
Obviously, I spend every daywith my daughter, but I spent
the weekend at the Bangor Malland and um watching her interact
and talk to people and play withpeople and um just how special
it is and how so many peoplejust gravitate to her already.
And um, we actually spent thepast two weekends at my cousin's
(10:58):
house, um, something that I'vewe we haven't hung out since we
were children, and um just allof these things just kind of
connecting us together, and itjust you know, you think about
people missing out on that, andit was a special week for us
here because last week, well,first off, little Paisley's a
crawling champion and she'sgetting close to walking, and
(11:18):
she can walk and hold on tothings, but she hasn't really
been walking on her own.
And last week with the wifeworking from home and me working
from home, my mom had um littlePaisley and she sent us a video
that said it's happening, andshe was upstairs just walking.
And you know, we've been upthere with her, and now you
know, we ran up there with her,I should say, and watched her
walk and play, and now she'skind of a walking machine.
(11:40):
So she's off and running, she'soften walking, and uh life comes
at you fast, things come at youfast, but I'm feeling awful
blessed and awful fulfilled overhere, and um, it's just really
sad, it adds another sad elementto that whole story.
So I just wanted to drop thatthat recap on last week, kind of
connecting the dots a littlebit.
(12:01):
I didn't want to um you knowmake everybody sad, but I guess
I'm saying it in case there'ssome people out there that are
struggling that do have some um,you know, mental health battles
right now, and maybe you findyourself in a similar situation
as Marshawn, where maybe youhave a little one on the way,
and I just want to empower youto stay.
I just want you to know that ifyou can make it a few more
(12:23):
weeks, a few more months, whenthat little one comes, it's
gonna change your entire life.
Uh, if you're like me and you'relike Marshawn, you're you're
hurting from losing a parent,there's nothing like um the the
void in your heart that getsfilled when you have when you
have a child.
So hopefully that reaches somepeople out there, and that's
(12:43):
kind of why I'm I'm putting itout there.
But I want to remove ourselvesfrom last week.
Let's get into this week.
You know, we've been talkingabout our two weekends back to
back at the Bangor Mall and thereal inspiring feeling for us as
a brand to have a storefront, tohave a brick and mortar.
It's been tremendous to be ableto go into a store and
(13:05):
experience that Christmas hustleand bustle, the holiday season.
It's been tremendous.
This past weekend, we did not douh nearly as good as we did the
first weekend, but it was agreat weekend.
Uh, so much so that on ourSaturday this year, we actually
passed um the two-day combo oflast year.
(13:27):
So last year we did it for oneweekend, a Saturday and Sunday.
And on Saturday, this pastweekend, it was uh a bigger day
than both Saturday and Sunday oflast year.
And uh Sunday was another prettydecent day for us when you
package them all up together.
Um I actually had a great uhfour-day, two-weekend event.
(13:49):
And if you guys have beenlistening and you know me, you
know that I put some goals onthe table, some hopeful goals,
some realistic goals, and somelofty goals that are within
reason.
And I hit the lofty goal that Ithought was within reason.
So uh a major success for usthis weekend.
And and I just want to say thankyou to each and every one of you
that might be listening, thatcame out, that participated,
(14:10):
that that um that showed up,that showed out.
It took a village for us to getthere, and the village showed up
for us to have a tremendousweekend.
So I just wanted to say a thankyou, I appreciate you, and um,
I'm counting you as an absoluteblessing this year.
I got to spend time with some ofmy cousins, Hannah, Amanda,
Bree.
I get to see and spend time withsome new extended family, the
(14:33):
entire Tracy family showing upand showing out and supporting
us back-to-back weekends.
And if you guys have beenlistening throughout the year,
you know that um I met a youngfella that has been um a really
special addition to the family,somebody that I foresee us
always having a relationshipwith.
I was at the Scowhegan Fair, uhsuffering through a very slow
(14:57):
fair, and I met a really specialyoung man named Isaiah, and he
spent a week with us, and we'vestayed in touch, and he made the
trip from uh from his home tothe fair to the mall, I should
say, and spent the day with uson Saturday.
And it's really cool.
Like, you know how sometimesthings just fit, right?
Sometimes people in your lifejust fit, and I guess there's no
(15:20):
better judge of character thanthat, to that, than your
14-month-old daughter, becauseshe instantly starts to um like
play hide and seek and interactand socialize with Isaiah.
She's not really big onstrangers picking her up and
stuff, and uh she was basicallyasking him to pick her up.
So within a very short amount oftime, he's holding her and
(15:43):
walking around with her, andthey're interacting and and
playing, and and uh they werejust having a really good time.
So the that was reallyfulfilling for us to um to have.
So I met Isaiah this year.
I'm certainly counting him as ablessing this year, uh, meeting
this young man that gave me hopeand inspired uh the thought
process in me that maybe thisfuture generation is gonna be
(16:05):
okay, right?
And uh he's just a reallytremendous hardworking
individual, 18-year-old kid outon his own, um, putting in 80
hours of work at the farm, uh,followed by a 60-hour work week
at the farm, followed by uhhanging out for five, six hours
at the mall with the family.
So um very cool.
It was a great weekend and agreat blessing.
(16:28):
And I will say that I startedtoday's show mentioning a
milestone moment and achievementfor the business that has been
five long hard years in themaking, and I'm excited to share
that with you.
I can't get into exact detailson it, but what I can say, and
(16:48):
to all of you that have beenlistening all along the way,
you've heard me say this many,many times.
When I started this business, myfirst year in business, I
forecasted this number.
I said, Hey, if I can sell, if Ican net, if my net sales are
this number right here, I thinkthe business is working, I think
(17:09):
it's providing, I think we canmake a living, and I don't think
it'll hold us back.
This is the number that I needto be at.
Now, I will say over the yearsI've realized there's a lot more
to that number that I didn'trealize.
There's a lot more things thatcome out of that net profit that
don't really um correlate to memaking that amount of money.
So it's still not really acomfort level for me, but I
(17:32):
don't want to overshadow or orshy away from or not appreciate
and celebrate this particularstory here because this number
that I set for this business,I've been chasing for five
seasons for five years.
Actually, we're approaching oursixth year in business.
(17:53):
The first year we didn't comeanywhere as close to that
number.
We suffered through uh COVID,through the pandemic, through
all the shutdowns.
The second year we experiencedtremendous growth.
We almost doubled, maybe evendid double our number from the
previous year.
Um, every year since then, we'vewe've grown, we've gained.
Um, that following year afterthat, my father passed, and we
(18:16):
were having we were on pace tohave our best every year.
And um my father passed, and ourbusiness and our lives basically
shut down for months.
And um it certainly put us outof business for the whole
holiday season, and uh we missedout.
And then last year we, you know,battled and battled and tried to
(18:38):
overcome a lot of things.
And and little Paisley arrivedin September, and we took a lot
of things off of our schedulebecause you know we were we were
anticipating her birth and thenhaving the birth and then coming
out of Freiburg and not beingable to travel very much because
we have a newborn and all thosethings.
Um, we gained a little bit ofground and we came oh so close.
We came within thousands ofdollars, a few thousand dollars
(19:00):
shy of attaining that numberthat I set for myself.
So I'm saying this to tell youthat every year for five years
I've fallen short on this goal.
I am yet to hit the goal that Ithought we would attain in our
first year in business.
I thought first year you'regonna hit this number, and then
we're gonna start growing fromthere.
If you can hit this number onyear one, then you know there's
(19:24):
growth for you, that you knowthere's gains for you, you know
there's profit in dollars and alife for you.
There's hope for this dream tocome true for you.
But the truth is, folks, I'venever hit that number.
Not in year one, not in yeartwo, not in year three, not in
year four, not in year five.
As we're closing in, wrapping upwhat will be or the coming to
(19:46):
the end of year six, I'm reallybad at math.
Is that is this becomingobvious?
How many times do the wheels onthe bus go round and round?
My daughter's depending on me tocount America.
I guess I'm rambling and I'm andI'm uh confusing myself because
I'm excited to share with youthat Loud Proud American finally
(20:10):
attained that number.
Not only did we hit that number,we passed that number.
That number, that goal, thatlofty goal that I set for myself
on day one that began to feelimpossible, it came true.
I even remember the exacttransaction when we passed that
(20:31):
number.
Because it was a close familyfriend.
Um I think that made it evenmore special.
If you guys have been listening,you know my story about going to
Florida, and uh one of my bestfriends, Brian, and his boy
Zach, putting their life on holdto help me achieve a dream and
heading to Daytona and umselling there at Daytona at Bike
(20:56):
Week.
And um Brian and his wifeChristy were the first actual
people that I ever trusted torun my business for me, to cash
people out, to represent thebusiness and the brand.
And um it was very fitting thefact that Brian's wife Christy
and her girlfriends were on agirls' trip and they came up to
(21:17):
see us, and her and her friendsmade the final transactions to
push Loud Proud American intothe number that I've been hoping
for, praying for, and working ohso hard for.
It feels oh so good to finallyhit that number.
(21:40):
I don't know what it is.
The number doesn't provide thelife I expected it to provide,
but it validates the journey, itvalidates the fight and the
struggle, it validates thatthere is more growth here.
That Proud American, if you'redoing the math on this, folks,
this means right now, inNovember, the middle of
(22:01):
November, we have alreadyachieved the greatest net sales
year in the history of ourbusiness.
We have a month and a half togo, and we have attained the
greatest net sales of ourhistory.
We currently are up 14% in netsales for 2025 over 2024.
(22:29):
You guys know how difficult itis to make money this year.
Y'all should know how difficultit is to afford anything this
year, and here we are this yearachieving our greatest success.
14% net sales growth this yearwith more time to go.
I will say the ironic thinghere, folks, is I feel broker
(22:53):
than we ever have as a business,but I do know there's a lot of
growing pains of the business.
We're trying to expand, we'restruggling with some of those
hurdles, and we've broken a lotof things this year with this
business.
But I'm encouraged by thisbusiness, I'm rejuvenated by
this business, and I'm hopefulfor this business.
This is our greatest year ever.
(23:19):
I can't believe it.
Thank you to each and everysingle one of you.
Whether you have made apurchase, whether you've, you
know, liked, commented, sharedour business, invited other
people to follow our business,support our business, help grow
our business.
It means everything to us.
We love you.
(23:41):
Gotcha.
Lau Proud American is alifestyle brand dedicated and
determined to represent theAmerican spirit with an
unrelenting commitment toprovide made and the USA
products.
If you would like to join thetwo percent of Americans that
(24:05):
buy American and supportAmerican, head on over to
www.looproudamerican.shop.
Together, we can bring backAmerican manufacturing.
Alright, alright, alright.
Well, folks, in between all thecelebrations, in between all the
(24:28):
motivations, motivating myselfto take the brand to bigger new
levels, imagining ourselves withbrick and mortars and
storefronts and all thosethings, in between counting
blessings and being grateful andall the hustle and all the
bustle.
I also mentioned a Christmasmiracle.
(24:51):
And it was pretty damn cool thisweekend being at the Bangor Mall
and being on the sidelineswatching a Christmas miracle.
Let me try to explain this toyou folks as best I possibly
can.
We set up inside the storefront.
So I think I gave you a littleuh painted little picture the
(25:12):
past couple of weeks about this,but malls all throughout the
country, they are um beginningto be abandoned, right?
So many stores are empty andvacated, and um all the kiosk in
the middle, and most of them arepretty much gone.
So what happens in Bangor,Maine, is that um crafters and
small business owners,entrepreneurs take over the mall
(25:33):
for two weekends in a row.
So all through the center aisleof the mall, there's all these
pop-up shops, kiosks, foldingtables, pop-up tents, whatever.
Just the sea of crafters, andthen other ones will take over
storefront spaces.
And in the store I was in,there's let's say um one, two,
(25:54):
three.
This weekend there was fourdifferent businesses in there.
The previous weekend there weresix.
And um we are able to set up andthen sell for two days, lock the
doors, come back a week laterand sell for two days more.
Well, this weekend, when wearrived, two of the businesses
that we shared space with theprevious week had vacated, and a
(26:15):
new one had entered.
And I will say, originally whenI came in, I was like kind of
getting a strange vibe by thetwo new ladies that were in
there working together.
Uh they just weren't reallytalking to anybody yet, and um,
they were setting up, so maybeit's the you know, the the last
minute hustle of setting upwhile the rest of us are just
showing up because we've alreadyset up a week ago, you know.
(26:37):
So they're getting set up andthey have a whole mixture of
crafts, and some of it is um,you know, like wood stuff.
Um I don't know, man.
There's all these different likewood figurine type things
between dolls and necklaces andjewelries and crocheted and
knitted and uh I mean it's awide array of stuff.
We're talking from from gnomesto resin necklaces, okay?
(27:00):
All over the place.
Well, while I'm there, I'msitting there, um, and Allie
took Paisley to the bathroom oruh to kind of cruise about them
all.
And I was sitting there and um Iheard one of the ladies, the
younger one, talking to a friendthat came in, she hadn't seen in
quite some time, and gives her abig hug, and it turns into this
(27:24):
conversation that probablyshouldn't be happening on the
floor of a store, especiallywhen you're the only two people
talking.
You ever been around those?
Have you been around thoseconversations where you're like,
man, I don't think I could havethat conversation in public?
And if I did, I probablywouldn't be yelling it, right?
Like I hadn't even turned musicon yet.
(27:45):
It's it's quiet.
And she starts basically comingout and saying, Did you hear?
I got my kids back.
And uh that turns into I have,and I don't, I don't, don't
quote me, I don't remember thescenario, but it's like I know I
have a six-year-old, a12-year-old, a nine-year-old, I
don't know, a newer one with thestill has the new car scent.
I don't know.
She's got a few kids, right?
(28:06):
And she got them all back, andto the point where I think this
person didn't even realize shehad that many kids.
So I don't know the situation, Idon't know the history, but I do
find this odd to have thisconversation um take place,
right?
Well, um, this happens verybeginning of day one, and um,
(28:28):
they're right next to us, soit's not like I'm spying in or
anything.
There's this downtime whereyou're sitting around and you're
hearing things and you're seeingthings.
So some of these conversationsjust continue to kind of um
happen throughout the day.
And there's these two these twoladies that are running this
booth, and um the lady that umexpressed she just got her kids
(28:49):
back, uh, her husband shows up.
I sounds to me like a newhusband scenario.
And um basically what I'mlearning is these two women are
splitting this vendor spot andthey're splitting the bill.
And um, the woman that just gother kids back and her new
husband's there, the other ladygrants him the opportunity of
(29:10):
putting a folding table intotheir display and selling some
of his stuff.
So in the midst of the you know,the um montage of collectibles
that they're selling, he breaksout some collectibles of his
own, and these aren't crafts,these are collectibles, and
they're like yogi cards of somesort.
Now, I'm not an expert herebecause I only know two yogis.
(29:31):
I know yogi bear and I know yogibear, okay?
Yogi bear, one of them being thecartoon, hey boo-boo, and the
other one being Hall of Fame,New York Yankee, and World
Champion, Yogi Bear.
So, those are the only yogis Iknow, okay?
But they have these um bunch ofdifferent yogi collectibles on
(29:52):
this small fold out card table.
Um, and they basically have likeuh binders of cards and stuff,
right?
Small table.
Some things over there, nothingin my interest.
I pay it no attention.
Shortly thereafter, the otherwoman's husband shows up and
he's made a um wooden gun safeAmerican flag that you can open
(30:13):
with a digital card, basically.
So um what I'm gathering is wenow have four people selling out
of one location, trying to makewhatever they can for cash.
Which, if you know me and youknow our story, as a child,
that's how I paid for Christmas.
I would make crafts, go tothings like this, sell them.
I would set up outside inparking lots, I would set up
(30:35):
anywhere and sell crafts andgifts.
I learned to become a salesmanbecause at a very, very young
age, like maybe five or so, Iwas making Christmas ornaments
out of pipe cleaners and beads,and I was selling them in front
of Dunkin' Donuts all throughthe winter while my parents were
sitting there drinking coffee.
I was peddling bucks to gainenough money to buy Christmas
(30:57):
presents for my family.
I graduated into making wreaths,scavenging the woods, finding
ferns, making Christmas wreaths,to cutting down birch trees,
making decorated candles, goingeverywhere selling my crafts to
fund my holidays.
I did this all growing up.
It helped me to become asalesperson, it helped me get
over the fear of talking topeople.
(31:18):
These are some of the thingsthat we're doing with Paisley
already.
I was raised this way.
She will be too.
When I um left my career tochase this dream, when I left um
the Harlow Davidson world thatfirst winter, uh, the family, my
wife and my mother, my father,we started going back to our
history of making crafts, and wesupported our family's Christmas
(31:40):
doing the same things all overagain.
So I'm very familiar with thisscenario.
But as I was sitting there, Iheard them um just getting
excited with every sale thatthey made.
So at the end of day one, we allgo our separate ways, and and um
I returned in the morning on onday two, and um the ladies are
(32:00):
very excited about the day theyhad, and they're also way more
comfortable and willing to talkto us, to talk to Paisley, like,
oh my god, she's so beautiful,she's so friendly.
I can't believe she's been sogood.
They're coming over doing fistbumps and interacting and having
conversations and and kind of umyou know molding and melting
into the rest of the room,right?
(32:22):
And their their their cupboards,their cabinets, their shelves,
their tables are rather bare.
They sold almost everything theyhad on day one.
So here are uh four individualsthat clearly um are trying to
make ends meet.
And on day one, they just aboutsell out of everything, and
(32:42):
they're so excited, and they'retelling us, man, we sold so much
stuff yesterday, we're spreadingthings out to make it look busy,
we're um making things whilewe're here to try to have more
things on the shelf.
Uh, one lady was so excited totell me I made$400 yesterday
doing this, and I I can't eventell you how badly I needed it.
I am um I'm so so fortunateright now.
(33:05):
And um shortly thereafter, thisfella comes in, and I'd seen him
around the mall, and uh come tofind out he actually owns a
storefront in the mall, and thestorefront that we are in, he
used to own.
But he's on his hands and kneesbasically, and he's looking over
these uh yogi collectibles, notbear, not bearer.
(33:26):
He's looking them over, and umhe's asking lady number two
about these cards, but ladynumber one, who's the cards
belong to her husband, she umhasn't checked in yet.
So she's kind of entertaininghim and they're going through
things, and I'm opening up andyou know, just getting on with
my business.
And then lady number one showsback up and she starts talking
(33:48):
with this fella, and now ladyone and two plus this fella are
going over everything, andthey're writing down the prices
on each card that her husbandlisted, and they're going over
ballparks on this and that, andthey're just hemming and
hollering and going back andforth.
And I'm just going about mybusiness, and every once in a
while, when I sit back or sitdown, I look over, and they're
still going over these things,and um long to short of it, they
(34:13):
um make an offer and they kindof go back and forth, and I see
the agreement being made, andthen this fella takes out um a
wad of cash and he hands it toher and says, Well, that should
be most of it.
And I'm I'm not sitting very farfrom them, so it's not like I'm
(34:34):
spying on this, I just hearthis.
So I see her take the money outand she starts counting it out,
and she puts it in piles and shecounts out one thousand dollars,
and he says, I'm just gonna goacross to my store and um I will
uh I'll get you the rest of themoney.
I owe you another six hundreddollars.
(34:54):
And I'm thinking, sixteenhundred dollars on some fucking
yogi bear?
Good lord, man.
He walks across the way, andlady number one just starts
crying.
And um, she says to lady numbertwo, like, I I can't thank you
so much for for talking to himand keeping him here.
I have to call my husband.
(35:15):
And she calls her husband andshe says, like, you're not gonna
believe this, you're not gonnabelieve this.
I just sold everything, I justsold everything you had,
everything you brought here.
We just made sixteen hundreddollars, and she's bawling her
eyes out.
And um during this time, thisfellow walks back in and he sees
this whole interaction and herbawling, and he just doesn't
(35:37):
know what to do, and he'sthinking, like, I mean, are they
upset that they did the wrongthing selling these things?
And she just gives him a hug andsays, I can't tell you how much
I needed this, and then I hearthe story, and she said, Um, me
and my friend here, we work umin the mental health field, and
(35:58):
we work with adults with mentaldisabilities, and um, we work
with these adults at a facility,and I was a manager, and she
worked here with me, and wewitnessed these people not being
treated fairly.
We witnessed malpractice and wewitnessed abuse, and we tried to
stop it, and we complained aboutit, and we continued to complain
(36:20):
about it, and they wouldn'tchange, and um, we had to file
complaints with the state, andthey called us whistleblowers
and they took our jobs away.
We were wrongfully fired forstanding up for these adults
with mental disabilities.
They couldn't stand up forthemselves, so we stood up for
them, and it cost us our job.
(36:40):
So we're both out of work.
Neither one of us have jobs,neither one of us can pay our
bills, and um, this is whatwe're doing to try to make ends
meet through the holidays.
And I can't tell you how muchthis makes a difference for me,
the sixteen hundred dollars.
And they're both crying, and helooks at him and was like, I'm
so happy I was able to help.
(37:01):
I'm not very good with emotion,you know.
And he gave her a hug and and hesaid, This for me is a passion.
I love these things, I collectthese things.
This used to be my storefront.
I have several different umbusinesses that I'm involved in,
and one of them is right acrossthe hall, and across the hall
from us, I believe it's calledLiquidate Me N-E, as in Maine,
(37:23):
and everything in there is fivedollars.
And my wife found brand newboots for Paisley, and um she
found uh sandals for um my momand her for Christmas, all these
brand new things for fivedollars a piece, like a whole
mess of stuff from Pendleton, areally good name.
And um, every time, every yearthat we're there, we go in there
(37:44):
and find stuff because you neverknow what you're gonna find.
And it's all five dollars.
And so he's talking to theseladies and and and they're like,
he's like, you know, what areyou doing now?
Are you working?
And she's like, Well, I justtook like a part-time job back
in the medical field taking careof some people, but you know,
it's just trying to make endsmeet, and and um, you know,
she's just kind of going overthings and and you know, and
(38:06):
she's talking about how muchshe's struggling, and um, and
that she's getting back into themedical field, and that you
know, she's talking about likehaving the money just even to
buy scrubs and stuff, and herfriend was saying, like, there
are scrubs don't even fit.
She's got them held on by youknow clothespins or whatever,
and you can see this fella startto get emotional, and he says,
(38:26):
I'll tell you what, um, I'mhappy I was able to help, but I
also want to tell you that rightacross the way, that's my
business, that's my store,that's one of my businesses.
And I have a whole rack in thereof medical scrubs, a whole rack.
You can consider it part of thedeal.
You go over there and grab asmany as you need.
They're nothing fancy, they'rejust basic, but you can grab as
many as you need.
(38:48):
And you walk around that store,and you guys can grab whatever
you need, and on the back ofthat store, there's even toys to
help with Christmas.
You are more than welcome to goover there and take whatever you
want.
It's on me, it's part of thisdeal.
And I just watched these twowomen break down, and I couldn't
help but sit on the sidelinesand get emotional, and I started
smiling and seeing seeing God'swork right firsthand, God's
(39:14):
work, just seeing all thishappen.
And I can say God's work becauseI've even heard these two ladies
talking about um fellowship andtalking about um embracing God
and having those conversations,and then this happening.
Understand this, folks.
There's so many crafters,there's so much competition in
(39:35):
this place.
These ladies are telling me thaton day one they sold nearly
everything they had on theirtable.
And people could have boughtanywhere else, very similar
things.
They're buying from them.
Then to put out these yogi cardsand have every single thing
bought for sixteen hundreddollars, and then he says,
Whatever you have, you can bringit in.
(39:58):
I'll order lunch, and we can sitdown, tell stories, and go
through the whole collection,and I'll make you an offer on
everything you have.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys andgirls, that is a Christmas
miracle.
That is God's work.
I am incredibly blessed to havebeen on the sidelines and
(40:19):
witnessed God's work.
It was incredible, it washeartwarming.
There it is again.
Heartwarming.
I can't even begin to explainthe chills I had just sitting
there.
And then when they when whenwhen he left, lady number one
calls her husband and he startstell she starts telling him and
(40:41):
she's crying, and then she takesfrom the money and she grabs a
you know I don't know how muchmoney it is, if it's a hundred
dollars, if it's two hundreddollars, whatever it is.
And she gives it to lady numbertwo, and she said, My husband
wants you to have this.
And she's like, No, I'm nottaking that.
She said, No, he wants you tohave this.
You kept him here, you talked tohim, you helped make this work.
If I if you weren't here, thismight not have happened.
(41:03):
He wants you to have this.
You also split this booth withhim, he wants you to have it.
And she started crying.
The generosity, the opportunity,the timing, all incredibly
unbelievable.
All God's timing, all a realgood life Christmas miracle.
(41:28):
I hope that right there inspiresyou today to maybe maybe be open
to your own Christmas miracle,and maybe be open to providing
the next Christmas miracle.
Let this be the inspiration thateven a small gesture can make a
difference.
(41:48):
Let this be the inspiration thatGod's timing is perfect.
And whatever you're goingthrough, whatever you're growing
through, whatever you'restruggling through, this too
shall pass.
Opportunity comes, and timingcertainly does happen.
I pray each and every one of youare truly, truly blessed.
(42:10):
Thank you for supporting ourAmerican dream.
Now go wash your fucking hands.
Oh my god! Wow! I just shit mypants.
This is the problem with yourwife working from home.
God, even my nipples are hard.
That was painful.
They're Yu-Gi-Oh cards, not Yogicards, you get on.
(42:33):
Tell the people what they are.
Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
Hey, boo-boo! No! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yogicards.
Yu-Gi-Oh! I'm convinced they'rea Yankees Yogi Barra cards.
Either way, well, um, I clearlyyelled on the recording.
I turded my pants, and um I waswaiting for the right time.
(42:57):
I was standing on the stairs.
How long have you been there?
unknown (42:59):
Long enough.
SPEAKER_00 (42:59):
Wow.
Okay.
On that note, I have someexplaining to do.
Just kidding.
I gotta go.
Love y'all.
Appreciate you.
Until next week.
I'm being shot at by That's it,and that's all, Biggie Smalls.
(43:26):
If you're a Loud Proud Americanand you find yourself just
wanting more, find me on YouTubeand Facebook at Loud Proud
American on the Facebook.
If you're a fan of the GrandCracking, you wanna find me on
Instagram for all the kids, atickety talking on the TikTok,
(43:46):
you can find me on both of thoseat Loud underscore Proud
underscore American.
Big old thank you to the voiceof the gun truckers for the
background beats on the podcast.
(44:09):
If you are enjoying what you'rehearing, track down the gun
truckers on Facebook JustTruckers.
(44:41):
Now go wash your fucking hands,you filthy savage.
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