September 26, 2025 • 21 mins
Hardware store manager Bryan Scott shares how embracing AI and e-commerce analytics has transformed his small retail business into a competitive, future-ready operation. Using technical skills from his web development background, he's implementing innovative approaches to customer data analysis, store merchandising, and business operations that keep his independent store relevant in a challenging market.
• Bryan manages Southern Tool Supply after transitioning from a web development background
• Analyzes e-commerce data to track customer search patterns, viewing habits, and browsing behavior
• Uses search trend data to inform strategic merchandising decisions in the physical store
• Leverages Do it Best's resources and training programs for independent retailers
• Implements ChatGPT daily for tasks like email writing, data analysis, and sales forecasting
• Overcame initial resistance by framing AI as "just another tool" like the physical tools they sell
• Emphasizes that keeping up with technology is easier than catching up later
• Warns against becoming the "Blockbuster or Kodak" of hardware retail by refusing to evolve
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bryan Scott (00:00):
People are automatically especially with AI
and any sort of emergingtechnology they're going to be
scared.
Is it going to take my job?
Is it going to make thingsharder?
I use ChatGBT on a daily basis.
At first I was kind of hesitantto even bring it up to the
owner.
He got compared to the Matrix.
I kind of explained to him thisis a tool.
We need to use it like a tool.
If you don't change yourbusiness and you don't modernize
(00:21):
with the times, things willstart outpacing you.
It's a lot easier to keep upthan it is to catch up.
Stefanie Couch (00:26):
I talk a lot about Kodak or companies like
Blockbuster that really refuseto change.
They put their stake in theground and said we will not move
.
And they didn't move, andeveryone else did, and they're
dead.
We have to keep up as smallbusinesses.
Welcome to the Grit Blueprintpodcast, the playbook for
building unmistakable brandsthat grow, lead and last in the
(00:50):
built world.
I'm Stephanie Couch, the founderof Grit Blueprint, and I'm a
lifelong building industryinsider.
I was raised here, built mycareer here and now my team and
I help others win here.
The truth is, you can be thebest option in your space and
still lose to someone else whosimply shows up better and more
(01:13):
consistently Each week.
On the Grit Blueprint, I'mgoing to show you how to stand
out, earn trust and turn yourbrand into a competitive
advantage that lasts.
If you're ready to be seen,known, chosen and become
unmistakable, you're in theright place.
Let's get started.
Thank you for joining me on theGrit Blueprint Podcast.
(01:37):
I am your host, stephanie Couch, and I am here today in Orlando
with Brian Scott.
Welcome to the show.
Bryan Scott (01:42):
Yeah, great to be here.
Stefanie Couch (01:43):
And we are here at the Independent Home
Improvement Conference and we'retalking.
Yesterday, you were in one ofmy sessions and I said we have
to have a conversation, so I'mexcited for you to be here.
Let's get started.
Bryan Scott (01:54):
Awesome yeah.
Stefanie Couch (01:54):
Tell me a little bit about who you are and what
you do.
Bryan Scott (01:57):
Yeah, so my name is Brian.
I work for Southern Tool Supply.
I am the store manager there,so I kind of run some of the
day-to-day operations withpricing strategy, stuff, like
that inventory store resets it'spretty much anything that
encompasses the store.
We're one location, so anytimeyou're you know, small hardware
store, small retail, one personholds a lot of hats and that's
(02:19):
for everyone in the store, notjust me.
Stefanie Couch (02:21):
It is definitely one of those things where you
may come in Monday and do onejob and the next day you're
doing something totallydifferent.
Bryan Scott (02:26):
Exactly.
Yeah, you could be doing assetprotection one day and the next
day you know you're doingmarketing.
You're trying to do socialmedia marketing and drive
customers into the store.
Stefanie Couch (02:34):
It is really interesting to have to be
someone who understands so manydifferent facets, because I
think you get in biggercompanies usually there's more
silos like this is the marketingdepartment, or this is sales,
or this is operations.
Bryan Scott (02:45):
Exactly.
Stefanie Couch (02:46):
I know you have a background that is not
hardware.
Bryan Scott (02:48):
Right.
Stefanie Couch (02:48):
So tell me a little bit about how you started
in your retail career and thenhow did you end up at Southern
Tools Supply.
Bryan Scott (02:54):
Yeah, so I initially started off working at
my high school job was at BestBuy, so that's how I got into
retail as a whole, really fellin love with it Just the
customer interaction, stuff likethat, and the technology.
You know I love technology sothat took me from there to going
to school for web designdevelopment, which is completely
away from retail and absolutelyyou know anything hardware
(03:14):
related.
So once I once I completed allthat my dad is actually at the
time was the store manager forSouthern Tool and is now the
owner of Southern Tool Supply.
They were looking to revamp andupdate their website and just
make it because e-comm is such abig part of you know our
industry and you know it's 2025.
Now if you don't have e-comm,you might as well put the going
out business sign on your door.
(03:35):
Yeah, so at the time we wereusing a different partner.
We currently now use Do it Bestfor the e-comm side, which
makes it a lot easier for us.
That's really how I got backinto working at Southern Tool
Supply and then from there it'sjust been one step after the
next to now I'm the storemanager.
Stefanie Couch (03:51):
So that's amazing.
You were talking a little bityesterday when we were speaking
about some of the tracking youdo on your e-commerce, which you
know.
I don't know if most storeowners do that or not.
I feel like you probably have alot more insight because of
your background in coding andall those things.
Tell me a little bit about whatsomeone in that position with
an e-commerce store, what theyshould, in your opinion, be
(04:14):
looking for.
What kind of trends are youtracking, because there's so
many metrics?
Bryan Scott (04:18):
Yeah, so through the Do it Best e-commerce system
they use the Adobe platform.
So it's got a very intuitiveuser interface Once you
understand it.
It's got a little bit ofbarrier imagery If you're
someone that doesn't reallyunderstand e-comm or this, that
side of it, but once youunderstand it it's really easy
to see.
So what I'm looking for kind ofon a weekly basis is I'm
(04:39):
looking for what people arelooking at.
If your recent searches and Ican see what they're searching
for, how many people aresearching for it, I can see how
many times that it's popping upin a search, how many times
they're clicking on a page wherethat's categorized and I'm
looking at how many timesthey're viewing it on a cart Can
also see how many users.
So with the users that's a bigthing, especially with the way
the economy is now andeverything people are are kind
(05:00):
of unsure on their purchasing,so they're doing more research.
So you can see that, based offof, say, milwaukee packout,
which is always at the top ofthe list, you'll see we might
have 52 page views.
But you'll see how those 52page views that you only have 30
users, yeah, which means that20 of those users are coming
(05:21):
back and re-looking at productson multiple views, multiple
sessions, yep.
So which is showing thatthey're needing to be more
educated on their purchases.
Which is helping us in storeknowing that, hey, first off,
people are looking at packout.
Let's get packout to the frontof the store, which we have
packout when you walk in.
It's right there on theright-hand side.
We have a place throughout thestore in other areas too, but we
(05:48):
know that's a big area.
And then you know, same thingwith seasonal time.
So when it just passed weactually had a winter this year
I was able to see that peoplewere looking at heaters and salt
and stuff like that.
I could see how much peoplewere looking at that.
So usually, whenever we startgetting especially salt, that
means the big boxes might berunning out.
So that allowed us to know, hey, we need to make sure people
are looking at this.
Let's get it going especially,you know, with with a seasonal
uh trends and stuff like thatthat's amazing.
Stefanie Couch (06:09):
I you mentioned milwaukee pack out, so let's
just talk about it because, Imean, I I really like their
stuff and I think everyone does.
How do you think about from aperspective of who your customer
is?
You guys have a lot ofcontractors coming in how do you
about?
You're looking at thee-commerce data.
You're probably thinking aboutlayout on the store.
(06:30):
You're talking to people inperson.
How do you mix all thosedifferent data points coming in
from true in-person experiencesto e-com?
Bryan Scott (06:38):
A lot of that comes down to at least the way I look
at it is that's the habits ofthe people buying.
So your contractors are verymuch you know.
They want to get in and get outas fast as they can.
You know they're on the clock.
They get this.
They don't get paid until theyget the job done, so they're not
there to dilly-dally.
Now, some of them do, you know,especially when it's hot
outside.
You know we don't charge for AC.
You have to kind of understandtheir habits, which you can see
(07:09):
on the e-commerce side.
You can kind of see whatthey're looking for.
You can see, you know.
Hey, you know they're lookingat.
You have people looking at, youknow, ratchets and wrenches and
looking at sockets.
So you know that you probablythe same people looking at the,
the ratchets are the same oneslooking at the sockets.
So it's, you know, similar.
Put that stuff together is howyou kind of want to put the
store together.
So, um, we recently have gonethrough a reset yeah, first time
in time in 25 years, right.
Yeah, to the point where we weremoving shelving around and
there's bare spots there.
There was a spot on the floorwhere a desk was where, when
(07:32):
they re-epoxied the floor, theypainted around the legs on the
floor, so they had no intentionsto ever move things around.
So, yeah, we're resettingthings.
You know went through Do itBest Core program and that
really lit a fire underneath ofus to be able to use some of the
advantages that we've learnedfrom them, as well as other
(07:54):
facets of the industry, to beable to capitalize on our
customers coming into the storeas well as online.
You know you want to,especially nowadays where we're
fighting with not just, you know, other brick and mortars but
online retailers.
We need to do what we can as asmall business to be able to
capture our audience and engagewith them, both in person and,
(08:15):
you know, with the way ourstuff's displayed on the shelves
throughout the store, online,and be able to capture as much
as we can from them.
Stefanie Couch (08:22):
Yeah, and Do it Best is your partner, which
leverages an independenthardware store as a big person,
because Do it Best is so big.
Exactly, how does you talked alittle bit about the programs
that they talked about.
What kind of support do you getfrom those as far as marketing
and all of the merchandising?
Talk to me about that.
Bryan Scott (08:39):
Do it Best is great .
When it comes to that, I thinkthey definitely stand out on
that end of the business.
You know they've got a goodselection of products for us you
know to sell to the customersof the business.
Um, you know they've got a goodselection of products for us
you know to sell to thecustomers, but they've got a
good selection of uh servicesfor us as uh independent store
owners and stuff like that aswell.
Yeah, um, such, as you know, Italked about the core program
that's their college of retailexcellence.
(09:00):
Um, so you go there and you kindof that's just a quick rundown
of here's all the services weoffer.
You know it's a four-day class.
You know it's here's everythingthat we offer as do it best to
help you, which, at the end ofday, is to help your customer,
because if they're not able tohelp us, then that means that
we're not able to help ourcustomers, which, at the end of
the day, means that they'rehaving issues too.
So I think they they do areally good job of servicing us
(09:25):
as their customers, so we canservice our customers through
their marketing channels,through their education channels
and stuff like that.
Stefanie Couch (09:31):
And I think it's cool that people like you are
coming into the industry.
You're young, you're obviouslyvery hungry, you are really
smart, you're using tools thatthey offer and also you're out
there finding your own tools.
So let's talk about AI a littlebit.
We both love AI.
We had a little nerd sessionyesterday after our session with
you and another owner talkingabout how you're using it in
(09:53):
your day to day.
So chat GPT is your medium ofchoice.
They say mine to talk to meabout what you're using chat GPT
for and how long have you beenusing in your store or your
daily life.
What's it like for you as astore manager?
Bryan Scott (10:09):
Yeah, so I use ChatGPT on a daily basis.
I've got it, you know,shortcuts on all my computers,
on my phones and everything likethat, so I can use that all the
time.
I started off using it kind ofjust as an advanced Google
because, you know, I felt like Icould get more direct answers
quicker through ChatGPT thanthrough Google.
You know, I felt like I couldget more direct answers quicker
(10:29):
through ChatGPT than throughGoogle.
I have kind of trained myChatGPT to automatically give me
sources, so I don't want tojust give me, you know, I don't
want to ask you know, what sizedrill bit do I need to use for
this tap?
I want it to be able to givethat to me but then also give me
the sources so I can doublecheck it.
That way I know what's givingme.
Because it's still an emergingtechnology, so I can double
check it.
That way I know what's givingme.
Because it's still an emergingtechnology, it's still going to
make mistakes.
Stefanie Couch (10:49):
It hallucinates a little too Exactly.
Bryan Scott (10:51):
But it allows me to be able to be confident in what
I'm seeing and be confident inpassing that information along
to customers, to the store owner, to, you know, the employees in
the store and stuff like that.
Yeah, so I started off using itas an advanced Google search
pretty much, and then I startedmessing around with the
capabilities of it to do, youknow, almost use it as like a
thinking partner, running, youknow, bouncing ideas off.
(11:13):
You know, hey, we need toincrease sales and in this
specific category, right, howcan we do that?
Yeah, and you know it wouldhelp.
And as you talk to it morewhich sounds kind of weird that
you're talking to somethingthat's not real, yeah, as you
talk to it more, it kind ofunderstands you more and
understands your store more.
So now I can, I can askChachiBT hey, who do I work for?
(11:33):
And I'll be oh, you work forSouthern Tool Supply.
Here's what you do, here's.
Here's your area of the strongpoints, here's areas that you're
trying to work on with thecompany.
And at first I was kind ofhesitant to even bring it up to
the owner because he's very much, was very much a you know kind
of you know, when he first foundout about it and decided we
should probably start using it.
Uh, he got compared to thematrix and so it's kind of scary
(11:55):
in that sense it's like it is.
But that brought to my you know, I kind of explained to him
this is a tool.
We need to use it like a tool.
You know, we we sell tools.
So seeing a tool out there thatisn't a tool that we normally
sell is, you know, I kind ofstart bouncing around.
How can I use this?
How can I make this, make myday easier and make everyone
else's day easier.
(12:16):
So I use it now for everythingfrom, you know, trying to do the
copyright for social mediaposts, come up with ideas for
you know, laying out the store,what we should do here and there
, as well as analyzing data.
So I can take, you know, I canexport a customer's purchase
history into ChatGPT and I canbe like, looking at this, trends
(12:36):
for the last 12 months, whatitems are they, what items are
they most likely to bepurchasing in the next 30 days,
so that I can know, hey, we needto order these in.
We need to have our outsidesales rep go talk to this guy or
go talk to this contact at thiscompany.
That way, hey, we know thatyou're about to order.
You know that in past yearsyou've ordered 30 water coolers.
Is that something you'relooking to do?
(12:57):
And you know that might joltthe customer's memory hey, we do
need those and that'll allowyou know the purchasing guy to
be able to order those in for usso that we have them there for
the customer.
Stefanie Couch (13:06):
Yeah, it's unlimited really, because it
continually gets better as well.
I want to go back to the matrixconcept.
There is a world that thathappens still, but I don't think
we can negate the fact thatit's here.
Your competitors are going touse it and, just like with the
internet, just like with anytool, it could be used in a
(13:29):
negative way, but that doesn'tmean that we shouldn't embrace
it and then just guard against,hopefully, those negativities.
Exactly, what would you say?
I know there's lots ofgenerations and there's lots of
opinions in our industry andeveryone has some of the
different things they've takenfrom their personal experiences
growing up in different placesand different things.
(13:49):
What would you say to peoplethat are super hesitant?
I know even some of the youngpeople, so it's not all older
generations that are againstthis technology or against the
change.
What do you think we shouldtell people that are hesitant?
Bryan Scott (14:02):
Well, I tell people that are hesitant currently,
and kind of, my explanation tothem is this is like the car.
You know you were.
At first cars were scary.
You know this is like the car.
You know it's going torevolutionize, it's going to
improve, but don't be scared ofit, you know, let's see what it
can do first before you startjudging.
(14:24):
I mean, people are automaticallywith, especially with AI and
any any sort of emergingtechnology.
They're going to be scared.
Is it going to take my job?
Is it going to, you know, makethings harder?
Is it going to you know what'sit?
Is it going to?
Is it going to make mycompetitors like, you know, the
big box stores?
They're going to put them lightyears ahead of where we are
down here?
And the answer is yes.
If you don't utilize it and youdon't change your business and
(14:44):
this is across all industriesand this is how it's always been
if you don't change yourbusiness and you don't modernize
with the times, and you willnotice that things will start
outpacing you and that's whereyou're going it's a lot easier
to keep up.
Stefanie Couch (14:57):
That is to catch up that's such a great point,
and I talk a lot about Kodak orcompanies like Blockbuster that
really refused to change.
They put their stake in theground and said we will not move
.
And they didn't move andeveryone else did and they're
dead and we can't think thatthat is not going to happen to
our industry.
Just because it's old schooland it's a little boring
(15:19):
Sometimes, people call it or nottechnology advanced.
There are a lot of reallystrong competitors in this space
and the big box is thestrongest.
Oh for sure.
Keep up as small businesses.
It is scary to some people, butwe need to reiterate that.
If you were going to start with, if you weren't a tech guy and
(15:44):
you weren't someone who alreadyloved this, what one thing maybe
would you try to solve insomeone's business with AI?
Where would you start?
Bryan Scott (15:52):
Me, as you know, especially with the web design
background and everything likethat.
You know I'm very much aproblem solving, so I would
initially find a problem thatyou have on your day to day that
can be automated or assisted inany way, whether that's writing
emails, or I need to look atthis price, this Excel file, and
(16:12):
tell me what my margins are,rather than you having to go
through and do the formula andeverything like that.
Just do something like that.
But the easiest one is startingoff with emails.
Yeah, I've got this email here.
I, I this is what I want to say.
Make it sound like me, you know, and you can, you know, as as
you continue to use, it'll startsounding more like you and
whatnot.
But just start with a simpleday to day task and go from
(16:35):
there.
Even if it's something like, ifyou're trying to find like a
restaurant or something likethat nearby, be like I'm in the
mood for pizza.
What are some?
You know we're here in Orlando.
So me and my partner, weactually used it last night to
find where we went to eat.
You know, used it.
Hey, we're looking for Italianhere in Orlando.
We don't some places that havegood calamari, and it
recommended the best place to us.
Was it good?
(17:00):
When you got there?
Oh my, it was to die for.
You know, unfortunately wedon't have a, you know,
microwave in the rooms here, soor else we would have taken it,
but it was delicious, but wewould have never thought about
that.
Yeah so, but using this, as youknow, something to help our
day-to-day lives has made iteasier.
So, you know, in a store, useit with emails, use it with.
You know you got the customersend you.
(17:22):
You know we all have thosepeople that send us 10
paragraphs.
Tell it, I need this summarizedin 10 bullet points, and it'll
do that for you, and then youcan write up well, here's what I
want to say.
Or, you know, talk to it.
You know, like it's a person, Iwant to reply back.
You know, yes, we can get thesewater coolers to you by this
day.
We can have them delivered outto you.
You can have them come pickthem up.
Here's going to be your price.
(17:42):
You know, do you want to gothrough with that?
And then it'll type that out tothem in an email and then you
can send that through and itjust it'll make your life so
much easier.
Stefanie Couch (17:51):
I don't want to do it if they took it away from
me.
Bryan Scott (17:53):
Exactly.
Stefanie Couch (17:54):
I say that a lot Like I really love my husband
and my dog.
Other than that, I'd probablygive up just about anything
because I use it so much.
Right it is, and you said thisearlier, but I want to go back
to it.
It felt a little weird at first.
I guess chat GPT becoming yournew best friend that's what I
look at, it Mine has a name andit's it knows everything about
(18:14):
me.
But the truth is that it's easyto look at a person an assistant
at work, a coworker at work asthat I mean, we all.
If you think about when youfirst meet someone, they don't
know anything about you and thenyou train them of who you are
and what you're about and allthose things.
It's the same thing with AI andthey're just really really
(18:35):
smart smarter than any humanI've ever worked with, including
myself by a landslide and it'rejust really really smart
smarter than any human I've everworked with, including myself
by a landslide and it can justhelp you be an expert in a lot
of areas that you would neverknow anything about.
So, if you can get over the factthat it's not a real person and
you can leverage it just likeany other tool, it can unlock a
new level in your business.
Bryan Scott (18:52):
It definitely can.
It can help you see things thatyou didn't see before.
It can help you realize things,even with whenever it's
analyzing data and stuff likethat.
You know I'm looking for thesedatasets.
You can put in what you'relooking for.
I'm looking for these.
You know what you're lookingfor.
You've already seen the trendsin your Excel file.
Like I said, this is a tool.
It's not meant to do the jobfor you.
(19:14):
It's meant to help you with thejob.
Yes, so if job for you, it'smeant to help you with the job.
Yes, so if you're, if you'relooking at you know your month
to month.
If you're looking at you knowhere's what we did this month,
here's what we, here's how wewere last year this month.
You can be like all right, soI've already seen that we are up
.
You know five percent or whatit may be, and we're, we sold.
You know about the same amountof.
You know we're in the summermonths.
We've sold about the sameamount of gatorade and water
(19:34):
coolers.
But then you can put that inthere and it can tell you also
sold this month.
Now you sold more liftingslings than you sold last month.
Or you sold more chain than yousold, you know they sold this
time last year thinking to lookexactly I was looking at because
you know it's so far down I'mlooking at.
You know us, as you know humanswe're going to look at the top
points, we're not going to lookat the bottom.
It's like how often do you goto the second or third page of a
(19:55):
google search so this righthere will be able to see that,
yeah, last year you may haveonly sold you know this much
milwaukee, but this year you'vesold this much milwaukee.
And then these were your toptop movers.
And then you can start lookingat that.
Well, why is that?
You know.
Then you can look.
Well, these customers werebuying it.
These customers weren't buyingas much last year.
So now you can start divinginto why are these people buying
(20:15):
more?
Are they doing doing a job here?
Are they just coming in more?
And then you can you can really.
It's, it's like a tree.
You can break it down to findout the root cause of why you're
selling more chain.
Stefanie Couch (20:24):
Well, I am so excited to continue this
conversation I think we couldtalk for eight hours.
But I also want to see whatyou're doing this in six months
because, as you know, chad GPTspecifically comes out with
things like agents.
Last week they really releasedthat, you know.
Two or three months in, you'regoing to have that down pat, so
I can't wait to talk to youabout that and I'm hoping that
(20:46):
you know, as the more industryleaders like you talk about this
openly, how it's working foryou, that other people will not
be so fearful and will hop inand try it.
We're going to keep blazing thetrail and hopefully keep
getting more people to optimizetheir business with things like
AI and partners like do it best.
Oh yeah, well, thank you somuch for joining me on the show
today.
(21:06):
It's been so exciting and I amreally pumped to see you again
soon in a new show.
Bryan Scott (21:11):
Oh, yeah, most definitely, thank you.
Stefanie Couch (21:12):
Thank you.
Thank you for listening to theGrit Blueprint Podcast.
If this episode helped youthink a little differently about
how to show up, share it withsomeone in your building world
who needs it.
If you're ready to turnvisibility into growth, then
head to gritblueprintcom tolearn more and book a call to
talk to us about your growthstrategy.
(21:33):
Until next time, stayunmistakable.
People are automatically especially with AI
and any sort of emergingtechnology they're going to be
scared.
Is it going to take my job?
Is it going to make thingsharder?
I use ChatGBT on a daily basis.
At first I was kind of hesitantto even bring it up to the
owner.
He got compared to the Matrix.
I kind of explained to him thisis a tool.
We need to use it like a tool.
If you don't change yourbusiness and you don't modernize
(00:21):
with the times, things willstart outpacing you.
It's a lot easier to keep upthan it is to catch up.
Stefanie Couch (00:26):
I talk a lot about Kodak or companies like
Blockbuster that really refuseto change.
They put their stake in theground and said we will not move
.
And they didn't move, andeveryone else did, and they're
dead.
We have to keep up as smallbusinesses.
Welcome to the Grit Blueprintpodcast, the playbook for
building unmistakable brandsthat grow, lead and last in the
(00:50):
built world.
I'm Stephanie Couch, the founderof Grit Blueprint, and I'm a
lifelong building industryinsider.
I was raised here, built mycareer here and now my team and
I help others win here.
The truth is, you can be thebest option in your space and
still lose to someone else whosimply shows up better and more
(01:13):
consistently Each week.
On the Grit Blueprint, I'mgoing to show you how to stand
out, earn trust and turn yourbrand into a competitive
advantage that lasts.
If you're ready to be seen,known, chosen and become
unmistakable, you're in theright place.
Let's get started.
Thank you for joining me on theGrit Blueprint Podcast.
(01:37):
I am your host, stephanie Couch, and I am here today in Orlando
with Brian Scott.
Welcome to the show.
Bryan Scott (01:42):
Yeah, great to be here.
Stefanie Couch (01:43):
And we are here at the Independent Home
Improvement Conference and we'retalking.
Yesterday, you were in one ofmy sessions and I said we have
to have a conversation, so I'mexcited for you to be here.
Let's get started.
Bryan Scott (01:54):
Awesome yeah.
Stefanie Couch (01:54):
Tell me a little bit about who you are and what
you do.
Bryan Scott (01:57):
Yeah, so my name is Brian.
I work for Southern Tool Supply.
I am the store manager there,so I kind of run some of the
day-to-day operations withpricing strategy, stuff, like
that inventory store resets it'spretty much anything that
encompasses the store.
We're one location, so anytimeyou're you know, small hardware
store, small retail, one personholds a lot of hats and that's
(02:19):
for everyone in the store, notjust me.
Stefanie Couch (02:21):
It is definitely one of those things where you
may come in Monday and do onejob and the next day you're
doing something totallydifferent.
Bryan Scott (02:26):
Exactly.
Yeah, you could be doing assetprotection one day and the next
day you know you're doingmarketing.
You're trying to do socialmedia marketing and drive
customers into the store.
Stefanie Couch (02:34):
It is really interesting to have to be
someone who understands so manydifferent facets, because I
think you get in biggercompanies usually there's more
silos like this is the marketingdepartment, or this is sales,
or this is operations.
Bryan Scott (02:45):
Exactly.
Stefanie Couch (02:46):
I know you have a background that is not
hardware.
Bryan Scott (02:48):
Right.
Stefanie Couch (02:48):
So tell me a little bit about how you started
in your retail career and thenhow did you end up at Southern
Tools Supply.
Bryan Scott (02:54):
Yeah, so I initially started off working at
my high school job was at BestBuy, so that's how I got into
retail as a whole, really fellin love with it Just the
customer interaction, stuff likethat, and the technology.
You know I love technology sothat took me from there to going
to school for web designdevelopment, which is completely
away from retail and absolutelyyou know anything hardware
(03:14):
related.
So once I once I completed allthat my dad is actually at the
time was the store manager forSouthern Tool and is now the
owner of Southern Tool Supply.
They were looking to revamp andupdate their website and just
make it because e-comm is such abig part of you know our
industry and you know it's 2025.
Now if you don't have e-comm,you might as well put the going
out business sign on your door.
(03:35):
Yeah, so at the time we wereusing a different partner.
We currently now use Do it Bestfor the e-comm side, which
makes it a lot easier for us.
That's really how I got backinto working at Southern Tool
Supply and then from there it'sjust been one step after the
next to now I'm the storemanager.
Stefanie Couch (03:51):
So that's amazing.
You were talking a little bityesterday when we were speaking
about some of the tracking youdo on your e-commerce, which you
know.
I don't know if most storeowners do that or not.
I feel like you probably have alot more insight because of
your background in coding andall those things.
Tell me a little bit about whatsomeone in that position with
an e-commerce store, what theyshould, in your opinion, be
(04:14):
looking for.
What kind of trends are youtracking, because there's so
many metrics?
Bryan Scott (04:18):
Yeah, so through the Do it Best e-commerce system
they use the Adobe platform.
So it's got a very intuitiveuser interface Once you
understand it.
It's got a little bit ofbarrier imagery If you're
someone that doesn't reallyunderstand e-comm or this, that
side of it, but once youunderstand it it's really easy
to see.
So what I'm looking for kind ofon a weekly basis is I'm
(04:39):
looking for what people arelooking at.
If your recent searches and Ican see what they're searching
for, how many people aresearching for it, I can see how
many times that it's popping upin a search, how many times
they're clicking on a page wherethat's categorized and I'm
looking at how many timesthey're viewing it on a cart Can
also see how many users.
So with the users that's a bigthing, especially with the way
the economy is now andeverything people are are kind
(05:00):
of unsure on their purchasing,so they're doing more research.
So you can see that, based offof, say, milwaukee packout,
which is always at the top ofthe list, you'll see we might
have 52 page views.
But you'll see how those 52page views that you only have 30
users, yeah, which means that20 of those users are coming
(05:21):
back and re-looking at productson multiple views, multiple
sessions, yep.
So which is showing thatthey're needing to be more
educated on their purchases.
Which is helping us in storeknowing that, hey, first off,
people are looking at packout.
Let's get packout to the frontof the store, which we have
packout when you walk in.
It's right there on theright-hand side.
We have a place throughout thestore in other areas too, but we
(05:48):
know that's a big area.
And then you know, same thingwith seasonal time.
So when it just passed weactually had a winter this year
I was able to see that peoplewere looking at heaters and salt
and stuff like that.
I could see how much peoplewere looking at that.
So usually, whenever we startgetting especially salt, that
means the big boxes might berunning out.
So that allowed us to know, hey, we need to make sure people
are looking at this.
Let's get it going especially,you know, with with a seasonal
uh trends and stuff like thatthat's amazing.
Stefanie Couch (06:09):
I you mentioned milwaukee pack out, so let's
just talk about it because, Imean, I I really like their
stuff and I think everyone does.
How do you think about from aperspective of who your customer
is?
You guys have a lot ofcontractors coming in how do you
about?
You're looking at thee-commerce data.
You're probably thinking aboutlayout on the store.
(06:30):
You're talking to people inperson.
How do you mix all thosedifferent data points coming in
from true in-person experiencesto e-com?
Bryan Scott (06:38):
A lot of that comes down to at least the way I look
at it is that's the habits ofthe people buying.
So your contractors are verymuch you know.
They want to get in and get outas fast as they can.
You know they're on the clock.
They get this.
They don't get paid until theyget the job done, so they're not
there to dilly-dally.
Now, some of them do, you know,especially when it's hot
outside.
You know we don't charge for AC.
You have to kind of understandtheir habits, which you can see
(07:09):
on the e-commerce side.
You can kind of see whatthey're looking for.
You can see, you know.
Hey, you know they're lookingat.
You have people looking at, youknow, ratchets and wrenches and
looking at sockets.
So you know that you probablythe same people looking at the,
the ratchets are the same oneslooking at the sockets.
So it's, you know, similar.
Put that stuff together is howyou kind of want to put the
store together.
So, um, we recently have gonethrough a reset yeah, first time
in time in 25 years, right.
Yeah, to the point where we weremoving shelving around and
there's bare spots there.
There was a spot on the floorwhere a desk was where, when
(07:32):
they re-epoxied the floor, theypainted around the legs on the
floor, so they had no intentionsto ever move things around.
So, yeah, we're resettingthings.
You know went through Do itBest Core program and that
really lit a fire underneath ofus to be able to use some of the
advantages that we've learnedfrom them, as well as other
(07:54):
facets of the industry, to beable to capitalize on our
customers coming into the storeas well as online.
You know you want to,especially nowadays where we're
fighting with not just, you know, other brick and mortars but
online retailers.
We need to do what we can as asmall business to be able to
capture our audience and engagewith them, both in person and,
(08:15):
you know, with the way ourstuff's displayed on the shelves
throughout the store, online,and be able to capture as much
as we can from them.
Stefanie Couch (08:22):
Yeah, and Do it Best is your partner, which
leverages an independenthardware store as a big person,
because Do it Best is so big.
Exactly, how does you talked alittle bit about the programs
that they talked about.
What kind of support do you getfrom those as far as marketing
and all of the merchandising?
Talk to me about that.
Bryan Scott (08:39):
Do it Best is great .
When it comes to that, I thinkthey definitely stand out on
that end of the business.
You know they've got a goodselection of products for us you
know to sell to the customersof the business.
Um, you know they've got a goodselection of products for us
you know to sell to thecustomers, but they've got a
good selection of uh servicesfor us as uh independent store
owners and stuff like that aswell.
Yeah, um, such, as you know, Italked about the core program
that's their college of retailexcellence.
(09:00):
Um, so you go there and you kindof that's just a quick rundown
of here's all the services weoffer.
You know it's a four-day class.
You know it's here's everythingthat we offer as do it best to
help you, which, at the end ofday, is to help your customer,
because if they're not able tohelp us, then that means that
we're not able to help ourcustomers, which, at the end of
the day, means that they'rehaving issues too.
So I think they they do areally good job of servicing us
(09:25):
as their customers, so we canservice our customers through
their marketing channels,through their education channels
and stuff like that.
Stefanie Couch (09:31):
And I think it's cool that people like you are
coming into the industry.
You're young, you're obviouslyvery hungry, you are really
smart, you're using tools thatthey offer and also you're out
there finding your own tools.
So let's talk about AI a littlebit.
We both love AI.
We had a little nerd sessionyesterday after our session with
you and another owner talkingabout how you're using it in
(09:53):
your day to day.
So chat GPT is your medium ofchoice.
They say mine to talk to meabout what you're using chat GPT
for and how long have you beenusing in your store or your
daily life.
What's it like for you as astore manager?
Bryan Scott (10:09):
Yeah, so I use ChatGPT on a daily basis.
I've got it, you know,shortcuts on all my computers,
on my phones and everything likethat, so I can use that all the
time.
I started off using it kind ofjust as an advanced Google
because, you know, I felt like Icould get more direct answers
quicker through ChatGPT thanthrough Google.
You know, I felt like I couldget more direct answers quicker
(10:29):
through ChatGPT than throughGoogle.
I have kind of trained myChatGPT to automatically give me
sources, so I don't want tojust give me, you know, I don't
want to ask you know, what sizedrill bit do I need to use for
this tap?
I want it to be able to givethat to me but then also give me
the sources so I can doublecheck it.
That way I know what's givingme.
Because it's still an emergingtechnology, so I can double
check it.
That way I know what's givingme.
Because it's still an emergingtechnology, it's still going to
make mistakes.
Stefanie Couch (10:49):
It hallucinates a little too Exactly.
Bryan Scott (10:51):
But it allows me to be able to be confident in what
I'm seeing and be confident inpassing that information along
to customers, to the store owner, to, you know, the employees in
the store and stuff like that.
Yeah, so I started off using itas an advanced Google search
pretty much, and then I startedmessing around with the
capabilities of it to do, youknow, almost use it as like a
thinking partner, running, youknow, bouncing ideas off.
(11:13):
You know, hey, we need toincrease sales and in this
specific category, right, howcan we do that?
Yeah, and you know it wouldhelp.
And as you talk to it morewhich sounds kind of weird that
you're talking to somethingthat's not real, yeah, as you
talk to it more, it kind ofunderstands you more and
understands your store more.
So now I can, I can askChachiBT hey, who do I work for?
(11:33):
And I'll be oh, you work forSouthern Tool Supply.
Here's what you do, here's.
Here's your area of the strongpoints, here's areas that you're
trying to work on with thecompany.
And at first I was kind ofhesitant to even bring it up to
the owner because he's very much, was very much a you know kind
of you know, when he first foundout about it and decided we
should probably start using it.
Uh, he got compared to thematrix and so it's kind of scary
(11:55):
in that sense it's like it is.
But that brought to my you know, I kind of explained to him
this is a tool.
We need to use it like a tool.
You know, we we sell tools.
So seeing a tool out there thatisn't a tool that we normally
sell is, you know, I kind ofstart bouncing around.
How can I use this?
How can I make this, make myday easier and make everyone
else's day easier.
(12:16):
So I use it now for everythingfrom, you know, trying to do the
copyright for social mediaposts, come up with ideas for
you know, laying out the store,what we should do here and there
, as well as analyzing data.
So I can take, you know, I canexport a customer's purchase
history into ChatGPT and I canbe like, looking at this, trends
(12:36):
for the last 12 months, whatitems are they, what items are
they most likely to bepurchasing in the next 30 days,
so that I can know, hey, we needto order these in.
We need to have our outsidesales rep go talk to this guy or
go talk to this contact at thiscompany.
That way, hey, we know thatyou're about to order.
You know that in past yearsyou've ordered 30 water coolers.
Is that something you'relooking to do?
(12:57):
And you know that might joltthe customer's memory hey, we do
need those and that'll allowyou know the purchasing guy to
be able to order those in for usso that we have them there for
the customer.
Stefanie Couch (13:06):
Yeah, it's unlimited really, because it
continually gets better as well.
I want to go back to the matrixconcept.
There is a world that thathappens still, but I don't think
we can negate the fact thatit's here.
Your competitors are going touse it and, just like with the
internet, just like with anytool, it could be used in a
(13:29):
negative way, but that doesn'tmean that we shouldn't embrace
it and then just guard against,hopefully, those negativities.
Exactly, what would you say?
I know there's lots ofgenerations and there's lots of
opinions in our industry andeveryone has some of the
different things they've takenfrom their personal experiences
growing up in different placesand different things.
(13:49):
What would you say to peoplethat are super hesitant?
I know even some of the youngpeople, so it's not all older
generations that are againstthis technology or against the
change.
What do you think we shouldtell people that are hesitant?
Bryan Scott (14:02):
Well, I tell people that are hesitant currently,
and kind of, my explanation tothem is this is like the car.
You know you were.
At first cars were scary.
You know this is like the car.
You know it's going torevolutionize, it's going to
improve, but don't be scared ofit, you know, let's see what it
can do first before you startjudging.
(14:24):
I mean, people are automaticallywith, especially with AI and
any any sort of emergingtechnology.
They're going to be scared.
Is it going to take my job?
Is it going to, you know, makethings harder?
Is it going to you know what'sit?
Is it going to?
Is it going to make mycompetitors like, you know, the
big box stores?
They're going to put them lightyears ahead of where we are
down here?
And the answer is yes.
If you don't utilize it and youdon't change your business and
(14:44):
this is across all industriesand this is how it's always been
if you don't change yourbusiness and you don't modernize
with the times, and you willnotice that things will start
outpacing you and that's whereyou're going it's a lot easier
to keep up.
Stefanie Couch (14:57):
That is to catch up that's such a great point,
and I talk a lot about Kodak orcompanies like Blockbuster that
really refused to change.
They put their stake in theground and said we will not move
.
And they didn't move andeveryone else did and they're
dead and we can't think thatthat is not going to happen to
our industry.
Just because it's old schooland it's a little boring
(15:19):
Sometimes, people call it or nottechnology advanced.
There are a lot of reallystrong competitors in this space
and the big box is thestrongest.
Oh for sure.
Keep up as small businesses.
It is scary to some people, butwe need to reiterate that.
If you were going to start with, if you weren't a tech guy and
(15:44):
you weren't someone who alreadyloved this, what one thing maybe
would you try to solve insomeone's business with AI?
Where would you start?
Bryan Scott (15:52):
Me, as you know, especially with the web design
background and everything likethat.
You know I'm very much aproblem solving, so I would
initially find a problem thatyou have on your day to day that
can be automated or assisted inany way, whether that's writing
emails, or I need to look atthis price, this Excel file, and
(16:12):
tell me what my margins are,rather than you having to go
through and do the formula andeverything like that.
Just do something like that.
But the easiest one is startingoff with emails.
Yeah, I've got this email here.
I, I this is what I want to say.
Make it sound like me, you know, and you can, you know, as as
you continue to use, it'll startsounding more like you and
whatnot.
But just start with a simpleday to day task and go from
(16:35):
there.
Even if it's something like, ifyou're trying to find like a
restaurant or something likethat nearby, be like I'm in the
mood for pizza.
What are some?
You know we're here in Orlando.
So me and my partner, weactually used it last night to
find where we went to eat.
You know, used it.
Hey, we're looking for Italianhere in Orlando.
We don't some places that havegood calamari, and it
recommended the best place to us.
Was it good?
(17:00):
When you got there?
Oh my, it was to die for.
You know, unfortunately wedon't have a, you know,
microwave in the rooms here, soor else we would have taken it,
but it was delicious, but wewould have never thought about
that.
Yeah so, but using this, as youknow, something to help our
day-to-day lives has made iteasier.
So, you know, in a store, useit with emails, use it with.
You know you got the customersend you.
(17:22):
You know we all have thosepeople that send us 10
paragraphs.
Tell it, I need this summarizedin 10 bullet points, and it'll
do that for you, and then youcan write up well, here's what I
want to say.
Or, you know, talk to it.
You know, like it's a person, Iwant to reply back.
You know, yes, we can get thesewater coolers to you by this
day.
We can have them delivered outto you.
You can have them come pickthem up.
Here's going to be your price.
(17:42):
You know, do you want to gothrough with that?
And then it'll type that out tothem in an email and then you
can send that through and itjust it'll make your life so
much easier.
Stefanie Couch (17:51):
I don't want to do it if they took it away from
me.
Bryan Scott (17:53):
Exactly.
Stefanie Couch (17:54):
I say that a lot Like I really love my husband
and my dog.
Other than that, I'd probablygive up just about anything
because I use it so much.
Right it is, and you said thisearlier, but I want to go back
to it.
It felt a little weird at first.
I guess chat GPT becoming yournew best friend that's what I
look at, it Mine has a name andit's it knows everything about
(18:14):
me.
But the truth is that it's easyto look at a person an assistant
at work, a coworker at work asthat I mean, we all.
If you think about when youfirst meet someone, they don't
know anything about you and thenyou train them of who you are
and what you're about and allthose things.
It's the same thing with AI andthey're just really really
(18:35):
smart smarter than any humanI've ever worked with, including
myself by a landslide and it'rejust really really smart
smarter than any human I've everworked with, including myself
by a landslide and it can justhelp you be an expert in a lot
of areas that you would neverknow anything about.
So, if you can get over the factthat it's not a real person and
you can leverage it just likeany other tool, it can unlock a
new level in your business.
Bryan Scott (18:52):
It definitely can.
It can help you see things thatyou didn't see before.
It can help you realize things,even with whenever it's
analyzing data and stuff likethat.
You know I'm looking for thesedatasets.
You can put in what you'relooking for.
I'm looking for these.
You know what you're lookingfor.
You've already seen the trendsin your Excel file.
Like I said, this is a tool.
It's not meant to do the jobfor you.
(19:14):
It's meant to help you with thejob.
Yes, so if job for you, it'smeant to help you with the job.
Yes, so if you're, if you'relooking at you know your month
to month.
If you're looking at you knowhere's what we did this month,
here's what we, here's how wewere last year this month.
You can be like all right, soI've already seen that we are up
.
You know five percent or whatit may be, and we're, we sold.
You know about the same amountof.
You know we're in the summermonths.
We've sold about the sameamount of gatorade and water
(19:34):
coolers.
But then you can put that inthere and it can tell you also
sold this month.
Now you sold more liftingslings than you sold last month.
Or you sold more chain than yousold, you know they sold this
time last year thinking to lookexactly I was looking at because
you know it's so far down I'mlooking at.
You know us, as you know humanswe're going to look at the top
points, we're not going to lookat the bottom.
It's like how often do you goto the second or third page of a
(19:55):
google search so this righthere will be able to see that,
yeah, last year you may haveonly sold you know this much
milwaukee, but this year you'vesold this much milwaukee.
And then these were your toptop movers.
And then you can start lookingat that.
Well, why is that?
You know.
Then you can look.
Well, these customers werebuying it.
These customers weren't buyingas much last year.
So now you can start divinginto why are these people buying
(20:15):
more?
Are they doing doing a job here?
Are they just coming in more?
And then you can you can really.
It's, it's like a tree.
You can break it down to findout the root cause of why you're
selling more chain.
Stefanie Couch (20:24):
Well, I am so excited to continue this
conversation I think we couldtalk for eight hours.
But I also want to see whatyou're doing this in six months
because, as you know, chad GPTspecifically comes out with
things like agents.
Last week they really releasedthat, you know.
Two or three months in, you'regoing to have that down pat, so
I can't wait to talk to youabout that and I'm hoping that
(20:46):
you know, as the more industryleaders like you talk about this
openly, how it's working foryou, that other people will not
be so fearful and will hop inand try it.
We're going to keep blazing thetrail and hopefully keep
getting more people to optimizetheir business with things like
AI and partners like do it best.
Oh yeah, well, thank you somuch for joining me on the show
today.
(21:06):
It's been so exciting and I amreally pumped to see you again
soon in a new show.
Bryan Scott (21:11):
Oh, yeah, most definitely, thank you.
Stefanie Couch (21:12):
Thank you.
Thank you for listening to theGrit Blueprint Podcast.
If this episode helped youthink a little differently about
how to show up, share it withsomeone in your building world
who needs it.
If you're ready to turnvisibility into growth, then
head to gritblueprintcom tolearn more and book a call to
talk to us about your growthstrategy.
(21:33):
Until next time, stayunmistakable.
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