August 12, 2025 • 56 mins
Wesley and Steven dive into a Q&A session answering listener questions about their friendship, business partnership, retail experiences, and more.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Come on and get in.
It is burning up, it'ssummertime You're in Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I mean, you don't know if it's burning up.
It's probably like a mile 72 orsomething.
Yeah, I don't even know.
It's time for another episodeof who's Driving.
Welcome to who's Driving.
I'm Wesley Turner.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
And I'm Stephen Merck .
We're two best friends andentrepreneurs.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Who's Driving is an entertaining look into the
behind the scenes of our lives,friendship and business.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
These are the stories we share and topics we discuss,
as two best friends would on along road trip.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Along the way we'll check in with friends and offer
a wide range of informativetopics centered around running
small businesses, social mediaand all things home and garden.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
You never know who's driving,or?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
where we're headed.
All we know is it's always afun ride.
On this week's episode, we aredoing something we haven't done
in a while.
We're doing a Q&A roundup, so aquestion and answer.
A Q&A roundup, so a questionand answer.
I put up a box on Instagram awhile ago and got in lots of
great messages and questions,and so I'm going to read down
(01:14):
through them and we'll just keepit moving and see what we get
to.
There were some good ones.
I haven't looked in a while soI can't remember what they were,
but I'm pulling it up so we can.
It's going to be a surprise.
It's going to be a surprise.
It's going to be a surprise toall.
Do I start at the bottom or thetop?
Work my way from the bottom up.
That's always the question thatis always the question and
(01:36):
actually the one at the bottom,randomly all the way down here
is how did you and Stephen meet?
Oh, which we've talked about.
If you really want to know thelong answer, go back to the very
first season one, episode one.
We talk about how we met.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Basically he opened.
The first store he opened wasat the end of my street and
actually the reason I came inthere my neighbor came in and
bought me a plant?
Yeah, because your cat had died.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yes, yes, and I can remember like she stopped in and
was like oh, my neighbor'shaving a hard time, His cat died
.
I just wanted to do a littlesomething and I potted it right
on the spot.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
That's something and she said, oh, these gay guys
open this store at the end ofthe street.
It's called roots.
And I said, oh, I thought thatwas like a head shop to like buy
weed paraphernalia.
And she, no, it's this cutelittle plant store.
(02:46):
You should stop in.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So I did so.
Stephen stopped in as acustomer and it was on his way
home and he started stopping inand hanging out at the end of
his day and Daniel and I werethere, because when we opened
the store Roots the originalgarden shop that's all we had
and it was Daniel and I openedit and Daniel and I worked it.
We didn't have any employeeswhen you first met us.
(03:09):
That was it, that was it, andthen from there we got our first
designer and then grew and thenso we would be there.
You know, it was new business,so we were.
I mean, hell, we still puteverything into all of our
businesses, but it was that onethat was our baby.
We would stay after hoursredoing displays and stuff and
Stephen started coming by andjust hanging out and I would be
like, well, if you're here, yougot to help me with this display
(03:31):
, and slowly we fell in love asbest friends.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
It bloomed.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
It bloomed from there and I taught you a lot about
displays.
And Well, I had never worked.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
I had never worked in retail and well I had never
worked.
I had never worked in retailright.
My whole life had been inmcdonald's right, um.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
So it's kind of funny , the retail that I, I know I
learned basically for nine yearsbefore I was a part of the
business right, and so with thatlike, sometimes it would be
like I got all these ordersbecause we did potted
arrangements that's what westill do but you know, at the
time it's just me doing them andso I'd be like here, help me
(04:12):
with this, and he'd be like Idon't know how to do it.
And we would just I'd be like,yeah, you do, Just do it,
basically, and we would talkthrough it and just became best
friends.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
And that was like and you either you know that's a
job, that that whole thing youcan either just get back there
and do it with some guidancesome basics.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
You're either going to get it or you're not.
And that's when used to likehiring designers.
Can you remember like a coupleof times I had I would have
interviews?
Can you remember like a coupleof times I had I would have
interviews?
Ok, I like these three people.
And then I would bring them allin and say, ok, you can go
around the store, like it sureis, and create me any
arrangement that you want,here's your pot to put it in,
(05:10):
and I could tell instantly whowas going to have you know, and
that.
You know there's definitelythings you can do to tweak it.
Tweak it to have your look, oursignature look as a brand.
But if they don't get thebasics from the beginning of
seeing scale and seeing texture,especially scale, scale is the
hardest thing, scale is always.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
to me, scale is the hardest thing in any design,
like if you're doing interiordesign, if you're doing
landscape design, if you'redoing plant design in a pot.
Scale is what always screws itup.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Even with cut flowers doing scale having a tall vase
and then it just out of scale.
Scale is the hardest thing, butyeah, stephen luckily had the
talent in there and learned itall.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
And, coincidentally, very weirdly, I was an idiot
when I was in college and Ithought that horticulture
classes in landscape designclasses would be so easy because
I loved it.
So all my electives were inhorticulture and so it all just
(06:14):
kind of plays in together.
Yeah, I mean I had enoughknowledge to be dangerous.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, and then you just picked it up and you really
.
So if you don't know, I mean,we've talked about this.
Stephen basically helped me asa pretty close to full-time
employee, because we would dothings after hours for Nine
years.
Nine years with no paycheckNever.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I want some money.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
And that's how he ended up.
When I was changing thebusiness, we were moving the
home store and everything wasgrowing and I wanted this bigger
picture.
And that's when you became anowner in the business, but
before that he treated it likeit was, I treated it like it was
mine and I could trust him witheverything.
So anyway, that's how it,because I really wouldn't.
(07:04):
If you're thinking aboutopening a business, I really
would not recommend having abusiness partner.
I mean, I know it works out alot Sometimes you have to and
that sort of thing, but if youcan avoid it, don't?
Well, I'm going to tell you frommy perspective, but it has
worked out for us, but we knewwhat we, we knew how we worked
together before you became abusiness owner, you have to have
(07:29):
the same basic businessphilosophy, Right?
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And what I've seen is most people do not share that.
Wesley and I happen to comefrom different industries, but
we had the same sales buildingand customer service
philosophies.
Yeah, you know we havedifferences, which you know we.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
And we both have different strengths in the
business.
Absolutely Like I love all thetechnology parts and keeping us
up to date with that.
I love the marketing side of itand all of that, and so, anyway
, it all worked out.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Yeah, and I'll say this too In McDonald's.
What I also learned is and youcan't have partners in
McDonald's, you either havespouse or children.
That's your options.
Yeah, you can't have a splitbut I'll tell you what I learned
in McDonald's from especiallywhen you had husband and wife
(08:30):
that were both owners and activein the business and running it
as business partners, it doesn'twork like 98% of the time.
Yeah Well, that's why divorcerates so high.
Yeah Well, that's why divorcerates so high.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah Well, it's hard to leave it at work too when
there's differences in thebusiness.
You take it home and you hold alittle grudge.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
But the one thing with McDonald's, though I mean I
don't know how it to me that'sa hard one not to do together,
because it just engulfs yourwhole life.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah, but maybe you need kind of separated
responsibilities as husband andwife so you have an
understanding that you'reworking towards this One's in
the stores and one's in theoffice.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Yeah, that way, and that's hard in itself.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
All right.
Next question is and again thisis going to be random mix
what's y'all's take onColdplaygate?
Should Andy Byron be able tosue?
No, so you know, a few weeksago he's a dumbass.
That was, I mean, you couldn'thave missed this, but he was at
a Coldplay, they were having anaffair, he got up on the
Jumbotron, whatever.
(09:38):
No, I don't think he should beable to sue because you're in
public first of all.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
So you have no right to privacy.
There's no expectation ofprivacy.
Yeah, you're a dumbass, you'reyeah, if you were gonna have an
affair.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Go to a motel, keep it hidden.
Go to the no-tell motel.
You definitely don't go to aconcert, but damn, can you
imagine?
Oh, that would be my look ifyou were in their shoes.
Though, like you just thinkyeah, we're going to that
concert, I'll tell Nobody willsee us.
I'm with my buddies.
Yeah, I'll tell so, and so youbook, you get tickets with your
girlfriends and I'll get ticketswith some of my buds and it'll
(10:17):
be us there together.
You know it's out of town.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
We'll spend the night together.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Was it out of town?
Speaker 1 (10:23):
we'll spend the night together.
Was it out of town?
I don't know.
I don't know.
You're just saying the scenario, yeah, and then end up
worldwide viral.
And the thing is, if they hadjust played it cool, it would
have been not a big deal.
Yeah, Dumb asses.
No, I don't feel sorry for them.
I think you know that was juststupid.
(10:48):
They're stupid.
Yeah, he, you know.
Especially, I don't know ifshe's married or not.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Yeah, they were both married.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Well, they're idiots.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah, but I feel like she got out of it more than he
did.
Maybe because he's the CEO orwas, but she was head of HR, but
maybe because he's the morepowerful one.
I mean, you know, like whateveryou want to call it, I don't
know why, but he seemed to havegotten.
But they're both dimensions forthat.
(11:17):
Anyway, let's see, steven, theMcDonald's in my neighborhood
was remodeled.
Does corporate pay for that Not?
Speaker 1 (11:31):
a damn dime Every now and then, I don't know.
No, typically they don't payfor any of it.
If the owner rebuilds the store, the owner fits the bill.
Now I will tell you, there havebeen times when McDonald's.
(11:52):
Mcdonald's is kind of like themafia, but there's been times
where they've wanted to bullyowners into voting a certain way
, into voting a certain way, andthey've said, if we can do, I'm
just going to pull something.
I remember an accurate one.
(12:13):
This is it.
If you will vote and approvebreakfast all day which I knew
that was a mistake, I wasagainst that which I knew that
was a mistake, I was againstthat.
If you do that, we will.
Mcdonald's corporate will payfor all of your digital menu
boards.
That was a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
So that was their way of pushing their controlling
yeah.
Yes, but you were like heck,yeah, I mean that's what I'm in
for.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Yeah so, yeah, so they don.
That's what I'm in for.
Yeah so, yeah, so they don't.
Even when they tear down thestore, the owner, the franchisee
, the owner pays for all of thatout of pocket, which you.
That's also kind of part of thereason.
I think you wanted out when youdid, you were like my stores.
If I don't get out now, I'mgoing to have to reinvest so
much in remodels.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
A million dollars.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
I'm going to have to reinvest so much in remodels A
million dollars that it's goingto.
I'm either get out now or I'mgoing to have to stay in X
amount of years to recoup myreinvestment Right I was going
to have to do two major remodels.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
One of mine was done, but I was going to have to do
two major remodels that were itwas going to cost me like a
million dollars plus you know,or remodels that were it was
going to cost me like a milliondollars plus you know.
So, which means if I had donethat, I could have gotten a
million dollars more for mypackage.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
but then it's a wash, yeah, so you were like that.
I sold them as they were.
So, yeah, that is interesting.
Let's see what else is on here.
Will Steven this is kind ofwill Steven ever get back into
the fast food industry?
Speaker 1 (13:48):
No, no, and it's funny.
I don't know if I mentionedthis to you yesterday or not,
but it's weird.
Like yesterday, for whateverreason, on my news feed was
three different quick servicerestaurants shopping for
(14:09):
franchisees that showed up on myfeed.
I thought that was very.
They were tracking you White.
Castle was one.
I can't think of the other two,mm-hmm.
And no, I mean, if it were asituation where I financially
had to, yes, I would.
Am I looking to?
(14:30):
No.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Yeah, okay, so he won't be flipping burgers
anytime soon, if he can help.
It is what it sounds like.
Correct For Wesley thisquestion would you like to get
more involved with the flowerbusiness?
Well, we have our flower shop,the retail, and that's where I
get my flower business.
(14:53):
But maybe you're referring to,like the flower farm business,
propagating, but for that part,no, not, no, no, no, I was
trying to tie it in together.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
That's not your passion.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
First of all, I love the flower farm, Huge supporter
of it.
We do have a project that we'reworking on that kind of gets me
more involved in the flowerfarm.
But I love that Daniel has hisown baby, his own business, and
I have mine and we can talkabout it.
But it just gives us our ownspace there and I love like
(15:32):
helping him in his business,like promoting it or designing
with the flowers and that sortof thing.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Making suggestions.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yeah, but my degree.
I don't love growing thingsfrom a like oh, I got to plant
this, I got to nurture it, I gotto grow it.
I like flowers and plants froma design standpoint and that was
always, even when I got myhorticulture degree.
It should have been in like Ishould have been a florist.
(16:02):
But see, that was too gay backthen.
You know what I'm saying.
But that was your passion, thatwas.
I liked the design of it and Ididn't know at the time.
But like Mississippi Statewhere I went, there was only two
schools at the time I don'tknow if it's still true today
that offered retail floristrymanagement as an actual degree.
(16:23):
But I didn't realize I mean, Ididn't really need that either,
because I naturally get andunderstand business and
marketing and design.
So I do feel like having thehorticulture degree was the
biggest benefit because Iunderstood the scientific
growing of the plants Well, andit made you learn Right Too,
(16:45):
because it is important to knowRight how the proper care and
that helps.
I feel like it does help withdesign and that sort of thing.
But as far as my love forflowers and plants and that
stuff, I don't like the growingscientific side of it.
(17:07):
I like the design.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Daniel loves it.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Daniel loves it.
But when we opened our gardenstore Roots, the whole concept
was using living potted plantsto make cool arrangements out of
.
That's what we started thebusiness on.
We didn't even sell freshflowers or faux flowers.
When the store opened it wasall potted living arrangements
(17:29):
and of course it's grown intobigger and more and diversified
since then.
So I do not have the desire tobe out in the field with the
flowers.
I like walking through thefield with the flowers.
I like walking in the coolerand grabbing a bucket full of
flowers.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
I will tell you this what Daniel does, you have to be
smart.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah, and patient, because there's a lot of you
know planning that goes behindit and there's a lot of oh.
I got to get this plantedbetween this date and this date
or it's not going to bloom intime.
And then if something goes wrong, like weather, like we've had
crazy hot this summer, no rainIf something goes wrong it takes
(18:13):
a whole, most time year, to tryagain to correct it.
So it you know I don't havepatience for that, I mean, and
I'm a very patient person, it'sjust not.
It is not my cup of tea, but hedoes have a fun project coming
up that kind of puts me backinto it a little bit more.
But so I guess that answers thequestion.
(18:35):
And see, that's why I like ourretail garden shop.
We got the pretty plants.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
We got pretty flowers .
Speaker 2 (18:40):
They're already in the cooler for me, that sort of
thing Fun to design, okay.
Um, next up behind the scenesat market and all about amanda,
live girl, laugh out loud.
So we've kind of talked aboutmarket.
(19:00):
The behind the scenes is ay'all would be.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
I just wish y'all could see, you wouldn't believe.
You would not believe the timelapse and the work and effort it
takes to do a live.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah, from market.
I wish you could really seethat is one.
If a film crew came it's likewe want to film and make a
one-hour show I would say filmme at market and what it takes
to get the live sales going,because the market is huge.
We're running from showroom toshowroom.
(19:35):
We're picking out the productsin real time, sending them back
to the office, lisa's gettingthem on.
We get to the showroom, we gotto refine the products, we got
to get on live and act likewoo-hoo.
We haven't just been through awhirlwind tornado.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
And then Cash and Carrie, we photograph it, we get
it online, we gather it andbring it home.
So it's.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
It's very it's controlled chaos and we have I
don't know how we've gotten oursystem down so well on that part
of it, and we keep it the waythat we do it because of our
size mainly, yeah, because weare so big and complicated.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Now, honestly, we have to keep it very organized.
So in order to keep itorganized, it takes a lot more
work behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
It is crazy.
Sometimes I get back you knowI'll get back to.
We have friends that are in theboutique world and they come
and they shop and they're backto the hotel at like five
o'clock and they go out fordinner and they're like oh, I
went back today and took a napin the middle of the day.
And we get back to the hotellike we've gotten there at like
(20:52):
10 in the morning and we'regetting home at like 10 at night
, not even had dinner yet, sortof thing.
But we love it.
Are we crazy?
Absolutely, do we love it?
Absolutely?
Should every retail boutiquebusiness owner be doing live
sales?
Yes, you should be doing.
(21:12):
If you're a boutique owner, youshould be doing your form of a
live sale, because where elsecan you?
It doesn't even matter if youonly have 10 customers that come
to a live sale.
That's like 10 people walkingin your store at once and you
have the opportunity to sellthem something.
But I know, not everyone hasthe personality or the want to
be in front of the camera andthat sort of thing.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
And Live Girl, amanda , live Girl, amanda, live Girl
started out as a contractemployee basically.
She is now a lot more than acontract employee.
She's a dear friend, you knowwe love her and she's just a
great part of our business now.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Yeah, she's so good.
So we needed we had the need tohave a girl in our live sales
from time to time, because whenwe go to market we like to do a
variety of lives, some of thethings that we wouldn't stock,
like purses and handbags orcertain jewelry and that sort of
(22:14):
thing, and now Dylan's reallycome in and helps with that
because he loves that too.
But we needed a model for thatand someone.
Sometimes when we're out oftown, we might have Amanda on or
whatever.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
And she gets us.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
She gets us, we get her.
We're just, I don't know, wejust love her so much.
And when we're at market andshe's doing her own live sales
or whatever and we're crossingover and I'm like, hey, let me
send you this file, you can dothat, like we work so well
together and share things andthat girl is a hustler.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
She's one of the hardest.
Seriously, I truly love her.
She's like of the hardest,seriously.
I truly love her.
She's like a little sister tome.
She is one of the hardestworking women I've ever known.
Yeah, and I respect that, yeahfor sure, I mean she's a great
mom, she's a great human, but aworkhorse.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
So she lives in the Atlanta area.
I think she said it takes herabout 45 minutes to an hour to
get to market.
So she's there regularly andthat's a good resource for us to
be able to say can you do alive for us?
Or you know, she'll even callus and be like hey, I was
shopping the mart in between Ifound this.
(23:34):
I think your customers wouldlike it, you know.
So she helps us source thingsand all kinds of things it works
, it works.
It's a great little partnershipthere, so it is so good.
Well, this is a random one thatI hadn't read, but I guess
we've kind of talked about it.
But thoughts on chat GPT.
(23:55):
So you know we've been lovingsome chat GPT, we love it.
It is scary to see where itgoes At market.
If one of you selects an itemfor the shop and the other
disagrees, who has the final say?
We neither it's, whoever wantsit or doesn't want it.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
If one of us feels strongly about it, we order it.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Yeah, we never get mad about products or that.
So what we'll do if we'reshopping together and a lot of
times we'll break up LikeStephen's like I need to go
order from this vendor and I'mlike okay, well, while you're
doing that, because I know yougot that I'm going to go order
from this vendor and he's likeokay, and then we'll meet back
up and then a lot of things weshop for together as well.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
We like shopping together when we can, because we
balance each other.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
And we play off of each other, and then I might say
, oh, what about this item?
And he might be like, hmm.
And then usually we have this Idon't know language Nonverbal.
This nonverbal language, andusually when he says that, it
makes me reassess the item andI'll be like, oh, you're right,
yeah, we can get this fromso-and-so, or I see what you're
(25:08):
talking about.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
But we don't say those words ever, no, no.
Like we go, like you'll go.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Like I know, we know what each other's yeah, we know
what that means right, and so wejust know and the here's the
thing, at market there's, Idon't know, millions, billions
of items.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
So if if he doesn't like it and I do, then we just
move on because there's gonna besomething or if we feel real
strongly because you may havesomething in your mind that
you're not going to discuss withme at that time.
But for tom's sake, a projectand you're going to go.
No, we need this for the and Iokay.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Yeah.
So then we each override eachother.
Sometimes I'll go, what aboutthis?
And he's like, and I'm likeI'll take 96.
Yeah.
And then he says, well, wealways need something for a sale
or the outlet store.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
And then sometimes I'm like no, we're getting it
because I want this.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yeah and it's fine.
Yeah, yeah and it's fine.
Yeah, it's not that big of adeal 98%.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
We agree on.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Yeah, so it's not a thing.
And that goes back to beingbusiness owners together and
co-owners and why I wouldn'thave it because I wouldn't have
a co-owner if I could help itunless I truly knew, knew when I
, like I said back in thisepisode, when Steven became an
official partner in the business, I already knew we had been
(26:41):
buying together for years doingthe same thing.
He was, he would go with, wewould go together to market.
I spent your money, then hespent my money then.
But we go to market and we seestore owners together and
they're like in this hugedisagreement over one damn
ornament, and we're like there'smillions of ornaments, why are
(27:05):
you even giving this a?
Speaker 1 (27:06):
minute conversation and the reps are like oh my God,
well, reps always tell us likeoh my God, it's so great working
with y'all, because we were inone showroom and it was like
five women, which is not beingugly I'm not saying anything
about women, but that's anightmare because it gets very
(27:27):
emotional.
Right, and we're standing thereand we order.
Literally it is a nonverbal.
Oh, I mean, we speak adifferent language.
Yeah, when we're in showrooms,we don't even notice it.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
um, or see, or I'll be like, oh, I really like that
over there, and I'll point tosomething and then steven to
pick it up and he'll go.
I'm like, oh too pricey.
Yeah, he gives a little whistleand I'm like, mm-hmm, got it,
move on.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
We were in this showroom and these five women
this is the first time I've everseen it so in my face Do you
remember they were shopping forChristmas.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Ornaments dude.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Ornaments and every person got to vote.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Do you know how much time that takes?
Think about going into yourlocal boutique, even a small one
that has two trees.
How many different ornaments onthere If you had to vote on
each one.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
If you do not trust me to shop for us, we don't need
to be in business together.
Trust me to shop for us.
We don't need to be in businesstogether.
And like the one, the onemarket I didn't go to, which was
the biggest market, which wasChristmas one year you went and
did that without me because mymother was sick.
Not once.
I mean, my mind was, you know,hugely preoccupied, but not once
(28:53):
did I go, oh, I hope he didn'tmess christmas up.
I knew and no, you, but you weremore nervous because we weren't
there to go back and forth toeach other.
But I never thought and, andthen when it did come in, I
didn't go.
Well, you really messed this up.
Yeah, like you know, we willjoke and tease each other but
(29:15):
not serious.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
But we've been there in store owners or whatever they
are, or FaceTiming someone.
Do you like this one?
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Oh, I don't like it Like virtually what about this
one?
Okay, there's pink, blue andwhite.
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (29:35):
And I just look at the rep and I'm like, seriously,
yeah and I told wesley I saidI'm never doing that as long as
I live, never, oh my gosh.
All right.
Next one please tell me youmoved out after daniel found
this huge snake in your house.
I got a lot of snake questionsand answers.
(29:56):
We haven't seen the snake againsince then so far.
Where did he take it?
I have to ask him.
I think way down our driveway.
Yeah, I mean he got on the golfcart and took it somewhere, so
hopefully it's not back anytimesoon.
Again, he left the door open,so it's fine, it's fine, let's
(30:25):
see.
What do y'all meaning both ofus like?
Speaker 1 (30:31):
to do when you aren't working.
I get that one a lot.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
We're always working.
For me, working is a lifestyle.
We've talked about that and Ienjoy working on work.
That is my hobby, Likeeverything I do like, even
around the farm.
If I'm going to arrange flowers, that goes back to work.
I don't look at it that way,I'm just saying like oh, I'm
(30:56):
using our pretty flowers fromthe farm, I'm going to use a
vase from our store, or whatever.
And if I'm not working, working,I am doing office work or doing
something pertaining to thisand you have downtime and stuff
like that too, but you're notlike oh, when I'm not working,
I'm out playing video games orsomething.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
No, I will say both of us, you know, if we really
want some relax.
We both love to go get a nicemassage or you know, go to a
nice spa and get pampered?
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Do you and Steven have a SSB, a secret single
behavior like on Sex and theCity, behavior that you only do
when you're alone?
Ie Carrie eats saltines andreads Vogue.
Do you have anything you doalone.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Well, actually there is a favorite pastime we both
share.
Probably not appropriate forthis podcast.
Oh my God.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
And we'll walk right into that one.
I don't think I have a I like.
Okay, I do not watch TV, andnot for any particular reason.
I've just over the past fewyears Now it's been like five or
six I stopped watching TV, butI do watch big brother in the
(32:37):
summertime, like it's on rightnow.
I love big brother.
That's my only tv that I keepup with.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
I love dateline like the dateline kill he loves the
sinister, yeah something I likeout yeah, something Snapped.
Yeah, anything that they'vekilled and buried dug up, moved,
that's.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
The DNA and the mystery and the investigation.
He loves that.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Yeah, and I love so, for you know my few minutes of
alone time in the morning andWesley, you like this.
We both love good coffee.
Oh, yeah, coffee, good coffee,a good coffee.
We both have the same bougiecoffee machines and we love
(33:27):
bougie coffee.
That, and then my other snacktime at home that I love is I
love the Chobani sugar-freeyogurt, mm-hmm, like
strawberries, my favorite, yeah.
(33:47):
And then I like to just putsome whipped topping, oh, like
Cool Whip on it.
No, not Cool Whip, the not fullof crap, yeah, on top, and
that's like I need to try that.
It's so good and it's sohealthy.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
I love a good yogurt.
I just started liking yogurtthe last year.
It's really good.
Yeah, I'm trying to think.
Is there any other?
Speaker 1 (34:10):
And I like to look through my coffee table books
from time to time.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
I'll sit there and drink coffee, speaking of coffee
, so we were at market, as youknow, for 10 days at the
Marriott Marquis.
If you ever want to find thisnear a market, do you know?
I don't know how you got ready.
You get ready and go get yourcoffee right, yeah, I can't do
all this up and down.
If you saw me, you didn't see mein the morning time.
(34:35):
I roll out of my bed at themarriott marquee like I am
rolling out of my bed at home,and I throw on whatever clothes
are in the floor that I took offfrom the night before.
My hair is sticking up, badhead and everything and I just
walk down there to the, theStarbucks, like I'm in my own
kitchen.
Get my coffee.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
People are.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
I know they're looking at me.
I don't like to leave until Idon't, but see, I can't get
ready and motivated till I havemy coffee.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
It's the only thing.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
They need room delivery.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I need no, I need a Jura.
We should pack ours and take itwith.
They should.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Zura should make a travel version, a more compact
version.
I need a whole coffee bar setup there if I were a celebrity,
that would be my that would beon my rider.
I need a Zura coffee maker.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
I just need a coffee stock coffee bar and I'll be
good with.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
And I hate when you go to market and they try to
have a little coffee bar coffeebar and I'll be good with and I
hate when you go to market andthey try to have a little coffee
bar set up and it's the cheapcreamers and the little peel
back.
You know, like god knows onlyknows what's in that got like
cheap gas station coffee creamersweeten it or nothing like just
don't.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Yeah, it's white paint oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Um, how do you decide what to buy?
Is it always a compromise?
Do you always agree?
And how much to spend?
Um, so we kind of touched onthat, but I think the difference
here always.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
We consistently always spend too much.
That's where we, that's what wedo.
We just spend too damn much.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
We don't go with the budget like we should.
We go on, feel and gut for mosteverything, even on what to buy
.
Okay, we've talked about it.
We have our quote menu of ourstores.
We got a garden store, so wehave to buy what pertains to
that.
We have our furniture homedecor store, so we have to buy
what pertains to that, and thenonline, which gives us a whole
open to sell whatever we want.
(36:38):
But we go off of what's sold.
Our customer like, oh, theyreally like this, so this is the
cousin to that.
They're going to like this youknow kind of thing.
Or oh, that item didn't do asgood, so they're definitely not
going to like this one.
So you gotta have, you gotta bein touch with your customer and
what's selling and go on gut,because again goes back.
(37:01):
We've said it before it's justlike gambling.
You got it's a gamble.
What?
Speaker 1 (37:04):
are they gonna like it's kind of an art with us now
too, like we know?
Speaker 2 (37:10):
I don't know we just know, did ste Steven ever get a
new car because of the ding thathe was going to get fixed?
No, no, he's going to play thisoff.
I got it repaired, he got itrepaired, and he never drives
the car because it's damaged.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
No, I don't drive it.
I don't drive it.
I haven't been just driving itbecause of my back, really.
But no, I'm not getting a newcar.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
We're going to skim over that.
Okay, we'll skim over it.
Oh gosh, Did Steven and Dylanget engaged?
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Yeah, been engaged, but I said we had to be together
.
I said we had to be together 10years before I would get
married.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Yeah God, the time is really ticking.
He thought he was kicking thatball down the road.
I thought I was.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
What year are y'all Six?
No, we're now going into year,starting on year seven.
It's going to be here before weknow it.
But you know I mean honestly.
We are pretty much for allpractical purposes now we're
married, everything's fixed.
So I wanted him to feel secureso he doesn't ever have to worry
(38:35):
about anything.
Right, yeah, he will have ahome car retirement.
He's good, no matter what.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Paris social relationships.
I need to look that up.
We know y'all, but you don'tknow us.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
Yes, it's weird.
It's weird and we love meetingyou guys.
So I love meeting you andseeing your name, because you
know us but we do not know you.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
I think that's the only weird part for me.
I think that's the only weirdpart for me is because we've
been doing this for so long andused to.
It started out like gettingrecognized in public.
I would just know you were acustomer from our retail store,
Like I'd be grocery shopping orsomething.
But then the whole social mediacame along and now here we are
(39:35):
with live sales and the podcastand that sort of thing.
The awkward part it's not weirdfor me anymore or anything is
just introduce yourself.
When you say like, hey, I'mso-and-so, I follow your podcast
or hey, I'm so-and-so, I loveyour live sale, or whatever it
(40:00):
may be, Because I feel weird,because you do know so much
about us when I have to, then Ifeel like I'm ruining that
moment when I have to say, andwho are you or what's your name
or where are you from?
Because then that to me I feellike then that clicks that
moment out of when you'remeeting me or us or whatever to
like, oh, I don't know who thehell you are and it's not like
that.
I just want to know a name,because I do recognize names
from live sales, comments onInstagram and that sort of thing
(40:24):
.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Well, one person did it really well with me and she
got me before you at market andI thought it was very clever the
way she did it.
She came up and she said hello,and at first I didn't, I didn't
think she knew me.
Yeah, yeah, I thought she, likemost people, think I work there
(40:45):
.
And I said hello, and she saidyou do not know me, but I know
you.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Yeah, I've had that before and I said okay, well,
tell me who you are.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Yeah, and it was fine , that flowed perfectly well,
because she prefaced it withokay, I know you, you don't know
me, and and it was fine, youknow, and now I really don't
care.
It is comical to me, becausenow I can be in certain places
and I hear somebody calling myname and I'm like yeah, what
(41:21):
then?
one lady was doing it and shewas like screaming my name and I
was with a large group offriends, yeah, and I was like
you know, oh, and first it usedto be McDonald's people, yeah,
customers or employees, and so Istopped and she was like, hey,
(41:43):
I follow you guys.
And then she was with herfamily and they thought she was
crazy, so I had to meet thewhole family.
But it was fine, we reallyenjoy it.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
Yeah, I love meeting people and I say the other weird
thing is I don't not weirdbecause that sounds bad, because
I don't care if you do it ornot, but sometimes, like I'll be
at Mark anywhere, and then I'llget home and someone will
message hey, we were sitting inthe restaurant next to you, but
I didn't want to say hello andI'm like, oh my gosh, why didn't
(42:15):
you?
Then I'm like because I reallyenjoy meeting people, it makes
me feel good that you recognizeme and I love talking to you or
whatever.
And then I'm like oh.
Then I'm like, oh God, what wasI talking about?
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Well, I had people, dylan and I had walked.
We walked downtown like twice aweek and have dinner and walk
home.
And so a month or so ago I geta message on Instagram hey, I
just saw you and Dylan, we'rehere visiting out of state, yeah
(42:48):
.
And I was like, oh my gosh whydid you?
Not say something?
Well, I didn't want to yell atyou.
I was like, oh my gosh.
I was like we're having dinnerhere, Come by and say hello, but
they would not bother me.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
And I'm like don't be silly, bother me.
Like it's not a bother, I enjoyit.
Yeah, like, be comfortableenough to say yeah, especially
if you're in my city, come andtalk to me.
I'll tell you what you need togo do, yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
But I do like it when you say hello and I like it
when I can.
Sometimes I'll be walking, likeat market.
I'll be walking to someone andI see it on their face that they
recognize me.
You know, you may I can readthat they're like, oh, there he
is.
That's what's going acrosstheir face and I'll be like do
you know me?
Or something like that.
And that's the icebreaker, andthey'll be like I do, oh my gosh
(43:45):
.
And I'll be like and who areyou Sort?
Speaker 1 (43:46):
of.
Thing.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
But anyway.
So there's that.
Do you decorate for Christmas,even if you will be out of town?
Yes, so we're always out oftown for Christmas because I
usually go back to see my family, or I always go back to see my
family, but I still decoratebecause I enjoy it the whole
season.
Well, we're in town, but wedecorate.
(44:09):
Yeah, but we decorate even ifI'm going to be out of town and
still enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
You still enjoy it 98% of the time.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
Yeah, sometimes I've decorated and then taken it down
right before Christmas becauseI'm leaving, like, oh, I got
time to go ahead and take itdown and I'll, you know, pack it
away or take it back to thewarehouse or wherever it's going
for that.
So, yes, I definitely decorate.
Who is this person?
This person must be new, butthanks for your your question.
(44:41):
Who is the main decorator inboth of your homes?
Speaker 1 (44:45):
who is the main decorator in both of your homes,
me and Wesley.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
Yes, daniel hadn't decorated anything he's like,
but he likes that Like he's like.
I'm glad you do all that orwhatever.
And then Dylan's I mean Dylan,stephen's home.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Dylan is Stephen be like put that back, dylan.
It was funny, I said yesterday.
Dylan said oh, this turned outreally nice because I did
another wall.
And I said he said something.
I said well, if we weren'ttogether, wouldn't you hire me
to decorate your home?
He said I couldn't afford you.
(45:23):
I said well, let's pretend youcould.
He said yes, I would.
I said enough, said home.
He said I couldn't afford you.
I said, well, let's pretend youcould.
Yes, he said yes, I would Isaid enough said yeah, next
question customers gone wild.
Speaker 2 (45:37):
Most dramatic slash entertaining customer stories
mcdonald's or the next thing?
Speaker 1 (45:42):
well, well, that's a book.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
Yeah, I've told a couple on here, I will say not
the most.
I got a PSA.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
How about?
Speaker 2 (45:53):
let's start it off there.
Let me tell you and not justwith our business, any business
If you are writing in for acustomer service issue, Maybe
your item arrived broken, Maybeit wasn't what you wanted.
Whatever it may be, somethinghappened to your order and you
(46:14):
get it.
Maybe you go to a hotel and theroom's not what you want.
The least responsive thing youcan do for the people on the
other side is be dramatic andstart off your conversation
email, phone call with I'm sodisappointed.
Speaker 1 (46:35):
This is the worst day of my life.
This has ruined my week.
Yeah, don't do that.
Don't do that.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
Don't do that, because you are not the only
person that's ever had a problemwith whatever it may be.
No one wants to hear that.
No, you don't want someonecoming to your job and telling
you that no one wants to hearthat.
So what you're going to do toget your way because this gets
your way better If you go oh mygosh, I just got my order and
(47:06):
I'm having this problem with it.
Here's, pictures included.
Let me know what I need to donext.
That's all you got to do.
The business is going to takeby.
Telling the business howdisappointed you are or how it
ruined your life does not getyou better results, if anything.
When I'm checking emails, thoseare the ones that sit there.
(47:29):
I'm like we'll get back to you.
Speaker 1 (47:32):
I'm very conscientious, like the few
times it's happened when I ordersomething.
I am very careful when I sendpictures and respond.
Hey, I know you guys are sobusy.
It's such a busy time of yearbecause it's usually during the
holidays.
This is not the end of theworld.
I would like a replacementwhenever possible.
(47:52):
Thank you so much.
Happy holidays.
Speaker 2 (47:55):
Can you let me know when that will be?
And they're so nice.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
You get it like that, I get it just like that and
they send me the nicest responseBecause I'm not being an idiot,
right?
Speaker 2 (48:07):
And if you're ordering things online, like our
online store, once it leavesour warehouse, it is not in our
control.
So if that box comes in lookinglike a pancake, we didn't send
it like that.
We didn't send it like that.
We don't want to deal with you.
We want to sell you somethingand we want you to be happy.
Is the thing?
We didn't send it like that.
We didn't send it like that.
We don't want to deal with you.
We want to sell you somethingand we want you to be happy.
(48:28):
Is the thing?
We didn't send it there likethat.
So don't write an email.
Oh my gosh, it was smashed.
I can't believe you sent it tome this way.
It came in like that.
Speaker 1 (48:40):
It ain't our fault.
Listen, I always say we're notcuring pediatric cancer, right?
Say, and we're not.
We're not curing pediatriccancer, right.
No children are dying here, we.
It is not.
You do not need to act that way, right?
And I always used to say on themcdonald's side, since they
mentioned it is, I really wantto get to the point in life
(49:02):
where my biggest issue is thatpickle on my cheeseburger.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
That's left on there.
Speaker 1 (49:07):
I mean calm down.
I know the biggest meltdownI've ever had.
I've only had one meltdown onthe retail side, one meltdown,
and it takes a lot.
I'm very.
I'm a very nice person.
(49:28):
We're dealing with customers.
I'm very, very nice.
But when I have told you like18 times, this is our policy,
I'm bending the rules for youwith this, but I'm not doing
this About the 18th time Toomany times.
(49:53):
I've just about had it.
And so one nutcase from not inGreenville but came to the store
and she completely pushed mecompletely off the cliff over
the edge and um.
Thankfully there was no othercustomers in the store, it was
(50:15):
just you know.
Thank god for that.
But I snapped, I kicked themout of the store.
I threw I threw her door basketacross the park.
Speaker 2 (50:31):
I'm so disappointed I wasn't there for that.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
The funniest thing is I mean I had a.
I was like get the hell outfrom here and I threw the basket
in the parking lot.
The funniest thing was all theemployees were like oh my God,
Because they had never seen thatside.
(50:54):
And then I was like, okay,let's get back to it.
But you know, if I react thatway, you're a nut.
Yeah, you're a nut and youshould not ever come back.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:11):
But just on any customer service, because you
got to realize we're doing thatall day.
Customer service that's, likeyou know, 80% of the job.
Don't be dramatic.
Just write and get to the point.
You know.
If FedEx crushed your box, justsay oh, fedex did it again.
Send a picture.
(51:31):
Look at this my box is crushed,so sorry, everything in it was
damaged.
Let me know what you need fromme so we can get this handled.
We're not going to stiff youfor your money.
We're not in the business tostiff you for your money.
We're either going to send youa replacement or we're going to
refund it if we don't have one.
There's nothing else to it.
(51:51):
There's no reason to be sodisappointed and your life is
ruined and you have to tell ushow horrible we are, how
horrible the product was becauseit got broken there, how
horrible it was packed, howhorrible it was.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
I'm just devastated.
Speaker 2 (52:06):
And then the other thing.
This is my very dramatic thing.
Speaker 1 (52:10):
We read these.
If you send emails like that tous, we make fun of you, we do.
Speaker 2 (52:17):
And, like I said, the ones who are the most dramatic.
I leave sitting there, notusually not to be like oh, I'm
going to leave that sittingthere because that's going to
take that much more time,because you're already dealing
with the tone, dealing with thisbig problem of it ruining their
life.
In the situation, instead ofbeing the ones who write in
(52:39):
direct to the point you know,all you got to do is say I'm so
sorry, this did this.
I'm checking inventory.
We have more.
It will ship out tomorrow.
Let me know if somethinghappens.
And this doesn't make it thereas well.
Thanks so much for yourbusiness.
We appreciate you shopping withme.
And done the ones that aredramatic.
You have to write, oh my gosh.
(53:00):
Then you have to try to explainyourself and then you got to
try to make them feel betterabout themselves and your
business, plus, get thereplacement done.
It's a whole unnecessary ballof wax.
But the ones that really get meare the ones who are dramatic
and they think they're writinglisa, for example, at the
(53:21):
warehouse.
And then I respond becausewe're all in the email.
It's just that.
It's all one email y'all andthen I respond in their tone is
totally different.
Oh my gosh, I knew you wouldtake care of me Like it went
from way up here.
(53:41):
How horrible we are.
Speaker 1 (53:43):
That's even worse.
Speaker 2 (53:44):
Yeah, that's even worse, so anyway, just be nice,
nice to the point, send apicture we're going to take care
of you.
We appreciate you and we'regoing to take care of you it's
the same thing at the plantstore on, say, on a retail level
, is the people who come in andyou know, and I think a lot of
(54:06):
times with that, they knowthey're in the wrong, but for
whatever reason, they want to bein the right and it's like um,
my plant died and I just got itand it's, you know, I need a
replacement.
It was a bad plan and we look itup and it was three weeks
earlier it was three weeksearlier and it's got flies
coming out because it's sowaterlogged that the roots are
(54:29):
rotting and we're, like youkilled it in three weeks because
you and probably yourhousekeeper both watered it.
It weighs 200 pounds and itsmells like sewer because it's
rotting there.
So no, this wasn't our fault.
Speaker 1 (54:44):
And you didn't just get it honey.
Yeah, I love it when they say Ijust got this last week.
Speaker 2 (54:50):
And it's like two months.
Yeah, I'm like no, we can seeyour sales.
Speaker 1 (54:55):
Two months ago Anyway .
Speaker 2 (55:02):
Let's see what else.
Speaker 1 (55:04):
One more, I'm hungry.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
Oh, one more.
Oh, we don't.
Speaker 1 (55:06):
One more.
Speaker 2 (55:07):
Oh, we got so many um to do.
Will Romeo and Cleo have babies?
I think?
Speaker 1 (55:15):
there's pregnant.
There's what coming, fingerscrossed.
Cleo is going to have a little,leo Is that what we're going to
call it I don't know.
What if it's a girl, I mean Flo, flo, what we're gonna call it,
I don't know what.
If it's a girl, I mean flow,romeo, cleo and little flow all
(55:35):
right, we're gonna wrap thisbaby up, since steven is hungry.
Speaker 2 (55:40):
I'm hungry, oh my gosh.
That was like an almost an hourworth of Q&A and I didn't even
get through all of it.
Well, we'll do more.
We'll do more next time.
Well, we'll be talking aboutyour Hawaii, hawaii, hawaii trip
, hawaii.
Speaker 1 (55:55):
Still hoping that's a Southernism.
Speaker 2 (55:57):
Still hoping you've survived your helicopter tour.
Hawaii.
How are you, hawaii?
How are you?
Remember to join our membersonly community.
If you haven't done so, you cando it.
Who's driving podcastcom?
You can go there and watch ourpodcast or you can listen to
free.
You can listen to all theprevious episodes If you want to
(56:19):
go back to the very beginning,day one, and really learn how
Steven and I met and how Danieland I met and all of that.
Go back to the very beginning.
It's all right there.
It's all there.
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(56:40):
, as long as it's a good one.
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Come on and get in.
It is burning up, it'ssummertime You're in Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I mean, you don't know if it's burning up.
It's probably like a mile 72 orsomething.
Yeah, I don't even know.
It's time for another episodeof who's Driving.
Welcome to who's Driving.
I'm Wesley Turner.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
And I'm Stephen Merck .
We're two best friends andentrepreneurs.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Who's Driving is an entertaining look into the
behind the scenes of our lives,friendship and business.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
These are the stories we share and topics we discuss,
as two best friends would on along road trip.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Along the way we'll check in with friends and offer
a wide range of informativetopics centered around running
small businesses, social mediaand all things home and garden.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
You never know who's driving,or?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
where we're headed.
All we know is it's always afun ride.
On this week's episode, we aredoing something we haven't done
in a while.
We're doing a Q&A roundup, so aquestion and answer.
A Q&A roundup, so a questionand answer.
I put up a box on Instagram awhile ago and got in lots of
great messages and questions,and so I'm going to read down
(01:14):
through them and we'll just keepit moving and see what we get
to.
There were some good ones.
I haven't looked in a while soI can't remember what they were,
but I'm pulling it up so we can.
It's going to be a surprise.
It's going to be a surprise.
It's going to be a surprise toall.
Do I start at the bottom or thetop?
Work my way from the bottom up.
That's always the question thatis always the question and
(01:36):
actually the one at the bottom,randomly all the way down here
is how did you and Stephen meet?
Oh, which we've talked about.
If you really want to know thelong answer, go back to the very
first season one, episode one.
We talk about how we met.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Basically he opened.
The first store he opened wasat the end of my street and
actually the reason I came inthere my neighbor came in and
bought me a plant?
Yeah, because your cat had died.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yes, yes, and I can remember like she stopped in and
was like oh, my neighbor'shaving a hard time, His cat died
.
I just wanted to do a littlesomething and I potted it right
on the spot.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
That's something and she said, oh, these gay guys
open this store at the end ofthe street.
It's called roots.
And I said, oh, I thought thatwas like a head shop to like buy
weed paraphernalia.
And she, no, it's this cutelittle plant store.
(02:46):
You should stop in.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So I did so.
Stephen stopped in as acustomer and it was on his way
home and he started stopping inand hanging out at the end of
his day and Daniel and I werethere, because when we opened
the store Roots the originalgarden shop that's all we had
and it was Daniel and I openedit and Daniel and I worked it.
We didn't have any employeeswhen you first met us.
(03:09):
That was it, that was it, andthen from there we got our first
designer and then grew and thenso we would be there.
You know, it was new business,so we were.
I mean, hell, we still puteverything into all of our
businesses, but it was that onethat was our baby.
We would stay after hoursredoing displays and stuff and
Stephen started coming by andjust hanging out and I would be
like, well, if you're here, yougot to help me with this display
(03:31):
, and slowly we fell in love asbest friends.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
It bloomed.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
It bloomed from there and I taught you a lot about
displays.
And Well, I had never worked.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
I had never worked in retail and well I had never
worked.
I had never worked in retailright.
My whole life had been inmcdonald's right, um.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
So it's kind of funny , the retail that I, I know I
learned basically for nine yearsbefore I was a part of the
business right, and so with thatlike, sometimes it would be
like I got all these ordersbecause we did potted
arrangements that's what westill do but you know, at the
time it's just me doing them andso I'd be like here, help me
(04:12):
with this, and he'd be like Idon't know how to do it.
And we would just I'd be like,yeah, you do, Just do it,
basically, and we would talkthrough it and just became best
friends.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
And that was like and you either you know that's a
job, that that whole thing youcan either just get back there
and do it with some guidancesome basics.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
You're either going to get it or you're not.
And that's when used to likehiring designers.
Can you remember like a coupleof times I had I would have
interviews?
Can you remember like a coupleof times I had I would have
interviews?
Ok, I like these three people.
And then I would bring them allin and say, ok, you can go
around the store, like it sureis, and create me any
arrangement that you want,here's your pot to put it in,
(05:10):
and I could tell instantly whowas going to have you know, and
that.
You know there's definitelythings you can do to tweak it.
Tweak it to have your look, oursignature look as a brand.
But if they don't get thebasics from the beginning of
seeing scale and seeing texture,especially scale, scale is the
hardest thing, scale is always.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
to me, scale is the hardest thing in any design,
like if you're doing interiordesign, if you're doing
landscape design, if you'redoing plant design in a pot.
Scale is what always screws itup.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Even with cut flowers doing scale having a tall vase
and then it just out of scale.
Scale is the hardest thing, butyeah, stephen luckily had the
talent in there and learned itall.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
And, coincidentally, very weirdly, I was an idiot
when I was in college and Ithought that horticulture
classes in landscape designclasses would be so easy because
I loved it.
So all my electives were inhorticulture and so it all just
(06:14):
kind of plays in together.
Yeah, I mean I had enoughknowledge to be dangerous.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, and then you just picked it up and you really
.
So if you don't know, I mean,we've talked about this.
Stephen basically helped me asa pretty close to full-time
employee, because we would dothings after hours for Nine
years.
Nine years with no paycheckNever.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I want some money.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
And that's how he ended up.
When I was changing thebusiness, we were moving the
home store and everything wasgrowing and I wanted this bigger
picture.
And that's when you became anowner in the business, but
before that he treated it likeit was, I treated it like it was
mine and I could trust him witheverything.
So anyway, that's how it,because I really wouldn't.
(07:04):
If you're thinking aboutopening a business, I really
would not recommend having abusiness partner.
I mean, I know it works out alot Sometimes you have to and
that sort of thing, but if youcan avoid it, don't?
Well, I'm going to tell you frommy perspective, but it has
worked out for us, but we knewwhat we, we knew how we worked
together before you became abusiness owner, you have to have
(07:29):
the same basic businessphilosophy, Right?
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And what I've seen is most people do not share that.
Wesley and I happen to comefrom different industries, but
we had the same sales buildingand customer service
philosophies.
Yeah, you know we havedifferences, which you know we.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
And we both have different strengths in the
business.
Absolutely Like I love all thetechnology parts and keeping us
up to date with that.
I love the marketing side of itand all of that, and so, anyway
, it all worked out.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Yeah, and I'll say this too In McDonald's.
What I also learned is and youcan't have partners in
McDonald's, you either havespouse or children.
That's your options.
Yeah, you can't have a splitbut I'll tell you what I learned
in McDonald's from especiallywhen you had husband and wife
(08:30):
that were both owners and activein the business and running it
as business partners, it doesn'twork like 98% of the time.
Yeah Well, that's why divorcerates so high.
Yeah Well, that's why divorcerates so high.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah Well, it's hard to leave it at work too when
there's differences in thebusiness.
You take it home and you hold alittle grudge.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
But the one thing with McDonald's, though I mean I
don't know how it to me that'sa hard one not to do together,
because it just engulfs yourwhole life.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah, but maybe you need kind of separated
responsibilities as husband andwife so you have an
understanding that you'reworking towards this One's in
the stores and one's in theoffice.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Yeah, that way, and that's hard in itself.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
All right.
Next question is and again thisis going to be random mix
what's y'all's take onColdplaygate?
Should Andy Byron be able tosue?
No, so you know, a few weeksago he's a dumbass.
That was, I mean, you couldn'thave missed this, but he was at
a Coldplay, they were having anaffair, he got up on the
Jumbotron, whatever.
(09:38):
No, I don't think he should beable to sue because you're in
public first of all.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
So you have no right to privacy.
There's no expectation ofprivacy.
Yeah, you're a dumbass, you'reyeah, if you were gonna have an
affair.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Go to a motel, keep it hidden.
Go to the no-tell motel.
You definitely don't go to aconcert, but damn, can you
imagine?
Oh, that would be my look ifyou were in their shoes.
Though, like you just thinkyeah, we're going to that
concert, I'll tell Nobody willsee us.
I'm with my buddies.
Yeah, I'll tell so, and so youbook, you get tickets with your
girlfriends and I'll get ticketswith some of my buds and it'll
(10:17):
be us there together.
You know it's out of town.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
We'll spend the night together.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Was it out of town?
Speaker 1 (10:23):
we'll spend the night together.
Was it out of town?
I don't know.
I don't know.
You're just saying the scenario, yeah, and then end up
worldwide viral.
And the thing is, if they hadjust played it cool, it would
have been not a big deal.
Yeah, Dumb asses.
No, I don't feel sorry for them.
I think you know that was juststupid.
(10:48):
They're stupid.
Yeah, he, you know.
Especially, I don't know ifshe's married or not.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Yeah, they were both married.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Well, they're idiots.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Yeah, but I feel like she got out of it more than he
did.
Maybe because he's the CEO orwas, but she was head of HR, but
maybe because he's the morepowerful one.
I mean, you know, like whateveryou want to call it, I don't
know why, but he seemed to havegotten.
But they're both dimensions forthat.
(11:17):
Anyway, let's see, steven, theMcDonald's in my neighborhood
was remodeled.
Does corporate pay for that Not?
Speaker 1 (11:31):
a damn dime Every now and then, I don't know.
No, typically they don't payfor any of it.
If the owner rebuilds the store, the owner fits the bill.
Now I will tell you, there havebeen times when McDonald's.
(11:52):
Mcdonald's is kind of like themafia, but there's been times
where they've wanted to bullyowners into voting a certain way
, into voting a certain way, andthey've said, if we can do, I'm
just going to pull something.
I remember an accurate one.
(12:13):
This is it.
If you will vote and approvebreakfast all day which I knew
that was a mistake, I wasagainst that which I knew that
was a mistake, I was againstthat.
If you do that, we will.
Mcdonald's corporate will payfor all of your digital menu
boards.
That was a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
So that was their way of pushing their controlling
yeah.
Yes, but you were like heck,yeah, I mean that's what I'm in
for.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Yeah so, yeah, so they don.
That's what I'm in for.
Yeah so, yeah, so they don't.
Even when they tear down thestore, the owner, the franchisee
, the owner pays for all of thatout of pocket, which you.
That's also kind of part of thereason.
I think you wanted out when youdid, you were like my stores.
If I don't get out now, I'mgoing to have to reinvest so
much in remodels.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
A million dollars.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
I'm going to have to reinvest so much in remodels A
million dollars that it's goingto.
I'm either get out now or I'mgoing to have to stay in X
amount of years to recoup myreinvestment Right I was going
to have to do two major remodels.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
One of mine was done, but I was going to have to do
two major remodels that were itwas going to cost me like a
million dollars plus you know,or remodels that were it was
going to cost me like a milliondollars plus you know.
So, which means if I had donethat, I could have gotten a
million dollars more for mypackage.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
but then it's a wash, yeah, so you were like that.
I sold them as they were.
So, yeah, that is interesting.
Let's see what else is on here.
Will Steven this is kind ofwill Steven ever get back into
the fast food industry?
Speaker 1 (13:48):
No, no, and it's funny.
I don't know if I mentionedthis to you yesterday or not,
but it's weird.
Like yesterday, for whateverreason, on my news feed was
three different quick servicerestaurants shopping for
(14:09):
franchisees that showed up on myfeed.
I thought that was very.
They were tracking you White.
Castle was one.
I can't think of the other two,mm-hmm.
And no, I mean, if it were asituation where I financially
had to, yes, I would.
Am I looking to?
(14:30):
No.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Yeah, okay, so he won't be flipping burgers
anytime soon, if he can help.
It is what it sounds like.
Correct For Wesley thisquestion would you like to get
more involved with the flowerbusiness?
Well, we have our flower shop,the retail, and that's where I
get my flower business.
(14:53):
But maybe you're referring to,like the flower farm business,
propagating, but for that part,no, not, no, no, no, I was
trying to tie it in together.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
That's not your passion.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
First of all, I love the flower farm, Huge supporter
of it.
We do have a project that we'reworking on that kind of gets me
more involved in the flowerfarm.
But I love that Daniel has hisown baby, his own business, and
I have mine and we can talkabout it.
But it just gives us our ownspace there and I love like
(15:32):
helping him in his business,like promoting it or designing
with the flowers and that sortof thing.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Making suggestions.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yeah, but my degree.
I don't love growing thingsfrom a like oh, I got to plant
this, I got to nurture it, I gotto grow it.
I like flowers and plants froma design standpoint and that was
always, even when I got myhorticulture degree.
It should have been in like Ishould have been a florist.
(16:02):
But see, that was too gay backthen.
You know what I'm saying.
But that was your passion, thatwas.
I liked the design of it and Ididn't know at the time.
But like Mississippi Statewhere I went, there was only two
schools at the time I don'tknow if it's still true today
that offered retail floristrymanagement as an actual degree.
(16:23):
But I didn't realize I mean, Ididn't really need that either,
because I naturally get andunderstand business and
marketing and design.
So I do feel like having thehorticulture degree was the
biggest benefit because Iunderstood the scientific
growing of the plants Well, andit made you learn Right Too,
(16:45):
because it is important to knowRight how the proper care and
that helps.
I feel like it does help withdesign and that sort of thing.
But as far as my love forflowers and plants and that
stuff, I don't like the growingscientific side of it.
(17:07):
I like the design.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Daniel loves it.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Daniel loves it.
But when we opened our gardenstore Roots, the whole concept
was using living potted plantsto make cool arrangements out of
.
That's what we started thebusiness on.
We didn't even sell freshflowers or faux flowers.
When the store opened it wasall potted living arrangements
(17:29):
and of course it's grown intobigger and more and diversified
since then.
So I do not have the desire tobe out in the field with the
flowers.
I like walking through thefield with the flowers.
I like walking in the coolerand grabbing a bucket full of
flowers.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
I will tell you this what Daniel does, you have to be
smart.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah, and patient, because there's a lot of you
know planning that goes behindit and there's a lot of oh.
I got to get this plantedbetween this date and this date
or it's not going to bloom intime.
And then if something goes wrong, like weather, like we've had
crazy hot this summer, no rainIf something goes wrong it takes
(18:13):
a whole, most time year, to tryagain to correct it.
So it you know I don't havepatience for that, I mean, and
I'm a very patient person, it'sjust not.
It is not my cup of tea, but hedoes have a fun project coming
up that kind of puts me backinto it a little bit more.
But so I guess that answers thequestion.
(18:35):
And see, that's why I like ourretail garden shop.
We got the pretty plants.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
We got pretty flowers .
Speaker 2 (18:40):
They're already in the cooler for me, that sort of
thing Fun to design, okay.
Um, next up behind the scenesat market and all about amanda,
live girl, laugh out loud.
So we've kind of talked aboutmarket.
(19:00):
The behind the scenes is ay'all would be.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
I just wish y'all could see, you wouldn't believe.
You would not believe the timelapse and the work and effort it
takes to do a live.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah, from market.
I wish you could really seethat is one.
If a film crew came it's likewe want to film and make a
one-hour show I would say filmme at market and what it takes
to get the live sales going,because the market is huge.
We're running from showroom toshowroom.
(19:35):
We're picking out the productsin real time, sending them back
to the office, lisa's gettingthem on.
We get to the showroom, we gotto refine the products, we got
to get on live and act likewoo-hoo.
We haven't just been through awhirlwind tornado.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
And then Cash and Carrie, we photograph it, we get
it online, we gather it andbring it home.
So it's.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
It's very it's controlled chaos and we have I
don't know how we've gotten oursystem down so well on that part
of it, and we keep it the waythat we do it because of our
size mainly, yeah, because weare so big and complicated.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Now, honestly, we have to keep it very organized.
So in order to keep itorganized, it takes a lot more
work behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
It is crazy.
Sometimes I get back you knowI'll get back to.
We have friends that are in theboutique world and they come
and they shop and they're backto the hotel at like five
o'clock and they go out fordinner and they're like oh, I
went back today and took a napin the middle of the day.
And we get back to the hotellike we've gotten there at like
(20:52):
10 in the morning and we'regetting home at like 10 at night
, not even had dinner yet, sortof thing.
But we love it.
Are we crazy?
Absolutely, do we love it?
Absolutely?
Should every retail boutiquebusiness owner be doing live
sales?
Yes, you should be doing.
(21:12):
If you're a boutique owner, youshould be doing your form of a
live sale, because where elsecan you?
It doesn't even matter if youonly have 10 customers that come
to a live sale.
That's like 10 people walkingin your store at once and you
have the opportunity to sellthem something.
But I know, not everyone hasthe personality or the want to
be in front of the camera andthat sort of thing.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
And Live Girl, amanda , live Girl, amanda, live Girl
started out as a contractemployee basically.
She is now a lot more than acontract employee.
She's a dear friend, you knowwe love her and she's just a
great part of our business now.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Yeah, she's so good.
So we needed we had the need tohave a girl in our live sales
from time to time, because whenwe go to market we like to do a
variety of lives, some of thethings that we wouldn't stock,
like purses and handbags orcertain jewelry and that sort of
(22:14):
thing, and now Dylan's reallycome in and helps with that
because he loves that too.
But we needed a model for thatand someone.
Sometimes when we're out oftown, we might have Amanda on or
whatever.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
And she gets us.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
She gets us, we get her.
We're just, I don't know, wejust love her so much.
And when we're at market andshe's doing her own live sales
or whatever and we're crossingover and I'm like, hey, let me
send you this file, you can dothat, like we work so well
together and share things andthat girl is a hustler.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
She's one of the hardest.
Seriously, I truly love her.
She's like of the hardest,seriously.
I truly love her.
She's like a little sister tome.
She is one of the hardestworking women I've ever known.
Yeah, and I respect that, yeahfor sure, I mean she's a great
mom, she's a great human, but aworkhorse.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
So she lives in the Atlanta area.
I think she said it takes herabout 45 minutes to an hour to
get to market.
So she's there regularly andthat's a good resource for us to
be able to say can you do alive for us?
Or you know, she'll even callus and be like hey, I was
shopping the mart in between Ifound this.
(23:34):
I think your customers wouldlike it, you know.
So she helps us source thingsand all kinds of things it works
, it works.
It's a great little partnershipthere, so it is so good.
Well, this is a random one thatI hadn't read, but I guess
we've kind of talked about it.
But thoughts on chat GPT.
(23:55):
So you know we've been lovingsome chat GPT, we love it.
It is scary to see where itgoes At market.
If one of you selects an itemfor the shop and the other
disagrees, who has the final say?
We neither it's, whoever wantsit or doesn't want it.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
If one of us feels strongly about it, we order it.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Yeah, we never get mad about products or that.
So what we'll do if we'reshopping together and a lot of
times we'll break up LikeStephen's like I need to go
order from this vendor and I'mlike okay, well, while you're
doing that, because I know yougot that I'm going to go order
from this vendor and he's likeokay, and then we'll meet back
up and then a lot of things weshop for together as well.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
We like shopping together when we can, because we
balance each other.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
And we play off of each other, and then I might say
, oh, what about this item?
And he might be like, hmm.
And then usually we have this Idon't know language Nonverbal.
This nonverbal language, andusually when he says that, it
makes me reassess the item andI'll be like, oh, you're right,
yeah, we can get this fromso-and-so, or I see what you're
(25:08):
talking about.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
But we don't say those words ever, no, no.
Like we go, like you'll go.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Like I know, we know what each other's yeah, we know
what that means right, and so wejust know and the here's the
thing, at market there's, Idon't know, millions, billions
of items.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
So if if he doesn't like it and I do, then we just
move on because there's gonna besomething or if we feel real
strongly because you may havesomething in your mind that
you're not going to discuss withme at that time.
But for tom's sake, a projectand you're going to go.
No, we need this for the and Iokay.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Yeah.
So then we each override eachother.
Sometimes I'll go, what aboutthis?
And he's like, and I'm likeI'll take 96.
Yeah.
And then he says, well, wealways need something for a sale
or the outlet store.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
And then sometimes I'm like no, we're getting it
because I want this.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yeah and it's fine.
Yeah, yeah and it's fine.
Yeah, it's not that big of adeal 98%.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
We agree on.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Yeah, so it's not a thing.
And that goes back to beingbusiness owners together and
co-owners and why I wouldn'thave it because I wouldn't have
a co-owner if I could help itunless I truly knew, knew when I
, like I said back in thisepisode, when Steven became an
official partner in the business, I already knew we had been
(26:41):
buying together for years doingthe same thing.
He was, he would go with, wewould go together to market.
I spent your money, then hespent my money then.
But we go to market and we seestore owners together and
they're like in this hugedisagreement over one damn
ornament, and we're like there'smillions of ornaments, why are
(27:05):
you even giving this a?
Speaker 1 (27:06):
minute conversation and the reps are like oh my God,
well, reps always tell us likeoh my God, it's so great working
with y'all, because we were inone showroom and it was like
five women, which is not beingugly I'm not saying anything
about women, but that's anightmare because it gets very
(27:27):
emotional.
Right, and we're standing thereand we order.
Literally it is a nonverbal.
Oh, I mean, we speak adifferent language.
Yeah, when we're in showrooms,we don't even notice it.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
um, or see, or I'll be like, oh, I really like that
over there, and I'll point tosomething and then steven to
pick it up and he'll go.
I'm like, oh too pricey.
Yeah, he gives a little whistleand I'm like, mm-hmm, got it,
move on.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
We were in this showroom and these five women
this is the first time I've everseen it so in my face Do you
remember they were shopping forChristmas.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Ornaments dude.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Ornaments and every person got to vote.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Do you know how much time that takes?
Think about going into yourlocal boutique, even a small one
that has two trees.
How many different ornaments onthere If you had to vote on
each one.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
If you do not trust me to shop for us, we don't need
to be in business together.
Trust me to shop for us.
We don't need to be in businesstogether.
And like the one, the onemarket I didn't go to, which was
the biggest market, which wasChristmas one year you went and
did that without me because mymother was sick.
Not once.
I mean, my mind was, you know,hugely preoccupied, but not once
(28:53):
did I go, oh, I hope he didn'tmess christmas up.
I knew and no, you, but you weremore nervous because we weren't
there to go back and forth toeach other.
But I never thought and, andthen when it did come in, I
didn't go.
Well, you really messed this up.
Yeah, like you know, we willjoke and tease each other but
(29:15):
not serious.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
But we've been there in store owners or whatever they
are, or FaceTiming someone.
Do you like this one?
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Oh, I don't like it Like virtually what about this
one?
Okay, there's pink, blue andwhite.
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (29:35):
And I just look at the rep and I'm like, seriously,
yeah and I told wesley I saidI'm never doing that as long as
I live, never, oh my gosh.
All right.
Next one please tell me youmoved out after daniel found
this huge snake in your house.
I got a lot of snake questionsand answers.
(29:56):
We haven't seen the snake againsince then so far.
Where did he take it?
I have to ask him.
I think way down our driveway.
Yeah, I mean he got on the golfcart and took it somewhere, so
hopefully it's not back anytimesoon.
Again, he left the door open,so it's fine, it's fine, let's
(30:25):
see.
What do y'all meaning both ofus like?
Speaker 1 (30:31):
to do when you aren't working.
I get that one a lot.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
We're always working.
For me, working is a lifestyle.
We've talked about that and Ienjoy working on work.
That is my hobby, Likeeverything I do like, even
around the farm.
If I'm going to arrange flowers, that goes back to work.
I don't look at it that way,I'm just saying like oh, I'm
(30:56):
using our pretty flowers fromthe farm, I'm going to use a
vase from our store, or whatever.
And if I'm not working, working,I am doing office work or doing
something pertaining to thisand you have downtime and stuff
like that too, but you're notlike oh, when I'm not working,
I'm out playing video games orsomething.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
No, I will say both of us, you know, if we really
want some relax.
We both love to go get a nicemassage or you know, go to a
nice spa and get pampered?
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Do you and Steven have a SSB, a secret single
behavior like on Sex and theCity, behavior that you only do
when you're alone?
Ie Carrie eats saltines andreads Vogue.
Do you have anything you doalone.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Well, actually there is a favorite pastime we both
share.
Probably not appropriate forthis podcast.
Oh my God.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
And we'll walk right into that one.
I don't think I have a I like.
Okay, I do not watch TV, andnot for any particular reason.
I've just over the past fewyears Now it's been like five or
six I stopped watching TV, butI do watch big brother in the
(32:37):
summertime, like it's on rightnow.
I love big brother.
That's my only tv that I keepup with.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
I love dateline like the dateline kill he loves the
sinister, yeah something I likeout yeah, something Snapped.
Yeah, anything that they'vekilled and buried dug up, moved,
that's.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
The DNA and the mystery and the investigation.
He loves that.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Yeah, and I love so, for you know my few minutes of
alone time in the morning andWesley, you like this.
We both love good coffee.
Oh, yeah, coffee, good coffee,a good coffee.
We both have the same bougiecoffee machines and we love
(33:27):
bougie coffee.
That, and then my other snacktime at home that I love is I
love the Chobani sugar-freeyogurt, mm-hmm, like
strawberries, my favorite, yeah.
(33:47):
And then I like to just putsome whipped topping, oh, like
Cool Whip on it.
No, not Cool Whip, the not fullof crap, yeah, on top, and
that's like I need to try that.
It's so good and it's sohealthy.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
I love a good yogurt.
I just started liking yogurtthe last year.
It's really good.
Yeah, I'm trying to think.
Is there any other?
Speaker 1 (34:10):
And I like to look through my coffee table books
from time to time.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
I'll sit there and drink coffee, speaking of coffee
, so we were at market, as youknow, for 10 days at the
Marriott Marquis.
If you ever want to find thisnear a market, do you know?
I don't know how you got ready.
You get ready and go get yourcoffee right, yeah, I can't do
all this up and down.
If you saw me, you didn't see mein the morning time.
(34:35):
I roll out of my bed at themarriott marquee like I am
rolling out of my bed at home,and I throw on whatever clothes
are in the floor that I took offfrom the night before.
My hair is sticking up, badhead and everything and I just
walk down there to the, theStarbucks, like I'm in my own
kitchen.
Get my coffee.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
People are.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
I know they're looking at me.
I don't like to leave until Idon't, but see, I can't get
ready and motivated till I havemy coffee.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
It's the only thing.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
They need room delivery.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I need no, I need a Jura.
We should pack ours and take itwith.
They should.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Zura should make a travel version, a more compact
version.
I need a whole coffee bar setup there if I were a celebrity,
that would be my that would beon my rider.
I need a Zura coffee maker.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
I just need a coffee stock coffee bar and I'll be
good with.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
And I hate when you go to market and they try to
have a little coffee bar coffeebar and I'll be good with and I
hate when you go to market andthey try to have a little coffee
bar set up and it's the cheapcreamers and the little peel
back.
You know, like god knows onlyknows what's in that got like
cheap gas station coffee creamersweeten it or nothing like just
don't.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Yeah, it's white paint oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Um, how do you decide what to buy?
Is it always a compromise?
Do you always agree?
And how much to spend?
Um, so we kind of touched onthat, but I think the difference
here always.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
We consistently always spend too much.
That's where we, that's what wedo.
We just spend too damn much.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
We don't go with the budget like we should.
We go on, feel and gut for mosteverything, even on what to buy
.
Okay, we've talked about it.
We have our quote menu of ourstores.
We got a garden store, so wehave to buy what pertains to
that.
We have our furniture homedecor store, so we have to buy
what pertains to that, and thenonline, which gives us a whole
open to sell whatever we want.
(36:38):
But we go off of what's sold.
Our customer like, oh, theyreally like this, so this is the
cousin to that.
They're going to like this youknow kind of thing.
Or oh, that item didn't do asgood, so they're definitely not
going to like this one.
So you gotta have, you gotta bein touch with your customer and
what's selling and go on gut,because again goes back.
(37:01):
We've said it before it's justlike gambling.
You got it's a gamble.
What?
Speaker 1 (37:04):
are they gonna like it's kind of an art with us now
too, like we know?
Speaker 2 (37:10):
I don't know we just know, did ste Steven ever get a
new car because of the ding thathe was going to get fixed?
No, no, he's going to play thisoff.
I got it repaired, he got itrepaired, and he never drives
the car because it's damaged.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
No, I don't drive it.
I don't drive it.
I haven't been just driving itbecause of my back, really.
But no, I'm not getting a newcar.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
We're going to skim over that.
Okay, we'll skim over it.
Oh gosh, Did Steven and Dylanget engaged?
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Yeah, been engaged, but I said we had to be together
.
I said we had to be together 10years before I would get
married.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Yeah God, the time is really ticking.
He thought he was kicking thatball down the road.
I thought I was.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
What year are y'all Six?
No, we're now going into year,starting on year seven.
It's going to be here before weknow it.
But you know I mean honestly.
We are pretty much for allpractical purposes now we're
married, everything's fixed.
So I wanted him to feel secureso he doesn't ever have to worry
(38:35):
about anything.
Right, yeah, he will have ahome car retirement.
He's good, no matter what.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Paris social relationships.
I need to look that up.
We know y'all, but you don'tknow us.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
Yes, it's weird.
It's weird and we love meetingyou guys.
So I love meeting you andseeing your name, because you
know us but we do not know you.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
I think that's the only weird part for me.
I think that's the only weirdpart for me is because we've
been doing this for so long andused to.
It started out like gettingrecognized in public.
I would just know you were acustomer from our retail store,
Like I'd be grocery shopping orsomething.
But then the whole social mediacame along and now here we are
(39:35):
with live sales and the podcastand that sort of thing.
The awkward part it's not weirdfor me anymore or anything is
just introduce yourself.
When you say like, hey, I'mso-and-so, I follow your podcast
or hey, I'm so-and-so, I loveyour live sale, or whatever it
(40:00):
may be, Because I feel weird,because you do know so much
about us when I have to, then Ifeel like I'm ruining that
moment when I have to say, andwho are you or what's your name
or where are you from?
Because then that to me I feellike then that clicks that
moment out of when you'remeeting me or us or whatever to
like, oh, I don't know who thehell you are and it's not like
that.
I just want to know a name,because I do recognize names
from live sales, comments onInstagram and that sort of thing
(40:24):
.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Well, one person did it really well with me and she
got me before you at market andI thought it was very clever the
way she did it.
She came up and she said hello,and at first I didn't, I didn't
think she knew me.
Yeah, yeah, I thought she, likemost people, think I work there
(40:45):
.
And I said hello, and she saidyou do not know me, but I know
you.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Yeah, I've had that before and I said okay, well,
tell me who you are.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Yeah, and it was fine , that flowed perfectly well,
because she prefaced it withokay, I know you, you don't know
me, and and it was fine, youknow, and now I really don't
care.
It is comical to me, becausenow I can be in certain places
and I hear somebody calling myname and I'm like yeah, what
(41:21):
then?
one lady was doing it and shewas like screaming my name and I
was with a large group offriends, yeah, and I was like
you know, oh, and first it usedto be McDonald's people, yeah,
customers or employees, and so Istopped and she was like, hey,
(41:43):
I follow you guys.
And then she was with herfamily and they thought she was
crazy, so I had to meet thewhole family.
But it was fine, we reallyenjoy it.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
Yeah, I love meeting people and I say the other weird
thing is I don't not weirdbecause that sounds bad, because
I don't care if you do it ornot, but sometimes, like I'll be
at Mark anywhere, and then I'llget home and someone will
message hey, we were sitting inthe restaurant next to you, but
I didn't want to say hello andI'm like, oh my gosh, why didn't
(42:15):
you?
Then I'm like because I reallyenjoy meeting people, it makes
me feel good that you recognizeme and I love talking to you or
whatever.
And then I'm like oh.
Then I'm like, oh God, what wasI talking about?
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Well, I had people, dylan and I had walked.
We walked downtown like twice aweek and have dinner and walk
home.
And so a month or so ago I geta message on Instagram hey, I
just saw you and Dylan, we'rehere visiting out of state, yeah
(42:48):
.
And I was like, oh my gosh whydid you?
Not say something?
Well, I didn't want to yell atyou.
I was like, oh my gosh.
I was like we're having dinnerhere, Come by and say hello, but
they would not bother me.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
And I'm like don't be silly, bother me.
Like it's not a bother, I enjoyit.
Yeah, like, be comfortableenough to say yeah, especially
if you're in my city, come andtalk to me.
I'll tell you what you need togo do, yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
But I do like it when you say hello and I like it
when I can.
Sometimes I'll be walking, likeat market.
I'll be walking to someone andI see it on their face that they
recognize me.
You know, you may I can readthat they're like, oh, there he
is.
That's what's going acrosstheir face and I'll be like do
you know me?
Or something like that.
And that's the icebreaker, andthey'll be like I do, oh my gosh
(43:45):
.
And I'll be like and who areyou Sort?
Speaker 1 (43:46):
of.
Thing.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
But anyway.
So there's that.
Do you decorate for Christmas,even if you will be out of town?
Yes, so we're always out oftown for Christmas because I
usually go back to see my family, or I always go back to see my
family, but I still decoratebecause I enjoy it the whole
season.
Well, we're in town, but wedecorate.
(44:09):
Yeah, but we decorate even ifI'm going to be out of town and
still enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
You still enjoy it 98% of the time.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
Yeah, sometimes I've decorated and then taken it down
right before Christmas becauseI'm leaving, like, oh, I got
time to go ahead and take itdown and I'll, you know, pack it
away or take it back to thewarehouse or wherever it's going
for that.
So, yes, I definitely decorate.
Who is this person?
This person must be new, butthanks for your your question.
(44:41):
Who is the main decorator inboth of your homes?
Speaker 1 (44:45):
who is the main decorator in both of your homes,
me and Wesley.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
Yes, daniel hadn't decorated anything he's like,
but he likes that Like he's like.
I'm glad you do all that orwhatever.
And then Dylan's I mean Dylan,stephen's home.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Dylan is Stephen be like put that back, dylan.
It was funny, I said yesterday.
Dylan said oh, this turned outreally nice because I did
another wall.
And I said he said something.
I said well, if we weren'ttogether, wouldn't you hire me
to decorate your home?
He said I couldn't afford you.
(45:23):
I said well, let's pretend youcould.
He said yes, I would.
I said enough, said home.
He said I couldn't afford you.
I said, well, let's pretend youcould.
Yes, he said yes, I would Isaid enough said yeah, next
question customers gone wild.
Speaker 2 (45:37):
Most dramatic slash entertaining customer stories
mcdonald's or the next thing?
Speaker 1 (45:42):
well, well, that's a book.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
Yeah, I've told a couple on here, I will say not
the most.
I got a PSA.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
How about?
Speaker 2 (45:53):
let's start it off there.
Let me tell you and not justwith our business, any business
If you are writing in for acustomer service issue, Maybe
your item arrived broken, Maybeit wasn't what you wanted.
Whatever it may be, somethinghappened to your order and you
(46:14):
get it.
Maybe you go to a hotel and theroom's not what you want.
The least responsive thing youcan do for the people on the
other side is be dramatic andstart off your conversation
email, phone call with I'm sodisappointed.
Speaker 1 (46:35):
This is the worst day of my life.
This has ruined my week.
Yeah, don't do that.
Don't do that.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
Don't do that, because you are not the only
person that's ever had a problemwith whatever it may be.
No one wants to hear that.
No, you don't want someonecoming to your job and telling
you that no one wants to hearthat.
So what you're going to do toget your way because this gets
your way better If you go oh mygosh, I just got my order and
(47:06):
I'm having this problem with it.
Here's, pictures included.
Let me know what I need to donext.
That's all you got to do.
The business is going to takeby.
Telling the business howdisappointed you are or how it
ruined your life does not getyou better results, if anything.
When I'm checking emails, thoseare the ones that sit there.
(47:29):
I'm like we'll get back to you.
Speaker 1 (47:32):
I'm very conscientious, like the few
times it's happened when I ordersomething.
I am very careful when I sendpictures and respond.
Hey, I know you guys are sobusy.
It's such a busy time of yearbecause it's usually during the
holidays.
This is not the end of theworld.
I would like a replacementwhenever possible.
(47:52):
Thank you so much.
Happy holidays.
Speaker 2 (47:55):
Can you let me know when that will be?
And they're so nice.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
You get it like that, I get it just like that and
they send me the nicest responseBecause I'm not being an idiot,
right?
Speaker 2 (48:07):
And if you're ordering things online, like our
online store, once it leavesour warehouse, it is not in our
control.
So if that box comes in lookinglike a pancake, we didn't send
it like that.
We didn't send it like that.
We don't want to deal with you.
We want to sell you somethingand we want you to be happy.
Is the thing?
We didn't send it like that.
We didn't send it like that.
We don't want to deal with you.
We want to sell you somethingand we want you to be happy.
(48:28):
Is the thing?
We didn't send it there likethat.
So don't write an email.
Oh my gosh, it was smashed.
I can't believe you sent it tome this way.
It came in like that.
Speaker 1 (48:40):
It ain't our fault.
Listen, I always say we're notcuring pediatric cancer, right?
Say, and we're not.
We're not curing pediatriccancer, right.
No children are dying here, we.
It is not.
You do not need to act that way, right?
And I always used to say on themcdonald's side, since they
mentioned it is, I really wantto get to the point in life
(49:02):
where my biggest issue is thatpickle on my cheeseburger.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
That's left on there.
Speaker 1 (49:07):
I mean calm down.
I know the biggest meltdownI've ever had.
I've only had one meltdown onthe retail side, one meltdown,
and it takes a lot.
I'm very.
I'm a very nice person.
(49:28):
We're dealing with customers.
I'm very, very nice.
But when I have told you like18 times, this is our policy,
I'm bending the rules for youwith this, but I'm not doing
this About the 18th time Toomany times.
(49:53):
I've just about had it.
And so one nutcase from not inGreenville but came to the store
and she completely pushed mecompletely off the cliff over
the edge and um.
Thankfully there was no othercustomers in the store, it was
(50:15):
just you know.
Thank god for that.
But I snapped, I kicked themout of the store.
I threw I threw her door basketacross the park.
Speaker 2 (50:31):
I'm so disappointed I wasn't there for that.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
The funniest thing is I mean I had a.
I was like get the hell outfrom here and I threw the basket
in the parking lot.
The funniest thing was all theemployees were like oh my God,
Because they had never seen thatside.
(50:54):
And then I was like, okay,let's get back to it.
But you know, if I react thatway, you're a nut.
Yeah, you're a nut and youshould not ever come back.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (51:11):
But just on any customer service, because you
got to realize we're doing thatall day.
Customer service that's, likeyou know, 80% of the job.
Don't be dramatic.
Just write and get to the point.
You know.
If FedEx crushed your box, justsay oh, fedex did it again.
Send a picture.
(51:31):
Look at this my box is crushed,so sorry, everything in it was
damaged.
Let me know what you need fromme so we can get this handled.
We're not going to stiff youfor your money.
We're not in the business tostiff you for your money.
We're either going to send youa replacement or we're going to
refund it if we don't have one.
There's nothing else to it.
(51:51):
There's no reason to be sodisappointed and your life is
ruined and you have to tell ushow horrible we are, how
horrible the product was becauseit got broken there, how
horrible it was packed, howhorrible it was.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
I'm just devastated.
Speaker 2 (52:06):
And then the other thing.
This is my very dramatic thing.
Speaker 1 (52:10):
We read these.
If you send emails like that tous, we make fun of you, we do.
Speaker 2 (52:17):
And, like I said, the ones who are the most dramatic.
I leave sitting there, notusually not to be like oh, I'm
going to leave that sittingthere because that's going to
take that much more time,because you're already dealing
with the tone, dealing with thisbig problem of it ruining their
life.
In the situation, instead ofbeing the ones who write in
(52:39):
direct to the point you know,all you got to do is say I'm so
sorry, this did this.
I'm checking inventory.
We have more.
It will ship out tomorrow.
Let me know if somethinghappens.
And this doesn't make it thereas well.
Thanks so much for yourbusiness.
We appreciate you shopping withme.
And done the ones that aredramatic.
You have to write, oh my gosh.
(53:00):
Then you have to try to explainyourself and then you got to
try to make them feel betterabout themselves and your
business, plus, get thereplacement done.
It's a whole unnecessary ballof wax.
But the ones that really get meare the ones who are dramatic
and they think they're writinglisa, for example, at the
(53:21):
warehouse.
And then I respond becausewe're all in the email.
It's just that.
It's all one email y'all andthen I respond in their tone is
totally different.
Oh my gosh, I knew you wouldtake care of me Like it went
from way up here.
(53:41):
How horrible we are.
Speaker 1 (53:43):
That's even worse.
Speaker 2 (53:44):
Yeah, that's even worse, so anyway, just be nice,
nice to the point, send apicture we're going to take care
of you.
We appreciate you and we'regoing to take care of you it's
the same thing at the plantstore on, say, on a retail level
, is the people who come in andyou know, and I think a lot of
(54:06):
times with that, they knowthey're in the wrong, but for
whatever reason, they want to bein the right and it's like um,
my plant died and I just got itand it's, you know, I need a
replacement.
It was a bad plan and we look itup and it was three weeks
earlier it was three weeksearlier and it's got flies
coming out because it's sowaterlogged that the roots are
(54:29):
rotting and we're, like youkilled it in three weeks because
you and probably yourhousekeeper both watered it.
It weighs 200 pounds and itsmells like sewer because it's
rotting there.
So no, this wasn't our fault.
Speaker 1 (54:44):
And you didn't just get it honey.
Yeah, I love it when they say Ijust got this last week.
Speaker 2 (54:50):
And it's like two months.
Yeah, I'm like no, we can seeyour sales.
Speaker 1 (54:55):
Two months ago Anyway .
Speaker 2 (55:02):
Let's see what else.
Speaker 1 (55:04):
One more, I'm hungry.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
Oh, one more.
Oh, we don't.
Speaker 1 (55:06):
One more.
Speaker 2 (55:07):
Oh, we got so many um to do.
Will Romeo and Cleo have babies?
I think?
Speaker 1 (55:15):
there's pregnant.
There's what coming, fingerscrossed.
Cleo is going to have a little,leo Is that what we're going to
call it I don't know.
What if it's a girl, I mean Flo, flo, what we're gonna call it,
I don't know what.
If it's a girl, I mean flow,romeo, cleo and little flow all
(55:35):
right, we're gonna wrap thisbaby up, since steven is hungry.
Speaker 2 (55:40):
I'm hungry, oh my gosh.
That was like an almost an hourworth of Q&A and I didn't even
get through all of it.
Well, we'll do more.
We'll do more next time.
Well, we'll be talking aboutyour Hawaii, hawaii, hawaii trip
, hawaii.
Speaker 1 (55:55):
Still hoping that's a Southernism.
Speaker 2 (55:57):
Still hoping you've survived your helicopter tour.
Hawaii.
How are you, hawaii?
How are you?
Remember to join our membersonly community.
If you haven't done so, you cando it.
Who's driving podcastcom?
You can go there and watch ourpodcast or you can listen to
free.
You can listen to all theprevious episodes If you want to
(56:19):
go back to the very beginning,day one, and really learn how
Steven and I met and how Danieland I met and all of that.
Go back to the very beginning.
It's all right there.
It's all there.
You can listen to anywhere youget your podcasts.
Remember to share us with yourfriends.
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And leave us a review whereveryou're listening to your podcast
(56:40):
, as long as it's a good one.
Yeah, that's it.
We'll see you next week, thanks.
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