33: Lessons We Learned in 2023

Intro:
Hey, you’re drinking house coffee – unfiltered conversations brewed at the intersection of real estate life and coffee shop service. We’re Maggie and Rich – local business owners and friends sharing stories and welcoming you to pull up a chair with us. The door’s always open. Let us pour you a cup.

Maggie:
Hey, Maggie. Hey, Rich, welcome to episode 33.

Rich:
Thanks

Maggie:
The last of 2023.

Rich:
Wow. We made it folks.

Maggie:
I know it’s kind of cool

Rich:
Close. So close to the end of the year.

Maggie:
This is gotta be like our we’re hitting our sweet spot. This yeah,

Rich:
It only took 33 episodes. Yeah,

Maggie:
The age where Jesus started his ministry.

Rich:
That’s right. It’s perfect timing.

Maggie:
Yeah all

Rich:
In the Lord’s time. we are finally done with Business model Basics.

Maggie:
Thank goodness. Oh,

Rich:
Gosh. I enjoyed that.

Maggie:
Mhm.

Rich:
But that was they’ll definitely the longest series we’ve done.

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
So shout out to us. I’m happy it’s over. But I also am not at all mad that it took as long as it did and we covered all the ground we did because I think it’s gonna be useful going into the future. For me personally.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
I’ll see to it that it’s useful for you. Excuse me. Yeah. What else is news?

Maggie:
Well That’s so much news, but we’re getting a little time so I know we’re getting the boot. So. We have had the luxury. of true recording train free At the P1 office 414 but they are if you Landing news, he wants Studios they’re expanding and they need this office. So we are going to relocate location to TBD but we kind of already maybe know where it is, but we’ll get to figure out a space.

Rich:
I mean the nice thing is we got the mics we got we made these what do you call these sound dampening? Yeah things, you know, it’s all stuff that we can move.

Maggie:
It’s all portable with us. Yeah. Yeah

Rich:
In true. Welcome home Coast here. This whole thing is just a state. We just stated this room as a podcast that

Maggie:
Must say something about myself intrinsically like am I in my like, already always ready to be on the Go

Rich:
I mean Well one I Vibe with that but two it kind of makes sense because not like we were paying rents, you know, I mean like this could happen any time so we didn’t want to put down we don’t want to literal. You know, I don’t know

Maggie:
Here

Rich:
First in the in here. Yeah Nails in the wall.

Maggie:
Hmm.

Rich:
Those things are up with with pushed push pins.

Maggie:
Yeah. So

Rich:
Just to give you

Maggie:
Weren’t paying rent. We were graciously given this room and so

Rich:
True and helped along in the process

Maggie:
It did and you know, we kind of got our Rhythm and now now we’ve got our groove and we’re gonna we’re gonna find another space and we’re gonna kill it.

Rich:
Yeah. probably thinking we’ll end up just maybe redecorating the back room story and keep the podcast stuff in the corner. And

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
That is necessary.

Maggie:
Yep.

Rich:
So that’s a project. We’re looking forward to in January the new year for sure.

Maggie:
What have you been listening to?

Rich:
There’s an album by Copeland. Do you know Copeland?

Maggie:
Yep,

Rich:
The band one of my favorite bands

Maggie:
She changes

Rich:
She happy for a long time for a long time. That’s that’s an old one. That’s that’s an oldie but a goodie so they have put on an album last year. It’s called revolving doors,

Maggie:
And I don’t know any of the new Copeland.

Rich:
Well, okay. So what’s cool about this one is It is new and old Copeland because it’s it’s all new takes on. 10 I think it’s 10 of their songs from their entire discography cool. So they basically took songs like chin up and every time trying to think some of those older ones that are on there. Coffee. Do you know coffee? Oh, I think I know I think I know it if it’s not too late for coffee. Be a your place in

Maggie:
Town. Yes. Yes. I know that one.

Rich:
Well here yeah all night Diner and then well See,

Maggie:
Yes, I know.

Rich:
Okay, so that’s coffee. And that’s been where my Anthems for the longest time. So that’s on there there’s others and what he basically did. Was not exactly rewrite the songs but rework them and on every track brought in like a symphony like a symphonic orchestra.

Maggie:
So

Rich:
There are just just reimaginings. This was like the hit thing to do over the last two or three years.

Maggie:
What’s the album called

Rich:
Revolving doors

Maggie:
Revolving doors? Okay. So

Rich:
Like the hot thing to do was was to critical reimagine. Songs or albums and so many bands or in the last two or three years took old Works 10 to 20 year old albums or songs and like redid them in their in their more content more modern style or informed by their modern style.

Maggie:
Nostalgia is like real

Rich:
There’s

Maggie:
People

Rich:
It is especially Our Generation,

Maggie:
But

Rich:
Like so Thrice 20 year album. They got big on this album called. Thrice is one of my is another band that I I’ve liked a lot over the last few years and they had an album called artist in the ambulance. and like serious Punk album kind of hard like post post hardcore From 2003. Well, they Reem they did the whole record over again in in 20 last year. I think it was because or maybe even earlier this year it came out because it was like the 20. Yeah 2003. It was a 20th anniversary of this album. So they redid it and the thing was when that album came out the first time they’ve always retrospectively said like ah, the mix was really flat and we were kind of like stifled in our Creative Energy around it wasn’t really the album. We wanted it to be or wanted to produce and so now 20 years later. They got all this preparator freedoms just do exactly what they wanted to do it. So that’s the kind of thing that’s happening. So Copeland did a similar type thing where they’ve they’ve reimagined these songs and I’ve seen Even though even bands that aren’t old are taking songs and they’re doing like two different three different versions of the song just to do different styles of it. You know, it’s funny. That’s crazy. So anyway, I’ve been just typed. I’ve been to check that. I don’t know why I thought of getting into it but Copeland is always just a good listener

Maggie:
You ever listen to The Shins.

Rich:
I never got into the Shins. I don’t know why I just know those hits that are on the you know in the movies or on the radio or whatever.

Maggie:
I like The Shins. I like his voice and he’s also the lead singer of a band called Broken Bells.

Rich:
Oh interesting. I don’t know if I’ve heard them or

Maggie:
Not. Yeah. It’s kind of like.

Rich:
Oh my name

Maggie:
Yeah. Yeah. No, you would probably record you might hear the song and be like think it’s The Shins but it’s

Rich:
Yeah

Maggie:
That band.

Rich:
Well, that’s what I’m listening to.

Maggie:
Yeah

Rich:
Soon enough. It’s probably gonna be Death Cab for Cutie because I’ve got my tickets to you got tickets

Maggie:
Dude

Rich:
For the Albany. Appearance of Death Cab for Cutie.

Maggie:
Yep,

Rich:
20th anniversary tour my co headliner with the Postal Service

Maggie:
My friend from high school chat out. Her name is Melissa. Dude. We

Rich:
Are Melissa.

Maggie:
She is the one the friend. I think I mentioned a while back and we introduce me to eqx a bunch of other bands and stuff. And we’ve been messaging each other about it and we’re going to she got tickets and I’m gonna go

Rich:
Amazing.

Maggie:
So I’m excited.

Rich:
I was section. It’s probably nowhere near

Maggie:
I will find out it’s like she said she got good seats because she’s like a concert like junkie like she went to the blink. What’s that called the whole festival?

Rich:
And the another Warped Tour, but when we were young,

Maggie:
Yeah, whatever recently like in the last month.

Rich:
The last one

Maggie:
She

Rich:
Went I guess I missed. I miss that one

Maggie:
It she traveled for it. Yeah.

Rich:
There’s this thing called what talk about Nostalgia. Maybe this is why you thought it Nostalgia, but when we were young is the name of like this Festival that goes on this music festival where all of these emo and rock bands for

Maggie:
Sure that I

Rich:
Two thousands are like all on this giant Festival. That’s Popping up in different different major areas.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
That could certainly a bit cuz blink is on there. It’s like every band you would think of being on that being there is there.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
If you know that genre and that time period

Maggie:
Totally so

Rich:
Era Well,

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
What if you’ve been listening to?

Maggie:
Great question. I’ve been listening to also it’s a it’s a Netflix thing. I’ve actually been watching it but It’s a docu series a three-part docu series called the billionaire the Butler and the boyfriend. And you know me I love a true crime a non-murder. True crime.

Rich:
Murder or nothing for me did

Maggie:
And this docu series is about the last years of Lillian Bettencourt the wealthiest woman in the world. And do you know why she is the wealthiest woman in the world? Hmm. No, she’s the soul air and major shareholder of L’Oreal. Her father founded the brand

Rich:
Got it.

Maggie:
And the the documentary is about a feud that happened with her and her daughter. and it’s kind of it sounds really complicated, but long story short Lillian Bettencourt was being recorded her the conversations. She was having with her asset manager were being recorded by the butler. And the daughter got a hold of these. conversations and in order to expose Person, who is the boyfriend in this scenario? like his like greed because he she thought that he was taking advantage of her mother and she published these recordings in order to like file a lawsuit against this guy. but the recordings were made when they were made public there were like conversations about like Political like money being donated to politicians tax evasion and all these things that just sort of like blew up. That didn’t become the like the boyfriend then became not the main part of the story became all these other things. And it’s all based on a true story and like recordings from that. From that time period are published. The only thing about it. The only caveat is The whole thing is in French. So you have to either watch it in French with English subtitles or watch it like dubbed over with English.

Rich:
Which is your choice?

Maggie:
I so the first episode I watched in French with the subtitles. But then the last two episodes I was like multitasking so I couldn’t like more

Rich:
Listening.

Maggie:
It was more about listening. Yeah,

Rich:
Then

Maggie:
It was about like reading. but it’s a it’s something that I would it’s like very appropriate I was watching it with my 12 year old and none of it was like Crazy, yeah, like so you’re concerned about like kids being in the room or whatever. You could just watch it in French and then sometimes but you know, it was very interesting. Very very interesting.

Rich:
Yeah.

Maggie:
I like that kind of True Crime.

Rich:
Sounds

Maggie:
And the work like here’s the thing. I forgot to mention she was worth over 30. billion dollars Thirty billion dollars this woman was worth like she had more money than you could ever ever imagine and this got this friend who they call the boyfriend. They calculated between all the gifts and the trips and the money and everything that Lillian Bettencourt had given this guy it was almost a billion dollars in gifts and things was 970 something million dollars. So it’s just crazy like money literally Was No Object to the people in this world.

Rich:
Yes, it’s interesting to think about that kind of thing.

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
Which relativity to that

Maggie:
Totally? So what are we gonna talk about today? Like I don’t already know.

Rich:
What are we not gonna talk about it? First of all, thanks for my gift.

Maggie:
Oh, yeah. You’re welcome.

Rich:
Maggie told me about the artist way last week or the week before.

Maggie:
Yep,

Rich:
In response to something I was talking about and she brought me the book today.

Maggie:
I told you I workbook. It is. It will change your life. Just be prepared.

Rich:
The artist’s way a spiritual path to hire creativity internationally best-selling author Julia Cameron This one includes a new preface from the author. So that’s pretty sick, dude 30th Anniversary Edition.

Maggie:
Yep.

Rich:
Been around for a

Maggie:
It’s been around for a while minute. and there you have to you have to like I mean no pressure, but I recommend. treating this like a like class you’re taking and just like really do all of the assignments and homework that. She gives you. And it will like I’m just waiting for you in like 12 weeks from now to be like totally transformed.

Rich:
I need somebody else out there to pick this up and like we hold each other accountable as we work through it.

Maggie:
Totally

Rich:
Did you catch

Maggie:
Me TJ will do it.

Rich:
Did you catch these? accommodations on the back here The artist way is about discovering and developing the artists within this book will gently get you started and Lamont. Martin Scorsese dude,

Maggie:
This

Rich:
Is a book that addresses a delicate and complex subject for those who will use it is a valuable tool to get in touch with their own creativity. Russell Brand says I love it a practical spiritual nurturing book. Just what I need

Maggie:
Elizabeth Gilbert says had not had it not been for. The artist’s way there would be no Eat Pray Love.

Rich:
Wow, you heard it here first. That was the longest of the commentaries on the back. So I didn’t want to skip over that one.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
Not by size. Not for me.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
Very thoughtful. Thanks, Maggie.

Maggie:
You’re welcome.

Rich:
Yeah today this is gonna be our last episode of 2023 pretty sure and we’re not actually gonna pin ourselves down to the next to the start date for next

Maggie:
January.

Rich:
Episode afterward, but it will be in January.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
Probably. Probably February is when we kicks off, right we started last.

Maggie:
No we did

Rich:
Here. We launched in April.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
But we started recording every

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
Then we dropped three episodes at once. I remember I remember now. Yeah, we kicked it off at three episodes. So this time around we’re just gonna just gonna pop back up in January.

Maggie:
At least we’ve got the formula now.

Rich:
Yeah. Yeah, I think and we’re gonna do is that’s gonna give us like Probably like a month. To maybe even talk about what’s gonna look like in the future, you know.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
Who knows we’ll have to review some feedback that we’ve got. We’ve got a maybe think about what we want to do and what our goals are. And you know when we started this thing here, okay. I always have this thought before and I wanted to drop it. When we started this thing. We had a lot of different ideas and we were stoked on the idea of like building some Community around it. And I don’t know just doing more with this. And what happened for me this last year was I got An opportunity that I couldn’t pass up essentially and that happened kind of early on in the year. Definitely by by mid-year I was

Maggie:
A ghost

Rich:
I yeah, it’s kind of wrapped up in that and so as we discussed last week, I’ll be leaving vicer my role at vischer Ferry General Store. Come January and moving. back towards storied personally, but also hopefully that will free up a little bit more of my time because if you’re fairy, I was largely solely responsible for a lot of different things on the cafe side and at You know, so I was working for someone but I wasn’t and I was working with. Them to a degree, but I was kind of ultimately responsible and all the people I was supposed to be working with. It that was part of the part of my problem, you know issue over there for a while was just trying to figure out how to how to balance all this stuff at storied. You know, I have a team that’s we’re kind of equal players and a lot of ways and I’m I’m kind of ultimately responsible for a lot of things but a lot of the work is shared. So it’s a different experience. In fact having that scenario that story as well allowed me to step away more or less for the last six months. so anyway, that’s all to say that I’ll be I’ll be back at story. But my time is is required differently by all the things General things around me. So I’m hoping that creates a little more like flexibility in my lifestyle for both doubling down on story and kind of regrouping around that we’re gonna as I said to you earlier, hopefully open we’re planning to open more days of the week than we currently are. And power probably more hours as well then. We currently are allowing us ourself to do so. there’s that but but I’m hoping that we can maybe think about how to make the Pod something that’s more ingrained in the culture Yeah in the culture of story, that’d be cool. And I mean that’s how I I was obviously I approached this from the story perspective and looking at it from that but we didn’t actually I meant to talk about this when we were talking about the business models and we’re talking about assets

Maggie:
Right

Rich:
We could have talked about how the podcast

Maggie:
Yeah

Rich:
Should be an act could be an asset to our respective businesses, but it didn’t even come up. I think about that later on and I think that’s because right now it’s not yet. affecting our business our respective businesses but I’d like to figure out how this podcast being that we pour as much as we do into it and would like to pour even more how that could also. Reciprocate towards yeah. Our Twitter

Maggie:
Podcast is good now just wait till we actually put some effort into it.

Rich:
You heard here first.

Maggie:
I’m just kidding. We actually put a lot of like thought and consideration into. A lot of what goes behind this? I think it’s just right now. We’re only two people. Yeah and TJ.

Rich:
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So there’s there’s just like our creativity is a little bit. Stifled on it.

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
So anyway, that’s just some of my thoughts. Yeah, we didn’t even ask the question. But that’s the answer. That’s my answer. So

Maggie:
Yeah, I like it. What are some things that you learned in 2023?

Rich:
Like In general in general anything goes

Maggie:
Anything anything goes? between two friends

Rich:
We get to hear from you afterwards, right? Okay, great. I guess I learned a lot in 2023 and the years started with having a child. Bringing a child in the world.

Maggie:
I know he became parents this year.

Rich:
Yeah. It’s a good point. That’s a good point. So. so everything was a little bit filtered through that lens, you know because that that affected Everything in a good way, but like lifestyle how to change and took some shape around that certain routines and things came up. I think I think I’ve I’m learning. Still 223 so I’m still learning things from the year. I’m trying to think on the spot. I think I learned one takeaway now that like the bishop fairy chapters kind of closing. That’s also giving me a chance to reflect on some stuff and I think one takeaway is like you you have to have Okay, this isn’t even something I’ve learned. This is something I’m just thinking about I’m thinking about I’m trying to ask myself. To what degree is like your presence as a owner as a Founder as a essentially as an owner and a Founder not as a manager. Okay, because that’s a different thing but like as an owner of a business a CEO or founder to what degree is your presence required? to to affect your business Okay. and when and how does it matter? Those are actually not things I have. I don’t know the answer. Well, I think I’m learning the answer and I don’t like it.

Maggie:
Yeah, I know the answer for

Rich:
I think that no, I don’t want the answer for me what the answer in general

Maggie:
There’s straight answer for every business It’s not there’s not a blanket answer to a business.

Rich:
They’re kind of is though I kind of think there is

Maggie:
Okay,

Rich:
But that’s part of what I’m learning. That’s part of what I’m learning. There is a balance. Maybe this is what I’m learning. There’s a balance

Maggie:
See your business. Decline because of your lack of presence there this year

Rich:
Possibly. Possibly. I don’t know. Because there’s a lot of reasons for business to decline. Right if we shorten our hours. Then business is going to decline if we shorten our quick close some days then business is going to decline. In some cases you shorten your hours and you get more business. I’ve heard of that right some days you do less days, you get more business. Because people just pack it in because they are going to be there either way. so that’s the kind of thing it every equation is different. Every equation is different so you don’t know. Until you kind of learn the hard way. And there’s and there’s so many lovers to pull so I don’t know which one is the thing right? Because if okay in my particular thing when I stepped away that reduced I couldn’t just replace myself with another person because the way our model works right now is I don’t take money. From the business which is not actually a model that works. So we’ve you know, that’s something to think about. I got to build it differently so that I could have that money and then when I replace myself The money was there because I planned for it to be there whether it was mine or for someone else, right? So If I step away now, I can’t replace myself because it was never meant to work that way. That’s so okay. So translate that to yes technically speaking physically if I leave we we do we have less people. We can’t replace me. It’s not a one for one. So if I leave we have to go less hours because Abby can’t work all of those hours herself

Maggie:
And

Rich:
The shop can’t run one person right now. It’s not designed that way. It used to be well before we moved and had different menu items and blah blah, so. That but you if you could take that model and say okay whether it’s me or someone else if the model was different to where you know, the money is gonna be there either way, so it doesn’t have to be me who’s there, you know, in other words if the model was one that afforded two people. In both those people were getting paid whether it’s me or whether it’s another staff. There’s still There it is a one-for-one and so is it my then I would know okay, if if I leave but someone else steps in but we’re still open the same amount of time. We’re still open more hours. In business declines then scientifically speaking. Now you can kind of say okay maybe something about my presence. My face is just something for the business. But when in this case when I leave so does the ability to be open as much and so it’s a extra variables in that equation. So not the complicated that’s all complicated but this is one way of I’m playing Devil’s Advocate Advocate on that a little bit because there are other factors and I know of businesses that’s We all know of businesses and Brands. We’re like, you don’t even know who the CEO is. You know now we’re probably talking large Brands. We’re talking talking to success stories and blah blah.

Maggie:
So that’s

Rich:
Another question, you know to what degree does your baby business have to be like really coddled and and nurtured by the owner specifically and it’s and for how long Into what degree? Those are our questions. I’m Now walking, I guess back into a story asking. As I go into the new year. So I don’t I don’t know the answer. I don’t know what I’ve learned here. But I I think I am a little annoyed at how. Much. I probably probably the answer is this business does require? My presence way more than I

Maggie:
100%

Rich:
And I wanted to

Maggie:
100%

Rich:
Which is okay in a sense? It’s okay in a sense, but I’m not interested in building a business where where it all hinges on me.

Maggie:
Mm-hmm.

Rich:
It’s not that’s not actually what my like dream is. What is your dream? Oh gosh. I would like to. build a business that Devils, like it’s I want to build a business. I want to build storage into something. that Is giving that consistent product? really tasty consistent coffee and bubble tea drinks with a super friendly like experience at the counter, you know and and where people just have a really a really good. experience with that all around but like At the same time. I want to capture imaginations with that with that concept of storied as storied coffee being probably I think I’ve said it in the past but that concept of storied being where like Everything you’re doing by coming here is bigger than just coming here. It’s bigger than getting a coffee. Right? I want to tap into that story that. I want to engage people’s imaginations. This is like marketing. Frankly. This is a whole other thing. This is a whole other project that I’m not even engaged in but this is really what I what I need to get engaged in or figure out how to engage in. It’s like, how do I capture imaginations with this concept?

Maggie:
I have that book right in. Within Reach

Rich:
I do Also, I got this tagline right here.

Maggie:
That’s right. Every concert tells a story

Rich:
Every couple of story. I want to engage people with that old original kind of concept where like you stored as part of your life. You’re part of stories life, you know, it’s this whole Thing we’re celebrating this concept that everything you’re doing is like part of this bigger. picture so that is a that’s a concept. I want to share. And engage people with on like on a larger scale. I love creating the kind the kind of place. I love being part of creating the kind of place where like friends and neighbors gather a neighborhood coffee shop. That’s what we always wanted to be was like a neighborhood Vibe kind of deal and for just just all kinds of reasons. That has remained like so far away, but I want to do that in other places, too. I want to create that same kind of place in other. Places

Maggie:
And

Rich:
I don’t know frankly. I think I don’t know

Maggie:
Agree of your presence that is required is going to be a lot.

Rich:
It can’t be it can’t be It might have to be but it it ultimately. It ultimately shouldn’t be and I’m gonna unlock I’m gonna unlock the difference the line I’m gonna figure out what that line is.

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
Right because living for this way, I would rather build the kind of business. That’s more of a franchise model. Than just be locked into one.

Maggie:
Sure,

Rich:
I would rather franchise storied. You heard this here first then lock into one little location that I’m locked down. On for my whole life, even if I could by doing so grow that one. Into whatever the best version of itself that I could ever be because I’m personally there doing every single thing right? That’s not at all. Not at all what I want to do. That’s not how I want to Leverage. My dreams right? I want to actually create something that stands on its own that I can be more of a CEO more of a Founder owner of where I can install people who share the vision. To do that work and carry that out.

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
You know not for and here’s the thing not for money. Not at all for money. I could not be less motivated by money. To a fault. It’s a problem, right? I do not care about being. Rich,

Maggie:
But yeah,

Rich:
So that’s just not my goal now. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not wrong to be rich. It’s not wrong to have money. It’s not wrong to to go into business to make money. That’s the other that’s the flip side of it. All is that’s been what’s lacking and that’s another thing. I’m learning the hard way this year is like I need money in my life. But this is where my family is more our mental health our wealth being you know, so and to grow and run the kind of and to do the kind of thing. I’m literally describing there has to be money in the equation has to be profitable sustainable. So that’s been something. I’m also figuring out like this is the this next year is the last year that I can that we can do this and in a lot of ways, it’s like it’s like Pastime to be To be there, but it’s all kind of like this thing. We’re we’re figuring out working out so that come 2025 will be on different footing. I’m not gonna rehash that all yeah. So we’ve talked about that before I’ll talk about in the future. Maybe I’m clear. Maybe I’ve said enough. Maybe I’ve made it clear.

Maggie:
Yeah, like

Rich:
I want to do that because of what it provides for people. I want to do that because of what it provides for our neighborhood for a group of people a community. And I know from experience. Well, I know from one from first hand from going to these places where there’s a lack of a place like this how much it sucks. And how much people are looking for it and I also know when people go way the heck out of their way to come to storied in a little old Scotia driving 20 30 minutes.

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
For a coffee shop experience for primarily for a bubble tea like people really travel Republicans. So I know like there’s a need for this kind of thing. Unfortunately. These small towns have a really hard time sustaining. A business like this and that’s part of the struggle. And that’s why you don’t see more of them or they spring up but they don’t last. But I still know places are looking for that kind of thing. And that’s the experience I want to provide for. Various communities. Yeah,

Maggie:
And I

Rich:
Don’t I don’t I don’t have aspirations of like going Nationwide. I don’t want to like leave the state right, but I would love to be in. Several surrounding towns

Maggie:
Sure,

Rich:
You know. The places where people are coming from that. I know we’re serving certain certain people. It’s just the opportunity to not quite there

Maggie:
At

Rich:
This time. So that a lot of people would love that. That’s my dream and I would love to be you know a hand in how each of those ones operates right? Like I I’ll go there that’s kind of what I like doing, you know and one sense is bad because you don’t want to you also don’t want it. You want to get away from quote unquote putting on Fires, you know, I don’t want to just drive around putting out all his fires. I want places that mostly like our self-sustaining. with good people in charge where I’m kind of guiding it and it’s all kind of a cohesive thing. I’m not looking to franchise in the sense that I have other people who Nursery own this thing. And I’m totally removed from it as much as like I think storied wants to be a bigger. presence in the area but one where Let this be the last thing I say one where as you grow this this the quality isn’t sacrificed in the way that it’s so often is when places

Maggie:
Grow right?

Rich:
And I don’t know how you get around that other than you just you just grow slow. You’re gross long enough. I think a lot of ways. We’ve tried to grow. too fast Way Beyond like our yeah our means only because like the threshold was so low it looked accessible it looked like hey we could we could do that, you know, it’s an opportunity couldn’t pass up

Maggie:
And

Rich:
In some cases, you know, there’s good out of that but but like things in a lot of ways are 200 developed to be to be launching out. in some of the ways we’ve tried so those have all been learning experiences and we’ve made it through them. So I think yeah, I think what I’m learning this year is That it’s time to really really. focus on HomeBase And develop it real nice. And then like strategically plan. For whatever growth needs to look like Beyond HomeBase. in the future I think that’s it.

Maggie:
Well, I’m gonna jump in and tell you what I learned in 2023 because I have two minutes and I know I know I did but um, no, it’s all good stuff, and I think it’s important to Put a timestamp on these dreams because you’ll look back and be like, it’s good to look them over. Because it’s less about like oh, what are our goals for next year? It’s like you can make goals anytime. You don’t have to have a calendar year to do that. You know, it’s true, which is why I thought it would be interesting to talk about we learned this year. as opposed to as more of a reflection as opposed to a You know how fast for next

Rich:
Year?

Maggie:
And one of the big things that I learned this year for my business welcome home. Co is surround yourself with people who have your back and for me. I’m gonna get a shout out to two specific people. First person is Kate and Nick. She’s a real estate attorney and I made a major mistake this year involving one of my clients and Kate had my back and she didn’t throw me under the bus and we were able to like save the deal and so any other if I was working with any other attorney? The deal probably would have exploded and went South and I just I owe her a lot. She’s an amazing real estate attorney and she had my back. And she’s awesome and like I guess and an add-on to that would be to just own your mistakes and move on from them. Don’t get emotional don’t like. Apologize a million times apologize once move on and fix it and move on just own up to your mistakes and don’t make excuses for them. It’s a big lesson. I learned this year and because believe it or not I make mistakes. So shot. I’m sure you’re shocked and the other person in terms of like business sense is Joe Joe. My staging assistant my right hand man besides Brandon, of course, but in terms of like people who are in the professional World Joe, I wouldn’t be able to do welcome home call without him. He’s amazing. He’s got a great eye for design and detail and I’ve jokingly called Joe my creative director like, you know CEO like the one who like Makes decisions. I always run things past him for design stuff. If I’m at an estate sale. It’s not it’s no longer. Like should I get this it should we get this? What do we think of this? Because I really see Joe as a huge asset to my business and I just hope you know Joe how much I value you and how amazing you are. So that was a big lesson for me this year. It’s just really surrounding myself with people who have my back and who really want to see me succeed and my advice for Our listener is like to do the same surround yourself with people who are cheering you on who want to see you succeed and if there’s a toxic person in your life who’s making it challenging for you to get to your goals then? Just really take a second and think about who you’re surrounding yourself with because they have a huge impact on your success. So that’s that and then

Rich:
That’s cool. My

Maggie:
Other piece of advice is get it in writing. That’s huge. I am still I still have furniture stuck in a home. At one kind of thing. I I mentioned earlier in several episodes ago. I staged a house for someone I had to threaten to destage the home in order to get paid. But I did not include in my quote for the contract a monthly rental fee. I just like sent the quote. and had I done that I would be I would either have my stuff back or I’d be collecting a monthly rental fee on my staging stuff and All that stuff is probably still going to be there till next year. And so that was a big hard lesson for me and but it’s it’s a good lesson to learn. I want to learn it. Now while I’m still growing and not further down the road when there’s really lots of stuff on the line. Yeah, so Yeah, those are the things. Those are the big lessons I learned this year. And I’m hoping to have a better social media presence in the new year. Now that I have a Rhythm of Life with our kid at home and that whole situation. It’s it’s been amazing like jumping into being a parent and being someone to help guide a young kid in their life. And that sort of was a big that was a fork in the road. I was not expecting this time of year, but it’s been amazing and now that we’re in the rhythm of things, I think I’ll be I’m not going to say it’s going to be smooth sailing. But at least I can I know a little bit more what to expect now that we have a routine. So

Rich:
Super cool

Maggie:
And speaking of which that time again. I gotta go pick them up.

Rich:
They should be with us this year guys.

Maggie:
Yeah, we love you

Rich:
Super cool doing this for and with you

Maggie:
We’re

Rich:
Looking forward. Yeah, 20 24,

Maggie:
Totally. You know where to find us.

Rich:
That’s right

Maggie:
And leave us a review if you’re feeling benevolent. We love you guys. Happy New Year. Later.