20: Rich’s Big Reveal

Maggie:
You’re like the Incredible Hulk.

Rich:
Do you know I’m talking chill until

Maggie:
Yes. He’s like, that’s my secret. I’m always angry.

Rich:
I actually haven’t seen them

Maggie:
You rich

Rich:
I’m late to the Marvel Party.

Maggie:
You just missed out on like a whole. a whole joke

Rich:
I think I somehow know that though. I know I think I know what you’re saying.

Maggie:
The incredible Hulk like he has to he has to wear a heart rate monitor because Once his heart rate gets to a certain point and he explodes he becomes the

Rich:
Hulks out.

Maggie:
He hulks out and then he like can’t go back to being. the doc Bruce Banner so When when they’re fighting like the big the big fighting scene? He just like immediately turns into Hulk. and they’re like how did you do that and he’s like It’s my secret. I’m always angry.

Rich:
Love it. Honestly used to be me. Baseline yeah. infuriated Well, let me know when you’re well. Let me know when you’re ready there mags

Maggie:
A little bit. So that I can lean forward. There we go. Is that better? For the frame, it’s

Rich:
Great.

Maggie:
Cool. Well ready when you are

Rich:
Born ready.

Maggie:
We’re recording.

Rich:
Yeah.

Maggie:
All right, sweet.

Rich:
Finally Yeah, tell me about it.

Maggie:
Hey,

Rich:
Well you have so why can you take this one off?

Maggie:
Yeah, I can kick this one off.

Rich:
You got some

Maggie:
I’ve got the agenda.

Rich:
You’ve got the agenda.

Maggie:
Yeah

Rich:
Hit us.

Maggie:
All right. Hey,

Rich:
You’re drinking House Coffee a filtered conversations brewed out the intersection of real estate life and coffee shop service

Maggie:
Where Maggie and Rich local business owners and Friends sharing stories and welcoming you to pull up a chair with us the

Rich:
Doors always open. Let us pour you up.

Maggie:
This is episode 20. And we’re we’re gonna call this one Rich’s big reveal. I don’t know for

Rich:
The moment. You’ve been waiting for

Maggie:
Mom even waiting for I don’t know if we’re really gonna call it that but that’s what we’re talking about today. That’s our main. Topic.

Rich:
Yeah, I’m excited to talk about it

Maggie:
Me too, finally.

Rich:
If you don’t somehow know already.

Maggie:
Right

Rich:
Today, you will know

Maggie:
You’ll know. The Secret’s out, but before we get into that. What have you been listening to lately rich?

Rich:
I have been listening to an exciting. Consulting course that I’ve talked about in the past this latest one was on marketing for your Cafe and that is as you know, or maybe I’ve heard and pass episodes something. I’ve been thinking about and working on and it’s part of this whole course that I’ve been doing. So that was informative. basically He makes the point that you marketing is supposed to be like a vending machine. This is kind of analogy uses. And so you can’t it’s wrong to think you have to shift your mindset. He’s big on mindset. Yes, you have to shift your mindset. If you think that spent that like you need a budget for for advertising because ultimately effective advertising is something that will bring you a return on investment. So think of it more as a vending machine that every time you put one dollar in you get five dollars back. and so if you shift your mindset around that then there’s really no such thing as a budget as much as there is you want to put as many dollars into that money making machine as you possibly

Maggie:
God can find

Rich:
When you can find them. So that’s a different way of maybe looking at that when you when you’re worried about spending on something. It’s like if it’s a guaranteed return. And there’s ways to quantify that and that’s kind of the caveat. It’s like oh how you gonna How You Gonna know if you’re getting that return or how do you know if it’s a good return? You can you once you square those things away and you know, you’re using effective proven advertising strategies. Then you always want to be putting money in that thing because it’s never a spend or a loss. It’s always going to bring you what you paid plus.

Maggie:
Yeah. It’s a great way of thinking about it. Yeah.

Rich:
So I don’t know as you know, we hired you know, a marketing person. We’re trying that out. It’s definitely like the last couple weeks have been busier, but it’s hard. It’s hard for me to know if that’s from seasonality. Like we’re just changed the month. It’s only been a month and maybe a half of these posts. And so I don’t I don’t know what I don’t know why we’re getting a little busier if it’s that as a direct result or other factors, that’s kind of the hard things. Like how do you quantify these things? But anyway,

Maggie:
Well, it’s not hurting

Rich:
That’s what I’ve been thinking about true. True. I mean the question will always be. Can I do this more efficiently more profitably right? Can I spend less money on Advertising for the same amount of return or a greater return? That’s always the question that’s right now. I’m not going to rock the boat because it’s something’s working

Maggie:
Right but

Rich:
That’s like the flip side of all that.

Maggie:
Interesting No, that’s Cafe marketing.

Rich:
I don’t know.

Maggie:
What’s the consultant of course called again?

Rich:
This the company called thread bear

Maggie:
Red bear

Rich:
Coffee Consulting

Maggie:
Cool.

Rich:
Shadow Michael,

Maggie:
I

Rich:
Think he’s putting out. He’s getting a podcast together of his own. So maybe some of this like stuff that I talk about Will. Be out there those for people I will. I will. Let’s you know if that happens. Well that happens

Maggie:
Great

Rich:
Because I know he started that project so That’s what I’ve been listening to Maggie sweetie. How are you?

Maggie:
Um, I’ve been listening to some new music I when I’m when I’m in my car driving I know shocker. I I really like aqx shout out to the local radio station and they always Place

Rich:
Alternative.

Maggie:
They are they always play Such amazing music and two of my not my favorite bands, but two bands that I really really like that. I listen to individually collaborated and put out a song. It’s called

Rich:
The plan and state champs.

Maggie:
He just Simple Plan. Oh,

Rich:
No, never mind. Just joking.

Maggie:
No. No, it’s Portugal the Man and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

Rich:
Well, they

Maggie:
Collaborated and their song is called Summer of Love l u v and it’s such a good song and there’s a saxophone in the like core. I see part. And yeah, it’s just a cool song and I recommend people listen to it.

Rich:
Starting to get a sense of your musical Taste My Vibes with Monte Carlo from Apollo. And and

Maggie:
I know it is kind of funny. Yes the horns. I just think it’s like certain like it’s an alternative song. Yeah with a saxophone. Yeah. It’s kind of interesting

Rich:
Keeping an interesting here.

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
Cool, we like that. I haven’t listened to eqx in a long time, but do used to definitely be like my go-to station. Yeah,

Maggie:
It’s my go-to station. so anyways I just want to quickly recap last week’s episode because we got a lot of cool feedback.

Rich:
And

Maggie:
I really enjoyed. You picking my brain? About storied even though you kind of put me in the hot seat and I was not prepared. I really enjoyed it and it was really fun listening back to it. in this last week hearing hearing our conversation and like our back and forth about stuff and we only got one negative feedback. Problem that episode yeah about the plants.

Rich:
Yeah. They had a hot take on the plants that story.

Maggie:
Yep. And well,

Rich:
She said there were too many.

Maggie:
I got some hate mail from Christine

Rich:
And one of the co-owners the story didn’t like that.

Maggie:
Okay. I love you Christine and

Rich:
You didn’t get direct feedback, but there’s a lot more there’s a lot more. Um the drill,

Maggie:
I’m

Rich:
Doubling below

Maggie:
This guy. We got a say anything about it. We got an email.

Rich:
Yeah.

Maggie:
Yeah

Rich:
You address to you

Maggie:
It was but overall in general Becca had some good feedback. She sent us a voice memo about Vibes that story and I saved that in case we want to go back and listen to that again.

Rich:
Perfect,

Maggie:
But I wanted to share some feedback. We got from a regular listener. And I think he’s also a regular at story.

Rich:
He is dude. I’m gonna shout out Kirk

Maggie:
Kurt. We’ve never met I don’t think but I really

Rich:
You and her haven’t met.

Maggie:
I really enjoyed his email and I’ll summer I have a quote from his email which has a quote from somebody else but He Compares our conversation about vibes. to a quote by a gentleman named Parker Palmer and the quote is to teach. Oh, so just a quick backstory Kurt is a professor and he he was his context of the email was creating Vibes in a classroom is similar to creating Vibes a cafe. So this quote by Parker Paul Palmer, he says is to teach us to create a space in which the community of Truth is practiced or Obedience of truth. I looked up the quote and I think that’s what the I think that’s what he meant to say, but basically like say it again. To teach is to create a space in which The Obedience of Truth is practiced. The email said community of truth. I’m not really sure which is which is the right one, but and then He goes on to say there’s three essential characteristics openness boundaries and hospitality. So Kurt goes on in his email and says there’s so much shared between a cafe and a classroom including how important it is to create curate and maintain the right vibes. So thank you Kurt for that. really cool feedback and he did a lot more other feedback to say which I won’t go into but appreciate you taking the time to email us and give us that feedback and was definitely giving like kind of going along with agreeing with what our conversation has been over the past couple weeks about Vibes.

Rich:
Yeah. Yeah. Appreciate that. I don’t did you he had he sent us to voicemails too?

Maggie:
Really?

Rich:
Yeah.

Maggie:
I did not.

Rich:
Yeah, I

Maggie:
Don’t know why I’ve

Rich:
Got a couple voicemail. Okay at this point.

Maggie:
All right, so

Rich:
I think you got it.

Maggie:
Maybe I don’t see them because they’re read by you.

Rich:
They come through his emails. Okay, so I don’t check that out, but they’re worthless and Candy send us a couple as well.

Maggie:
Okay?

Rich:
Maybe maybe he said did you send two emails the curse into emails don’t know or what he I feel like you’re coming on two different episodes.

Maggie:
Okay,

Rich:
I can’t remember was a which was which but I he both he did definitely send a voicemail at least one, maybe two and also an email maybe to but obviously yeah. Well, anyway, yeah, we really appreciate that.

Maggie:
You’re onto something

Rich:
Investment in our in our conversation here.

Maggie:
It’s kind of cool to contribution to see that. Your efforts are being validated by people outside of our podcast and outside of the shop.

Rich:
Yeah appreciated that I think actually what got me was like we were bumming on 17 and 18 because we thought maybe there’s two down or two negative and then Kurt was like responding. I felt like we got really we got the most feedback out of 18 yeah,

Maggie:
That was the one that I questioned releasing to begin

Rich:
Because

Maggie:
It felt really like Downer

Rich:
Right. It was a yeah as ironic and then people were they seem to be resonating with people the one that we were most worried about being to negative

Maggie:
The unhinged Vibes wasn’t it? The one where he where TJ called you be called TJ?

Rich:
Yeah. Yeah unhed five. Yeah, really got people. Talking

Maggie:
Interesting. I just don’t know what people are gonna respond to

Rich:
We could have a whole conversation around the things Kurt was saying so I I because we have another topic and today we kind of

Maggie:
No,

Rich:
I don’t get too far into that. I did really appreciate. Linking those things up. So thanks Kurt and maybe that’ll give us some things to think about and talk about in the future because

Maggie:
Rich has a lot to say today.

Rich:
Well, yeah, there’s we just got some stuff to talk about. So thanks for hanging in there with us. So this is gonna be our last episode for two weeks. We should say that too. We’re taking a break after this. So hang on to your butts. We’re gonna be back. The first after Labor Day

Maggie:
After week after Labor Day well back to school week basically for

Rich:
Us. Yeah. We’re back to school after two weeks. So today’s the day where we talk about.

Maggie:
Rich’s big reveal

Rich:
The news

Maggie:
Which is sort of already out there, but in case You’re not on social media and you only get your news from this podcast. What’s your big news rich?

Rich:
Okay.

Maggie:
And I know you probably have like a whole backstory about it.

Rich:
Well, yeah, so I think you’re gonna you’re gonna ask me some questions about this. Yes. Basically if you don’t somehow already know because I’ve literally posted on the story to count and I’ve accidentally almost said it here. I am the newly installed Cafe manager. vischer Ferry General Store Which is in visure Ferry, which is a hamlet. Just maybe south of Clifton Park. It’s probably 10 minutes outside of Clifton Park. It’s in Saratoga County.

Maggie:
And general manager of the General Store.

Rich:
Not at all. No, thank God. No, I’m there is a general manager and the owner her name is Louise. She basically maybe you’re gonna ask me how I got this August started, but I’ll tell the story a little bit.

Maggie:
Mm-hmm.

Rich:
Basically one conversation led to another back in March. where I had been thinking about how I could maybe take my coffee. skills actual Barista and like workflow and quality control sort of skills. and bring them to places that I and others would say are not so quality focused when it comes to their coffee and espresso and I was thinking of piloting a program where I go and basically consult with people on their Barista skills because even though there’s people giving espresso machines or renting espresso machines and equipment to local places that serve coffee. And saying that this is how you use them. People well, let’s just say it’s lackluster. So I was thinking about that for a while and then I had that in my mind and then this conversation came up where a mutual friend of mine and Louise got in touch with me and said hey I thought about you for this possibility and basically talk to me about this thing. Where the cafe at Fisher Ferry was maybe up for I don’t know not sale but like up for Refreshment. Yes, so it just kind of like became a series of conversations that that got me in Louis connected and that became a series of conversations about what that could look like and whether it was viable to maybe purchase the cafe on our end spoiler. It was not at that time. um, but yeah eventually that it turned into a situation where I said, maybe I could do everything you want. But you retain the ownership. so it’ll be like I have full control over this and you don’t have to think about it to worry about it. Except I won’t actually own it. I’ll just take a

Maggie:
Sound yeah, I’ll take a fee. Mm-hmm.

Rich:
So yeah. That’s that in a nutshell maybe break that open for us.

Maggie:
Okay, so are there plans? So is is this

Rich:
Say anything you want to know?

Maggie:
Okay, so right now just to clear things up. You are running the cafe at Fisher Ferry General Store,

Rich:
Correct?

Maggie:
When we kind of had been talking about this like months ago. the idea was for Storied to be running a second location within the general store. Is that what’s happening or are you still just sort of managing the cafe and are there eventual plans for story to have its own location within the General Store?

Rich:
I gotta think about that a little bit so This is all in the context of Louise was expanding. Louise had this plan to do two things one was open up a space adjacent to the cafe. That had formally been an apartment and she wanted to move all of the retail. That was occupying. Tablespace and like floor space in the cafe area. She wanted to take all of that retail stuff which has expanded over the last three years since covid and move it into that apartment area and have a sort of retail Boutique attached to the cafe. She was going to put a door in the wall. And then you could just pass through from one to the other and then so she was moving the retail and we were bringing seating back into the cafe because up until July there was no there’s really no seating inside. Of the store. It hadn’t been since covid. There was only seating on the back porch, which was only partially enclosed. There was like space heaters and the winter and and very limited City. There was outdoor seating they were really beautiful space outside. And so but obviously that was not Going to do much for us in the winter. So bringing Cafe seating inside. Moving the retail next door and Louise moving herself physically next door mostly. That was going to bring more. The the anticipation is that is going to get a lot busier. as a result would would the busy season upon us with fall and obviously the opportunity to bring more people in side. And an expanded retail selection. So not only we’re removing the stuff we were adding to the retail. So all that was going on she needed someone else to do something with the cafe so that she didn’t have to do both need to basically not just yeah kind of like try to balance both because the cafe is I mean running anyone knows who does it running a cafe as a whole operation,

Maggie:
Right?

Rich:
And they do a lot there that isn’t it’s they do more than we do it stored with a quarter of the size of the kitchen. That’s really crazy. So at that’s that’s kind of why she was looking for something and she had had conversations with another person that it just it wasn’t gonna work out. That mutual friend of ours and then that’s how that person thought of me as maybe an up an opportunity for for us to figure something out because Louise was pretty open-minded to what different partnership things could look like. So when we entered that conversation I was thinking not of purchasing the cafe I was thinking of And and I think to get at what you’re saying not to purchase the business or the place or anything like that, but rather to purchase the cafe business and kind of pay rent basically rent that Cafe side rent a coffee bar and

Maggie:
Be basically stored at Fisher.

Rich:
So yeah, it could look different way. So I think at that was what we started ask ourselves was do I rent the whole thing? by the business rent the space and then it’s it’s essentially storied everything storied my employees my menus my whatever to whatever degree I wanted it to reflect the former vischer Ferry Vibe and that would have been the one thing we would have tried to do was say, how do we like be stored but also, Give the current people here like what they are used to. that was kind of the challenge we were talking about it first, but I wanted to make the coffee bar fully storied and even maybe bring boba in time and yeah, so that was what we started a poke at was can I buy this thing but what would have happened was the current operation is is one full pie right all the money from the retail and all the money from the cafe. It’s all one operating budget. But the thing is that all the staff really are for the cafe. All of the food costs are for the cafe, etc. Etc. The rent would have been you know for my for the cafe. That’s

Maggie:
Everything’s like interim intertwined

Rich:
It is right now

Maggie:
Right now.

Rich:
So if I had taken it on I would add half the operating budget to run the exact same Cafe. Almost I mean it’s not exactly half and half but to put it in real simple terms and the current Cafe numbers don’t really support. The cafe operation as it stands, so it had to do a lot of work to pair that down Staffing Wise food costs wise. etc, etc things that I had no time to do before this was all going to like start start taking place So, I don’t know if that answers the question. I think I touched on those things as far as current plans or future plans.

Maggie:
Yeah, right future plans.

Rich:
What we do what we agreed was that this would be an 18 month. Agreements or Arrangement or whatever and the end goal that 18 months is that I would have whipped that thing in a shape to where? we could possibly purchase the cafe business if that is still. Kind of the the desired thing, you know for her for us. I think at the end of the day Louise’s passion does not lie with running a cafe it never did it run it lies with like doing that retail and Merchandising and events and marketing. She’s all she’s really good at all those things and it shows it’s just that when her hands were tied up in the cafe. She couldn’t and like literally being on you know on the being a barista. Yeah and being in the kitchen. she couldn’t really have the freedom to do all the things that she’s so good at and so that’s the kind of the trajectory is like, let’s see how everything looks a year from now. And if it makes sense for storied then maybe. Maybe we we add that to what we’re doing. or some other arrangements for it, but in 18 months a lot of things are going to be true. It’s going to be the year 2025 January of 2025. A lot of things are going to be true and we’re going to have a lot of opportunities. to to really make storied like exactly what we want it. To be we’ll have a lot of freedom come January of 25. To basically like

Maggie:
Like you when you say you mean Financial right? Like you will have Financial Freedom.

Rich:
I mean depending on how the next 18 months go the current like plan. Is is Financial Freedom? Lease freedom and and we’ve got some opportunities on the table for

Maggie:
At least freedom in your current space. Yeah,

Rich:
Our Scotia lease runs out at the end of 2024.

Maggie:
Okay,

Rich:
So we’ll be deciding in the next year or so. What’s gonna come that’s gonna come next. I’m not saying anything about what we’re doing.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
Because because ultimately we we don’t know, you know depends on how this location in Scotia right now works out for the next.

Maggie:
Hmm

Rich:
The next year what we decide.

Maggie:
Mm-hmm.

Rich:
To do with that last six months of the year.

Maggie:
Got it.

Rich:
We don’t want to leave Scotia. So it’s not like

Maggie:
Yeah

Rich:
On the table. I mean, it’s not that’s not um, yeah. Yeah,

Maggie:
It’s a hell it’s unknown.

Rich:
It’s an unfiltered conversation. Yeah, I just yeah, it’s that’s right. It’s an unknown but in 18 months if the cafe numbers have gone up and I’ve been able to get a hold of the current like operational costs. Then I think we can have a pretty viable situation there at which time we would probably Do that transfer of of the cafe business, but I mean, I don’t want to change it’s gonna look the way it kind of looks now, you know, I’m not really gonna change anything about it. Because it it’s a it’s a great thing. Like there’s where the menus cool we did add like story espresso. So what it’s gonna say now is it’s not storied coffee adverture Ferry. It’s it’s visual fairy General store and then like over the coffee bar. It’s coffee by storied.

Maggie:
Okay,

Rich:
Which is to say I’m using my espresso blend over there right now and I’m training the beer Baristas on on actual like professional breach the skills. We’ve replaced the espresso machine that was there with our Lamar zoko that we told the story about picked up from Rhode Island the three group and And then we’re you know everything else that’s kind of there already. I’m working with the current staff and with Louise very closely on how to Keep that menu going and even expanding so. Just more and better. I think

Maggie:
So. How does this like benefit you from a business perspective?

Rich:
Yeah, that’s such a great question. Because yeah, there’s some backstory here that if you don’t know. It would would make this like look really really silly because what I’m doing is I’m not physically working at the business that I ever continue to own. Yeah story in Scotia, right and I’m physically working. at a different

Maggie:
Place

Rich:
So one I mean so here I am it’s a less traditional Arrangement the way we’ve done this. I’m not even sure that I’ve that there’s a category for it. We basically have a contract between storied and visual fairy to where that contract includes my It’s me. So it might almost be like Consulting. It might almost be like a Consulting Arrangement, but that that contract includes like the machine rental. It includes because I like I still own that machine. I still own the grinder that I brought over there coffee espresso grinder. And other little like supplies for the coffee bar. But like it includes, you know training the staff and includes obviously some

Maggie:
Because like just to put

Rich:
Financial work that I’m doing, etc, etc.

Maggie:
I don’t know if this is the right way to put it so I’m not trying to make this sound like a certain way but like one could look at it and say like you’re training your competition kind of or is there is it not look seen at it that way because or like you’re working for? another like you know, you have stories the benefits. Yeah. Well, so how does this benefit? Yeah, I guess it. I’m sure I would I that’s a genuine question I have but I’m sure other people would like to know if you’re not physically working in story. Like what is the benefit for you? Yeah.

Rich:
Well anecdotally I can tell you that most people that come to Visionary don’t go just Scotia.

Maggie:
Okay.

Rich:
It’s it’s so far out of the way Fair. It’s it’s almost 20 minutes between the two locations. It’s a lot closer to close and park the fish are very general store. And we don’t get it done to park either. So. It in terms of competition not exactly. Not exactly like a worry in the traditional sense of that. There’s there’s a lot of ways to maybe look at like the benefit of it but I mean first and foremost is just the that contract that we have so It’s there’s a there’s a monthly amount of money. The story is receiving to do okay to to do this work and part of it.

Maggie:
Okay to do this.

Rich:
Yeah. Yeah.

Maggie:
Okay. Just putting

Rich:
I thought that was clear with I know but maybe that’s a plot. Maybe I thought that was implied with the

Maggie:
Country. Yeah

Rich:
Conversation. Yes, so there’s a payment. As if I mean as if you’re Consulting as if I work there basically, yeah. But it’s really flexible. Like what I what I do and a lot of it is is the type of stuff that someone would Do is like management type work? Yeah, so there’s a lot of different things wrapped up in that but there is like there’s there’s kind of a management contract there and then so that goes that goes the story and then we can like that’s cool because it gives us a lot of like flexibility with the it’s not just money going to me as a as a wage. That would just come straight to me and then be mine to do whatever it’s it’s money. That’s resourcing a story to Resource is very yeah, I think about it because that is what allows us to put these espresso machine over there and maintain it and Keep keep me there. with my time and what else?

Maggie:
Yeah, just just basic benefits. Like is it that like benefiting the business because I was just like I was just curious how it like if it’s still visual Fairy Cafe serving story right that kind of what so we also get to

Rich:
Put our name on it.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
Like on the coffee. I mean that helps. So there’s that cross promote. There’s like the cross promotion. Yeah, obviously and we are the kinds of places where like the same kinds of people are going to go to either place. It’s just geographically I don’t know if I’d consider them composition because they’re that far apart. But but with that cross promotion, some people are gonna go check us out over in Scotia with the especially with bubble tea and people are gonna go to Fisher Ferry. I’ve have seen some people over there who have said. Oh checking this out because because I shouted it out, you know, so it goes both ways. It’s just like a mutually beneficial kind of thing. It’s it’s We’re getting what we need on the financial side. to make it worth the time and the investment and we get to add like a little bit of other things and

Maggie:
I’m sure sorry to interrupt you but like I know that like as a you know from my own business perspective I learn so much when I so every I’m going somewhere with this. So just bear with me for a second. I every Thursday I meet with my friend Kristen roulette who is a broker owner of her own real estate firm called Kristen & Co and we meet every Thursday at her office and we just kind of chat and like catch up about our businesses and like what we’re doing and it’s it’s almost like an iron sharpens iron because we we both are in a real estate business. We’re both separately growing our own businesses, but We don’t compete with each other. We are we want to help each other and lift each other up. And so when I have questions about something for example, Kristen primarily does leases. She’s a leasing agent. She leases for like really large apartment buildings and I listed a commercial property recently that had several apartment units in it and I went to her for advice and I was like, what should I do about X Y and Z and what is the schedule e why do people want it? Do I send it? Like what what do I do about this or that and she was so she was like she just helped me in guided me so much with the whole process, which is something I like will forever be grateful for and I know that like when she has like questions about things like I can help her too. so I think there’s there’s something about collaborating with another business that’s similar than yours to help kind of give you that extra Edge or extra like Encouragement or different perspective then what what you have if you’re just doing it solo and I feel like for you with the Fisher Ferry General Store. collaborating with Luis and having a new location has sort of like broadened your horizons in terms of like what can be done with storied coffee and Scotia maybe getting seeing how she runs her business what you would do differently go to our bad and like giving you all these ideas. In in addition to the financial benefit that you’re receiving. Is that fair to say.

Rich:
Yeah, I think that was that’s great to say I think that was gonna be pretty much the next idea. I was going to tap into is. Like a this, you know a rising tide lifts all boats sort of thing. It’s it never hurts for other people to get more of a to get better at something and for the whole industry when you’re doing similar things for the whole industry to benefit,

Maggie:
You

Rich:
Know. It would be the same idea. If I was doing my Consulting thing I said, hey, I I own a coffee shop here. Here’s our like reputation. I can teach you I’m going the next town over, you know going to all these kinds of cafes that are And I’m like I can let let me show you how to make better espresso because I’d like to be able to come here and get better espresso. It’s gonna be better for everyone. If everyone can do things like a little bit better, even if they were even closer to me,

Maggie:
Right?

Rich:
So this is You’re so right. I think we have experience that like it’s funny because Louise and I are pretty similar. I mean her business is very successful in the sense of it’s very popular. Well established. It’s been there this going on year eight. I think so. It’s been around a while. It’s been through a lot of different things. They’ve tried everything at one time or another and I know that and it’s like it’s all and it’s It’s a really great thing that just needs a little bit of refinement and has still only had one person with limited bandwidth able to to try to hold it all together. You know when you have a lot to manage and you’re the only person even if it’s successful quote unquote from the outside and there’s like the right things in place managing that and keeping it. Refining that it can be it can be really difficult. So Louise and I have both experienced that with with our businesses. And so we resonate a lot of ways. I think we have similar mindsets and like goals and Visions for like our guest experiences and there’s just a very complementary kind of thing and she’s a little older than me relatively speaking and so we’re gonna wisdom to and that’s that’s nice more experience. Yes. So yeah, so having sharing this having this this is like common experience and then bringing it together has been really cool for me. And I think it’s trickling in a story for sure some of these five questions some of these destination questions. Definitely just management questions. It’s in it’s it’s all happening at this like all at once in In our timeline our Arc.

Maggie:
Yeah

Rich:
Our story arc because like, you know I said, I think I said this before but the coffee Consulting thing came up. And then right as we were thinking about different ways that we needed to make story happen. And then right after I started looking at that this conversation with Louis started happening in and I was like, oh, I’m about to start all the things you’re talking about Louise or the things I’ve just about to be thinking about a story and working through so like I can just do it over here parallel universes and And kind of look at taking these like parallel steps in these two different places in a really timely way. It’s been it’s been interesting to see how it falls in place. But yeah, so there’s a lot of benefits both like Financial sure and quantifiable. I mean, I’m not saying I’m doing this for the money. Cuz like I don’t know there’s a lot of ways I could spend this time, right? That would amount to money equal in storied maybe or or another ways. but so I think it’s I think it’s a full package Vision that I haven’t even fully realized. Like I think there’s like more to it all than I can even quite say or quantify cool. Well, yeah, I think you’re definitely getting on to the right. I think you’re thinking about the same thing about the same way. I’m yeah seeing it.

Maggie:
Um What is one thing that you have learned? by doing the cafe management at Fisher Ferry General Store that you Have applied or want to apply to storied coffee in Scotia.

Rich:
That’s a good question.

Maggie:
It can be anything.

Rich:
Well, what comes what came to mind first was the way that like the way the way to lead change is kind of what I’ve been like working on. at Visionary and that’s I hated process out loud, but

Maggie:
The way to lead to change. Yeah,

Rich:
So like When you want to see a change, there’s different ways to try to enact that change right you want someone to change you want some system to work differently you want. customers to behave differently, right and you can do a few different things. You can say it out loud. I wish there were different you can complain about it, right? That’s my ammo you can. Have you can podcast about it, right? There’s a lot of different things you can do you can you can you can you can give vague ideas to the situation or the person or whatever and say kind of vague things and and hope that that will stick right throw things at the wall and see what’s next. All those are pretty ineffective ways to actually enact. Or facilitate a change and so I’ve been thinking about what it really takes to because Louise has a really strong vision. But for a lot of different reasons, there’s limitations to implementing that vision and so I’m there as sort of a bridge to be able to say okay. I got Louise’s I got the sins of what Louise is going for here. And I have the bandwidth because it’s my job. I have the freedom to poke it at the problem and figure out what are the obstacles in the roadblocks and sort of try to create a solution and Implement a solution whether it’s a system or a conversation or Or whatever it is. And a lot of that is is leadership like effective management type stuff that I didn’t know was in me and interesting. Well, okay, I suspected it was in me. But now I’m like in the hot seat to try to live up to that and the thing with me and storied is I’m like, I’m like Louise at visual Ferry, right? Too much to do not enough resources not enough time. and so what I’m what I’m going through at virtual Ferry is is taking good like raw material and trying to Trying to figure out how to how to systematize it how to develop it and that includes people and includes processes and includes. all all of the way things work together To try to get like an end result. and That is stuff. I’ve I kind of need to do that storied. the benefit of The the one benefit of having a small team and like less resources is that there’s less to manage. So at storied we kind of I don’t want to get away with it, but like I have a business partner there. I kind of have like my equivalent over there a little bit with Abby. So Abby’s are Our our owner manager at this time. So that’s basically she’s kind of the reason why I can be elsewhere because she knows everything there is to know and she’s physically there doing so much of of the work. so I don’t exactly need to lead her to change or anything like that. I think she needs me to change maybe more than anything else. But when it comes to the staff that we do have it’s easy to let things slide there’s processes that could be better. There’s there’s systems that we’ve had in place that like don’t get reinforced and Abby’s kind of limited in her ability for various reasons to to like bring that correction to the people or processes. And so So that’s something I’m doing a vision fairy. I’m learning. I’m experiencing. I have the time and the resources to do it and and Implement things over there. I I’d like to see that happening more at story and helping this the staff there. Do a more excellent job. They do a great job. We have we get great feedback and I know things are going consistently generally well, and that’s why I don’t have to think about it or worry about it too much and there’s not like a crisis situation a story but it you know, anything can always be better and systems can always be more refined and so all the things that I’m getting to do a visual prayer right now I’d like to do at storied but in the future,

Maggie:
Give me one

Rich:
I would say just like the maybe around the Espresso Bar for okay, for instance keeping the Espresso Bar more clean. That’s a little thing. It’s like the kind of thing that professionals It’s like taking things from their average way of being and just leveling them up. Yeah leveling up to a more professional standard. You can always look for how can we do this more professionally. How can we do this more? Cleanly neatly more efficiently. I think efficiency might be something that we can definitely think leader leaner. Yeah. I know I’ve talked about that. So that’s all stuff that again I get to do a Visionary right now because I’m there with the time like the resource the financial resources are there to actually Implement changes and Like there’s there’s a systems that are being developed but at stored. It’s a little bit on autopilot right now. and it works. So it’s like yeah don’t fix was not broken kind of thing. Well, I don’t know if you’re gonna bring a change you have to back it up and I’m not physically there to like back up many changes.

Maggie:
I know you’re leaning into changing up The Vibes that story which is kind of cool as do you think that’s something that you might have picked up from Fisher Ferry I don’t know. I don’t know only

Rich:
I mean maybe like in general thinking about what attracts people so I think my broader question

Maggie:
Or is it just because I’m so good at talking about staging that you’re like, oh I want to do staging at story.

Rich:
Yeah. I think it’s that no so like This is a good example though to harken back a little bit too what we were talking about with the Vibes and how a place becomes a destination, Mr. Ferry is not on your way to anything. If you go there you’re going there and you probably staying. Right. It’s like it’s like 2% of orders that are to go 90% of people are here to stay hang out. Enjoy the backyard. Be with people, you know, it’s people go there to hang and there’s no shortage of people going. There’s a hang like like it’s a place that people are going out of literally going out of their way for

Maggie:
Yeah, and

Rich:
I’m I’m not saying

Maggie:
Thinking about that.

Rich:
I’m not saying the prices like it’s not cheap either. It’s in Saratoga County. So I mean maybe you want to talk. Maybe you want to think about. where money is concentrated, but I don’t I don’t know. It’s not overpriced. It’s just like it’s a it’s a higher end. Like it’s a quality product, you know and and people but the things that people don’t bat an eye at the prices. Generally speaking.

Maggie:
And

Rich:
So people are willing to go other way to spend money in this place and I’m asking myself as a result of the three months. I’ve been there what is in this experience for people that they’re willing to do those things? And I’m that’s where I’ve been trying to ask myself a little bit like, okay, how would we create an experience that story that people are willing to go out of their way for and choose to spend with us? for that so that’s that is I think the success of a place like visual fairy has got me thinking what is wrong or what is different about storied at this time that I need to tap into and think through I will say go back to what I’ve been listening to. Michael defines marketing as telling people that you exist or better yet in the cap for the cafe reminding people that you exist and I do wonder if part of the success that we’ve been seeing over the last two three weeks is just that consistency in our social media presence and stories and things. of people are thinking about us more because I confess we are very bad at that’s that constant social presence that I think today you really need.

Maggie:
I like that marketing is reminding people that you exist. Yeah,

Rich:
And the problem is you doing yes exactly we take for granted that people like us and they know us and they’re going to choose us. But ultimately what they’re going to choose is what’s convenient as we talked about and what’s top of mind,

Maggie:
Right?

Rich:
As Michael was saying and so a real estate thing. Yeah,

Maggie:
Staying top of mind with your past clients. That’s why you know, you send them. cards every year or like a lot of If you’ve ever bought a house for me, you get a calendar for me every year around the holidays and it’s so my face can be on your refrigerator to remind you every time

Rich:
Wow,

Maggie:
But no, it’s I mean every year but every every agent does it in every state in every part of the United States like it’s it’s just like a thing

Rich:
Try and true but that’s it. That’s exactly I mean marketing advertising. It’s literally Probably business 101, okay. So I Vision Ferry that’s something to that Louise admittedly would say isn’t hasn’t been her consistent strong suit either. So I think that that’s one of the things she’s excited to dive into with a little bit more like freedom to operate in her strengths will be really hyping up the advertising. So the fact that we do as well as we do over like we see the people who see over there. With limited advertising marketing is a testament to it’s a really beloved place. So just I’m just getting ready for when that really does ramp up

Maggie:
Not to go off topic. But because I know we’re getting kind of close to the end. But another way. When you when you talk about reminding people that you exist. Another way to do that is just by. a sheer appreciation You know like for me like if somebody refers me to a friend and friend or family member. I’m sending them a handwritten. Thank you card, like thanking them for that because of all the people that they could have referred. a real estate agent to like they chose me and like they’re you know, they they people choose you who because they know like or trust you and I think that’s the same thing with stored and like creating like couldn’t enriching or in instilling that in people who already love storied is to maybe also Share your appreciation for the people who come to storied and and I’m not saying you don’t do this. But one way you people love to feel appreciated. Yeah. sometimes I’ll speak for myself. Just the the sheer gratitude that I receive from people is more than the paycheck that is. you know at the end of a closing like when I when I close on a house and I get. Like the Gratitude or a shout out on social media. Like I just had a client and I’ll shout them out right now because we just closed on a house last week Kaylee and Elliott after the closing they gave me a gift and I never not saying never but it’s rare that I receive a gift after a closing and you know what they gave me they gave me a bag full snacks for meals in my car with Maggie

Rich:
Stop.

Maggie:
How cool

Rich:
That’s amazing

Maggie:
Is that just like about a whole grocery bag full of like things I could eat in my car.

Rich:
Did you already record that one?

Maggie:
I haven’t recorded. I haven’t it’s still in my car and and I will shout them out on my Instagram but like I’m I just was so touched by that and it’s it’s like I got to give them a closing gift, but I was not expecting one in return and so sharing your appreciation with your customers and your clients like go such a long way and it makes people feel have those good feels of gratitude and make them want to come back and do more.

Rich:
Yeah. I really believe that’s true and the Heather so much to be said on the I envision here’s an example of like something. I wish I could be doing better at story. is is like Maintaining when you own a business, okay. When you own a business, you have a vision for it. You have like a way that you see it working. You have a you have a customer experience that you envision. and often that will for an owner. Include like appreciation to them where they feel good about their experience. They feel appreciated well very much. So that is that’s like the number one thing. I always wanted for for the story experience was for people to feel like they were more than that transactional

Maggie:
Right

Rich:
Interaction. I have it in the language on our website. It’s like it’s like other places take for granted that you Choose a that you stop at a coffee shop before your road trip. It’s like these are the ordinary moments that you know, people take for granted in your daily life. But I’m like we revolve around them my thing is A storied coffee is one that has a meaning to it and you’re often incorporating coffee in your experience because it’s a special experience and you and coffee special to you or bubble tea or whatever like coffee special to you as well. And so you’re incorporating that to make your experience complete. I don’t know if this is the kind of stuff. So that’s the whole idea behind the story and so that we were gonna bake into our like could guess experience and that is something I think is is like a little bit of subtle thing. That’s easy to Let’s slide. Yeah that that appreciation for for every guest is why we ask everyone’s name.

Maggie:
Yep.

Rich:
We never say can I get a name for the order that story we say what’s your name?

Maggie:
Or

Rich:
Can I ask your name? Guess what we do next. We introduced ourselves.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
So I don’t know if I mentioned before my name is Rich. Or nice to meet you. I’m Abby. She says it the same way every time but she still says

Maggie:
It. Yeah,

Rich:
Right. now we’re people and now we’re sharing an experience and if if I’m not there all the time to reinforce that or if a certain employee is not introducing themselves in response. That’s the kind of thing that I have broken system. that I can’t reinforce if I’m not there or not managing it as well as I would like to or leading it as well as I would like to going back to your question before. but also getting into this like it just echoing what you’re saying the the appreciation for what people are doing when they go out of their way to come to your place. Like that’s so important. I think Louise does a good job of that and that she’s built a lot of great relationships with people that come in there and that’s probably like why there’s such staying power and with that business and I think

Maggie:
We people go to places that make them feel good.

Rich:
We want that. Yeah, yeah. They

Maggie:
Shouldn’t simple.

Rich:
To tell you about the peach truck. Do we talk about this?

Maggie:
We talked about it off the mic but anymore

Rich:
So you it’s a misnowhere to think that you’re selling products. Misnomer is also a misnomer for that word, but it is a miss.

Maggie:
And

Rich:
Misconception that’s good. Yeah,

Maggie:
Okay. It’s

Rich:
The wrong idea to think that you’re ever selling products. You are selling feelings and there I found this. So this is why people want to feel good when they go somewhere. I saw this Instagram. It’s a furthest truck that like, I don’t know even where I’m imaginative than the South but it rolls through town and it’s a peach truck. It’s just a truck full of peaches for sale. Like I screw truck but peaches but like nice fresh tree ripen like straight to

Maggie:
Business entry truck and seven ice cream truck rolling through your neighborhood. Fruit truck. Okay.

Rich:
Yeah. Yeah. And on their Instagram bio what they say is. We deliver Joy.

Maggie:
Wow,

Rich:
I’m like, of course you do

Maggie:
Of course,

Rich:
But they’re tapped into that notion of like To eat a peach is to have joy like to have this experience. Yeah is ultimately like we’re giving you Joy. We’re not giving you a peach you mean that’s genius. That’s that’s the simplest idea of ever seen and it is really it was refreshing to see that recently

Maggie:
The story that is blind me

Rich:
I’ve actually I’ve really been thinking about that.

Maggie:
Really.

Rich:
Yeah.

Maggie:
You can put a pin in it. If you want to put a pin

Rich:
In. I think it’s where I’m going when I talk about the comfy cozy. vibes that we talked about in the last episode so I’m not going to rehash but when we when I’m thinking about what’s the feeling people want when they come here? It’s one of comfort. So I think it’s gonna use for I was gonna use one word. That’s what I’d That’s what I said. People are wanting like It’s almost like cozy, but I just think cozy gets makes you think of like warmth and winter too much and I don’t want to be limiting by my language. So I’m like I’m like comfort. Cover cups comfy coffee is a little two words. I’ve been playing with lately. So yeah, but I mean that like comfortable belonging, you know, and ultimately appreciation people want to feel They want to feel appreciated by it. So. That’s what we’re trying to bring to the people cool. That story and now a fisher fisher General Store

Maggie:
Nice. Yeah. That’s cool.

Rich:
Is that all your questions?

Maggie:
Yeah, that’s that’s all I got. I had one other question, but I don’t really feel like it’s relevant anymore. Because it’s kind of it’ll it’ll require probably a long winded answer.

Rich:
Okay. That’s fine.

Maggie:
But

Rich:
Yeah, so there might be more details. I mean, it’s hard to talk about this and know how many details I should really specifically divulge, you know.

Maggie:
Mm-hmm.

Rich:
As I was talking through different. Answers to your questions. I was like It’s it’s still a little bit of development too, right? You know, we’re so I think the relationship is solidified. I’ve been doing good work there Louise has been very well pleased so far with what I’ve been bringing to the table and I’ve even surprised myself with what You know, I’m stepping up to do and it’s been good feedback with the team there so far. Everyone’s responding well to the new espresso machine which brings a whole Litany of new details to be oriented to and I think people are are doing well with that. So it’s it’s all around a real good thing.

Maggie:
I ask you an off the cuff question that I just remembered my brother asking me

Rich:
Haha. Sure.

Maggie:
He said so I saw my brother last week Jonathan and he’s like I have a question for rich as like submitted to the email bro. But whatever. It’s like he asked me the question

Rich:
So

Maggie:
And he’s like What’s the difference between? the espresso that he could get it like Price Chopper like he goes to Price Chopper and gets like orders in espresso and or we’ll say grocery store espresso and Story Coffee, espresso.

Rich:
Yeah, I really love that question. The quality of the coffee that went in to making that espresso the freshness of it. And then probably the amount of water pass through it for the amount of time. That pass through it. To put a real short for you. Now that has to do with the way espresso has made but was he just describing maybe like was he describing like a Starbucks inside a Price Chopper or like a push button?

Maggie:
I think you I don’t know. I I

Rich:
Serve espresso salvation of espresso. Yeah, ultimately the way you make coffee. Is by having the right amount of coffee? In the appropriate ratio to the amount of water that’s going to pass through it and all those everything that comes with that that coffee has a grind size to it. It has an amount to it. The water has a temperature to it and obviously a volume of water and it’s and then a rain ultimately it kind of comes down to your taste buds too, you know, because that’s fine espresso to somebody. Starbucks is fine coffee to somebody or at least not so bad. They can’t stomach it, you know or won’t something

Maggie:
Had a cold brew there yesterday.

Rich:
Sorry. I can’t stomach it gives me a digestion Starbucks cold brew, but Point being like is a little bit relative. But as far as the real difference is what you expect from that cup of coffee or you know, as a say coffee interchangeably with espresso sometimes but that shot of espresso It ultimately should have a good like it should have a little bit of body should have a little bit of syrupiness to it. It should have flavors that are discernible and aren’t just bitter. It should not be weak tasting or feeling it should not be sour. But but good espresso is not going to just be bitter. It’s going to be appropriately better balanced with like nice flavors and a syrupy body. and all that comes from everything I described and and that comes from appropriate preparation of that. of that coffee and typically equipment that is designed to Produce that result when you apply the appropriate process. So those dispensers with the pods and whatever like there’s just typically not great coffee in there. That doesn’t have a lot of flavor to offer and then it’s typically too much water. Going through that cough that amount of coffee.

Maggie:
Hmm Great.

Rich:
Yeah,

Maggie:
Thanks.

Rich:
Now, you know now you know the more universe but a lot of people listening to this one would actually wonder that same kind of thing. What’s the difference?

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
Yeah. There’s there’s a lot of differences.

Maggie:
Good question Jonathan.

Rich:
There’s a lot of differences but see people don’t understand how espresso Works. They don’t even sometimes really understand how Coffee Works. It’s the same as baking. You want to apply ingredients inappropriate ratio to one another too much salt and you’re gonna know it right? No baking powder You’re Gonna Know It You want to apply so you want to mix the ingredients you want to mix them in the right ways in the right ratio. It’s one another you want to apply the right amount of heat for the right amount of time in the right? container

Maggie:
My mind is blown

Rich:
Coffee is baking. Maybe I should let that

Maggie:
You should have let

Rich:
That coffee is baking now, you know.

Maggie:
That’s I think we should end with that.

Rich:
You heard it here first.

Maggie:
Great answer.

Rich:
Thanks.

Maggie:
And if you have a question about coffee send

Rich:
It to Coffee tip line at House Coffee podcast at gmail.com. Yes,

Maggie:
Great. Subject line coffee help

Rich:
Coffee, SOS.

Maggie:
Yes.

Rich:
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I don’t know everything there’s no but I’ll find out for you.

Maggie:
This was a very informative great. Conversation. Yeah,

Rich:
Thanks for asking me.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
And you know what guys thanks for a hanging on

Maggie:
Yeah

Rich:
And going with us as we

Maggie:
We’re gonna be you the next couple weeks. Yeah.

Rich:
Yeah we are but we’ll be thinking about you.

Maggie:
We will be and no stop. We are really excited to Not just like take a break, but just I’m we talked about like revamping The Vibes of our recording space. I know you’re gonna be working on The Vibes at storied and we’re just gonna plan out some really really good content for the next 20 episodes and can’t wait

Rich:
20 episodes. Well, hey, dude.

Maggie:
Yeah. All right.

Rich:
So I think something we’re excited to do moving forward is like be a little bit more researched.

Maggie:
Yes

Rich:
And the topics we talk about and Just have maybe a little bit a lot of what we do is talk through our experiences and our stories and process them together. And I think we’ll continue to do that stories are really like so precious to us and part of why like we got together, but I think as we look to talk about things related to business and the things we’re thinking about. We’re interested in in developing like a bigger picture around those things and

Maggie:
Being a little more informative

Rich:
More. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So

Maggie:
As well as sharing our unfiltered conversations anecdotally.

Rich:
Yeah, maybe we’ll bring some stronger opinions next time.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
They were not afraid. Just no who knows it’s hard to do. Well, yeah,

Maggie:
Cool. Thank you guys. Yeah. Thanks, and we’ll miss you in the next couple weeks, but don’t worry. We’ll be back in September.

Rich:
The break

Maggie:
Later here