15: Tech Talk: Biting the Bullet on Social Media & Cell Phones

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:
Hi, Maggie.

Rich:
Hey Rich, welcome to House Coffee podcast

Maggie:
Episode 15.

Rich:
Amazing.

Maggie:
What do you think of our new table?

Rich:
It’s It’s a nice surprise. It’s as I said before, it feels conferency yet homie. That’s sort of what I was going to Decor. But also this like cafeteria top Vibe with the rubber side. I like it. No, I really do like it. Okay if it’s in here. Well, it literally fits in here nicely. There’s no table legs to play with.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
And it looks good our last table

Maggie:
Thanks square with four legs and it was a squeeze trying to get in and out of the table and still be in the video frame. And now this is a round table with a pedestal base and it’s just a little bit more roomy.

Rich:
Yeah, plus the leg region. That’s right. And yeah, I was gonna say anytime we would hit the table leg

Maggie:
Yeah

Rich:
On the other one. The clock numbers would fall down and shit.

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
You have to see the video to know what we talked what we mean when we say that.

Maggie:
Yeah, this was. A literal Steel on Facebook Marketplace.

Rich:
No, we didn’t

Maggie:
Steal it. I just steal it now. I did it but

Rich:
It was price to sell

Maggie:
It was price to sell. Yeah

Rich:
Price to move.

Maggie:
It was one of those things. well where it was kind of meant to be because the lady had two tables listed one was brown and one was this like Grayish one which kind of looked white in the photos. I was hoping it was like, yeah. And she’s like, oh that other ones has sold and she’s like, but I have a brown one still and I was like, no. Thanks. And then she messaged me in the next day and was like the other person fell through. Do you still want the table class? I was like yes, I do right there

Rich:
Nice and

Maggie:
It fit in my car with like literally a millimeter to spare

Rich:
Literally a millimeter.

Maggie:
There were feet on the bottom of this pedestal like the kind that you can like screw to make it even so the table I had to take those off in order for them to fit in my car and I measured the width and height of my backdoor like my trunk and I think the width is like 36 and a half and this table is 36 inches. So

Rich:
It well done.

Maggie:
It was a squeeze. Yeah.

Rich:
Well, good job.

Maggie:
Thank you.

Rich:
I have no complaints about it.

Maggie:
Cool.

Rich:
I guess we’re starting with and

Maggie:
How’s your week been?

Rich:
We’re starting with that. It’s good. It’s Not a lot has happened yet.

Maggie:
All right, that’s good

Rich:
Except for all the things I had to pack in Monday. Like I usually do. Yeah, I don’t know pretty pretty all right. Still trying to get the hang of all the new stuff that I have going on that I’m responsible for. It’s a lot for one day or even two days which are the two days as I’ve already. Not complained but already said and talked through all the different things I have to do.

Maggie:
Are you gonna be sharing some of that cool Insight with us today?

Rich:
Yeah a little bit more day. I’ll see how I’m feeling. Okay? Probably.

Maggie:
All right

Rich:
The tell all

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
The exclusive

Maggie:
Pull up a chair moment.

Rich:
All right that’s coming for you. We did get some really

Maggie:
Exciting feedback. You know, we have this email House Coffee podcast at gmail

Rich:
That Maggie has mentioned every episode Yes, except

Maggie:
And no one is emailed us, except we did get some really cool feedback this week. Well last week and We want to share it because number one we love feedback. and number two I feel like this could benefit when people leave feedback. It’s it’s not just us going back and forth sharing our opinions. It gives our audience a wider perspective. So those of you listening at home if you feel like you have something to share don’t be shy about sharing it because you never know how it can impact somebody else who’s listening if we share it. Yeah.

Rich:
This one is cool because it’s it’s Then and they probably wouldn’t mind using their name. But we also didn’t like check in on that and maybe we will. in the future, so we’ll just give you the content without the identity, but they basically were talking about a bunch of different things that we have talked about over the weeks. In fact, they had said that they

Maggie:
Specifically

Rich:
They had said that they’ve listened to each episode of the podcast.

Maggie:
I love that

Rich:
This particular person. I was talking in person several weeks ago and we were talking about whether podcasts exist on Audible. And I was like, I’ve never heard of that but that’s where they listen. So if that you’re into audible, this is not a commercial you cannot get 10% off with our discount code. Yeah, but that is where they’re finding us. But yeah, I have it actually up. Were you gonna get in front of you or did you just have some notes on it?

Maggie:
I’m depending on your

Rich:
Oh.

Maggie:
We record our episodes on video format 2 and my phone is the phone used for video so I can’t access it right now. So you’re

Rich:
Up. Okay, good. Well. Let’s see just coming through they had talked about.

Maggie:
They they shared one particular line about their taxes that I thought. That was really interesting.

Rich:
Yeah. Well, they were relating to the self-employed

Maggie:
Got you.

Rich:
So this person’s spouse is self-employed and Has been so over 23 years and so they were saying I want to encourage you both to stay the course because it’s a challenge thing thing but a great thing. and so Let’s see. and this person is spiritual so they were adding notes just about how like This is these are ways that they see like God providing for them with. the different I mean because self-employment is

Maggie:
Challenging

Rich:
Normally and so you don’t always know how that is gonna work out or where the money is Gonna Come From sometimes and so they were just talking about how a lot of the moments were special in terms of how certain times like things were covered and specifically they talked about flipping houses, which This was an interesting case. This is an interesting like case study on that because I’m like who flips houses? You know, who are The Crazies that do that and then if you knew this person, you wouldn’t be like, oh they are someone who I would have pegged for that like lifestyle now, I don’t know their family situation or or the spouse but But you wouldn’t look at this person and say oh, you’re like, you’re like a major house flipper, but literally they talked about doing it three different flips over the course of six or seven years.

Maggie:
Cool

Rich:
And owning a few rental properties except for that like I’m like, that’s something yeah, that’s that’s a good that’s good. I’m glad that yeah has worked out presumably. And then they were talking about how the how I was saying how I said isn’t I don’t know. I remember which episode it was several back. Just talking about how some of the ways you fudge. It sometimes are like taking tax. payments like paying my staff. They’re they’re checked. But then the payroll taxes paying those, you know later on and they were talking about doing us playing a similar game with like when you’re self employed you pay like quarterly estimated

Maggie:
Hmm

Rich:
Taxes so that it’s not all due at one time and then they’re saying how they’ll do that.

Maggie:
So we’re not alone.

Rich:
Yeah, exactly. And yeah just doing it just playing that game like people out there aren’t alone either. That’s right. Yeah, so it’s not just us. That’s me.

Maggie:
Yeah, that’s just you.

Rich:
Maybe you’ve never done that. doesn’t sound

Maggie:
Well, I I haven’t done that but but

Rich:
You have different

Maggie:
But but the caveat of why I haven’t done that is because Brandon is like almost obsessive about Like numbers and taxes and if if it were just up to me. Yes, I’d probably truly you know, I’d be like fudging numbers and all this stuff and not paying taxes, but I think I told you before in a previous episode that I have this spreadsheet that Brandon. Completely customize and invented for me specifically. For my to keep track of my numbers, and so every time I have a closing. It’s like the name of the person whether they were a buyer a seller with a commission was what if they were a referral from another agent or from within the company or they were like a referral from my my own Circle. and then There’s each tab is like I put away 30% for my taxes. I put away 10% which I give to charity and then I I do. the remainder as like like investments into like a little savings and then like we put that put like the remainder in my business account and then we like disperse that to our personal finances and But like the amount that I am paid as a commission is also split with my broker. So I have a specific split with her and so like he also has he takes into account for every percentage. of the you know total amount along the way so I know what I’m left with and then you can look at each column like based upon which column you select I can see like what my total sales volume is for the year in in terms of like units for the House houses, I’ve sold or what my total net income is when my total gross income is and it’s amazing. I would never be able to do that for myself. I would probably just be throwing spaghetti at the wall and like seeing what sticks at the end of each quarter. and probably Not paying my taxes enough or in time,

Rich:
Right? Wow, that’s incredible. That is that sounds like a very Helpful proprietary products that you can now enroll in our course and

Maggie:
Yes

Rich:
Then it’s you free. Yeah, it’s totally okay.

Maggie:
Yeah, it can be yours for $9.99.

Rich:
That’s amazing download. That is the funny enough. That’s it. I’m not gonna get off on a tangent here. But like that is exactly what like You have to do in business to make it to know you to know your numbers. You have to know your numbers. You’re saying that if Brandon wasn’t helping out you would have a harder time.

Maggie:
I wouldn’t know my

Rich:
Number. Yeah

Maggie:
At all period

Rich:
That’s funny

Maggie:
And

Rich:
Not funny. It’s just like yeah, that’s It’s easy to take for granted how I

Maggie:
Avoid money

Rich:
The numbers

Maggie:
We’ve talked about this before. I’m very much. Like not to get into it, but like growing up without. Having a lot of resources available to me as a kid like and seeing the way like my family was around money like that as a kid that like impacted me. And so I’ve always avoided money internally even even though I make enough money. I still avoid it.

Rich:
Yeah.

Maggie:
My therapist and I talk about it sometimes because it’s like it’s it’s like a real thing like you can you can go your whole life being Incredibly like living up on the poverty line, which is what I did as a kid and then be an adult and make six figures and still feel like you’re living on the poverty line if you have that mindset. true It’s a weird thing which is why I avoid my numbers.

Rich:
Yeah,

Maggie:
Because I don’t want to like there’s like anxious thoughts associated with them even though like I’m doing fine. I just don’t like to face the numbers

Rich:
Yeah, well,

Maggie:
It’s not a game to me. I

Rich:
Don’t know I don’t like to face them for a different reason. Yeah.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
Is that where you’re like thriftiness? I don’t understand so far. Yes. We’re Joe and you turned it into a business and you can make money from it. But

Maggie:
Joe and I were literally just talking about this yesterday. He was like he he’s He flips things on Facebook, so he’ll buy things. And like keep them in the box and then flip them for like he’ll he’ll know something is going to be like trendy and someone’s gonna want it. And then he’ll buy it really cheap and then flip it for like a couple hundred dollars and he really likes that. whereas because of how I grew up. I I buy things cheap because I can’t like see myself spending retail price on something that I know I can get for Less. Yeah.

Rich:
The insights.

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
Well, that’s cool. That’s cool. I’m happy to have that that’s the same kind of stuff. I’m starting to think through with like what are your target numbers in a cafe business? And and I’ve I love that he Brandon built Allied calculator and actually for you because I’ve been

Maggie:
Getting

Rich:
Into that kind of thing myself of like, all right, I’m gonna build this little this little things when you plug in this, you know, your weekly sale number here breaks down all these percentages to what you should have had and then it calculates it based on like what your reality is and here’s the percentage difference and like yeah, you can really nerd out with that kind of stuff for sure, you know it and I actually don’t really know it but Brandon probably Could do a lot more.

Maggie:
Oh, yeah part of his job is creating pivot tables for. Oh, yeah pivot tables don’t even know like didn’t even know that was but like most people only use about one percent of excel, you know,

Rich:
Like functions

Maggie:
Like functions of functionality of excel

Rich:
I use 0.00.

Maggie:
Yeah, but Brandon probably utilizes like Oh, like I don’t even know like 90% of what Excel

Rich:
Well

Maggie:
Can be capable of one of those things is called a pivot table. Where you create

Rich:
That but formula, yeah,

Maggie:
Were you just literally create a formula in a column? And it like you punch in a number and it can give you. an output based upon the input don’t ask me anymore details about that. I don’t know.

Rich:
Maybe I’m like secretly creating. Pivot if you’re free, what’s a pivot table? Oh boy. Yeah.

Maggie:
I also received some feedback in in over the phone. My brother called me and he out of the blue, which was such a cool surprise. His name is Jonathan. Hey, Jonathan. and he called me out of the blue and we were to chatting and he told me that he had just finished listening to the episode about the Enneagram. I believe that’s what he said and if I’m wrong it’s okay. He was like he was like episode like seven or something like that.

Rich:
Yeah,

Maggie:
And maybe it was a little further in.

Rich:
Okay. I mean you don’t remember what every episode no, it doesn’t want to see in terms of

Maggie:
What what episode seven. Can you look that up real quick because he I do I do remember it being like episode 7, but I don’t remember what that one was called. But what he said was

Rich:
On it.

Maggie:
In in that episode he felt like we were just beginning to hit our stride in terms of like the banter and like the like show chemistry and everything and so I just thought that was really cool how he knows

Rich:
Five star experience

Maggie:
Five star experiences. Yes. That’s the one that it was. Yes. It was faster.

Rich:
I’ve started listening experience.

Maggie:
Yes. He had a five star listening experience. And

Rich:
So can you subscribe

Maggie:
Podcast? Yes. So yes, that’s what it was. And he said he really enjoyed listening to the five star experiences and how He just felt like you know, the show was like starting to fit its Groove. So. I appreciate that Jonathan. Please leave us a review about that on. Our our Apple podcasts or Spotify wherever you listen, okay, I’m calling

Rich:
For. I can say that because he’s my brother. Yeah. Shut up. Well, I just discovered. I was not following us on Spotify but don’t have rectified.

Maggie:
Wow

Rich:
The situation. We’re also categorized as self-help on here.

Maggie:
Oh, really?

Rich:
I don’t know who makes that call. But huh? I wouldn’t call us that I would not you probably won’t be able to help yourself too much with our definitely not our insights, but no do not I could be wrong could be underestimating.

Maggie:
No. So anyways,

Rich:
So anyways

Maggie:
Speaking about scarcity mindset.

Rich:
Thanks and her friend who emailed us.

Maggie:
Yeah. Can I share another story?

Rich:
I think that you can

Maggie:
Okay.

Rich:
I yeah, I’m just going I’m just record everything from the email but I think we did the lie at the end was just some like nice words about story and because that’s where we know. this friend from and they were just talking about that. So thanks for that email. You Know Who You Are

Maggie:
Totally

Rich:
All right word.

Maggie:
So speaking of scarcity mindset. I bit the bullet. on my Verizon phone plan so I have this phone plan that I’ve been grandfathered into. And this phone plan is I only have five gigabytes of data to use per month. And

Rich:
Gigs per month.

Maggie:
Yeah, and I every month use 4.99 gigabytes of data because I’m like right now is the day before right today is the day before my new Plan cycle starts and so and then if if I go over my data plan which often I do. The Verizon only gives me one more gig of data, but they charge me $15. to do it Which is a crime but you know what? I’m stubborn

Rich:
Shaking my head

Maggie:
And I think each month. I’ll do better. And I will use less data and I will only use my phone where I have Wi-Fi and save my data for when I need it. But that’s just that’s just not the reality of the the life that we are in right now and my phone I use my phone for my job. I use it to navigate I use it to look up. Properties and make floor plans and all these different things which I need to do my job. and sometimes I’ll even need to like one time. Oh, this is like I I was working with a client who was relocating from out of state and they had their home inspection and they asked me if they could FaceTime me. during the home inspection and this house was vacant. So there was no Wi-Fi at the house. So I would have to use my data plan to FaceTime them and that I knew was going to eat up like all of my data for the month. So I I borrowed Brandon’s phone and I used Brandon’s phone as a hotspot so I could FaceTime my clients for the whole inspection. But like what an inconvenience for Brandon, what do what a like You know worry for me that I just don’t I shouldn’t be worried about that. I should just get a plan with unlimited data, and so But I’m stubborn and I’m like no, I need to save the money because if I I’m in this like old plan and if I change the plan. I’m going to be paying more money, but what I realized is. What I’m exchanging for saving a little bit of money is I’m paying in the worry and stress about my phone plan every month. And that’s just something I shouldn’t be worried about as a business owner. I should just be able to use my phone when I need to use my phone because it’s part of my business. So what did I do? I called the Verizon line and after it was all said and done. They upgraded me to an unlimited plan. And guess how much more per month I’m spending.

Rich:
I hope it’s zero

Maggie:
Five dollars. five freaking dollars a month more for unlimited data and zero worrying now that I’m going to be going over my plan and like what? Like what was I stressed out about all these months and years of just like paying I don’t know what I just I feel so silly. So the lesson in this for me is It’s worth it to spend a little bit more money because remember how I said if I went over my data, I was charged fifteen dollars and that that happened pretty often,

Rich:
Right.

Maggie:
I’m actually saving money now by switching to an unlimited data plan. So the lesson learned is like it if there’s something out there that you’re debating spending the money on like a program or a plan or something, but you’re worried about spending the money. Just freaking do it if it’s gonna make your life easier and you’re you’re paying for it one way or the other you’re paying for it with your finances or you’re paying for it with your time or you’re paying for it with your stress. And to me those are all precious Commodities, but you have to weigh the difference between like what is the most important and for me my time and mental sanity is more important than five more dollars per month. Right,

Rich:
That’s dope. Yeah, no for sure. I mean I did use my calculator wash and break that down just now and it is about 17 cents a day. so, I mean it’s not nothing but like but you’re probably right the perspective teaching pennies. Yeah, I mean, you know sometimes no, I’m happy for you.

Maggie:
No,

Rich:
That is a

Maggie:
Silly, right?

Rich:
Yeah, I don’t know. Did you know it was gonna be just five dollars, you know that so it was more like the stress of the thought of getting into it. Yeah. Did you think you’d have to end up paying like a lot more?

Maggie:
Yes,

Rich:
If you were doing that direction.

Maggie:
Yes. but I but like At the end of the day, even if it was $15 a month added to my plan like

Rich:
His distress like saving

Maggie:
Still what I pay when I go over my dad. So I’m paying that anyways that like sometimes so

Rich:
Gotcha.

Maggie:
I’m just someone who hates like. Paying more for something when I when I’m like when I know what something is gonna cause

Rich:
Yeah, so

Maggie:
Today is the last day of my billing cycle and I have four percent. Left of my data and I intend on not using my phone. Like at all anywhere unless I’m in Wi-Fi. So nobody send me any photos. Nobody sent me any videos. Don’t tell me to look up a property when I’m out and about because I can’t because I will go over my data until tomorrow.

Rich:
Yeah tomorrow Center everything you need to. You need to get through

Maggie:
That’s often why and like not to keep the laboring this because I think people get the point but that’s also why when I do, you know how I do like my meals in the car with Maggie posts or like I’ll do like photos and videos in my car. I don’t public I don’t publish those in real time because I don’t want to waste the my data. Uploading them when I don’t have Wi-Fi, so I will like record a video. And wait till I get to a destination with Wi-Fi and then upload it but you know what happens half the time. I don’t upload it because I get too involved and then like it becomes the end of the night and I’m like, why am I why would I post a meals video? I like nine o’clock at night. When I recorded this at 10 am this morning. So that’s the other thing is like now I’m gonna be able to be posting more. Regularly scheduled content that I want to so look out world. Alright come

Rich:
Hopefully that doesn’t become more stress added to your life because now you’re like trying to keep up with this thing because you have the novel about I think the freedom to do it rather, but I think you probably and probably be less Burdened by

Maggie:
Right that

Rich:
Yeah. Yeah.

Maggie:
Or I’ll have to like only listen to music that’s downloaded to my phone. I can’t stream music. That’s the other thing.

Rich:
Yeah, thank

Maggie:
You. All these things that like go into my mind because I’m like, I got to save my dad.

Rich:
Yeah, but I just for granted I’ve been on visible for a long time

Maggie:
And that’s a company.

Rich:
Yeah funny enough now it’s owned by Verizon but visible when they came on the scene, they were all like do party pay and so you could I think I told you about this, you know, it’s $40 a month. But then if you get three people in your party, I don’t think they do this anymore. They recently changed the program around but if you got three people in your party Then the bill went down five dollars for each person in the party and everyone paid their bill independently, so it wasn’t like a collect all the money or something. So we just kept a we just kept up the party and and then so I was paying 25 a month for unlimited everything.

Maggie:
That’s just the plan the last several years.

Rich:
Yeah, and then you have to buy the phone separately. So I mean, I guess that’s where like these big companies get you is. They have stores that you can quote unquote walk into and get clinical service. And then

Maggie:
The

Rich:
Other thing is like you get the phone sort of integrated in the plan, but I don’t know. I just buy my phone on credit anyway and do it. Yeah payment plan outside of

Maggie:
Hmm

Rich:
Verizon, you know, so I don’t know. It’s been nice not stressing about that for the last several years, but I’m happy for you.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
That’s something you were able to. Take care of

Maggie:
Yeah, I

Rich:
Won’t ask you what your total monthly bill is

Maggie:
Because still well I own my phone now so it now I’m just paying like I paid off my phone. Yeah,

Rich:
But you paid big name service.

Maggie:
I pay a

Rich:
Big right now. It’s a month and month or is it a

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
Well, I got that going for you.

Maggie:
Yeah. I don’t think that any of the big plans have a Like contract

Rich:
Contract plans. I mean, they’re definitely the way of the past.

Maggie:
Yes,

Rich:
They’re probably still out there

Maggie:
Which I think is probably one of the reasons why I was so stubborn about keeping that plan because I think I was like, well not in a contract but I don’t know.

Rich:
Well

Maggie:
There’s now yeah

Rich:
For you. Not not mad about that.

Maggie:
But now I can. Do my marketing on the go.

Rich:
Yeah,

Maggie:
And I don’t have to

Rich:
Better or Worse.

Maggie:
Yeah don’t have to worry about. Saving it for certain times in the day.

Rich:
Well, you can still plan it out right and just do it more at your like Leisure you you can still do it in a planned systematic way without having to Be so limited how you do it so they have more freedom to plan it how you want. Isn’t it? Nice? Yeah,

Maggie:
So nice

Rich:
Presuming. You’re that kind of operator. I’m not but I’m learning to be

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
You know something that isn’t talked about that much. It’s my knowledge, but I think we should talk about more is the value of things that can’t be That can’t be measured monetarily. I when I was when I was first getting into business and doing the coffee thing. There was someone that I got like That I heard on a pie. I was I was deep into the cat and Cloud podcast. You heard me talk about that early on and then in one of their very early episodes they had this person on Whose name is Lee Safar. And believe she is from Australia and is just like deep in the coffee game at the time. She was on the podcast because she has she had developed a product. Called Elixir specialty coffee, and we had that in the shop at the very beginning. It was like is this cool thing? It’s not even super worth talking about because you can’t you can’t get it anymore. We had it just at the beginning and she moved her she moved out of the country and I think back to Australia to pursue some different Avenues. So I don’t even know if she’s producing this stuff anymore, but long story short. It was a cool product. It was basically like this coffee brewing process that you could it was bottled at each hour. through 24 hours of the process and then each bottle was numbered and so you could get the same coffee brewed through this different through this unique process at hour one or our 12 or hour 24 or anywhere in between and you could kind of taste the same coffee and and compare it and it was a really like light version like some people talk about like I don’t know watered down cold brew kind of I was like the question but it really didn’t taste like that. It was a different vibe. And then it was also there was also like music and like sound waves Incorporated in the process too. So it’s a little bit like interesting this no, but like, you know, you didn’t know exactly how that affected it, but they each like Coffee would come with a card that had the the music that was played on it too. I actually loved you. Remember when I had that in the shop. I just a bottle names

Maggie:
Sounds familiar, but I don’t know 2018.

Rich:
Yeah. Well it was cool. So I was the first person on the east coast to have it. I was pretty proud of that too because I like specifically she’s like the kind of person you literally have to call on the phone and talk to you and be like, alright, it’s like a vetting process almost. So I was just pretty proud of having that back then. But anyway, she was on that podcast and she had this thing. This is the whole reason our brother. So nothing about coffee she would talk about how in business or in life. There are some things that are like currencies. That you can’t measure monetarily. Their currencies they have value, but it’s just a different kind of thing. And and I always took away from that like you can’t. like peace of mind is a currency and so she was like less concerned with getting this product into all the right kinds of She was like less concerned with like Mass marketing and getting this thing and just all these stores and more concerned with working with the right kind of people for her because peace of mind was something that you can’t just you. It doesn’t just come with money. It’s like piece of mind or or other things like your sense of Integrity or your values like these are things that have That you need to preserve and store up and spend in a way that that makes. sense because but it’s not equivalent of of like of Revenue in a traditional sense. Yeah. Does that make sense?

Maggie:
Yeah. so

Rich:
I’ve always kept that I like there’s other things and so you’re talking about stress you’re talking about worry you’re talking about it’s cool that you got this phone plan because now like it’s five dollars more. which With inflation isn’t even worth that much but into another sense. It’s totally Priceless because what else is it worth? It’s buying all these other things for you now or I mean we’ll find out but like So there’s things that can’t be measured with money. That have to factor into the way we conduct business and that has always been a compelling thought to me something I could probably unpack for a lot of minutes. And so this is not me trying to get into that. This is simply me. Pay you back on what you’re yeah doing but but introducing this concept that I’d be interested to explore

Maggie:
The concept

Rich:
Later on or hear from other people on

Maggie:
Of currency. That’s not money

Rich:
Non-monetary currency in business.

Maggie:
Writing that down

Rich:
I’m not even sure like yeah, I don’t know. I’m sure how to talk exactly about that or phrase it but peace of mind is probably the like the most specific one. You can’t can you buy that can you put a price on that? I don’t know.

Maggie:
Or things you can’t put a price on

Rich:
Yeah. Yeah. so some of the thing about will percolate on that and

Maggie:
No pun intended.

Rich:
Nope percolate on that and then see what we can dig up with that. Maybe I’ll go back and listen to those those podcast episodes and get a refresher.

Maggie:
Yes, send them to me so I can

Rich:
Yeah,

Maggie:
Listen. So

Rich:
Shout out to Lee. She actually has a podcast of her own. It’s called the couple things map her company now or whatever. I think it’s a company. It’s called map it forward in. Well, just map it forward. But like map it forward and coffee. So she’s trying to help people get a bigger picture on like how you can have a career. in coffee or coffee Consulting and and things like that, so He had it cool. And then what else

Maggie:
What are some things that you’re doing? at story lately

Rich:
Well, I it’s funny you talk about. Just biting the ball and spending the money because we have never like paid for social media management or marketing too much or at least we’ve definitely not spent wisely. On that kind of stuff stuff that’s never really move the needle probably I’ve just wasted a lot of money on different things, but mostly I just don’t spend on it, but then I was like and I talked about this. I think last time there’s like this Revenue ceiling that I got to break through and really the only way to do that is to get new Customers yeah

Maggie:
In

Rich:
The door, you know new people finding out about us and the only way to do that is to become more present on the internet. in our day and age, I mean I could put ads in the paper, but actually I’ve done that too. And that’s largely ineffective. So I really just think the social media presence is the main driver of business.

Maggie:
I mean think about that two physical location that you discovered and what was it, Texas. That was like, right. You were like going off on how amazing their social media. Yeah,

Rich:
And they had this that posts two rivers

Maggie:
To copy.

Rich:
Of course like I’m never gonna go there right? So it’s like you could say, what did that dude gave me a follower. I mean If I’m there, I’m like cool. Here’s a follower in Upstate New York, but I don’t know if I ever gets a New Braunfels, Texas. I know I’m going like I said that before

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
My friend just moved to Houston or something. And so I might be able to get out there. Yes sometime maybe but not the point the point is that you gotta you gotta make these Investments sometimes and so we’ve been to Bullet. We hired someone I think I talked about this too before how I was having my first meeting with him last week and I did. And then yesterday they came to the shop for the first time and to produce just to get some content starting out. We’re doing a kind of a quick little turn because like if it’s monthly if it’s if it’s a plan based on the month, we met like at the end of last month and so is a quick turnaround for this one, I think in the future, it’ll be a little more like prepared and and and thought out although there was nothing. Wrong with what we did yesterday. I think we just we didn’t have the opportunity to do as much as we might have been able to do in the future or like in a more opportune. Time and

Maggie:
What does this company doing? Like taking photos taking videos producing videos?

Rich:
Yeah. So it’s our friend Sarah who a new friend Sarah and her company called wave marketing. It’s this is her background, but she’s she’s just kind of coming back on the scene with her own company, but she’s been doing this work for a long time and even had her own company, maybe five years or so ago and then close it down for whatever reason went to like work for someone else has been doing this kind of work and now is coming back on the scene. So she is kind of an expert in Like reals creation posts and engagement. I think those kinds of things so like what I’ve basically the package I have she’s going to be doing one real a week. For storied cool.

Maggie:
Love it

Rich:
And two posts a week. Now. I say weekly basically it’s it’s more of a monthly. It’s like eight post. No a photos with captions a month for reals a month, but that just conveniently breaks down on a weekly basis if you think about it, but they don’t have to all come out and like on the weekly basis.

Maggie:
And you can do your own posting in between exactly you have like a specialty drink or

Rich:
Right? Yeah, if there’s like some of that comes up then we can do it, but there’s no I don’t think I posted in the last three weeks.

Maggie:
You’ve read

Rich:
All longer.

Maggie:
Yeah. Yeah,

Rich:
We always repost stories but that you know, that’s

Maggie:
Our real or house coffee pot.

Rich:
And then right if someone else creates

Maggie:
So I looked at the stats right before you hit record. So we did a video with not to get off on a tangent. Oh, please go back to what you were talking about. But we recorded a video with the new story GE landline clock radio phone

Rich:
The New Vintage

Maggie:
The New Vintage. Yes, that’s right on the caption and I mean, we’re a small account as of today. We have 200 followers 200. That’s it. So we’re not following

Rich:
Us. You’re following on Instagram.

Maggie:
That’s true. Shout out to you if you’re following us, but if you’re not get with the program Our House Coffee podcast on Instagram anyways. We had 17 hours on on that video

Rich:
Sick, which was like last week, right?

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
Not even a week

Maggie:
Not even a week.

Rich:
Yeah, nice.

Maggie:
So I mean, I think that’s that’s pretty darn cool for organic reach

Rich:
Yeah, I think I was about 500 of those views not quite

Maggie:
Well. You also reposted it to stories. I mean you we collaborated with stories so that probably helped.

Rich:
Yeah, definitely. That’s a good post.

Maggie:
The story has a good following.

Rich:
Well, we’re really got me was the comments like all the that one as far as engagement like a a lot of people like yeah the concept and

Maggie:
Yes.

Rich:
You just don’t see that today. You know what I mean?

Maggie:
Yes. I know

Rich:
There’s cool stuff out there. Everyone’s got a GE Stover or air conditioner kicking around but like the cool old clock radios.

Maggie:
Yeah. That’s gonna make them we gotta make him a thing again.

Rich:
Well, I’m doing my part man. Yeah, I was a watching a movie last night that I haven’t seen since I was probably in high school. It’s called that thing you do. It’s a Tom Hanks movie, but it’s like he wrote and directed it and he’s in it. I don’t know if there’s other tomings movies that he wrote and directed but this is a cool one. It’s about this band and like the 60s that kind of blows up. They’re like a one-hit wonder kind of deal. and But the one of the guys in the band he starts out working in his dad’s appliance store in this this is the it’s like 64 1964 and there’s this whole wall of all these clock radios and I was just like, whoa It’s a thing. They weren’t none of them were obviously like GE or even any particular brand but it was just funny to see like wow, this was really a thing back in the day and I don’t think any of the ones that I have are that old. I think they’re more. 80s and 90s but except maybe the one maybe the one that isn’t it’s still got the clock face on it like the The r

Maggie:
Yeah

Rich:
Now, it doesn’t even actually the Clock Works the radio. doesn’t so it’s not plugged in.

Maggie:
How’s our old Studio clock? No.

Rich:
No, that’s the one that’s actually a clock. This one is also a clock radio, but one of the I think the radio doesn’t work.

Maggie:
Okay,

Rich:
But point is this style of the face there. That was like More so what’s in the show all the ones that all the other ones I have are digital. But who know that was like a whole thing like a whole section in the store and this movie? Yeah, anyway, it’s just threw me back

Maggie:
Is this. Person the Priscilla person who is doing your marketing is not the same person who’s doing the table toppers in stored.

Rich:
No,

Maggie:
Because I have a bone to pick with you about that.

Rich:
Look, I got nothing to say. All right.

Maggie:
There is another realtor’s face on those Toppers.

Rich:
Call me out dude,

Maggie:
And I just don’t want our audience to think that like there’s a rift between us and our friendship because there’s another realtor on those Toppers and I was sitting there having my breakfast. With Brandon and we were like what the frick? Who is this Joker? Just kidding. I’ve worked with him. He’s a really nice guy. But also what the frick.

Rich:
Look I am. Not privy to what is placed in those Toppers, right?

Maggie:
So what would argue though? It’s your shop.

Rich:
Yeah. And I made my choice.

Maggie:
To advertise someone else to

Rich:
Advertise anything that this particular company that I was working with and not even working. Literally no cost to me. They said oh we have a free thing that we’re doing. Can we do it here? I’m like sure. If I don’t have to say no. Sometimes I don’t

Maggie:
All right.

Rich:
Just trying to help support the local economy Maggie. All right, which is more than I can say for you. Just

Maggie:
What about supporting your friends?

Rich:
Okay. look you can sign up with with we save local.com and Pay the probably exorbitant advertising fee to have your face plastered on every tabletop in a in the local cafe. Yeah. I don’t know. It’s a that’s that Parts out of my hands, right?

Maggie:
Mm-hmm. All right,

Rich:
So sorry didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I didn’t know that. I don’t even know if I knew a realtor was gonna be in there. versus there’s like a diamond company on the other one. So yeah,

Maggie:
You

Rich:
Know, I think it could have been anything.

Maggie:
Yeah.

Rich:
They don’t tell me that I

Maggie:
Just had to call you out.

Rich:
You know what and you’re so right? But I can’t take it back for a year. So. But go to we savelocal.com for a discount on storied coffee

Maggie:
Advertising for

Rich:
15% off your purchase of 25 for dollars or more or something. I actually don’t know the numbers but it is that kind of thing. Yeah.

Maggie:
Cool

Rich:
Yes, so that’s that. working with social media person How would you do this? You tell me. All right. So a lot of companies they hire social media people right and then Either it’s internal or it’s somebody else’s managed it for them. And then this is not the case with two rivers, right? I was impressed to find out they do all their own stuff and I’m like dang that’s that’s a lot of work and time and like they even told us their process TJ reached out to them and they told him like how they do all that and it’s it’s in-house and it’s impressive and there were a lot of words. I didn’t understand. Mm-hmm. And I was like, all right, that’s not for me. But then Other people hire this out. And I mean there’s something we said right for this could be a whole podcast episode 2. There’s something we said for authenticity. Yeah, especially in our day and age people want that authentic appearance. So you’ve seen my Instagram.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
You know my voice if so, many starts posting stuff with all the sudden the pictures are pretty and like look kind of professional and the caption is like a little bit light and fluffy and not worthy and not super like deep or trying to send a message. It’s like here’s our breakfast sandwich.

Maggie:
Mm-hmm,

Rich:
You know. Is that not gonna stand out? Or is that like does anyone gonna care I can be like oh, this is someone else is doing their social media office. Here’s what I think. I mean, I’m trying to discern this line

Maggie:
People might assume at first that Christina is doing it. Because you she she has more of a light approach.

Rich:
Yeah, literally anyone has more of a lighter pressure.

Maggie:
I mean, I think I’m friends with both of you so I can tell the difference if something is posted between like who was the author that’s just me because I know both of you and like oh Rich definitely posted this or Christine authored this and I I truly think and I think most people who Follow storied and go to storied. Know that you and Christine both monitor the account. so maybe they’ll someone will just assume I mean, they’re gonna listen to this podcast and obviously they’re gonna know but

Rich:
True everyone it’s not even gonna be think is everyone’s gonna hear this episode and just know exactly

Maggie:
So but I remember those who are up, they might just they might just think oh maybe Christine is is taking, you know more of a social approach with the account and that’s fine and and even if not I assume at some point with this person. Who’s who’s helping author things? Is sending them to you for your approval.

Rich:
Exactly Which is the problem you

Maggie:
Can add. Oh, yeah, you’re right.

Rich:
That’s the problem

Maggie:
Is the problem. So

Rich:
Here’s why this came

Maggie:
From experience. Yeah with this with like the year-long process it took for us. That’s right this podcast

Rich:
So I need I need either I need

Maggie:
Oh you

Rich:
Sorry guys, that’s funny.

Maggie:
But it’s true. Like I kind of I’m speaking from experience. Yes, so Okay

Rich:
Through US cracking up here. So he that’s the actual problem though because I need to clean break. This is why this came out I would it came in yesterday. And she took all the videos and like all the posts and it was cool. And we worked you know, I was like, I basically I don’t care. Here’s the reality of it. I don’t actually care what gets posted in one sense. I’m like, I I want you to feel the freedom to take photos of of our food make it look pretty here’s the drinks. I’ll make them up like whatever here’s you know, what to call this thing. Like I’ll give you the information you need but like you can present it better than I can and the whole point is for me to be hands off but then she’s like, oh so later on that night yesterday. She’s like, here’s what do you think about this would be in the first post and like I mean the draft and the caption and I’m like suddenly I needed to suddenly I’m like, oh well if this if this is the first post anyone ever sees with this caption, it’s out of nowhere It’s it’s just like come it’s like a blind side of. Of

Maggie:
Don’t don’t overthink it

Rich:
No, okay, but look, so yeah. Well, that’s what I do. I’m overthinking

Maggie:
And I know

Rich:
And so they’re like they’re like I’m like, all right. I don’t even want to have to think about this. So I need for me. I like need to draw this line in between. The usual way I do things. Yeah with story and like the content that’s about to be coming out that’s in this style. I’m happy for the content to change. I just And don’t tell me everything about okay.

Maggie:
Okay,

Rich:
Because I am and I know that so actually think about trying to get try to think about where I’m coming from with this if you can. I in a world of it of authenticity stuff like that feels can feel little inauthentic to me. On one hand, but on another hand social media. No one actually cares. They just want pretty pictures of good looking stuff. That makes them. Hit the heart but you know what? I mean and then the ultimately the whole point is like here’s what we’re selling come get it that’s really the point. So I don’t really actually need to care what goes into this. I’m just trying to figure out How do I make this fit in with? What has already what is usually true on this on this particular? Brand identity. I think the representation

Maggie:
This social media person needs to run. her copy through the rich dictionary

Rich:
I could.

Maggie:
Like just come up with a list of like 20 to 25 words that you use all the time like vibe Bro, dude, stoked epic.

Rich:
You heard it here first.

Maggie:
What are some other things that that you say? Like

Rich:
When you play bingo with all these

Maggie:
Right? Yeah like a Rich Bingo Word Bingo and be like sprinkle some of these words into the posts so it sounds more authentic to the You know author

Rich:
Okay, I I really appreciate that. You said that but actually have a different idea.

Maggie:
Okay.

Rich:
I was gonna say better idea.

Maggie:
Okay.

Rich:
I have a better idea. Which is what if we do something that I don’t think I’ve ever seen done, but I don’t know. This could be a thing. What if we simply Tell everyone. That we have a social media manager. and now we introduced them. And say hey, this is Sarah our new social media friend. She has a marketing company. She is great at reals and photos and content that we struggle to create and so we are still gonna maintain this account and have access to all the stuff and see your messages and whatever but like we’re actually turning over the reins of this feed because we want you to get quality content from us, but we can’t actually do that for you. and so Sarah’s gonna do that for us and then literally draw this Line in the Sand where this point in time where we have said here’s our friend the content you see from now on it’s mostly gonna come from her with like some of our influence and now however, it sounds however, it looks everyone knows. Oh, it says other person

Maggie:
People need to know.

Rich:
Because there’s no way that Sarah can take a rich dictionary and make sprinkle in some words and still make it sound like me. And I wouldn’t even want that. I wouldn’t even want her to try. I would rather she be herself do her own style and not even have to think exactly about what the story voice quote unquote is, you know what I mean? So this actually frees her up. To now you have to think about what I would say and if reads me up from having to care how

Maggie:
It’s said problem solved

Rich:
Done deal dude. I actually think that is a good that’s idea. But I want to hear your

Maggie:
Did you just come up with that? I

Rich:
Thought it last night and actually ran that by her first.

Maggie:
I say do it works for you.

Rich:
That works for me.

Maggie:
But like this is what I tell my clients when they’re like like about to make an offer on a house. like You have to make the decision that will help you sleep at night. What? Yeah, seriously do you have You are gonna go to bed and you’re gonna lose sleep over. The lack of clinical authenticity of your social media posts because somebody else’s authoring them and it will help you sleep at night, like just putting it out there that you’re not doing it anymore. Then that’s what you have to do because that’ll be true for your business same like I tell my clients. if if you’re okay with paying $20,030,040,000 whatever the price is over asking price and they accept your offer. You have to be able to sleep at night knowing that you paid overpaid this much for the house. But if you have a limit. And your limit is this amount? And you could have gotten the house for 10,000 or 5,000 more but you you went with the upper amount of your limit. You have to sleep at night and be okay with not getting the house if they don’t choose your offer. So I run everything by the what helps you sleep at night filter.

Rich:
Cool I just think. Well, I partly I don’t know what to think. And that’s why I was one of the reasons I bring it up even though I’m pretty sure I’m gonna do it this way. I wanted to get one right good.

Maggie:
I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer probably not what you want. You probably want to hear it. No innovative.

Rich:
No, I don’t know if there is what I’m really asking is have you seen anything like that before? No? Yeah, I personally I didn’t think so either.

Maggie:
But most people that I can think of try to mask things through their own dictionary. Yes. Yeah, I’m just like and you are trying to just own it. Like hey, we have someone else doing our social media

Rich:
One of my early values

Maggie:
That or nothing at all which right now nothing at all is not working for

Rich:
Exactly. So I’d even rather take because I the whole point of this is to be hands off right pay the money. Like you said just bite the bullet pay the money. Just get it done and Because then I’m not a social like I’m not out here trying to be a content creator. It’s not my strong suit nobody’s WE Post like once every three weeks and so we get engagement but only because it’s the first thing they’ve ever seen from us in in a hot minute and so I guess so. I don’t know, you know, I could post every day and get get 10 likes on something and that would also not be how helpful that would that be? I don’t know. I don’t know the difference there, but the point is that I don’t even want to have to think about it, but I still needed to get done and that is where you just there’s no substitute for just paying the money for someone else to do it for you. Something is having that I would all so say something is having a system. Yeah good. I

Maggie:
Think you should do that because that’s what’s gonna work for you in your business and your time but also I would strongly suggest you still remain active in your stories. because stories are for the people who already follow you. it’s like You want to cultivate? I stuck a lot of stories

Rich:
You

Maggie:
Follow you on a cultivate and keep the relationships. You already have and one way of doing that is showing up regularly in your stories. so even if it’s like turn like making a five second ten second video behind the bar or doing a photo of your new radio or your phone or something going on in your other gig like people still want to see that and then the the page like your feed where you have like your reels and your posts. That’s for new engagement. And that’s for growing your audience. So if you think about it this way, your social media person is in charge for helping you grow your Audience by putting content out on your reels and your page for the feed and then your job is to stay engaged with the people who already know and love storied by showing up in stories once or twice a week. Dang, you can handle that.

Rich:
Can I

Maggie:
Oh, yeah,

Rich:
I don’t even work. So also.

Maggie:
Literally, all you have to do is like next time Oliver is in the shop just take a picture of him and post them on your story and like people will eat that up.

Rich:
Oh, yeah child exploitation.

Maggie:
Yeah love that or having like just kidding. I don’t know like it. Just I don’t know that’s Actually, I do know it will help.

Rich:
No you’re so right. You’re not. Yeah, you’re not wrong at all. I that’s good Insight. You know why I didn’t know you were gonna get some social media Insight on the end of this

Maggie:
And now that I have it unlimited data plan. I can be able to do that

Rich:
Morning, dude. How many of you access the account? I think you’re my new social story person.

Maggie:
Yeah, you’ve tried that before. Yeah.

Rich:
No, so that’s I

Maggie:
Can barely keep up with my own. I mean,

Rich:
Well who knows now Skylanders? We’ll see this new this next month. It’s gonna be the the month of Maggie.

Maggie:
That’s right.

Rich:
I mean

Maggie:
We’re gonna see reels in my car with Rich.

Rich:
Wow, we are due oh my God to a lot of driving

Maggie:
Meals in my car Maggie reels in my car with Rich. I love that. You have to do it. Now.

Rich:
Is that where I just know reels in my van with Rich Boy. Is that where I just like reach down and pick up whatever random piece of trash is yes on the floor of the van. I can talk to the story of how that

Maggie:
You talk about. Oh my gosh. I’m so serious. Please do this. Last episode you talked about how you were running around town doing all these. grocery runs Supply runs for the different workplaces I would love it if you could just sit in your van and be like Hey, or even if you don’t even turn the camera on yourself, just just take a quick pick or a video of like what you just bought at the store and be like Supply run and you do that that can be a regular thing because you do that what every Monday? Or Tuesday, whatever. And just take a picture of the back of your van unfiltered and say just did a supply run for this week. And then you don’t have to call it reels in your van with Rich. But just think about it that way because people love to see behind the scenes things. I never thought that I would get the engagement. I got from meals in my car with Maggie because in my mind, it’s such a mundane thing, but it is a reality of my business that I eat the majority of my meals in my car because that is the life of being a busy realtor on the go so If I don’t do it in a while people ask me. Oh, I haven’t seen you do meals in my car with Maggie in a while. What’s going on? Right and I’m like they’re like what’s going on is everything okay, and I’m like Oh my goodness. people actually watch this and so again, it’s for the people who’ve already follow you. I’m not trying to gain new followers by posting about my meal in my car. That’s for the people who already follow me. by posts on my feed are for new followers to try to like net them in. A challenge you wow. Who wants to see Reals in my van with Rich

Rich:
Going down the golly

Maggie:
Please if there’s ever been a time to give feedback Now’s the Time who wants to see reels in my van with Rich?

Rich:
Yeah, but see. All right. I mean I’m not saying no, but where would I do that my Social account? Because I’m not really true story my Social account, but like story to count. Yeah.

Maggie:
Literally you leave the you’re in the parking lot of Restaurant Depot take a picture of what you just purchase and be like Here’s our supplies for the week. And then Go in a drop them off doing my Supply run. That’s interesting to people because that’s peeling back the curtain that’s inviting someone to pull up a chair with you and be a passenger. in your van of your business

Rich:
I have the camera like in the passenger seat he point of view.

Maggie:
Yeah,

Rich:
My van going to the restaurant store

Maggie:
Shotgun.

Rich:
Well That’s that’s a thought. That’s an interesting idea. to do it Well, maybe we’ll start out small with our new social media manager and find out.

Maggie:
Okay

Rich:
Find out where that goes. But

Maggie:
You don’t overthink it. I know that’s what I say. It’s easier said than done. I overthink a lot of things. But it’s it’s really not.

Rich:
Complicated I don’t know if you’re in the right industry Maggie, I think maybe it’s constant creation social media. and and self-help. It’s just that’s all about it’s really where you’re crushing it these days. I think we got to wrap this thing. Yeah,

Maggie:
We do.

Rich:
I didn’t get to tell you where I’m where I’m working. Now. I know but that’s second store that I’m driving to try the Will

Maggie:
I think that deserves a

Rich:
Maybe next time

Maggie:
A section of its own? Yeah. On the next episode

Rich:
I had I had a couple goals for today one was to not use the word burnout check if we talk about it for several episodes and the other was not to say um or uh, but I’d definitely didn’t

Maggie:
My goal for today was to figure out a way to squeeze Becca’s name into the podcast because I’m pretty sure we’ve said her name every single

Rich:
Episode A lot of them. Yeah,

Maggie:
So

Rich:
Check

Maggie:
Out

Rich:
And and then I also wanted to not say It’s interesting because I’m pretty sure I don’t do that.

Maggie:
Okay,

Rich:
Um, two for three.

Maggie:
Okay, nice. Okay. Nice.

Rich:
All right. Well,

Maggie:
That’s a good episode.

Rich:
Yeah. Thanks for hanging out. Yes a little bit of just trying to not be so focused on.

Maggie:
The downside

Rich:
But this inside

Maggie:
This is this is a lighter episode and hopefully our audience you listener here can relate to the roller coaster that We as creators and small businesses have and right now. It’s an upward, right?

Rich:
Yeah. Purchase upward trajectories all around

Maggie:
The year of storied the year of Maggie.

Rich:
The month of Mag

Maggie:
The month.

Rich:
Well, you got a lawyer today. Yeah for sure. All right.

Maggie:
Catch you next time.

Rich:
Peace

Maggie:
Out. Later.