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We've had a jam-packed year of gigging, and the Fryeburg Fair is the crown jewel! as we prepare to face the overwhelming crowd of 90,000 to 100,000 fairgoers. We reflect on the year that has been, how far we have come, and how fast it has gone bye. It pushed us to make better decisions and to find strength even in the most challenging situations. We've seen the power of supportive communities and the role they play in our journey. So, as we gear up for the future, we're taking with us lessons on the importance of American manufacturing, staying healthy, and of course, the unbreakable rule - always have a storage trailer at hand!
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Today on Share the Sparkle Podcast is episode 168, and we're feeling oh so great Because we are on site for the loud, proud Americans biggest date, the Frybark Fair. Tune in as we settle in for the biggest challenge and, hopefully, the biggest reward of 2023. Let me tell you something Everybody struggles. The difference is some people choose to go through it and some choose to grow through it. This is completely yours. Which one you choose will have a very profound effect on the way you live your life. If you find strength in the struggle, then this podcast is for you. You have a relationship that is comfortable with uncomfortable conversations. Uncomfortable conversations challenge you, humble you and they build you. When you sprinkle a little time and distance on it, it all makes sense. Most disagreements, they stem from our own insecurities. You are right where you need to be.
Speaker 2:Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa whoa. I thought I was your only date.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean yes, yes, but I mean for the business. You know what I mean. Like this is the loud, proud American the business.
Speaker 2:You're back pedaling on the best.
Speaker 1:It's your head has a shell on it. Little Tommy boy, for you to start your day, ooh, ooh, ooh.
Speaker 2:What I do, what I do. That's what it is.
Speaker 1:I forgot what it was, I blacked out.
Speaker 2:The Mexican food is getting to you. Food. I'm glad you said food.
Speaker 1:Mexican food is getting to you we almost got this show off on a really bad note.
Speaker 2:We just had some really good Mexican food.
Speaker 1:Churroso and I'm actually I'm feeling so festive over here that I'm drinking a little ranch Rita because I thought that it paired quite well. I must be getting tired because I pronounced thought with an F. I thought that I thought I would pair well. I thought that would pair very well.
Speaker 2:I thought it would. I'm a little tired. How about you? I'm exhausted.
Speaker 1:Oh boy, we are coming to you. Well, I love this thing. We're coming to you live because I mean, it's live in the moment. We are live. We are live thankfully, and you know it feels like you guys are out there listening, like this is happening live. But it's not, it's pre-recorded, but it's being pre-recorded from Matilda.
Speaker 2:Matilda.
Speaker 1:Right From the old camper we are settled in at the Fryberg Fair. Woo, can I get some claps? There's some snaps right there. There you go, you got it. Yeah, yeah, there's the snaps.
Speaker 2:Oh, we made it. Sorry, I zoned out there, you did.
Speaker 1:We made it. I can't believe it. First off, I just want to say that when we were driving up here today, when you were hauling the camper and I was behind you in the old ambulance- you were not behind me. Yeah, you would dust the brakes off me. You pulled out like fucking.
Speaker 2:Toleday and night.
Speaker 1:Yeah, ricky Bobby, if you ain't first, you're last oh well, you definitely wanted to get some separation from me today. You was gout.
Speaker 2:Not true, not true.
Speaker 1:Well, it only took me 45 minutes to find your tail lights, so I couldn't help but think, on the way here, how quickly this calendar just disappeared.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, it's gone. This is the last event of the season. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Last week. We can find something else out there which, even if we find something else, it's not going to be the Freiburg Fair. You know, what I mean Like this is, as I like to call it, the granddaddy of them all for us.
Speaker 2:This is the big one. Let me go on vacation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I take a manual labor vacation. I'm going to stop doing this. The everyday grind of the business for a little bit.
Speaker 2:I still go to work, but I'm just saying Right.
Speaker 1:But I mean I just stop the hustle and bustle of the brand for a little bit and then just get this, I go.
Speaker 2:I want to get this.
Speaker 1:And we just started doing some ranch work. Yep, and I want to my ranch Rita.
Speaker 2:Over here, get busy, yeah, getting ready for the winter Farm life. That's what happens. That stuff happens. We're just speaking of ranch life.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Literally we have just been working on the farm the last what couple of hours before we actually came up here. Just want to make sure everything the homestead was good and set up before we hauled up. Had to fix some fence because, well, the deer liked to go through the fence.
Speaker 1:The deer blowing down electric fence, so we're working on that.
Speaker 2:There's always something, just going to start taking them out.
Speaker 1:Seriously, there's always something that you have to do before, before you go.
Speaker 2:but that's farm life. There's always something to go, it's true.
Speaker 1:As I was saying, though, like I mean, at the start of the season, it feels like Fryberg is two years away, like it never feels like it's going to get here. Like I mean, I'm so excited when I do that first event and as I'm doing these small fairs and stuff, all I can think about is Freiberg and what's about to happen, and just getting to the fair and trying to be as prepared as you can possibly be for it, and that never comes true. Like I never get to be to the point of feeling comfortable about how prepared I am and we're gonna get into that in a minute, because this schedule's a little bung-holy-esque because you are death moody. No, I'm not. I'm not fucking moody one bit. I don't know. You say that all the time. I don't even get to.
Speaker 2:You're death moody when it comes to getting prepared for the fair and the events.
Speaker 1:Well, let me get back to my point that I was making before. You tried to call me a moody poo poo Moody. You look forward to this date so much, right, and you can sprinkle in the anticipation and the hopes, dreams, aspirations, and then there's a lot of fear that goes into it, because you put everything on the line for this event and you're just hoping that it lives up to your hopes and dreams. Man, you hope that this is all that you really hope for and bargain for. If you guys remember, last year, when we were talking about the Freiburg Fair, I rolled into the fair with about 60 bucks in our checking account and then, before the fair even started, we actually went into the red. I think I bounced like four or five freaking payments trying to get to the fair because we just ran things so tight. I can say this in a positive note there is money in the business account.
Speaker 2:Okay, Well done.
Speaker 1:But I maxed out all the credit lines to get money in the business account. So welcome to Freiburg, man. This year, this is what it's been like. It's been a difficult year. It really has, and I know everybody's feeling it right. Inflation's a bitch. This economy sucks. There's so many crazy things going on in the world right now Like we're on the brink of potentially another government shutdown which we never really thought about those things and how they would really affect us. But in this business it really does affect us Because if, like all of our veterans or senior citizens that are out there, that you know they are dependent on their government checks and those don't show up, then they're not gonna show up. They're not gonna go out to their event If they can't put you know, heating oil in, or they can't buy groceries because they didn't get their social security check or whatever it might be. They're not gonna go to the fair with disposable income.
Speaker 2:Right, we were at what two fairs ago and the same thing happened. Like all of the checks went out.
Speaker 1:It was like a delay or something right A couple days late, and I mean we felt it. Those couple days made our event a real flop. So, you know, I really hope that they get these things resolved because it does make a big difference on like people don't realize the trickle down effect that happens with those decisions that are made, and it's. You know, I don't wanna go off on a power, you know, trip here on this, but what I find so unbelievable is that you have veterans and senior citizens and people depending on you know, social security and whatever other kind of benefits that you might get from the government. They're waiting on those things, they're dependent on those things. They're not gonna get those things if the shutdown happens, but we're gonna send another $24 billion to fund a war in Ukraine. And it just blows my mind that you can't take care of American people. But we can send, we can borrow money from China because we can't afford it, so we'll owe it to China, we'll send it to Ukraine and fund a fucking war.
Speaker 2:That's pretty crazy but what you meant to say was China.
Speaker 1:China, but borrow it from China. I mean, borrow it from China, from the China. Yeah no, they should be borrowing it from the vagina, because our sack of a president is a real push bag. So it should be China. But I promised myself I wouldn't get off on a rant here. But the point is we really need that to not happen because that could really cripple our event and we're so dependent on this event because it's been a rough year.
Speaker 2:Good for us. Fiber keeps us in business right.
Speaker 1:So if you put all your cards in the table, the truth is that it keeps us in business and if you don't have a good year you're one bad fare away from being out of business when the economy is as bad as it is. So all those challenges, man, it adds up and it stresses you out. So you factor in that level of stress but also with that eager anticipation, and it's a whirlwind man. It's a lot. But the whole way up here I couldn't help but think, wow, that escalated quickly. That's all I could think about was Anchorman Ron Bergen, you with his feet up on the desk drinking a high life, saying that escalated quickly because you never think it's gonna get here. You think that your schedule is insurmountable. Like I can't believe it. We've crossed the schedule right. You think about all the gigs we did. What six fairs this year? I wanna say I believe you. I think this is gonna be our six state fair. We've done, we've sprinkled in one day events this year, which is something we never did before. We've added those, we did I don't know three or four events at the saloon. So I mean we just really probably had the heaviest schedule we've ever had. And then you factor in DJing at the saloon, DJing weddings, all those things and the fact that it's all coming down to. I got the Freiburg Fair, I got one more DJ gig at the saloon, I got a DJ, a wedding, and then that's it for my year, Like that's it. It's crazy to think how quickly all this happened.
Speaker 2:That's nuts Years over.
Speaker 1:Really, is y'all Get your Christmas shopping done? Loud broad American.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God, we are not talking about Christmas. I mean, it feels like Christmas in here.
Speaker 1:It's cold as hell, but the people that are listening, if they wanna think about Christmas, we've got some great gift-giving ideas.
Speaker 2:I mean we are in what is this? The White Mountains area? I saw the sign when we were in North Conway. It's called White Mountains Highway.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's true, it's cold it's cold up here it's a little brisk.
Speaker 2:thankfully, it's what like 40 degrees outside right now.
Speaker 1:Not in here because Old Matilda had the heat crank and we had to wait to start recording until the heat shut off.
Speaker 2:We did. Thank you shout out Winning Wednesday weekly shout out goes to Lee.
Speaker 1:Big Lee.
Speaker 2:For fixing our heater, because it would be a long cold.
Speaker 1:We swung into the saloon. Lee, one of the general managers of the saloon, fixed our heat in about five minutes.
Speaker 2:He's the real VIP. It's unbelievable man, I mean he will Couple tests later.
Speaker 1:and he was like here you go, get the fuck out of here, go enjoy yourself.
Speaker 2:He'll look at your camper and smell it and be like, yeah, your propane's leaking.
Speaker 1:This is what it is it was like this kind of heat limiter element thing that was in heaven, continuity to it, and he figured it out and replaced it in no time.
Speaker 2:I don't know what any of that means, in fact, he even had the part in the fucking shop. He said I don't think I have one of those but I'm gonna go take a look. Well, take a look, and he had it and then he came back and said sometimes you can be lucky. And I said you found it. He said yup, sure did. No one buy our luck. I was like in here.
Speaker 1:I thought the whole heater was toast, right. I'm like oh, here comes fucking $1,000 and heating repairs.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna be using a plug-in heater for the whole 10 days.
Speaker 1:Well, excuse me nightmares, because I've blown these campers up doing those already. You didn't blow the camper up, I'll blew the whole breaker out and thankfully I didn't knock the power off of the whole camp down. That's enough to make you pucker, I'll tell you what?
Speaker 2:Thanks to YouTube, you figured out how to fix it. I did, yeah.
Speaker 1:One YouTube video later, we were back in business.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm, yeah, great job, proud of you.
Speaker 1:You gotta carry the show on Rick and my reign in 3D.
Speaker 2:I did.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that. So another positive is we're thinking about this and we're talking about heat, because knock on wood here or from Micah, whatever this might be.
Speaker 2:Knock on her head.
Speaker 1:I'm knocking my pantalons, we. You know what I heard. Actually, I gotta tell you. Okay, talk to me.
Speaker 2:So if you don't have any wood around, you can knock on glass to save your ass. Ah, good one.
Speaker 1:Knock on glass to save your ass. I like that.
Speaker 2:If you don't have any wood to knock on.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Or everybody always does that whole like knock on your head.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like I don't get that I don't somebody share?
Speaker 1:His teeth are made of wool.
Speaker 2:Spill the tea because I don't get what it means. Like why do people knock on their head when they don't have any wood around?
Speaker 1:While they're pretending that their head's made of wood.
Speaker 2:I get that, but like, where did that come from? Like Somebody's ass came from there, johnny Appleseed, they didn't have anything else to fucking knock on.
Speaker 1:I don't get it. I would have said, quick, give me an erection, I'll knock on it. Knock, knock, knock on wood. I like, I like Wood yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, American Idol.
Speaker 1:Well, the answer with the stars is on the TV behind us, that's the wrong episode.
Speaker 2:I said that's what it's called, though. That is dancing with the stars.
Speaker 1:And when we were having a Mexicana dinner, the voice was on. Oh I was just trying to look at swivel hips over there.
Speaker 2:I had my phone down and I was gazing into your eyes, so I didn't realize I was paying attention to you Seductive, trying to bond. And anyway, I digress Knock on glass, save your ass.
Speaker 1:Sorry, I wasn't speaking. I was communicating with my eyes, I was smizing and communicating with my eyes.
Speaker 2:No, you were trying to undress me with your eyes.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean hey, you read the book correctly, you passed the test. So, as we're in here in a balmy 69 degrees, hello, couldn't help but think. Three years ago, this was one of the coldest nights of my life. This was when my mom and I actually spent the evening in the ambulance AKA Loud Prod American Express on an air mattress, with no heat, no power, no lights, no nothing.
Speaker 2:You've told this story before, right To the people.
Speaker 1:I know, and I'm just throwing it out there really quickly, so they realize that you have to think about how far we've come right.
Speaker 2:We have come a long way.
Speaker 1:Hey, last year, from bouncing the checking account to having some money in the checking, account Nice job. But we're on our third fucking camper, like our third sleeping arrangement scenario here.
Speaker 2:Third sleeping arrangement the ambulance was a camper.
Speaker 1:that week we were living in it.
Speaker 2:She has to was we had a fucking portable toilet. We were living in it, so Do you want to tell the people what happened to that portable toilet?
Speaker 1:I don't remember. I probably blacked out of my mouth Mind. That too Blacked out of my mind, my mouth, so my mouth will never speak. What came out of my mind, why, what happened to it?
Speaker 2:You don't remember what happened to it. I wasn't there, but I heard all about it.
Speaker 1:I thought she meant like currently, like it ran over with a truck or something.
Speaker 2:No, it spilled everywhere.
Speaker 1:Yes, it definitely did this, the portable toilet. This podcast has had a lot of conversation about me getting pissed on and I've starting to feel like we've got like a real R Kelly reputation around here. Which good news, america, if you want to listen to R Kelly music again and you purchase any R Kelly music. I've actually heard on the radio that the proceeds will go to the victims of R Kelly's pissing on and sexual abuse scandal. Did you know that?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:I heard it on my Cowboys radio. They were talking more. They're like good news. They listened to R Kelly again. All the proceeds go to the victims. People stopped playing R Kelly because of all the sick shit he did, apparently.
Speaker 2:I never really stopped. I clearly Sorry, I didn't.
Speaker 1:It's a remix to you and niffin' poppin' fresh out the kitchen. I never stopped playing it.
Speaker 2:No me neither.
Speaker 1:But now it's a good deed you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Good to know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was supposed to carry me there. I was drinking, we were listening.
Speaker 2:We were listening to you.
Speaker 1:That's bullshit so.
Speaker 2:Y'all, we've come a long way. That's what you meant to say.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we have come a long way, man, you have to celebrate the small victories. If you wanna win the war, you gotta stack victories. And to literally think that three years ago no heat, no lights, no, nothing, portable toilet, the whole scenario, sleeping on totes trying to make things work, trying to make ends meet, freezing our ass off.
Speaker 2:I'm recording this from the couch and you're recording that from the kitchen table.
Speaker 1:I never have been. Ever, you know what I mean. I remember when I recorded the podcast during that week. I mean I was in the air mattress trying to record that thing People walking by and it was a desperate scenario. But the fact that we started with that ambulance and then last year we came in with our first camper and you know We've done all right. Yeah to now. I mean, think about it. This is 10 times better than the scenario we had 10 times the space, 10 times the luxury, 10 times the comfort.
Speaker 2:I mean I mean, your ambulance is probably how big? What would you say?
Speaker 1:Oh man, the back of it is not even 10 feet wide. So I mean you probably have, with the cabinets and stuff, you probably have six or eight feet of space, one way by 10. I'm talking about a length, but I'm trying to figure it out. Maybe like six or eight feet wide by, maybe. I don't know probably not even 10 feet long.
Speaker 2:You could fit two of them stacked in here.
Speaker 1:Easily Back to back.
Speaker 2:I mean, we have a 30 foot camper now.
Speaker 1:It's well. One of the things is, if somebody gets up to go to the bathroom, you don't actually fold into a taco because you're on the air mattress and you don't have to hold a light for somebody to use the pee pee room or to walk two miles to use a toilet.
Speaker 2:I mean you do have to poop because we don't poop in the camper.
Speaker 1:True, but that's I mean, pinch it off.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean Dig a hole, get it back, put a gopher out there.
Speaker 1:So it's just one of those things where you have to celebrate it, you have to appreciate it. I mean, when we were at park and today, which you nailed it back in in here getting everything set up good job.
Speaker 2:This one's way easier.
Speaker 1:But I mean, we were talking about how there's these old timers that are always out here sitting back and watching people park and helping people and shooting the shit, and last year one of the old timers in his little jazzy.
Speaker 2:Jeff Kart thing he had said to us Motorized Kart, yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, didn't you guys, didn't you guys have like an old? Annual interest or something last year and he's like good for you, you got a camper. And then we were talking about it because we were like you know, now he's gonna see us this year and be like wow, look at this, you know.
Speaker 2:He helped me park last year. I remember he said to you he's like let me save your marriage get up here Two different old timers.
Speaker 1:They hang out together.
Speaker 2:Oh, they did, but both of them were standing there, and they helped. But yeah, no, super sweet, super sweet gentleman, and that's the nice thing is like. It's always like when you come to Fryberg, it's always a blessing and a curse at the same time when it comes to like parking your camper. So, like my biggest fear about trying to haul up here with the camper the first time is like, oh my God, I'm gonna try and park in my spot for the first time. There's always like these old timers watching and they will get here so fricking early.
Speaker 1:It's a holiday. It is a holiday and they will sit outside of their car. They just line up and watch.
Speaker 2:Watch people and help them park. This is like a field day for them.
Speaker 1:Well, it's intimidating at first because you think they're just talking shit and judging you and stuff. But they actually really like the fact of being like appreciated or needed. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yes, like I have watched that guy park so many people. Like he wasn't just pinpointing me, like he was like let me help you. And then, as soon last year, when I parked it on my own, he like came out to me and work was helping us and he was like good job, kid. Like you did it. Good job, like, and it was nice. You know what I mean. Because, like, and I said to him like I was like I'm just learning, I wanna learn, teach me. And so this year, like I'm curious to see, like, what he has to say, like cause he's gonna pull in and he has, you know, probably a 50 foot like RV drivable RV and he's gonna pull that thing in here and park it and but no it I mean Matilda hauled up here Super easy. I left you in the dust.
Speaker 1:I can't. All I can hear in the back of my mind is that guy yelling at his dog every day like 16 times. And I'm trying to.
Speaker 2:I can hear him doing it.
Speaker 1:I feel like it's a female's name and I feel like it begins with an S.
Speaker 2:I feel like it's Sarah, something obnoxious. Oh man, it's not Sandy.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna wake up in the middle of the night and I'm gonna hear, I'm gonna think of it, but then this week, but then you're gonna hear it when you're here.
Speaker 2:He's gonna be here.
Speaker 1:Like we're not. We're not even at camp for very long. Like we're maybe a half hour in the morning. No, yeah. You know what I mean, then, like you're awake for a half hour before bed, unless you're drinking with Matt and You'll hear this dog's name 45 times.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, a day, yeah, a day, and it's like Sandy.
Speaker 1:Sorry, sandy. Sandy, I don't remember that. I mean it's Sarah, it's oh man, it's something.
Speaker 2:It's something like that. Maybe it is Sandy.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I remember I think it was last year, the year before I was like on the podcast. I was like this poor dog.
Speaker 2:Yeah, seriously so bad. Like the dog can hear just fine. He can't hear and can't find her. And now you know it's funny to think about the same thing happens at home.
Speaker 1:Our dog, my dad's dog, is deaf Because she gets yelled at all the time.
Speaker 2:That's so funny, I never even put two together. Oh, I think I've heard it all the time.
Speaker 1:Like your dog can't hear cause you yell out of the whole fucking time, so it's like I have to communicate with your dog. I must yell now too, because it's just how it works.
Speaker 2:But it's funny cause if you go home and you like whisper at Maggie like she should just be, like all eyes looking at you, like oh, you can see me, like I'm not invisible.
Speaker 1:I can't wait to figure out what that dog's name is, and then I'll regret it. I'm gonna come to you live, so we're here early.
Speaker 2:We are two days early than we normally are.
Speaker 1:And it's an interesting scenario. We usually come up on Thursday and we just put the camper in and then we start kinda trying to build things from there, just rolling away, yep. And this year we had different philosophy but we were kinda shooting for maybe getting here Wednesday to start building a little earlier. It's our biggest display yet and a lot of moving parts and then, as you know, true, loud, proud American fashion I'm nowhere as near done production on everything that needs to be done. I'm gonna put it out there. I'm gonna put the old hand of the Cabela's catalog Eye to the Sky. Truth from this guy I took on too much Doing some custom orders, some surprise orders for a surprise order for one person, some custom stuff for a couple of people that we you know that we care about and they're good to us, so we wanna be good to them, so we squeezed it in. But definitely holds us back. And then we order some things and not everything comes in on time. So we were looking at it and some of the products that we need won't actually arrive till tomorrow. And if you look at my little to-do book, I probably have 500 more different pieces of apparel that I must press up and get ready to rock and roll. We're trying to drop some new products on y'all again, again bring us some new stuff Again. I don't know how much new stuff, but I know there's a few on there. One new t-shirt design that I'm super stoked about. So yeah, good things, man, good things. Heavyweight sweatshirts are becoming soon Doing some custom order for a few folks to try out, and I'm gonna make a couple for ourselves To try out and make sure we like them and then hopefully, for the holidays for all y'all, we will drop some heavyweights on. We're gonna do it for Freiburg, but just setting up the account and figuring everything out just hasn't been happening as quickly as we wanted. But I'm working on that stuff. So a lot of just new things and moving pieces and such. So we actually needed a few shirts to come in time for a custom order that won't actually show up until tomorrow. So what we decided to do I believe this was your idea actually- is we did as much as we could at home today Got the heat fixed and everything in the camper fixed, some stuff around the house, loaded up as much stuff as we could today, came up here, set the camper up and then first thing in the morning we're gonna go get our vendor spot and start building our display. We'll put the shell up on our tent and then we'll just stack it full of grid, wall and things to get kind of light in the load and the ambulance and then we'll head home and we'll go home and you'll start repacking and I'll start making and create a bunch more stuff. So tomorrow, so actually on a winning Wednesday when this episode drops, we'll be building the shell for the display, for the tent, and then we'll be heading home to get back into full production mode and we'll work all day and night on getting things done to try to get as prepared as we possibly can and then Thursday morning we'll finishing touches and stack it all up and then we'll load up and hit the road Buttercup.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, it's not an easy drive home, like some of the other fairs. Like we're an hour and 20 minutes away from home right now. So I mean we'll pack up as much as we can into the vendor spot tomorrow. Drive the hour back hang out do some work and then drive the hour back here and then be here until the fair opens and shuts down. You'll be here until the end of the fair, but I gotta go back home. Sunday we'll have a nine to five job. I mean today's September 26th and yeah, you don't come home until then. 10th, like October 9th or something, yeah, so that leaves me home alone.
Speaker 1:Yeah so, but I mean, tomorrow we'll get the shell out, but then we'll go home and then I mean, if it's 10, 11, 12 o'clock at night, whatever, I'll work, I'll get everything done and then get up a little bit of shut-eye and then we'll get things rocking and rolling. If I have to make more Thursday morning, we will.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the nice thing is that we don't. The biggest thing for us is making sure that our spot is secured and our shell is up, but we don't technically have to be open until Sunday and we know that we can put a 20 by 20 space up in one day. Do we wanna do that? Absolutely not. It's a lot of work, it's a lot of stress, but we know we can do it.
Speaker 1:But even coming up here Friday like if worst case, scenario If you get the Santa home and I had to come up here Friday, we could pull it off.
Speaker 2:Friday morning we could pull it off and still have all day Friday, all day Saturday and then be open for 9 am.
Speaker 1:I'd really like to have things go smoothly tomorrow, get our shell up, everything taken care of and then get home and then produce as much as I can and be able to maybe just do finishing touches and tweaking on Saturdays and pick things up that we might need and then maybe just have a nice early, easy Saturday evening so that we can get over there Sunday feeling good, cause I know last year I mean Saturday night we were still getting things done.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think we actually rolled back to camp. It was like 10, 30, 11 o'clock. And then we had to be up super early to.
Speaker 1:Get back down there and finishing touches and so hopefully we can get back here Thursday and finish everything off for Saturday afternoon or something and then kinda just enjoy ourselves. But if that doesn't go that way, then it doesn't go that way. But it is what it is. We have already encountered a few little hiccups, but nothing crazy. I mean, this is how it goes, man. This is how it goes at Ferris, especially when you're at the biggest one in the state and you're pushing to try to better your scenario the best you can. We thought we were moving locations a little bit At this point. We're not really sure if that's the case. Even if we are, it's probably not as sweet as we were, kind of planning on.
Speaker 2:We do love our spot.
Speaker 1:We're just trying to move down a few spots, just sweeten it a little bit. Those are the corner A little sweeten.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we were trying to just make it easier for the people to find us.
Speaker 1:This is what we were trying to do and we thought that that was happening.
Speaker 2:But we were told that was happening. But I mean, we can't say anything, we don't know yet it's not official. There's no names written in the sand yet.
Speaker 1:so Also, we've paid for a storage trailer, and of that part of it we have not found our name. There's usually signs for wherever. That is what that means to everybody out there. When we're talking about a storage trailer is if the Lout, proud American Express, if the ambulance, if I can actually make it fit in the camping spot and park it at the actual camper, if we needed to get something like if you need like, oh shit, I need another large sweatshirt, another pink sweatshirt and size large, it's an hour.
Speaker 2:It will take you an hour and that is no exaggeration to walk from our vendor spot through all the people with a cart to the camping spot, get what you need, find what you need and then walk your sorry ass back through the people, through the crowd and to back to your vendor spot. It's an hour.
Speaker 1:It's a fucking hour. I think we timed it in the morning when there was nobody actually in the fair and it was like 20 or 25 minutes with nobody here.
Speaker 2:Correct.
Speaker 1:One way folks one way so you know a 20 minute walk one way with nobody here. All of a sudden you feel it full of people and it gets crazy.
Speaker 2:I mean, if you've never been to the Fryburg Fair this is the biggest one of our state you load this place, or you have in the past loaded this place and, like you, are elbow to elbow with people like.
Speaker 1:This was like I think they put through 100,000 people Easy. It's like 90, 90 to 100,000 people in a week goes through here, which 10 days For our state.
Speaker 2:There's a lot, man, that's a lot. That's a lot. That's a good portion of the state.
Speaker 1:I know, like Big E I mean they do like a million people or some shit, yeah, which is happening right now.
Speaker 2:Actually, the Big E does like 80 or 100,000.
Speaker 1:Lots of vendors, a fucking day.
Speaker 2:Lots of vendors are there now and then. I love to figure that out someday, you know, yeah, that's a lot of work, anyways because next year our schedule is changing.
Speaker 1:We are, we're gonna make some drastic changes. Next year we're gonna I mean we're not giving up on the business, we're definitely doubling down on it, but there's some creative ways we might go about it.
Speaker 2:We'll definitely be taking a few things off our schedule. We're gonna take some things off. Hope to add more things but I mean it's gonna be a busy winter, for us to try to recalibrate how we're gonna do this. Yeah, but we're also evaluating like what's best for the business and growing for the business and unfortunately some of these small fairs just aren't. They're not our bread and butter anymore. Yeah, I mean, they're fun to do, but we had to find it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know they're fun to do, like we love meeting people at all of these places. What's tough is like you think about some of the fairs we're gonna take off. I've actually made really loyal customers from those small fairs just not a lot of them, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like the two old timers that follow me around now that do?
Speaker 2:they used to do karaoke, the karaoke ones, they're so cute.
Speaker 1:I met them at Union and Union was the least beneficial fair I've ever done financially right. But we met some people up there that have become loyal supporters that come to find us and I'm so blessed and thankful that we've met them right, Because, you know, our story is not our story without those folks, and that's really what we're all about, man. So I'm thankful we did those things where we just know that they financially don't make dollars and cents, you know. But we need to find a way to broaden our horizons and do things a little bit different next year, and I might have to say goodbye to some things that we actually really like doing but they just aren't what's right for us right, I agree, I mean that's just, unfortunately, one of those difficult tasks that we have to overtake to take the brand to the next level.
Speaker 2:I remember back in the day when you used to work at the shop, you used to tell me all the time about telling your sales guys you have to get so many no's for one yes, and I feel like that's what we are doing right now with the business. We're taking on all these fairs to see if we can better our business. Those are the no's, basically, and then it's those yeses like wins are fair. That was great for us.
Speaker 1:So, yes, we're gonna continue that, fryberg fair.
Speaker 2:Yes, great for us. We're gonna continue that. But it's like all these things that we have to take on to try them, to see how they do for our business and how do we expand, get our name out there. Different avenues like different. We've gone to different towns and counties in our state.
Speaker 1:I think we have to really assess can we triple grow our online business and then stay home more often to focus on online business because it is that busy?
Speaker 2:I'm sorry if that was the case. I'm not staying home. That means the spirit and I are going on the road.
Speaker 1:No, but I mean I could actually be from home and shipping orders and stuff. I agree. We're doing larger events in the state, right, 100% One way of looking at it. Is there enough margin in American made for us to do wholesale and start selling our stuff to stores? That's a big question that we're gonna have to research and decide. If it's something that it's tough, it's tough right. I mean you guys already know you've heard us talk about this when you're building an American brand and you're there's a cost difference in American made, there's a there's an American difference and you know I can't afford to Take all of our margin away to compete with somebody on a wholesale front. So you need the right business that understands the message and the meaning and is willing to pay the premium For that and for the cause. So do we explore some wholesale accounts? If we do, can we make enough money in doing so for those to help? Do we need to supplement the business and other avenues or do we need to Take, like, our two or three best events for our state? Do those two or three best events and then Try to find a way to head south?
Speaker 2:You know.
Speaker 1:I mean, I know that I'm gonna speak it into existence and say that someday, some way, we're gonna be represented in Nashville, tennessee, like that's that's a goal for the brand. So, however I can try to focus on that, then that's obviously a big, a big focus for us. But you know, there's so many things that we're a few weeks away from really pounding our heads against the wall to try to figure out how do we do this. And a Big part of that direction in that plan is Hanged on the success of this week. Right, because how much money we make companies more, much more debt we can pay off, how much money we can bring in to Adding different product lines, to maybe adding a new, different vehicle, all those, all those things hinge on this event. Right, because this is, this is the big time for us.
Speaker 2:So we have so many listeners out there that are be curious to see. You know, and just throwing this at the wall right quick, if there's any Affairs, vendor Situations that you think that our business would do good at send us that information, let us look into it. Like we want to be able to Evaluate the whole situation like we're not, like I would love to start like a running log and list of things that we could like evaluate, look at like in any way, shape or form, because, like we talked about, we want to grow Big and out. You know so we're. We're not giving up on the dream. We're hell bet on victory here.
Speaker 1:Like this it's gonna come together, it's just you know what? What is our next choice? What is our next path? What is our next road here? Do we continue on the path we're on and and I think we've Done enough of what we're doing to know that something has to change?
Speaker 2:right, yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm not. I'm never gonna give up the Freiburg Fair.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:I'm never gonna give up Windsor. No right and we're gonna be have our loyal roots to Bentley Saloon, but there's a lot of things that are gonna change in between there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a lot of things outside of that.
Speaker 1:That's like we don't necessarily it's not keeping the lights on, but it's a nice fair to go to and it's one of those things where, if I can make just as much money being home and taking some stress off of all of us- no, I told her to turn the heat on, it might it might sound annoying, but we are so appreciative, we actually have he's. So the point is that you know we're gonna open up the discussion and the thought process not that we haven't already. But it's one thing to think about something, talk about something and then go to your next event. It's another thing to take a month and draw down six different calendars and decide what actually makes sense.
Speaker 2:Yeah, where do we go from here?
Speaker 1:so, and a lot of that hinges on the success of this week, and Because I think one of the biggest things holding us back from somewhere decision-making is our vehicle situation and we need to find a way to you know just that's some security and some dependability to Our business vehicles.
Speaker 2:So I mean that's all right is done us good, oh she has.
Speaker 1:Man, I'm not, I'm not denying it, you know, and I gotta say with the ambulance.
Speaker 2:But as far as traveling outside of the state, yeah, neither one of us feel comfortable doing so, because they have their quirks and and staying within state lines is safer with the.
Speaker 1:Easier for something. I mean if you got a change, an alternator in the fairgrounds. It's a lot easier if your cousin Joey can drive to you.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean but it's also nice if you are resident and live here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so there's, there's some big differences there. But yeah, man, so our schedule is super tight, super crazy, but it's super close to being over. So you just take the stress right on the chin, man, and and I also know that as hard as it is and as much work as this that goes into it, and all the effort and the dollars in the sense, and the stress and the frustration and anticipation it's it's like right around the corner is is white noise, right Right around the corner is silence like the heater like the heater right now. You know, and and everything changes and it's just like that. That. It's just in a blink of an eye your calendar is over and the blink of an eye this life is over. And a blink of an eye so many things change and it's crazy. It's crazy how much life changes. It's crazy how you find yourself in a certain place and you just surprise yourself by that connection and who. You are, where you are, like we were just talking about this, we just had, we just went out to dinner and it's crazy for me to think that not that long ago, I Was in a you know previous life I'm running a Harley dealership and you were working at a therapy place. We just having this conversation and we decided, hey, we need to take a little, a little break for each other. And we went to North Conway and we went there for Valentine's Day and we stayed in a hotel and we just kind of, you know, explored all the shops and yeah, you've never been to the outlets up here and stuff. That's actually when I broke my caffeine streak. I don't know if you remember that. I Went like a year, two years, I was making coffee.
Speaker 2:I didn't know. That was the exact yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:We were riding home from North Conway and you would tug it on its deliciousness and I said that's it. That's it, man, pull over. And it's been down downhill since. One or two cups a day.
Speaker 2:I don't think I was drinking a nice coffee, yet I think I wanted. I don't know, but it happened and it was coming back from this trip. Why me?
Speaker 1:but our, our hotel is right next to an Applebee's and, and what's ironic is, over the past two years setting up at Fryberg, we found ourselves back of that same Applebee's right and been like we were here on a Valentine's date. Yeah, and Now it's tradition that we go back there every year getting ready for Fryberg or winding down from Fryberg.
Speaker 2:Well, we started a new tradition, and we go to that Mexican restaurant too, which is the Ily shio.
Speaker 1:So but it's just one of those things. I think, like man it was, it was a vacation, it was a break.
Speaker 2:It was something special right Now.
Speaker 1:it's a routine, it's a tradition. It happens all the time in a different way and like where's the Walmart?
Speaker 2:Oh, by that Applebee's next to that hotel like we use that as a landmark.
Speaker 1:It's crazy. It's just crazy how life happens and changes and evolves and sometimes you get put in a place and it's just like remember this, remember this location, because someday you're gonna spend a lot more time here you know, and you know it's it's. It's also wild to think like to all my day one listeners out there. Right, you got your finger up, I see you get your ones up. Get your ones up.
Speaker 2:You got your ones up. This is not a strip club to all those.
Speaker 1:That was pretty funny to all the day ones out there. If you go back and listen to the early episodes, there was. There was a time where I talked about I Didn't, I was, it wasn't comfortable spending time alone and I became I mean, I was probably an alcoholic like I, just without a label, you know and I hated being alone and All I focused on was the next party in the next event and it's kind of numb my senses that way, and my friend Emily was like you need to get comfortable with yourself. You got to get to know yourself and one of the things that I did to challenge myself was to get on my motorcycle and ride to the Fiberg Fair. Mm-hmm and to spend the whole day by myself at the Fiberg Fair and then to ride home. I Remember that whole trip, that whole journey, like it was yesterday. I remember all of that. I remember being so proud of myself on the way home that I was freezing tears in my face because it was cold as all hell. But I remember that. I remember all of that and how proud. I was of myself, but the fact that the Fiberg Fair played Such an instrumental role and me getting comfortable with myself, in me, getting to know myself and bettering myself, saying goodbye to some bad choices I was making, getting good at those uncomfortable decisions, you know, in situations Like this fair had such a big role in me changing who I am. And now this fair, it's, every single year, the biggest challenge for our brand, it's the biggest reward for our brand and it's one of the biggest success stories for me as a person. Every single year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:It's crazy how those things just get put in your life and put on your path for a reason and it's almost like you know the good Lord above is saying hey, man, checkbook this occurrence right here. You wanna file this one away? Put a bookmark on this one, we're gonna come back to it, we're gonna circle back to it. And it's crazy how some of those things that just seem like a small coincidence, that happened, like two ships passing in the sea, but eventually is meant to be. Let you just circle back and you connect and it just all makes sense. What's funny over there? What happened?
Speaker 2:I know you said ships.
Speaker 1:You thought I said ships.
Speaker 2:But I heard two ships passing in the sea Blue blue, mexican food's moving.
Speaker 1:I've seen two ships passing the sea. I actually work in a poop plant. If you go back to day one, that is the original day one. Day one, that's the original day one. I was actually shoveling human shit. I remember that. But think about that. Here we are y'all, I'll take it. I'll take it, but more of the story I can't think of a word.
Speaker 2:He just working.
Speaker 1:He just working. He's probably getting annoying on the sound of the podcast and we're gonna roll out here soon. But when we start saying day one and we think of day one and how far we've come, we think about, you know, on our third camper here, our third trip around our event calendar and it winding down and all those things and all those successes. None of those are possible without each and every one of you listening and the fact that you guys tune in and listen in every damn week and I hear from so many of you on a week to week basis and every time I see you you're buying something, you're supporting something, you're spreading something, you're saying something and shit. That means more than just something to me. I can't thank y'all enough.
Speaker 2:And if you're looking for us, y'all we are at the Fryberg Fair, the Fryberg Fair Starting this Sunday to the following Sunday.
Speaker 1:Sunday, October 1st.
Speaker 2:If you do come to the Fryberg Fair and you're looking for us. We are directly in front of the Milking Parlor. It's a big, huge barn full of cows.
Speaker 1:You should be kind of behind the specialty foods arena, whatever that Pervillion, whatever In between ATM area next to us.
Speaker 2:We'll just say this we're in between, yeah tweeners. The specialty foods building and the Milking Parlor building.
Speaker 1:And if you go into one of the big fireman's tower?
Speaker 2:it's kind of a nice way to and the beer garden. The baby goats, the hilarious goat wall In there. Yes, that's correct.
Speaker 1:So we're in a good location, regardless. I think it's on the.
Speaker 2:South Gate, isn't it Right at the?
Speaker 1:end of us? Is that a nursing home back home? South Gate, that's South Ridge? Oh sure, either way.
Speaker 2:No, but I think the gate that we're off of it's a main drag People come in.
Speaker 1:I'm not sure.
Speaker 2:If you park on Main Street and walk down to the Freiburg Fair.
Speaker 1:The VIP parking's next to us. That's South.
Speaker 2:Gate, I'm pretty sure. So, Not the main entrance where the Ferris wheel is October 1st through the 8th Freiburg Fair.
Speaker 1:Come on in, be a part of the story and be a part of the journey. We appreciate you.
Speaker 2:Wood'sman's Day's on Monday.
Speaker 1:Yep, until then.
Speaker 2:It's a main holiday.
Speaker 1:Damn right, it is.
Speaker 2:But until then Thank you. For supporting our American dream. Now go wash your fucking hands, you filthy savage.
Speaker 1:Oh, shout out to Kevin and Amy in Ireland right now. Ooh, oh, the Milwaukee Choms. Milwaukee, kevin, is delicious.
Speaker 2:Boy, you're bloody wanker.
Speaker 1:Oh, that bloody wanker. He actually. Hey, keep an eye peeled people. Whenever I sober up and have free time, I'll post some photos. There's been some. Keep the papers open. Some share the struggles Sightings. Some say the struggles Sightings be glad. I'll say it In the Ireland yes, I hope they're drinking.
Speaker 2:Looking for con on McGregor.
Speaker 1:Hopefully they're drinking proper number 12.
Speaker 2:I was thinking the same thing they're bloody well, better be.
Speaker 1:Kevin and Amy, we're proud of you. We love you.
Speaker 2:Have a shot for us Happy anniversary.
Speaker 1:I think that's an anniversary honeymoon gift or something I feel like Maybe I was drinking. Either way I love you Milwaukee Choms, you're dead. Thanks for the pictures. They look fucking fantastic.
Speaker 2:Catch y'all around, peace.
Speaker 1:That's it and that's all BiggieSmiles. If you found value in today's show, please return the favor and leave a positive review, share it with someone that is important to you, hit, subscribe and help us grow our tribe. Are you interested in sponsoring the show? Maybe you're looking to be a guest on the show? Find all that you need to know about the show at sharethestrucklepodcastcom. Subscribe to Grow Our Tribe on Apple Podcasts, spotify, google Podcasts, amazon Music, iheartradio and all other major platforms. And don't forget to like and share our official Facebook page at Share the Struggle Podcast. If you're a loud, proud American and you find yourself just wanting more, you can find me on YouTube, on Facebook or the face page, as my mama calls it, just search Loud Proud American. If you're a fan of the Graham Cracker, the Instagram or the Tickety Tuck but the kids be a tickety talking the Tick Tuck you can search Loud Underscore, proud, underscore American. If you want to join the 2% of Americans that support American manufacturing, head on over to wwwloudproudamericanshop and get your hands on some of that made in USA. Apparel and join the mission Mission 2%. Together we can bring back American manufacturing. A big old thank you to the boys from the Gut Truckers for the background beats and the theme song to Share the Struggle Podcast. You can find the Gut Truckers on Facebook. Just search Gut Truckers and show your support to those Mother Truckers. I truly thank you for supporting my American dream. Now go wash your fucking hands, you filthy savage.
