When Love Meets Business The Tightrope Of Marriage And Business 189

Keith Liberty: 0:00

Owning a small business is extremely difficult. Being married to a small business owner might even be harder. Today on she have a Struggle podcast. We explore the challenges behind a family-owned business. Let me tell you something Everybody struggles. The difference is some people choose to go through it and some choose to grow through it. The choice 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. What it do? What it do Hot, niggity, damn. Am I so excited to be back with all of you. Oh, it's true, it's damn true. I love you, boo, especially you. What the oh God.

Alli Liberty: 1:43

I love you too.

Keith Liberty: 1:45

Somebody's got to, because clearly these two idiots don't. Oh man, this is why I moved to the garage Right here, because of these two hooligans, but for the comfort of my guests in today's studio audience, we are back in the creature comforts of the living room.

Alli Liberty: 2:07

It's cold downstairs. It's a whole bombing, 12 degrees outside right now. I was not hanging out in the garage.

Keith Liberty: 2:13

I had the heater on all day getting the temp in there, nice and toasty.

Alli Liberty: 2:17

Yeah, but even you said last week, as soon as you turn that heater off, it gets pretty cold in there pretty quick.

Keith Liberty: 2:25

Somebody was listening.

Alli Liberty: 2:27

Yeah, I am a number one.

Keith Liberty: 2:31

I see your fingers up. I see your ones up.

Alli Liberty: 2:34

Mm-hmm.

Keith Liberty: 2:35

To all my loyal ones, to all my day ones. Welcome back to all y'all new listeners. Welcome. This is your first time. I hope you want to come back all the time. Episode 189 and I'm feeling so fine. I feel so fine because I am fortunate enough to be joined today by me lovely me, beautiful me, amazing wife.

Alli Liberty: 3:00

That's me.

Keith Liberty: 3:01

Notice I started this off with some real flattering comments because this is an opportunity for you to be transparent and to tell everybody listening how much of a real jackass I actually am.

Alli Liberty: 3:16

Mm-hmm, I'm feeling rather generous today.

Keith Liberty: 3:21

Generous to the audience or generous to me? We shall see. Well, I appreciate that. So you're just finding out now what today show is all about. Yeah, I've been asking all day. Yeah, so you decided that you had some time to spend a little time on the podcast. You think maybe people just getting tired of hearing from just myself over here, me, oh my.

Alli Liberty: 3:43

Maybe my fans with me.

Keith Liberty: 3:45

That's what I was hoping for.

Alli Liberty: 3:47

I don't have any fans, I'm not a say only fans. That's none of your business.

Keith Liberty: 3:51

Yeah, that's what I figured.

Alli Liberty: 3:53

Listen, I live on a farm and I have a horse. Life's tough, yeah, I feel you Get a helmet.

Keith Liberty: 3:58

Yeah hey, people poop. Get over it. You know what I mean. I came up with a new slogan in bed the other day. I know this is gonna sound random, but there's a little inside. Peek into my wife and how she operates. She can come home from work and not want to talk about anything like. She'll come home and then give me a quick synopsis on the day we both and here's as we start getting into the topic this is what it's like working from home and having a small business. You come home. You want to tell me what it's like working with the community this time of year. I'm home, I'm back to doing everything that went wrong, because that's basically what happens this time of year. We do that for a short amount of time and then we go off into whatever happens and then you don't want to talk about anything until I'm ready to go to sleep. When I go to bed and here's the thing, everybody listening the wife says I'm turning the TV off, we're going to bed. We get up, vacate the couch, get to bed, put the dogs to bed, get comfortable lay down.

Alli Liberty: 5:00

I'm closing my beady little eyeballs and then you just want to talk Kids bacon challenge on yeah, because that's ample sleeping.

Keith Liberty: 5:09

I've got three shows that I can watch to fall asleep to, and they all revolve around food which Baking, shocker Baking.

Alli Liberty: 5:17

Yeah.

Keith Liberty: 5:17

So Well, Iron Chef is a big thing Iron. Chef Kids Baking and Holiday Baking Championship.

Alli Liberty: 5:22

Yeah.

Keith Liberty: 5:22

Those. They put me right to sleep, y'all. So I put that in, I nestle in, I start feeling fantastic about drifting off to sleep, and then you want to tell me about all the mysterious wonderment from your day that we had six hours to talk about.

Alli Liberty: 5:37

Listen, this is a prime example of undiagnosed ADHD. This is what my brain does Like. I have been sitting on the couch watching TV, like winding down for my day, watching TikToks, getting my TikTok news, and then I go to bed and I lay down and once I'm like ten toes up on my back, my mind races and I have 25,000 thoughts on my head and I need you to know Shut down, my blinkers start closing, and then you're like oh hey, by the way, let me tell you about this story from today.

Keith Liberty: 6:12

And then this you know memory from my childhood Well, that's how.

Alli Liberty: 6:17

That's literally the thoughts on my head, Like I'll go from telling you about Grandma's goulash to a story about the hayloft to. I had these brand new pairs of shoes that I never got to wear and threw them over the telephone wire when I was five. That's this life in my head.

Keith Liberty: 6:36

This is all happening while I'm trying to sleep and I have to pretend to like not be sleeping.

Alli Liberty: 6:40

And then I have to rather back to the first story, because then I got lost in my train of thought.

Keith Liberty: 6:45

Yeah, so you were having one of these episodes I believe it was last night every day, and I was like I said something along the lines of like hey, man, it happens.

Alli Liberty: 6:58

and and I had some other happen.

Keith Liberty: 7:00

I had some other ridiculous line. I forgot what it was, and then I just started saying poop, for some reason, and I say yeah, you started saying you're like you're like what do you? What? Why? What is what?

Alli Liberty: 7:10

do you talk about, what do you say?

Keith Liberty: 7:10

and I said poop people, poop, man People poop and then I said get over it. Yeah, you're like what I was like said people poop, get over it. That is the loud, proud American version of shit happens people poop.

Alli Liberty: 7:31

I died laughing for a solid 20 minutes.

Keith Liberty: 7:35

I was sleeping, oh my god, I was. Every once in a while I would just say people poop.

Alli Liberty: 7:42

It was Classic, it was I couldn't even so. Stay tuned stickers to come stickers to come.

Keith Liberty: 7:49

People poop man.

Alli Liberty: 7:50

It happens don't nobody take it, that's a little already making one.

Keith Liberty: 7:54

It's a little peek beneath the sheets into our lifestyle, literally. But to get back to where we were headed here, you volunteered to be on the show tonight. Yeah you've been asking me what the topic is gonna be today.

Alli Liberty: 8:06

Yeah, because I like to know.

Keith Liberty: 8:08

Yeah, and I wanted to drop this one on you for two reasons, number one this being share the struggle. It's a raw, real-time response, and I'm gonna get your raw, real-time response to these questions, and.

Alli Liberty: 8:21

Now there's questions.

Keith Liberty: 8:22

I'm gonna make them up as we go number two trouble-presley the number two. Can I get that out there? Lord number, keep that damn dog away from the microphone. Number two I wanted to take this opportunity to Shower you with positive comments, me, yeah, here's the thing why me and I'm gonna, I'm gonna pause real quick. I'm gonna call it TV timeout right here. Oh, I haven't heard that in a long time, yeah and I want to give all Glory to Matt right here.

Alli Liberty: 8:59

Okay.

Keith Liberty: 9:01

Matt Parkins Ledgerway farm. Last week Matt called me Okay after the podcast was released.

Alli Liberty: 9:08

What else is new? Y'all talk every day.

Keith Liberty: 9:10

Well, we were having a conversation post podcast. He appreciated the episode and we were. He was giving me some tips, tricks, techniques and what have you some talking points. And he said hey, man, I really think that you should have an episode where you shine the spotlight on your wife and how much she does and how much she puts up with for you to be in business. And he said I realized how much effort it is for Sarah for me to do what I'm doing right and With this great conversation about the fact that he wouldn't be who he is and where he is Without Sarah being behind him, you know, pushing him, believing in him and and you know, and just Betting on him. You know what I mean. Okay, so he said the same thing he's like. I think it'd be important for you to share that about your wife, because she does a lot, she puts up with a lot, and that's just the facts of life behind a small business. And the same thing goes for my mother, when I've had episodes before we talk about in life and in business, it takes a village right, of course, it takes an absolute village to Live a fulfilling life, to be happy and feel fulfilled. It takes a village that goes into the type of person that you want to be, the type of life you want to live or the type of business you want to own. Because, as Much as it takes support to be happy and to function in life, it takes even more to run a business in life. And I'm not pulling out a woe is me sympathy card here. These are my choices, my direction, and I'm excited about that, but I'm also not blind to the fact that I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing Without you, and without the support of so many other people. I mean my mom, her schedule, her life changes to help the business. Everybody listening right now they they're part of the village. Just help this business be successful. Yeah, but you more than anyone. Pull through and suffer through the ups and downs and all that goes in To me owning my own business. So I wanted to start this off by saying thank you for Supporting your American dream. Yeah, that was creative. I didn't even think of that. That's really good, but honestly, I do listen. I don't think. Well, I don't. There's no thinking about it. The business wouldn't still be here if you weren't here, wouldn't be right. I would not still be in business if I didn't have you Talking me out of all of those what-if moments as I get back to last week's episode, or you start to really doubt yourself and to worry and and and just wonder. You know what's going on. If you made the right decision, all these things, Mm-hmm. I wouldn't still be here chasing this dream if you weren't 1000% Behind me and beside me on this journey.

Alli Liberty: 12:10

All right, I gotcha.

Keith Liberty: 12:12

You don't sound excited with it.

Alli Liberty: 12:13

Well, I mean, I don't think that I need to. Well, because I don't think that I deserve like all all the credit. I you've done so much work, like yeah sure, like I feel like for me, like yeah, 100%, I agree that I have like taken, like you don't want to say take it to, taking it to the chin, but really like that's like what happens, like after we get home from like the fairs and like winding down and packing up and doing all that kind of stuff and being the support system. Like I Agree with you that I, that I am a huge part of that, but I don't think that I am. I am it like you've done so much to make sure that you're still in business and that sort of thing. Like I don't think that I deserve that much credit.

Keith Liberty: 12:56

Well, I appreciate the credit. I'm not Not sure. Just to kind of lay out a diagram here for people, when you are the business owner, there's a layer of responsibility for you that's greater than everybody that's around you. Mm-hmm and that's, that's the facts of life. That's you, that's your work, you're significant other punches o'clock, 40 hours a week somewhere else. But there's a great burden that falls on the shoulders of the people that support you and love you, because If you weren't married to somebody with a small business, then you wouldn't be going to and from all these fairs. You wouldn't be spending your nights off at two in the morning packing up tents at a fairgrounds, you wouldn't be, you know, driving two, three hours across the state with a, with a camper, or you know what I mean Like you wouldn't be doing these things right on your day off, you wouldn't be unloading, you know, loads of material, of apparel and helping with designs and hosting live sales like right like Matt was saying hey man, you're doing this live and Ali's right behind you, she's taking care of orders, she's doing things, and that's like that's your Sunday right, that's your day off, and for me, and I think this is a thing for small business owners that are out there you don't really have a day off and you have. I've had jobs before where you feel like you always take your job home with you, and that's unfortunate. But as a small business owner, even if you're like, okay, I'm not working today, you're working Cause in the background in your mind, you're thinking about everything you have to get done, your writing lists, your planning things. You're never unplugging, you're not detaching, and then, ultimately, I love to always try to do something. So, because of that, I'm taking my attention away from you, more so than somebody that just works 40 hours a week.

Alli Liberty: 14:43

You know what I mean. Yeah, I mean the summers are definitely hard, like I don't have days off during fair season, like I don't, like I work for. I mean, what was it last last summer I was doing was last summer, this summer, before I was working my job, working at the hospital, and I was still on the road with you, like I was working two jobs, like it was a lot, but you made through it, cause we looked at the big picture at the end and it was like we both like basically hibernate in the wintertime. So it's just like that stretch just get there.

Keith Liberty: 15:17

It's a great point. I mean right now you can come home to things being done on most days, or whatever you know, and there's benefits there. But as a business owner you have to live and die with your business and it's all your responsibility. But when you literally just kind of pull back the curtain a little bit and breathe for a second, you realize that the burden of your business falls on your entire family. It falls on your village. It falls on your support system and, like when me and Matt were talking, I was like shit, I should have had this conversation with you and recorded this episode for Valentine's Day. This would have been a great appreciation episode to drop on Valentine's Day. And then, ironically, while I was in the office today which is another dilemma and you've been a part of for the past couple of days I actually had Stan Banks. I had his podcast on and he had an episode with him and his co-host on Valentine's Day where they talked about their statistic in others and they brought them on, you know, kind of talking about being in business and how it's different for them or how they try to like, motivate or support the person that owns the business. So I thought that was a great question. So I kind of wanna just throw this at you and I'm hoping that today's episode can kind of shed some light on either, if you're already in business, maybe you can become aware of how much support you're getting from those around you and then take a little time to say thank you, or if you're about to go into business, maybe this is something that can open your eyes to like the support that you're going to need and if you are in business and you are like the spouse, the significant other, maybe you can highlight some things that possibly you can do. So that's kind of the meat and potatoes of today's message. But to get back to Stan's question, what I kind of wanna throw out to you. I don't remember his question exactly, but it was something along the lines of how do you feel you support me? Like what is something that you could give advice wise to the spouse of a small business owner on how you can support your loved one? Like, what do you do to support that small business owner in your life?

Alli Liberty: 17:33

I think the biggest thing is just being comfortable having uncomfortable conversations, like we talk about all the time, and, I think, just being that voice of reason, like when they do come to you, frustrated, just being like this worked for you, like giving them, like the good and the bad, Like all right, so this situation is not working for you, but this would be the outcome if we overcome this hump. Does that make sense? I?

Keith Liberty: 18:01

think so Basically like Almost that voice of reason, yeah, when you need it right.

Alli Liberty: 18:05

Yeah, like A is not working because B hasn't finished up but C is the end result. Like you know what I mean. Like here, like pointing them in the right direction, being that voice of reason, being uncomfortable having those conversations. That's like listen, like at this point, like this is not working or you need to pivot and you need to figure something else out. You need to. This design is not working, this display is not working. Like we need to change some things up. So, being comfortable with having those conversations, because that's not your business per se, this is your dream, this is your livelihood. Like I still go and punch a clock time clock every day. You know what I mean. So like that's my meat and potatoes. So like you have to be cautious, at the same time, of how you say things because, like that is there, they're everything. Like everything that they do sun up to sun down, they may keep the lights on or may put food on the table. So like for you to go and just be like, yeah, this isn't working. Like you have to be careful how you voice those. But if you have open communication, that's going to be huge. Because, like you and I have had multiple opportunities where I'm like listen, I don't think that this display is working. Like, for instance, like at Windsor Fair, when we changed up the entire section where the little kid stuff was next to the women's stuff, like I was like, let's just try this, let's see what happens. Boom, we were selling both things, like because the women were there shopping for themselves and they were like, oh look, there's a little baby thing. Like it was just like, let me help you, let me see what I can do. So I would say the other thing is that, like, if you want to be supportive and you want to help, do it from afar. At first see where you're needed. You know what I mean Before just inserting yourself.

Keith Liberty: 20:10

Gotta find your lane.

Alli Liberty: 20:11

Yeah, yeah, but also being there and being supportive of the entire thing, that's huge. Always being the support.

Keith Liberty: 20:23

I think being supportive and being present is huge. Just showing up is part of the battle yeah. Because I've been on the other side of the coin where your significant other doesn't support you, doesn't believe in you, doesn't show up for you. So having that is huge. And to go back to what you were saying about the honest conversation and the raw conversation, that could be one of the most challenging aspects of business when you're talking about that family intermingle situation there, because you're right, it is my baby, it is my life and it's very easy to be too protective, right, or to take things too personal. So you have to get to the point where you're confident enough in number one, your relationship, number two, your communication, and number three, your business. There's a level of confidence in all of those when, when I was new, if you said something that disagreed with what I was thinking, it might hurt more in the beginning because I was taking things a little more to heart.

Alli Liberty: 21:38

Now.

Keith Liberty: 21:38

I have a little bit of some calluses developed here where I can understand those things, but it can be so sensitive. It can be so sensitive. That's your baby, that's your everything. Your betting everything on it. And then when the closest person to you, the one that you cared about the most, is like, yeah, that's not fucking working for me, or that doesn't look good, I don't think that's gonna work, those are tough, tough conversations.

Alli Liberty: 22:01

And you have to be careful how you save them too. That's with any conversation. You have to be like. You can't just go into it and be like listen. That's a hard note for me. All right, what isn't working? And so when we're talking about designs, in particular, I'll give you an example. Like, hey, listen, if I'm looking at this, this is how I'm reading it you might have a completely different outlook on things, and that's happened in a couple of different designs For me. I'm looking at it as a female perspective and you're looking at it as a male perspective. So, like, if you're reading something like I don't even remember what it was, but the way that you had it I think it was like a T-shirt and it was like circular, and the way that you were reading, it was fine, makes sense, yeah, but the way that you read things, it wasn't. So it was like you were reading the top part completely fine, and then the bottom half was backwards or something of the I don't remember exactly what it was. But then, like, when I pointed it out to you and I was like, well, this is how you would read something, and you're like, oh, okay, I get it, but it was like you had to have that conversation, like you had to have an extra set of eyes and sometimes you do that in general but like, that's another prime example.

Keith Liberty: 23:14

That's the thing if you don't say something, if you're not comfortable enough to say that then I might produce that might not sell or get two months into it and be like this doesn't even look correct.

Alli Liberty: 23:24

But then again, like, how embarrassing is it for someone else to point it out to you.

Keith Liberty: 23:31

Is that?

Alli Liberty: 23:31

worse. You know what I mean.

Keith Liberty: 23:34

So I mean, that's also another, like what you're saying too, about approaching things the right way and having these conversations. None of them are gonna be easy, because if you care enough about it, you're not just gonna be like, well, you know what that sucks, or I don't think it's gonna work, or you're dumb. You're never gonna have that approach if you actually care about somebody, so to practice my own medicine here, to write my own prescription. I'm gonna go all the way back to one of the first episodes I cut for Share, the Truggle podcast, and that's when I talked about uncomfortable conversations and saying to triple H to keep triple H in mind. That's my little wrestling scenario. But to go back to being heartfelt, honest and humble. If you can use those things, keep those things in mind that if you are you're being honest, I can't be upset with you. If you're being honest about something, right, it's the truth. I can't be upset or sensitive. If it's heartfelt, if you're saying from a good place, for a good reason, and if you're being humble about it, then you're doing the best you can to pitch it to me in the most proper way, because you're not coming in saying, dude, that sucks. You're coming in saying you know what? Hear me out on this, the way I'm seeing this. I understand what you're saying and what you're seeing. Now that you pointed out to me, I get that, but from my point of view, without you telling me that this is what I'm seeing here, then, I love everything that you're doing, but I think maybe if we change this, it might get your point across. So, whatever that business is that you're giving advice on, remember you're not the expert in that area, but your opinion matters. Especially when it's your loved one that runs the business. Your opinion matters. It should matter. If it doesn't, your relationship sucks. Just gonna put it out there, okay. But if you're worried about those conversations, remember Triple H heartfelt, humble, honest. You keep those things in mind. You're coming from the right place for the right reason and if that person doesn't receive that, well then it's a learning lesson for you guys moving forward. And that challenge is never gonna get old, because some days I'm just gonna be in a mood right.

Alli Liberty: 25:47

Some days You're wound, for some sometimes.

Keith Liberty: 25:50

I could be at an event. I could have had three people tell me to go F myself. I might not be making anything. I could be in the hole financially and you could come in off of a rough day at work and just say like, bro, this isn't working, this looks like shit. And then I'm gonna be like are you kidding me? Or you could come in and be super humble and honest about it, but I'm in my feels.

Alli Liberty: 26:13

You know what I mean, I'm just in my feels.

Keith Liberty: 26:15

So it's not gonna go well. So, but you have to be willing to try to have those conversations and then, as the business owner, you have to be willing to receive that information, right, yeah, you have to be willing to receive productive criticism in any way, shape or form, whether that be from a customer, whether that be from a loved one, a friend.

Alli Liberty: 26:39

You have to be open for it.

Keith Liberty: 26:42

It's one of the hardest things to process because it's your everything.

Alli Liberty: 26:47

Yeah.

Keith Liberty: 26:49

You have all your eggs in that basket, all your potatoes are in that pot, right there. You know what I mean.

Alli Liberty: 26:55

I love potatoes. That's why I said that I know.

Keith Liberty: 26:57

That was your love language.

Alli Liberty: 26:59

I knew that I would resonate with you. I'm drooling over it.

Keith Liberty: 27:02

But the point is, is that you care so much about what it is that you're presenting? Some of that feedback is gonna hurt, but you have to get good at receiving that feedback. So great topic there, babe.

Alli Liberty: 27:14

Great answer to that. Yeah, I feel like a rambled bamboo scrambled. No, I don't think so.

Keith Liberty: 27:18

I think that's really what it's about. I mean, I don't think we can deliver a ton of advice. We just need to deliver important advice. And that's some of the most important when it comes to small business, being present and being willing to have those conversations and, like you said, you also need to know when to kind of pull back and let them do their thing. I would say one of my proudest moments for the business when it comes to our relationship and us being in business and, all honesty, one of the most excited and proud moments that I've had in the business You're probably not even gonna believe this one Actually goes back to my first ever event.

Alli Liberty: 28:04

Which was.

Keith Liberty: 28:05

Bentley Saloon. Okay, I think I started setting up on a Thursday or a Friday.

Alli Liberty: 28:09

Okay.

Keith Liberty: 28:10

It was my first ever event and I had just one tent. I had a 10 foot by 10 foot tent. Now, just to kind of give you guys a little insight, I went out and I bought some grid wall and stuff for my tent. I couldn't afford a lot of it.

Alli Liberty: 28:27

I actually had some wooden shoe racks that I took with me on the road, which are now in their garage.

Keith Liberty: 28:32

Yeah, they're in the garage. It used to be in our closet. I stole them from the closet, brought them on the road with us.

Alli Liberty: 28:37

That's right, because we had everything packaged up.

Keith Liberty: 28:39

I had things already pre-bagged and then I had a folding table in there. All this is inside of a 10 foot tent. And then I had one wall of grid wall that I was able to afford. And when I measured my grid wall I actually had my tent in the garage and I popped the tent up and I measured how tall my grid wall should be. And then when I got all my stuff I bought six foot grid wall. When I took the tent outside and set it up for the first time I realized I didn't have the frame all the way extended in the garage, so I had another foot of travel. So when I bought the grid wall I was a foot short. There was nothing in my tent to hold it to, so I had to go get two by fours and all these brackets and stain. I had to make these legs to hold this hole to do and I remember leading up to that, you were kind of like what are you doing? This is a shit show, this is an absolute shit show. Like I know that you, there was times when I tried to explain what I was doing and that's one of the difficulties for us in relationships, or our relationship and business and stuff Certain projects if you have a project to do or I have one to do, we don't understand each other's communication when it comes to like this is what I'm doing.

Alli Liberty: 29:54

I'm a visual learner, like you, have to show me, for me to understand when I try to show you and you don't get it.

Keith Liberty: 30:01

That's where we go, haywire. That was kind of put it out there.

Alli Liberty: 30:04

Yeah, you can't draw me a picture, I have to do it.

Keith Liberty: 30:06

Some of those projects just don't go well. So this was one of those moments where you're like this guy's off his rocker.

Alli Liberty: 30:14

We work well together. We don't build well together, and when I mean that, I mean like building projects. You can fuck all the way off when we're building stuff, like you are your dad's son. When you are building stuff, I work best building stuff on my own. Yes, show me when you're done.

Keith Liberty: 30:36

Yeah, and this is one of those scenarios where I think you got to the point of frustration, where you're like I don't want anything to do with this and I'll just see it when I get there, and my mom suffered through the first build, with me putting everything up, and it was mayhem.

Alli Liberty: 30:52

Well, the first build, I was at work, I know.

Keith Liberty: 30:55

That's where I'm going, that's my moment.

Alli Liberty: 30:57

Yeah, yeah.

Keith Liberty: 30:58

You weren't there to see it. You didn't know the tragedy. You saw the chaos in the driveway, yeah, that was enough. The bucket sustain the nail guns, the screws, everything.

Alli Liberty: 31:06

It was dangerous and you're like don't call OSHA.

Keith Liberty: 31:10

This dude has shoe racks from our closet, like we are going to be just a pack of Chibronis. Mod Podge, mod Podge, you showed up at the saloon.

Alli Liberty: 31:23

I had the tent done After work.

Keith Liberty: 31:24

I was in the back and you were all then. And when you came around the corner, your eyes lit up and you were like okay, you actually did it. Yeah, you came in and you were like, damn, this looks great. Yeah, I was so blown away because I expected you to come in and just shit all over my parade because the buildup to that moment, the crescendo, was not good, so I thought this isn't you're going to be like. This is ridiculous Because I'm. This is here's vulnerability at its highest. This is my first event. Right, these are my people, this is my stomping round Like everybody that goes to bet me saloon up until this point knows me as the guy that owns the Harley dealership.

Alli Liberty: 32:14

Right.

Keith Liberty: 32:14

They know me as the guy that runs this dealership on the face of the place. They remember me for that. Now I'm about to meet all those people and tell them I don't work there anymore, and that beautiful life you saw me live is now inside this 10 foot tent with a couple of shoe organizers from my wife's closet.

Alli Liberty: 32:37

My walk-in closet.

Keith Liberty: 32:40

So I was as nervous. And the words of Christmas vacation I was shitting rocks Okay.

Alli Liberty: 32:50

For showing up at the parking lot or me coming around the corner.

Keith Liberty: 32:52

All of it, both All of it. But there was such a boost of confidence from you coming around and being like I'm really impressed and you kept saying it to me. You're like this looks great. I got really impressed and I was thinking like this isn't meeting the vision I have for myself.

Alli Liberty: 33:12

But Well, you are your biggest critic. I was going to say that earlier, like that is definitely a fault in a small business or business owner.

Keith Liberty: 33:25

I think in an entrepreneurial mindset, most of us are our biggest critics.

Alli Liberty: 33:29

Yes, and that is one thing. That's another huge tip that I will give any partner is that always be certain to shine light on all the things that they have done already that have basically gotten them to where they are at now. Because every event that we go to or opportunity that we have to advertise our brand or anything in that general aspect, you always pick apart everything, everything, and I mean rightfully so, because you want to do better. But you always take the time You're like well, I would have done this and I should have done that and this would have been better. Absolutely 100%, I agree. Would we have had the opportunity to do this? I agree with you. Maybe a new location, maybe better traffic, maybe better weather 100%. But those sort of things are like the event is over, so like that's for next year for us to think about. But like, you made it through, you did this, you did this good. So it's always like just pointing out the good, not always the bad. Sure, acknowledge the bad, acknowledge the fault, because this is how we can grow and do better. But you, in particular, are your worst critic, no matter what, like it doesn't matter what we're dealing with designs, locations, finding a new fare or anything like that.

Keith Liberty: 35:05

You I think it's. Maybe it's a common thread for entrepreneurs out there, but I'm never 100% satisfied with any event, with any opportunity. I'm appreciative of all of them, but I'm never 1000% satisfied. And in the beginning, when you're on the road and you're doing things, it's really easy to self-sabotage, it's really easy to talk yourself right out of business. It's really easy to talk yourself down. So when you're out there in the general public and people are seeing your stuff and you're giving them the opportunity to shit on your stuff, it's tough. It's tough the first time people come in and they're overpriced and I don't like this quality and this design sucks. And, like some people, people aren't nice right. And people aren't polite so you're going to get those things. It's really hard to not take those things personal in the beginning. So having that significant other there, that's us like screw that douchebag. You know what I mean. Like sometimes, sometimes you need that too. You know what I mean.

Alli Liberty: 36:21

You just need sometimes you have to talk me off the ledge from time to time, right when to stick it.

Keith Liberty: 36:24

It's true, yeah.

Alli Liberty: 36:26

Because you become as a significant other. You also become attached to the product or the business or something. Because, in our situation in particular, you eat, breathe and sleep. The business Like even though I still punch a time clock no big deal, but your whole life is consumed by designs, events. We're doing this, we're going there. What do you think of this apparel like for us in particular? So I mean, like you, whether you like it or not, you become 100% consumed.

Keith Liberty: 37:05

Yeah, without a doubt, and that's because you care.

Alli Liberty: 37:09

Yeah, and that's, I guess, a little bit.

Keith Liberty: 37:12

That's a big, that's a big part of it. But and then the other side of that is to give advice back to to, like you being the spouse, when you're saying, hey, you have to be that voice of reason sometimes, you know, and you have to remind them things. You also have to be okay with them not wanting to hear it in the moment, like they hear it. Like. Like in those situations where someone might shit on me or something might not be going correctly and you come in as a voice of reason and point out those positives, I might fire back in that moment and be like that doesn't matter right now. You know what I mean Right and you have to be okay with understanding that. That you know either I'm just pissed or to whoever that you know people were giving the advice to, but realize that that comment didn't go unheard. You know what I mean Right. Like it might not set in in that moment because my guards up, because I'm fired up, but later on I'm going to appreciate that you know what I mean there's a balancing act that goes into that. for both of you it's a fine, fine little dance.

Alli Liberty: 38:17

What are you looking at over?

Keith Liberty: 38:18

there. I'm just looking at pictures you thinking about moving something.

Alli Liberty: 38:21

Yeah, yeah, actually it was.

Keith Liberty: 38:24

See, folks, it's about that time. We're getting close to her bedtime, so we're going to start thinking about almost my nap time.

Alli Liberty: 38:30

It's not bedtime. Yeah, it's not.

Keith Liberty: 38:31

What are you trying to move?

Alli Liberty: 38:32

I was just looking at the cowboy picture over the sink and I thought that maybe the brown would go really good with this hide over here and that black and white picture would go really good with the cow hide curtains over there.

Keith Liberty: 38:45

That'll only happen if those hooks line up.

Alli Liberty: 38:50

Yeah.

Keith Liberty: 38:50

They might, because they're probably about the same size, but I just don't want to have to re-hook everything over there, put more damn holes in and I am going to take your son right here. Be nice to my boy, I'm going to fire his ass out on the deck if he tries to sit on my foot one more time.

Alli Liberty: 39:07

I saw him trying to-.

Keith Liberty: 39:08

I'm not scratching your ass. Get out of here.

Alli Liberty: 39:11

I saw him trying to shake your hand.

Keith Liberty: 39:14

Oh my God, he's running for governor over here, just shaking hands.

Alli Liberty: 39:18

Shaking hands and kissing babies.

Keith Liberty: 39:20

Oh, my God.

Alli Liberty: 39:21

Shelton, you're the best boy. It's not even his name.

Keith Liberty: 39:25

No, it's not A dog. We don't even call him by his real name all the time. Yeah, it's a bunch of other Bubba Shelton, booger, butt. Yeah, stink finger.

Alli Liberty: 39:38

We do not call him stink finger.

Keith Liberty: 39:40

He's licking his lips. He's like yeah, I'll listen, dad, If you feed me, I'll listen. Yeah, so do you have any other advice? You wanna deliver? You wanna give?

Alli Liberty: 39:50

No, I think that's the gist of it.

Keith Liberty: 39:53

Yeah, yeah, that sounds pretty good, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I really wanted to make sure that I got my point across to you to say thank you and, as another season approaches and the chaos gets ready to begin and it's here, right, so all those things are starting to happen and difficult decisions are being made and choices and stuff Like I just wanna say thank you for the support and that I wouldn't be doing this without you. And I was having this conversation with Matt about the support of you and my life and he was talking about Sarah and the fact that we wouldn't be in business without that, and I said to him I was like I don't know if he knew the story. The fact is, we literally wouldn't be in business if you didn't push me to be in business. Because, for those of you that aren't day one listeners that don't know the story, when I left the dealership and I decided to start this brand and we came up with the name and we knew the direction we were going. The same week that I was signing off on the dealership, that I was giving up my career, you lost your job. You were running the front desk, the front office of a veterinarian office. I was a practice manager.

Alli Liberty: 41:21

You lost your job the same week.

Keith Liberty: 41:24

So we went to the front desk and we got the same week.

Alli Liberty: 41:28

So we went from Shady as fuck because they knew exactly what was happening with you and you helped them open the place and everything.

Keith Liberty: 41:37

So our worlds are turned upside down At this moment. I thought my 30, 40 year plan was set. I had just become an owner for Harley Davidson, for an actual dealership, and my ownership was going to multiply every year. My plan was in 10, 20 years to buy out the majority owner and to make that shop just 1,000% my own. And now you're a practice manager at a vet, veterans at a veterinarian's office, and they seem like great people and they loved you and we were like, hey, man, things couldn't be going more perfect. That's the closest we've ever had to financial freedom. Everything lined up, everything was going great and then in one week we were both unemployed.

Alli Liberty: 42:23

And you and I sat down and had a very A uncomfortable, the comfortable conversation. It was like. I don't remember exactly, I'm sure you're better at details, but I remember specifically having the conversation. That was like I want you to do this, I'm gonna get a job, I'm gonna take a job, I'm gonna figure out whatever happens. And honestly, I had been trying to get into the largest hospital in the state of Maine for years. Before, actually, when I was working in the medical field, I had put in application after application. But when you have to know somebody to get into the hospital or at least back then you did and now I feel like it's just like willy-nilly, they'll just let anybody in. But before you needed to know somebody to have an in to get your resume across the board. And somehow, by some slim chance, it was literally like I signed off, had an interview, what a week or two later.

Keith Liberty: 43:18

It was like you actually went to addiction medicine before the hospital.

Alli Liberty: 43:23

You're right. You're right, so, but you had.

Keith Liberty: 43:25

Yeah, you started the ball rolling with the hospital before that was activated and successful. You had a job real quick in addiction medicine but up until that point, like I sat down and we made the agreement, I'm leaving because we decided if I keep this job it's for the paycheck, the paycheck only, and eventually it's gonna affect our relationship because I'm gonna come home and, right or wrong, I'm gonna blame you for how unhappy I am, because I'm only doing this to maintain a lifestyle for you, so we made this decision. Then we both are without a job and I said, screw it, I'm just gonna stay there until we figure this out. And you said, no, we're not doing that, Our relationship's too important. And I believe in this dream and you're gonna do this. You're gonna start this business, we're gonna make it work and I'm gonna get a job. And you had a job within a week in addiction medicine and that led you to. You know the career that you have now in that hospital that you've been chasing for the longest time.

Alli Liberty: 44:31

I remember putting in applications for working at this hospital right out of high school, like because I had my medical assistance, like certification. I had been a receptionist before, like in high school, and so I was like I already had that kind of like credentialing and I was like, all right, let me see if I can get into the hospital. But I just didn't know anybody. I just didn't know anybody and like I graduated like a long time ago, you know, and so finally I mean it was years and years later, 10 years later, I would say I finally got the opportunity to work in the hospital that I've been trying to get into for 10 years. Like then I've been there for four years, yeah, I mean, so I've been in business for that right.

Keith Liberty: 45:20

Yeah. So I mean, it's very easy for me to look back and people say, like you know, would you be in business without your wife? And it's easy for me to say no, if I was single, I would have stayed at that job and just been miserable and worked my life away until I pivoted to something else, but I wouldn't have started my own business. I don't think I would have without that push. Had you not said, no, we've made it an agreement, you're gonna start that business, I very likely would have just punched a clock until I, you know, just made ends meet to figure something else out. But the problem is the minute you make that decision in your mind to start your business, the minute you commit to doing that, and then something comes in and derails you from that, you might never make that decision again. So, like you knew, in that moment I finally it was so difficult to come to that decision I'm gonna start my own business. I'm gonna walk away from the last 10 years of my life. It was the most difficult decision that I had to make ever when it comes to, you know, just life work decisions to finally get the courage up to say I'm gonna bet on myself. And then the world says maybe you shouldn't, record skips, maybe you shouldn't, you don't have a job, your wife doesn't have a job, this is the absolute worst time for you to start a business. And guess what? You were there to say, no, do it Without you. I don't do it If I let that. That you know positive little angel in my head that's been telling me to start this business if I shut that angel off at that moment, I might not never go back. And then to double down on it, that's October 2019 that I start the business. Y'all know what happens right after October 2019.

Alli Liberty: 47:13

Don't say it.

Keith Liberty: 47:14

I'm still waiting for that damn Ouija board to close, yeah well, all that craziness of 2020 started and all shit broke loose. Every event that I was trying to go to was closed, was canceled, factories weren't produced in apparel. It would have been another great time for my wife to look at me and say you need to think of something else, and you didn't.

Alli Liberty: 47:38

Nope.

Keith Liberty: 47:39

You stuck by my side. You supported me through the pandemic through a year without events, just trying to get by every which way possible.

Alli Liberty: 47:50

That's what I'm here for. You slept in ambulances but no heat, no water. I did.

Keith Liberty: 47:57

You've done all those things, so before my Look at us now.

Alli Liberty: 48:01

Look at us, look at us now.

Keith Liberty: 48:04

Before my season gets rocking and rolling, I just thought it was a great time and opportunity to say thank you and-.

Alli Liberty: 48:12

Every season is different for us, and this year we'll be the same.

Keith Liberty: 48:16

It'll be different. It'll definitely be different.

Alli Liberty: 48:19

Yeah, I mean, we went from the ambulance to a school bus, school bus, and we have a couple of campers Like you know, we've every year is different.

Keith Liberty: 48:29

Every year there is a big change for the business.

Alli Liberty: 48:31

Yeah, every year, every single year. This year is not gonna be any different.

Keith Liberty: 48:35

No, every year there's a big challenge to overcome, and just overcoming those challenges and knocking those down as they get placed in front of you. That's really all you can do.

Alli Liberty: 48:47

But if you have a good core and a good foundation, you can overcome them.

Keith Liberty: 48:52

That's right. It takes a village, and y'all are a big part of our village, so thank you for supporting our American dream. Now go wash.

Alli Liberty: 49:04

You're fucking ants. You're belly savage. You're belly savage.

Keith Liberty: 49:09

That's it and that's all Biggie Smalls. If you're a loud, proud American and you find yourself just wanting more, find me on YouTube and Facebook at Loud, proud American Put the face page, as my mama calls it. If you're a fan of the Graham Cracker, you wanna find me on Instagram. Or all the kids by tickety talking on the tick tock you can find me on both of those at Loud underscore, proud, underscore American. A big old thank you to the boys from the Gut Truckers for the background beats and the theme song to this year's podcast. If you are enjoying what you're hearing, you can track down the Gut Truckers on Facebook. Just search Gut Truckers. Give them, motherfuckers, a like too. I'm making green, I'm making green. I'm making green, I'm making green. I ain't the same. I told you so. I'm making green. I ain't the same. I told you so. I truly thank you for supporting my American dream. Now go wash your fucking hands, you filthy savage.