Humans Doing Business

A lot of us recycle cans, plastic bottles, and other common things around the house. But have you ever thought about what happens to some other items around the house such as vinyl records once they become unplayable? Jeff Davis of Vinylux has made a career out of “upcycling” worn out records and creates some EXTREMELY cool pieces of art and décor with them. 
This episode dives in to the process of taking a good idea and monetizing it with a realistic growth scale. What you’ll learn in this episode: 

• Growing a successful and pro-environment business
• Being creative with sourcing
• Capturing the strength of sentiment in product development
• Mentorship

www.vinylux.net

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Soft Shoe

Nick Collier is the kind of guy you just love to be around. With 20 years experience in the firearms industry, Nick has worked at just about every level of his company and is a perfect example of the success someone can have if they treat every job they do as an important piece of their company's puzzle.

As the Director of Special Operations, Nick wears many hats with DoubleStar Corp.  He's had roles that sent him home covered in grease and grime, and with the ebbs and flows of the gun industry, he has also carried the role of dealing with hiring during a boom, and difficult layoffs during a downturn. 

Without a doubt, Nick is 100 percent a people person, and you're going to love learning from him. Here's some things to pick up on while you listen:

• Rising within an organization takes patience and a willingness to work hard, even if there are elements you don't love at first.
• Leadership and how it goes beyond just the title.
• Culture - Building culture around celebrating your people on a personal level.
• Guidelines - Some industries face strict government guidelines and as a gun manufacturer, Nick has learned how to successfully navigate that with DoubleStar.
• Finding and Leveraging Available Resources - There are numerous opportunities for small businesses to find aid, but where do you begin to look? Nick shares some great experience with this.

Guest Links:
DoubleStar Website
DoubleStar Facebook
DoubleStar Instagram
DoubleStar Twitter
Nick's Podcast - Pew Pew and Stabby
Advantage Kentucky Alliance

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"Hire Heart, Train Skills"

Judd Watkins is a perfect example of someone who has found success with great treatment of the people around him.

After 25 years of service to his employees, Judd has driven A&A Wall Systems (Cincinnati, Ohio) forward into more than just commercial success. Judd has intentionally and aggressively leveraged his position of ownership into opportunities to bless and enrich the people around him. Judd's story will inspire you to think deeply about the types of bonds you form with your employees and offer you critical advice on the benefits of generosity over personal gain. 

In addition to caring for his employees, Judd co-founded Man Camp with leaders from Crossroads Church, which has transformed and inspired 17,000+ men and spawned other impactful camps like Couples Camp, Woman Camp, Father/Son Camp, and Veteran's Camp. 

You'll also get to hear a little about Judd's adventures with Danger Wheel, big wheel racing for adults that benefits Judd's Cincinnati neighborhood.

It would be easy to talk for several hours with Judd, but in less than an hour, we uncovered great stories that include tips for:

• Hiring and Training
• Dealing with Ineffective or Toxic Employees and Retaining Good Ones
• Value of Generous Compensation
• Growing from Adversity
• Acquiring an Already Successful Business and Growing it to the Next Level
• The Results that Quality PTO can Provide You and Your Business

Want to help us out? You can  Buy Us A Cup Of Coffee here!

Links

A&A Wall Systems Website
Man Camp Website
The Dream Manager Book  (amazon link, but feel free to check your local book store!)
Judd Watkins Instagram
Danger Wheel
Danger Runner (Judd's 4-Runner Adventures) Instagram

Our Links
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Humans Doing Business Facebook Group

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 "It has had its challenges over the years. But, you know, we care about each other at the end of the day. And we all would bleed for this business and what it represents. So at the end of the day, we all, of course, share the same vision. And and we all have different strengths that we bring to the table."
- Kristin Purdy on growing business with family

Sometimes a new business is dreamed about, without even knowing what type of business it is going to be. 

Robert and Kristin Purdy acquired a historic building with their family in downtown Richmond, KY in 2012. They knew there was potential to grow the community with a new business in the location, but weren't quite sure what they wanted to do. After some consideration with friends and family, and a grueling nine month renovation, Purdy's Coffee Company was born. 

The atmosphere in Purdy's is special. Special enough that when visiting Richmond, Food Network star Alton Brown made sure he visited their shop. Walking in the shop, customers are immediately met with familiar smiles, the aroma of fresh coffee, the sound of light conversation and fingers typing on keyboards and beautiful fixtures that you can tell are the product of a lot of thought. Think Cheers. Where everybody knows your name, but the barista is typically the most friendly college student you've ever met, or even one of the Purdy family members themselves.  In the background, you see employees hustling in their Purdy's tee and might even spot "Nana" in the background with flour on her apron and hands, working a ball of dough while creating her famous cinnamon rolls. 

The success of Purdy's didn't come without challenge, but here are some key points to listen for from Robert and Kristin Purdy in this episode that could grow your business to the next level.

• Use of Social Media Marketing - Purdy's doesn't just rely on their own skills with Facebook and Instagram, but have created a space for customers to do some of this work for them on their own platforms.
• Working with Family - Small businesses are often "family" businesses.  Learn how this family works together while maintaining strong relationships and balances family and work life.
• Building Loyalty - Having loyal customers might be one of the biggest keys to success for any business. Robert and Kristin speak about relationships with customers who have been integral to their success, and ways those customers have given them new ideas for business development.
• Culture - A strong culture is something a business leader knows they need, but how can you grow it quickly? 
• Design - Logos and color schemes make a difference and should be carefully considered.
• Growth - Adding a second location can be scary. When done poorly, it can sink a business. But if it is executed well, it could very possibly be the thing that saves a business when something major (like a pandemic) happens. 

Links
Purdy's Website
Purdy's FB
Purdy's IG
Original Opening Article From The Richmond Register

HDB FB Group
HDB Twitter

"Put one foot in front of the other and just take a step. It becomes so overwhelming when you try to think about the whole picture. Just take a step."
-Matt Patty 

Matt Patty with Chattanooga Beard Co. started with his wife doing something they love, cutting hair. Not being satisfied with just the shop itself, Matt pursued a big idea and created a thriving e-commerce business of selling his own beard products.
As a self proclaimed "average guy" who loves country music and cutting grass, Matt recognized that his "big idea" couldn't be developed with a small thought process, and turned to some people he trusted to help him grow in areas he sensed he needed assistance. 

With endless amounts of competition on the e-commerce playing field, Chattanooga Beard Co. has separated itself with personality and the personal touch of Matt's beloved Chattanooga, Tennessee community. His products have a personal flare in their name and design, are made by he and his partners themselves, and are supported by the very tight-knit and loyal community of men with beards and the women who love those beards.

Key Talking Points In This Episode

• Time Management - Business owners and managers can easily put in 60+ hours each week, but are all those hours efficient, or even necessary?
• Depending On Partnerships - We all have strengths and weaknesses, but Matt makes some excellent points about the value of recognizing those weaknesses and what to do about it. 
• Getting A Business Concept Off The Ground - Throughout this episode, Matt shares numerous amounts of inspiration and wisdom about taking the leap of faith to start (and grow) a business. 
• Value Of Community - Earning trust and support of a local community takes a lot of personal investment and sincerity.
• Giving Back - That personal investment and security can be earned by knowing how to recognize opportunities to give back to the community you depend on. 
• Trade Shows - Trade Shows can be a lot of fun and an excuse to leave town and eat at a couple nice restaurants, but maximizing on networking opportunities is crucial for success. 

Links

Chattanooga Beard Co Website
Chattanooga Beard Co Facebook
Chattanooga Beard Co Instagram
Larry Fleet Music
Rhett Walker Music
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Humans Doing Business is like Career Day, but with super interesting business owners who have amazing stories! Each episode we will sit down with real people in small business sharing their wins, their losses, their reasons why they started and some advice for YOU!

Small business is the backbone of America, but how can we learn from interviews with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos when we're just a small, local business in Everytown, USA? Instead of trying to figure out how to adapt the advice from these moguls and the "thought leaders" filling our Audible libraries, how about we study entrepreneurs like us? The veteran small business owners from Everytown, USA are just a few successful years ahead of us, but still have the battle scars and are willing to help other small business owners in their journey.

Click subscribe to hear more, and join our Humans Doing Business Facebook Group to network with other small business entrepreneurs!