All-In Design
"All-In Design" is IIDA Alabama's podcast that invites you into the dynamic world of commercial interior design. Immerse yourself in the artistry, innovation, and inspiration that shape the spaces where we work, collaborate, and create. Discover the latest trends, cutting-edge technologies, and timeless design principles that define the ever-evolving landscape of commercial interiors.
All-In Design
Episode #46 - Interview with Bridgette Pilkington
Join us on this episode of All-In Design in which we speak with Bridgette Pilkington of Mannington Commercial. Bridgette is both a IIDA board member and friend, who brought gifts for our two hosts (which is always appreciated, even if the beer was terrible). We discuss Bridgette's journey into the industry, how she stalked her now husband, and her connection to the funeral home industry. It's a wide ranging conversation that may result in you needing to adjust your speaker volume.
From a comfy sofa in the IIDA Alabama recording studio. This is all in design. Hello and welcome to All In Design, IIDA Alabama's podcast. Thank you for listening. My name's Chad Moore here with my co-host Mark Griffo.
SPEAKER_00:Hey everybody.
SPEAKER_03:And I'm a little concerned about this episode, Mark. Is it because of the beverages we've started with? It could be. It could be.
SPEAKER_02:The weather, the guest.
SPEAKER_03:All those things. There's been uh potential tornadoes outside. The guest that came today brought us beer that none of us could drink.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's true. It's it's I won't say it's the worst beer that I've ever had because I have had two worst beers in my life that I've dumped out. So this may be the third. Third worst beer. Third worst beer. Um we won't, we won't, it's a local, it's a local beer.
SPEAKER_03:Um and there's a feline at the beach, or maybe I said, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Feline at the beach. We'll we'll leave it at that. We don't want to drag the manufacturer because they do good stuff and they have a good place. But this beer is not good, and our guests brought it for us.
SPEAKER_03:So we we've switched beverages. Um, Mark went to go find us other beers, could not find anything that was cold enough. So we're drinking Maker's Mart.
SPEAKER_02:On ice.
SPEAKER_03:On ice in Star Foam Cups.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, we don't want to look like we're drinking whiskey at 3 30 on a Tuesday.
SPEAKER_03:Tuesday, 3 30, right before Thanksgiving. The reason I'm concerned, drinks, tornadoes, also um, having done this almost getting close to two years, there's some guests that come on that we've got to really kind of pull out of their shell. Right. And it's a struggle. And I'm afraid this might be one of those episodes.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's why we're doing so much talking at the top of the interview.
SPEAKER_03:We gotta fill the whole thing. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:What are we at now? Like about five minutes in. So, you know, this also might be a short, a short episode.
SPEAKER_03:I think it's just because I'm talking, it seems longer. We've only we're only about two minutes in.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, okay. If I'm sure the listeners can hear the guest.
SPEAKER_03:Why don't you go ahead and introduce the guest?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I I I'm very happy to introduce our friend and fellow board member, yes, Bridget Pilkington, who is, and I wrote this down, she's with Mannington. Lovely oh, Mannington commercial. Oh, like is it if I just say Mannington, is that wrong? It's different.
SPEAKER_03:Nobody knows Mannington.
SPEAKER_02:I didn't, yeah, never never Mannington commercial, everyone knows that. Mannington, Mannington commercial. Oh, yeah, see, you broke you broke my rhythm. Mannington Commercial District Manager. That's your title.
SPEAKER_08:That's my title.
SPEAKER_02:That's your title. Well, welcome to the show, Bridget. We're very happy to have you on. We are. Um, we like Chad said, we are a little nervous that you're gonna remain mute the whole time. You haven't said anything yet, which is I am so impressed.
SPEAKER_03:I am too. And just another note before this person talks, and it's driving her crazy, is that we've moved conference rooms because there's a conference going in one room, we would have been adjacent, and it was possible this guest might have been too loud and would have just disturbed right. So again, um kudos that you've been so quiet.
SPEAKER_07:Am I allowed to talk yet? Yeah, sure. Permission. Hi, everyone. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:All right. Well, thanks for listening to the podcast. Uh now it's time.
SPEAKER_02:Now it's time for the outro music. Um, okay, actually, here we go. Enough with me and Chad going on, and enough with you laughing. Um, I mean, keep laughing. We want you to have a good time. Don't get me wrong. But um, why don't you take a couple of minutes and tell people about yourself? Whatever you want to do, however you want to start it. Uh the floor is yours.
unknown:Wow.
SPEAKER_07:Like three minutes or like five minutes.
SPEAKER_02:It's you know, a lot of times, you know, it's funny, no one's no one's ever asked. Right. Uh, but some people have gone on for two or three minutes, some people have gone on for five or six, and then we've had to interject. So we'll just see what happens.
SPEAKER_03:And some people have said, What do you want to know?
SPEAKER_08:Wow.
SPEAKER_03:And that was it. And we're like, oh, um, lots of things, really. Right. Uh like, where are you from? Where did you go to school? That kind of thing. How'd you get in the industry? Right.
SPEAKER_02:We just teed up several for you. Exactly.
SPEAKER_07:Okay, I think I can take it from here. Um, so my name's Bridget. I was born, okay. I actually I was born.
SPEAKER_08:Shit. Yeah, write that down.
SPEAKER_07:No, I was born in Michigan, okay. So I grew up in Michigan until I was seven. My dad took a promotion and moved my whole family to Georgia, which I was seven, my brother was five. So we grew up in Georgia. So it was North Georgia. Ackworth. Yeah, Ackworth, because Chad stalked my Facebook this morning. Researched, research, research research on the yeah. I'm sorry, he researched my Facebook over a couple of folders this morning.
SPEAKER_03:And I've been to Ackworth. Have you? I have. I've done some art festivals there. Wow. Yeah. See?
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, Aquorth's great. So grew up there, and I didn't know at the time, but I was in like, you know, flooring Mecca of the world. So I actually went to high school with my former boss's son. I went with the Patcraft Regional's son. I went to high school with the former Bentley Regional's daughter. Like I ended up going to high school with all these people, and I didn't know it until years later. I didn't even know this either. Yeah, it's crazy. So I went off. I went to Michigan or so.
SPEAKER_03:Were they talking about flooring then? Or no, I didn't even know flooring was a thing.
SPEAKER_07:It was the last thing on my mind. So then I went up to Michigan State and I played softball there. And then I was graduating. I was like, it is way too cold. I've got to get south immediately.
SPEAKER_03:So and so you chose that because you'd been lived there.
SPEAKER_07:Yes, it was my dream. So I had always wanted to go back to Michigan State. I was really bitter that my parents moved us away from our grandparents and our family. So I was like, I'm gonna go back to the back. So you didn't like seven years old? Yeah, oh, I was so mean. Oh, I was so mean. So I was like, I'm gonna go back. My dad was like, well, you better be really good at a sport or really smart. And I was like, probably a sport. So I played softball and I got to go back there. So sponsorship? Yes. What was your guess? What do you think? What's your guess?
SPEAKER_03:Uh pitcher.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah. So I was, you know, 5'10, a lefty. I was like, I guess I'll try pitching. My dad was like, that'll probably last two minutes. And then I loved it.
SPEAKER_02:So how old were you when you started playing softball?
SPEAKER_07:17. Like that was my first sport that I played when they moved in.
SPEAKER_03:You're like, I'm playing softball and I'm going back to Michigan.
SPEAKER_07:Yes, and I'll never forget. Yeah, and I was like, and take care of it. Here I come. Yeah, yeah. This is my ticket back.
SPEAKER_02:I'll be back in 11 years. Don't you worry.
SPEAKER_07:See you later. No, it was really cool. So my grandparents and everyone still live up live up there. So they came to all of our home games. They were like the team grandparents. So we actually have cabins. They have cabins, I should say, way up north. And so that was where our team retreat was every year. Cool. Yeah, it was like a big thing.
SPEAKER_03:So what was your best pitch?
SPEAKER_07:I was a changeup girly.
SPEAKER_03:Okay.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, it was so fun.
SPEAKER_02:Change up girly.
SPEAKER_07:You guys didn't know that. Did you know that?
SPEAKER_02:Why would we know that? We you know, I mean Facebook. We haven't recorded this show yet, right? Sorry.
SPEAKER_01:I forgot.
SPEAKER_07:It's been two years of me begging.
SPEAKER_01:We'll get to that.
SPEAKER_07:I made it!
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Okay, guys. This is where the power goes out. Noah, listen.
SPEAKER_07:So I graduated and I moved back, and my former boss, I took this random job. Hated it. Horrible, horrible job. Okay. I was an IT technique.
SPEAKER_03:What was the name of that company? Beach Cat.
SPEAKER_07:Problem smeechmat rhymes with. Right. We're not trying to throw back 40 under the buttons. Oh.
SPEAKER_08:Okay.
SPEAKER_07:Go on. Anyways, okay, so I'm back. And he reaches out on LinkedIn. He's like, hey, are you looking for a job? And I was like, absolutely. Whatever you do, sure, I'll take it. Like I was so ready to be done.
SPEAKER_02:Way to be cool.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, I was like really playing. It was well almost like this podcast. I was trying to play hard to get. Yeah, yeah. Um, so actually, I was looking at, I was, it was came down to Georgia Pacific or Mannington. And I knew Georgia Pacific, it was gonna be in Georgia, super local. It was very like pr not predictable, it was very set. Like it was a set salary, set hours, everything was really comfortable. And then I kept going back to Mannington. I was like, man, I just really want to try this. I was 23, I was single, I was all, you know, whatever, ready for something new. And um when I took this job, I was a sales trainee. We've never had a sales trainee, so you can imagine what it looked like.
SPEAKER_03:It was like You're still in Georgia at this point?
SPEAKER_07:Yep, I'm still in Georgia. So I was like, You were their first ever sales trainee. Yeah, it was so they weren't paid.
SPEAKER_02:They weren't quite sure. They were like, what is this? And they've never had one since right.
SPEAKER_07:They were like, we'll try it, but I don't know about this. So it was like, hey, this week, go to sit with customer service. And then the next week I was tufting carpet. That was what dreams are made of.
SPEAKER_03:And then and I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Who um oh my god got you your job?
SPEAKER_07:His name's Monty Brock. Okay, and he was he's been in the industry a really long time.
SPEAKER_03:And how'd he find you?
SPEAKER_07:I went to school with his son. Okay, so it all goes back to school.
SPEAKER_03:See, like I said, I wasn't paying attention. We're not very good at now we're in the fishbowl. Hey, I looked you up on Facebook. That's as much as I do.
SPEAKER_07:Wow, wow. I'll connect the dots.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, so Monty's son.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, Monty's son. I knew them growing up, whatever. And then he was like, come work for us.
SPEAKER_03:Did you ever think of doing like a bidding war with the other kids' parents? Like, hey.
SPEAKER_07:I did not. Okay. I didn't know it until I was at the carpet specialty's Christmas party, and I'm like, wait, I know you. And he was like, Yeah. I watched you play basketball growing up, and I was like, hey.
SPEAKER_02:It's like a hallmark.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, it's really crazy. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I'm gonna Is that your husband now?
SPEAKER_03:I'm just gonna say it would have been a hallmark.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Um so you went to Michigan State. Yeah. What did you go to school for? That's other than to play softball.
SPEAKER_07:Do you really need to know this?
SPEAKER_02:No, we we don't. I mean, you can't. Well, it was marketing.
SPEAKER_07:Well, okay, at first I wanted to be a teacher, and then I was like, mm-hmm that's a lot of school. And then I was like, because you have to do the student teaching thing.
SPEAKER_03:And then you and then you gotta stay teaching in school. In school.
SPEAKER_07:I was like, I don't think that's for me. So then I was like, I'll try marketing. Well, then you had to apply and get into the marketing college, which was really hard. So I was like, what do I not have to try to do? And they were like, advertising, it's part of the com school, you don't even have to apply. And I was like, perfect.
SPEAKER_02:So you went to school for advertising.
SPEAKER_07:Yep.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, okay. There we go. Is there anything you want to elaborate?
SPEAKER_03:It's funny because she could have just said advertising and it would have been fine. Right. But then she's like, Do I have to tell you? Because then I gotta tell you all the details.
SPEAKER_07:Well, it was like so online, and at the time that was like not a thing. So I did like online school, and then I'd go to my study hall hours, and then I'd go play softball.
SPEAKER_02:Did you like having online classes? Because you're very it was a dream. Oh, okay, because you're very gregarious, like you're not shy.
SPEAKER_07:I mean, it was just like my major classes. My lecture halls and stuff were so people.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it was enough.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, yeah. And when I was going to class, I was sipping on folders.
SPEAKER_03:So you graduated.
SPEAKER_07:Yes, I graduated.
SPEAKER_03:He's just he's just doing the timeline. Yeah. Okay, so you graduated, you moved back. You moved back, right?
SPEAKER_02:And then now you're a trainee at Mannington.
SPEAKER_07:Yes, and I don't know where I'm getting. After the terrible job. That was like four months.
SPEAKER_03:Okay.
SPEAKER_07:Brutal, brutal four months.
SPEAKER_03:And that was in Georgia as well.
SPEAKER_07:That was in Georgia.
SPEAKER_03:Okay.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Was it also in flooring?
SPEAKER_07:No, I was an IT recruiter.
SPEAKER_03:See, we're not paying attention. You guys need do you need note cards? You didn't say that.
SPEAKER_02:She did.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, you did?
SPEAKER_02:She totally got funny. Oh my god. I actually wasn't even joking. I didn't. This maker's mark is really good. This is really good. This is going well.
SPEAKER_07:It's not the beach cat. I can tell you that.
SPEAKER_02:It might have been the beach cat. Honestly, that may have done it. Yeah, I think it was that two sips beach cat that set us over and melted our brains.
SPEAKER_07:Shall I continue? Go on. Go on. So you're training. Start training. I don't know where they're going to send me. Okay. Okay. So my training was like fly out, ride with this rep, learn everything you can.
SPEAKER_03:So you ride at this rep. You signed on saying, okay, yeah, I want to work for Mannington. And knowing eventually a sales position, we're going to start you training first and learn the ropes behind the scenes with the customer service in the different areas. Not knowing what part of the country they may send you to.
SPEAKER_07:Yes.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. And you were on you were on board with that.
SPEAKER_07:I was on board with it. I was like, pray.
SPEAKER_03:And you were like, please, Alabama, please.
SPEAKER_07:I was like, please, anywhere but snowy areas. Please.
SPEAKER_02:All those years wanting to go back to Michigan.
SPEAKER_07:I know, I know, I know. It's crazy.
SPEAKER_02:But so your parents were right all along.
SPEAKER_07:They were they're always right. They're literally always right. And now that I'm a mom, I'm like, I am not right. Don't listen to me. But maybe one day I'll be right, right?
SPEAKER_08:Yeah. Kinda? Yep.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah. Anyways, yeah. So took this job and I was like, okay, wherever. I'll be, it'll be great. And then I moved. I found out at the end of 2019 that I was moving to Birmingham, which I was super excited about. I kind of was asking for it. Nobody was over here. It was like, I knew it was two and a half hours from home and whatever.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, perfect.
SPEAKER_07:So I was super excited when they were like, yeah, Birmingham's up. And so I got here. I was like, so excited.
SPEAKER_03:I just what's your territory?
SPEAKER_07:Okay, wait, we'll get there.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, all right, sorry.
SPEAKER_07:So I drive over here. You're not here to ask questions. This is just y'all are gonna miss the best part. Okay. So I drive over with my mom. We're looking for apartments. You know, I'm 23. I'm like so excited. And my best friend from high school had taken a job here just before me. Okay. She was like, okay, I'm living at the summit apartments. And I was like, okay, I'll go there too.
SPEAKER_03:I think I know this part of the story.
SPEAKER_07:I've heard some of the we both moved to the summit apartments. We were a floor apart, which made a great fire pole-friendly.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:Because you just walk up and down the streets. But across the street, so when I moved, I was talking to the leasing office lady, and she was like my age, and she was like, So, girl, you single? I was like, Yeah, I'm single. And she was like, What's your type? And I was like, you know, big single, strong athletic, single would be nice.
SPEAKER_03:What does this have to do with what territory you have?
SPEAKER_07:Okay, well, I met my husband. I met my husband in the parking lot. Boomshot locking next. Okay, so wait my territory. Okay, my.
SPEAKER_03:No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Go back. You're in this, you're in the zone. Sorry. Yeah, yeah. Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going.
SPEAKER_07:Okay, just take a sip of your maker's mark.
SPEAKER_02:We are. Don't worry.
SPEAKER_07:Okay. So I yeah, so met my husband in the parking lot, whatever. That's just the fun part of the story. I just threw that in there.
SPEAKER_03:But the leasing person was asking what your type was, and did she mention him?
SPEAKER_07:Like, uh, yeah, she said the guy, there's a guy across the street, don't know his name, but he drives the silver forerunner. So me and Morgan both that's my best friend that moved here first. We had like the perfect spot in the apartment where we could look through the blinds to see how to do it. I was gonna say you're doing your hands there. Oh, yeah. It was like the blinds.
SPEAKER_03:She called me a stalker.
SPEAKER_07:Right. Yeah. Oh, yeah, you have you have no idea. Yeah. Yeah. I was like, Teach is going to the pool. We knew he was a teacher and a football coach.
SPEAKER_03:Teach is going to the pool.
SPEAKER_07:But we didn't know where. I was like, Teach is going to the pool. I'm going to. Like I would watch him.
SPEAKER_03:Did you have binoculars or no?
SPEAKER_07:I didn't need them. They were, I mean, you're that close. Oh, yeah, we're real close. Anyways, there's your there's the shout-out for Russ. Okay, back to my territory. No, no, no, no. We're not done with this yet. No, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_02:We can get to industry stuff in there.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, because last I heard, he went to the pool and then you're married. Like there had to be stuff in between.
SPEAKER_02:Now you got two kids in a house.
SPEAKER_07:Wow. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:That's called foreshadowing with facts. Is it foreshadowing if it already happened? I think it's not.
SPEAKER_07:I think it's past shadowing. I don't know. I did advertising. Not marketing.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, go on. Okay.
SPEAKER_07:Okay. Anyways, we met.
SPEAKER_02:How did you meet? Did you wink at him? Because you just winked at Chad.
SPEAKER_07:Okay, this is gonna expose every detail I have. Okay, fine. It's it's fine. Twist my arm.
SPEAKER_02:You want to know why? Because we know, because you told us this story at a University of Alabama uh venture show. Yeah. Did I really?
SPEAKER_07:That was probably years ago. It's probably two, three years ago. We met and happy ever, happily ever after. Sweet.
SPEAKER_02:Did you meet him at the pool? No. Does he know he knows all of this?
SPEAKER_07:The first time I met him, I told him I had been stalking him.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:He's like, just so you know, I've known about you for six months.
SPEAKER_02:And he's never been able to get away since.
SPEAKER_07:He was like, wow, I'm in love. Actually, I asked him that. I asked him if he had any debt.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, I do remember you. I remember that, yeah.
SPEAKER_07:I had a long list of questions.
SPEAKER_03:Did he check all the boxes? Did and then we went on a date and I was like, These are the things I haven't been able to find out about you. She had a list that was like, these are the things I've been able to find out about you, and these are the things I haven't. I'm gonna ask these off the top. I need to end up with the top.
SPEAKER_02:What do you think about I didn't have enough information to get a full credit report? Yeah, I could. So we're gonna start here.
SPEAKER_07:Also, what's your social? Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:So you got I'm missing the last two. I've got everything else. I'm just missing the last two numbers.
SPEAKER_02:So you got all these boxes checked, and then you went on the first date, and the first date was I'm like, eh.
SPEAKER_07:And then I called my Nana. My nana was like, go on a second date.
SPEAKER_03:I was like, Nana, is that what she sounds like? No, she's really sweet.
SPEAKER_07:She's like, go on a second date, Bridget. And our counterpart out in Tampa. She was like, You should really go on a second date. And I was like, fine.
SPEAKER_03:So why was the first one so meh? Was it you build up the expectation too high?
SPEAKER_07:Well, okay, here's what happened. Sorry, Russ. I'm sorry. Okay, so I wish we had it as a surprise guest. What if we walked in calling? Colin, he's on his way. He walked. So he came in from golfing, and I was like, okay, he went golfing. That's cool. I mean, dude. Alright, whatever. So then I was like, hey, I'm just checking. Is there gonna be dinner involved on our date? Like, just he asked you out. Yeah, he asked me out. I'm like, is like dinner a part of the plan? I didn't know the plan. I was like, just making sure, like, pretty much.
SPEAKER_03:Should I eat before we go?
SPEAKER_07:I mean, I already knew that he didn't have debts, so I feel like I could ask you. Is dinner okay? Yeah. It was like, absolutely, like, dinner's definitely on the agenda. So then we went to Kerrigan's beer garden back in the day. And he ordered a soft pretzel. And I don't know if he was nervous or what, and he was like, Wow, didn't that fill you up? And I was like, What? So full.
SPEAKER_03:I will be having the soft pretzel, and the lady would have to say it.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, it's so full. And like, that was it for food. We didn't talk about it again, and we just like rushed on mine. I was like starving, and I went home and ate an entire frozen pizza.
SPEAKER_02:What what time was this date?
SPEAKER_07:I don't even remember, but I remember being like, I was so hungry and mad the whole time. And my nana's like, try again, sweetie.
SPEAKER_03:You were hangry.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah. So my children's.
SPEAKER_03:And to be fair, guys are idiots.
SPEAKER_07:Guys are idiots. Yeah. So then the next one I was like, Chad and I are pretty sweet. What time is dinner?
SPEAKER_03:We know we know enough that guys are idiots.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Self-aware. We're doing we're doing great on this podcast so far. Yeah. I know nothing about my career. So, how did you meet your husband?
SPEAKER_06:Oh my gosh, stop!
SPEAKER_02:What's his name again? Yeah.
SPEAKER_06:I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, so and so you went on a second date. It was great.
SPEAKER_07:Yep. Happily ever after. Move on. You just needed food. Just needed some food.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So he fed you on the second date.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah. Yep.
SPEAKER_02:And his and then I was in love. Giving you food ever since then.
SPEAKER_03:So first date to marriage, how many, how long was that?
SPEAKER_07:Okay, so we got engaged six months later.
SPEAKER_03:Six months later.
SPEAKER_07:But we were in COVID. So you can get to know someone real well when you can't go very many places, right?
SPEAKER_03:True. So my wife and I six and a half months from first date to yeah, engaged. I'm telling you. Yeah. When you know, you know.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, six months, and then we got engaged in February. Yeah, it's because I messed up his plan. Anyways, February. Got married in December. And then little Charlie Rose was became a thing in uh June.
SPEAKER_02:So time flies.
SPEAKER_07:Anyways, my territory.
SPEAKER_02:Go back to your okay.
SPEAKER_07:Okay, do you want to go back to work now? Yeah, let's go back to work. Let's get on the now that I'm sweating. Anyways, it can't be the maker's market.
SPEAKER_03:Take a sip of that room temperature beer. Yeah. After the maker's market, it might taste okay. Honestly, it might.
SPEAKER_07:Okay, so when I moved here, it was so I started January 2020. So I was really job. Oh my god, sales rep with a heroterical. Yeah, honestly, it was wonderful. Yeah. It was great. I was really excited.
SPEAKER_03:You can't call in anybody.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah. Yeah. Well, I did. Okay, listen. So I was like racing around.
SPEAKER_03:You're like, screw that. I'm just taking this.
SPEAKER_07:And I was like, I don't know, I don't know anybody here. So I spent like till March. I was like everywhere. And people were like, who are you? Like, what is what does it mean? We're supposed to be social distancing, and she's not at all. No, this was before. So then March came, right? Right. So then it's March. You know, I'm like, still have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm running around like, have you seen our new carpet? Like, I don't know what's going on. New sales rep. That's that's I'm like, I literally know nothing about it, but it's pretty. Like, you know? Do you know how you're talking about?
SPEAKER_03:So the training portion didn't take?
SPEAKER_07:No, it was great training, but you still don't know. I love Manny Pitt. Really good at training. So then what happened once lockdown happened? So nothing. It all stopped. Everything stopped. Were you excited? Yeah. You did, you did.
SPEAKER_02:You were like, yeah, wait for it. Yeah. Oh, no, wait, I did nothing like everybody else in the world. Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_03:But she got to know her husband.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, priorities.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so you could focus on what really matters. Yeah, what really matters. And then once things open back up, you could like get back in the world.
SPEAKER_03:So, what is your territory?
SPEAKER_02:We're still on like question two.
SPEAKER_07:Okay, this is a fun fact. When I first started, Jenny Melkey was with Mannington. So me and her were we were partners, and I was gonna run kind of the road portion of it, and she was gonna be more like Birmingham home base. But she was she left, I think, in February, so it didn't overlap very long, or maybe a month.
SPEAKER_03:But did she know COVID was gonna happen?
SPEAKER_07:She knew it. She was like, I think I ran her off, so no. Hey Jenny, I hope she listens. I'll tell her I give her a shout out.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:Okay. Again with the wink.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, we're not, yeah. I I've I've said we need cameras.
SPEAKER_07:Probably for the best. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But for yeah, you've winked several times.
SPEAKER_07:I don't know why. I'm not a winker. She winked at me and winked at Mark so far. Yeah. I know. This one's so weird. Getting weird. It's getting crazy. And is it hot in here? Is it just me?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, it's just you. Just think about it.
SPEAKER_07:Um, yeah, so my territory, are you ready? I am totally. It was Birmingham down through the Florida panhandle.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, so not North Birmingham or not North Birmingham. North Alabama.
SPEAKER_07:Nope, did not have North Alabama. Um our Tennessee reps covered North Alabama, and then I had Birmingham down through the panhandle. Then last year, or yeah, it was last August. Um, we sat down and we were like, hey, you can have North Alabama because I've been asked I had been asking for Huntsville this whole time. So they were like, you can have Huntsville. It does make sense. And I was pregnant with my second baby, and they were like, The coop? Yeah, big coop. So he was like, You can have North Alabama all the way down through Montgomery, and then we'll hire someone for the panhandle.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, but that makes more sense. And that's it's and then as a mom, you're not travel quite as much.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, it's been it's been really nice. I miss my like you know beach trips, but it's been really nice. So I miss those customers though. It was fun.
SPEAKER_02:And so you love Mannington.
SPEAKER_07:I love Mannington.
SPEAKER_02:What is what is corksicle?
SPEAKER_07:I think some nice branded cup. I don't know. Oh, is it?
SPEAKER_03:Okay. Yeah, I don't think that's a Mannington. So that's not a Mannington. Yeah, she gave us a big thing. It's like it is, it's there, Mannington, and I was like, yeah, corksicle.
SPEAKER_02:But you know, I don't think we did mention that you because we've we've we've dragged the beer enough, I think. Yeah, but we beer was terrible. We did we did we did not mention that you came in with two gift bags with a Mannington branded corksicle. Yes. Uh like a like a tumbler. Yeah, right. A very nice tumbler, very nice tumbler. I would have never heard of the brand before. I thought it was a Mannington thing. A Mannington hard hat, um, which I was wearing earlier. Um, and then some Folgers. Folgers. Some Folgers coffee.
SPEAKER_07:What more could you do?
SPEAKER_02:Before we get into some more industry stuff and IIDA and how you got involved, do you want to talk about Folgers?
SPEAKER_07:It's my favorite coffee. It's your favorite coffee.
SPEAKER_02:It's my because you've never had any other coffee, apparently.
SPEAKER_07:Listen, I made the mistake of asking a room full of creative people what kind of coffee they like, and they have really nice answers.
SPEAKER_03:No, we were in a kitchen. Yeah, we were actually in a country. We were in someone's kitchen and they had a really nice, fancy espresso machine. Yeah, yep. And you're like, ooh, this looks nice. Does this make folgers?
SPEAKER_07:Pretty much.
SPEAKER_03:This is actually when I arrive.
SPEAKER_07:It's like this isn't Folgers anymore. This is this is some good stuff. That person was Jess Babbler, so if you want to make a coffee, call Jess.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. There we go. And Jess, we're doing the best we can. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah. Thank you for telling them to be nice. So we do.
SPEAKER_03:We we've got some, but Mark and I both now have some Folgers coffee for and that's what that was one of my um rapid fire questions. Oh. Which um which ruins it now. But it was it's Monday morning. You've got a big day ahead. Lots of appointments to spread the good word about Mannington. What coffee are you drinking to kick your stuff kickstart your day?
SPEAKER_07:Yeah. Folgers in my cup.
SPEAKER_03:Do you try other coffees?
SPEAKER_07:I mean, yes, I try. Listen, okay, I was at Publix last week. It was buy one, get one free. You don't pass it up. So I stocked up.
SPEAKER_02:So you bogoed Folgers, is what you're saying. Bogo.
SPEAKER_03:So you hold on, I just want to go back and then we're gonna so she bought Folgers, but she really just bought one to give the deal. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:I might put them in my own stocking.
SPEAKER_03:Were the were the Mannington hard hats the same thing? Or is it buy one, get one stuff?
SPEAKER_07:Actually, I was running out the door. I was like, those are really fun. So I threw them in the bag.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, I like it. It's pretty cool. I'm down for it. Yeah. But I do have one question, then we'll get back on track.
SPEAKER_07:Terrified. Was there a track? There wasn't a track.
SPEAKER_03:It's not a track.
SPEAKER_02:I think we've even started not a track. Um you my question was like, you've never thought of branching out with coffee, and your answer was BOGO. So I just bought more Volgers. And at the same time, you're in the beer aisle in Publix, and you ask a stranger what you should what you should buy us, and they recommend what you brought to us. Which we were very grateful. I don't think we've said that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:We were dragging, yeah, but it was very nice. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But and and we are all in agreement. And we all tried it.
SPEAKER_03:We all started to drink.
SPEAKER_02:And that said, no fault. My point is, is that you really stepped out of a comfort zone to like, I'm gonna experiment with this beer, but with Folgers, you're like, I'm sticking to this. I'm sticking to Folgers.
SPEAKER_07:Listen, I love Starbucks, but I'm not gonna like brew my own Starbucks coffee. I'm just gonna get my Starbucks at around 130 every day. So if I can it offsets the cost.
SPEAKER_03:You know, Starbucks, they do sell, you can make that at home. They sell their own brand.
SPEAKER_07:But here's Folgers is more affordable, so I can have my cuts at home and then I can offset. Splurge, you know, splurge when you're out.
SPEAKER_02:I want you, and I mentioned this at Jess's. I want you to try Cafe Bostello.
SPEAKER_07:Okay, I'll put it on the list. It's bottom shelf. Wait, after that night, I tried community. That was that made me almost spit it out. That was the worst thing ever. I think Liz told me to try community with her. Nobody saw that, but it was a thumbs down.
SPEAKER_03:Liz Huntsicker, what does she know about coffee? Liz, come on. She knows Hayworth. Yeah. She knows little else.
SPEAKER_07:What's the track? What track are we getting back to?
SPEAKER_02:Okay, so all right, so you're a sales rep, you're a sales rep now with Mannington. You're in Birmingham. Sorry, Liz. You're married, you have a kid, we're coming out of COVID, and then now you're you're really getting out there. At what point I'm gonna bring it back to the podcast and and why we do this. Looking at chatty or how did you get involved with IIDA?
SPEAKER_07:Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_02:Nice question, Mark. Yeah, yeah. I'm a real I'm a real pro.
SPEAKER_07:That's the best question yet. So I was like, I don't know anybody. And I was like, how do you get to know people? Because, you know, show after COVID, everything changes. You can't just show up in someone's library and be like, hey, those are like who are you? They did.
SPEAKER_03:The rules changed.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, everything kind of changed because there was no just dropping by. Right. There's some donuts, you know. It was really hard to break in. So I was like, I'll try this IIDA stuff. But even those meetings were kind of like hard to like, you know, a lot of stuff got canceled and it lasted years. So I mean, I'd try to join everything. I was like, I'll sponsor whatever. Like nobody knew me or Mannington. We didn't have a rep here locally. I remember like the first time I met Mickey Davis. He was like, Hi, I'm Mickey, and I'm insulted by Mannington, so I don't know like how this is gonna go.
SPEAKER_03:And I was like he's kind of a hard ass. He's really military friendly.
SPEAKER_07:I was like, Who's this mean man who's turned into like my But I was like, oh. So he's like, Yeah, everyone's really insulted here because nobody was a rep here. And I was like, Oh, nice to meet you. I'll see you next week. I don't know. Like, bye.
SPEAKER_00:He was a straight shooter.
SPEAKER_07:Straight shooter. But that's that was the vibe with Mannington here. It's like, who are you? Right.
SPEAKER_03:We haven't seen anybody forever.
SPEAKER_07:Like, your books are so old. Like, get them out of here. They're gone. Right.
SPEAKER_03:And you you may be here five months, six months, and you'll be gone.
SPEAKER_07:Exactly. And I think it takes years of showing up to even, sometimes to even like be asked to come to update your library. Like people are like, oh hey, who do we call? So I don't know. I knew that IIDA was big here. Everyone had told me, like, you need to get involved, do all this stuff. And I mean, it was like I had hardly any friends. I didn't know anyone. I was like, okay, I'll show up to everything. So I just kept showing up and showing up and showing up.
SPEAKER_03:And this was 20 when the events started back up.
SPEAKER_07:Okay, but what I feel like it's like COVID and then post-COVID.
SPEAKER_02:There was stuff going on in 2020, but probably like mid-2021, I feel like is when things really started coming out.
SPEAKER_03:But even end of 2021, like we got married and it was still masks and yeah, because I want to say we still we still had the ID Awards in 2021, but it was the fall. Yeah, we did. Yeah, that's like a push of the fall. And we were still doing masks. Right, yeah. There were still masks around and we were but at that point it was starting to break out, especially in the South.
SPEAKER_07:And so like I feel like 2022 was really the year I got started. Like, I mean, I was around and answering for it, but I really feel like I dug in in 2022.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:So I don't know, it's been crazy.
SPEAKER_02:Well now everybody knows who you are.
SPEAKER_07:I hope so. Hey, I'm Bridget.
SPEAKER_03:So when did you join the IEDA board?
SPEAKER_07:Um this is year two. So 2024. But VP of membership, so if nobody's a member, this is your time. Send me an email or call me at 678-5772.
SPEAKER_03:The IDA board had a retreat uh, I guess it was a week and a half ago-ish. Yes. Uh Mark didn't bother to show up, but you and I know I was not there. We were there. Yeah. And one of the questions uh early on was kind of the why of IDA. Like what what what can people get out of IDA? And one of the I think every group, because we kind of broke up into small groups by table, was that it was community and meeting people, and that kind of goes to what you were saying was that and the the designers that were in the room were saying the same thing is that I work at this design firm, I know the designers that are in my firm, I might know a few other designers in town from school, maybe, but outside of that, I really don't know. And so idea is where I find that community. And something that came out of the discussion to the table I was at was that it's the same thing for reps as well. That um certainly, I mean, the reps we've got you know, we've got more of a vested interest to show up to events because we're calling on clients. Whereas the designers are like, eh, get attacked by a bunch of reps at an event. Um but we've got a really strong rep community, and I think it's largely due to IDA and the fact that there's so many sponsors of IDA, because I think our our chapter, the the dues aren't so high. I think there's some where it's like the the dues are astronomical, so they've got like six sponsors for the chapter. Um but ours they're they're tiered. They're they're yeah, they're tiered and they're reasonable enough where so many people can be involved. And so I mean that was one of the things that was interesting that we we were talking about was that I'm good friends, good friends with lots of competitors that have met through IDA. Yeah, except for Liz Huntsaker. Well, no, Liz is fine, she's just hey that's my girl. That's my girl. She's another gladiator, but I'm team Liz. I love I love Liz as well.
SPEAKER_07:No, for sure. I think it's it's so good to join it and so good to be around people that do the same thing every single day, and maybe you just need an outlet on some to talk to someone that you can connect with from a different firm.
SPEAKER_02:So I I will say, staying on the IIDA track, that I was not here. We'll let the fire engine go by. Uh but I was for my first time ever. Yeah. Duck and cover. Um I was for the first time ever at HQ. I was at an IIDA event. Okay, that's right. You weren't at the board meeting. You were representing. I was I was not, I wasn't even representing anything. I was just a plus one. I was trying to help you out. Yeah, yeah. Um, well, I will actually, I I am gonna do this. I'm gonna I'm gonna give two shout-outs in a row because there's been two years in a row, and I hesitate to do this because I ended up leaving somebody out, but there's two years in a row that firms out of Birmingham have won a national IIDA healthcare award. Damn. So uh Gresham Smith this year for Cooper Green and uh KPS last year for UAB Medical West.
SPEAKER_06:Amazing.
SPEAKER_02:So just uh look out, rest of the world. Yeah, Alabama's got it going on, especially in healthcare. Yeah. And then I just get invited. I went with Aaron and then Sammy, so that's why I was not there.
SPEAKER_07:But did y'all talk about the Cooper Green floors? Did that come up? I'm just curious.
SPEAKER_02:This is that's that might be one of the most well-played rep comments that we've had on this show. Yeah, I don't know, Bridget. What were the floors in Cooper Green?
SPEAKER_07:Um, Amtico Manor Oak.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, is that a Mannington project? Project, product product, yeah.
SPEAKER_07:Sporty Millware line.
SPEAKER_02:I thought they were corksicle.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:That's a new line coming soon. I'll send you some samples.
SPEAKER_03:Thanks. Yeah, that'll be helpful for you.
SPEAKER_02:Well, way to go. So in all those uh Cooper Green photos, that's your that's your flooring then. That's it.
SPEAKER_03:Nice, nice thing.
SPEAKER_07:But yes, congrats, Gresham and KPS. Boom.
SPEAKER_02:And to Mannington. Yes, and to Mark. And to Mark. And we're out of town. And to and really to me.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Mark is the MVP. Somehow I'm just involved. I have had, and I think you and I think it was you and I that were joking about this recently. It's kind of like, how do I end up going to things? I get invited.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_02:Like, I'm not gonna say no. Right. You know, like I've had friends who are like, why are you people here where I work, they're like, How why are you in Chicago again and again? I was like, Well, to be fair, I did take PTO. I am allowed to not work every single day. Yeah. Right.
SPEAKER_03:But I but I got invited. I'm with our clients. And I have to happens to be my wife, but we're with my clients.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And we and we went and we went to the the awards ceremony. It was very nice, and we uh we hung out with Cheryl Durst. Um, and it was uh it was a good time. We sat on the front row, not on purpose. Um we had originally sat in the back row. Wow. And um and then we wanted to get a yeah, so what what had happened was is we sat in the back row.
SPEAKER_03:Bridget and I are both on the edge, like, okay, you were in the back row, and you accidentally sat in the front row. We did.
SPEAKER_02:It was, it was like, okay, like it's like Cheryl was kind of like, all right, we're about to get going, like everybody, you know, take your seats, and so we took our seats, but it was very slow on people taking their seats. And um, if I remember correctly, we had kind of taken our seats, and then it was like, oh, like we should take this moment to jump up really fast and like get a photo or get another beer, maybe both. I can't remember. And we came back, we got a we got a we got a smeech mat. Um people had not um people had stolen our seats, but to be fair, we had not like left anything on there, and the last remaining seats were the three seats on the front row in front of the podium, in front of Cheryl. And Cheryl was looking at us standing there on the back row, and quote, was like, get up here, Alabama. And then we did. You because you do what Cheryl says. Absolutely. Oh, yes, yes. So, yeah, so that's anyway.
SPEAKER_07:Did you run? Did you jog? We we you know we just talked to Alabama, you know.
SPEAKER_02:We just we we we moseied.
SPEAKER_07:You moseied. We moseied. So everyone was watching, you moseied. Yeah, they're like, ah, Alabama.
SPEAKER_02:Who are who are those? We did get our photo. Did you get your beer? Um, we we got both, yeah. We we got the both and then we got and then we got more photos with Cheryl and then photos with the uh all the other winners that were all over the country. So wow nice fun. We had a good time. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:So tell us your background, Mark.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, Mark. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So anyway, Chad, do who's our guest? Mark, where were you born?
SPEAKER_02:I've forgotten. I was born in Atlanta, but careful asking me questions because I won't shut up. So let's get back to you. I know who I am.
SPEAKER_07:I'm this is my podcast.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, this is this is you know, you she's turned the table. You you badgered us enough to be on the show.
SPEAKER_07:If you didn't know, I forced my way in here. Well, I kind of just kept bringing it up, and then I thought, hmm, better retreat a little bit. That was too aggressive. So I let them come to me bare.
SPEAKER_02:You did actually. You you did planted the seed. You did you multiple times you withowed a field with the hammer.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And then once we started maybe thinking about it, you were like, oh, never mind.
SPEAKER_07:Be hard to get.
SPEAKER_02:And I think that's the way I put it. I was like, ah, you know, it's been a while since all of us were single, but it's like, hmm, now that you've said no.
SPEAKER_07:Now we want to.
SPEAKER_02:Now that you're not interested in making the show. It's like, oh, well, like we have got to book a bridge. Yeah. We have to have her on.
SPEAKER_07:The Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_03:The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, which is a prime time to record.
SPEAKER_07:The best time I could think.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. It did it reminded me of I remember when I was in college, you know, they they're constantly uh, you know, trying to sign you up for credit cards when you're in college, right? And so this guy had called me like early in the morning and I'd pick up. It probably was like 10 or 11, but it seemed like early in the morning. Yeah, and it was like trying to pitch me a credit card. And so I was like, and I wasn't interested at all until he goes, actually, I don't know if you'd be eligible. And then all of a sudden I was like, Well, wait a minute. Maybe you were like, excuse me, maybe maybe I do want this credit card. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:That is so crazy.
SPEAKER_02:It would be great if that was his first time doing that, like legitimately on accident.
SPEAKER_03:Right, and then it became his wholesale strategy.
SPEAKER_02:It's like, oh, like I'm on to something. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. I might you start using that in some of my sales presentations. We do. You don't want this carpet. Here's this new, here's this new chair. Actually, I don't know if you guys can have it. I don't know.
SPEAKER_07:You can't handle this chair.
SPEAKER_02:I don't know if you can afford this chair.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, you definitely can.
SPEAKER_02:This chair might be too nice for your project. It might be too perfect for what you're doing. It's too good. Yeah. Do you have a favorite part of your job?
SPEAKER_07:I do have a favorite part of my job. I love showing products where people are like, I want to order samples right now. This is perfect.
SPEAKER_03:Does that happen?
SPEAKER_07:All the time.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, there you go.
SPEAKER_07:But you know, you have those presentations where you're like, that was decent, or oh my gosh, that was horrible. And then you have those that are like, I love this one, and can I keep this one? And where can I I can put this one here and this one there? And that's like the fun part because you see it all like it, it kind of is like decent.
SPEAKER_03:Even if it's fake, like even if the design firm just kind of like, okay, what we're gonna do is we're just be like really into it and order samples, and then we won't buy, you know, we won't spec any of it. Yeah, but of course, but for us with the reps, we're like, this is amazing.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, I'm like entering projects, like it'll never, and then three months later, I'm like, shelve. But you know, a lot of this job is not, you have to wait for a lot of it.
SPEAKER_02:It does not qualify.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, so when you get a little bit of instant gratification, it really fills me up.
SPEAKER_02:Do you have a favorite project that you've worked on? I feel see, this is I I'm uh I'm and maybe I'm misreading your face, but this has happened before with reps, and it's happened with uh designers where I ask a question where they feel like I'm probing for information. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:No.
SPEAKER_02:And I'm not.
SPEAKER_07:My answer would be Cooper Green, but we already talked about it. Oh, okay. Actually, I have another favorite project. So I got to over Christmas break, I got to redo my pop my papa and my nana own a bunch of buildings up there, and they have a in Ackworth in Michigan. Oh, in Michigan.
SPEAKER_03:Papa and Nana. Papa and Nana. Okay, got it.
SPEAKER_07:Nana, Susie, and Papa Gary.
SPEAKER_03:They own cabins.
SPEAKER_07:Do you want to know what they do for a living? They've cabins started. Yeah, they do that, but my whole family is funeral directors. No way. How do we not know this? And have we not talked about it? How do we miss this? They started a funeral home in like a long time ago.
SPEAKER_03:I just want to point out it we're 42 minutes in. We're now starting to talk about funeral. I think we can go another hour just on this topic.
SPEAKER_07:I'll make it really short and slipped.
SPEAKER_03:No, no.
SPEAKER_07:So they own my papa, was a funeral director.
SPEAKER_03:Was his papa a funeral director before him?
SPEAKER_07:No, he started it. Okay. So they got pregnant with my mom. What?
SPEAKER_02:Terrible. God. She didn't even get it. You got it.
SPEAKER_07:That went way over my head.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's a song.
SPEAKER_07:He was not. Maybe. Yes. I bleed the fifth.
SPEAKER_03:Let's talk about the dead people. Yeah. Let's talk.
SPEAKER_07:Wait. No, I I grew up like seeing dead people. So, okay. In northern Michigan.
SPEAKER_03:Sense-wise or like actual real dead people? Like the dead bodies. No, like real dead people. What were you doing? How were you seeing them?
SPEAKER_07:Well, we would like see them when we went up there, but I we weren't like, let's go tour the dead people today. It would be like, oh, Papa's back there working on Sioux or whatever. I don't know. So you'd go back to the house. It's a small town, so we're from a really, really tiny town. So you know who it was. They do, yeah. So we go back up there twice a year. We go at Christmas time, like right after Christmas to New Year's, and then we go Fourth of July week. So I mean, just going back and forth all the time, we would just it would just be there or whatever. I my my brother got married. My brother got married uh this May. In the funeral? I was like, where do we go with it? I am I am wrong. He got they're having a baby in May. Do the math. They got married in August. If you can do that math, that's crazy timing. Okay. Okay. But when she went up there, yeah, it's crazy. I don't know what they were thinking. But when we went up for the 4th of July, she was like, We saw a dead person. I was like, Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:You're like, yeah, it's kind of what it's like.
SPEAKER_07:But okay, so they own a funeral home, and then since then they've bought like five of them up there. So now my cousins are involved. Like it's like Casca family business.
SPEAKER_03:Funeral home empire.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, I don't know how I got there. But okay, so my papa owns other buildings as well. And this Christmas we got to change out his flooring at one of his, I think it's like a physical therapy building now. So it just keeps changing. But he owns a lot of properties up there. I don't know. So that was my favorite, my second favorite project.
SPEAKER_03:So many questions.
SPEAKER_07:Oh my gosh, I I know. Take a sip.
SPEAKER_02:I do want to ask a couple of questions on this one. I don't know how we got to funeral homes. I don't know how we got to know. Let's slip through the research that we did before the show. She doesn't have that on her Facebook page. Well, I mean, you know, it's a bit of a bit it's it's a profession, right? Sure. It is. It actually is. Yeah. So are you comfortable? Like obviously, I would assume. Like you're just like, oh, like this is just is what I mean.
SPEAKER_07:We didn't go on a tours when we would go up there, but it wouldn't be abnormal to be like, hey, you would run down to the funeral home and pick this up, and then they're like working on a body.
SPEAKER_02:Like when you say working on a body, like the like you've gone embalming behind the curtain, like you're in the back room.
SPEAKER_07:I mean, not when they're being embalmed, but like when they're being prepped, you know, like they're in the casket and they're like putting the colour. Like when the Anna would do the hair and like make them look pretty, but at that point they're already like embalmed. We didn't go back there.
SPEAKER_02:You didn't go back there when it was like like we're getting all like draining fluids. Oh, yeah, no, no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_07:That's pretty private, they're pretty private about that stuff. Because it's got a big art. There's a big art around the funeral home business because it's like you know, but you make it respectful.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, you want to be super respectful, you make it seems like it's really public when they're doing the hair and stuff.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, they're not like everybody come see it, but if they're like, Nana, I need to do that, and then she's like curling hair.
SPEAKER_02:And she's like curling hair and she's like, go out on a second date with it.
SPEAKER_07:So no, listen, my mom and my uncle grew up in the funeral home. How's it know about this? He does. He was like, Whoa.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, he was like, It's probably not the first time he said whoa. Yeah, no. He might have lost his abdomen.
SPEAKER_02:Did you forget funeral homes on the first day?
SPEAKER_01:Forget with the pretzels. You love Jesus.
SPEAKER_02:He's like, I'm I'm never gonna see this girl again. I'm ordering a pretzel.
SPEAKER_07:He was like, I gotta get her away. I was like, I'm starving.
SPEAKER_02:All of this makes more sense now. There's so many things. And we're on his side. Team Rust. We're on team. So are my parents. It's crazy.
SPEAKER_07:All right, anyways, yeah. So one time my mom would bring. I'm not gonna say this story, it's so bad. But she would sell like tours to her friends for a quarter, and she would get their money.
SPEAKER_02:When she was like little, yeah, which was really little. I was thinking now.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, she got in big trouble for that. She's not making much money, not at age 50.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah. She wants to buy something out of the vintage.
SPEAKER_02:That's very like My Girl. Wasn't My Girl the movie? Wasn't her dad? I think she worked in uh I think the little girl, My Girl. I'm having a flashback when I was like nine. I think somebody fact check.
SPEAKER_03:These are great references.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I'm just throwing them out. Yeah, you can.
SPEAKER_07:I cannot believe we got to funeral homes. Have you ever had a favorite project to funeral homes?
SPEAKER_02:Hey, we dig deep.
SPEAKER_07:Wait. No, I haven't seen My Girl.
SPEAKER_02:Well, what's the name of that? But want to talk about Gilmar. Anna Chomsky, I think is how you say your last name. And Macaulay Culkin.
SPEAKER_07:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:Like this is like maybe 1990, 91.
SPEAKER_06:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:You're not born.
SPEAKER_06:Pre-birth.
SPEAKER_02:You're looking at me like, you know, I wasn't alive then. You know, it's okay to see movies before you were born. I just want to tell that to the the newest generation. It's fine for me to mention a movie and you not go, I wasn't born yet.
SPEAKER_03:I was really tempted while you were talking about my girl just starting to have another conversation into this microphone. Like for everyone listening, you don't have to pay attention to Mark. Right.
SPEAKER_07:Released in released in 1991.
SPEAKER_02:So on that anyway, anyway, that I'm pretty sure her or she grew up in Fear Home. Wow. That's that's my story.
SPEAKER_07:I'll have to go give it a watch.
SPEAKER_02:You might, I don't know, maybe you'll be like, oh, this was my childhood.
SPEAKER_03:So so dead bodies don't freak you out because you've no you've grown up good on the dead bodies. Have you ever seen Six Feet Under?
SPEAKER_07:No. I don't watch. Listen, this is another thing. I don't watch new stuff. I watch the same thing over and over. But you don't watch old stuff either. No, I watch the same thing over and over and over. Like Gilmore Girls. Okay. Is that it? And Friday Night Lights. And I rotate Heart of Dixie. No, okay. And all actually.
SPEAKER_02:This isn't real some real Folgers level stuff.
SPEAKER_07:Listen, I am so boring. I'm so boring. I don't like surprises.
SPEAKER_03:I bet Liz likes these things.
SPEAKER_07:She does. Liz, want to watch Gilmore Girls together soon? Um, anyways. Yeah, I don't like surprises. I don't like new things. I like to have background. I don't sit and watch TV much, so I like to have like a background noise.
SPEAKER_03:It's comfortable because you've seen it before. You know what it's gonna be.
SPEAKER_07:Isn't that ridiculous?
SPEAKER_02:You don't like new things, but you're a rep and like you're out there like meeting new people constantly. Well, she just sells the same thing over and over again.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, I just I'm like, here's your two products.
SPEAKER_03:You get two products big light and a dark. These are the best colors.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, these are definitely the best colors. Always in stock.
unknown:All right.
SPEAKER_03:Well, we are 50 minutes in. If we want to jump to rapid fire questions, I have a feeling they won't be rapid. No, you're you're you're right.
SPEAKER_07:Um everybody buy Mannington or USA made.
SPEAKER_03:And Hayworth, just to make up for me dragging Liz.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. I've never heard of either one of those companies. This is my first I learn a lot coming on the show. But you have a hard hack. Coming on this show.
SPEAKER_03:So what's what is your territory again?
SPEAKER_02:Florida panhandle, right? And Missouri. No! Not anymore. Not anymore.
SPEAKER_07:Oh my goodness. Maybe I'm gonna move after this podcast. I'm gonna have to start fresh.
SPEAKER_02:No, don't do that. That's not true. Don't do that. All right, bring it on. Okay. Um what was the first thing you did when you got to work this morning?
SPEAKER_07:People work on the Tuesday of Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_02:Oh. Do you wanna skip that one?
SPEAKER_07:The first thing I probably did was log in to Salesforce and update my product. She loves it.
SPEAKER_02:I was gonna say, be more peppy.
SPEAKER_07:Salesforce is the best part of my day. I love it. Yeah. I probably was checking what samples were ordered yesterday and what I need to follow up on.
SPEAKER_02:Lots of samples ordered yesterday.
SPEAKER_07:I'm very routined in my mornings.
SPEAKER_03:The Monday of the week of Thanksgiving. You get your folders. How many cups of folders do you have three in the morning? And then Starbucks in the afternoon.
SPEAKER_07:And then I go to my workout class in the morning. And then when I walk in the door, it's ready.
SPEAKER_02:You have three cups of coffee in the morning?
SPEAKER_07:Yes. And then the afternoon Starbucks. It's almost every day.
SPEAKER_03:So when we were in Jess's kitchen, we were talking about how much do you have. And she's like, I only have three cups a day. And we're like, okay. And she's like, three in the morning and one in the afternoon. We're like, that doesn't add up.
SPEAKER_02:We didn't teach you math and advertising. That wasn't very rapid. Yeah, they don't learn advertising.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, we should probably rename them. I was gonna say long form, long form questions. Okay, bring it on. All right. Uh we had one of our listeners write in a question. Andrew A. from Birmingham, Alabama. Wonderful. Would like you to explain ergonomics.
SPEAKER_07:So I don't know ergonomics, but it's written in our a tune folder. So I use the term. Okay, listen. We have this wonderful product called a tune. And it's got sheet vinyl on front, like a beautiful sheet vinyl visual, and it's got like a crummy rubber on the back. I explained crummy rubber because people know what that means. Like the tire feel. Yep, yep. Okay. So I call it the mullet because it's like business in the front, party on the back. Yep. Isn't that funny? I came up with that on the fly. Yeah. Y'all can laugh.
SPEAKER_02:I don't know if you can.
SPEAKER_07:I did come up with it.
SPEAKER_02:The mullet joke?
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, you know why? It came from Hannah Montana, but I came up with it for a tune.
SPEAKER_03:She she's appropriated the joke for everything.
SPEAKER_02:I didn't mean to go so aggressive there. You put on your angry eyes to quote Toy Story. Have you guys ever seen Toy Story?
SPEAKER_07:It wasn't Toy Story, it was Hannah Montana.
SPEAKER_02:Angry Eyes is a is the Toy Story reference.
SPEAKER_07:Anyways, Andrew.
SPEAKER_02:This is going great. I'm really glad that you're talking about it. Chad has left the building. Chad's red. Chad's turning red.
SPEAKER_07:He's anxious. Okay, Andrew, back to it. Yes. Well, I was showing I was showing a tune, and you know, they gave us some buzzwords to use around it, and they use the term ergonomic. I didn't know what it means. So I'm presenting to KPS and I'm like, here's my super ergonomic floor. And they all looked at me.
SPEAKER_02:They're like, what? Yeah. Do they mean like ergonomic in terms of like how you stand on it? I'll send you the brochure. Well, no, it's not let's not get carried away.
SPEAKER_03:Deep down, we don't care.
SPEAKER_02:But but Andrew does. You can bring in gifts before the show, but we don't accept anything else.
SPEAKER_07:Andrew, if you're listening, I'll bring you the most ergonomic flooring ever if you specify it.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Is it my turn now? It is too much. Yeah, it's your turn. Come on, I'll read it. I'm torn between asking you what your favorite book is.
SPEAKER_07:Oh, no.
SPEAKER_02:Don't I don't read. That's what I figured that answer was going to be, but I didn't want to be judged mental.
SPEAKER_07:Why do you say that? Did I not strike you as a reader?
SPEAKER_02:Just, you know, my sixth sense. You watch the same show over and over and over and over again.
SPEAKER_07:Definitely not reading books.
SPEAKER_02:Um, if you had a warning label, what would it say?
SPEAKER_07:Caution, very loud. That was a rabid fire answer. Next question.
SPEAKER_02:Wow. Wow.
SPEAKER_03:Very loud. First time ever. What was your uh favorite experience on your trip to Disney?
SPEAKER_07:Oh my gosh. Was that another Facebook stalking? Yes, of course. Oh, when Charlie Rose saw Cinderella, she was mesmerized.
SPEAKER_03:Was that at Cinderella's Castle or were they at the city? Cinderella's Castle. Did you do the meal in Cinderella's castle?
SPEAKER_07:Not at Cinderella's Castle. Listen, she's two and a half and he was six months. I was like, this was dip our toes in the water. Okay. Yeah, but Cinderella, she was just mesmerized and she gave her the biggest hug. And we had matching, um, matching face paint, which was like so cute.
SPEAKER_03:Wait, you had face paint too?
SPEAKER_07:Of course.
SPEAKER_03:The angry eyes again. And and also your husband.
SPEAKER_07:Wait, you know what? I don't think I did do my face paint. I think I just totally made that up. And she had her face painted, but now that I'm thinking about it, I'm like thinking when I was little, I got my face painted there, but I don't think I did. I'll have to fact check. I'll report back. I thought like we had matching, but now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I did.
SPEAKER_02:Of course, her face paint was really good. I had to just fact check myself. You played softball. I played basketball. You played basketball too? I did. Okay. You are what, 5'10?
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, I had to quit basketball because I you were too aggressive. No, I it yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Wait, why did you quit basketball?
SPEAKER_07:Well, I got hurt and I hurt my pitching arm, and I was already committed. I committed to Michigan State when I was 15. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:That was a when you were a good pitcher.
SPEAKER_07:Dang. It was like that when I was playing. Yeah, it was like before I could drive a car, I was like, where do you want to go to college? Isn't that crazy?
SPEAKER_03:So you were good.
SPEAKER_07:No. All right, next question.
SPEAKER_03:Well, it's Chad's, is it your turn? I just asked the Disney question. Oh, that's right.
SPEAKER_07:I can't believe you stalked my Facebook.
SPEAKER_02:When we get sidetracked. Okay. Um, I feel like this is this is gonna be really easy. But maybe not. This might be interesting. We've got to stay on theme. What's your go-to coffee order when you have an early client meeting?
SPEAKER_07:An early client. Okay, listen.
SPEAKER_03:Sure, like I don't get up early.
SPEAKER_07:Yes, I do. I work hard. Okay.
SPEAKER_03:She drinks Folgers in the morning.
SPEAKER_07:But I drink Folgers in the morning. Can I give you my afternoon coffee order?
SPEAKER_02:I actually read this question differently in my head. You're bringing coffee to the client? Yes, that's the way I'm I'm reading it. You're bringing you're bringing coffee.
SPEAKER_07:And then they send it to me. And then I bring I have um. This is a boring question. I'm gonna. Yeah, that was a horror. Boo. Terrible. I'm gonna replace you as the podcast host.
SPEAKER_02:Yikes. Well, let's not let's not get rid of it. Chad does like to speak as well.
SPEAKER_07:But if anyone wants to bring me my afternoon Starbucks, it's a listen to the joke. Benti vanilla sweet cream cold brew with light ice. But you have to get it from yeah, there's only certain Starbucks because sometimes they mess it up. You know, when you get the coffee and it's white and you're like, hmm, wanted a little coffee in there.
SPEAKER_03:What's the biggest surprise about being a mom?
SPEAKER_07:All of it's a surprise. I'm like, wait. You know what surprises me is how they learn stuff. Like I feel like the next day I wake up and they have like a new sentence. Yeah. Or Cooper is like doing something.
SPEAKER_03:They throw a word out and you're like, where did you learn that word?
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, every time it caught catches me off guard. Charlie Rose old the other day she Where'd you learn the F-word? Yeah, I'm like, wow, the F word.
SPEAKER_03:All in design.
SPEAKER_07:Sounds a lot like truck to me.
SPEAKER_03:And you used it correctly.
SPEAKER_07:I'm like, oh no, there was a time where she was saying, Can we cuss on here?
SPEAKER_03:We have, yes.
SPEAKER_07:Well, there was a time where every time someone else would drop something, she'd go, oh shit. And we had to be like, uh oh, uh-oh. But it wasn't when she would drop it. It was like I would drop something, she'd go, oh shit. And I was like, oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02:Kids say the darndest thing.
SPEAKER_07:Yes, I guess what they say.
SPEAKER_02:That's a TV show, by the way. Is it?
SPEAKER_07:Um 1991.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, from before you were born. Um what is one thing you know a surprisingly large amount about that has nothing to do with your industry?
SPEAKER_07:Football.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, college or NFL. Or just football. High school.
SPEAKER_07:High school. Hoover Bucks.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_07:And not because I want to know, but I just like it.
SPEAKER_02:So you know like the players and the parents and where they're going and who's playing who and what the score was last weekend and all the things.
SPEAKER_03:What was the score last weekend?
SPEAKER_07:They didn't make the second round of playoffs there. Oh, too soon, Chad. I'm sorry. Yeah. Tough subject.
SPEAKER_02:But Russ has been home a lot more. Oh, that's right, because he coaches. He does. We actually didn't talk about what he does. Sorry. Or did we? No, no.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We spent 10 minutes on it, Martin.
SPEAKER_07:He's a We spent a very long time on Russ, and he's going to be like, why did you do that?
SPEAKER_03:He's a football coach.
SPEAKER_07:He's going to be like, you could have left me out of this.
SPEAKER_02:Is he going to listen to the show?
SPEAKER_07:Oh, for sure. He'll probably put it on his Instagram. He's got like 10 followers.
SPEAKER_02:So we're going to get 10 extra listens this episode. Yep. He's a wide receiver coach?
SPEAKER_07:Uh, I think tight ends. He kind of bounces back and forth. Okay. Mostly tight ends.
SPEAKER_02:I was actually just kind of making things up. I feel like maybe I knew that, but okay.
SPEAKER_07:So there's no video.
SPEAKER_03:There's no video. Yeah. You missed that. No, what you did. It's okay. What'd you do? No. She made a hand gesture when she said tight ends.
SPEAKER_02:So we'll do that. I don't know what got into me. This is a PG show.
SPEAKER_07:This is PG. Oh shit.
SPEAKER_03:Oh shit. Alright, Chad. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
SPEAKER_07:I probably fly because I hate traffic.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Yeah. Practical.
SPEAKER_07:Practical.
SPEAKER_02:If you had if you gosh, if you had to make a hat from one of your products, what would it look like? A cork sickle. A cork.
SPEAKER_07:A look like? Or what product would I use?
SPEAKER_02:What product? What would it look like? We don't care about the product.
SPEAKER_07:Probably look like a I care about the product.
SPEAKER_02:What product would you use?
SPEAKER_07:I would definitely use a tune because it's ergonomic. It's ergonomic. Why would you not want an ergonomic hat?
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_07:Comfort is key.
SPEAKER_02:What would it look like?
SPEAKER_07:Probably a big hat.
SPEAKER_02:Good next question. All right.
SPEAKER_07:Stupid question.
SPEAKER_01:A lot of these are dumb.
SPEAKER_07:Is that chat GPT?
SPEAKER_02:A lot of these are dumb. Chads are all. That's for sure the free version.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. So I take the time in each guest I write a list of five questions. Wow. Mark has Chat GPT several sheets of paper.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I have like probably 30 questions here, 40 maybe. And then I just kind of bounce around. And then it'll get longer. Like so in another like six or seven episodes, there'll be another page and a half.
SPEAKER_07:So they came up with what hat would you use out of a project?
SPEAKER_02:Maybe you should delete. Yeah, well, it's just more fun to like not be paying attention. I'm kidding. Not listening to the answer.
SPEAKER_03:What's your go-to non-curse curse word? So classic question. Kids are around, and maybe not your kids, but other people's kids, and you don't want to curse in front of them. And so you what comes out of your mouth instead of a curse word.
SPEAKER_07:It takes a lot of self-control to use a nod. Probably fudge.
SPEAKER_03:Okay.
SPEAKER_07:Which is not a good one. I don't recommend that. I should start doing like fish sticks, but yeah, no. Fudge!
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_07:And it's more like fudge!
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Christmas story. Right there. Have you seen a Christmas story?
SPEAKER_07:Yes, I've seen the Christmas story. You'll shoot your eye out, kid. I'm really good. I remember where he licks the pulp.
SPEAKER_02:Well he, there is a kid who it's not the main character, though.
SPEAKER_07:Oh, okay. Listen, I don't remember the last time I saw it. Don't they like eat soap too?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, you you know the movie well. Not that well. Yeah, not that one. Now ask me about the outcome. Yeah, because he doesn't just eat soap. Yeah, that's why I'm curious if you've actually seen this.
SPEAKER_07:Probably when I had my face painted. That never really happened. I couldn't tell you the plot. I couldn't tell you the plot, but I remember scenes from growing up. Okay. There is a lot of action here.
SPEAKER_02:There's a lot of lot of blue and red lights this afternoon. Although it does not look uh knock knock wood. I'm gonna knock my head here. It doesn't look like tornado weather anymore.
SPEAKER_07:Oh my goodness. I feel like we've been doing this for three hours.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, well the sun has covered.
SPEAKER_03:I think the people listening have felt the same. Yeah, that's bad.
SPEAKER_07:I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
SPEAKER_03:So even Mickey has stopped listening.
SPEAKER_07:Mickey's like, I'm done.
SPEAKER_02:This is the first time I've ever turned off. I have one more, or you always keep going.
SPEAKER_03:Uh I think we're done, but if you get another one, go for it.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, I did I did have one more, which was if you were not a sales rep, what career would you choose? IT.
SPEAKER_03:I was paying attention. IT and advertising.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah. I would probably be I don't know. Um probably be like a softball coach or something. No, you know what I would love to do. Here we go. If I wasn't selling flooring, you know what I would love to do? I would sell uniforms to coaches.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, that's a very specific job. Is that an actual thing?
SPEAKER_07:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_07:I only know that because like I hear about it all the time with the uniform stuff. I think that'd be fun. Don't worry, man. I'm selling flooring until the day I die. But if I don't look for me at a coach's office with jerseys.
SPEAKER_02:It doesn't sound funny at all. I'm just kidding. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, that sounds bad. No, it's fine. Oh fudge.
SPEAKER_03:It doesn't sound oh fudge. Oh fudge.
SPEAKER_07:Oh fudge.
SPEAKER_02:Alright, I think we're done. I think that's a good ending.
SPEAKER_07:Can we turn these off?
SPEAKER_02:We will shortly. We turned them off like 20 minutes ago. Yeah, yeah. Good, good, good. Probably for the best. Actually, especially a uniform question. So we're gonna do this again. We're gonna do this this time.
SPEAKER_07:Have you ever done that?
SPEAKER_03:No, we've not. We are professionals.
SPEAKER_07:Oh my goodness. Can you imagine?
SPEAKER_03:No, because I can I I've got the computer in front of me, so I can see people talking. And again, the sound waves, yours are really big. Yeah. Marks are not anywhere close, and then mine are tiny. Which is funny because usually I'm the loud one. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But you know.
SPEAKER_01:Is that right? That spikes. You've probably listened on headphones right now. Your eardrums are believed. On the count of three ball screen.
SPEAKER_07:Sorry, Mickey. Sorry, Mickey and Liz.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. To the rest of you, no apologies.
SPEAKER_03:Yep. Alright, let's shut her down. Alright, so to finish off, uh, we I'm probably gonna make this a Christmas themed song since we're getting into the holidays. Yep. This episode will launch December 1st, so we'll be right into December. But I want three random words from you to include in the Christmas song for this episode. Pine cone. Pine cone.
SPEAKER_07:Green.
SPEAKER_03:Green?
SPEAKER_07:Green. Are we doing the Christmas thing?
SPEAKER_03:It could be anything. If you want to be ergonomic, it could be.
SPEAKER_07:Santa! Oh no, ergonomic, ergonomic, ergonomic, finally. Finally.
SPEAKER_02:I think you should add a fourth, maybe, just as a suggestion, and throw in uh uh beach cat.
SPEAKER_07:Beach cat? Beach cat. Alright, we'll do a fourth. All right. I said it like, all right, yeah. Beach cat.
SPEAKER_03:Thank you so much for dogging us to finally have you on the podcast.
SPEAKER_07:Thank you for the warm invite. The sincere invite. I couldn't. It was sincere. Thank you.
SPEAKER_02:It was sincere. And we're glad you're on the show. It was great. Enjoyed it. Thanks.
SPEAKER_07:Peace out, y'all. Bye Mannington. Christmas in the M Ho Ho. Yes, ma'am.
SPEAKER_04:Let's get this latest brightness on the album.