The B Team Podcast
Talking all things Business, Bentonville, and Bourbon. Hosted by Josh Saffran, Matt Marrs, and Rob Nelson. New episodes every Thursday!
The B Team Podcast
Ep. 41 - Fixer to Fabulous: Behind the Scenes of HGTV
What happens when sibling rivalry, small-town charm, and bourbon come together? Find out as we welcome Dave Marrs to the B-Team Podcast! Dave takes us on a hilarious journey from the original Matt and Karey show to the wildly popular Dave and Jenny show. Feel the camaraderie and humor in the room with hosts Josh Saffran, Matt Marrs, and our permanent guest Rob Nelson as we sip on a tantalizing apple butter bourbon, thanks to our mutual friend Mike Hodges. We promise you'll laugh, learn, and discover the warmth of family and community that shapes our lives and this very podcast.
From navigating fame to staying grounded in personal values, Dave shares his family's journey in the world of television. When approached to spotlight Northwest Arkansas, initial hesitations gave way to a heartfelt mission to honor and lift the local community. These insights provide a window into the delicate balance of public life and personal commitments. As we delve into the dynamics of reality TV, you'll hear tales of Italian passion, family collaboration, and the dance between creativity and production logistics that keep the show authentic and engaging.
Exciting news is on the horizon as we discuss the grand opening of Marrs on Main in downtown Bentonville. Join us as we envision a vibrant, bustling hub filled with global imports, a dream come true for Dave and Jenny. With lighthearted stories of charity events, coaching youth soccer, and potential high-profile ventures, this episode revels in community spirit and the bonds that bind us, weaving humor and heart into a tapestry of meaningful experiences. Come along for a delightful mix of business, family, and a tad bit of bourbon!
Welcome to the B-Team Podcast. I am your host, josh Saffron, with my co-host, matt Morris and our permanent guest Rob Nelson. We're here every week to talk to you about all things Bentonville, bourbon and business the B-Team Podcast Be here. Welcome to the B-Team Podcast. I'm your host, josh Saffron, with my co-host Matt Mars and our permanent guest Rob Nelson. Can I get you to shave at some point again? I'm working on, you know.
Speaker 2:I figured I'd give you a little bit more business over at the Gents. Shout out, shout out, and we're going to see what Haley can do. It looks like he shaved his chest a little bit. It's all cleaned up. No, no, no, it's just natural. Just go for it.
Speaker 1:That's a natural line right there. I mean look how good the beards look on the guys and it's just time for you to become one of the men. You know it's time, bobby. We are here every Thursday, and we are here every Thursday for all things business, Bentonville and bourbon, and today we have Mr Dave Mars.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you for coming in, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:I mean, this is like on your press tour. This has got to be the highlight of it.
Speaker 2:This is. I've been wondering for how long is it going to take to get an invite to this? It's been a while. I'm glad we already had Jenny here. No, you have freaking Mike here before me. You saved the best for last.
Speaker 1:I'm going to be honest, we drink bourbon here. Okay, what do you got? I'm not quite sure what this is. Now, we were going to offer you some.
Speaker 2:We have. Yeah, I'll show you what we have after we try this.
Speaker 1:We have a couple of options for you, rob insisted.
Speaker 2:Rob said, you would like this better.
Speaker 1:You like apple butter.
Speaker 2:So we're going to try the apple butter first.
Speaker 1:Look how sad he looks.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's try it. Well, here's the thing, right. So this was a good friend of all of ours. Shout out to Mike Hodges. Shout out to Mike Hodges. He brought this in from Kentucky and supposedly the thing is Just a little bit. I'm going to do a little. Supposedly the supposedly the thing behind it. It's like there's no artificial flavors added to it, so they actually take like the apple and all this and it's infused into the bourbon process. Now, wait a minute, so they're artificial flavors put in normal bourbon, in some, yeah, unless if you're blending. Yeah, some of those you know cheaper blend. I think maybe rob just picked this out, do you?
Speaker 2:guys see the picture on it. Let's be real. Did you even taste it before you said you loved it? I might have labeled off that bottle. I mean, how important is the label and the bottle On that label?
Speaker 1:Now, just to be clear, I brought this.
Speaker 2:That's a good one.
Speaker 1:Matt brought this.
Speaker 2:That's amazing too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is good and then we have apple butter, and nothing against apple butter, but bobby chose for you specifically well, this bottle.
Speaker 2:He was like you do the berry, you do the berries, you have apples on your farm and I just thought it was appropriate yeah well, let's taste this thing. Yeah, cheers, I'm going to stick with the La Vie. Yeah yeah, he brought it and he's drinking the La Vie. Of course he is. Smells like it's got a little apple smell in there. It's smooth, it's not bad.
Speaker 1:Not bad. I mean, it's not the other two, but it's not bad.
Speaker 2:It's good for, you know, a little dessert. What's the Maybe? Do a mixer with it, the one out of Alabama that's got. Oh, clyde, Mays, clyde.
Speaker 1:Mays. It kind of has some Clyde Mays it does.
Speaker 2:It's $114, rube. This is a limited, rare release, that's right. Well, there you go. Only the best Indiana's Made in Indiana. It's got a little fire behind it. It's got apple brandy in it.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's what it is. That's the apple butter. And why are you holding your hand on the picture of the girl?
Speaker 2:My hand did that. I just picked it up Automatically, went there. Yeah, I did, dave Mars welcome.
Speaker 1:Thank you, a couple questions for you from the group before we start. Absolutely so I was talking to Matt and before it was the Matt and Carrie show and then, when he turned it down, it became the Dave and Jenny show. Like walk through, what it's like being the second. Yeah, I mean, how did that feel?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, it was you know he doesn't even know how to respond. Well, no, they actually went through. This is kind of behind the scenes stuff, but they went through and they did a sizzle reel and, you know, got all that stuff there and production company and network called us and said they were frigging awful.
Speaker 1:Is there any way you guys can jump in?
Speaker 2:And so he didn't want to tell me that part. I've never even heard that until today. I mean, we're breaking stuff on the BTA podcast.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, it must have been terrible.
Speaker 2:So Jenny and I tried it, and you know, and said we'll do this one shot, it'll only be a pilot and it'll never go any farther. And, son of a bitch, we aren't on season six, right?
Speaker 1:now yeah. Season six yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:Six, yeah, yeah, six. About to wrap it up.
Speaker 2:And I think Dave must have been like hey, you know, I don't want to hurt my brother's feelings. I mean, six years in he's telling the story. Could he be the janitor on the show, right? And they're like, I guess, if we have to, I try to bring all the family in. Yeah, rob, I mean that's well.
Speaker 2:I think that's one of the great things about the show is they really do they like to focus, you know, on local makers, local contractors, local, you know as much as they can highlight local people doing good things in our community and, um, you know, I think that's been one of the great things that we've we've gotten to highlight from this show is, yeah, north was arkansas. Let's be honest, I mean there's. If you don't know of northwest arkansas, you don't really, really have a desire to be there. I heard you didn't use. Yeah, sure, you didn't used to. I mean I, we grew up in colorado, I graduated from colorado state and moved out here after college and, um, all my friends, like the hell are you doing? Why are you going to arkansas, leaving for collins? And you know several of them live out here now, and so it's just a. It's a place that you know we've been able to highlight on the show.
Speaker 1:But you know, you guys know I'm not telling you anything new, that's why you're doing this, but it's a common theme on the show, like people talk all the time about now. I didn't know anything about this place and it's so amazing and it's really been something we've talked about on every single episode.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and we get. I mean we get people that have moved here. You know we had a lot of people that visit, that come and they'll, they'll visit here. But also, you know, we'll go to Jenny and I will go to, whether it's trade shows or home shows or whatever it may be around the country. And a lot of people like hey, my kid graduated college and moved down. I'm so worried. They moved down, they went to work for Walmart or Tyson or name it, and we watch your show and we're like man, that's a great place to go. And so even people that don't live here but have connections here now they can kind of, you know, see what the area is from the show so what was the background?
Speaker 1:you were obviously building homes beforehand, but how did they find you and like what was the story behind you getting?
Speaker 2:on tv. So we were um jenny and I were were building in downtown bentonville and this is after like 2007-8 when it crashed. And if we told you what we were buying properties for in downtown Bentonville then holy cow and should have never sold.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh $30 a square foot. $40 a square foot.
Speaker 2:So I'll tell you, I built a house really the first house other than my own that I built in downtown Bentonville, and this was not that long ago, it was probably 2012, 2013, something like that, so I guess 10 years and built it right over by your house and we sold that thing and we got $100 a foot for that house and I was like God, I freaking stroked these people. We did a home run on this house and now it's 5X. Oh my gosh, what are we going to do to get that one back? But you know, I mean so.
Speaker 2:Anyway, we were kind of doing not only new construction but remodels in downtown Bentonville and had a lady that I had built a home for, that was friends with um, someone at the network. They they reached out and said we're looking for small town america and um, do you have anyone you would recommend? So she put in jenny and i's name, she put in a couple other names and so they they called and um, you know we said at at the time we weren't really interested in doing the show. We had the good business, things were moving along and I've got to say a couple of big concerns. Number one was our family. We had just kind of come out of a really tough adoption. We had four kids that were under four and we just kind of had come up for air where where things were just getting back to normal, and so that was the first reason we're like, nah, we're not really interested, and um second reason down the first time we did so.
Speaker 2:The second reason we were kind of not interested at the time was, um, just, I didn't think they would portray Northwest Arkansas Well. I thought they would like kind of down home back at Dan joe's. So you know we, we said no and they, about six months later, um a guy named adam who is works for for our production company, for river media. He called and he said hey, can I take you guys out to, can I take you guys out to lunch? Um, and so now, but how about coffee? We'll go for coffee. And so we met him at that Starbucks in between Bentonville and Centerton and he said hey guys, I've, I'm from Rogers, I grew up here, I live in he doesn't live there anymore, I lives in St Louis now but he said I, you know, I grew up here.
Speaker 2:And um, so your number one reason, or one of your reasons, about portraying the area I would never let this area be portrayed as anything but as amazing as it is, and the network does not want that either. So that's number one. And he said number two I know you're coming up for air, but I also know that you guys have the blueberry farm and that's getting going and I love your heart for, you know, for nonprofit. And he said you know most of these shows. If, if we shoot 80 pilots a year, hgtv may pick up three or four. So the chances are it won't be picked up again.
Speaker 2:But he said, man, if you had one chance to sit on a national platform and talk about the things you care about, about your platform, would you do it? And he goes I don't want an answer. Go home and pray about it and then let me know. And so that was. We went home and did and Jenny was at the meeting with you. Jenny was at the meeting with me and she's always kind of been the I don't know that I want this. I don't feel like we should be doing this. She's mama bear, right? She's protective of the kids, and you know entertainment industry well, shit, you guys are in. It's a dark industry. So you know we're pretty big.
Speaker 2:In the podcast we just broke 10 viewers on average per episode, so you know we understand we're in the same realm, yeah so I mean that that first year, the first year we um, they picked up eight episodes, eight one-hour episodes, after our pilot did well enough and we filmed. You know, we did those eight. And it was August, middle of August, and we were just about done long hard year, and we were wrapping up and the network called and they were like hey guys, we have great news. The network really loves like, we really love the cuts and we love what we're seeing, so we want to increase our order to 10. And Jenny literally started crying. She was like I can't do any more of this. And that was year one and so, but it's, you know, we get good people that work with us, we get our systems a little bit more refined, and then we still figure stuff out every year that, like man, we could do this a lot better. So it's just Just like a new job.
Speaker 1:It's just a job and now you know you. I know it's hard to say that you haven't changed right. Like you're on TV when you travel, you're recognizable. But like, how do you keep to the core of who you are? Because I get asked all the time. You know, david, should I go? Yeah, yes, are they the same? Yeah, they're great people. How do you keep to that core, understanding that when you go out you're getting asked for autographs and pictures and security and all those other things? Is it hard to balance all that?
Speaker 2:Well. So I mean, really, when we started this like we both had kind of, you know, prayed about this and we said before we said yes, we just said hey, let's just always remember our why, remember why we said yes to this. And so there are. You know, there are days when you get the letter in the mail that you shouldn't have ever received from some whack job, or you get, you know, like, some comments God's writing you letters. Yeah, weird typewriter letters.
Speaker 1:God started to give out one of the shows We've all gotten a few of those over the past few years.
Speaker 2:Or you know you get someone that comes in and you know like they're just critical, whether it's online or whatever, and then you just have hard days where you're just you know, you're just beat from smiling at a camera for 12 hours and it's Jenny or me or one or the other. Hey, remember why we're doing this. And so I think the original reason that we said yes wasn't because I wanted a job or wanted to be on TV. It was, hey, can we highlight our area and can we highlight some of the orphanages and nonprofit work that we love to do? And that's where, if you see us at the Berry Farm or see us at Berry Fest, that's what I love doing. I mean, that's the passion. This is a job and I'm thankful to be able to do it, but it's just a job and it will end. I mean, yeah.
Speaker 1:So you guys had some of your planning for a point when it will end. I mean yeah, so you guys had some. You're planning for a point when it's over. So, like, not like, hey, I can't wait to be done, but at some point you'll move on with it. Yeah, it's just the reality that it's.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I mean, it's just a, it's just a reality of of television. So started this. I think the most people can agree that the like, the benchmark of, of like home renovation, was Chip and Joanne right, was the, and they did five seasons and you know it's. We thought, you know, when we were, when we, when we first started this, they said, hey, if you, if you get past the pilot, it's just, it's crazy, like it doesn't ever happen, but you probably won't make it past the first year. And then, yeah, you could get, maybe if you get past a pilot, it's just, it's crazy, like it doesn't ever happen, but you probably won't make it past the first year. And then, yeah, you could get, maybe if you get past the first year. You know, second year is tough and that's been every year where we've been. We've just it's all ratings based.
Speaker 2:So you know, I mean people are watching and people are tuning in and now, like that ministry of the show for the non-profit and some for that, it is still there, the man, when someone comes up to you and they say, hey, this is a show that, when there's not a lot of good on tv that I can watch with my parents and my kids at the same time, and they're not going to be offended and they're not going to you know like we can put anyone down in front of it, and it's just good television about families that love each other and work through things and just figure it out.
Speaker 2:It's a pretty damn good feeling, yeah, really good feeling, and so that becomes more of it where I think now it's even more so, jenny. Okay, this is, I feel like this is something that we're supposed to be doing at this time, for whatever reason that may be, and she, just God, will tell us when it's time to hang it up and when it's over. But yeah, if we go into season seven and again it's all ratings based, but if we go into season seven, I mean we'll hit 100 episodes, which is unheard of for a lot of television and I never thought it would be that.
Speaker 2:But I'm telling you, it's people attracted to the area. It's people attracted to like how beautiful Northwest Arkansas is, attracted to, like how beautiful Northwest Arkansas is.
Speaker 1:It's we've we've found great, for the most part great homeowners that have a good story and a story that people want to listen to. So how do you manage Matt's role in the show? Now, that's always important. How do you give him the right amount of airtime where it doesn't disrupt, because it's all about ratings, right?
Speaker 2:And so, like we know on the podcast, when they're doing the ratings, they take me out. They're like Matt needs to not be there that day. That's crap With both of these two. They always want as much Rob and Matt as they can get, because really, if you know, if I'm in the shop, if I'm building something, I'm, I'm not. I'm going to try that other one if you want to grab it.
Speaker 2:I'm not Bob Vila where I'm talking to a camera right At the end of the day, people are not turning on the television to watch me build a table in a shop. They're turning it on for the design and the story and it's way more Jenny than it is me. But if I am building something it just makes it a lot better if someone's with me and I'm talking and interacting. So but these two men like I mean skittles, skittles, they're just like going here, and there and everywhere and I mean, I feel like I live vicariously through there.
Speaker 2:I feel like he's trying to con us into something here. Yeah. I know like he's trying to con us into something here. Yeah, I know, is there an ask?
Speaker 1:I mean yeah, I mean just invite me sometime, I guess.
Speaker 2:I guess it would be good. But yeah, it's um, no, we're always, we're always trying to get these guys on because that's the you know, there's, there's character and that's where you have it's people feel more connected because we're all family, right, well, it's like you say, like people know how to like remodeling a house is remodeling house. It's not like, right, well, and here's the deal Like everyone has, you know, everyone has like a brother or a sister. Not everyone, but a lot of people have a brother or sister that like the interactions they can, they can relate to, you know, they can relate to. Hey, this is, you know, I like the banter back and forth, and no, so, yeah, we want to have them on as much as possible. So so can we talk about what's kind of going on with Rob right now? Do you think we can bring him back in? I would love to bring him back.
Speaker 1:Whoa, whoa. It feels like we're negotiating.
Speaker 2:It's like a counseling session on your what's going on with Rob Dave?
Speaker 1:I have no idea. I don't know either.
Speaker 2:Well, so he did one house this year, yeah.
Speaker 1:One house this year, that's what.
Speaker 2:I'm talking about Okay, but this year we went from we did 12 projects. We said we would do 16 episodes, but 12 projects, yeah. So we had how many two-parters? Three, three, two parts. So that's six episodes. Yeah, one of which was done. You know, with some another company that we've worked with in the past that it was their property. We actually did a house over in oklahoma for Jude this year. A one-day 24-hour build, which was incredible, and then, yeah, we just haven't. It's just finding the right project, that's it.
Speaker 1:It's always about finding the right project. That's right. Do we need to hug it out?
Speaker 2:That's all I wanted to hear is Ross I felt like Matt was throwing a grenade. Oh yeah, I did too Look if Dave came to me and said hey, I need you to do four houses next year, or six houses next year, or two houses next year. Hey, Rob, I got one for you. Like that's what family does at the end of the day, like whether it's one house, no houses, ten houses I mean I do other stuff for you as well too. Like to me it's whatever you need.
Speaker 1:It's all recorded, so I'm hearing you say it. That's very true.
Speaker 2:This is on film, but what I will say, though, is I'm known for getting very passionate, because, when it comes to family, well, that's why these two fight all the time.
Speaker 1:I don't fight all the time. It's like, like Rob and I never fight, we never fight.
Speaker 2:Josh and Rob. But when it comes to family, my Italian side comes out. Josh got to witness it earlier this week.
Speaker 1:I blocked him on my phone this week. Yeah, really, you didn't block my internet.
Speaker 2:But when it comes to family, I get very protective and I'm all about what's best for Jenny and Dave, what's best for Matt, what's best for family, right?
Speaker 1:So sometime Loot me for a second. I was excited. I didn't hear that I skipped over it.
Speaker 2:No, you're family man, I love you, but, like to me, it's like I always want to do the best and have my family's best interests at heart, and sometimes it comes across wrong or whatnot, and I'm italian, and I get heated for a few minutes and then I'm good. I mean, it's just who, I'm lucky I haven't seen you eat it like, oh, I'll talk to some of your people, well, and that's like that's just the nature of our show. Probably the hardest thing when we started this show was realizing that the show had to do a job too, right? So like to have when you're the contractor and you're paying your guys to come and work on a job, and then the show says, hey, we need to stop down for 20 minutes so we can get some. We can get, you know, this scene with Dave and Jenny, or we need oh my gosh, there's an amazing find under that, behind that wall. Stop, but everyone out of here, let's film it, let's get all the angles, get everything.
Speaker 2:And so that the first year for me was yeah, I was doing as much as I possibly could when they were at lunch, when they were doing other things the first year you really didn't have a lot of gcs around yeah, it was you, it was me and so you know that when you're, when, when you're filming and these guys can relate too, but when you're filming you go into it like a deep dark, like that's all you can really do. Yeah, it's just they're pulling you from one scene to the next because they've got, you know.
Speaker 1:They have a job to do Right to the next to, because they've got.
Speaker 2:You know they have a job to do, right. So this 43 minute show. There's 120 hours of footage that gets cut down to 43 minutes, one more time, yeah 43 minute show how many hours they shoot 120 hours of footage for a 43 minute that's insane on average.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it's more wow, and so they've got to narrow down and get you know like they got to get. Basically, we're looking for 10 to 12 scenes per film day. Right, the where we can, we can go through and you know, sometimes you get eight, sometimes you get 14, but 10 to 12 is where you need to be to get the scenes to be able to fill the show.
Speaker 1:Do you have any say like this? This scene has to stay.
Speaker 2:So no, I mean, at the end of the day, the network is the final, they're the final acts on what they cut, what they say. It's kind of like you, josh, I mean you're the final edit, so I'm.
Speaker 1:HGTV. We watch the show and we're like well, what about this part?
Speaker 2:And they're like yeah that didn't make it. Matt and I were like, okay, we should edit this out or not edit it out. And at the end of the day, you're sitting on your couch and text us on Sunday and you're like, oh, it's going to be the best episode ever.
Speaker 1:So I am now HGTV, you are.
Speaker 2:HGTV. But you know, I mean there are a few things. So when we started I said, hey, american flag is huge to me. I'm going to end every show. I want that to be the last thing that we put in.
Speaker 1:That was your idea.
Speaker 2:Before we invite that homeowner, the last thing that we put in is that American flag, and we'll always do that, and we've always done that and it's a great American flag. It's great.
Speaker 1:You want to just give a shout-out to that company.
Speaker 2:Allegiance Flag. They're based in Charleston.
Speaker 1:South Carolina Katie hooks us up with.
Speaker 2:I mean veteran-made American flags. Every single piece of that flag is sourced and made right on USA, which is super important to you, super important and like our kids. We get so many questions on our kids on why isn't this one there? Why is this one there? Why not this one? Why are we seeing more of the? And our kids? They didn't sign a contract for a show. They're kids. They're kids Every day.
Speaker 2:They choose when they want to be a part of the show and our production company. They recognize that. They would love to have all of them there all the time. But you know, when we first started this six years ago, seven years ago, my boys were six, seven years old, so they loved being in the shop. Now they're 14. They don't want that attention. They don't like it. When we go to a store and people, they stare at us because it's out of context and like they either recognize us or they're like man. I know them from somewhere but I can't place it and as a 14 year old, you don't want people staring at you like that. And so they. They don't like to be a part of most of the show now and that's fine. That's their choice. Sylvie's the same way, she's just more private. She just doesn't want to be out in the public eye like that. Charlotte and Luke freaking love it. They're in it all the time and it will change. Ben's starting to come around where he wants to work and he wants to do that.
Speaker 1:So is it hard for you to be out in the community. I know you coach basketball and the kids play.
Speaker 2:And I've seen you at the basketball courts like, is it hard, like it's just part of the job, and I yeah, I mean it is what it is. I think like, just like realizing that people, for the 99% of the time, have the best intentions. They just, most people want to say, hey, I love the show, or hey, I appreciate what you're doing for Northwest Arkansas, it's nice to meet you, it's nice to see you, maybe snap a picture, picture and then move on, we move on, we move on, um, and you're good with all that. I am, um. The one thing I don't really love is the like if I'm eating a meal with my family and someone comes up and sits down, and they'll literally sit down and and we're, we're, we're nice because that's, and there's cell phones everywhere, you know, and. But yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I've seen Rob get shy like that too a little bit.
Speaker 1:You know they'll want to take pictures with him and he kind of Whatever Rob's invited him into the house, he does invite him into the house.
Speaker 2:No, I don't, Andrew would kill me.
Speaker 1:But we weren't, andrew would kill me.
Speaker 2:I would, butrew would kill me, but we weren't gonna kill me. I would, but she'd kill me. I said, yeah, come take a picture in front of the fish tank. But matt and I were in on the bourbon trail and it just so happened we got recognized on the bus, on the bus.
Speaker 1:Oh well, that was part.
Speaker 2:Brewer shout out yeah yeah, no, the lady knew, and it was funny because, like the poor guy who was given the tour, he didn't even know what to do. Like the tour stopped and it turned into the Rob and Matt photo shoot.
Speaker 1:Well, it was funny we're on this bus with. It was all of us and then a couple of couples random, and they go oh, we're from Benville, oh, do you know the Mars family. And then Brewer, of course, goes oh yeah, there's Matt, there's Rob, we want photos.
Speaker 2:And oh yeah, there's a bag, there's a rock, there's photos. I knew that was you guys and the poor guy trying to do his job right, and it was early morning or whatever. It was Like he didn't even know what to handle because like it completely digressed to that instead of the tour. But then we got it back on track and it was fine.
Speaker 1:So when they sit down at the table with the family, like do you like how? I know you want to be polite and people write cell phones and social media, like is it you humor them for a minute or two? Yeah, like, hey, I'd like to have dinner with my family.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because again I don't people don't do it out of anything but kindness yes, right, so, and yeah, I mean that's again. It's just just not knowing what to say. You know, I'm sure, if you know, mike rowe walked by me or something.
Speaker 1:I'd be like you know, so you know, and so it's just you know. Well, I was with you at the razorback game when you lost past doug mcmillan. Yeah and you go. Oh, yeah, doug mcmillan he's like hey, that, that's Dave Marley. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I've met him once before and yeah, again, it's like you're out of context, you're like I know you from somewhere and so and we kind of recognized each other around the same moment. But yeah, so, no, it's good, it's, it's really good and we're we're blessed to be in this area. We really are.
Speaker 1:We have a community that and that just kind of takes care of us. So I I do, I love it, and you do a ton for the community, like with visit bentonville, and you want to announce or share with us about more work you're going to be doing in bentonville shortly yeah, so we're um drumrolls yeah, this is amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we are. We are. We're moving another store to downtown Bentonville. So, yeah, right off the square, we are going to. Yeah, we're going to bring it won't be Mars Mercantile. I think Mars on Main is what we're going to do I love that it's going to be.
Speaker 2:Jenny has had this dream of going to be. Uh, jenny has had this dream of um going to europe and bringing in like brass and imports and shipping containers and stuff from just from all over the world, and so, yeah, we're gonna we don't know what we're gonna fill it up with yet, but it's a big space and so we're gonna have to, we're gonna have to build a lot and we're going to have to find a lot.
Speaker 1:We're going to have life-size cutouts of Matt and Rob? That would take a lot of space up.
Speaker 2:But you know downtown Bentonville, you know like it's just, I mean it's changing so quickly.
Speaker 1:There's so many people down there. Every day it's changing.
Speaker 2:So much going on. You know, I like to see that they're. You know, the owners and the people that own land down there are putting in these smaller boutiques and these unique restaurants.
Speaker 1:The hotels, the dining experiences.
Speaker 2:And the walkways where you know they're creating more pedestrian walkways. It's really something. So I mean, yeah, yeah, kudos to bentonville. That's exciting. They're getting a lot, a lot done and yeah, we need it. We need it. We're growing so fast. So, yeah, I'm, we're really excited. We're probably um, we'll probably open probably mid-february, early, early March. We've got a lot of work to do.
Speaker 1:You're in the middle of the reno now.
Speaker 2:We're working on it now. Pretty soon here we'll get some signage up so everyone will know where it's going to be.
Speaker 1:Are you going to be filming of the reno there?
Speaker 2:We've got to do some B-roll. But no, the network is commercial spaces. They usually give us about one a year that we can do, because really I mean HGTV is a residential home platform more so than commercial. But you know we'll blast it out there and you know Bentonville doesn't need much help from us. They've got their own. It's going to do.
Speaker 1:It's going to crush.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so yeah, I mean I'm telling the world about it first On the B-Team podcast On the B-Team podcast. And the location they're in access is from both streets, like it's a good location you could have got a better location. It's a great location.
Speaker 1:Did they call you? Did somebody say, hey, I'd love you to be here, or was it?
Speaker 2:a little bit. Someone did, yeah, someone called and invited us down. That's awesome, yeah. So it was a good match and we've been looking for a while, but it's, you know, I mean, it's a tough nut to crack getting in and around downtown just because it is so many people and it's so desirable to be down there. So, yeah, it's good. I mean. So we're gonna, you know, keep, keep hoping it does well can we talk about your sponsorships for a second?
Speaker 1:because, because, because we were planning the podcast and we were chatting a bit and my favorite one is the is the clothing. Oh yeah, chaps. Oh, yes and so you're standing against the fence. You know, with the hey, you have to have chaps.
Speaker 2:Might as well.
Speaker 1:It was fantastic. Matt was going to wear chaps today. But Cassius, yes, that's what he was going to wear.
Speaker 2:I couldn't find them. I was like I've got some chaps and I'll just wear my boxers with the chaps. I've been walking in saying we're repping your brand today and matt sitting here in chaps would have been podcast gold, right, that would have been gold. That would have been gold, we might have got 20 beers. Yeah, that was um. You know, that was one of those things where because I don't know, this is this world we live in. That was one of those things where our manager, he called and he said you know, he said, dave, is this something that you would do? And I said, well, I just have to be honest. If I'm on the show, I'm not.
Speaker 1:I'm not wearing chaps, I'm not you know, I'm in blue jeans and a shirt. I'm not talking about the assless chaps, right, I was making sure. Either one, either one.
Speaker 2:It's like that's okay. You know, that's okay. We're just looking for something different. And I said, okay, well, if you're looking for, like you know, a middle-aged guy, that's not very fit and, you know, doesn't really put a whole lot into his appearance than I'm your guy. Leaning up on the fence. That's the best pose. I was putting out the vibe.
Speaker 1:It was good. So you're taking out the bag in the bedroom. Oh, I think I bet.
Speaker 2:Jenny attacked him after that photo shoot. That was the main reason I said yes, because you know I mean you wanted to get attacked, well, no, well, maybe. What questions was Mike asking you to get those lips? That's a whole other story with Mike. He's funny dude. He was telling us how he gets people to smile.
Speaker 2:They tried it with me, we tried it with Rob, but he's like I just kind of ask them about their family and things he's like tried it with me and I, we tried it with rob, but he's like, you know, I just kind of asked him about their family and things and he's like I'm taking pictures the whole time and all I could think was dave up against the fence, what, what mike was asking. I think mike was hoping that I had to model thongs but I wasn't doing that part of it.
Speaker 2:But really I wanted to, you know, like hey, you know, just go to Jenny and say you know, jenny, like I'm just curious, like what is it like to be?
Speaker 1:you know, married to a male model actor. I love it. I try those type of lines with Emily. It doesn't work it doesn't work.
Speaker 2:And? Author, I got my name somehow on Jenny's book? For I mean, yeah, I understand the reasoning. Do you guys ever in your pillow talk in bed? Do you ever look over at at her and be like, did you ever think you would be with a male model all the time, like is that what gets everything working, or does she just turn around and go? No, that usually. Usually if I know nothing's happening, then I'll go there anyway I want to throw it out. Yeah, if he sees the fuzzy pants on he knows he can get that out.
Speaker 2:We're talking about our sister-in-law. We're digressing.
Speaker 1:I told you this would be a very different podcast than anything you've been on before. We've got to make a left exit here.
Speaker 2:He gets real weirded out.
Speaker 1:He's very uncomfortable, bobby's uncomfortable. It takes a lot what it takes a lot. What do you think of the?
Speaker 2:name Bobby, by the way. I love it. There's only one person who doesn't love it.
Speaker 1:That's Angie.
Speaker 2:We pulled up last night we were meeting him. I was like Carrie, there, they are right there. I was like hey, bobby, it's actually growing on me. Actually, I'm like why aren't they calling me Bobby? Are they mad at me? That's pretty good who came? Was that from you?
Speaker 1:it was Josh, it was me when we were on the bourbon trail, bobby and Matthew and Joshy.
Speaker 2:I miss them it's good. So I know if Josh is mad at me or not mad at me. I call him Rob right like if I don't hear the hey Bobby I know.
Speaker 1:I missed him off or something. When I call him Rob, it's like you know when you call him Rob, david, david. I call him Rob. I know that I'm in. He's in trouble, yeah.
Speaker 2:So have you guys talked about the charity event? I mean that was incredible, yeah incredible how it was yeah, we um well, that's how you and I met.
Speaker 1:We talked a little bit about it that night. Yeah, we do a big charity event here in town and, um, when dave came into the gents place, we talked about wanting to do something together and we just raised 130 000 gross, probably like 100 000 net um all in one night one night.
Speaker 2:Wow, wasn't it great it was. It was incredible. It was incredible. It was, um, I mean, I have barn envy. Now I've got a hundred. Well, and it's funny because I think dave and I are the same and rob probably the carry was like well, if they just had less auction items and I was like they needed more auction. Like you know, I love that jimmy's we love, like I loved it.
Speaker 2:It's like Rob called me today. He's like what are you doing? I was like they're having a big sale. I'm down here trying to buy a bunch of stuff for a deal and Rob just started laughing. He's like, yeah, matt, it's just it's in our, it's in our blood. Like we restore all that stuff and we may use it. We may not well, I appreciate.
Speaker 1:Like you, you last year you built a cabinet, this year you did a table yeah, and actually two tables and rob to rob. Offered up a second, wasn't that generous it was I did ask though, but he did ask me in front of 75 people. No pressure, dave, but will you?
Speaker 2:he's like no press. Will you build a second?
Speaker 1:table if we can get the same money another four thousand forty five hundred bucks forty five hundred dollars. I mean that's huge yeah last year the cat went for two grand, the tables went for forty five hundred each.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's nine thousand dollars they were they looked so good too, I mean that's that's amazing, it was incredible, it's incredible, the I mean just that's, and that's our area, that's the giving nature of the people and the vendors, and just it's another reason why this area is just so great.
Speaker 1:So but, that's true to your core. Like again, when we met the first time, when we were talking about getting your haircut and all that stuff, you're like listen, like I don't care about that stuff. I want to be a part of something and can we build this charity event? I remember the first year you weren't sure it was going to be good. You asked a lot of questions like I don't want to be associated with this.
Speaker 1:I don't want to be embarrassed and now you, just kind of like two days before my day, here's the script, like I'm good, yeah, and we're in it's for veterans. We did a great job and you guys, great job.
Speaker 2:Yeah, everybody did a great job.
Speaker 1:Yeah, everybody did a great job this year.
Speaker 2:It was a lot of fun, it was great, it was really great. So, no, I'm honored to be a part of it, I really am. We're thankful to have you and I think it's going to be just that much larger. I already have people reaching out to me saying, hey, how can we be a larger part of it for 2025? Jen, can you hear me? Yes, sir, asking Rob.
Speaker 1:All his people yeah.
Speaker 2:His four people. No, I'm not talking about the viewers, I'm talking about whatever.
Speaker 1:Don't get me around. The guy in the eyes, yeah, the guy in the eyes is probably a little bit, it's fine.
Speaker 2:It's fine. See that that count. The counseling sessions are working. Do you see how he just he shut it down. She's like shut it down, rob, when they do that and just take a few deep breaths and ignore it.
Speaker 1:So what number are you?
Speaker 2:guys on.
Speaker 1:What podcast number. We're almost at the end of our first season. I don't know how we didn't get you in until now. How many did you do? Well, 52. We're almost at 52. Isn't that amazing. We're almost at the end.
Speaker 2:Well, when Dave said they have 100. I feel like it's been years. Will we ever make it to 100? I mean, they have 100 TV shows. I mean hopefully next year.
Speaker 1:I'm going to be clear 100 podcasts is way harder than 100 TV shows. I mean, there's no doubt.
Speaker 2:I disagree. How much burger did you? Have to get that down. It must be this good apple butter stuff right here. She's keeping you motivated, right there, josh.
Speaker 1:So what's next for you? Book Movie, no, playgirl, anything. What do we got going on next?
Speaker 2:Oh gosh, what's next for me, jake Paul? He's like I'm thinking about maybe fighting Tyson for $40 million.
Speaker 1:I put my money on you. You know, how bad Tyson did the other day.
Speaker 2:Oh man he struggled. That was bad.
Speaker 1:Bobby owed me $100 from that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, he struggled as much as the buffering did that night.
Speaker 1:Actually, Netflix got sued for $50 million today because of that. I saw that. I saw that I have to have to roll that part out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, yeah, so, uh, yeah, I mean we're going to, hopefully, uh, I would like to every year that. So when we started this show, the, the network said, hey, when you first start the show and I see it now that the show is about their innovation people will tune in for the renovation. But as each year goes by, it kind of switches, you know, from their innovation to more of the story, the family, the care, the. You know the people that are in it and you get a yeah, matt, you get a lot more, not a lot more, but you get more latitude on projects that you know that you want, that you want to do that are a little bit more meaningful. So, um, well, tulsa, yeah, and so I'd, I'd like to, you know, just do more, do more like St Jude's stuff, do more of.
Speaker 2:You know episodes where, yeah, I don't know where it's feel good because we've done a hundred renovations or close to that, and you know they always want to see an exterior kitchen. So what makes it unique is the story behind it. And so, you know, I'd love to find a St Jude family here and do one here and replicate what they're doing in Tulsa and um, yeah, so, uh, I hope that it grows in that way. And, um, you know, as long as, as long as we're relevant and people care, I feel like we'll keep going and we'll keep doing this. And, um, we've got a great crew. I really believe that, like the, these guys, but also the camera crew they've, you know, many of them have been with us since the very first episode, and their family, and so, um, this, what we do, this, we do this party at the end of every season, and so when I hear the parties are epic Matt.
Speaker 1:Matt talks about the party. What do you remember you can talk about?
Speaker 2:I'm not allowed to go anymore. So basically it's just a celebration of those people we have. It's a celebration of the people that really do the hard work on our show, and when our show first came out it was called Almost Home, or it was going to be called Almost Home so it got changed to Fix it, or Fabulous, but we call these the Almost Homies and so we do these kind of like a Dundee party right from the office. Every year and that's the first year we did that there was 35 people and I think last year there was 140. And so I mean it's just yeah, it's gotten the, the, the community and the what it takes to run one of these things. It seems to. Can we talk about your names? When they were doing the name With the what, when they were trying to come up with your guys's name, oh my gosh, yeah, so was it so many diamond in the rough was one and we were like, we were like we could call him diamond dave.
Speaker 2:I even had some cups that were diamond dave. It's a good wrestling name, the name of our show went through 120 different like they, they. So basically we filmed our show.
Speaker 2:Like you think about that, like think how hard it is to come up with a name. Yeah, we filmed our show, they did the pilot and it was called almost home in the pilot. They did the pilot, that it got the numbers that they needed it to get and so they picked up the first season. We filmed the first season and then our show sat on a shelf for about nine months before it aired, um, and they were kind of just trying to figure out, hey, where are we going to place it? Where is it going to go? Um, in, like the you know their nightly, what day, and then what's it going to be named and what time slot. And so when it finally came out and they changed it to fixer, to fabulous, which I didn't say in that huh, do you have any say in the name?
Speaker 2:no, zero no, and I I mean to be honest, I don't see these shows at all until everyone else sees them. I see them when everyone sees them. So, um, we don. It's a lot of times it's a surprise to us both. Good, we're like I don't remember saying that that was fun or bad. We're, you know, we will, we'll film. We call them field trips, but going to some of the shops around here and sometimes they just don't make the cut, and you know, and it's not that it was bad, it's just there's just not enough time and it doesn't fit into the show, and so you feel bad. Just like I took these people's morning. They we went and filmed in their store, which is a big deal, and then it just got cut and yeah, we just, but we have no say in it.
Speaker 1:You know we, and so it's so you apologizing in advance, like hey, we're gonna film today, but it may or may not make it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and and and there are, like there are ways we can can you know, hope to make it. If it's something where we're getting a project, that'll start working on that project, that, like you can, after this many years, we kind of know, hey, let's leverage it yeah, let's, let's make sure this is going to be in there by.
Speaker 2:We force the talk about it and we, you know, incorporate it into a build or incorporate it into something like that. So, um, but it's still not guaranteed. Josh josh is like so when are you guys coming?
Speaker 2:to the show but I think it would be hilarious because it I don't know if you guys have talked about this, but with the two of you, with, like, other people that are on the show I mean you think of Derek and Chris, and Damon, I'm sure comes in sometimes too, they all come to the gents' place, which the whole visual of it is pretty hilarious.
Speaker 2:Anyway, you've got these contractors going in and so we our producer, brian, we've talked about it he thought, you know it'd be a funny scene where we're just we're going in and we're the ones getting pampered. Where it's, you know, you would typically think that is the female, like it's our wives that are getting pampered, especially with what little hair all of us have. Like this is not a big need for us, but, um, it, it's great. I mean, it's a, it's a great place to go and, you know, just create connections to have a glass of bourbon, to relax. We need to try to get them over to the new build out. Yeah, and then afterwards, josh could like comp a seven course for all of us for filming the over at the build out. Doesn't that sound amazing?
Speaker 1:I hear a lot of stuttering. I hear a lot of stuttering. I hear a lot of cheers to that. Yeah, yeah, I feel like we cheers to that. But you know what would be funny? I, I watch the show. I think it'd be hysterical, shifting gears, like because you're a man's man working with your hands, and like jenny calling you I've told you this before like jenny calling you and it's like, hey, what are you doing? And your hands are in the hand power for months and you can't grab the phone because you're getting don't worry about it. Right, it would be to me that would be funny. We'd love to have you guys on I, I was thinking of that.
Speaker 2:Or it would be cool to if um, because we again it's trying to figure out. So if she calls us and we're this, we're just doing this. We've done one over at the welcome in where we all went and we were just having a guy's night. We're down playing cards.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it got cut yeah, because it did have something to do with the house.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it was a cool scene, like we, I mean it was. It was a cool scene, it was all. And so I was kind of thinking about I was like what if? Because we always have to start a show where jenny she'll come and get me from the shop, she'll I'm out.
Speaker 2:Okay, here it is but we're at this and she comes in, she's like babe, what are you doing? We've got to go, we got to go meet, so and so yeah, and so then it's like all right, guys, I'll see you later on, and we get it. And so I think, like the more we've been thinking about it, that will work, and brian's like that, that would work, because then it's a show start and that's what we need to show starts jenny show up to a demo and no one's there.
Speaker 2:She calls you and we're all getting pampered we all rush out of there and drive over there and get started on it.
Speaker 2:That could work too we all show up in our trucks well and so like, and that it kind of harkens like to going back to like the show, like how much of this is real and how much is fake? Well, really, when we're working on these projects, it's all just what it is. Yeah, it's real, but I mean, you can. Only they want to start a show different every time. Yeah, that would be. What do we do when we get like Jenny, hey, babe, let's get going. We got to go over to so-and-so's house and we got to get rolling, and well, that's boring after the first time you do it. So those are the made up parts. Where you're, you're trying to figure out, like and the viewers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, or I show up for the demo with 15 people, right, and so we start tearing stuff down, and then it's like all right, right guys, let's bring the wrecking crew in, because we don't have a lot of time. We got to get these things done, yeah, um, anyway. So, um, yeah, we, we do need to go to the gents place, because I think it would be hilarious it'll be great it'll be for jenny to call dave and be like dave. Were you guys not supposed to be at this?
Speaker 1:demo. That is, I thought it was an 11 jenny.
Speaker 2:No, I'm here.
Speaker 1:That is actually. I'm getting a hand paraffin dip and a facial.
Speaker 2:That is pretty good. Okay, I like that. I like that We'll go. You're so creative Every now and then. Well done.
Speaker 1:Dave, last question from me to you yes, your basketball coaching career, can you end? So, or coaching in general. Coaching in general Coaching, because I've seen you at the basketball courts and you look like you're having fun.
Speaker 2:I do, I do. I get very emotional I've seen that and into the games. We all have our moments.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we do, Especially when your kids are playing.
Speaker 2:Yeah and so soccer. I don't think I don't know that the city would let me coach soccer anymore. Sadly, there was an incident. I had to watch a couple games just from a corner. My dad supported me and stood next to me.
Speaker 2:But no. So my boys and the girls, luke, whomever up through junior high, or if it's like a short league or something like that, I'm happy to do it, but after that there's people that are a lot better than me. I mean, when you saw me coaching my boys, I was I. They'd come over and all right, guys, I know you need to box people out and follow your shot, but I don't really know your place whatever you want, right, let's just go.
Speaker 1:Boys were doing their own thing. You're like let's go, it was great.
Speaker 2:So that was Jenny made me do that because I think she well, I know she said you're not going to sit and yell on this side, You're going to actually go over and be part of the coaching staff and then if you want to yell, fine, you can either get red carded or a technical and you got both of those.
Speaker 2:I got both of those, so I've done that, I've done that, um, and I've got, you know, I've got a five-year-old, and so I'm gonna get another opportunity to do that, I'm sure, as he gets older what was the house board family? Oh, it's, it's, that's all. There is right like this, all this other stuff. Money comes, money goes, the show will come, and it'll go eventually too, and what's left is your community and your family.
Speaker 1:Perfect way to end Cheers. Thanks for coming in.