How To Build A Local Brand: Small Town Retail Marketing That Works with Sharona Eiserer

Sharona Eiserer bought a struggling 60-year-old lumber yard at six months pregnant and grew it into six Wood Shed Lumber and Hardware locations across rural Missouri. In this episode of the Grit Blueprint Podcast, she shares how she saved a dying small-town retail business, why the Do it Best co-op model beat her franchise experience, and the exact social media and radio playbook she uses to win against bigger competitors. If you own an independent hardware store, run a rural lumberyard, or are thinking about buying a family hardware business, this conversation gives you a real plan. You will hear how to handle ownership transitions, how to get your team on TikTok without making it weird, and how to build a brand people choose. 

What you'll take away today:

- The independent hardware store plan Sharona used to turn one struggling yard into six profitable locations across rural Missouri.

- How the Do it Best co-op model gives small dealers buying power, retail design help, and training that franchises never offered her.

- Why rural lumberyard owners must run radio, TikTok, and Facebook at the same time so customers hear one voice everywhere they look.

- A practical plan for small town retail marketing that works without a big budget, big team, or a picture-perfect camera setup.

- The mindset shift that lets women in hardware and next-generation leaders step into family hardware business ownership and grow it faster than it has ever grown before.

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🚀 About Stefanie Couch

Stefanie Couch is the founder of Grit Blueprint and a third-generation building industry professional.

Grit Blueprint helps manufacturers, distributors, dealers, service providers, and industry leaders build authority, grow visibility, and become unmistakable in their market.

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Transcript

[00:00]  Why Rural Hardware Stores Are Dying

Sharona Eiserer  00:00

If you lose your grocery store and you lose your hardware store, your town dies. And so we couldn’t stand for that. So this was plan B. Buy our local hardware store. Got somebody we know that we’d had experience with and they know how to run the business. And we just jumped all in. But to be successful, we had to bring in inventory. And luckily I met some great people with Do it Best. The minute I came to the market and I met the Do it Best team, I immediately said this is where home is. I can’t imagine doing anything different at this point. I just literally love it. And when I come to these markets, I feel like it’s a reunion. You can’t settle for wherever you’re at, you can’t get stale, you can’t do the same thing that you’ve always done. We are the first generation and have four children, and I want to see them grow this business, and I lean into them because they do things on TikTok and Snapchat. That’s where you can add value. We all watch reality TV.

[00:48]  Welcome To The Grit Blueprint Podcast

Stefanie Couch  00:48

And honestly, the more real and just human it is, the more I love it. It doesn’t have to be this super hyper-produced. It’s just you do it stuff in your store. Let’s not take ourselves so seriously. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect business etiquette. Welcome to the Grit Blueprint Podcast. I’m your host, Stefanie Couch. This is a spot where leaders talk about the stories, strategies, and systems that win in the building industry. We unpack how leaders and brands build their reputations and become unmistakable. Welcome to the Grit Blueprint Podcast.

[01:24]  Meet Sharona Eiserer Of Wood Shed Lumber

Stefanie Couch  01:24

I’m your host, Stefanie Couch, and I’m coming to you from day two of the spring Denver Market, Do it Best and True Value. I’m here with Sharona Eiserer. Welcome to the show.

Sharona Eiserer  01:35

Thank you.

Stefanie Couch  01:36

And you are actually a hardware store owner in multiple locations. We’re going to talk all about your story. You’re on the board at Do it Best as well. And you’ve been in this business for a while, so I can’t wait to interview you. But I want to start with an intro. You are the co-owner and president of Wood Shed Lumber and Hardware Supply. You serve rural communities across western Missouri. And you actually have a great background because you did not start in the hardware business. In 2016, you and your husband Cecil, who’s actually a builder, he was building Pizza Hut franchises, right? And you guys decided to do something a little bit crazy and open 17 Pizza Hut franchises, which we’re going to dig into. You then decided after a little while you’re going to pivot from that, and you bought a struggling six decades old lumber yard that was about to close and you completely reinvented it. At the time you were six months pregnant and you had no experience in lumber and hardware, and you basically got told a lot, like you’re doing the wrong thing, you’re growing too fast, but you decided not to listen to that, a girl after my own heart. And you have grown this now from one location with about 900,000 in sales to six locations building brand new ground up retail stores and a rental business. You have won multiple awards across the industry, and you’re doing great things in a very small town. Four kids, you’ve got cattle, I don’t know how you do it all. Do you sleep?

Sharona Eiserer  02:30

I do. I don’t know.

[02:34]  From 17 Pizza Hut Franchises To Hardware

Stefanie Couch  02:34

Welcome to the show, Sharona. I’m excited. Tell me a little bit about these Pizza Huts because I loved Pizza Hut growing up. We talked a little bit before the show. Book It was, I’m competitive and I loved Pizza Hut. So Book It was my thing growing up. But you decided to go into one of the hardest businesses in the history of business and went 17 franchises deep. But what I didn’t realize is it was in a different state. So you were living in Missouri and this was in Alabama. Tell me about it.

Sharona Eiserer  03:40

Yes. So actually, my husband is a builder and he had been building Pizza Huts, Long John’s, Taco Bells, and this opportunity came up, and he had always said we really should own our own Pizza Huts. I mean, we were already building them. And I said, the thing is you can’t just go with one, one’s not going to make it. You’ve got to have multiple. Well, then the opportunity came and there was 15. And that was a new world for us. I mean, my background is in hospitality, but jumping on board, we had some partners and we were bringing the building to it. Someone else was bringing the operations, somebody else was helping with the finances. And so we jumped all in, and within three years, we built two more locations.

Stefanie Couch  04:22

Wow.

[04:23]  Buying A Struggling Rural Lumber Yard While Pregnant

Sharona Eiserer  04:23

And it was just a different experience. The franchise world was just, there’s a lot of pressure, that many states away, trying to raise a family. Quickly things kind of started going the wrong direction. So then I became operations as well, let alone all the payroll. And yeah, it was a lot. I learned a lot. At that time I had two and I was pregnant. Now I have four children. So it was a lot going on. But the opportunity came open that our local lumber yard, we went to church with the family, the Warren family, and they were ready to retire. And so we didn’t want to lose it. My husband said, if you lose your grocery store and you lose your hardware store, your town dies. And so we couldn’t stand for that. So this was plan B. Buy our local hardware store. We got somebody we know that we’d had experience with and they know how to run the business because I was still dealing with Pizza Huts, trying to get them sold. And we just jumped all in. But we knew where it was wasn’t going to be where it needed to be. For it to be successful, we had to bring in inventory. We had a plan.

Stefanie Couch  05:34

Yeah.

[05:49]  Why The Do it Best Co-op Became Home

Sharona Eiserer  05:34

And luckily I met some great people at Do it Best. Came out, it’ll be 10 years this summer, came out to Indianapolis for a market as a prospect. And now here we are. It’s been a great ride.

Stefanie Couch  05:49

You were pregnant when you did this with your third child. Okay, and obviously, you had no experience. This family was going to help you, Do it Best was going to help you. How important is it to find people who have done the things that you’re trying to do and enlist allies when you’re starting a business?

[06:09]  How To Handle Employee Turnover In A Buyout

Sharona Eiserer  06:09

So as soon as they knew that we were taking over, there was a lot of heat in town. They were afraid that because we were a builder, we were going to just capitalize on everything. Well, that wasn’t our goal. We don’t even want to take bids against anybody that’s doing business with us because we want to help them grow.

Stefanie Couch  06:24

Right.

Sharona Eiserer  06:25

When we help them grow, it just makes our community so much stronger. But all the employees did decide to leave. So buying a new store that had been there for all these years and having to start over from scratch, but we did it. We did it.

Stefanie Couch  06:42

When was that?

Sharona Eiserer  06:43

That was in 2016.

[07:12]  Surviving The First Year Of A Family Hardware Business

Stefanie Couch  06:44

Okay, so 2016, so it’s been 10 years ago. How long before, when you got in there? Tell me about the first year because I know the first year of my business was a different type of stress. Like I’d been in a corporate job and thought I kind of knew what I was doing, and being on your own and having to know every cycle of every part of the business is insane. Tell me about the first year, what was going through your head, your husband’s head, how were you balancing it all?

Sharona Eiserer  07:12

I really don’t know how we juggled it all. But luckily we had some good people, and then we had people in the community that were willing to voice their opinion, give us some ideas. Good criticism is good, right? Vendors were excellent to work with. Tom Hartman helped me tremendously. His family, which he was my TM at the time at Do it Best. And so he had the business, so I leaned on him a lot. I looked at him as almost like this little side partner, so to speak, because I felt really comfortable with him, I could ask questions, but learning how to, we had already managed payroll, so I knew how to do payroll. I knew how to pay bills, I knew how to do that kind of thing, but ordering, stocking, figuring out your inventory. But I had to lean on Eric Heidi, he works with us still today, and he’s kind of my right-hand guy. And so without him, I would have been struggling. But I really don’t know how we juggled it. The other thing I did is I really dove in with Do it Best. They offered Core LDI classes. So even though I had a lot going on, I committed myself to learning everything I could about Do it Best, so then that way I knew who my resources were and who was going to help me.

[08:41]  Co-op Versus Franchise For Independent Hardware Stores

Stefanie Couch  08:25

For someone who maybe is thinking about partnering with a co-op, or they’re not partnered with Do it Best, tell me a little bit about the co-op model. What is it for someone who has no idea what we’re talking about here? Why is it such an advantage? And talk a little bit about Do it Best.

Sharona Eiserer  08:41

Oh, well, so coming from a franchise industry where they tell you you have to give them royalties and all this for so many things, the bottom line they weren’t worried about. And that’s really hard. So the minute I came to the market and I met the Do it Best team, I immediately said, this is where home is. This is where I could see us being for a very, I mean, I can’t imagine doing anything different at this point. I just literally love it. When I come to these markets, I feel like it’s a reunion. I spend more time visiting and hugging than I probably do shopping, but we’ll make up for that. To keep the store stocked. But it’s just a different world. And I can’t imagine doing this with anybody else other than Do it Best.

Stefanie Couch  09:23

And you mentioned Core, which is the College of Retail Excellence, and taught you how to go to market with that retail space and store design and all those things that you maybe had no experience in.

Sharona Eiserer  09:34

Yeah, because four years in, we decided to buy, well, actually, Eric Knox presented some new properties that were available. And I said, oh, by the way, I should tell you I’m pregnant again. And I was nervous because I didn’t want to tell him. I didn’t want him to think I couldn’t do it. But I was like, if we’re going to do it, now’s the time. I can’t miss this opportunity. These two other locations are 30 miles from ours, serving different markets, but they’re rural. They’re home. But they’re in different counties. But I still felt like we could do it. So luckily, again, the support system at Do it Best was incredible. And with the retail design, Tom Schofield, I just had so many people helping me that they just made it feel like we were in the right place doing the right thing.

[10:19]  Growing From One Store To Six Locations

Stefanie Couch  10:19

Let’s talk a little bit about going from one store to, tell me how that progression happened. You just talked about buying stores. So going from store one to store two, how did all this happen for you?

Sharona Eiserer  10:30

It went one to three.

Stefanie Couch  10:31

Oh, wow.

Sharona Eiserer  10:32

Okay, and with a retail start project, so we did a full-blown remodel. We had to go in and, we didn’t like the floors, so we had to learn what a gondola train was and move all the fixtures over and make a mess. But you have to stay open. You can’t close the doors because the last thing you want to do is give anybody a chance to go to your competitor. You do not want to send them out of town. Let me do the windshield time. I don’t want my customers, their time is money, and they need to be working. So we did a lot of work at night. And we do a lot of it ourselves. I’m blessed to be married to the man that I am because he is gifted and talented. And it’s always good when your husband can do the thing that you’re making money doing. And he does a really good job. It was a lot, it was messy. I mean, you should have seen me on opening day. I’ve got the little pouch and Marlo was sitting in there and I’m bouncing and checking people out. And years later, a guy goes, you know, I never knew you were the owner. Which is actually kind of a compliment because he probably thought I had some child labor laws going on that was not good. But it was interesting because it’s just how people perceive you. They might not really realize that you’re the one in charge.

[11:55]  What To Do When You Buy Another Hardware Store

Stefanie Couch  11:55

In charge, yeah. It’s interesting when you think about how many people in this industry have older businesses, they have maybe generational changes happening now, but maybe they don’t have anyone to take over the business and they do want to sell. You said actually Do it Best kind of helped you find those stores. For someone that’s looking to buy a store or maybe sell their store, what advice would you have when you went through that process with someone else? What kind of things did you go through, maybe that you wish you knew that now you do?

Sharona Eiserer  12:27

I felt like I wanted to learn from the last one. Did it make sense to tell the employees ahead of time? We went out and got the local restaurant to prepare a meal and invited them all in, but I don’t know how you ease people’s mind. It’s no different than any kind of situation you’re in. People are scared of change and trying to reassure them and let them know who you are and what you’ve done. And I hope by now that we’ve become more of a household name that people aren’t so nervous about it. But it hasn’t gotten easier. You lose people, but you kind of have a plan. You hope for a plan that doesn’t always work out, so there’s got to be another plan. You’ve got to be on top of your game to just figure it out, but then not over stress, because there’s only so much that we can handle. So it’s funny. My husband, I think, always worries a little bit more, and then he might get stressed out because I’m not worried enough. But I’m like, we both can’t be worried, it just can’t work out that way. It’s not going to work.

[13:33]  Finding A Business Partner Who Balances You Out

Stefanie Couch  13:33

Not everybody can, well, there’s usually yin and yang. That’s how Ben and I are. He’s more risk adverse, I’m more of the risk taker, and we balance each other out. So I call him the brakes and I’m the gas, and we need both, right?

Sharona Eiserer  13:47

That’s nice.

Stefanie Couch  13:48

That’s nice to not drive off the proverbial or real cliff, either one. Well, I want to talk a little bit about some of the stuff you’re doing in your store because we’re going to be on a panel later talking about marketing and some of the ways you’re growing your store, and you’re doing something really cool in your local market. So you have started doing live radio segments several times a week. Tell me a little bit about that. You’re not reading a script, it’s not commercials that you recorded, you’re just getting on there and talking. Tell me about that. How did it come about? And what are you doing on these shows?

[14:15]  Live Radio Marketing For Small Town Hardware Stores

Sharona Eiserer  14:15

So, one of the ladies that comes around had been working trying to get me to advertise with their radio station for quite a while. And I finally was like, this girl’s got some hustle. I should give her a chance. And then she’s the one that said, would you be interested in doing these live videos? And I thought, do I have to go anywhere? And instead they just call me up and we talk five to 10 minutes. Sometimes the DJ has already, they’re following me on Facebook, so they’ll go out and see what we’ve got going on. But we have about a minute before we go on radio, and they’re like, anything you want to talk about. And so some days it might be about my dog, the new puppy Penny.

[15:05]  Why Penny The Puppy Drives Brand Awareness

Stefanie Couch  14:51

So Penny the puppy, we’re going to show a picture on video. There’s also a puppy sitting right out here that I’m trying not to get distracted by. Dogs are my favorite thing, right? So Penny the puppy is, tell me about Penny, tell the audience about Penny.

Sharona Eiserer  15:05

Okay, so my nine-year-old decided for Christmas she wanted a pink four-wheeler, a cell phone, or a puppy. The last thing I need is a puppy, right? But the other things were not an option. So we went for the puppy, and we’ve got a miniature golden doodle. Her name is Penny. She was born on Nova’s birthday, which was coincidental. That’s awesome. And she is part of the family, and the sweetest thing, and I love it because when she does go to the store with me, customers, you know, they just love her.

Stefanie Couch  15:33

Dogs and marketing, if you want to know how to win in marketing, put a dog in it. Put a cute dog in. Nothing else really even matters. The messaging doesn’t matter. People will at least look at it because of the dog.

[15:58]  Building A Household Name On A Small Budget

Stefanie Couch  15:45

And so you’re talking about this dog on the radio show, you’re talking about what’s happened in your store, you’re talking about the community. And you said that you’re now playing these radio in your store, right? During the radio in the store.

Sharona Eiserer  15:58

So when the commercial, I kind of feel like in order to be a household name, right? I want people to know who Wood Shed is. I don’t have the money to go out there and be on your TV and all these, you know, we do big billboards and we’ve tried it all. We’re giving everything a chance. I don’t put my picture on the billboard, but I do put my cute son because whether it’s a cute baby or a cute puppy, they do help. I mean, I’m kind of jealous Penny gets more likes than I do. But yeah, so I just feel like if you’re in the car and you hear one of our commercials, when you walk into the store, you should hear the same voice. It needs to be a familiarity. And I just want to make sure that people feel like they’re shopping with somebody that they choose to shop and you’re not being forced. It’s your only option, you know? Because there are options.

[17:49]  How To Build A Local Brand People Actually Choose

Stefanie Couch  16:47

And you’re building fans, winning over people, and building loyalty. This episode of the Grit Blueprint Podcast was sponsored by Do it Best Group. Do it Best Group is the largest co-op in the world, and they help independent hardware and lumber yards all over North America win. Do it Best offers services, products, and people that can help you win long term. They are the champion of independence. You talked a little bit about branding, and we’ve talked a lot about social media, and we’re going to talk more this afternoon about some of the things you’re doing. How do you build a brand? You’re in a rural community, but it’s six stores, so you’ve got a pretty good many people now that need to know who you are and choose you. How do you build a brand that people care about? What’s worked for you, maybe some of the things that you’ve tried over the years. I really believe local business owners are great at operations, they have great products, but a lot of times they do stumble on getting people to remember them and choose them.

Sharona Eiserer  17:49

Yeah, that’s probably been, it’s not going to be, well, if anybody can do it right out of the gate, I applaud you and I want to know what your cliff notes version was because I am still, just last week I was plugging around in Google and Apple Maps and trying to figure out if it knows where to find me. I always want to put myself in the customer’s perspective. I want to know what do they see, what are they thinking of. So whether it’s our Wood Shed logo that’s flying up in the air, or if you see it on Facebook or hear us on the radio, it all just has to tie in. And it always blows my mind when somebody says, oh, I didn’t know you had this, or I didn’t know you were there. What is the Wood Shed? And some people think we’re just going to take you out back, but it is pretty great.

Stefanie Couch  18:35

I love it. When I heard it, I was like, that is genius. It’s hard though, because I think even the people who do it really well, I have worked really hard on branding and I have a very visual brand, obviously, which just happens to be what I like to wear and what I’ve been wearing kind of my whole life. But it stands out in our industry because it’s so different. But even still, people don’t know who I am and people don’t know what we do. And that’s the message that hits me the hardest is no matter how much you’re doing, you are not still doing enough. You’re never going to be doing enough. So you got to be really consistent. And especially with a local business, like you said, they have other choices. And I don’t know in your market exactly who the other choices are, but they probably do have millions of dollars sometimes to market and brand. They’re doing big things, but you don’t have to win over a million people, you just have to make people love you that do know about you, and that consistency matters.

[19:32]  Why Google Reviews Hurt And What To Do About Them

Sharona Eiserer  19:32

And I think word of mouth helps more than anything. So Google reviews, I kind of get upset whenever somebody gives us a negative review. And half the time it’s, I do my research though. When it comes across my email and tells me we’ve got one, I’m immediately calling the store trying to figure out what did we do. I’m assuming we must have done something wrong. But to everybody, sometimes these people don’t even come to your store. They might be just driving by. So I hope that people take that with a grain of salt and always look at the more positives than the negative ones, but it does hurt because you can take it personal. This is your life. We’re laying everything out on the line. It’s not a bunch of investors, it’s you, it’s us. And so I’m very passionate about my business. I want it to be the best. I believe if you walk into store two, three, four, five, or six, it is a reflection of store number one. And I have a good team there. And so they know what it’s like to be in the community, to build that store. And I tell everybody, you’re not representing Sharona and Cecil, you’re representing the Steve and the Ashley. We all represent each other. So you’ve got to be ready. We’re here to serve people and help them out. So it’s funny, in the hospitality industry, I was always worried because you mess up somebody’s taste buds. You serve them a bad meal, they do not forgive you. You mess up and sell somebody the wrong plumbing materials, they’re coming back because they need you. They need you. And that’s the great thing. And what’s so much fun about it is we’re learning from everybody. Whether it’s the person that’s on YouTube learning how to do something, or if it’s a contractor that’s been in our store and they’ve been working for 30 years, I love it when they jump in and want to help teach us, this is why you should buy this product, this is why it’s good. It is probably the most fun I could imagine having.

[21:25]  Teaching Younger Employees With Customer Conversations

Stefanie Couch  21:25

Do you hear people like contractors teaching some of your younger employees things? I love that. I learned so much when I was a little girl from people that came in the store. We’d go back to aisle 13 to the plumbing and I didn’t know what I was doing. And sometimes they didn’t know either. It’s like a big puzzle you’re trying to figure out. But sometimes they would come in and say, I need this. And I would say, well, why and what are you using it for? And that’s how I learned everything I know, just asking people questions. And I think that’s really important, especially for the younger generation, maybe that isn’t sure. They don’t want to look stupid, they don’t want to say we don’t know. Just ask. Because they want to teach you most of the time. And if they don’t, then somebody else will. But it’s okay not to know things. All of us started not knowing anything about this business. And through just honestly failure and asking questions, we figured it out, or maybe there’s still plenty of stuff we don’t know.

[22:54]  How AI Search Is Changing Local Retail

Stefanie Couch  22:15

But one thing you mentioned that’s important is being able to, especially with marketing and the way that things are changing with AI and just the way buyers choose. It’s being able to try new things and also willing to change the things that worked 20 years ago. The yellow pages was the thing. Then it was Google. Now AI search is happening. And how we get found on AI is totally different. And it’s going to summarize everything about you and your store in this little two-paragraph thing. That’s scary and a big opportunity at the same time. How are you guys doing some of these things that are changing? How are you figuring out what to do?

Sharona Eiserer  22:54

I’m following you. No pressure. Please keep feeding us with good information. I would like to have the preview before you share it with all the others.

Stefanie Couch  23:05

I will. I’ll send you the cliff notes version of what I think I know. Oh my goodness. We’re all trying to figure out what’s working and it changes every day.

Sharona Eiserer  23:19

Yeah. I mean, there’s a lot. I don’t know how long you’ve been doing this, but people are definitely recognizing you. You’re doing a great job. Thank you. And it’s nice because it’s awesome to see women in the industry. That’s probably been one of the challenges, is nobody wants to, no offense, but they think it’s a man’s world. And honestly, behind every great man is maybe an even better woman. No offense, Cecil.

Stefanie Couch  23:43

Amen. Hey, Cecil, we love you.

Sharona Eiserer  23:46

But there’s just so much. And so I’m trying to figure out who all the, I want to pay attention. I’m busy running my operations, but I’ve got to make time to pay attention and see what you’ve got out there. Because there’s just a couple of things that you’ve said, I went, oh, I don’t know if I’m doing that. I need to get on it. Now there’s a lot to catch up.

[24:07]  How Much Time To Spend On Marketing As An Owner

Stefanie Couch  24:07

The time allocation, how much time a week do you spend, because we have the same problem. We’re busy. You’ve got a million things you could do with your time and your money. What do you spend time-wise to do this kind of exploratory mission or test things that you do?

Sharona Eiserer  24:23

I’ll be honest with you, I’m probably laying in my bed with my computer. Wherever I can that I have some peace and quiet, that I can do that because during the day, if I could work 24 hours a day and didn’t need any sleep, I sure would. I can’t get it all done.

Stefanie Couch  24:39

If you figure that out, let me know how to do that in a legal way, of course.

Sharona Eiserer  24:44

Because I can’t do energy drinks, so I’m in trouble there.

Stefanie Couch  24:46

Well, it’s never ending, and I think that’s the thing is figuring out what is most important that would move the needle the most for you and just trying to solve one problem at a time. You can’t tackle it all, but it’s the only way I figured out how to make any progress.

[25:28]  Getting The Next Generation On TikTok For Your Business

Sharona Eiserer  24:58

But you have to put one step in front of the other and keep trying to make progress. You can’t settle for wherever you’re at, you can’t get stale, you can’t do the same thing that you’ve always done. And I think that’s why, you were talking earlier about generation, and we are the first generation and have four children, and I want to see them grow this business, and I lean into them because they do things on TikTok and Snapchat, and I’m being coached that I might not be very good at it. But that’s where you can add value.

Stefanie Couch  25:28

Well, tell me a little bit about that, because I think we have this older generation word of mouth, and they like the old school ways of finding things, but let’s talk about what’s coming, what’s next. So you’re doing TikTok videos, you’re getting your staff involved. You mentioned, tell me the story. I think your kids got maybe one of the staff members involved, or some of your staff got another staff member involved and did some videos.

[25:49]  How Sharona Got Her Team Past Camera Fear

Sharona Eiserer  25:49

Well, yes. So I kept asking everybody if they would please help. I was like, it’s not, I’m not comfortable being in front of the camera. I don’t mind being on the radio, but in front of the camera is kind of odd for me. So they were all nervous, but then I thought, how am I going to ask them to do something I’m not willing to do? So I bit the bullet and I pulled down my phone and I turned it back on myself, and that was really weird. Didn’t like the angle, and I just hit the live button, not realizing that that probably wasn’t the part that was the most important. It was the fact that somebody said it’s for the people that are looking at it later. And so I did the live video. I was very vulnerable about the whole situation. And I had people like it, just my daughter was embarrassed, I think. But they give you the most honest opinion, which is good.

Stefanie Couch  26:41

Hey, could you just sugarcoat this just a little bit?

Sharona Eiserer  26:44

Like just a smidge of sugar would be good. But I think the minute I posted that, then the other ones are like, okay, we can do this. And I loved it. There’s a video where they’re like acting like heavy lifting, and they got everybody on the crew involved.

Stefanie Couch  26:56

That’s awesome.

Sharona Eiserer  26:57

And they all look like they truly were having a good time. And so now I’m on the edge of my seat. I’m constantly looking at my phone and saying, when’s the next video coming? Just because I love seeing what they’re coming up with.

Stefanie Couch  27:07

Yeah.

Sharona Eiserer  27:08

But I think I needed that icebreaker in order to get them started.

[27:12]  Why Going Live In Your Hardware Store Still Works

Stefanie Couch  27:12

So a few things you said that I want to go back to for people is number one, just go live in your store, but don’t focus on the people that are watching it live. Don’t say, oh, two people are watching this, it’s not worth it. Because it’s recorded and then people can watch you go live later. It’s just not live anymore. So record it anyway, even if no one comes on there when you’re live. It’s a great way.

[28:21]  Getting Comfortable Filming Real Boring Everyday Work

Stefanie Couch  27:40

And then the second thing, and I think this is the most important takeaway for people that are trying to figure out how to get over their discomfort. Number one, people like to see just the boring human stuff you’re doing every day in your business or in your life. We all watch reality TV. And honestly, the more real and just human it is, the more I love it. And I think most people feel that way. It doesn’t have to be this super hyper-produced, perfectly filmed on an $80,000 movie camera, Steven Spielberg picture. It’s just you do it stuff in your store. And the fun stuff, let’s not take ourselves so seriously. Like everything doesn’t have to be perfect business etiquette, just film things. I love videos like that, and I think most people do. So I love that y’all are trying some things.

Sharona Eiserer  28:21

Yeah, it was funny. Cicely, my 15-year-old, she’s with us here at the market, and we were, our steel order came in. And she knows how to put together a chainsaw and trimmers and blowers, and we put it all together. And I said, you know what, we should probably do a video. And so I put one together because I’ve been out of practice for a little while and I was a little nervous, but I got it together fast. And then she got ready to record me. And then her phone died, and I was like, well, I might as well just get it. We’ll do it on the next shipment. But it was kind of fun, just because it’s like a breath of fresh air that you’re giving me permission to not be perfect. So thank you. Because that is probably the hardest thing.

[29:01]  Using Meta Glasses To Film Without Being On Camera

Stefanie Couch  29:01

I like to do the blooper reels sometimes because I’ll do stuff, and I think people, you’ve got that image of, okay, she looks put together all the time, buttoned up. Sometimes it’s nice to just show people, I mess stuff up too, and I also say the wrong thing and my face looks crazy or whatever. It’s just fun to show that other side of you. So we’re about to start releasing some episodes, we’re calling it Building Grit, and it’s going to be us just behind the scenes. And Ben actually has just bought some Meta glasses, because he doesn’t really love being behind the camera, but he wants to show what he’s doing from his point of view. So, one thing that I would try, I think they’re maybe $300 on Amazon, Apple, wherever, but you can just click record and you could walk through your store and just show what you’re seeing from that point of view, and you don’t even have to be on camera. So trying things like that, we’re trying some stuff too, and it’s just kind of a cool new view. We talked to some contractors this week that were like, oh my God, that’s a great idea because they don’t want to have to set up the tripod with their phone and all those things, but it records the audio and it records what you’re seeing. So that’s another thing you could try is just get some Meta glasses.

Sharona Eiserer  30:16

That’s good because you don’t want it to feel like work. It needs to be natural and easy.

Stefanie Couch  30:22

So I’m walking through the store. Here’s what I’m seeing. Here’s who I just walked by, saw a customer. This is what it’s like living in the hardware store every day.

Sharona Eiserer  30:29

Okay, I guess I need to get a pair of glasses.

Stefanie Couch  30:30

Number one tip is make sure Penny makes an appearance on every video.

Sharona Eiserer  30:34

Well then, yeah, she’s always in my arms. Oh, she’s, I miss her. I know she’s struggling because I’m not at home right now.

[30:41]  Lightning Round Starts Here

Stefanie Couch  30:41

I know. My Heidi Pearl. We’ve been here since Tuesday, and today’s Saturday. So we’re going on that many days without dog cuddles, and so that’s why anytime I see a dog, I’m like, can we pause this for a minute? I need to go get this dog in this podcast booth. But I’ve stayed strong, Sharona. You should be proud of me. All right, I want to ask you just a few more questions, and these are going to be lightning round questions, which are my favorite.

[31:14]  Pineapple On Pizza Verdict From A Pizza Hut Owner

Stefanie Couch  31:05

All right. So you ran 17 Pizza Huts, and I just need to ask a real expert, pineapple on pizza, yes or no?

Sharona Eiserer  31:14

No. Pineapple, I’m sorry, I think pineapple only pairs with Malibu.

Stefanie Couch  31:18

I’m a pineapple pizza girl. I love it. I know people feel very serious one way or the other.

Sharona Eiserer  31:23

I don’t think I’ve ever even tried it.

[31:25]  Penny The Store Dog Chief Happiness Officer

Stefanie Couch  31:25

Never tried it. Okay. What is Penny’s official title?

Sharona Eiserer  31:30

I don’t know. I really need to work on that, but maybe chief greeter. I don’t know. She’s just so good with the people.

Stefanie Couch  31:37

Chief happiness officer, maybe. Oh, I like that. CHO. I like that.

[31:50]  If She Were Not Running Six Hardware Stores

Stefanie Couch  31:50

All right. If you weren’t doing this, if you weren’t running six hardware stores, what would you be doing?

Sharona Eiserer  31:55

I don’t know. I really don’t think there’s anywhere else I want to be. I think this is a perfect fit for our family. I didn’t mention before, but I came from hospitality, so I understand customer service. I was an educator, so I get an opportunity to teach. It’s a different setting. But whether it’s teaching the younger generation that I’m hiring or the customers, and then getting to build stuff with people, I can’t even picture anything else. I feel like I’ve already done everything else that was on my little list as a kid that I’m finally where I’m supposed to be.

Stefanie Couch  32:25

And isn’t it funny how I’m sure you never even imagined that this could be your world?

Sharona Eiserer  32:29

Never, even though your husband was in construction, never in my wildest dreams. I couldn’t even get a job in retail as a 15-year-old. I was a lifeguard and I worked at Sonic, in the restaurants. Never behind the counter. And I absolutely love it.

Stefanie Couch  32:48

You were meant for it. You showed them. Keep doing it, girl.

[32:59]  What Grit Means To A Rural Hardware Owner

Stefanie Couch  32:55

All right, fill in the blank. Grit is blank. What does grit mean to you?

Sharona Eiserer  32:59

It’s getting started. One foot in front of the other. Can’t come without hustle.

Stefanie Couch  33:04

That’s the hustle. The entrepreneur way. If you don’t have that, you’re not going to really be able to do much.

Sharona Eiserer  33:11

I mean, I tell you what, this is a business, you better have some thick skin. And you’re going to have to face some tough decisions. There’s going to be easy ones, there’s going to be tough ones. Everybody thinks that you know all the answers. You don’t have to know it all. Surround yourself with good people and be willing to learn, but you just got to get started.

[33:29]  One Thing You Can Do Tomorrow To Start A Business

Stefanie Couch  33:29

I love that. All right, last question. For any person who is listening that maybe is thinking about starting their own business 10 years ago, you were in their shoes, you already had a business, but you decided to really jump off a cliff. What’s one thing that they can do tomorrow morning that they can start moving forward? You just said one foot in front of the other. What’s one thing that they can start tomorrow to get their dream life started?

[33:54]  Say Yes To The Opportunity

Sharona Eiserer  33:54

Say yes to the opportunity.

Stefanie Couch  33:57

I love it. We’ll close there. You’re an amazing woman. Thank you. I’m glad to know you, and I’m excited to continue to get to know you. And we’re going to be on a stage together soon talking about some of these things to help other people. Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Grit Blueprint. And if you want to see all the amazing things that they are doing at Wood Shed Lumber, you should follow Sharona and her team, and we will see you on our next episode. Thank you for listening to the Grit Blueprint Podcast. If this episode helped you think a little differently about how to show up, share it with someone in your building world who needs it. If you’re ready to turn visibility into growth, then head to gritblueprint.com to learn more and book a call to talk to us about your growth strategy. Until next time, stay unmistakable.