Blue Bell's Former CEO Shares The Sweetness In Taking On Life One Scoop At A Time I Ricky Dickson I AO 28

How do you lead a legacy brand without losing yourself in the process? Ricky Dickson spent 43 years at Blue Bell, working his way from the first day on the job to the CEO seat — and never forgot where he came from.

In this episode of American Operator, Ricky shares what it really means to grow into leadership: staying grounded in service, leading with humility, and walking through both the sweet and hard seasons. For him, this career wasn’t just a job — it was a calling, a family tradition, and a lifelong lesson in consistency and character.

This is a story about building trust over time, staying anchored in purpose, and taking on life — one scoop at a time.

Whether you’re running a family business, stepping into leadership, or learning how to lead with faith — this one’s for you.

Subscribe to AO's Newsletter 🗞️

Find BTS with more Owners on Youtube 🎥

Follow us on Instagram: @TheAmericanOperator 📸

Follow Joseph Cabrera on LinkedIn 🔗

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:09:15
Speaker 1
Hard work. Real talk. No shortcuts. I'm Joseph Cabrera. This is American operator.

00:00:09:15 - 00:00:30:06
Speaker 1
All right, team. Well, welcome back to the show. And I got Ricky Dixon, Bluebell Ice cream, recent CEO of the company. And guys, 43 years, whipping up this concoction with a great team who really is not only a staple of Texas, but really just a brand in America. So, so good to have you in studio today.

00:00:30:08 - 00:00:31:01
Speaker 3
Well thank you.

00:00:31:03 - 00:00:38:07
Speaker 2
It's definitely exciting to be here, be in Austin and to be able to talk about ice cream. I mean, what's better? It's summer.

00:00:38:10 - 00:00:40:22
Speaker 3
It's hot. Yeah. Time to eat.

00:00:41:00 - 00:00:43:22
Speaker 1
What do they say is this is a July's national ice cream month.

00:00:43:22 - 00:00:45:15
Speaker 2
National ice cream month? That's correct.

00:00:45:15 - 00:00:50:00
Speaker 1
I think it just so happened that we timed it that way, didn't I don't think we meant to. Just the powers that be great.

00:00:50:02 - 00:00:51:06
Speaker 2
Every is ice cream day.

00:00:51:06 - 00:00:52:21
Speaker 3
But July is a little extra special.

00:00:52:22 - 00:01:13:22
Speaker 1
So extra special was virtually Independence Day there too. Oh man. So many things to cover. I'll kick off with this. This has been top of mind for me, and I think it's out of the fact that a lot of the current generation and, even the generation I grew up in, you know, five years at a place is a long time, like, oh, man, you've been in that company five years.

00:01:14:00 - 00:01:31:17
Speaker 1
And then I look at a story with you, 43 years of Blue Bell Graduate College first company and been there, you know, four decades later, plus, was that always the the plan that you'd be somewhere for that long? I mean, what was the thing that kept you, the sustained you there at that company?

00:01:31:17 - 00:01:33:00
Speaker 2
I think it was homemade vanilla.

00:01:33:03 - 00:01:34:22
Speaker 3
No, no.

00:01:35:03 - 00:01:59:19
Speaker 2
It's a great question. And I think that, we maybe have seen a shift over this generation, that you don't stay as long, you know, I think back to, you know, my dad and grandfather, of course, both, very iconic in, in how I was raised and as far as role models and, just that you work, you know, as hard as you can to be the best you can be, whatever that position is.

00:01:59:19 - 00:02:35:01
Speaker 2
And, and and you just, you know, you stayed with it, but at the same time, deep down, I always felt like God had a plan and a purpose for me. I believe you know that for everybody. And so, being raised in a Christian family and with the mother and father that, really instilled, having a relationship with Jesus Christ and walking with him, that was my goal coming, you know, from high school into college and, and finding that career, I will say probably like a lot of, students that are either in high school, college, what is next?

00:02:35:06 - 00:02:40:11
Speaker 2
And so you changed your major 100 times. I changed mine a few times just because of some of the courses.

00:02:40:11 - 00:02:41:22
Speaker 3
I didn't want to take the.

00:02:41:22 - 00:02:49:02
Speaker 2
Major lower grade, but I just didn't want to necessarily. You know, accounting was never my, strong suit. And it's ironic in a.

00:02:49:07 - 00:02:51:02
Speaker 3
You know, running a company. Yeah.

00:02:51:04 - 00:02:52:18
Speaker 2
Good. CFO is, is a key.

00:02:52:18 - 00:02:54:07
Speaker 3
The key to key high.

00:02:54:08 - 00:03:11:14
Speaker 2
But I think that, you know, the, the real heart behind the book, one scoop at a time that I wrote, coming out of college started, by writing a paper in college, I, I chased a girl to Baylor. You know, she wanted to go to Baylor, and I just wanted to be with her.

00:03:11:14 - 00:03:41:04
Speaker 2
And so I thought, well, then I'll go to Baylor. That's great. And not really having necessarily a specific, major in mind, I was thinking business. Yeah. The first week we got to Baylor, we broke up, so here I am at Baylor, and, which was a tremendous school. Loved my time there. In in one of the marketing classes that I had chosen to really go into marketing business journalism, there was a consumer relations course that we had to find a company and follow it the entire semester.

00:03:41:06 - 00:04:02:00
Speaker 2
And, how they relate to the consumer. Went back to my apartment, call my dad said, I've got this project. I have no idea where to start, as far as finding a company. And at the time I called, he was reading an article out of, I don't know what magazine was. I really wish I could find that out, but it was on this whole ice cream company down in Brenham, Texas.

00:04:02:00 - 00:04:28:10
Speaker 2
And so I thought, well, I was within two hours from Waco. I'm going to call and see if maybe I can interview them for the material that I would need. And and really, from that interview and what I saw, ironically, wasn't the ice cream. It was more of the culture that I just was really taken by, you know, work hard, work more than it's just ice cream, but you're actually literally you're making memories of by what you create.

00:04:28:12 - 00:04:44:09
Speaker 2
And so when it came time to graduate, I thought, well, I'll put my application in and let's see what happens. Not really thinking that. Wow, 43 years on, the back end of it, we stepped away and turning in my scope, with a career that.

00:04:44:11 - 00:04:46:21
Speaker 3
I never, ever.

00:04:46:23 - 00:04:50:08
Speaker 2
I can honestly say felt pulled to to go somewhere else.

00:04:50:14 - 00:04:51:23
Speaker 1
Really, the whole time you feel.

00:04:51:23 - 00:05:14:23
Speaker 2
Kind of, you know, over here and there, you know, you get phone calls and or even friends or, you know, we're starting this up. Would you be interested? And I said, I truly believe this is where I'm supposed to be. And so that's, again, the title of the book was One Scoop at a time, but really one step at a time on how I believe God led me to this relationship that got me to Baylor, to break up the relationship and get me to the company.

00:05:15:01 - 00:05:20:08
Speaker 2
And throughout the journey with being, at Blue Bell.

00:05:20:10 - 00:05:22:04
Speaker 3
You know, we a lot of.

00:05:22:04 - 00:05:23:15
Speaker 2
The employees would say, you know, I've never.

00:05:23:15 - 00:05:26:05
Speaker 3
Had a bad day. Well,

00:05:26:07 - 00:05:32:10
Speaker 2
There's been a couple that I would say that have to maybe fall in there, but, you know, you can't have homemade vanilla without Rocky.

00:05:32:10 - 00:05:34:23
Speaker 3
Road, right? We got to talk about.

00:05:35:01 - 00:05:56:06
Speaker 2
But at the same time, Yeah, landed in a place. And I truly believe that God placed me and so from that, point on, until I felt like the door would shut and then something else would open, and I tell, the management team to come through and the employees that I have a chance to get to know, is it it doesn't necessarily mean that's for everybody.

00:05:56:10 - 00:06:12:12
Speaker 2
And this could be part of their journey, part of their one step at a time or one scoop at a time, preparing them for something totally different. And so, you know, go and be happy. Give it your best. And if it gets to the point where you're not supposed to be there, then it's okay. Yeah. Because do everybody a favor, including yourself.

00:06:12:12 - 00:06:16:19
Speaker 2
And so but yeah I feel it's very special. Give you a real long answer to a great question. Yeah.

00:06:16:19 - 00:06:34:22
Speaker 1
Well thank you. I mean, it's helpful. I like hearing it because I think, you know, as, as a guy, as a guy was formerly in the military and said, what I recognize is that there's the especially in the early days, there's this there's this desire to kind of look over and go, like, what if I try something different?

00:06:34:22 - 00:06:52:09
Speaker 1
Especially in the early days, you're trying to figure yourself out. It's hard. You know, those kinds of things. Why did you recognize, like, a good wallet or a knife or even a car? You know, after a certain point, there's like this where you've been there long enough now becomes sentimental to you that you're there. Did you find that happened to you at some point?

00:06:52:09 - 00:06:59:03
Speaker 1
You were a decade in. You're like, you know what? I've been here. This is like, feels more familiar than that.

00:06:59:05 - 00:07:00:07
Speaker 3
Yeah. I think one of.

00:07:00:07 - 00:07:10:03
Speaker 2
The really blessing to benefits is when I stepped, into the first position up in Dallas, 1981, our company was still real small.

00:07:10:05 - 00:07:11:06
Speaker 3
You know how many folks.

00:07:11:11 - 00:07:32:11
Speaker 2
We started in 1907 as a butter company? Yeah. So now fast forward to 1981, when I started January 1st of 81. We're only in Brenham, Austin, Houston and the surrounding areas and had just gone into Dallas. But we were we were a Texas company, so it's hard to imagine being around that that long. But things were really starting to happen.

00:07:32:11 - 00:07:47:12
Speaker 2
And so, I think I caught the wave at the right time and I was able to stay on my surfboard. Holloway because it was it was exciting. And so from Dallas, a year and a half moved to Fort Worth. You know, you don't have after that San Antonio for five years.

00:07:47:14 - 00:07:48:20
Speaker 1
You're just like opening these markets.

00:07:48:20 - 00:08:12:15
Speaker 2
I mean, we're going and again, being very blessed to say, hey, would you be the first to take out, take Bluebell out of state? We moved from Oklahoma City to Tulsa to Kansas City to Tulsa. And then eventually the last 20 years I spent in the corporate headquarters. But, I think that, you know, going back to that work, hard work, you know, as if you're working for the Lord and the very best you can do what you're doing.

00:08:12:17 - 00:08:16:07
Speaker 2
Doors just continued to, to open, which helped in that process.

00:08:16:08 - 00:08:16:20
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:08:16:22 - 00:08:34:00
Speaker 2
Patience is the toughest thing for anybody along the journey. And I think that, you know, you want to be patient because you're being molded and shaped in a way. If I had pushed maybe harder, one of the things a little bit different, I may have missed on some of the lessons that I should have learned.

00:08:34:02 - 00:08:59:01
Speaker 2
But, again, looking back, I couldn't be more pleased to say that, it's been it was really exciting. It was hard to really step away even after 43 years. But, I just felt like at this particular time in my life, as as I'm hitting the retirement age, there was still some gas in the gas tank that I wanted to be able to go out and do some things, like write a book and go and doing podcast.

00:08:59:05 - 00:08:59:09
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:08:59:12 - 00:09:05:10
Speaker 2
You just never know what would the God has in store. And I really think it's the next step or the next scoop, per se.

00:09:05:15 - 00:09:27:16
Speaker 1
Yeah, yeah, I, I can appreciate the, the resilience you've had kind of doing those things. I think one of the, one of the things that come to mind is I'm thinking about your journey. And just also for the folks tuning in, a lot of patience is also required, like as a leader, run these companies to include sometimes, like, not overreact into a decision or get into a solution very quick.

00:09:27:16 - 00:09:33:15
Speaker 1
It's no secret that a lot of owners and leaders of organizations are fixers. You know they control freaks, if you will.

00:09:33:15 - 00:09:34:13
Speaker 2
Absolutely.

00:09:34:15 - 00:09:51:10
Speaker 1
What kind of patients have you learned in that arena? You know, especially as you started getting into the, into the upper levels of manager there and then running the company just about like taking your time with the decision, because oftentimes it doesn't always seem the luxury when you're in it.

00:09:51:12 - 00:09:54:13
Speaker 2
It's a great question. And I think the, the.

00:09:54:15 - 00:09:54:22
Speaker 3
The, the.

00:09:54:22 - 00:10:08:13
Speaker 2
Beauty of that question really came with the people that I was working underneath, the president of the company, the cruzi family, but they took the company over in 1919. And when they started, we're getting further away from.

00:10:08:16 - 00:10:09:23
Speaker 3
It when it was.

00:10:10:01 - 00:10:28:16
Speaker 2
But the three generations of the Cruzes that ran it, were very, very patient. You know, to to want to be the number one of anything is, is usually your goal. And yet at the same time, that never seemed to be, our focus, our focus is to be the very best we could be wherever we were at.

00:10:28:18 - 00:10:40:07
Speaker 2
But don't get ahead of yourself. There's some things that we could do today. We could go nationwide today. We're only in 23 states and about 36% of the shopping market. So there's still a lot of America there. We're not. And.

00:10:40:07 - 00:10:40:23
Speaker 3
Yeah,

00:10:41:01 - 00:11:12:23
Speaker 2
But at the same time, we want to make sure that where we're at that the product, is what you know, when someone buys Bluebell for the first time or that goes back to that favorite flavor that they've really been counting on, that it really meets that expectation. And so patience is critical. And and yet at the same time, what I saw is why try to get there and try to be the very best, the biggest overnight and have that such a short lived period of time, when you can take it one step at a time and still be very, very successful.

00:11:13:01 - 00:11:23:21
Speaker 2
I heard a lot in my career, but I'm finding that it's not a popular saying, which I was a little surprised because I've heard it so much, but it's it's a search by the inch and hard by the yard.

00:11:23:22 - 00:11:26:12
Speaker 3
Oh, interesting. I would say, you know, and, and, and.

00:11:26:12 - 00:11:29:21
Speaker 2
Yet we were just kind of instilled a sense by the in charge, by the yard.

00:11:29:23 - 00:11:32:17
Speaker 1
And so you might have been the first one to tell me that, say.

00:11:32:19 - 00:11:35:02
Speaker 3
Yeah, I might have never heard, you want to grow.

00:11:35:03 - 00:11:55:22
Speaker 2
You don't want to stay stagnant, and you want to do things in a way that not only keeps your, I want to say, the brand, but you want to keep real. Do you want to keep relevant? But you don't want to do it at such a pace that you, you know, you overtax the machine or you, you run production so far that they can't keep up or you have to start making decisions on quality that you don't want to have to make because you're you're outpacing yourself.

00:11:56:00 - 00:12:11:00
Speaker 2
At the same time, you don't want to just stay stagnant. So there's a there's a balance there. And so, at Bluebell, we would, slowly move into the next market. Is it would take us kind of the ripple effect. So if our products in Lake Charles, Louisiana, next thing you know, Baton Rouge is hearing about it.

00:12:11:00 - 00:12:28:08
Speaker 2
So you go to Baton Rouge and so on and so on. And so the consumer has been our, our greatest, friend. They've supported us, and they've also been those that have been out on the forefront saying, when are you coming to and and believe me, we wish we were everywhere. There's a way to do that. But we we still make everything.

00:12:28:08 - 00:12:36:08
Speaker 2
And, from making all of our product, putting it on our own trucks and take it to the supermarket, and that's not done near as much as what it used to be.

00:12:36:08 - 00:12:41:13
Speaker 1
Yeah, that's rare. Right. Like, yeah, the company itself actually stocking those shelves and stuff like that. That's not.

00:12:42:04 - 00:12:59:22
Speaker 2
Well, it's it's a cost involved, but it's drugstore delivery is what we call it. Yet the product, it starts really melting around zero degrees. A lot of people think 32 well, no, it totally melted. 32 it hits the carton at 21. And that's Officer. So you really want to protect it. It's probably the most delicate product in the grocery store if when you really look at it.

00:13:00:00 - 00:13:15:17
Speaker 1
Yeah. Because we kind of take it for granted, you know, it's in the freezer and I can just grab it. It's resilient, but you're right, especially in this Texas heat. Right? Absolutely. About a thing of bluebell, homemade vanilla, recently, and, I was only five minute drive, and I swear, that thing was half melting.

00:13:15:17 - 00:13:17:13
Speaker 3
But that's just it.

00:13:17:15 - 00:13:35:14
Speaker 2
And if you warehouse it, not that it can't be done. You just have to, you know, really produce in a different way to make sure that it doesn't melt so fast or changes the complexity of the product or the texture and the taste. Yeah. So there's a lot that goes into it. But, patience is critical, I guess, to come back to where we started.

00:13:35:14 - 00:13:45:19
Speaker 2
And that is, you want to make sure that, we have a saying that we want to meet the expectation that drives the passion consistently. Meet the expectation.

00:13:45:22 - 00:13:48:07
Speaker 1
Meet the expectation, the drives the passion.

00:13:48:07 - 00:14:03:23
Speaker 2
Drives that passion. So when you get the call from a lady that's in, you know, Tupelo, Mississippi, or, up in Kentucky, over in South Carolina or right here in Austin, Texas, and said, I just bought a half gallon of pralines and cream or butter pecan. And, boy, it's exactly the way I remembered it.

00:14:04:02 - 00:14:04:23
Speaker 3
Really? That's what you.

00:14:05:01 - 00:14:05:12
Speaker 1
That's what you.

00:14:05:12 - 00:14:09:10
Speaker 2
Want. That's what you're after. You want to be able to consistently meet that expectation?

00:14:09:10 - 00:14:39:19
Speaker 1
Yeah, it's it's, you know, again, like, it strikes me as something that in the rearview mirror, it seems like of course, that makes sense. And, that growing little at a time, but still growing, but just doing, making the right calls and letting your, you know, kind of barrel weather be something that kind of determines how you do it versus the, oh, little fire, let's douse it with gasoline and blow this thing up, even if it is, you know, somewhat toxic.

00:14:39:19 - 00:14:47:03
Speaker 1
And like all those things, why do you think it's so human nature to do that? Why is that restraint so uncommon? It seems like.

00:14:47:05 - 00:15:07:20
Speaker 2
I think that, kind of a little bit what we were describing is just when you see success, you want to capitalize the quick as you can on it, because you think maybe tomorrow won't be there and or will. This is happening now. Let's just, you know, go as hard as we can, you know, and I've heard other ice cream companies say we want to be number one, number one of the nation, number one in the world.

00:15:08:02 - 00:15:42:07
Speaker 2
And there's nothing wrong with having the expectation of that. But at the same time, I think that you somehow, if you focus strictly on a number, you can do things that aren't necessarily good for the product, good for the company, for the long period of time. And so, you know, when they asked me to take over in 2017 as president, it was my goal to when I did finally step away, to be able to hand that baton with the understanding and expectation that really 30, 40, 50 years from now, we will then be at that whatever level in that length of time.

00:15:42:09 - 00:16:06:11
Speaker 2
I think that, we've seen a lot of companies, they enjoy that success. And then they either get bought out or someone takes them over and, well, you know, so you flip flip a company per se. Yeah. And again, there's nothing wrong with that if that's that's what your goals and expectations are. But, our, the crazy family want to say are the ones that really created the vanillas and the cookies and cream.

00:16:06:13 - 00:16:30:05
Speaker 2
Howard Cruzi and Ed Cruzi were the two brothers. They wanted you to just enjoy a bowl of ice cream at night. If you wanted to get a little bit more, it was okay. Yeah, it's just kind of a simple philosophy, but I go back to, creating memories because, the letters that we have received are just incredible, all the way from those that have lost loved ones that the product meant so much to them.

00:16:30:05 - 00:16:46:09
Speaker 2
They still we have celebration. We had one film, we have it in the book, but they came up the their matriarch, the the granddaddy of the whole family love lemon ice cream. We don't have lemon ice cream very often, but we do have it in our parlor. And they said, we're going to bring a family reunion to bring them.

00:16:46:11 - 00:16:48:14
Speaker 2
And that was, I can remember, 40 something.

00:16:48:16 - 00:16:49:04
Speaker 3
From all.

00:16:49:04 - 00:16:50:02
Speaker 2
Over the country were.

00:16:50:02 - 00:16:53:15
Speaker 3
In yellow shirts. They were living because of the lemon.

00:16:53:17 - 00:16:56:02
Speaker 2
They wrote a song and they all sit on the steps of.

00:16:56:02 - 00:16:57:01
Speaker 3
Bluebell and sing this.

00:16:57:01 - 00:17:07:17
Speaker 2
Song about lemon ice cream and bluebell and the grandpa that had passed away. And, the just the joy that came from it. And it's just, man, it's like, okay, that's why we do what we do.

00:17:07:17 - 00:17:08:09
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:17:08:11 - 00:17:15:15
Speaker 2
Yeah. It's we make ice cream. Sure. That's that's right. But we really do make memories. And you want them to be as good as they possibly can be.

00:17:15:15 - 00:17:18:05
Speaker 3
So it's, it's a.

00:17:18:06 - 00:17:32:22
Speaker 1
Is it the you talk about the crazy family kind of putting that that mentality. What was that? I mean, what was there. What about them? What about them struck you as just it seems like something made an impact on you? I mean, is that founder's spirit or what is that? Yeah.

00:17:32:22 - 00:17:35:01
Speaker 3
I think that,

00:17:35:03 - 00:17:40:11
Speaker 2
First and foremost, it was a real traditional German, based.

00:17:40:11 - 00:17:40:21
Speaker 3
Work.

00:17:40:21 - 00:18:05:03
Speaker 2
Hard ethic. The, the they show themselves that they they led the way. They didn't just talk to talk, but they literally walk the walk. But I think more importantly, I think that, you know, the sense by the, by the art came from Howard crazy in the fact that he, he, took everything that he did, and he was the creator of the flavors, whereas Ed Crews, he was more of the one that ran the business side.

00:18:05:06 - 00:18:16:10
Speaker 2
Okay. And the the combination of those two made the success make sense. It was just a great template. So, you know, to come in behind them, you don't really want to. It's working.

00:18:16:12 - 00:18:16:23
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:18:17:01 - 00:18:36:00
Speaker 2
And you do want to make sure that you're staying relevant. You want to make sure that you're doing the things in an environment that today may be different than when they were running the company. Back then at the same time, the culture, that they created and not just the people part of it, but also the dedication to the product itself and the consistency.

00:18:36:00 - 00:18:55:20
Speaker 2
Go back to where consistency, the ingredients that you buy, you don't want to ever compromise, because once you crack the door open, it's open. Yeah. And so we just saw a great template of how true, hard work and a great product can last a long time if you'll just kind of stale away. Yeah. For, say, that salad.

00:18:55:20 - 00:18:56:14
Speaker 2
Wrong. But I think you.

00:18:56:19 - 00:19:15:14
Speaker 1
Know, I know exactly what you mean. You gave me, as you were saying, this, Rick, you gave me this vision of, actually my father with his tools. Growing up, I used to watch and work on cars and stuff. I always loved doing it with him. And. But I noticed he always had, like, particular care of, like, cleaning up the tools and stuff and putting them back where they needed to be.

00:19:15:16 - 00:19:33:03
Speaker 1
And it's what I do today, and I actually sometimes don't even know why I do it. And then I have to think about it and go, oh, it's because I watch someone care about that. Never had to say anything. And I think that's probably my gut says that's what happens. I think when a company gets sold or moved, is that the person cleaning the tools?

00:19:33:08 - 00:19:39:14
Speaker 1
No one's watching that anymore. And so unless you find the right people to hopefully kind of keep carrying that tradition.

00:19:39:17 - 00:19:40:09
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:19:40:11 - 00:19:58:17
Speaker 2
If I could use a word and that would be disciplines you, I use in my spiritual life, what are my Christian disciplines and what are my work ethic, discipline and what keeps me in? You said it beautifully in the fact that there's some things I may do that just really may not necessarily have a purpose, but the discipline of doing it keeps the consistency in it.

00:19:58:19 - 00:20:03:19
Speaker 2
And and there are times where we've stopped. I mean, there was a long time that, you know, we had ties on.

00:20:03:21 - 00:20:10:04
Speaker 3
You know, the writers listening to me, they're going to laugh right now because, you know, we were the one of the few.

00:20:10:04 - 00:20:17:02
Speaker 2
Companies that when the sales team would go out, the gentleman would still wear ties up until maybe.

00:20:17:02 - 00:20:19:18
Speaker 3
Well, Covid. Wait. Interesting. Really? Yeah.

00:20:19:18 - 00:20:42:11
Speaker 2
So 9000, 105 outside you're doing resets, but at the same time, and this is going to sound unusual, but when you would walk into a grocery store with a tie on and chances are, especially the employees new Blue Bell struggles to take care of you. And so you you might have a new, salesperson, but the tie itself, and not necessarily a direct way, but an indirect way.

00:20:42:15 - 00:20:56:19
Speaker 2
So. Is that how important is that? Well, it's a discipline. And if it's, it's one that. Okay. Now that we've been going as long as we have them and maybe the tie can be left, you still look good and that kind of thing.

00:20:56:19 - 00:20:58:00
Speaker 3
So, yeah, those are the.

00:20:58:00 - 00:21:17:12
Speaker 2
Things that is a is a leader. You have to weigh out how important is this, to the overall picture. How motivating is it to employ and, and when, you know, you're cleaning up an ice cream cabinet that's just melted down and you have a tie on, first thing you want to do is to clean. So, so you want to listen as a leader, you want to pay attention.

00:21:17:16 - 00:21:36:15
Speaker 2
But at the same time, I think the word that just jumps out of me is having certain disciplines that you do that make you who you are. And if you continue to do those, it keeps that foundation because again, the compromising can be good. But at the same time, when you compromise here and then here and here, where does that stop?

00:21:36:17 - 00:21:39:04
Speaker 2
And again, it can change, especially if you get bought out.

00:21:39:10 - 00:22:01:04
Speaker 1
Yeah. Or that and that because then there's almost no connective tissue anymore. That like allows folks to do that. Yeah. Just I do think that that is the the tradition of being able to pass down sounds like with the crazy family having that discipline already kind of built into the product. Do you also think that some of the magic of Blue Bell, it's like such a it's such a Texas thing.

00:22:01:04 - 00:22:20:01
Speaker 1
I know it's around 23 states, but it's such a like we're so loyal to the brand. Do you think part of that is part of that success comes from also it being born here, you know, like if it was born maybe in Idaho, it may or may not have gotten some of that, some of that kind of resilience to the brand.

00:22:20:03 - 00:22:31:19
Speaker 2
I definitely think it's, very, very iconic, to be, you know, created here in Texas, made in Texas. You know, now that I've retired, I'm in Oklahoma.

00:22:31:21 - 00:22:32:09
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:22:32:11 - 00:22:35:10
Speaker 2
At the same time, they're very similar. And we won't go into that because that.

00:22:35:10 - 00:22:36:08
Speaker 3
Though there's some.

00:22:36:08 - 00:22:56:18
Speaker 2
Conversations I can go back and forth. I didn't mention I went to Baylor. So if we're talking football, I can take a neutral position very quickly. But I think that, the beauty of the culture matched Texas. And when I say that when you have a commercial that says mama, mama hollering through the screen, you boys want some Blue Bell ice cream?

00:22:57:00 - 00:23:22:12
Speaker 2
Well, I don't know. And again, I'm not sure. But in Florida, I don't know if there's country living where mom is hollering through a screen, because it's just that that's not the same perception and or, imagery that goes with it. At the same time. It doesn't mean that it doesn't fit. Yeah. But the simplicity of, of just, you know, families coming together, you know, gathering around the table, having a good conversation.

00:23:22:14 - 00:23:45:16
Speaker 2
And I think that that, it just fit very, very nicely back and then, you know, 1907 all the way through, in the state of Texas. And then as we stepped out, Louisiana. Unbelievable. Oklahoma, as I mentioned, Mississippi, the there's a there's a real passion for it. But at the same time, when your home state is here, you're going to have that, yeah.

00:23:45:16 - 00:23:46:11
Speaker 2
Connection for.

00:23:46:11 - 00:23:52:21
Speaker 1
Sure. Yeah. Texans have a way of finding something that's theirs and then scream into the rooftops about it, you know? And so I think that's right.

00:23:53:01 - 00:23:53:13
Speaker 3
There's some great.

00:23:53:13 - 00:23:57:06
Speaker 2
Brands in Texas. I mean, if you think about, you know, water Burger, doctor, Pepper.

00:23:57:06 - 00:23:59:09
Speaker 1
Yeti, I mean, there's so many of these things.

00:23:59:09 - 00:24:03:19
Speaker 2
Yeah, very, very iconic. And it's great to be included in that on that list.

00:24:03:21 - 00:24:04:11
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:24:04:13 - 00:24:18:13
Speaker 2
Because, it's it's humbling. You don't want to let anyone down. But the most important, it's it's a pride, but hopefully a humbled pride that you want to be the best you want. You'll be able to step back and let the product talk for itself.

00:24:18:19 - 00:24:19:04
Speaker 3
Oh, yeah.

00:24:19:08 - 00:24:22:07
Speaker 2
And, yeah, the same time. No, that job well done.

00:24:22:09 - 00:24:40:09
Speaker 1
I think Texas is cheering with a, friend at of state friend, the other day, and he goes, you know, and I think he's they've grown will enjoy Texas when they come visit because, man, what is it with you Texans and I go, we're we're really Americans. I concentrate Americans on concentrate like you're my concentrate excuse. That's all it is.

00:24:40:09 - 00:24:56:14
Speaker 1
But the beauty of it is, is that like I it it may seem from the outside looking in like this really, boisterous pride, but it's not actually because it's one that as long as you want to be part of the club, you want to go break open some bubble with us and go enjoy it. That's right on the Texas hot sun.

00:24:56:17 - 00:25:04:14
Speaker 1
Come on, Mike, you're allowed to come hang out with us and do the thing. But if you're going to be here, you better be into the thing, you know. And so. Right. I think that's kind of what.

00:25:04:14 - 00:25:05:17
Speaker 3
Ties the like the.

00:25:05:17 - 00:25:06:10
Speaker 1
Brand together.

00:25:06:10 - 00:25:14:06
Speaker 2
Very well said because I think you're right. A very warm, well, welcoming, at the same time, this is what we do.

00:25:14:08 - 00:25:17:14
Speaker 3
You get your spoon, get your bowl. Yeah. Get out of the way. One of the two. You know.

00:25:17:20 - 00:25:19:13
Speaker 1
What's your favorite flavor of yesterday?

00:25:19:16 - 00:25:23:01
Speaker 2
Oh, you know, it's probably the most popular question that I get.

00:25:23:04 - 00:25:23:19
Speaker 3
Is it?

00:25:23:21 - 00:25:37:15
Speaker 2
Well, I want to say that it's because, it's. And yet it's the hardest answer. I would say, you know how many vanillas the Hall of Fame. So I kind of push it to this. I don't say push it to the side. If there's only one flavor that I can have for the rest of my life, it have to be homemade vanilla.

00:25:37:15 - 00:25:45:04
Speaker 2
You know, you use it on everything. And yet, not just milkshakes and pies and cakes, but just just by itself is unbelievable.

00:25:45:07 - 00:25:48:04
Speaker 3
Yeah. But I'll,

00:25:48:06 - 00:25:57:13
Speaker 2
Salted caramel, brownie came out. You'll love this. A couple years ago. Just phenomenal. The little brownie piece was just. I'm telling you, ice.

00:25:57:13 - 00:25:58:05
Speaker 3
Cream is good too.

00:25:58:05 - 00:26:03:17
Speaker 2
But that brownie was incredible. And then this year, I'm calling around. I'm not there anymore, so I'm.

00:26:03:17 - 00:26:06:23
Speaker 3
I'm the guy calling it the brownie. I wanted to come back.

00:26:06:23 - 00:26:09:10
Speaker 2
Of this, so I don't think it's coming back this year. And I said, you know, I've.

00:26:09:10 - 00:26:14:08
Speaker 3
Gone for one year place falling apart, you know what's going on? But,

00:26:14:13 - 00:26:28:06
Speaker 2
At the same time, we've had some, some really, really, dynamite flavors. Said he, he pivot to he said, well, if I can have that, that much more pivot over. But some of the ones my wife's favorite flavors, chocolate Loma marshmallow.

00:26:28:07 - 00:26:28:20
Speaker 3
Oh, really?

00:26:28:22 - 00:26:30:16
Speaker 2
We haven't had that for probably ten years.

00:26:30:16 - 00:26:32:13
Speaker 1
Yes, yes. However, the last time I see them.

00:26:32:15 - 00:26:45:15
Speaker 2
And pleads and I said, baby, it's just, you know, it's a team that doesn't, you know, not that, not, but, there. Yeah, there's some of mine is, we made a, coconut fudge ice cream. It tastes just like a frozen mounds bar.

00:26:45:17 - 00:26:46:03
Speaker 3
Really?

00:26:46:03 - 00:26:49:08
Speaker 1
Coconut sponge really does that out now or is it?

00:26:49:08 - 00:27:06:09
Speaker 2
No, no, it's another one. You know, and it's funny because people said, well, how do you how do you make the decision? But we'll we'll have a flavor out for a period of time. And depending upon how well it doesn't accepted, we'll, we'll reintroduce it or bring it back. And coconut is one of those flavors that either you really like coconut or you really don't.

00:27:06:13 - 00:27:07:15
Speaker 2
It's not one that just.

00:27:07:15 - 00:27:08:11
Speaker 1
There's no in between.

00:27:08:11 - 00:27:09:05
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:27:09:07 - 00:27:20:05
Speaker 2
Chocolate, vanilla. I mean, all those are pretty universal, but, so I'll do my phone calls and I'll do my asking, but, they're always trying to create an which is great.

00:27:20:07 - 00:27:20:14
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:27:20:19 - 00:27:22:06
Speaker 2
Come up with new, new ideas.

00:27:22:11 - 00:27:53:21
Speaker 1
Yeah I do, yeah. Switch gears a little bit on thinking about that probably leads us into your book here, especially when you're talking about the fear that the faith part. Yeah. Storms, I think in, in company and as part of the job, you know, of sharing with a leader the other day, that the reason we get put in this seat or reason you earn the right to be in the seat is not because of the, the, the fancy stuff that people think it's for the times when the ship goes sideways or when you have a storm inbound and you got to navigate the team through it.

00:27:53:21 - 00:28:10:21
Speaker 1
Yeah. Any personal philosophies? This just kind of helped you imagine 43 years in your career? Is going to give you storms and winds at time. Any things that you've kind of held on to is principles to just kind of help you. And then your team navigate through those tough moments.

00:28:10:23 - 00:28:27:21
Speaker 2
Great question. And one that, is, I want to say common unfortunately. But at the same time, if if you live very long at all, you're going to have to have some, some storms. It's really the storms. Oh, and looking back, I was asked the question, if you could remove any one storm in your life, what what storm would that be?

00:28:27:21 - 00:28:36:15
Speaker 2
Oh that's good. And I thought, well, that's powerful. And yet I was having a hard time coming up with a conclusion because each storm that I've been through has helped put me. You know, the next step is you.

00:28:36:15 - 00:28:37:22
Speaker 1
Have to give up the wisdom, right?

00:28:37:22 - 00:29:01:21
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah, exactly, exactly. We love the the mountaintops, but they're usually the smallest of the journey. Climbing up and climbing or coming down is is really what you're learning the most. And of course, the valleys, what we're talking about. But, from my own personal life, from again, I mentioned my faith and the from a spiritual standpoint, having that relationship with Christ and and, being prepared, I think.

00:29:01:22 - 00:29:22:11
Speaker 2
And so from a daily discipline, I'll go back to the word, of having Scripture pillars that I either gravitate to or especially when the clouds start forming. Okay. Let me go back to the truths that I really hold on to the anchors, that I can put my, anchor into to hold, because here it comes.

00:29:22:13 - 00:29:37:20
Speaker 2
I think of the, the story in Mark. I think it's chapter four where the disciples get on the boat with Jesus and they go across and he goes, I think it's the back of the boat. And he goes to sleep. And, the waves come and they're coming over the boat. I can just see him trying to.

00:29:37:22 - 00:29:38:12
Speaker 3
Get the water.

00:29:38:13 - 00:30:06:04
Speaker 2
Finally they go wake him up and any and he stands up and just says, you know, to the sea, be, you know, be still. And it just immediately is still and says he, a little faith. And I want to when I hear that, I think, you know, if the, the creator of the world, my master can sleep in the middle of the storm, and that's where I want to be, I want that peace that passes all understanding in the middle of the storm, not way past the storm, where I can look back and say, okay, now I get it.

00:30:06:07 - 00:30:22:23
Speaker 2
Yeah. And that's where faith comes in. I mean, to me, that is the the okay, Christ, I don't I mean, I don't understand this at all. And there's a lot of things in the world today. I don't understand it all, but I do know that you're my master. And so therefore I'm I'm going to anchor to you and trust you.

00:30:22:23 - 00:30:32:09
Speaker 2
And so, faith, you know, and. Yeah, that's tough. I won't lie. There are some storms that it's like, okay, I'm holding on to, you know.

00:30:32:11 - 00:30:35:19
Speaker 3
Feels like I don't know exactly. And so from from,

00:30:35:23 - 00:30:50:06
Speaker 2
My own spiritual walk, I have made it a discipline to start every day. First thing I do, so seek first the kingdom of God. So first thing, I'd get the Bible and or get the Bible app. One of the two. Well, okay, I hit the coffee pot first.

00:30:50:08 - 00:30:53:00
Speaker 3
Whole. I got to get the coffee. Did the Virgo.

00:30:53:02 - 00:31:23:19
Speaker 2
So then if you pivot from from just a personal tour to, now as a leader at work, there are some things I would say that immediately come to mind, in the middle of the storm. And we've been through, you know, less than yours have been incredibly difficult, saying that the the, the of this side of it now and the things that we've put into place and I'm referring to, obviously, the little story that we had back in 2015, to go humble and to recognize it and to hit it head on and say, okay, we're going to do this, right.

00:31:23:19 - 00:31:44:05
Speaker 2
We're going to get it right. And, I mean, literally took all the machines out of the production floor, took the floor up, took the walls down, ceiling redid the way we, set up production, brought in microbiologists to guide us and navigate us through. Had help from state, had help from FDA. And, we're going to be the state of the art on this, you know, ice creams, fun.

00:31:44:05 - 00:32:04:17
Speaker 2
It's not supposed to be something I think about. Yeah. And it's also a very low risk item. When you make a pasteurized product at -20 and you freeze it and you put it in the freezer, you shouldn't have this problem until you have this problem. Yeah. So, I think that, from principles number one is to, to go humble but go, go confident, you're going to get it right.

00:32:04:19 - 00:32:27:09
Speaker 2
Number two, be transparent. Not just to employees but to the consumer. And know that they're watching, they're looking. And so it's okay to be human, but at the same time, that's where you're going. Your faith overlaps is we're going to get it. We're going to get it right. We're going to do all we can. And if the end of the road, we have to turn out the light and we turn out the light, but we gave it everything we possibly could.

00:32:27:09 - 00:32:44:08
Speaker 2
And so, I think that, analyze, ask for help, be human. But at the same time, then once time, make decision, make the decisions. And that's, that's exactly what you're referring to. It's fun to say you're president of anything until you have a bad day.

00:32:44:10 - 00:32:49:17
Speaker 3
Yeah. Come on, you know, I don't know this. Yeah. But,

00:32:49:19 - 00:33:07:05
Speaker 2
God, has has blessed my life and my family. And even with the Blue Bell, in a way that, the the anchor again, I go back to that even in those tough days, and there are many to say. Look, I'm going to I'm going to hold on because I trust and believe in you.

00:33:07:09 - 00:33:08:06
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:33:08:08 - 00:33:12:09
Speaker 2
I think there's that combination. I don't know how people do it without faith, to be honest with you.

00:33:12:11 - 00:33:32:14
Speaker 1
But kind of hard to find something to hold on to. And yeah, I think you're as I'm sitting here next to you. I mean, I had the just fortunate, gift to be able to talk to great folks all the time. And but I'm always I always like, recognize just how human they are. Like, there's just a humanity to them.

00:33:32:16 - 00:33:57:04
Speaker 1
That I think oftentimes, for better or for worse, when you're kind of in the seat and the folks who work with and around you or your clients or customers oftentimes kind of almost there's a superpower they put over you that you should have the answers. And I think that there's a that definitely doesn't, remove the responsibility of making the call and making the decisions and doing the things that you're there for.

00:33:57:06 - 00:34:12:08
Speaker 1
But the one thing that I do think is kind of some of that empathy that you got a human that's going back home talking to your wife and going, oh my goodness, I don't know what to do today. You know, like, you know, even if I was the smartest person in the world right now, what do I do?

00:34:12:09 - 00:34:35:08
Speaker 1
Do you find it like you're was it especially as you try to help your team and the leaders that were that reporting to you about anything? I mean, even as something as, like a sales target that didn't get hit or whatever the case may be, how do yet permanent how do you permeate that level of individual confidence, that humility, but confidence in them to be able to make the right calls?

00:34:35:08 - 00:34:43:16
Speaker 1
Because I think that's often where folks efforts like, okay, I can maybe work on myself, but how do I kind of acknowledge they're also human while also helping to move the ball forward?

00:34:43:20 - 00:35:02:06
Speaker 2
Absolutely. That's a great question. And I think you're really hitting right on it. Yeah. Even if we rewind just a little when you go home, I love that because when you have 3500 employees and that's approximately what we had during the time and about, I think we have a few more now. Yeah. We continue to grow as a team.

00:35:02:08 - 00:35:18:20
Speaker 2
The magnitude of looking at the, you know, walking the floor and looking at the eye and, seeing the emotions that go along with, not just the good times, but the tough times. You can't help but just want to be the very best you can be. And and to be able to to to show that.

00:35:18:20 - 00:35:34:15
Speaker 2
Look, I have the confidence I truly believe we're going to make through it. But they they hear you a lot more about what they see than what they actually hear come out of you and, and so I think as a leader, that's something that we have to be very mindful of is they actually see you before they hear you.

00:35:34:17 - 00:35:59:01
Speaker 2
And, and so what you're saying, if it doesn't match necessarily the direction as a leader, how you're leading it can get messed up and or they can lose that confidence. But I think second half of that, I think again, you just you nailed and that is to have good people and then trust them to do what they do because they're specialists at those levels and, or in positions.

00:35:59:01 - 00:36:26:03
Speaker 2
So it's it's such a production manager or future marketing manager, if it's your PR team that's going out with a message or if it's whatever it is, all of us are smarter than one of us. All of us are smart. And I've heard that, again, another phrase that's used. And it's okay as president CEO to to get all that information, because the more information you can be brought in, then you can make that tough decision a whole lot more effectively.

00:36:26:05 - 00:36:38:14
Speaker 2
And, there are times where you may have a split, room, you may have half the room going one direction and the other half going the other. But at the same time, you want to make sure that you have you've.

00:36:38:16 - 00:36:38:23
Speaker 3
You've.

00:36:38:23 - 00:36:44:23
Speaker 2
Given them the confidence to go out and be able to speak their mind. I, I've had some.

00:36:45:01 - 00:36:45:14
Speaker 3
I have.

00:36:45:14 - 00:36:52:18
Speaker 2
No problem saying I've had some managers that were, 50, 50 on the same page, just different philosophy, different management style.

00:36:52:19 - 00:36:53:04
Speaker 3
Yeah.

00:36:53:04 - 00:37:11:18
Speaker 2
But I love talking to them because I always got a different perspective. It always like I never thought it from that, that angle or that, that, you know, whatever their perception is, even though if they didn't know the whole story because it was real and they, they felt the confidence to be able to approach me.

00:37:11:20 - 00:37:31:02
Speaker 2
And so, you know, the, the, the trade off would be you can come in and talk and tell and share anything you want to and just know that I'm going to give you a full hundred percent, but just know them when you leave that I'm taking it down, but I'm still going to be making whatever decision might be on the on the best interest of the company.

00:37:31:02 - 00:37:48:08
Speaker 2
Not not for me, but for the company. So when you see a team member struggling and there are times that they don't have that confidence, it's really important that you support them and listen to them and say, okay, how do we get you back to where you need to be? Because they are leading. And then those that team that they're leading is leading.

00:37:48:08 - 00:37:55:02
Speaker 2
I mean, it just trickles down. But the key to that whole thing is leading. And if you do it together, you can be very, very successful.

00:37:55:06 - 00:37:59:04
Speaker 1
Yeah. And it's, would you say it's constant work?

00:37:59:07 - 00:38:00:08
Speaker 3
Constant work.

00:38:00:08 - 00:38:27:04
Speaker 1
Yeah. I think there's a, there's a natural there's a natural England to want to in addition to grow like a weed, which isn't always healthy. There's also an inkling to like, systematize leadership. How do I make a thing or an alert that you get so you can do a thing and that you need those? But I do find that, and hack any, any week that I feel like myself or a colleague of mine is running a company, just having a you could tell, you know, catching up for dinner on Sunday or Saturday.

00:38:27:06 - 00:38:40:07
Speaker 1
And they're like, man, that was a week. But I love when we get to smile about it and go, but that's the job, you know, like it's also the job like to keep things moving because humans are complicated things that know that you got to keep.

00:38:40:08 - 00:38:42:04
Speaker 2
We all we all approach it differently.

00:38:42:09 - 00:38:43:14
Speaker 3
Yeah. So I have.

00:38:43:14 - 00:39:05:21
Speaker 2
Found and it's not to be critical on either side, but to, to manage people is in itself an art. And so when I say that you may be very, very gifted in a talent and or trade, you may be a tremendous engineer, you may be a tremendous operator or whatever it might be. But managing people is different than actually doing the actual work.

00:39:05:21 - 00:39:33:03
Speaker 2
And so we've had some, great, employees that should move up. And yet by moving them up puts them into a position where I'm not now out of my my, level of expertise, him or my sweet spot. Yeah. And I managing people. I'm not very good at. And so now I'm miserable and they're miserable. And I've tried to even recognize some of those in the fact that say, look, you know, I think that you could move up if that's something that's in your desire.

00:39:33:03 - 00:39:53:06
Speaker 2
And I think you need to know where your leaders want to go at the same time, if you're happy, where you're where you're at, I think you still should be rewarded because some of the reason you want to move up is whether it be pay or, you know, whatever the title or whatever. But if you're homed in and some of them look, I'm perfectly happy where I'm at, then you still take care of them, I guess, is what I was going to try to say.

00:39:53:06 - 00:40:04:08
Speaker 2
Yeah, but leading people is is, I would say it's an art, but but, dealing with the different personalities and we don't we all don't think alike.

00:40:04:10 - 00:40:05:21
Speaker 3
So. Yeah, to be.

00:40:05:21 - 00:40:19:10
Speaker 2
Able to hear and listen as just as critical, in fact, listening just vital to being a good leader. And that way then you can take what you're hearing and be able to navigate it in a way. There's not a cookie cutter approach to letting everybody to some way.

00:40:19:11 - 00:40:32:12
Speaker 1
Know you're right. And even on this even group of folks that you would think a group of engineers who you think all would think the same, they do not. Yeah. You know, it's very. Yeah, I imagine so I can get, you know, there you think they all coming from the same deep people. But yeah.

00:40:32:14 - 00:40:33:17
Speaker 3
They are all different.

00:40:33:19 - 00:40:52:20
Speaker 1
You know, I think it's interesting when you think about like how, how is a leader to you take care of yourself. I do appreciate you sharing the, the kind of the personal disciplines that you do. You have a fine folks that do the job well, or at least are a they're truly invested in the craft of leading folks and running things.

00:40:52:22 - 00:41:05:03
Speaker 1
They seem to really be really committed to these individual disciplines. They during the day, you know, so they can show up the very best. When did that click for you that that was important to do? If you were going to be the very best leader for your people?

00:41:05:05 - 00:41:05:20
Speaker 3
You know, I.

00:41:05:21 - 00:41:09:14
Speaker 2
Think it had to have gone all the way back to early on, even in high school.

00:41:09:14 - 00:41:11:05
Speaker 1
And oh, you've been that way for a while there.

00:41:11:09 - 00:41:27:21
Speaker 2
Well, it was, it was, you know, but again, I go back to my dad and really both my dad and grandfather, they were they were my go tos. I call them my my wisdom go tos. My mom was my prayer warrior. My dad was my wisdom guy. But, you know, he he really instilled, as simple as moani your a mode.

00:41:27:21 - 00:41:42:21
Speaker 2
This my an uncle that lived on the straight a majority. He was going to pay me by the hour. And I realized after a couple of times it takes me an hour to move a yard and so there's not necessarily the your natural instinct would be to try to stretch it as long as you can to make as much as you could.

00:41:42:23 - 00:41:57:01
Speaker 2
And and again, it was instilled. Well, why don't you just be the very best at the very best? Don't worry about the time. And if you get too early, you get too early. Yeah. And so instead of running, I mean, instead of walking to get the extension cord to do the weeding, I'd run and I.

00:41:57:01 - 00:41:58:23
Speaker 3
Just let's get it going. You go as.

00:41:58:23 - 00:42:03:08
Speaker 2
Enthusiastically. And it was like the third time I did this, my uncle came out and said.

00:42:03:10 - 00:42:05:08
Speaker 3
Why do you run? You know, I'm paying you.

00:42:05:08 - 00:42:07:07
Speaker 2
By the hour. And I said, hey, we got a job to do.

00:42:07:07 - 00:42:08:04
Speaker 3
And yeah.

00:42:08:06 - 00:42:14:14
Speaker 2
And he said, I tell you what I'm going to do. He was pay me $10 an hour. He said, I'm gonna pay 15 for the job. You just take a longer, shorter.

00:42:14:16 - 00:42:16:13
Speaker 3
Look at that. So that I.

00:42:16:13 - 00:42:44:20
Speaker 2
Know it sounds is crazy. Is that is that stayed with me to say, just work as if you're working for the Lord. Work is in a way that, you're giving it your all. Not every day that you come in, you have the energy. There can be something that you're going through personally or, or whatever, but at the same time, it's just the discipline that that stayed with me, whether it be sitting at school or, keep that rhythm, you keep the rhythm then and then it is epical.

00:42:44:20 - 00:42:48:03
Speaker 2
Now, if you bring my wife in here and she she says discipline.

00:42:48:03 - 00:42:49:04
Speaker 3
Well, you know, there's some.

00:42:49:04 - 00:42:50:15
Speaker 2
Things around the house I'd love to see him.

00:42:50:15 - 00:42:53:15
Speaker 3
Be a little bit more disciplined and doing, but,

00:42:53:17 - 00:42:55:18
Speaker 2
That's where marriage is a good teamwork.

00:42:55:20 - 00:42:57:16
Speaker 3
We we work those out together.

00:42:57:16 - 00:43:09:02
Speaker 1
Keeping you accountable. No, that's exactly right. Yeah. You talk about that. Also being proud to have so many years in it, so many times we're, trading each other's gifts and helping each other to be the very best version, no doubt about it.

00:43:09:05 - 00:43:10:06
Speaker 2
Absolutely.

00:43:10:08 - 00:43:42:17
Speaker 1
The, before we switch to the book here, I the the thing the last thing you kind of said there about like with, with, discipline and, and putting kind of the pieces in place to make sure that you're really being successful day to day and whatever those things are in those moments when you also feel like the, the inputs coming in, especially in the job, you know, and I think about a lot of folks that are getting in for the first time, they're getting in this role of owning a company, leading a company, starting one, all those inputs coming in at once.

00:43:42:19 - 00:43:57:00
Speaker 1
Do you have any helpful pieces of wisdom about how to handle, the massive inflow of things coming in all at all at you in the natural inclined to want to try to solve them all? Do you have any things that you go back to about how you negotiate that?

00:43:57:02 - 00:44:23:21
Speaker 2
Yeah. I think, you do have to be careful that you don't try to be everything to everybody. And so I look at that again as a process. You need to be building that through the process and not just wait till all those things do come in. A great leader again empowers and or, places and position someone that can can be there to be able to answer and have the confidence, whether it's right or wrong, to be able to support that.

00:44:23:23 - 00:44:27:15
Speaker 2
And so, obviously the.

00:44:27:15 - 00:44:28:19
Speaker 3
The, the quicker you.

00:44:28:19 - 00:44:57:04
Speaker 2
Grow or the faster you grow and the number of people that you're managing and it can you really do need to rely on others to be able to take some of that burden off of you, because you can't be everywhere at the same time. And and so I think that, the more confidence you can instill even excuse me all the way to, to the, the route salesman that's out in the store putting the flavors he feels like are they're going to be the best for that particular store.

00:44:57:06 - 00:45:17:00
Speaker 2
You want to empower them to make decisions. You want them to feel like this is my pride. This is what I do. And if you mandate everything to them, they lose that individualism at the same time. You have to balance it with the culture of this is why we do what we do. Yeah. But, yeah, probably the hardest thing is when you lose someone that's your right hand person that helps in that manner.

00:45:17:01 - 00:45:36:02
Speaker 2
Yeah. All of a sudden it does fall into your lap. And, now you are trying to juggle not just the, your own set of balls in the air, but now you've had more thrown into your lap. But, it's preparing as you take those steps, you know, try to live for the day and get through the day, but also be preparing for what's going to come tomorrow.

00:45:37:05 - 00:45:56:14
Speaker 1
So is that stuff at all like, I mean jumping into the book. Now let me, I'll back up here and ask like I find that. Folks come out of book for many different reasons. I'd love to get Ricky's reason for doing it. And then if someone were to dive into it, what are the things they would get from it?

00:45:56:16 - 00:45:58:11
Speaker 1
Or what are the things you'd hope they get from it?

00:45:58:13 - 00:46:18:01
Speaker 2
Well, that's a great question. And I tell you, I you know, honestly, as I was getting to the end of the career in the company and the board of directors is going through the process of making the decision who would be stepping in. Once I did retire, I got a phone call, from from an individual who not only publishes, but really helps you navigate a book.

00:46:18:01 - 00:46:33:00
Speaker 2
And I never will forget. I was talking to her and she basically said, have you ever thought about writing a book? And, you know, a lot of us have thought about a lot of things. Yeah, I've thought about writing a book. And she said, well, if you're really going to do it, you need to do it now.

00:46:33:00 - 00:46:47:07
Speaker 2
And I said, well, I was thinking about doing it once I retire, and I will never forget what she said. It stayed with me to a point where it pushed me. I well, she said, you don't stay when you retire. You're you're going to become irrelevant.

00:46:47:09 - 00:46:55:21
Speaker 3
It's exactly right. I'm not leaving is such an intense thing to do. You can read it. I'm thinking, oh, okay, I'll show you. I thought, you.

00:46:55:21 - 00:47:13:19
Speaker 2
Know, that's a great motivator to say, okay, but it was a spark that really did. I was at a point where, this would be a perfect time, to to take the information that I have in, you know, it's a fun book. Every chapter kind of stands on its own, one scoop at a time. Is it really?

00:47:13:19 - 00:47:32:05
Speaker 2
Is that it's my journey. One one step or again, how God led. But it's, you know, it talks about how we create flavors and how we pick flavors. It talks about how ice cream is made. But when you really called the book and the subtitle is Stories and Lessons Turning Fear into Faith. And so that's the heart of the book.

00:47:32:05 - 00:48:00:21
Speaker 2
And so I tried to share as best I can so my own personal journeys, you know, some of my wife and myself on, on some of our adventures together, but in a, in a real fun way. But they all came back to a place that you could, you know, again, put an anchor into another. There's some scriptures, pretty much on every chapter, that I and I kind of incorporated in, but, it's kind of a snapshot of, of the 43 years in a, in a way that's fun.

00:48:00:23 - 00:48:27:15
Speaker 2
I've had some great, feedback from people said, you know, I'm one minute I'm laughing, the next minute I'm crying, and then there's, there's some chapters in there, some really touching stories on how the impact of the product, had on, devoted a whole chapter to a lady who sister was dying of cancer, and she was panicking because the hospice had just been called in during the New Years, and she wanted to have homemade vanilla cups at her sister's funeral because that was her last wish.

00:48:27:17 - 00:48:47:22
Speaker 2
Well, so anymore. But the process that went through and then the story hit Facebook and how that story exploded all over the world, I mean, it's in like 14 different countries. And, it brought back home to me that the of what we do really does have an impact and so much more than ice cream. So that's the heart of the book.

00:48:48:02 - 00:49:10:16
Speaker 2
Stories and lessons starting fear to faith. How do you how you how I was able to find peace in the middle of the storm. But at the same time, like I said, some real, some real fun stories that, I enjoyed writing, growing up with the family, some of the little things in life that helped me make those or develop those disciplines and or anchors and, it just flowed.

00:49:10:18 - 00:49:15:02
Speaker 2
We started in like mid-September, and we had it done by the end of the year. Had it?

00:49:15:07 - 00:49:16:05
Speaker 3
Oh, really? Yeah.

00:49:16:05 - 00:49:21:04
Speaker 2
It was about three, three and a half months. Went to I thought when you write a book.

00:49:21:07 - 00:49:26:11
Speaker 3
Yeah, you send it. Oh, okay. Thank you. And then one day it comes in the mail and it's done. Yeah, yeah.

00:49:26:17 - 00:49:42:15
Speaker 2
I think it was for edits. And then you have to create the cover, and then you have to get the, you know, the endorsements and, no, you have to read it and reread it, reread it, to make sure that it's what you want it. And so it was an unbelievable process. And, so I couldn't be more pleased.

00:49:42:15 - 00:49:55:02
Speaker 2
But at the same time, it's just my heart and soul is, where I found faith and what has helped me, through my faith to get through those tough times. Yeah, of course, there's some great times as well, but.

00:49:55:04 - 00:50:11:09
Speaker 1
I kind of, I mean, had it in just for the sake of getting the behind the, behind the scenes, like, where where are you writing this thing? Like, I'm just curious, you know, like, I think it's just I want to just. Yeah, the image is different for everybody. But what was Ricky writing this?

00:50:11:10 - 00:50:13:16
Speaker 3
There was two main places.

00:50:13:18 - 00:50:37:05
Speaker 2
The first was, in the process of deciding where to retire. We came to the conclusion, I think I mentioned, in Oklahoma, where four of our grandkids were were under 12 and under, the other grandkids are mid teens. And so they were in the Dallas-Fort worth area. And, really be honest with you, I love Dallas-Fort worth, but when you've been in Brenham for 20 years for your funeral, you hit the red light.

00:50:37:06 - 00:50:39:00
Speaker 2
You think, oh my gosh, I'm going to be here forever.

00:50:39:00 - 00:50:40:09
Speaker 3
You know, to go back.

00:50:40:09 - 00:51:02:12
Speaker 2
To Dallas would have been, kind of a shock, but, so the last really couple years, we had already moved our house up to Oklahoma, and my wife is in Oklahoma, so I worked in Brenham all week, and then I would travel on the weekend. So during, you know, come home from work, have a little dinner, watch 30 minutes of something mindless, and then turn the TV off and just start writing to start.

00:51:02:12 - 00:51:03:04
Speaker 1
Writing.

00:51:03:06 - 00:51:22:21
Speaker 2
So that that was one. And then the other is, as you'll see in the book, as a little kid spent a lot of years going, out in the woods with my dad, deer hunting and or just just going with dad. And, so some of the chapters are inspired by just spending time with my father, but spending time with my father, if that makes sense.

00:51:22:21 - 00:51:29:00
Speaker 2
And so, I bet half the book was written sitting in a deer stand praying a deer did not come in.

00:51:29:02 - 00:51:30:13
Speaker 3
I didn't really care about the deer.

00:51:30:15 - 00:51:47:18
Speaker 2
I took a backpack. I took a sandwich and a big Ole thing. Gatorade and some, you know, chips or whatever. And I'd be out there at 530 in the morning and would stay, may come in to see the guys around noon and then go right back out, or just stay all day and just write and write and write and had more fun doing that.

00:51:47:18 - 00:51:51:03
Speaker 2
So there's some great memories of that deer stand there, no question.

00:51:51:03 - 00:51:58:12
Speaker 1
I can only imagine. Are you like, is it are you basically writing whatever comes to mind and then later on trimming it back to, to make it into something else?

00:51:58:12 - 00:51:59:07
Speaker 3
Yeah, it would.

00:51:59:07 - 00:52:19:16
Speaker 2
Be in some, you know, you do hit they say the writer's block. You hit a point. But again, the beauty of it is, well, I've hit this point. I'm just gonna put this chapter to a side. I laid out the chapters of the story. So once, that would happen, I would just go to the next story and then jump right back into it, and it just seemed to flow.

00:52:19:16 - 00:52:38:22
Speaker 2
But I definitely think that was, not my doing, but but God's doing, speaking through me because, it it was just, it was a lot greater blessing than I ever dreamed it would be. And as is mentioned, I, my career started with a paper and blue bell to to finish my career with the book.

00:52:39:00 - 00:52:55:15
Speaker 2
Not just with a company that just. I love to death. And it's the much the people as the product still eat the product, but it's the people. I just that I knew that would be the hardest to step away from. Yeah. But, to be able to share my faith and then the in, in between pages of it now.

00:52:55:18 - 00:53:29:22
Speaker 1
Well, we're, we're grateful. I'm going to give a have to get you to sign this, this one, this copy here. Absolutely. I have two things burning on my brain. Ricky, before I let you go. Okay. One of them being as your as you kind of thinking about. Folks looking at what their life might look like as you're looking back on it that you would and you even tell me your age advice a young guy, you know, 15 years ago probably graduated from high school or whatever, but whatever it might be, I recognize you have some time to reflect back.

00:53:30:00 - 00:53:58:05
Speaker 1
Yes. What would you tell folks out there right now who are just trying to find something to commit to, whatever it might be, or they're trying to chase that purpose or that passion? Yeah. Just like, what would you tell them right now about the feeling you have right now? I mean, imagine especially after doing a book, there's probably a really good feeling, generally speaking, about looking back on the things that you've done, any things that you just kind of any guide post or waypoints you would help people with making that decision, especially as you sit in your seat.

00:53:58:05 - 00:54:01:16
Speaker 1
Now looking back, like any advice given, you know what to pick.

00:54:01:19 - 00:54:03:04
Speaker 2
I think you know you hit two.

00:54:03:06 - 00:54:05:20
Speaker 3
Two real pivotal words.

00:54:05:20 - 00:54:24:12
Speaker 2
And that's purpose and passion. I think those two almost go hand in hand. Again, share this in my book. But my journey through Bluebell and really my prayer was God place my where you want me. And, through my journey, I, was, as I mentioned, moving fast within the company was asked to move to Oklahoma.

00:54:24:12 - 00:54:42:02
Speaker 2
I was asked, one day, you know, going to take this going to be a new region. And, this could be, you know, the next big step for you. I was still young. I think I was 29 when I moved, from Texas up to Oklahoma. And, and then I got real quiet. I mean, it got real quiet, and days turned into weeks, months, years.

00:54:42:02 - 00:55:06:12
Speaker 2
I kept thinking, well, I moved up here from my home city. Yeah, two miles from where I grew up. I'm very comfortable. 10th largest city at the time, selling best ice cream in the world. And, I it's not that I didn't enjoy Oklahoma, but it was just it was new to me. And so to start all over again and then when, when the my perception of what was supposed to happen wasn't happening, you got kind of, unusually quiet.

00:55:06:12 - 00:55:18:12
Speaker 2
Then the phone call came. We need to see you. After this meeting, we were all getting together for a big meeting. And after dinner, we want to sit down and talk. And I'm thinking, man, this was, this is the moment, and, what I.

00:55:18:16 - 00:55:19:11
Speaker 3
Remember walking.

00:55:19:11 - 00:55:39:11
Speaker 2
Into the room and there weren't any balloons winning confetti. In fact, the the attitude of the the mood of the room was very somber. And so I sat down and for about 45 minutes, we went on page, page and a half of handwritten yellow pad things that they that they saw me, that I wasn't doing or things I should be doing that I just wouldn't.

00:55:39:12 - 00:55:54:01
Speaker 2
But it was a really come, come down to earth moment in my career to say, look, these are the things that we were expecting. And I didn't argue them. In fact, I was stunned and I remember going back to the hotel room and so on the in the bed thinking, you know.

00:55:54:04 - 00:55:55:17
Speaker 3
We just have God, I thought I.

00:55:55:17 - 00:56:13:19
Speaker 2
Moved here. I thought, you know, I thought, this is where you want to me. This is my purpose and all these things that everything was just happening. And as I'm going through this pity party type of list, it is clear as day I, I felt him say I didn't I didn't movie here for for your promotion.

00:56:13:21 - 00:56:31:02
Speaker 2
I moved you here for my purpose. And those words did my purpose. And I thought, okay, well, this is where you want me. You have a purpose for me, number one, which is pretty cool. And the creator of the universe instills in me. He's got a purpose for me. Number two, they kind of fired me. They kind of said, you know what?

00:56:31:02 - 00:56:49:03
Speaker 2
It's not working very easily. But they took the time to sit me down, handwritten on things that they wanted to see done. And all of a sudden the the attitude shifted to where, if that's really the case, and I must have shifted and or drifted from center, and I need to get back to center and stay anchored.

00:56:49:03 - 00:57:05:08
Speaker 2
So I gave you a long answer. But, purpose led to when that promotion did finally come. It didn't come to me. In fact, I was running our plant in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, when they fill that position. So now I'm running the plant versus what I thought was the reason I'd gone to.

00:57:05:08 - 00:57:06:16
Speaker 3
Oklahoma.

00:57:06:18 - 00:57:23:10
Speaker 2
20 years later. Now, fast forward when I when the president at the time, at Cruise's, Paul Cruz, he retires, they turn at the end and said, we'd like for you to be president of the company. I'm thinking back, I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't had those six years running the ice cream plant. Yeah, I had the sales job.

00:57:23:10 - 00:57:42:03
Speaker 2
I didn't have the production side. So when I looked back, especially as you said, now, it all started to make sense that he was shaping, molding, making, making me in a in a way that I could now carry on a conversation and not a real in-depth conversation on how to make ice cream. But at least I could have the conversation.

00:57:42:05 - 00:58:03:21
Speaker 2
But it taught me so much to just, patience is so critical, in that process. So purpose. If you're out there, God's got a purpose. Pray for passion. Because that was my prayer. God, whatever you're asking me to do moving forward, please put in me a passion. I want to I want to have fun doing if it's whatever.

00:58:03:23 - 00:58:26:22
Speaker 2
And then from that, the patience that goes, those three elements and I'll, I'll in that little segment with this, I love this phrase by Mark Madsen, who's a writer and preacher up in Washington, DC. He's got some great books, but he, he wrote in this book called If You know, come back, but it says the day you start dying is the day you stop dreaming.

00:58:27:00 - 00:58:32:23
Speaker 2
The day you start living is the day you find a dream worth dying for.

00:58:33:01 - 00:58:34:04
Speaker 1
They get pretty heavy.

00:58:34:09 - 00:58:37:18
Speaker 2
Pretty heavy. But I'm thinking that's what it's all about. Find that purpose.

00:58:37:18 - 00:58:41:14
Speaker 3
Find that. Go with that passion and then give it all.

00:58:41:14 - 00:58:58:20
Speaker 2
And just be patient in the process. Because when you do get to that point where you get to look back and you go, okay, I get it now. And that's what's fun today, to be able to look back and say, gosh, I would have missed so much if I had done it my way. So, but it can be it can be quiet.

00:58:58:22 - 00:59:03:13
Speaker 3
Quiet. Got real quiet. But I hope that answers no.

00:59:03:15 - 00:59:23:23
Speaker 1
More than more than I do. And and part of it is just, I think that patience, peace is very difficult for almost all of us just sitting there, because then folks would say, actually, this is a this is probably good. This is a good, you know, maybe complement to it. I think that pat myself on the back. Just something I'm just thinking about that I think hopefully will help folks.

00:59:24:01 - 00:59:41:09
Speaker 1
How do you know when you need to move? Because you're stalling or you the opposite of or like maybe the the shadow of patient is you sliding around and actually not doing something. You just hanging out too long somewhere you ain't supposed to be. Do you feel that? And you just like in your gut, you would have known that.

00:59:41:10 - 00:59:43:12
Speaker 3
Yeah, I, I really do. I think that.

00:59:43:12 - 01:00:02:21
Speaker 2
If I had reached a point where he said, okay, this is what I've had to do, but this is what I know, and I think and I look at other employees that have been with us for ten, 15, 20 years that have left to go to, to whatever the next, position is or whether at the company. I think that you do know in your core, am I even retiring?

01:00:02:21 - 01:00:18:22
Speaker 2
I'll be honest. I was like, God, I believe with all my heart that you put me in this position. This was not on my radar. Yeah. As much as what we talked about, you know, this promotional thing people have said. What about the positions? What was your favorite? And I have to say, actually being vice president, sales and marketing, that was my passion.

01:00:18:22 - 01:00:22:13
Speaker 2
I loved creating and eating ice cream.

01:00:22:15 - 01:00:24:22
Speaker 3
You know, the people. Yeah. But the.

01:00:24:22 - 01:00:43:20
Speaker 2
Challenge was presence, ego. And that's really what helped make me who really I felt like that I am. And so, I do think that you, you know, that would be my question. Is, God, is this the time to leave, to go somewhere else? Resist the time to leave, to retire? Because I could have gone, kept going.

01:00:43:20 - 01:00:48:16
Speaker 2
But but, what I didn't want to go was go. You know, I don't want to mention any names of pro.

01:00:48:16 - 01:00:50:17
Speaker 3
Athletes that, you know, leave and come.

01:00:50:17 - 01:00:53:05
Speaker 2
Back and leave and come back or just just don't know when to,

01:00:53:07 - 01:00:53:19
Speaker 3
Yeah.

01:00:53:21 - 01:01:15:20
Speaker 2
To leave. I just felt like. God, I need you to give me that peace. And, yes, this, we've accomplished what you, through this process. I honestly thought one scoop at a time. The book was how God led me from high school to college. College to Bluebell and then Bluebell for the years. But I honestly think the last chapter, I call it my fourth quarter.

01:01:15:22 - 01:01:17:01
Speaker 2
I walk around the house.

01:01:17:03 - 01:01:25:13
Speaker 3
For up in the air. My wife goes, exactly. It's like, that's what you do in the fourth quarter. I don't care what team it is. They can be a losing 40 to nothing, but the fourth quarter.

01:01:25:13 - 01:01:32:03
Speaker 2
Hits the whole sidelines. Everybody's got their four up because you're going to give it your all. I want to give it my all in this last, my last quarter.

01:01:32:03 - 01:01:34:00
Speaker 1
Until you have a hunch this might be your greatest. Yeah.

01:01:34:04 - 01:01:41:07
Speaker 2
I want this to be my. Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. I want to do it before I have to do the Walker.

01:01:41:09 - 01:01:44:04
Speaker 3
I can appreciate that. That makes sense. And that's not a bad, but.

01:01:44:07 - 01:02:05:02
Speaker 1
No, no, it didn't sound bad at all, Ricky. Well, and the last thing I want to ask is you obviously have, you can just tell and you guys are peas and carrots out there. You and your wife. I think about our owners that come into this world, or people who are aspiring to take over the local plumbing company or, you know, go in with a partner to go run this cafe intent, whatever it might be.

01:02:05:03 - 01:02:25:12
Speaker 1
The one thing I ask often, and, is, well, what's your spouse think about that? And I always think it's a weird. I usually, oftentimes get a weird reaction to it or go like, why is that even important? And I'm like, it's probably the most important thing. Like, you're single board advisor at the house you sit with every single night for dinner, I hope.

01:02:25:18 - 01:02:43:09
Speaker 1
Yeah, whether you know it or not, is going to really determine success or failure in any endeavor that more than more than a lot of the other things you think more than your education and more than like the right employees you have on, you know, whatever it might be. So my question to you is just like, how important has that relationship been?

01:02:43:11 - 01:02:46:00
Speaker 1
Just being, you know, being in the roles you've sat in?

01:02:46:03 - 01:03:08:09
Speaker 2
Absolutely. No. It's incredibly important. And something that I have to definitely be mindful of. You know, through the journey and, and even to the point where, you know, we were going to stay in, outside of Brenham. We bought land, we were going to build a house that was going to be it. And, one night it hit me, you know, she moved or we moved to Brenham when we became empty nesters.

01:03:08:11 - 01:03:25:13
Speaker 2
And for 20 years, she's been right there. She's not complained. She's not said when we going back or whatever it might be. And I remember walking in one night and tell her we're moving back to Oklahoma City because you've, you know, that's where you need to be. Now, I'm going to support you in this last I can do whatever from wherever.

01:03:25:15 - 01:03:26:00
Speaker 3
Yeah.

01:03:26:00 - 01:03:32:10
Speaker 2
But, that that sounding board, you know, they know who you are. You may.

01:03:32:12 - 01:03:33:00
Speaker 3
You may be.

01:03:33:00 - 01:03:41:20
Speaker 2
Something at work, but they know you better than you know yourself. And so I have learned to be very, hopefully she.

01:03:41:22 - 01:03:43:17
Speaker 3
She, she will watch podcast.

01:03:43:17 - 01:04:00:16
Speaker 2
But you want to be able to, to listen and to be able to, to hear what she's saying. As I mentioned, employees that may have a different opinion. Yeah. Your spouse is the most critical. And as a partner, to be to be successful, it's not about profit. It's not about what you make. It's not about what you drive or where you live.

01:04:00:18 - 01:04:25:21
Speaker 2
It's to be the very best you can be. And that is, whether it be in your relationship with your spouse, of course, your children. But also, to be able to listen to them because they've stayed, you know, quiet or they're in the sidelines or those early mornings or late at night, they, you know, they're having to juggle a lot of things that, you know, is important is I might think that I am that's every bit, if not more important.

01:04:25:23 - 01:04:55:11
Speaker 2
And so, I appreciate that question because, I know that when we ask people to move, we're going to open up a new market. We like for you to go if they say this isn't the right time. I said, well, then definitely they'll go, yeah. Because it, you know, that that element of going together and, you know, it's scary to begin with, but whether it's the spouse has a position or, the children are in high school or whatever it might be, you need to really be careful, because promotions aren't everything.

01:04:55:13 - 01:05:05:12
Speaker 2
And I actually admire them for for standing up and saying, you know, this isn't the right time. I'm going to keep giving you everything, but this isn't the right time. So. Yeah.

01:05:05:14 - 01:05:07:23
Speaker 1
No, but, you know, a lot of guts to be able to do that.

01:05:08:01 - 01:05:24:14
Speaker 2
She's special. We we, we travel together, and, she knows my weaknesses better than I know myself and my strengths, too. And, I think you said it beautifully. God's really pull us together. Yoked us together? Yeah. And in a way that, we really have a good time together.

01:05:24:16 - 01:05:47:22
Speaker 1
Yeah. No, you can tell. Yeah. Ricky, thank you so much. Me, really, for coming on. I mean, not only just sharing your story and obviously what you're doing in the book, but you get me pumped about. Also. So, whenever that fourth quarter comes, I think that whatever that whenever that might be or whatever, I think that's that's like the way you want to go down, you know, wherever that may be, just swinging and giving back, you know, as best you can.

01:05:47:22 - 01:06:01:11
Speaker 1
So thanks for all you do. Really. And being an example not only for, for us Texans and the global brand. And if you're not from Texas, please give it a try. If you give it a chance. Really? I can make a couple recommendations on flavors. You can get what you really can't, which is.

01:06:01:11 - 01:06:02:13
Speaker 3
Good, but which.

01:06:02:13 - 01:06:04:00
Speaker 2
One is your favorite?

01:06:04:02 - 01:06:04:23
Speaker 1
Cherry vanilla.

01:06:04:23 - 01:06:05:16
Speaker 2
Cherry vanilla.

01:06:05:18 - 01:06:27:17
Speaker 1
And I'm a chocolate guy. Except when it comes to Bluebell and I can't. I don't know what it is. I think it's the way that, I think it's the texture thing and the way those flavors come together. But I will say I always, if I can, it's a scoop of Rocky road and cherry vanilla. So in a way, if you were going to ask me my favorite flavor, almost, it's like it's impossible question.

01:06:27:17 - 01:06:33:19
Speaker 1
Homemade vanilla for sure. Yeah. But then those two together have to. But if I have to eat them singularly cherry that's vanilla.

01:06:33:19 - 01:06:34:08
Speaker 3
I mean.

01:06:34:09 - 01:06:35:01
Speaker 2
That's an excellent.

01:06:35:01 - 01:06:39:13
Speaker 1
Flavor. Oh yeah. It's a, it's a staple right. It's not a rotational one. Right. I've always seen it.

01:06:39:13 - 01:06:42:11
Speaker 2
Yes. I want to say with all the confidence in the world I.

01:06:42:15 - 01:06:49:01
Speaker 3
No no no no. Over the years, some among us, saw the flash cards fly and. No, it's all right. Well, I've.

01:06:49:06 - 01:06:56:01
Speaker 1
I've never not seen it, I guess, other than when someone sells out of it. H-e-b sells out of it, then. Okay, I don't see it, but otherwise I've always been able to get it.

01:06:56:04 - 01:07:06:09
Speaker 2
If you're dealing with, like a fruit or a it's availability. So if we if we don't have it and most, most of the time it would be only because there's a season and we didn't get the cherries and or something like that.

01:07:06:09 - 01:07:07:02
Speaker 3
But see there you go.

01:07:07:02 - 01:07:31:16
Speaker 2
For the most part. Yeah. Your, your base flavors should always be there. Mint chocolate chip, Dutch chocolate vanilla. Yeah. The ones that are a little bit more difficult, could be an ingredient version. And people say, well, there's some flavors out there that you had out, and they were great. And then they went away. And sometimes it's strictly because the amount that we would need to keep it going, we can't get can't do it, take it or ingredient, because of the size of it.

01:07:31:16 - 01:07:39:04
Speaker 2
And so you go to another company to get it and it's not it doesn't taste quite the same even though it could taste good, but it doesn't meet that expectation when you go back to it.

01:07:39:05 - 01:07:39:15
Speaker 3
Yeah.

01:07:39:17 - 01:07:41:17
Speaker 2
It's a lot more to it than just.

01:07:41:19 - 01:07:42:22
Speaker 3
Yeah. Don't want to have to.

01:07:42:22 - 01:07:43:17
Speaker 2
Go and grab a spoon.

01:07:43:17 - 01:07:46:06
Speaker 3
Let's go eat. Absolutely.

01:07:46:08 - 01:07:46:23
Speaker 1
Thank you Ricky.

01:07:47:00 - 01:07:49:16
Speaker 2
Absolute thank you. Sure appreciate it.

01:07:49:16 - 01:08:15:22
Speaker 1
Thanks for tuning in to the American Operator Podcast, where we celebrate the backbone of America small business owners and operators like you. If you've enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe so you'll never miss out on more of these stories and insights from people who keep our community strong. Until next time, keep building, keep operating and keep America moving forward.