White Fence Living

Hair, Family, and Community: Meet the Sisters Behind The Blowout Bar

• Justin Rush • Season 1 • Episode 8

Share episode

Send us a text

Ever wonder how a single salon visit could spark a business empire? Sisters Kristin and Kailen take us on their entrepreneurial journey from a chance discovery in New York City to founding The Blowout Bar, a salon concept that's thrived for 13 years by perfecting a single service: blowouts without cuts or color.

Their story begins with a family trip to NYC where they experienced a specialized blowout bar and immediately recognized the opportunity to bring this concept to Columbus. Kristin's words capture the moment perfectly: "It was one of those experiences that I just couldn't go back to doing it the old way." Despite having no cosmetology background, they launched their Grandview location and quickly expanded to Dublin and Easton, with plans for a fourth Columbus location before targeting Cleveland and Cincinnati.

What makes their business model fascinating is how clearly they've defined their niche. By focusing exclusively on blowouts and styling, they've created a convenient, consistent experience that serves both working professionals with standing weekly appointments (Monday-Thursday) and special event clients seeking styling for weddings and celebrations (weekends). Their seven-day schedule and specialized staff ensure clients can almost always find availability.

Beyond business, the conversation delves into their personal lives as New Albany residents—both sisters moved from downtown Columbus to raise their families (each has two boys, coincidentally of nearly identical ages). They share their appreciation for New Albany's walkability and community events while reminiscing about their Northeast Ohio roots, complete with nostalgic discussions of regional foods and traditions.

Ready to experience a specialized salon that's reimagining what hair care can be? Visit any of The Blowout Bar's three Columbus locations and discover why so many clients have made their services part of their regular routine!

Support the show

Justin:

Welcome to White Fence Living. Welcome to Brick House Blue. I think Brick House Blue is like everybody's favorite part about doing a podcast here, because Ava and I walk in and you guys are already sitting down working.

Kailen:

How can you not sit by the water and have your coffee?

Kristin:

Yeah, we already made ourselves comfortable. It's a beautiful space.

Justin:

Yeah so, and thanks Ava for joining us. So Kristen and Kaylin blowout bars. I obviously have no place in this conversation to talk about hair, but so I asked Ava. I was like, man, this would be a good one for you to join. I just feel like she can ask better questions about hair Brought in a little backup.

Kristin:

Yeah, you're not our best client.

Justin:

I would be the easiest client for sure yeah right. So it doesn't matter who starts. Let's just do an introduction. You're both New Albany residents. We both have some Youngstown ties we could touch on that. I wore my Youngstown state hat today. So, yeah, whoever wants to start doesn't matter. Just tell us about yourself, kids, life, whatever you want to talk about.

Kristin:

Perfect, you're up first. Okay, I guess I'm the oldest, so I'll go ahead first. So, yeah, so I'm Kristen and obviously we're both sisters, live in New Albany. I've been in New Albany for about two years now. Before that we were just talking about this, we both lived downtown for about 15 years downtown Grandview area, when we both moved to Columbus. And then, yeah, we were both born and raised in Warren, ohio. So, yeah, I have two boys, john and Theo. John is six and Theo is two and a half.

Justin:

Nice, you got your hands full.

Kristin:

Hands are full. Yep, yeah, I love it.

Justin:

Warren Ohio is Northeast Ohio Outside of, like Youngstown, Cleveland Outside of Youngstown, cleveland.

Kristin:

Yep, loved it yeah.

Justin:

I always say and people have heard me say this a million times like great place to grow up. Not exactly where I wanted to raise my kids.

Kailen:

Exactly.

Kristin:

Exactly Every time we talked to our parents too. We're like like so when are you guys coming up here? Yeah rather than the opposite. But it is true like and I think we said this when we first met you when you find someone else or meet someone else from youngstown or warren, it's like an immediate connection oh for sure, you know you start talking about, like the pizzas and the food and all that cookie tables at weddings tables or cookie rooms yes

Kristin:

cookie rooms yeah, that you can't talk to anyone else about here in. Columbus. So yeah, it is actually a thing.

Justin:

So every wedding there's always like the cookie table or cookie room is a big deal Okay and like hence why Natalie and her mom bake cookies like crazy, like they have this crazy spread of cookies always. But come on, columbus, step it up.

Kailen:

Yeah, cookie tables. We're ready for the cookie table step up the wedding game any cookie. You want. It's homemade, it's there, so yeah there's uh.

Justin:

Have you been to the Eastwood Mall lately?

Kailen:

you know what I have lately?

Kristin:

you just went.

Kailen:

I was like, I was so impressed. I'm like this mall. This mall is like booming.

Justin:

It is.

Kailen:

It was busy, every like, no vacancies. I loved like. I loved seeing that.

Justin:

Yeah, there's a. So where I got this hat is a store called Youngstown Clothing Company. Okay, and he has a. We shouldn't spend much time on this because nobody's going to understand, but there's a whole wall of like are just like Youngstown things and it's like sauce sundaes and like pit cells and like hot peppers. It's like everything Youngstown. It's really cool.

Kailen:

I love that. I wish I would have seen that so yeah, it's pretty cool, so you're up.

Kailen:

I'm up yeah, so obviously same background. We're sisters Grew up in Warren. So obviously same background we're sisters Grew up in Warren. I moved to Columbus because I went to Ohio State and just loved it. Never wanted to leave once I was here. So, yeah, same thing. I lived downtown for a while and then about three years ago, we moved here to New Albany. We were building a house, which took forever. So, yeah, we were in an apartment here for a little bit and I moved into our house. So same thing. It's so crazy we did not plan our pregnancies, but, um, I also have two boys, ari and Nico, who are literally the same exact age. Our oldest are one month apart and our youngest are three months apart and, um, they're best buds. It's like it's so cool to watch them grow up together.

Kristin:

No one believes us that we didn't plan it yeah oh, I'm sure not which is fair, but we really actually did it yeah, nobody believes that we like, because who would plan four?

Justin:

but we did like right, yeah, right so they're, they're, so they're both six and two is that right. Six and two awesome, so uh kindergarten yes, yeah who's their teachers?

Kristin:

Mrs Sweeten is Ari's teacher and Mrs Ginnan is John's Nice If you asked me that you guys were so quick to answer.

Justin:

I'd still be trying to figure it out. So Gemma, my youngest, is in kindergarten. She loves it.

Kristin:

Oh, that's awesome. Who does she have?

Justin:

See what I'm saying.

Kristin:

Oh, why did I do that to you? No, no, you're good.

Justin:

You're good it is, it'll come to me. It'll come to me.

Kailen:

But at the ELC.

Justin:

Yes, yeah. So she goes half day, half day afternoon. Oh, her teacher is going to be so mad at me.

Kailen:

That's okay. All right, but Either of those.

Justin:

It's definitely not either of those. Those are two names. Do they go all day?

Kristin:

They go all day.

Justin:

Okay, yeah. So all of our kids were well. Vinny didn't go to the ELC, but the rest were half day.

Kristin:

Okay, so Yep, and then they'll be at the primary school next year. We just did the tour on Monday.

Justin:

How was it?

Kristin:

It was good, yeah it was good. It's a playground upgrade for sure, yes, from the ELC to the primary school. So he was, I think, the most excited about that.

Justin:

Yeah, and I think they kind of get like it's still awesome, but they kind of like get pinned to one side of that playground.

Kristin:

They do. Yeah Well, I was even talking to my husband about it, because-.

Justin:

Gagliardi. Sorry, Gagliardi.

Kristin:

There you go. There, we go there, yeah when we were on the playground um my husband I were I mean john climbed this enormous high net thing that's there and we're like he's just gonna be doing this every day, like we can believe all the high structures that the primary school had oh no, I know turf fields turf fields man, the stories that I get on those turf fields at recess like soccer football, it's madness.

Kailen:

I know exactly where he'll be then.

Justin:

Yeah, it's craziness. It's kind of cool now because with my kids they'll see each other out there. So when the primary is out there the intermediate might be out there. So they'll see Jackson. So the youngest is in the primary and they'll see him and he pretends like he didn't know him.

Kailen:

I don't know what it is about that they um went to go have lunch with John, their oldest, and obviously my Ari is in the same lunch and he they said that like he wouldn't even look their way, like acted like he didn't even know it's your aunt and uncle and he was just like so you guys went to school together.

Justin:

Right, how far apart.

Kailen:

We're three and a half years apart, but we were never in the same school. So yeah when Christian graduated high school, I was a freshman.

Justin:

Did. You set a good example.

Kristin:

I don't know, I think I did. Yeah, I think I did it was cool to have like older sister sister.

Kailen:

Then all the teachers kind of like knew you know had some friends that were a little bit older. I got a ride to school, which was cool exactly that was nice, yeah, right.

Justin:

Yeah, my brother was like in high school, was like the golden child, good grades, great athlete, and I was just kind of like don't mess this up.

Kristin:

He's like he's paved the way. We were a little bit opposite, so then I kind of say this. So Kaylin was the scholar. Scholar, I would say, and I was still just don't mess this up.

Ava:

Yeah.

Kailen:

I don't know about scholar, but thank you, definitely Nice little compliment yeah.

Kristin:

Definitely the one that was more school focused.

Justin:

Yeah.

Kristin:

I was more friend and boy focused.

Justin:

Really.

Kailen:

Yeah, I loved school. I still probably would.

Justin:

Do you feel like you could go back to high school and still enjoy it?

Kailen:

Yeah, I loved high school. I really did. I loved all the experiences, the friends. I had a really good high school experience for sure.

Justin:

That's my wife. Things get rough. She's like can we just go back to 2004?

Kristin:

She would do it right now Exactly.

Ava:

Yeah.

Justin:

And we started dating and had like early in high school so um, all right. So, uh, so, ohio, state um the scholar the scholar.

Kristin:

I have to plug Bowling Green, yes.

Justin:

Bowling Green. Yes, well, urban Urban Meyer coach there for a little while, so you're in good company. Um, so you guys get out of college like tell me so blowout bars, let's get into that. So you're living downtown, you're out of school, like how does how? Did the blowout bar start? And maybe it makes sense for me at least to start. What is a blowout bar?

Kailen:

Yeah, this is where I sit back. We can always start there.

Kristin:

Yeah, such a good question. I think the easiest way to say it and I actually was at the Paul Mitchell School yesterday giving a talk to the students. So the easiest way to kind of describe the blowout bar and the difference between us and any other traditional salon is we don't do any cutting or coloring at our salon, so it really is just blowouts and styling. So no color and no cuts.

Justin:

Yeah.

Kristin:

So it really is. It's it's a brand new not brand new concept now, but um, it was a new concept probably 15 years ago.

Kristin:

That started in the East and West coats, where we are just getting blowouts and getting your hair done, so kind of almost like how your grandmother used to go to the salon and get a set like once a week and not wash her hair anymore. It's kind of the same type of thing now, where those women are coming in weekly and getting their blowout and then not having to wash their hair at home.

Justin:

Sounds great.

Kristin:

Yes.

Kailen:

It's awesome it really is, and probably a little crazy yeah.

Justin:

Yeah, so I mean that is a unique concept, right? Like oh, we're going to open a salon but we're not going to own a pair of scissors, exactly so you said that was like maybe on the West Coast is where it started?

Kristin:

Yep. So Kaylin and I and our mom, the way that it started, we loved to travel to New York City. We love New York City. We grew up going there around the holidays and different times throughout the year. So the three of us went about 15 years ago and stumbled into a blowout bar there, an independent blowout bar that only did blowouts, so we didn't know what it was at the time. We were there, Saw a sign out front, decided to go for it and we had the experience the three of us that day and we're like why is there not one of these in Columbus? It really was. I always say this it was one of those experience that I just couldn't go back to doing it the old way.

Kristin:

Yeah so that's kind of how it came to be Right. I guess that was our first experience where we knew that we needed one in Columbus.

Justin:

Yeah, so in the name is the blowout bar. And so so you, you guys, founded the blowout bars.

Kailen:

We did, okay. And then how many locations? Now we have three locations. Yeah, so we started in Grandview It'll be 13 years?

Kailen:

I can't believe it. Um, and then Dublin just a year after, and then our Easton location is about seven years old now. So, yeah, I mean, it's definitely a different concept than a salon. Everyone every, I guess salon offers the service, but the differentiator with us is that we focus on it and then it's super convenient because that's all we do, so chances are we have the time or the day available. We're open seven days a week and our team is just trained in doing blowouts and styling, and so we provide like a very consistent service, consistent style. So the blowout itself isn't new, but the salon just for blowouts would be, you know, a newer concept at the time.

Justin:

So I get like the older generations, like they would just go get their hair done. Did you call it a set?

Kristin:

Yeah, a set, that's what they used to call it. Now it's a blowout.

Justin:

Now it's a blowout, but like so now, like what's your typical customer Like when do they come in? How do they come in?

Kristin:

Like. What does that look like? Yeah, so our weekday customers are usually our Monday through Thursday. Women are those that either they're a stay-at-home mom or the working professional really anyone, the traveler that's coming in for a meeting. Those are the ones that usually come in for something or they're coming in for their weekly blowout appointment. That's like a standing appointment that they come in every Monday at 11 o o'clock and then our weekends tend to be more event focused.

Kristin:

So those are the gals that are coming in for a wedding or family photos, a bachelorette party. So our weekends tend to be a little bit more groups and event focused. And then our during the week are more of our standing, regular type of appointments interesting.

Justin:

You, just you can go once a week.

Kristin:

Once a week, twice a week, yeah.

Justin:

Every day, you could come every day.

Kristin:

Every day.

Ava:

Are you guys like hands-on in the salon? Do you guys do the blowouts? Did you start out doing the blowouts? And now you guys are just like on the operational side of things, like what does that look like now?

Kailen:

Yeah, good question.

Kailen:

Neither of us do hair we don't have a cosmetology background at all, although I always say like I was definitely the one that did my friend's hair and makeup in high school and college, so I feel like it was almost meant to be. But no, we don't have a cosmetology background, more just we got the service, loved the experience and knew that there had to be other people like us that would love it as well. So we don't do hair, although sometimes I wish I could just like hop in, you know, for running behind or you know, if there was a way I could help out, I wish I could. So we're both involved operationally. I would say more so just making sure that everything is running smoothly. So all of the salons have a manager and a lead stylist who trains everyone that comes to us from day one, and then we're kind of popping in and out, traveling to all of the different salons, just making sure everything's running smoothly. That's awesome, yeah.

Justin:

Yeah, I think, from from a like a business perspective, a lot of startups like it's this, it's the cycle that everybody knows. Like you're able do it, you're really good at it, then you have to hire people and train people. I think you're probably at an advantage to like you can't just jump in, because I bet, especially in the early stages, you probably would have spent a lot of time doing it, not so much working on the business.

Kailen:

So you're so right. I hear that a lot um with other salon. That did you know? Maybe start behind the chair? It's really hard to pull away from the chair and your clients and your great book of guests, you know all of those things. So yeah, I guess in that aspect we never really had to take like that step back More. So now we just have to like make sure we're not there managing because it's so hard to you know you could just fall back into that and want to do all of the things you know, but it's best not to.

Kristin:

We know that for sure we have a joke going on. I if I could work the front desk every single day and when the stylist and the team see me up there they're like go away. But, I could be. I could be working the front desk every day. I love it up there.

Justin:

That's fun. Yeah, that is Um so. So what I'm intrigued by is if you go to salon school and you want to be a, you know you want to be a stylist and then you go work there like is it harder to find people who aren't doing cuts and colors and all that other stuff?

Kristin:

Yeah, I actually just talked about this yesterday at the school. So it's it's niche in the fact that there are actually a lot of hairstylists that don't love doing cut and color right off the bat. It could be for a bunch of different reasons they like seeing more of a fast-paced environment. It could be allergies, maybe that keeps them away from color, or maybe they just are too nervous to do the cuts right away. So there are actually a lot of people that start out in cosmetology school that love doing just blowouts and styling. So we definitely have those. Those are our lifers that have been with us for years that literally just focus on that. But then the other really cool thing about the blowout bar is you're able to work at another salon while working at the blowout bar. So people will own their own salon suites or work at a full service salon and then work with us part-time and kind of do a little bit of both.

Justin:

Nice yeah, found a nice niche there.

Ava:

Yeah.

Justin:

Yeah, yeah. What's next for the blowout bars?

Kailen:

Next for the blowout bars. So we definitely want to expand. So we're we have our eyes set on one more location here in Columbus. We think at that point we kind of have all of the areas covered and then from there we'd love to expand to Cleveland, kind of going back northeast and having a few in Cleveland, possibly Cincinnati, definitely staying in Ohio, you know, so that we can easily get to them. But yeah, I would say that's probably our next two to three year plan.

Justin:

And keep them all corporate-owned stores.

Kailen:

For now. Yeah, definitely Do you think franchising or. We never really thought seriously about franchising, not for any particular reason, just for right now it seems to be working the way that we are doing it. But never say never. Yeah, and I think there weren't any blowout bars prior to the blowout bar. Right Right now it seems to be working the way that we are doing it.

Justin:

But I mean never say never, yeah, and I think there weren't any blowout bars prior to the blowout bar, right, right.

Kailen:

At least in Columbus. Yeah, not in Columbus.

Justin:

Got some competitors. Now I'm guessing.

Kailen:

Yeah, we do have like a couple competitors. They are in different areas. We always say like, especially with our guests, it's within a five-mile radius. It's a very convenience-type thing, so you're not going to travel. I mean, you could travel across town and get done, but most of our guests are very local to where we are, so we always say there's tons of room, yeah.

Justin:

Well, at least in our business I say the same thing Other people doing what we do is good because it's a reminder, it's just it's growing the industry, it's educating the market. Exactly, we can't service everybody anyway, so yeah, you got it, I think it's good, awesome. So let's talk New Albany. You've been what? Two years Right In three years.

Kailen:

Let's start with just what you like to do in New Albany.

Justin:

You've been what two years, right In three years? Let's start with just what you like to do in New Albany, like what's your favorite thing to do in New Albany, and we can. You can complain if you want to too. Of course not Not so much complaints.

Kailen:

I think, my favorite thing to do. So we live close to kind of like Market Street downtown I guess loose term for downtown but we live right there so we walk a lot still. So that was super important when we were moving from downtown and we were looking at different areas of New Albany. I'm like I would still love to be able to walk and grab a coffee and, you know, walk and grab breakfast. So that's something that we were able to find and we still do that. So on a nice day we get the stroller, um, get the bike out and we just start walking. We'll go to Fox in the snow, um, you know, grab a coffee, go to, I mean that Rose run park is just so beautiful. Um, I did that on mother's day. It was so like peaceful and, um, it was a beautiful morning.

Justin:

Did you play in the water? The kids did yeah, I can't not you know, I'm always in there every time we go.

Kailen:

I'm like I'm soaking wet.

Justin:

He's in there, just get in there, yeah I mean I'm trying to squeeze my foot in the boots that they have, I know like how awesome is that you know the boots and the little, like nets and yeah it just doesn't.

Kailen:

sometimes it doesn't really feel real you know when, when you're walking around, but I definitely think that that would be my favorite thing, nice.

Justin:

I don't go to Fox in the snow enough.

Ava:

Do yourself a favor.

Kailen:

Yeah, I know, yeah, it's just it's so good, we still love it.

Kristin:

I know we went all the all the time downtown when we lived there, it's just still. I love that sandwich, that egg sandwich there's nothing like it.

Ava:

There really isn't. You can't.

Kailen:

I think it's consistent like it tastes the same every time, looks the same every time. I mean, they do such a great job yeah, just a regular egg sandwich you add bacon to it.

Ava:

Yeah, it's really good. Yeah, definitely not just regular?

Kailen:

yeah, it's not regular. Have you never had it?

Justin:

so I think I went there like when they first opened, and I've been there maybe a few other times but, yeah, not very often. It always looks so busy in there.

Kristin:

I know and it is, but the line does go very fast, yeah, okay, so I think it looks worse than what it actually turns out to be.

Justin:

That's fair yeah um, so, uh, so, walking around exploring, um, do you guys do a lot of the like fourth of july, the?

Kailen:

yeah, we were just at the founders day parade and festival. Yeah, I mean, I think it's. I mean there's so much to do, which I love. I feel like that was one thing that we were missing. Downtown, um, with a young family, you're kind of like having to seek a lot of that out, um, but I love being here because I feel like there's just so many community activities for the kids to do and you run into people that you know and start to like form friendships with. So, yeah, I love it. I mean, if it's on the calendar, we're usually there.

Kristin:

I feel like they do such a good job, like we even just got that postcard the other day that had the touch a truck date already set for August. And then there's all the movie nights that I put on my calendar, so definitely taking advantage of all those like family friendly events.

Justin:

Yeah, and so just a little bit of insight. There was New Albany community events, which kind of like did a lot of those community events and then the chamber took over some of those events and now the city's taking some of those over and all of those groups did an awesome job with them. The city just has a lot more resources. So Oktoberfest is going to grow a ton. It's going to be awesome this year. It's moving. And then the 4th of July everything's just going to keep getting bigger and bigger. They just keep adding to it which, yeah, we love those events we missed. We missed founder's day. Um, they had a bunch of rides and everything up there.

Kristin:

Oh yeah, all the rides parade first and then walk over to all the rides and games and all the food trucks.

Justin:

We were too busy with softball and everything else.

Kailen:

I'm sure.

Justin:

Yeah, um. And then Rose runs getting extended, which I'm sure you see, all that construction over there, so exciting, yeah, and then Rose Run's getting extended, which I'm sure you see, all that construction over there so exciting.

Kailen:

Yeah, giant pond. I love being part of, like the development of all of these things. It's exciting, it's something to look forward to and it feels like it's so far away. But then, once it's here, it's like, oh yeah, that went super quick.

Justin:

Yeah, I think everybody's chomping at the bit at the uh and your kids will get to enjoy it.

Kailen:

The indoor facility of bevelheimer is gonna be awesome. I can't just pass that the other day they're moving yeah, yeah, they're starting they're gonna it.

Justin:

We need it. We need more, more facilities. Yeah, because, bevelheimer's, you guys are experiencing a little bit of it now.

Kailen:

Oh my goodness the first time that we had to go there and it was like yellow or whatever zone it was at the time. I'm like I don't know where I'm going.

Justin:

We had Halland Park. Yeah, yep. Literally just pull right in and you know where you're going.

Kailen:

One entrance one entrance, one exit, One way to leave.

Ava:

Yeah.

Kailen:

It was like a one way, right you can't get lost. No, Um, but with Bevelheimer, yeah, that was a little bit of a learning curve, but now I feel confident. You know, whenever I see the zone, I'm like I know where that zone is. So it's.

Kristin:

It's really fun telling grandparents. Oh yeah, right To go when they're about five miles away from Bevelheimer. I think that's my favorite thing.

Justin:

Just go to Y3. Yeah, y3. Where are?

Kristin:

we, you know, and they're from Cleveland and Warren, so they have no idea, but I'm like they should have just followed us from our house yeah, just wait for him next time.

Justin:

Yeah, easier that way well, we were talking about rain outs, and so softball typically takes a back seat to baseball. But so we show up for a game in like 10 minutes, or I shouldn't say that about a half hour before the game starts we get moved to another field. Well, we had a visiting team and man, they had to go from yellow to purple, and so purple is. There's four fields, half of them, I think, are red, half of them are purple, and it was like go out here, drive. Then you got to take the road back, but you could also go park on this parking lot, like, yeah, it was, I felt bad, but definitely.

Kailen:

I'm glad it's not just us though, yeah, so yeah, it makes me feel better yeah, and then eventually, like you could draw the map.

Justin:

You'll know those fields so well.

Ava:

I'm sure drive there with your eyes closed yeah, you know it's it.

Justin:

You know it's confusing, or has been confusing, because there's like if you just google Bevelhammer Park, it'll show you, like the map, with all it's all shaded, the right colors yeah exactly super easy to use so what sports are the kids doing?

Kailen:

so um Ari, my oldest, he, I mean he loves all the sports, so it seems like he's gravitating, though, towards soccer. So we just um tried out for King's Hammer um so he'll start there in the fall, and then he's been doing flag football, which he really loves um, so we'll do that again, and then basketball in the winter nice oh and baseball so this was his first season he's, he literally would do it all if he could multiple, like if he had to go from one game to the next.

Kailen:

Like he's totally fine with that, never runs out of the energy. So yeah, I Like he's totally fine with that, never runs out of the energy. So yeah, I guess he's probably doing it all.

Justin:

That's good.

Kailen:

Except for lacrosse. That was the one he said no, it was too hard. I don't know if it's too hard or not.

Justin:

No, he should try it. Um Jackson's uh, he's in second grade. This was the first year playing, so they have a I think it's kindergarten through second grade program. The coaches are awesome, it's like it's fun.

Ava:

There's no contact whatsoever. Yeah, they would hurt good things.

Justin:

Yeah, they can't hardly pass or catch, but still fun.

Kailen:

Yeah, I thought he would like it. I think maybe it was a little more intimidating.

Justin:

Yeah, it definitely gets intimidating the older they get. So Vinny's played this year sixth grade and there's more contact. It gets a little more serious there, yeah, but still.

Kristin:

And we didn't have lacrosse in.

Justin:

No.

Kristin:

No, also where we grew up in Northeast Ohio. So that's, I think, another thing is that it just seems very foreign to us. Like I don't know how to speak to it. I don't know anything about it. My husband doesn't.

Justin:

Yeah, it's. Yeah, same type of thing does licking heights not when I was there. They made they may now yeah they?

Justin:

I'm sure they do. Yeah, I don't even know what lacrosse was, I mean, I had no idea, I know. And then so I I went to otterbein and I was going in education and wanted to coach, and so a professor's like there's a coaching position I think you would be good for. Are you interested? I'm like yeah, what is it? She's girls lacrosse. I'm like, ah, boy, like what age? She's like well, varsity. And so me and a buddy, a classmate, interviewed for it, somehow got the job and coached the varsity Bexley girls lacrosse.

Kailen:

Without ever knowing anything about the game.

Justin:

I had no idea what I was doing. No idea. Well, now you do. You do, yes, kind of not it didn't teach you anything.

Justin:

I mean it did I, like I. Just I should have done more recent, like I should have done my homework a little better before starting, like I, which I did. But like we're in the middle of the game, we don't have the ball, and this probably won't make sense if you don't know lacrosse. But like I'm trying to call a timeout, the official's like you can't do that, you can't, you don't have the ball, you can't call a timeout and you're substituting on the fly. And so it's similar in soccer that you have like middies that can go both ways, but then the defense can only go so far, attack can only go so far. But yeah, I know, I know quite a bit now, just from coaching vinny and watching it, all right, but yeah, you're right it's new to us?

Justin:

it is yeah it's a fun sport, though it looks like it.

Kailen:

Yeah, it's new to us, it is yeah.

Justin:

It's a fun sport, though it looks like it. Yeah, sports.

Kristin:

Yeah, sports. So they're both on the same baseball team.

Justin:

Nice.

Kristin:

This year. And then basketball. He loves playing basketball, and then he does karate at McClellan's.

Justin:

Oh, nice Over there on Hamilton. Good.

Kristin:

And he loves that.

Justin:

Is he going to wrestle?

Kristin:

is he gonna wrestle?

Ava:

I don't know if he loves wrestling he does love wrestling, I don't know, just in general, they all do they all do he like loves it.

Kristin:

That's all he plays with are his little wrestling characters yeah, john cena, I'm sure big fan of john cena.

Kailen:

Big fan, yeah. Is that the shirt he had on the other day?

Kristin:

um that I don't know he has a couple wrestling shirts now Rollins.

Justin:

Maybe I don't know.

Ava:

Something like that. I don't know.

Kristin:

Again, all new to me as, being a boy mom, I'm starting to learn WWE wrestler names and everything about them and their entrance and songs and all this stuff.

Justin:

I've talked about it before. I love the youth wrestling program here is really really well done. John Priestess runs it. It's awesome. It's kindergarten up to middle school. Before going into middle school, it is crazy being in a wrestling room with like kindergartners, first graders, second graders because I don't have a wrestling experience either that usually who I was with the young ones, um, but yeah, so if he's interested, okay, I have to look that up. It's a phenomenal youth sport it is. I I like to go out. Did you guys play sports? We?

Justin:

did tennis, tennis, tennis, nice so yeah, so individual partner too, but like individual, um, there's just something about being out there by yourself. It's you and another guy, exactly, and it is a fight.

Kristin:

Yeah.

Justin:

And they're going to get their butts kicked. And they're going to kick some butt, probably, yeah, and yeah, the lessons are awesome, yeah, cool. So are you going to get the kids in tennis?

Kristin:

It's so hard they haven't really been that interested in. You know it's definitely more team focused now. I think it's more fun yeah, you know to do this stuff like flag football and baseball and that type of thing, but we'd love to get them in tennis because obviously it's just something that you can play forever yeah you know, with your family and with us.

Justin:

So do you guys still play, not as?

Kristin:

much as we know.

Kailen:

But I keep saying, like every summer, like this is the summer that I'm going to start playing again, but maybe this will be the summer I want to. It's such a great sport, like it's fun. Like kristen said, you could play it forever. You can play with your family.

Justin:

So, yeah, maybe this will be the year this will be the year I like pickleball because I don't have to run as much.

Kailen:

And I've never tried pickleball.

Ava:

Oh my goodness, I know you have to. I know I haven't tried it either.

Justin:

Yes, we used to play at Soap and Water. We used to play in a volleyball league. Yeah, Ava carried us.

Ava:

I absolutely did.

Justin:

Yeah, I, I can see that.

Justin:

Yeah, pickleball is really fun. Our kids love it. So we got like a basketball court in the back and now, well, they're playing basketball too, but we've got a net across for pickleball and it's just like destroying paddles because they get mad and throw them down. But they love it. It's fun and it's cool to be able to go do a sport like that with the kids like play against them and they do great go do a sport like that with the kids, like play against them and they do great.

Justin:

Exactly it is that's another good family one. Yeah, yeah, the the pickleball courts at bevelheimer are awesome they're always so full it looks like it gets intense over there too I know I bet I stay on the novice side good to know.

Kailen:

Yeah, there's a side.

Justin:

Um, well, what else? Uh, what else? New albany. So, um, if you're gonna go out for an evening with your husbands, where do you go?

Kristin:

That's a good question.

Justin:

Where do you go?

Kristin:

Yeah, we need. This can be my time to complain. No, I'm just joking.

Kailen:

We're both like silent for a second. What can we say? Everybody says that.

Kristin:

If you're a restaurant listening, please open some in New Albany. That's the one thing I do, like we were talking about before this. Definitely miss the restaurants downtown and the different ones.

Kailen:

So we usually I mean I hate to say it If we're going out out, we usually like try and go back downtown yeah, yeah somewhere else which is like so unfortunate right because, one of the things I remember when we were moving. I'm like I'm still gonna go downtown all the time, like I don't know why when people move they never come back downtown and now here I am. I'm like, well, it's kind of a hassle and it's so far, and it's so far.

Kristin:

The parking? Yeah, never thought.

Kailen:

I'd say that here we are. So I would love to be here. But no, I mean we definitely go, you know, like Hudson 29. Rusty Bucket the kids love Rusty.

Kristin:

Bucket oh yeah, yeah, and we love Rusty Bucket too. It's perfect for the family. Yeah, but as far as date night goes, we probably try to.

Justin:

Yeah, I'm curious to see what happens with, like, the new stuff on Central College, what comes in there, or I think there might be some restaurants coming, like behind Eagle's.

Kristin:

Pizza that development there too.

Justin:

Do you guys ever go to Elliot's?

Kristin:

We go to Elliot's a couple times yeah.

Justin:

I like Elliot's.

Kristin:

Yeah, if you have any recommendations. I mean, we're fairly new, I guess.

Justin:

What's the New Orleans is not real big. You've probably seen it. We've been to New Orleans. I tried to sneak Elliot's in on you.

Kailen:

What's the new one that just opened? Oh my goodness, just like right next to where Freshie was.

Ava:

Oh, bendy Walk, oh, bendy Walk. Oh, we go to Bendy. That is really good. It's really good we go to Bendy Walk.

Kailen:

We go to Bendy Walk, for sure I haven't been there yet, and that was downtown in German Village.

Justin:

Oh, I didn't know that.

Kristin:

Yes feels familiar. Yes, that's a good one.

Justin:

Nice, yeah, we need like a. We need a Vernon's, which nobody's going to know no. We were just there, went back home for.

Ava:

Natalie's dad's.

Justin:

We need a burden. Yeah, there's not many. Just like mom and pop, it's always like big names.

Kailen:

I know we say that all the time and it's crazy because you go back to Warren and I feel like you have more options.

Justin:

Yeah for sure, sounds wild, it's probably not, as like diverse of food you know, like, but I doubt there's a bendy walk there.

Kristin:

I can't imagine. Yeah, definitely not a bendy walk, but a whole lot of Italian places. A lot of Italian, a lot of bread and a lot of pizza.

Ava:

Yeah, there can be a whole podcast episode about Northeast. Ohio More in food but the pipeline from Northeast Ohio to New Albany Ohio needs to be studied. There are so many people from that area that live here.

Kristin:

It's bizarre we all need to get together.

Justin:

We need a meeting, we need a meeting.

Kailen:

Which ones from Youngstown are we going to bring here? Yeah, like a good Italian.

Kristin:

Because I know that Nick's Fried Chicken tried to work back coming here.

Justin:

So I don't know all of this, but so, nick's, they were in Grandview, right.

Kristin:

Right.

Justin:

And then they closed. I think he is Crispy's Crisp, something in Pickerington is him. It's the best chicken around.

Kailen:

I'll have to try it. There you go, yeah.

Justin:

Of course I can't think of the name Sunrise, that's another one yeah.

Kristin:

Because we'd always joke about this too. We love Sunrise, and then our husbands or even roommates in college are like I mean-.

Justin:

It stinks.

Kailen:

Oh my gosh, it stinks. I mean it's okay. I mean, I was raving about that sunrise pizza when I first met my husband and then I'm like, wait until you try it. And he tried it. He's like what is?

Kristin:

this he's like where's the cheese Sprinkle?

Justin:

cheese on it. The cheese isn't melted. The cheese isn't melted.

Kailen:

He's like this is not my thing.

Justin:

Yeah, I absolutely love it. Right, I go to vasilios and and so now, like when I go home, I'll get the half baked and she'll be like is this going to columbus?

Kailen:

I'm like, yes, it is that's a really good, just take it half baked and then you throw it in the oven.

Justin:

Um, I always wonder, like, is it really that good? Or you just love it because we're used to it, because because we grew up on it. Nobody else raves about it.

Kristin:

I mean, I think it's really good like anytime you know they take that first bite.

Kristin:

I'm like waiting and it's just kind of and they're like it's okay, I should bring some to the office, you should yeah bread with sauce on it, it is yeah, and then cheese that isn't melted nice, it isn't melted yeah, that's bizarre, sounds great doesn't it with a couple peppers yeah, only a few, though, if you're lucky, if you get one on your piece, you know

Justin:

oh, trying to find like I want that piece. There it's got more green peppers yep um, in hot peppers drives me crazy, like I absolutely love hot peppers and it just doesn't exist here and nobody understands it.

Kristin:

No one. Yep, Like I said, we go to my dad's and there's just bowls of hot peppers and white bread and dipping it in there and putting the pepper.

Kailen:

Yeah, and he's like take some back, put them in your eggs. You know, yes, you literally can put them in everything, you guys are Italian, we're Greekreek actually okay, yep same, but yeah, we love italian food too yeah, yeah, I know that so let's talk about your dad's places.

Kristin:

Tell me a little bit about that yeah, so my dad, our dad, so he owns the chop house in warren, um, he's owned it for years now, and then he has a pizza place um in warren as well.

Kailen:

So yeah, red plum and then red plum, um barrel yeah yeah, I think we told you about that.

Kristin:

He took over.

Justin:

Yeah, yeah, last year I had red plum for the first time. Um, maybe a month ago, something like that, my mom had it, we were home for something, came back and she's like you have to, you have to try this, and it was amazing it's, yeah, it's good it is very good, and there's all different um types of pizzas that you can try there. Yeah.

Kristin:

You know, it just doesn't have the one. I think there's four different types that you can choose.

Kailen:

Yeah, like Detroit, new York style.

Kristin:

Yeah, really good, it is really good yeah, I mean, chophouse is real.

Justin:

We always say that we're like people with the Youngstown talk, but there's plenty of people here that are from the area. But from the area or not, Avalon is amazing, oh my gosh it is worth a trip, like just even a weekend, like that resort. You don't feel like you're in Ohio. I mean, you definitely don't feel like you're in Warren Ohio, that's for sure.

Kailen:

No, a friend of ours, wasn't that, like last year, where she was like I think we're headed to where you guys are from, like to a resort of some sort, and we're like.

Justin:

Why A resort?

Kailen:

What, like I get it. It's so nice it is, it's busy, like yeah, all kinds of stuff going on there, yeah.

Justin:

So Ava's boyfriend works for the stadium, right, yes, and so he. I don't know, does he still do it? Or was involved with the marketing or advertising, or maybe not?

Ava:

He just runs the tours program for the stadium.

Justin:

Okay, yeah, yeah. And so Avalon does a lot of advertising there.

Ava:

Okay.

Justin:

So you see Avalon all over the place? Yeah, so it is. It's really you got to check it out. I've talked to people that aren't from the area. The same were like I went to this place up in like Northeast Ohio, and they're like I didn't feel like I was in Ohio.

Kailen:

The golf course, I mean. It's such a beautiful view. We say that every time we're at the Chop House too. Like this is so beautiful.

Kristin:

Yeah, yeah, you could definitely just go for an overnight, like one night.

Kailen:

Yeah, we could put like a little itinerary together for the people that want to go back.

Justin:

Get some hot peppers.

Kailen:

Hot peppers. When have we forget the hot dog shop?

Kristin:

We haven't talked about that yet, oh man.

Justin:

I know have have you been there?

Kristin:

lately Not lately.

Kailen:

So I think there's new owners. I heard there is a new. How's it going? Still good, Okay, great yeah.

Justin:

They have a very expansive milkshake menu now which they didn't used to have.

Ava:

That sounds delicious.

Justin:

Yeah, the hot dog shop's awesome.

Kailen:

I feel like that is one where you take people to the hot dog shop and they're like okay, I get this For sure.

Justin:

This makes sense.

Kristin:

Yeah, I love the french fries there. Yes, family fry and the Red Pop is the best.

Justin:

Forgot about that. I've also brought that back here, like get a quart of chili. Yes, exactly, it's gross looking, the little sides too, to dip your french fries in yes, but it was so crazy.

Kristin:

We went there probably I don't know maybe five years ago, and Kayle and I probably a I don't know maybe five years ago, and kayla and I were sitting there were like.

Justin:

Is that still the same waitress that?

Kailen:

was here when we probably was it was. Wow it's like, but she like looked the same. You know, yeah, how does she look the same?

Kristin:

it's in the hot dogs yeah, must be hot dogs every day, never age oh yeah, I I took the kids there before and of course they were like what?

Justin:

like this is what you're raving about, because they live in new albany now and like they do all this exactly I took I'll never forget this and we took the kids back home for something I can't remember, but we're all in the in the van, headed headed to youngstown, and we kind of were like going through, I might even like got into courtland, but I think we got off in champion on 45 for some reason, and vinny was like did a tornado come through here? Oh my word. I was like no, like this is what the rest of the world looks like. Vinny, come on come through here.

Kailen:

I'm dying's amazing. How old is he, or was he?

Justin:

So he was probably around 10.

Kailen:

That is the best.

Justin:

Yeah, I'm like. No, there's a whole world out there. There's a whole world.

Kristin:

Wow, but the white picket fences aren't here. They got blown away in the tornado. In the tornado.

Justin:

But we joke about going back there all the time. Natalie loves it and she would move. I think she would move back there like tomorrow, because she's just like so old school.

Kristin:

Yeah, yeah, it's so familiar. It really was a great place to grow up. Yeah, you know.

Kailen:

I think that For sure.

Justin:

I think our kids will have the same kind of experience here growing up. I mean, how could they not like think back on their child and be like man? That was awesome.

Kailen:

Yeah.

Justin:

Because once they do experience other areas, they'll really appreciate.

Kristin:

Exactly, the schools are all still closed. Like it still does have that similar, like the way that that was, like with the schools and.

Kailen:

I think it being a little smaller too.

Justin:

Yeah, smaller the community being smaller, where you feel like everyone is kind of familiar, which is nice, yeah, so yeah it is, it's nice, I mean it's it's big enough that you can't possibly get to know everybody, but it's still small enough that, like, especially with kids in sports, you just get to know so many people. Um, and it's almost like, yeah, like most of the, a lot of my friends now are parents of Vinny's friends.

Kristin:

Exactly so I'm like choose wisely. I or I'll try and push it and they're gonna be our yep, um well, it's been about 45 minutes.

Justin:

I know you you've got a meeting to get to, or both of you do right um anything else great yeah, it's really fun yeah, it really is yeah we've got some really good guests lined up.

Justin:

I'm super excited about um. I don't want to tease them yet until we actually do it, but yeah, it's just fun to get to know. I know people have seen you guys in the community. They probably know of the blowout bars. But to hear the story and connect it to a face and just get to know you a little bit, I think is really cool.

Kristin:

Definitely. Thank you. This was awesome, yeah, well, thanks for coming.

Justin:

We'll have to have you on soon when blowout.