Food, Love, and Aliens

Ernie Allen has done a little bit of everything—restaurant floors, bar shifts, years at Chili’s, time with Mission BBQ, and now leading as an Area Sales Manager at Performance Food Group. Not a straight path… and that’s kind of the whole story.

We get into the COVID grind, what it really means to care about the people you serve, convincing his southern wife that Wisconsin winters are a good idea, and raising two boys with some structure behind it. 

Somewhere in there, we talk about why the journey might actually be the point.

It’s real, it’s easy, and yeah, there are a few laughs in there too.

Grab a coffee, settle in, and meet our guy, Ernie.

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Music provided by Musicbed
• My Happiness (Instrumental) - Lonely Benson (MB01BBUHOCJHS4Q)

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Hi.

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Checking everybody.

SPEAKER_05 0:01

Should we clap?

SPEAKER_02 0:03

Yeah. Alright, I'm good. I can go now.

SPEAKER_03 0:09

You are feeling close to me. You tell me. You know just inside of me. Tell me freely why.

SPEAKER_05 0:34

Hi, my name is Nicole.

SPEAKER_04 0:36

I'm Keith.

SPEAKER_05 0:38

Can you say Fisher? So I don't have to say it every day.

SPEAKER_04 0:41

It's our thing now.

SPEAKER_05 0:42

I know, but it just seems like it's intentional.

SPEAKER_04 0:44

It takes too long. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 0:45

It's funny.

SPEAKER_04 0:46

I'm Keith Fisher.

SPEAKER_05 0:48

So we have a special guest. And his name is Ernie. Ernie, what is your last name?

SPEAKER_02 0:53

Alan.

SPEAKER_05 0:54

It is not. That's your middle name.

SPEAKER_02 0:56

No.

SPEAKER_05 0:57

No?

unknown 0:58

No.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

I mean, it's been Alan as long as I've known it.

SPEAKER_04 1:03

Why are you why are you arguing with him? And how do you not know that?

SPEAKER_05 1:06

Boom coffee. Because I didn't, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 1:08

Names are not your strong suit either. Observation.

SPEAKER_05 1:13

Um Ernie. So how do we know Ernie? Ernie is our what is your title? A food distributor? Uh salesman?

SPEAKER_02 1:22

Area sales manager for performance food group.

SPEAKER_05 1:24

Okay. Performance foods. Those of you that don't know that name, Reinhardt might ring a bell. Yeah. So he's our um our food guy in the area. So when we need things, uh, he's helped create things on the menu, which is amazing because we don't know what we're doing ever.

SPEAKER_04 1:39

Most of the time.

SPEAKER_05 1:40

Yeah. Um, originally, side note, I'm gonna get that out there right away. We did not go with I don't care.

SPEAKER_04 1:50

I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_05 1:52

We did we did not go with performance food because the first guy, the sales rep that came in was a Jack Wagan. He was late to a complete no, and that's not even the reason we didn't like him. He was a part of it.

SPEAKER_04 2:04

He was a asshole. Who was a huge part of it?

SPEAKER_05 2:06

Very entitled, very entitled, probably 20.

SPEAKER_04 2:09

This is just this is just our opinion.

SPEAKER_05 2:12

It may not be true, but no, nobody around the area liked him.

SPEAKER_04 2:15

You should you show up to a meeting late that we set aside for you, and we gave you like, hey, we're busy, we only got this much time for a while.

SPEAKER_05 2:26

We weren't even open yet, so it was like we had to get here to meet with him, and then he was like probably dropped kids off somewhere, and like he was cutting into somebody else's time. He rolled out of bed when he came in. I'm gonna tell you, and then we'll we'll get to you, but we'll get to you, don't worry. He looked, I said that full of cat hair. Full of cat hair. It looked like he rolled out of bed, his hair was messed up, and he was like, Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm late.

SPEAKER_04 2:49

I had something going on, like, no, you don't like that guy that makes those reels about how he messages people randomly. He's like, What up, finishori? Well, my bad, just got out of bed, yo. You know that guy?

SPEAKER_01 3:03

No, no, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 3:06

So he's hilarious. I don't know, I don't know that guy, but this guy wasn't funny.

SPEAKER_05 3:10

And we had another food distribution lady that had a scheduled time after him, and so he was cutting into her time and it was so rude to her.

SPEAKER_04 3:19

So rude luck.

SPEAKER_05 3:20

So we're like late, was he? Like an hour, yeah, yeah, 45 minutes an hour. And so then it was into her time, and I'm like, wait, and then he was like, and she was like being nice, she was like talking to him, and she's like, Oh da da da.

SPEAKER_04 3:30

I had to like move with him out to get him out the door, like he wouldn't pick up a hint because we're like, now you're in her time, and then we just didn't we didn't like him.

SPEAKER_05 3:38

So we're like, we're not going with you guys, which has pained us because you guys are in our backyard, yeah, and we have friends at work there, yeah, and like it's it was you know, and then let's get to okay. So we were like, and I think what I did is I did I did a on my personal page, I think I did a post about the guy being an and then and then a girl that works in the office saw that and she's like, Can you do me a favor and contact, which I should have originally done, you know, go right to someone to fix the problem instead of complaining. Yeah, I understand that I should have.

SPEAKER_03 4:13

Yeah, look at how far you've come.

SPEAKER_05 4:14

Yeah, so I I should have done that.

SPEAKER_03 4:16

We've all grown.

SPEAKER_05 4:17

So she's like, Can you contact contact this in whatever supervisor and let him know this? And I did, and he was not amazing either, whoever I contacted. He was kind of like, Oh, okay, I'm sorry. So we just we didn't go with performance until one day. How did it happen? Ernie came in. Oh no, no, I got a message from Sarah at Hungry Bear. Yeah, there's a new guy in town. Oh, his name is Ernie. I'm like, love it already. Loved the name. Um, his name is Ernie. You guys are gonna love him. He works for performance. The other guy, I know his name, I'm intentionally not saying it. The other guy is no longer with them. Give him a shot.

SPEAKER_04 4:56

Or maybe in a different area or something.

SPEAKER_05 4:58

Yeah, Milwaukee or something. If you know him. So then I just totally said what district he's in. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 5:12

Maybe. Maybe okay. Maybe not. We don't know.

SPEAKER_05 5:14

So Ernie came in, and I mean that's all.

SPEAKER_04 5:21

Now we're here.

SPEAKER_05 5:22

Thanks for coming on.

SPEAKER_04 5:24

That's a wrap.

SPEAKER_05 5:26

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04 5:27

Uh so Ernie. I like to uh I like to ask everybody this, and I came up with another question.

SPEAKER_05 5:34

Okay, you should because he watches our podcast. So this might not work anymore.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

Yeah, it's a Sunday morning ritual.

SPEAKER_05 5:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

Isn't that nice? That's cool.

SPEAKER_05 5:43

So type side note, Keith and I said this. When people tell us like strangers in the boutique or any you're not a stranger, hey, I watch your podcast. It like is so uncomfortably kind. I don't know how to react.

SPEAKER_04 5:55

The thought of people like taking time out of their day, don't do you watch or listen.

SPEAKER_02 6:00

Um, it depends. So uh normally uh on uh Sunday mornings, Melinda and I watch it together.

SPEAKER_04 6:06

Do you do you prefer to watch or listen? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:08

I do, so I can see the clap. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 6:13

I think it's cooler just to see Cammy's like editing of like funny things in there.

SPEAKER_02 6:19

Yeah, oh yeah, absolutely. Yeah, those are great, absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 6:22

But it's it's a huge, it is a huge compliment. Like I said to him just the other day, I'm like, I don't even know how to react to that because I'm like, really? So like, yeah, I listen, and they'll like quote things or say things, and I'm like, that's so kind.

SPEAKER_04 6:31

Like, thank you for it's pretty cool. That's all okay. Back to you. So thanks, thanks for watching/slash listening. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 6:40

So ask him the question.

SPEAKER_04 6:41

Oh, I got a new question.

SPEAKER_05 6:43

Oh, I don't know this.

SPEAKER_04 6:45

All right, pretend this really hits home. Trixie's gonna love this one.

SPEAKER_05 6:50

Oh, I love that from myself.

SPEAKER_04 6:52

Pretend you're visited by aliens. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 7:06

I did not expect why do you think okay. First off, I'm not a crazy alien person. You love aliens. I I love talking about but you I'm still drinking this.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

I hope so.

SPEAKER_05 7:21

I did not, I rarely get surprised in that surprise to me. Because right out of the gate, let's let's get into conspiracy theories.

SPEAKER_04 7:29

No, I mean, not so pretend you're visited by aliens. Okay. If and they offered you a one-week vacation where you get to go across galaxies and see anything and everything. But when you come back, ten years has gone past. Oh would you take it?

SPEAKER_05 7:53

No, no, that's a dumb question.

SPEAKER_04 7:55

What about five years? No, one year.

SPEAKER_05 7:58

No. Oh no, I would never.

SPEAKER_04 8:00

Really?

SPEAKER_05 8:01

Who would do that? Satan. You're missing out on so much here. I mean, I guess if you hate your life.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

Well, that's not good. So um I wouldn't sad.

SPEAKER_04 8:16

I I yeah, I mean so at what point in your life do you think you would if you were in prison?

SPEAKER_05 8:23

No, like an in age, then you would take that um opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 8:27

I don't know. I don't, I mean, it would have been before my kids were born. Um, I the thought of uh, you know, missing out on I mean, they grow up so fast, you know. Um, and before I got this job, I worked um so many hours in a restaurant that I missed so much of their life. Um, looking back on now, I wouldn't. I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_04 8:46

Wait, so it's a hypothetical. Jeez, woman.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

He's gone.

SPEAKER_04 8:53

Drink your coffee. I'll see you in 10 years.

SPEAKER_02 8:58

Did you have you watched um on Netflix? It's uh the um the 1963, it's about uh JFK. No one? Yes, so they there is this time warp in your you know hypothetical, but they go back and it goes back to whatever year it is. I don't know, I can't 57 or whatever. And life goes by at a normal pace, but when you go back to the time portal, it's only been like five minutes. So in your hypothetical question, absolutely, I mean, yeah, no doubt. I mean, I just think it would be so cool to you know, but here's the thing to not miss anything in the current yeah, that was that top that was not a good question.

SPEAKER_04 9:33

When you come back, nobody believes you, they think you're crazy. Like you probably get put in some you know, an institution.

SPEAKER_05 9:42

Um they don't have any of those anymore either. So where would they put you?

SPEAKER_04 9:46

I mean a hospital. Okay, yeah, you want to call it a hospital?

SPEAKER_05 9:50

They don't really have many uh things for those either anymore.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

I actually liked your other question.

SPEAKER_05 9:56

Yeah, what ask them, ask them the original.

SPEAKER_02 9:59

Um was it the the the earliest memory you have? Yeah, it would definitely be with my grandma. Oh tell me about that. And I don't know why, because and I know like I can in my mind see it right now was my grandma changing my diaper. And so, like, I like I that far back, like I can tell you the house, like my my earliest memories in life were with my grandma. Um, so do you remember how old you were? No, I mean I was I'm telling you, I mean diapers, so I mean one top, like, but I absolutely adamantly remember that one specific time. Um, I remember that. And then I remember one time um I it's uh the only time grandma ever spanked me. Um, so when I grew up, I lived about four blocks away from grandma. You'll love this, and I missed my dog. So I walked the four blocks. I told grandma I was gonna go play in the front yard, walked the four blocks, and I went and knocked on the door, and I was actually talking to my dog the door. Oh, I could hear grandma yelling for me, and I'm like, I'm in trouble. But I'm like, Well, I'm already committed, I'm here, right? So my uncle came and got me. He's like, You know you're in trouble, right? I'm like, Yeah, I know it was worth it. I got I got to talk to my dog, and so I got a crack with the what kind of dog was it?

SPEAKER_05 11:03

Doberman, yeah, really that's intense for a family pet dog. What did you guys have to protect?

SPEAKER_04 11:10

What was its name?

SPEAKER_02 11:11

Duke. Duke, Duke the Doberman. Yeah, I've always had Doberman's every German shepherd now.

SPEAKER_05 11:17

Yeah, it was a good dog.

SPEAKER_02 11:20

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Duke was a good dog. It was.

SPEAKER_05 11:25

I like your memory. Well, Hans had a memory of his diapers getting washed down the driveway, so it shows it's a common theme. Like, so he's like, I they were my diapers.

SPEAKER_04 11:35

So that just shows like played with them in a stream and yeah.

SPEAKER_05 11:39

Um interesting. Okay. I'm just all flustered from that alien question. Um let's talk about your job.

SPEAKER_04 11:50

Would you think of him differently if he answered yes?

SPEAKER_05 11:53

Yeah. 100%.

SPEAKER_04 11:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 11:55

Would you I would think I would think he didn't like his life. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:01

I'm glad that you followed up with your why, because that's what I was gonna ask of why you wouldn't travel. Because I feel like that's a good answer of how your like home life is, basically.

SPEAKER_05 12:10

Right. So I could see someone answering yes, like if they were in prison or if their life was really bad. But anybody that has like, and you're like, Oh, you don't age, who cares about you?

SPEAKER_04 12:19

Yeah, like everyone around you. It's not like you're losing time.

SPEAKER_05 12:22

We gotta work at that question to make it a little bit more trickier.

SPEAKER_00 12:25

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04 12:26

I think we just gotta find the right person.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

Maybe it's like you can travel, but you have to you can take one person.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

Oh, I thought that I thought that was gonna be. I thought that was gonna be on there.

SPEAKER_05 12:37

Yeah, but could you want to ask me it? Because I have no interest.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

I know what your answer is.

SPEAKER_05 12:40

I have no interest in the galaxy. I don't, I don't want to go out to outer space. I don't I would I love to see aliens, absolutely. Would I love to talk to them? Yeah, but I wouldn't want to try, I would get sick motion sickness.

SPEAKER_02 12:52

You don't get sick in space, yeah. So when you say aliens, like what what do you what do you what do you what do you see?

SPEAKER_05 12:58

Yeah, I probably see the television version of them, like et television version. Um maybe a little bit like better than that, but I see tall um big heads because they have big brains. Can you actually why are you saying that?

SPEAKER_04 13:15

I feel like that's what he was saying.

SPEAKER_05 13:17

Um, why what would you envision an alien to look like?

SPEAKER_02 13:20

I don't know. I I guess I, you know, probably that along the lines, you know. I mean, um, you know, I think cinema has created the image in your head. Um yeah, I don't know. Maybe I feel like since the we're gonna be talking about this today.

SPEAKER_05 13:36

We probably did, because you know what can I decide? The reason why I love working with Ernie is because he you and I talk about a lot of odd topics like aliens, conspiracy theories, political stuff, like stuff like all like it's never like hey, here's some some buns. It's like, hey, did you see this? Yeah, and it's some like deep, deep dive into some stuff. So um I'm not surprised we're talking about weird stuff because I feel like you're like my weird stuff combo guy, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:09

For sure. Like um, yeah, and it's you know, I I remember when you uh the topic of ghost came up, and I'm like, oh my god, like like I cannot wait to go. Like, I want you know, like, you know, whatever the next appointment was. I'm like, okay, you know, dah dah dah. So by the way, did you, you know, oh you went to a Honda House or something? That's what it was.

SPEAKER_05 14:23

Like, so you believe in ghosts? Yeah, dude, like, yeah, I do actually.

SPEAKER_02 14:26

Yeah, I forget where you went, but you went on like some oh yeah, Savannah, yeah, Georgia.

SPEAKER_05 14:30

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

And so you told me, you text me, like, I'm gonna be out of town. I'm going, I'm like, oh my, she looks cool. So I'm like, yeah, you know, like you know, she's not gonna think I'm crazy.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

No, I am crazy. Still, still my kind of crazy.

SPEAKER_05 14:44

Yeah, yeah, you're kind of crazy. It's perfect though.

SPEAKER_03 14:46

Yeah, perfect.

SPEAKER_05 14:47

And but see, I think Keith and I are attracted to people in our circle of convert, like deep conversations. I just saw something I just actually posted on my story about they're like, I'm not an introvert, I'm not an extrovert. I can't remember what the word is that they're claiming it's called now, but it's like I'm gonna say it wrong, but it was like ottervert or something. Yeah, something like that. Like you you strive and you like crave deep, meaningful conversation with smaller groups of people instead of a bunch of generic conversations. Like I have a hard time with generic conversations, I have a hard time with groups because I feel like it's a lot of energy is going on and like everything's superficial. So like I know Keith feels the same way.

SPEAKER_04 15:27

But also, I think we both like to ask questions because we are genuinely interested. So, like you're kind of interesting, and there's some depth to you, so like it's even when you get like uh the weather is blah, blah, blah, or like, oh, I'm good, I'm fine, busy, blah. Like, yeah, it's boring, right?

SPEAKER_02 15:43

No, I see it.

SPEAKER_04 15:44

Yeah, like life's too short. Just it is come up with some other alien or ghost fun stuff to talk about.

SPEAKER_05 15:52

Yeah, we don't want to travel. So tell us about your um your journey, your journey to being Ernie.

SPEAKER_02 15:59

Um, my my journey. Um, you know, my first job uh was in a restaurant, and uh a lot like um Luigi's Inciano, just a small Italian restaurant, and uh, you know, that's where I kind of got in the food business, and then um, you know, life happens and uh, you know, it's kind of always have gravitated towards the service industry. Um, you know, worked at Chili's for, you know, almost seven, eight years. Um, really enjoyed that, uh, got to really excel and grow with them as a as a person and um learn a lot. Um uh COVID happened and uh the restaurant business became it was challenging. It was really challenging. It was what did that look like? Oh, like a nightmare. Um, you know, you just got to the point staffing was just atrocious, and um, you know, you never got to do your job, you know, and so um it made it challenging. Um, you know, I I often say, like, I'm you know, everything happens for a reason. I wouldn't trade my life today for anything, not even a galaxy, not even a galaxy. Um, but um, if it wasn't for COVID, I'd probably still be working in a restaurant. It'd probably, I'd still be at Chili's probably for sure. But uh it just it became so monotonous. And it was just, you know, you'd you'd be driving to work wondering whose job you're gonna do because you knew you weren't gonna do yours, you know. Um, you're gonna be a cook, a dishwasher, a server, whatever it's gonna be. Um, but um, yeah, it just it just became um really overwhelming. And so um just needed a refresh after COVID. And I I left there and uh went to work for Mission Barbecue for a year. Um, what a phenomenal company. Um, they serve those who serve. I mean, if you're unfamiliar with it, like um that will always be one of my most favorite jobs. What is it called again? Mission Barbecue. Okay, where are they out of? Uh they're in Green Bay. Um, not exactly sure. Um at the time, I think there's like 200 from now, but um they serve first responders, so like police, military, fire. Um, it's a phenom. I mean, the their what they stand for and what they I mean, I got to meet so many amazing people working there, Purple Heart winners, and these people that came in and talked and like would tell you their stories. And uh um it was just it was just it was such an amazing experience. They had a um a gold star wall, and um that was uh any soldier who had died in line of duty, um, they would put these pictures up, and it was it was located, it was for like um each location, so they could put their own pictures up. And I remember I was training and uh um there was a couple sitting there, and um the manager told me he's like um yeah, he's like you know those see those people over there, he's like they're having lunch with their son. He was a gold star reciprocal, and they came in every week and had and like so. I'm sitting there, I'm like, don't tell me this now. Like I'm goosponse, yeah. Like I'm like cheering up. I'm like, don't tell me that I'm like I'm in the middle of working, man. Like, so but um what an it was an amazing experience, it really was, and um I will forever be grateful for that. But um, through all of that, um, my um the GM that I work for at Chili's, um, after I had left and went to mission, he actually went to work for performance. And so um, great man. I think so highly of him. You know, one of my dear friends in life uh was there for me through some really hard times. Um, and just like I can't express like how much he meant to me. So when he went to performance, I'm like, well, you know, let me know. And uh one thing led to another, and uh I ended up here and uh I'll be actually three years in March. So um it's been a journey. Um, it's been an experience, one that I I wouldn't change because you know, without the restaurant experience, I assure you I wouldn't be right where I am now. Um, you know, a lot of the people that work for us um have sales experience, but like to have that restaurant experience and to be able to, you know, um not only be able to help my customers, but also like actually enjoy that. Like I love doing that. Um, but so you know, the journey is you know where what got me to hear where I am today. And so uh yeah, I mean, I absolutely love the journey is the reward, what I always say. So no, it's true. Yeah, so I like that.

SPEAKER_04 20:06

Do people ask you for help a lot like we do?

SPEAKER_05 20:09

Like is a time, like a side note, we ask Ernie to literally create sandwiches and stuff, like hey, we need refresh.

SPEAKER_04 20:17

Like he's like, Okay, because we don't have any or sometimes he brings it to us, like, hey, yeah, guys, you're stuffing.

SPEAKER_05 20:23

Is that what all of you guys do?

SPEAKER_02 20:26

I don't know. I really I mean, and I I say that honestly, like I mean, um, everyone probably has different, you know, different customers too. Um you know, um, there are some businesses that have chefs that um would would be offended, right? You know what I mean? Like, and so you you know your audience, so to speak. Right.

SPEAKER_05 20:44

So we're idiots.

SPEAKER_02 20:45

Yeah, not at all.

SPEAKER_05 20:47

Yeah, I see what you're getting at.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

Yeah, not at all. No, no, absolutely not. Um, as a matter of fact, I mean the the job you guys do here is just phenomenal. Like, and I truly mean that.

SPEAKER_05 20:56

Like, I am in awe of you know, your employees are just you say that a lot about like how impressed you are with our employees, and we we take that to heart because we know you have restaurant background management experience. And I like that I can talk to you about any issues we ever have, and you'll be like, don't pick that battle, choose that battle. She's a good one, work through it. You know, I mean, not like we have issues a lot, but you keep us grounded with realizing what it's like to actually have good staff, and we do have really good staff.

SPEAKER_02 21:24

Yeah, I think sometimes you really become, I don't know, complacent is a word, but you take it for granted. Yeah. I mean, like, and every time I come in here, I know, you know, uh the the greeting. Like, I mean, and yes, they know me, but still, like, you know, they could be disingenuous. But I mean, like, it's so honest and like, hey, how's it going? Like, I mean, like, I love coming in here, and your staff is phenomenal. And I thank you. And I I do, but I mean, it you guys have created a culture too. And so, I mean, it's that's what it's about. I mean, they could be good people, but without the culture, it would just wouldn't, it wouldn't jive.

SPEAKER_05 21:57

So, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 21:58

Yeah, yeah, that means a lot.

SPEAKER_05 22:00

Your 10-year goal, where do you want to be in 10 years? Fishing. I was gonna say you were gonna say fishing.

SPEAKER_02 22:06

Um, you know, I just getting back from the galaxy afar. Yeah. 10 years later. Um, no, you know what? Um, you know, they they said when I got hired that it would take three years to kind of you'd have this like aha moment. Um, and and literally it was like it really was. As I go into into my third year, um, there's a level of product knowledge where you know you're very comfortable. Um, this is the first time in my professional career um since probably being 21 years old that I'm not in a form of leadership. Um, and and that is still very awkward for me. Um, I I genuinely love leading people, um, especially younger generations. I mean, I, you know, I get all these, you know, I call them earniisms, but you know, I always hope that there is just a time in in some of these young kids' lives that I've worked with, whether a restaurant or whatever, that they're in a situation that maybe something that I've instilled in them or, you know, told them that that like comes back and you know helps them. So um I do miss that aspect of it. I miss the leadership now, um, whether or not uh I progress to that. I mean, I really like the role I'm in right now. I like knowing that uh, you know, the the part about not being in management is as long as I get up and go to work, I only have to count on me to be successful. Um, and for the first time and you know, forever, that's you know, when when you're when you're a leadership, like you you rely on other people and their dedication and their hard work and their work ethic, that dictates your success. And um, and you're also held accountable for their work ethic and their whatnot. And so now um I I mean I, you know, as long as I put in the work, like, you know, success will follow it. So um I don't know. I don't know. I I mean 10 years from now, I think about that. Um, you know, I mean that put Tanner at 26. Um, Sam, you know, he'll be uh, you know, 23. So I mean like hopefully traveling somewhere to another galaxy.

SPEAKER_05 24:10

I mean bring your wife.

SPEAKER_02 24:13

Um, but I don't know. I mean, you know, just my tenure goal is to be happy, and I'm happy right now, so that's that's what my goal is. And I assure you, fishing's involved in there somewhere.

SPEAKER_05 24:23

So that's a good response. Doesn't it seem like he rehearsed this? I'm gonna comment that you're very well spoken. You are well spoken.

SPEAKER_04 24:30

Nah, part of the reason why we wanted you here. I mean, it it I was joking when I'm like showed your face before we started, like nervous. But part of the reason why we wanted you here is because you are well spoken and it it's just an easy conversation, and we have a good time whenever we talk. And oh, I love it. That's that's the most important for us, I think.

SPEAKER_05 24:53

Like, and Kami had a good point too, because she's like, Who's on tomorrow?

SPEAKER_04 24:56

And and I told her, and she's like, I think that's gonna be good for people interested in the restaurant side of business, or like you you have a lot of experience, you do all of these stuff.

SPEAKER_05 25:08

When you said it led you to where you are, like we take your advice because you have restaurant experience and we have zero. Yeah, um, so yeah, it is good for people to hear. And we okay, so back to us liking you. Um we as business owners and as people, we choose, yeah, we have to like the product, but we have to like the person that's selling the product. Yeah, you could be selling something amazing, but you're an a jerk, we're probably not gonna buy it. And we might, you know, settle for less quality for a personality of a really good person. And I think that's why we put a story behind everything at the mill, yeah, is to kind of explain you know, like the people behind things.

SPEAKER_04 25:50

And so going back to why we didn't like the original guy is like, I don't want to give you any business because you're even even if your product is amazing, you're like you become sort of dispensable, you know, in a sense, like if if because you don't need to sell it, there's no personal attachment where you're like even with like a really feel bad for right giving on business anymore.

SPEAKER_05 26:12

That's why big box stores or big franchise like a coffee store, they don't have they don't have to because it's it sells itself the products already so knowing that the people don't have to be hi, welcome, come on in, you know, can I help you with something? It's more like what do you want?

SPEAKER_02 26:27

Yeah, well, I mean, like, you know, and I've always had the I've always had the mentality, like, you know, um sales is is it doesn't it's not the product you're selling, you're selling yourself. Like, um, you know, because that that's what matters, you know, relationships are what matters. Relationships are what you know creates that long-term um relationship. And um, you know, and and like I remember a conversation, you know, like I had with you when I first met you. Like, I mean, you know, people come to the mill, like they like you being back there making coffee isn't as valuable as you being out and interacting with the people because like that's that's so undervalued, you know. But I mean, like, that's why people come here, you know, like um, you know, whether it's you know whatever reason it might be, like, but you know, they come here for coffee, but like like love isn't an ingredient that that doesn't have calories that you don't put on a menu, but love has love is an ingredient. If someone makes you a sandwich, it tastes better because they made it. Yeah, we say that all the time. We say that all the time. So love is an ingredient in like literally putting it in into the mill or into my job. Like when I say I love my customers, like I'm not exaggerating, like I mean um I'm genuinely vested in you know, your business, your success. Um, you know, along the way, obviously, you know, I have a job to do, but I mean, um, yeah, love's an ingredients. It is you can't put a price on, and it and it really is, you know, it matters, it matters so much.

SPEAKER_05 27:43

So I like that. Speaking of love, let's talk about your lovely wife.

SPEAKER_02 27:49

Nice, nice segue. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 27:53

Tell us how'd you guys meet?

SPEAKER_02 27:56

Through a friend.

unknown 27:56

Through a friend.

SPEAKER_05 27:57

Do you want to talk about it? You see, do you forgot? Do you forgot your story? Because we had one other guy on here that forgot the story.

SPEAKER_02 28:03

I absolutely did not forget my story. Okay. Um, it was she that uh went out with some friends of hers, and uh it was just uh, you know, I I it was just I I remember seeing her. It was that awkward, you know, that that silly, like, you know, your eyes met, but it was like I'm dead serious, and like um, you know, I don't know, it's just it was so surreal. Like I'll never forget that, absolutely never forget that.

SPEAKER_05 28:23

So um it was love at first sight, yeah, for sure. Like you knew right away. Oh yeah, without a doubt.

SPEAKER_02 28:29

That's amazing. Without a doubt. Um, I I I don't know if I believe in love at first sight because to me, love is work. Like, you know, the word love is so um just thrown around. So it was definitely like there was something. I was like, wow, you know, there was there was that piece of like there's something special about her, you know. And so, like, but uh yeah, love is love is a journey, love is work, you know, in a in a marriage and and whatnot. So um, but yeah, no, I so we met, uh, we dated for a while, um, and then uh we got married. I want I always wanted to move back to Wisconsin. I met her in Mississippi. Um, I always wanted to move back to Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_05 29:05

Is she from Mississippi?

SPEAKER_02 29:07

Uh she's from Texas, Arkansas-ish.

SPEAKER_05 29:10

Oh, that makes sense. She has a southern vibe to her, yeah. Um, like a southern bell, like a pretty southern bell vibe.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

So she her job landed her in Mississippi. Um, my parents, my dad's family's from down south, and so um they moved on there. I had nothing going on at the time, so I'm like, well, yeah, I'll try anything once. I moved down there and uh I remember the first day I was there, it was June 3rd, and I opened the door and it's 85 degrees at eight o'clock in the morning. I'm like, I am not built for this. Like, I am built to stay warm when it's cold, I'm not built to survive at 85 degrees at eight in the morning. At eight in the morning. So um, but so long story short, my goal was always to get back to Wisconsin, how any means necessary. And uh she she's like, I'm not moving until you marry me. I'm like, okay, well, fair enough, you know. So we got married, and uh this I honest this is the hand of God. Um, at my reception, um, my boss, the director of operations of the company I was working for at the time, tells me at our wedding reception, hey, we want you to move to Milwaukee. And I'm like, oh man, I'm like, you picked a hell of a time to tell me that. So we were on the dance floor, our first dance. We're out there. I'm like, there's people everywhere, she can't kill me now. I'm like, there's just too many witnesses, right? And uh, I was like, uh, so you know we're dancing. I'm like, um, Daniel wants us to move to Wisconsin. She's like, what? And I was like, well, you said once we were married, you'd be willing to move. I go, well, here we are. We've been married three hours and now we're moving. And um, so it was funny. Our honeymoon was just gonna be like we were just gonna get in the car, go to New Orleans, um, you know, do whatever. Um, just kind of, you know, willy-nilly. Well, because of that conversation, we ended up going to Milwaukee. So we got married on November 11th, and so I think I think it was November 20th or something like that.

SPEAKER_05 30:57

That's our wedding anniversary, November 11th. Oh, ours isn't the 11th.

SPEAKER_04 31:02

Must have been a must have been a past as long.

SPEAKER_02 31:06

As long as you give your heart to them on the 11th, you're good, just not the 13th.

SPEAKER_05 31:09

I thought it was still 11th for a second because you were, huh? Okay, go on. Sorry. The word 11th, we're 12.

SPEAKER_02 31:15

So we come to Wisconsin, right? And uh, you know, typical Wisconsin, it's November 20th, right? It's cold, it's nasty. I mean, it is just she's like, I am not moving here. Gun hunting, like over. And I'm like, well, I've already told him I am. I'm like, like, you can't you can't do this to me now. So typical Wisconsin, the next day it's 55 degrees, sunny, and you know, birds are chirping. I'm like, see, it's not that bad. Like, what are you talking about? And so, long story short, obviously we're here, but um, yeah, does she want to move back to Texas still?

SPEAKER_05 31:48

Like, how long did it?

SPEAKER_02 31:50

It depends on what the weather is.

SPEAKER_05 31:52

Oh, I can ask.

SPEAKER_02 31:53

I guess if when it's 40 below, if you asked her, she'd probably say yes, but no, I don't think so. I think she's um she's a Wisconsin girl now, so she's I really like her as A a couple times.

SPEAKER_04 32:05

What so how old were you when you started dating? 29, 29, 30. So you're a foodie by then?

SPEAKER_02 32:13

Uh no, I was a bar y at the time.

SPEAKER_04 32:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

I ran a bar. Oh okay. But you were a bar restaurant, yeah. You were in the food, yeah. But if you if you ask her the first time I cooked for her, I made her a steak. She said it was the best steak she ever had. So I was gonna ask, where'd you take her on her first date? Um, actually, I our first date I cooked for her. Yeah, that's that's I grilled for her. I'm like, it's good. That's a good one. That's a good one. Everyone loves good food, right?

SPEAKER_05 32:39

I'm like, yes, and I I always wanted to marry a chef because I like food. And he's pretty close to being a chef. He cooks.

SPEAKER_04 32:50

And I don't know about chef quality, but Ash wants to be a chef and a museum worker and a zookeeper.

SPEAKER_05 32:57

Yeah, but like a chef, I think you know, they say like food is the what is it, something man's heart. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 33:07

You're making up no, I know what you're talking about. Yeah, food food's a way to a man's heart.

SPEAKER_05 33:12

But also, like, there's something about a man that cooks to me that is like attractive. So I can see that beyond a first date, like sealing the deal. Yeah, I thought that's a good thing. Like when you cook, like I he he makes the best steak. I don't know, I haven't had your steak, but he makes really good steak. And when he cooks, I just I feel like that's attractive when men can cook. Yeah, a good cook.

SPEAKER_02 33:34

See, I I hate cooking in the wintertime. So, Melinda, yeah, are you a driller? Is that why?

SPEAKER_04 33:40

So okay, that's him too. We we still do, but it's like it throws your times all off, you know.

SPEAKER_02 33:46

Well for me, the hard part was where I really learned how to cook was in a restaurant, and restaurants have flat tops, and so it's just completely different cooking in your kitchen on a stove. It's not the same. So I'm like, you know, here I am, like, you know, got this, you know, how I cook, and I'm like, all of a sudden everything's like a fish out of water. So um, she bought me a blackstone, so now I I have no excuse. So um, but uh um but Melinda does a lot of things.

SPEAKER_04 34:11

Did you put it in the house in the winter? No, no, but she's because Sawyer does.

SPEAKER_05 34:15

Well, two days ago, Sawyer lives in a college house, his motorcycle's in his bedroom.

SPEAKER_04 34:21

But also, I'm like, you know what? That's not a bad idea.

SPEAKER_02 34:24

Because no, no, that's a terrible, don't do that. Well, so funny you asked that because like I said that I was having this conversation. Well, I was having this conversation with her, and so she like Googled, she's like, Well, you know, they make these flat tops you can put on top of the stove. They do. I'm like, well, check bait for her, I guess you know, cooking more now. So right, but she she makes the like um Christmas, Thanksgiving. Like, I don't do any of that. Like, I don't make like the yeah, he doesn't either.

SPEAKER_05 34:49

I do that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:50

She likes doing that.

SPEAKER_04 34:51

I do that type of stuff, but like every day, like anything except for this last one because we had salmon and steak.

SPEAKER_05 34:57

Yeah, I planned that out well, didn't I?

SPEAKER_04 34:59

You're like, I just don't want to do it.

SPEAKER_05 35:01

But so no, I have a trick with him because he and but the boy, it's sad because the boys are never gonna remember me as a good cook because they're like, Is dad making the steak or are you? And I'm like, I am, and they're like, Oh, okay. And if I'm like dad, they're like, Yes, yeah. And um it's not, but if I really want steak or something made and he's like, not I can tell he's not wanting to cook. I'm like, it's okay, I'll make steak. I got it. He's like, no, no, no, no. Yeah, I got it. No, don't touch the steak.

SPEAKER_04 35:27

You make good steaks. I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit.

SPEAKER_02 35:31

I don't. I overcook everything. I'm like, don't touch my grill, don't touch my lawnmower. Don't touch, don't, yeah, don't touch the snowblower. Like, I got those three covered.

SPEAKER_05 35:40

We have our cubby Mo's lawn, and it's pretty questionable some days, but he doesn't run into anything anymore.

SPEAKER_04 35:47

He used to a lot.

SPEAKER_05 35:48

He but he just flies, so he misses. I'm like, Do you can you look out at the grass and tell me if you see anything? He's like, looks good. Yeah, but he's gotten a lot better.

SPEAKER_04 35:58

Looks like looks like the boy's hair after Journey cuts it.

SPEAKER_05 36:02

Oh that's sad.

SPEAKER_04 36:06

Not anymore. She's getting way better.

SPEAKER_05 36:08

She's getting way better, but anyways, practice makes perfect. Yeah, um, yeah, I really I really like your wife, and I did know she was from the south, and it makes more sense because she's just sweet, she's very kind.

SPEAKER_02 36:18

Unless she's mad at me.

SPEAKER_05 36:20

Well, I imagine. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:22

Oh, we all go through that.

SPEAKER_04 36:25

Trying times. Trial and error.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

So I, you know, I don't know. I don't know that I've ever asked you guys this, but um what um your story, like why why did you want to do the coffee shop? Like, I I know um, and I have watched it in some of the episodes or whatever, but um, you know, I know you were an officer and you currently are. I mean, so what where was the the draw? Like, I mean, where's the coffee part of it come in?

SPEAKER_05 36:53

An accident.

SPEAKER_04 36:54

A happy little accident. We she actually was like going around town with a flag and like waving people down and asking people what this town needs. She didn't have a flag, but she legit went around asking. We both did a little bit like what is the what is what what do you think would really work here? Yeah or what is the town missing or lacking, and ask business owners that and they said coffee, yeah. And there wasn't one, and did a lot of research, and there wasn't one anywhere near here for a long ways on this stretch of highway, and um that was a big driving factor, and it for whatever reason we both kind of fell in love with the idea, and it definitely fits the vibe of the building, yeah. Um it's probably the biggest reason.

SPEAKER_05 37:43

We like coffee.

SPEAKER_04 37:44

I mean, and we don't know how to make it.

SPEAKER_05 37:46

No, but we would go to a lot of coffee shops, and it was great when we were renovating because any chance we got, we would stop and see what we liked and didn't like about coffee shops. And like I've said before, like it this isn't like, as you know, managing a restaurant, you want to turn tables fast, right? Right, and so we don't want that here, we want it to be like comfortable, stay as long as you want, type of vibe, not rushed, not like um most people aren't staying long, they just get their coffee and go, but we wanted a definitely a cozy atmosphere, and we learned that just by going places, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:23

Um I do a lot of my office work here. Like I do, yeah, I do.

SPEAKER_04 38:27

So I love I love it when we see like regular centers just sitting with their laptop and working away, and and that's kind of why we shied away.

SPEAKER_05 38:34

Someone just recently asked us, Are you gonna get the ice cream truck up and going? And I'm like, I'm gonna be honest, it was a terrible idea. Not that ice cream is a bad idea, children are a bad idea. And before you come at me, we barely like our own kids. Yes, no, before you come at me is as of the day, the the mill is okay. Don't get me wrong. I have my grandpa's rocking horse here that he made me when I was little. Like there are things we used to have a whole games and stuff. We used to have a shelf of games, but people didn't know how to clean up after themselves. So I was like an angry mom and threw them away. Um, but people are working, like you said, you come here and work. People, um, I go to coffee shops and I don't bring my kids. Yeah, I never bring my kids.

SPEAKER_03 39:18

I'm like, want to go.

SPEAKER_05 39:19

Yep, let's sit and chat. And then um, I just didn't want it to be super inviting for little kids to stay long because it's a coffee shop, right? And we wanted to keep that brand instead of having it as like an ice cream stop because it's gonna completely change the whole vibe. Don't you agree? So yeah, 100% if it we had an ice cream shop outside, like because they're gonna come in and then it's it's gonna change, and people are gonna be like, there's always a ton of kids, and I can't get work done, or I can't, you know, like let's go somewhere more quiet, or even a drive-thru.

SPEAKER_04 39:47

Somebody posed that, like, why don't you have a drive-thru? A couple reasons. Number one, the elevation of the building just doesn't really work for it. Nerd, like you know, we could probably fix that, but it would take a lot. Um but also then you're taken away from the vibe, right?

SPEAKER_02 40:03

Like, absolutely, it's the love ingredients.

SPEAKER_05 40:05

Yeah, it's yeah, it's we got asked to go on. I don't know what news that was channel a while back. Like, they want you to come on their show and like show stuff. And I said to them, I'm like, I thank you for asking. I'm like, but I don't ever want I I had issues this past weekend setting up coffee at the high school and like lotus drinks and stuff because it's like that's not the mill, right? You know, the mill is this, this is the mill. So, like I said, I'm like, we we can't show our product by just drinks, like you have to come. Like, our place is an experience, like our shop. I don't I'm not gonna make coffee on TV, and you're not gonna get the same vibe as like coming in here, right? Um, that's so we we they've asked a couple times and I've said no, like you guys can come here, but like we're not gonna we're not gonna bring Savannah keeps coming. Savannah would we love you.

SPEAKER_04 40:53

She's a good gal.

SPEAKER_05 40:54

She keeps coming, she keeps coming, yep. But yeah, it was what the town needed, and we like coffee, and everyone deserves a good coffee.

SPEAKER_01 41:02

Fair enough.

SPEAKER_05 41:03

Okay, you can't ask us questions. This is our show. Do you understand? Do you don't? What was it? Han said I had it all planned. I was gonna flip the whole the whole script and ask you guys questions the whole time. I'm like, that one worked. Yeah, we would have caught on to you. Anyways, more about myself. Um, what um you said one of your sons, I can't remember which one, is interested in law enforcement. At a time you said you always wanted to be military or law enforcement. Why didn't you go those paths?

SPEAKER_02 41:39

Um, I I have one regret in life, and the only regret is to not have served my country, whether it be in the military or through law enforcement or some sort. Um, the the real reason is is because um um my parents were very strict. They were very strict, and which is what I needed. You know, I died, I I'm thankful for my childhood. Um, it taught me, you know, respect and manners, but they were very so. When I turned 18, I just wanted to breathe. You know, if that makes any I just I just wanted to breathe. And so um, you know, through the course of life happening, whatever, I ended up in um Colorado. And uh you're a peacock, you gotta fly. Yeah, I yeah, I just I had to, yeah, I had to spread my wings. I I had to, you know, there was a base that my parents instilled to me, but I had to learn who I was as a person. Yep, that makes sense. And in in segueing from mom and dad military to the US military, there there wouldn't have been much of a lull, I'm I'm guessing. Um, and so uh I just I needed that area to to make mistakes. I growing up, I I was never allowed to make mistakes. I mean, because they were so like, you know, regiment, like this was mom and dad, like in there, so um, I needed to be dumb and understand, like, you know, um, so but long story short, um I moved to Colorado, um, was out there for a while. Um, I was out there when 9-11 happened. And um I'm very patriotic, I'm very, you know, love America. And I was I was pissed, like I was really, really, really mad. And um, I I had a bunch of friends that were in the military, and it was crazy because I remember them like being out to eat with a couple of my buddies, and like two weeks later, they're gone. And it's just like, man, this is crazy. And so um through through 9-11, shortly after that, I ended up back in Wisconsin, but I still had very you know close connections to my friends out there, and um, I had made an appointment to go down to talk to a recruiter, and I called one of my buddies and said, Hey, you know, this is what I'm gonna do. And uh, he's like, he goes, Don't join because you're mad. He goes, It's not the reason. He goes, take two weeks, think about it. He goes, Don't enlist while you're mad or because you're mad. And two weeks turned into 30, 30 years. So um, but I I do, I you know, when I I have a lot of friends that are law enforcement, um, a lot of friends that are military. And um I I can honestly tell you, I'm I'm envious. Like, you know, I listen um to their stories and to and to them talk, and like um, you know, it's it was something I always, you know, truly wanted to do. And then the other reason is I'm afraid of heights and I was afraid they'd make me jump out of a plane or something. And I don't think I could have done it, so they would have pushed me out, and I was like, well, I can't can't have that happen. So that's the secondary, that's the secondary reason because that makes sense. Yeah, no, I figured if God wanted him in the area to put wings on my back, and so it's not actually not afraid of the fall, I'm afraid of the land. So right. Um that makes sense, but uh yeah, so no. Uh, but yeah, Tanner is my oldest one, and um, he is uh part of the Brown County Cadet um program. Um, and he's doing great, he loves it. Um, and I am I'm so proud of him. Like, I mean my boys mean the world to me, and um and I'm proud of him. He's gonna do great things in life. I absolutely know that for sure.

SPEAKER_05 44:59

So remember you said you didn't want to cry on here? Cammy, can you zoom in?

SPEAKER_02 45:06

No, yeah, I know it's uh no, that is a proud he's 16. Uh he'll be 17. That's impressive.

SPEAKER_05 45:13

Yeah, that's like a that's like a soy you're tearing up.

SPEAKER_04 45:17

That's weird.

SPEAKER_05 45:18

Last one standing.

SPEAKER_04 45:20

You you're tearing up, you big baby.

SPEAKER_05 45:24

I am not.

SPEAKER_04 45:25

What a whim. Um kids, kids, god, yeah. When you get that proud, it's like there's something, and we've talked about it once the reason it's the very reason why I won't cross the galaxy with my alien friend. I just pitch it to other people and see if they're crazy.

SPEAKER_05 45:42

But uh we talked about that that proud that we had that same like look in your eye with Sawyer at Basic. Like it's just kids can be such they can, and like everyone forgets about not everyone, but like people don't talk about that. But then it's like then they do things that just blow you out of the water, and you're like, you're way better than I ever could be. Yeah, so it's just such a proud, like I tell Sawyer that often, and I even tell Journey that, even though Journey's a little hell raiser, she's I tell her, I'm like, you are way better than I ever was at your age. Yeah, like you might have this or this that I yell at you about, but understand it's because I love you.

SPEAKER_02 46:19

Well, and that's a piece of like, you know, you you want your kids to be better than you, like you strive, like I mean, like I don't care what they do with their lives, you will you will be better than me.

SPEAKER_05 46:30

Yeah, like and happy. And I like how you said you want to be happy, yeah. Because that's something that's not, at least in our generation, was not stressed enough. It's like, what are you gonna do? Yeah, four-year degree or with this, and what are you gonna do? It was never like be happy, okay? Don't be happy and homeless and like jobless, like you know what I mean. Because some people can be like, Well, I just want to be happy. No, you got to do something with your life, but it's not all about money. Like, no, do something that you're gonna love to do.

SPEAKER_02 46:56

Yeah, I just had this conversation the other day. I forget, I honestly forget who I was talking to, and I'm like, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter what what how much money you make if you're miserable, yeah. Like it doesn't matter. Like, I mean, you know, yeah, I'd rather be broke and happy than rich and yeah, sad. So but yeah, so um he is he's doing that, and um I I'm fully I think he'll do an amazing job.

SPEAKER_05 47:19

So he'll probably be a cop. I hope so. You'll be able to pin him one day. That's a huge honor when you get to badge pin their badge on.

SPEAKER_02 47:27

You think I mean I'll be a yeah, I can imagine. I'll be a hot mess. Yep, can imagine. Like I can't even think about it in it. It's like you know, this hypothetical situation.

SPEAKER_05 47:35

My dad has sent me the picture. It was I was in the paper of him pinning me when I got hired at Shano. And he'll send it every once in a while. It's probably when he's like drinking and like more like sentimental. He's a sentimental guy, and he's like still one of my proudest days. And and I'm like, it wasn't my first police job, it wasn't anything, but I imagine seeing like that. Yeah, a job, and like what Sawyer and Journey and I went through, you know what I mean? So I imagine that has to be a really proud feeling as a parent to see that.

SPEAKER_02 48:11

Yeah. I mean, just I don't care what they do. Like, I really don't. Like I just um be happy, be don't be shall you know, I like it look, be a good person. I am very, I'm very hard on the boys.

SPEAKER_05 48:26

I I am I I could guess that.

SPEAKER_02 48:28

Yeah, I mean I I just I I like um respect, you know, it's one when they're at home, like and I'm I you know, it's like when you're at home, okay, you're an ass. I like I get it. And you know, Melinda and I have had this conversation, like, you know, like would you rather them be an ass at home or go out into public and before? Oh, at home, definitely. So, like, you know, uh, they have people have to have a letdown or whatever, but um, you know, I know when the boys go in the public, it's please, thank you, yes, no. Um, I mean, respectful, kind. Um, you know, I Tanner worked at the um high school doing um like a counselor for summer school. And uh last year, um get a call from the guy who runs it, and I'm like, oh man. I'm like, I'm like, you're not even a student. Like, what do you what do you what do you do? Like, and uh you know, he's just like, I want you to know he's like your son is amazing. And he did this, and um, this kid fell and he picked him up and like it, you know, just like hearing that stuff, I'm like, you know, it's like there's like okay, I did something right. You know, like I mean, so it's just it's so rewarding to see them. And I look at him now and it's just like, man, he's like he's like a man, he's like not even a kid anymore. Like, we're messing around. I'll hit him, he hits me back, I'm like, that hurt. I'm like, what don't hit me so hard.

SPEAKER_01 49:47

He's up, he's up, tell the mom.

SPEAKER_02 49:50

Yeah, yeah, right. No kidding. I'm like, I'm gonna tell your mom on you. So, but uh, he's grown into being he's really grown into be a great young man.

SPEAKER_05 49:57

So and then there'll be a day you can sit and have a beer with him. Like you always said to Sawyer, like my my job, I'm not your friend, but I'm raising you to be someone I want to hang out with one day. Yeah, like well, I I want to be able to like, yeah, you're my kid, I'm gonna hang out with you, but I want to want to hang out with you, like be a cool dude.

SPEAKER_02 50:13

You know, I was actually talking to some my one of my friends today, and and I actually used your line. And uh I just because one day Tanner will be my best friend. Like, I have no doubt. I mean, like, you know, one day um we're too much alike, you know. Right now, it's like that, you know. Uh so my birthday is April 24th, his is May 14th. So we're both Tauruses. So you can only imagine, you know, yeah, the the um the the the willpower. So um, but yeah, I mean he's a great kid.

SPEAKER_05 50:39

So yep, I have a journey that's uh like I I know I'm hard on her, so like because she's so much like me, and I tell her this is what I needed someone to do to me. Right. And I know if you give her an inch, she'll take a mile. Like, I know that. So it's like we gotta just right away.

SPEAKER_04 50:55

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_05 50:56

You just gotta choke her. Like she's so chokable. Like we're just sick of it, like last night, like how she just started. I'm like, God, I'm like, I just want to strangle you. She's like, oh, feeling is Mitchell.

SPEAKER_02 51:10

Like, um, you know, I I told Tanner not too long ago, actually. I was like, I said, if I had a choice of being your friend now and you turning 18 and being growing into a piece of crap, or you hating me and never speaking to me again, but you are honest, you're a good father, you're a good husband. Like, I'll trade that. It would break my heart, but I would trade it a hundred times over. Like you never speaking to me again, but you are a great person and a good father, then then I'm willing, like, I will not let up. I will not let up. I will not, um, I am very hard on them, but for a reason, you know, because I know the world isn't gonna let up on you. And so if you think I'm tough on you, wait till you get out into and get, you know, and you know, and I may, you know, I may proverbial knock you down, but I'm also gonna pick you up. The world isn't going to. So, and you know, I I know that they I know what they're getting, you know, gonna go into. And so like I it's my job to always protect them.

SPEAKER_05 52:08

So yeah, we we align very well. Parenting is very similar with you and us. Parent the same.

SPEAKER_02 52:17

Yeah, but each kid a little different. Oh, totally. Sam, Sam is my youngest one. He is I I I tell people, Tanner's like me, Sam's like Manda. Like, I mean it, it it is. Sam is is without question the sweetest kind, like um will would hug you. Like, I mean, like, um, you know, it just it's yeah, I mean, Sam is the sweetest kid in the world. I mean, he just is just a kind soul. Um, you know, and it and it's like, you know, it's just it's so sweet. And it's harder for me to be hard on Sam because of that. Like it, it's so difficult because it's like, I'm sorry, and I'm like, oh I know. You're like, you're the reason why I didn't have girls because I would melt. I'm like, you can't do this to me.

SPEAKER_04 53:03

Like it's all um we call those our labradors, or retriever, yeah, golden retrievers.

SPEAKER_05 53:09

Yeah, Nash is a golden retriever, too. Yeah, Sawyer's a golden retriever, cubby's a golden retriever. Cubby's kind of like a lab, like a doofy lab, sort of in between, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 53:21

Like he's a little bit like he's like Pete.

SPEAKER_05 53:25

Everything comes back to Pete. Kami, do you have any questions you want to ask him? Like from the things she's really good at filling in stuff, because sometimes we we are so much ADD here that we like pew, pew, pew, pew. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 53:40

We also have that in common.

SPEAKER_05 53:41

Yeah, 100%. Well, you said Melinda was like listening to our podcast, and she's like, oh my god, Nicole is just like you.

SPEAKER_02 53:49

She's a female version of you.

SPEAKER_00 53:52

Oh, that's funny. Um, why food service to begin with? What brought you into that?

SPEAKER_02 53:59

Um I like to eat. You know, I mean, honestly, like always working in a restaurant, you got free food. And I'm like, you know, as like a teenage boy, I'm like, hey, you know, like, you know, I'm broke. I get free food if I work here. I'm like, this, this always works out great. So um, yeah, I honestly, I mean, if I'm being honest, that's what started it. I mean, um, and just um, you know, I I I do like people um in small doses, like I don't like huge crowds, but like, you know, interactions, like I I I love that. And um, you know, especially if you transition to my job now, you know, talking about ADD, like I mean, like I I go from account to account. So I'm never like, you know, I don't have an office job where I'm like, I couldn't do it, I'd lose my mind. So um, but yeah, I think I think um because I like to eat.

SPEAKER_01 54:47

That's a really that's a that's a good, that's a nash response.

SPEAKER_04 54:50

What what is your like now, what does your like day look like? Um like a typical day.

SPEAKER_02 54:56

It depends on the day. It really does. Um, some days are different.

SPEAKER_04 54:59

Um is that part of why you like it?

SPEAKER_02 55:02

Like this. Yeah, you know, I mean it's different, but the same. So like my Tuesdays are always the same, my Mondays are the same, so on and so forth. So um I visit customers, uh, anywhere from 12 to 14 customers a day. Um, some days are last, you know, um, there's some days where I do prospecting where I'll go in and talk to, you know, potential new customers and stuff like that. Um, but I mean it's it's you know, and it it really depends too. I mean, um, you know, sometimes I'll go in and take the order and I'm in and out in five minutes. And then there's other times where, you know, if we're talking about new product or I have samples, or there's you know, the food shows coming up, by the way, just so you know. Um, we'll talk about stuff like that or you know, things that can we just have one? Yeah, in the fall. We have two a year. Oh, okay. So the spring one's gonna is a is a huge one. So okay. Um, we'll definitely have to make sure you're there. Um, so but I mean it really it it varies based on accounts. So um, you know, there's some weeks where I'll set up business reviews and stuff like that, or um, you know, um just talk about different menu stuff or things like that. So it really depends, but um, it's different but the same every week. And you know, I have every every Monday I have X, Y, and Z number accounts that always order on Monday. Um, I have some accounts to order twice a week. Um, so it just you know different but the same. But uh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:18

Hi, this is Cammy. I had to change the batteries in this section, and then the subject changed too much. So sorry for the jump here in subjects.

SPEAKER_04 56:30

We'll we'll let the viewers decide.

SPEAKER_05 56:34

It's your story. It's your story. It's okay. It's your liability. I um my husband's soft, but kind-hearted too. Yeah, and I think there's nothing wrong with that. You're I always blamed it before on being on meds that I didn't have a reaction, but I'm off my meds and I still have a hard time.

SPEAKER_02 56:52

My wife tells me I'm the most emotional person she knows, which is which is I think a lot of people are surprised by that.

SPEAKER_05 57:01

Yeah, because you come off like not in that way. You come off like angry emotion, possibly. You look like an angry person. Really? Oh yeah. No way. Stop, don't smile.

SPEAKER_02 57:15

Not at all.

SPEAKER_05 57:16

You think I have resting if I saw you walking through the parking lot, I'd be like, ooh, this guy's what really thank you.

SPEAKER_03 57:26

Yeah, I don't think so at all.

SPEAKER_05 57:28

You look like you have a shortcut.

SPEAKER_04 57:29

Perception is perception, is a wild thing. It is like you look like it really is, and and that's what's I think it's one of the most interesting things about people in general is their perception of people and instances.

SPEAKER_02 57:43

I I like to say, like, the version you get of me is solely based on you. Yeah, you're right. You will not out told me. Like, I can promise you you won't. Oh, so there's that short views. But but on the other on the other side of that, like maybe you're just not investing enough in Ernie.

SPEAKER_05 58:00

I no, I I don't think that of you probably you would never get to hang out with Ernie. I've invested more time with Ernie.

SPEAKER_04 58:07

Well, well, your perception then we'll we'll work on that.

SPEAKER_05 58:13

You're too busy at your other job.

SPEAKER_02 58:15

But no, but I mean like on the other side of that, like if you're a good person, like I mean, you know, like you'll get the good version, not you know, I mean, I just I just I hope the viewers pipe in and say, Yeah, you know what, like without knowing him, he looks that's not fair.

SPEAKER_05 58:31

It's not fair. But I mean believer. Right. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 58:39

Right, what?

SPEAKER_05 58:39

I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 58:41

You're just being nash for a second, right?

SPEAKER_05 58:45

Where were we going with this? We were we were heading in a good direction.

SPEAKER_02 58:48

No, no, you're telling me I look mean.

SPEAKER_05 58:51

Um oh, your wife says you're the most sensitive person.

SPEAKER_02 58:54

Yeah. Um, yeah, it it it really is around the boys. Like, I mean, but uh probably probably would get teared up at like Field of Dreams or something like that.

SPEAKER_05 59:05

Like, yeah, yeah, you know, I mean it's that's a good that's a good movie though.

SPEAKER_02 59:09

Yeah, absolutely. I love watching it with the boys too.

SPEAKER_05 59:11

Hey, what's your favorite part? What does he say to his dad?

SPEAKER_04 59:16

Wanna go have a catch?

SPEAKER_05 59:19

You you say that to Cubby all the time. You want to go have a catch? And I'm like, are you quoting Fields of Dreams? He's like, Yeah, it's like the best part of the movie when they're out there playing catch with his the dad.

SPEAKER_02 59:27

See, that always just sounded so odd to me. I know. Yeah, it doesn't make sense, but like okay, you want to play catch? Like it's gonna go. I know, but I'm always like he didn't say that right.

SPEAKER_04 59:36

Yeah, like I know, that's why it stuck with me.

SPEAKER_05 59:38

So he says it all when he cut because cubby would play catch all day if you would let him instead of doing something, you're having a moment.

SPEAKER_02 59:46

Yeah, you know that makes sense, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 59:49

He just asked me to do it the other day too, and we had to go to where were we going? Uh oh, the gambler game. He's like, Oh, it's so nice out. Do you think we'll have time to play catch after work? Because he was working here. I'm like, I don't know, we'll see what time you get done.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:03

He loves baseball. Cubby loves baseball.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:04

He's like, can can as soon as we got home, can we play catch? I'm like, we have to leave like right now, and that pained me to say, yeah, but people were waiting for us.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:13

He he's the kid, cubby's the kid that'd be at a baseball tournament all day, like 7 a.m. tonight, and just enough light though outside, he would still be playing catch. Like that kid loves baseball, which reminds me when the brewer, so I had some customers in yesterday, and she's like, Oh, honey, look, they have brewer earrings. And I come to find out they work for the brewers. He's like their head IT guy, and she's all the brewer apps out there she created. And um, I was talking about how we were going to the brewer game and they're getting us tickets for Arizona, but um, that's not the good part. But he's like, Cubby, did you name your kid cubby for like the cubs? I'm like, first off, not my biological kid, that was his mother that did that. So no, I didn't say that. Um, I said no.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:02

When he would go to the yeah, he would go to the brewer's camp hell that in Green Bay, and uh was it always Green Bay?

SPEAKER_05 1:01:09

Oh, yeah, it was it was always Green Bay.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:11

Um, they'd always give him a hard time about it.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:14

I told him that. I'm like, every year your brewer's camp would give him he's like, Well, yeah, he's like this little kid, and he'd be like, they'd be like, Cubby. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:23

You're at the wrong camp. I love the cubs. I know you do. That's why you're gonna love this. Oh, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:27

Is it to get like people pissed off, or do you genuinely love the cubs?

SPEAKER_04 1:01:31

I've always been a fan of the cubs.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:32

Always like since you were little, was it a grandpa? Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:36

Well, there's multiple reasons if you really want to know.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:40

I do, I want to know.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:40

So growing up, you know, I'm I'll be 47 in May. Um, we didn't have the TV we have now, but the Cubs were always on WGN. Yeah, and the Bulls. I would get home from school and flip on the TV, and Harry Carey and Steve Stone were were Harry Carey and Steve Stone, you know. So I mean, like, um, like I loved, I mean, so I just grew up watching it. My grandpa was a Cardinals fan. And so it just started that, you know, whole like, you know, the inner rivalry and like, you know, the competitiveness of it. Well, the Cubs never won anything growing up. So I mean it was uh I lost that, but um, but I've always been a Cubs fan. Always been a Cubs fan. See, that's a good story, yeah. I was actually, I was actually at game five of the World Series, it was one of the top moments of my life. It was the most amazing thing.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:26

How did you get that?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:27

Oh man, so I was working at Chili's in Milwaukee, and uh, this is a great story. My buddy calls me and says, Hey, if I got tickets to tonight's game, can you go? I'm like, Yes. He's like, check with your wife. I'm like, no. I'm like, the answer is yes. If you have tickets, I am there. And he's like, well, just call her and make sure. I'm like, no, I'm like, secure the tickets, let's go. I'm like, she'll understand. Quit wasting time with me. Go get those tickets.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:56

She'll understand. Like, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:58

She didn't understand.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:59

She didn't, she was mad.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:01

Well, it's funny because it was a good one.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:03

She was in labor with our topic.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:05

You have to think when it was. So day five of the World Series was October 30th. Oh. So, and it was a Sunday, which was trick or treat. And I'm like, So we had had these plans, like, you know, I had uh requested to open that day so I could be home, you know, for trick or treat or whatever. And I'm like, so I call her and I'm like, I'm excited. Oh, by the way, they were free. The tickets were free. So, you know, on top of that. So I'm like, Linda, I'm like, I'm so excited. I'm like, club tickets. She's like, Are you going? And I'm like, she's like, wait a minute.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:35

I'm like, why is she not excit as excited as I am?

SPEAKER_05 1:03:37

I'm like, are you serious right now? And I'm like, I couldn't believe. I'm like, she's mad. You just took the galaxy for 10 years. You know what?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:45

It was 108 years since I'd won. So yes, I took the galaxy. Okay. Okay, let me rephrase the question. So I call the manager, the night manager. I'm like, look, I need you to come in early. Like, this is imperative. The game started like 528 was first pitch. So Miller Park is where I was working, and we lived about 15 minutes north of that. Um, I get home, father of the year, rip my clothes off, take a picture with the kids. Like, I'm like, in 20 years, they're not gonna remember. They'll think I was there for Halloween. Took the picture, put my cup shows in, I'm like, I'm gone. I'm like, I am gone. And so I left Miller Park at three o'clock. This is no lie. And I was in Chicago, Wrigleyville, by like 5:15. Like, I mean, I was should have put wings on my back because I was flying. But so was everyone else. You get in Illinois, people do like 100, it doesn't matter. So so it was funny. So they go and the Cubs win. And call her afterwards. She's like, Can you give me a sweatshirt? And I'm like, oh no. I'm like, you were pissed and I went. Now you want a shirt? I'm like, not a chance in hell. You got her one? Yes, absolutely. Of course I did. And uh, so she's like, Well, and and she, so then she spins it, right? She's like, Well, I just didn't want you to be disappointed. And I'm like, they haven't been in the World Series in like 70 years. I'm like, win, lose, or draw, I'm in Wrigley Field for a World Series, and they won. And what's funny was is the my buddy that I went with, um, I said that all they have to do is win this game. I'm like, they win this game, like it's it's a lot, man. Marietta in game five, game seven, anything happens, by then you have the momentum. And so, like, I'm like, I gotta be there. Like, I got like I the Cubs are depending on it. I'm the reason they won.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:27

That's what I'm gathering.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:28

Hands down, hands down, but it was you know a phenomenal moment. Um, but yeah, she was mad.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:32

I'm like, no, I I can get it, I can get it, but like also I I'm on your team, but I mean good. Don't worry, it's gonna be another hundred years before they go back. So I'm on Melinda's team. I was whispering to her. But I get it, like something like that.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:49

It's pretty so, but yeah, I'm I'm a huge Gus fan.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:52

So we were at Wrigley Field. Keith when Keith and I were cool, he had a Harley. We our goal was to This is before the minivan.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:58

Yeah. We sold that.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:00

Motorcycle for the when I was pregnant with Nash, we're like minivan.

unknown 1:06:03

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:05

Um, but we were gonna take the Harley to every game that we could go to, like around the country.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:11

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:12

And we went to Wrigley Field and then the Cardinals Stadium, which is also a really good stadium. Yeah. St. Louis. I threw a beer bottle at someone there.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:21

I went to St. Louis once.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:22

For the silliest reason. Granted, it was not it was a it was an aluminum one.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:28

It was aluminum. And it was empty. Bud white Bud Light Lime. I drink a lot of those, and I don't drink. Why'd you throw it? She kept turning around.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:37

She's checking me out. That was that wasn't why, but I don't know why. For whatever reason it upset her.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:44

I don't know. Like I don't. There's something weird, and it's it's I'm gonna say it's on the Huffman side because my uncle's that way, my dad's that way. My sister, who's five foot nothing, thinks she's tough too when she has a couple in her. She gets mouthy. She would should try fighting Ernie, and she would think she could win. It's like this confidence. There's something with that side of the family. We become complete jerks when we drink. And like I like back in the day when I would drink, like I would, I would try to fight anybody too. Like, I thought I could. So I don't that's why I don't drink because I really don't like who I am when I drink. I don't like that person. I'm not like abusive all the time. I'm not abusive. Is that true? There's no no I I just and I don't like how I feel when I drink.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:35

I don't like feel safe in this conversation.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:38

No, I don't like how I feel when I drink, and I don't like how I act when I drink. Like there's just a side of me that I'm like embarrassed about. Like, oh my god. Um, so that was pre-third litter of kids.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:50

So uh you and I were just dating, but that whole next day, like you just feel so what did I say in like hungover, but like that whole like stadium district is so cool.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:02

It's so cool. That was such a cool place to go.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:04

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:05

And the cubbies field complete, but so cool.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:09

Also, yeah. I mean, so all around the stadium there, like uh what do they call it? What's the street?

SPEAKER_05 1:08:17

Wrigley where Wrigley Field is.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:19

Wayland or um Waveland in Sheffield.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:22

Um, that's it.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:23

Like where the bars are. They call it something, don't they? No.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:27

I don't go to the bars. Cubbyville. Well, well, we went to the Wrigleyville.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:32

Wrigleyville or something. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:34

I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:34

Uh it doesn't matter. Cubby.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:36

All those could have been right, and I just don't remember. Edit that all, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:39

Yeah. I don't want people to think I'm not a great cubby fan, so I need to edit that out.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:43

Well, we went to a bar that was something cubby or it was fun. Yeah, that was cubby bear. Yes. Got points. There you go.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:52

It was a cubby bear.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:53

Yeah, because that's that was his original nickname, was cubby bear. And then it was shortened to cubby.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:58

Really? Well, because you're oldest oldest brother.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:04

So it was fun. It was a good time. And then we were cool for a little while and we got rid of the bike. And I don't know if that dream's ever gonna see come up from this.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:14

I have such an ill feeling. Do you uh you seem like you'd like to ride a bike? Are you a biker?

SPEAKER_02 1:09:21

Um, my one adrenaline thing is speed. You can't go fast enough.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:26

Okay, so you shouldn't get a bike.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:27

And that's why I don't have one. I wouldn't be alive. I wouldn't I wouldn't be alive because um I love I'm afraid of heights, but speed, yeah, you can't go fast enough. Like, cannot go fast enough. 250 miles an hour. I'd be like, let's go 251.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:41

That's so dumb.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:42

Like, I I love, but I'm smart enough to know that I don't have I don't have a bike. I never so when I lived in Colorado, I was actually going to get one.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:49

Yeah, that would be a pretty place.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:51

Went to the dealership on a Saturday and I was like, okay, you know, yada yada yada. Uh, was gonna go back on Monday for the financing and everything. I was like, you know, this is great, you know. And my buddy, that Sunday, a girl pulled out in front of him and um laid it down, didn't have a helmet on. Colorado wasn't a helmet law, um, uh state law. And uh he was an ICU for like three weeks, and I like I didn't know a human head could get that that big. He's fine, he survived. But I was like, no, I'm good. I'm like, uh, you know what, I'll stick to four wheels and indoors. So um, but yeah, no, I would, yeah, if I had a bike, man.

unknown 1:10:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:25

We want Sawyer to sell his in the worst way. Um, but it's gotta just pray and hopefully nothing happens because for me it was a bike or a boat.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:37

A boat. And yeah, and I I choose the boat all the time.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:41

So, what do you what do you like to fish for?

SPEAKER_02 1:10:43

What do what's your um I love doing bass tournaments? Yeah, um, it's um, I I tell you, um, if you've never experienced it, and it you probably have, I don't know if for this, but like when you're sitting out in the harbor and there's 60, 70 boats and you're waiting for everything, and then um the motor start and that smell and that feel and the adrenal the excitement. I mean, there's there's nothing like it. I mean, and then you know, whatever boat you are, but you just start taking off, and it's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. And like, it's just I mean, it's such a rush. It is such a rush, man. It is, it is, it it's it's I want to go fast, yeah. Right. You want you only to do 35 on the channel, so I'll go 36. Yeah, but I mean it's um I love doing bass tournaments. Um, actually, in three, well, 19 days now, um, we're going to Gunnersville. Me, um, and a few of my closest friends were going down there. We got an Airbnb and uh taking the boats and uh going down and fishing for six straight days. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:45

Is that part of a tournament or is that just just the fish? Just the fish. Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:49

Gunnersville is one of the um top lakes, bass lakes in America. They actually just had the bass master classic on it. Uh, there's a tour, and they actually had uh their first tournament of the year was on Gunnersville two weeks ago. So I got to see where all these guys are fishing, what they're using. So now I look like I know what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:08

That's what you're thinking. So is there any advice you would give your younger self?

SPEAKER_02 1:12:15

Oh man. No, no, I wouldn't because I wouldn't want anything to change. You know, I would be afraid any advice I would give my younger self would alter the path and the journey is a reward. It may not have always been fun, it may not have always been easy, but to get to where I'm at today had to have that. You know, I I tell um a lot of younger kids and whatnot that I talk to, um, you know, the view from the mountaintop looks good because you know what it looks like from the bottom. And if you don't understand the view from the bottom, you'll never appreciate the top. And it's not only that, climbing the mountain is the reward. And so um, I wouldn't, my younger self, I'd say just um, you know, enjoy life, you know, smile and and keep going. I wouldn't, no, I wouldn't.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:05

It's solid. I just um saw a good, I think it was a reel, and a guy said he saw the top of some mountain, and he's like, and I was so pissed. Why am I able to see the top of that view? Yeah, like it ruined it. He goes, I wanted to climb it. I feel like some views are only meant for people to actually climb it. He's like, but you can Google anything right and you can see the view from any mountaintop that people literally have to climb over dead people to get to that view, and then they share it. He goes, That's that shouldn't be shareable, that should be only for the people that like work their butts off 100% to get it. And I thought about that. I'm like, that's so true. Yeah, like we shouldn't be able to see that. That should be something you have to work really hard to see. Oh, yeah. But now everything you can see, you don't have to really work towards anything.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:49

Right. I had the conversation with Tanner, you know, and told them pretty much the same thing. Like, I mean, um, you know, you get to do things is you know part of the cadet thing and whatnot. Like, um, not everyone gets to experience that, and not everyone should, you know. I mean, like, you know, um if you're willing to do stuff and and and pay the ultimate sacrifice, you deserve the ultimate prize. But you don't get the prize without the work. I mean, you know, and so um, yeah, no, I I agree with that 100%. Like, some things aren't some things aren't meant to be seen unless you earned it.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:20

Yeah, absolutely for sure. I never thought about that until the guy said it, how mad he was because he was like working towards that climb, and then he's like, Then I saw it. Yeah, like I don't want to see it this way, right? But yeah, anything you want to add, Ernie? Anything you have one else to share? I mean, I know we kind of talked about a whole bunch of little things, but that's kind of what we do.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:41

Yeah, no, I I'm so thankful, not nervous anymore.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:46

Okay, cool. We drug jump.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:48

Yeah, Cammy, you said you had something else you wanted to ask them. I just had one more question. When you say that you're really hard on your kids, like what does that look like? Are you a yeller? Are you have strict boundaries?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:01

Like what turning your phone in at 9 30.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:04

Oh, really? I like that.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:05

Yeah, and and we're the only parents to do it.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:08

That's that's it.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:09

Like, I don't care. Like, I okay, I don't care, whatever. Like, I could care less. Um, you know, I mean, my my oldest son has a bedtime and it's because he needs to go to bed. Um, you know, have I yelled at my kids? Yes, absolutely, but um not um my kids beyond a shadow of a doubt know that I love them unconditionally with all my heart and would do anything for them. Um, but um, no, I mean I just structure like I mean, you know, you're going to, you know, um, I I I think far too often, you know, the inmates running the asylum, you know, and and kids, like you see it, like kids are running the household. That that's not gonna happen at my house. No, I don't, I don't tolerate disrespect, I don't tolerate um the talking back thing. I mean, it's it it it you know, every kid does it. So but it's like, but um, you know, respectful manners, polite. Um, you know, I like clean up after yourself. I it's just so and I just don't maybe I'm not hard on them, maybe that's the normality. I just don't I don't I don't get that impression from society. So um, yeah, I mean, I I don't I don't care um if they are happy with what I tell them to do, um, they're going to do it and and they'll get over it. And then they'll tell me they love me and you know Sam still calls me daddy, so as long as that continues to go on, I'm I'm good. I hope it goes on till like he's 40.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:27

Hey daddy. Um the phone thing is interesting in for more than one reason. It's a very good idea. Is we took Cubby's never naughty. Cubby it like honestly is a great kid, but we took I took his phone away one day and I was looking at it and I was like, holy crap! Yeah, and you had uh Keith is better with words than me. And he's like, Is this exhausting for you? You work, he works a lot, he he works every weekend, eight hour days. He's in sports, he was up for practice in the morning.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:02

Sometimes he'd have practice in the morning before school and then practice after school or a day.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:07

So he his his schedule is full, and then he was dating this girl, and she was blowing up his phone literally like every 20 seconds to a minute, like snap, just stupid snaps. Yeah, could be of your foot, blah blah blah, you know, like whatever it was. It was constant. I was like, This is insane, this is absolutely insane.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:24

This is not healthy, so you're like and you get all the other outside distractors too, like friends or whatever, and probably stuff that he would want to partake in, yeah, and didn't have to feel like he had to partake in, but then you you asked him, you're like, Are you exhausted?

SPEAKER_05 1:17:39

Like, is this hard? And he goes, Yeah, like to keep up, like almost like it was a relief for him that we took his phone away because it was like, I don't have to check my now, it's my parents' fault. Yep, because he didn't have to like he's like, Well, she's my girlfriend, I don't want her to like not think I'm responding. And I'm like, every 20 seconds, like every that's insane.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:58

I'll respond to them too. Like, just so you know, this is Tanner's dad, he doesn't have his phone anymore. Okay, time.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:04

I did something to Journey.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:06

He'll text you back in three days.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:08

Maybe.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:08

So, what did I do?

SPEAKER_04 1:18:10

Uh I don't remember where you're going with this.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:13

Oh, so Journey, I took her phone away when she was in high school, and Sawyer was in high school too at the time. And I took a selfie and sent it to all her snap. And I'm like, Journey's mom here, tell her to stop being so mouthy, and then maybe she'll get her phone back. Send all.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:27

Nice, nice. So people are in the hall. That's why Melinda says so.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:32

Journey said, literally, everybody in the hallway was like, stop mouthing off to your mom. And then Sawyer saw it. He's like, Hey, Journal, you're mouthing off to mom.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:41

So, like everyone saw her, but um the kids have a phone because of Melinda. If it were up to me, like I swear to you, they wouldn't have phones. And and it's because it's not what they're exposed to, but it's what who's exposed to them, you know, because like the world is is a very dark, even place. Yeah. And social media, and uh I just feel like it's just a portal, you know, and like I try to protect my kids as much and as long as I humanly possibly can. And um, you know, it's sad because they have phones because if they didn't, you know, they'd get made fun of, you know, because there's kids in second grade that have phones, and so you know, Nox is trying to debate when he can get a phone.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:23

He's like, he's like coming up with an age and like that's the goal. I'm like, no, that's not how it works.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:28

Yes, we're like, you're not getting it. Yeah. Don't you miss the 80s?

SPEAKER_05 1:19:32

Oh, I was just gonna say, can you imagine? Okay, so I did have I did like to record things like when when we skipped school and did stuff. Like, I would have a camcorder like with this stuff, but can you imagine if we had social media back then? Oh god, can you imagine I am parties? I know, like, and so I feel bad. I do, I feel bad for this generation that everything is there, everything is recorded their whole life. Yeah, nothing's like, do you remember this? Do you remember that? Oh my god, like if there was pictures, like someone have been arrested, maybe. Um but yeah, and so I do like that you do that because I feel like you're taking the load off them without even even realizing it because that's what Cubby seemed like he was like, Thank God.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:17

Yeah, I mean with Tanner, you know, like we'll take his phone away and he'll be mad at first, but then it's like he's a completely different kid.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:23

Oh, yeah, that's what I'll say.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:24

He doesn't even care. Like, once the initial like you're a jerk phase wears off, you don't care.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:31

I was gonna say, when you came and Melinda and your one of your kids was mad. They were sitting in the truck, but but this is the side, this is the part. Yeah, he brought a he brought cake, and one of it was carrot cake, and that's my favorite, and it was my birthday. Um, so that's when I met Melinda for the first time because you came here. It was on a Sunday.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:48

And uh, and we had no staff that day because we went to state basketball, so we were working. Um when we were in, I was in the parking lot for something, and it must have been Tanner, he was mad. He still waved and smiled at us. I'm like, what a good kid.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:05

Even though he was like hated, pissed, hated the world, a big man.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:09

But still, like he was in the back, he's like, I'm like, I don't know if his dance's like, you better, you better wave and smile.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:16

No, not at all.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:17

So he's still a good kid. Back to you like saying it if there are jerks at home versus how they are. Because we hear that too. Like, we get like I don't see that side of her, or I don't see that side, and we're like, thank God, you know, like you want your kids.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:30

You go to her and teacher conferences, and like, oh my goodness, and I'm like, look, okay, don't spice it up. I know my kid, like, you know, like just be honest, right?

SPEAKER_05 1:21:38

That's how it was for Nash. The teacher's like, Oh, yeah, he's in like you know, whatever, like great classes, like not advanced reading, but like, we're like, What? Doing well, we're like, he thought you would struggle. Okay, no, he's doing great. We're like, really? Surprising with him, but we really appreciate you coming on and taking your time.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:00

Pleasure was mine.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:01

Anything else you want to say or ask this guy, this fella?

SPEAKER_00 1:22:05

Yeah, thanks for answering my questions.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:06

You're very welcome. Would you come back 100% next week?

SPEAKER_00 1:22:11

Should have him on the conspiracy.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:14

So we're thinking about we're thinking about starting beers and banter.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:18

They're not it's gonna happen, and it's gonna be conspiracy theories and having drinks and chatting about conspiracy theories.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:24

Oh my goodness. I'll clear like three hours.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:26

Yeah, you're gonna have to. Like, you have no idea. Because he would get along good with Tony. Tony would love him.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:32

Uh-huh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:32

You guys could just sit, I'll just sit back and like you know, it's not.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:35

They're not really conspiracy anymore. I mean, I know. Once once they're proven true, they're not. That's what funny. Um, that funny Senator Kennedy said.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:42

Are these conspiracy theories when they're all coming true? Yeah, I love that crazy guy. I love him so much.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:48

Yeah. When you said it to me, like, I couldn't remember, and then you sent me those reels, and I'm like, oh my goodness, yeah. I I just didn't process it. He's hilarious.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:55

Yeah, he's he needs to run. Yeah. Because he's just off the wall, he's gonna die soon, probably, because he's not he's not looking good. But like he's he's hilarious. But thanks so much for coming on. We know your time is valuable, and we appreciate everything you do. Yeah, thank you. See you guys later. Bye. See you next Tuesday. I think that's what I'm supposed to say. Help me freely walk in your eye.