ClarkCast Chapter 18: Kaitlyn Kidd is Awesome!

My good friend Kaitlyn Kidd is all the things — amazing mom to two young boys, entrepreneur, wife, visionary behind Coast Casual and (coming soon) Coast Chic, Queen fan, and much more. From Ocean Springs to settling down in the Pass, Kaitlyn Kidd is on the ClarkCast Podcast.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Clark Cast is on the air.

SPEAKER_02 0:02

Caitlin Kidd, you're about to do something awesome. And you do a lot of awesome stuff. Like you're really cool. You're probably one of the cooler people that I know. So you're doing something awesome, whether it's opening up a clothing store, working out with your friends at 5 30 in the morning, walking up to kickball, whatever. What's going to be your walk-up music? What's your song? What's playing in your head?

SPEAKER_01 0:21

Okay, listen. So it's probably something from Queen.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

Right on. That's my son's favorite band.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

It's my favorite too. And like growing up, um, I used to bring a boombox to Pee-We Cheerleading and actually put on Queen songs so that we could dance to it. So it would be something like we will rock you or another one bites the dust, which is a good function. There's a bunch of solid walkout songs for them.

SPEAKER_02 0:45

Yeah, absolutely. You know, um, so Charlie was in fifth grade last year, and they do the uh wax museum at St. Vincent de Paul, and he was bound and determined he was doing Freddie Mercury. And so we we had a conversation, and I was like, if that's what you want to do, I support that. We're gonna have some have a difficult conversation, you know, we're gonna have to have some talks. But uh Elizabeth and Jennifer Mink shut it down immediately. So ended up being Mr. Rogers. I'm saying, you know, not saying that's bad or good, but uh he he did Mr. Rogers and did it very well.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:01

Caitlin is an entrepreneur. She and her husband Tyler are partners in several businesses. Caitlin uh just opened Coast Casual uh here in the past. Uh Coach Cheek is coming online. We'll talk about that. And obviously, as you can see behind her, she works at Oshner Health. She's in talent acquisition. I do have some questions about that, um, which is an HR position. Uh, she's the mother of two young children who go to St. Vincent de Paul, another circle of life where I'm pretty much friends with people from the school and people from my church nowadays, which is the the best way I want to live. Um, and Caitlin's wife to Tyler. She's a very busy person. So uh thanks a lot for taking time to do this.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Of course. I was excited that you asked.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

Yeah, absolutely. So let's uh you are an Ocean Springs native, correct?

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Yes. So well, yes, I grew up in Ocean Springs. I actually was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Um, right on and came here.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

I've watched The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. I'm just saying, you know.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

Uh yeah, we moved down the ocean. Well, we moved down to the coast um when I was about five years old, but that's where all my family's from. My parents are from Philly. Um, so I've been here my entire life. So I would like to say that I'm just I got here just a little bit too late.

SPEAKER_02 3:22

Right on. So you say you moved to the coast, um, and you know, and and and you and I have had this conversation because Tyler's from North Mississippi, and so am I, and I used to tell everybody I was from Tupelo, and they'd be like, Oh, well, I'm from Tupelo, and then I'd be like, Well, actually I'm from Aberdeen, blah, blah, blah. So, where where was the first place you moved on the coast?

SPEAKER_01 3:39

We moved to No, we moved to Gulfport first. Oh, okay. Um, because my dad came down the president casino. Um, and then when he moved over to the Palace Casino, we moved to Ocean Springs just because of the commute and and school district and everything. Um, so then I grew up in Ocean Springs and uh my parents still live over there.

SPEAKER_02 3:59

Oh, right on. So Ocean Springs, like I I I think when I think of Ocean Springs, it's to me like a college town without a university. You know, it's it's the east end of the coast, and then here on the west end of the coast, we have the bookends of Pass Christiane and Bay St. Louis. Yes, you know, Bay St. Louis is basically like North Shore East now. It's uh there's a lot going on there. Yeah, Hancock Parish. But Pass Christiane, it's growing, it's quiet, it's lovely. Dude, do you like living here?

SPEAKER_01 4:31

I love it. So growing up, I never really came down here. Um, I don't think I even went past golf port growing up because it just was I wasn't dry, I wasn't gonna be my parents weren't gonna let me know.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

I try to not do that now. I like I'm not going to further golf court, right? I got you. Have fun watching.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

I uh Tyler, the probably the first time I was really remember even coming here was my first date with Tyler. I um met him um on the beach, and we had the dogs at the beach, and I was like, that was my first experience with Past Christian. We went and ate at sea level, and um I loved it. And we were we started dating right when like COVID shut everything down. So I got even though it wasn't like full-blown Pascristian at that point, I got really acquainted with it and I just loved it so much. I always tell people, Pastor Christian is what Ocean Springs was when I was growing up, and I loved Ocean, I loved growing up in Ocean Springs. And I was a senior when Katrina hit, and so you know, after Katrina, everything in Ocean Springs really changed and exploded. And while I love it, I prefer living over here and I moved here from New Orleans. So again, it was like a completely different world coming from New Orleans past Christian. And I was literally texting one of my friends who lives in New Orleans last week, trying to convince her to move over here and put her kids at St.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

Mid's right on. I I I I'm very selective about that though, right? Like, you know, we used to live, we live, of course, on on Davis Avenue now, which I'm always encouraging Charlie to like start writing his novel about growing up in downtown Past Christian. And but when we lived in Timber Ridge, I would take Whitman Road out over the bay and stuff, and like I don't even tell people that exists because I don't want people to know, right? Like it's amazingly gorgeous, it's beautiful, it no one knows about it. So um after Ocean Springs, though, you went to Ole Miss, University of Mississippi, right? Oh, right on. Are you are you watching on your phone while we're doing this?

SPEAKER_01 6:27

Tyler's watching it in the living room, but uh hopefully we're in the elimination bracket, so let's hope that we um we went pull it out today.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

I literally thought they had all the momentum the other night until the guy hit the home run and then it was just downhill. Yeah I was I was shocked. I actually left nine toes, which is one of her husband Tyler's businesses, which is right in our neighborhood. I actually left there, and by the time I got home, they've scored like six runs or something. It was crazy. Yeah. Did you like living in Oxford?

SPEAKER_01 6:57

I loved it. I um so I was a senior when Katrina hit, and my best friend and I went and evacuated um to her brother's house in Oxford. And so we got to basically live like college students for two weeks because both of our houses got destroyed. My parents stayed down in Ocean Springs, um, and my brother and um my mom was like, you just need to stay there for right now, and we will come get you. Um, but there's nothing you don't there's nothing for you to come back to, so you just need to stay. And up until Katrina, I was I was going to LSU. I was that was the school I wanted to go to. And my parents, like, there's a bunch of pictures of me when I was little in LSU gear. I loved it. And when I stayed in Oxford for two weeks, I fell in love with Ole Miss, and it was like the best decision to end up going to school there. And um, and just all the people that I've met through that, I love it.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Right on. You know, that's awesome. You got to evacuate to Oxford because I was living in West Point at the time and working a shelter up there, and they were they put put people on a bus and like, hello, welcome to West Point. You know, it was a lot of people came to North Mississippi, you know.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

When Katrina hit, we were like, we had just had a bunch of different hurricanes where like they we would evacuate every because we lived on the beach, they would be like, All right, you have to evacuate. So we would get all our stuff and evacuate. And so this time, uh like there's a video of um where my mom was like walk around and video all the stuff in the house for insurance, and the background sound of it is me begging her and trying to convince her to let me go to Oxford with my best friend Mary Ann.

SPEAKER_02 8:30

Right on, and yeah. It was uh I remember, you know, I was living in North Mississippi then, obviously, and I just remember seeing it on TV, like the weather, you know, and like my wife, my ever all my family down here went through it, you know, had to evacuate, all that sort of stuff. But it was through that that you decided, hey, I love Oxford, this is where I want to be.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

Right on. Um, and then you were telling me we were texting uh about setting this up, and you told me that you lived in Nashville for a while as well.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

I did. So after um, so after Oxford, I moved back to the coast and went to William Carrey to get my MBA. And then from there, my two of my best friends um had moved to Nashville. And I went up, I just like went a whim, interviewed for an HR position or a recruitment position with RJ Young, which is like copier and printer company.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Um, and got the job and moved up there. Um, and I lived there for about three or four years, um, and just loved it. My dog's name is Nash from my time in Nashville.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

And were were were you like at night like going out and secretly trying to jumpstart your country music career?

SPEAKER_01 9:39

Do you know how many people ask me that? And then there's why wouldn't they?

SPEAKER_02 9:41

It's the it's it's low-hanging fruit, and I'm sorry that I asked that. I regret it 100%.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

But my response is always like, Do you hear my speaking voice? Do you really think this is there's a singing voice behind this? No.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

Right. Hey man, I'm all about everybody following their dreams. You know, it's uh it's a thing. Were you uh were you living in Nashville when it like how long how many years ago was that?

SPEAKER_01 10:03

So I moved there in 2011 and it was like the perfect time. I'd say that's when Oxford, I mean Oxford, Nashville was going on the uh, and I kept kept trying to convince my parents to buy a house up there, and I was like, I will rent it from you, but you need to buy a house. This place is exploding. And after I left, and it just I mean, it's a it boom towned um after that. Um my mom's like, oh, I should have done that. You were right.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Right. So did were you were you did it ever get like uncomfortable while you were living there? Like I know like now, like it's just popped, you know, it's yeah, it's huge.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

No, it was it I left in like 2014, I guess, and um and it was in it was still going up a little bit. I when I've gone back, my my friends still live there, and when I've gone back, like it's fun, but it's a lot because it's now bachelor and bachelorette parties and that kind of stuff, and just I'm just I'm past that point in my life where that's enjoyable.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

You know, that that's funny that you mentioned that because when uh so my son Charlie and I, we went to Nine Toes, as I said a minute ago, to watch Ole Miss and the World Cup on Friday, and I had a hat on, and like that area of past Christian on on Friday and Saturdays is popping. And there was a bridal party, I could tell, you know, in uh in nine toes, and they all had on cowboy hats. And in front of Charlie, it's like, hey, I got the memo, cool, I got my hat on too. And they looked at me. This lady looked at me like she wanted to kill me, and Charlie started laughing. I was like, Well, you know, man, you just you can't land all the jokes, but you gotta try, right? If you you know, so it was uh it was a humbling moment for me, and and and and I need those, but yeah, that's what I thought about. It's like, oh, it's a natural bride bridal party here in Pass Christian. Um and after that you went to New Orleans?

SPEAKER_01 11:53

Yes. So I um I've lived in New Orleans for six years. I actually interviewed over the phone for Oshner, and I never once stepped foot in the state in in any facility. They hired me just from phone interviews. Um, and I've been there for 11 years now.

SPEAKER_02 12:09

So did you like New Orleans other than the potholes?

SPEAKER_01 12:12

I I did. So I lived for the first year I lived there, I lived um literally on St. Charles. It was awesome. Like we did uh Marie Gras at my house. Like it was uh it was really great. And then my parents did end up buying a house, listen to me, and they ended up buying a house and let me rent from them. Um, because my mom loves going to New Orleans, she's a big jazz. Um, and she wanted a place to be able to stay when she came, so they bought a house there. And I had a great experience living there. It was just me and um and my dog, Nash, and um it was a great time because it was like my late 20s, early 30s single, and then um and then I met Tyler right at the end of it when COVID hit and COVID.

SPEAKER_02 12:57

Ruined everything, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01 12:58

COVID no, COVID changed everything, and um, and I I am happy I no longer live there. I do not enjoy going back.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

Really?

SPEAKER_01 13:10

Really, because it's just a lot.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

I just that's one of my favorite things about living in the past, is I can be there in 45 minutes. Yeah, which means I could be home in 45 minutes from there as well. You know, it's like um, you know, you're talking about St. Charles, like Charlie and Charlie's a big fan of Stanton Moore. You know, Stanton's a drummer in Galactic and he plays at the columns. They're on St. Charles on Monday nights. We love to go there. Like I like doing all that stuff. We like going to Trader Joe's, love going to Mattery, but also like coming home in one piece, you know.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Yes, it's the the it's just so hard to go from somewhere like Pascal Sheen where it's like you feel so safe and like everything is like slowed down and beautiful, and then you go to New Orleans. Not that it's not beautiful there, but it's just a lot.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

I just I I hate that bridge, man. Like, I I'm so bummed that Louisiana, you know, in quotes, doesn't have enough money to repair Highway 90. Like that was my jam. Like I could avoid that bridge and like all that nonsense, but now it's like terror, panic, attack, you know. But yeah. Um so how'd you meet Tyler? Well, you you told me you met him on the beach, but like how how'd you guys meet?

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Um online?

SPEAKER_02 14:20

It's okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

The answer that he likes is that we were introduced.

SPEAKER_02 14:24

Um, right on, cool.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

Yeah. Um no, that I mean, pretty much. Like we had we actually we were at on this at the same time. He um he's a year older than me, and so we were there at the same time, didn't know each other. Um, we actually were in Nashville at the same time and didn't know each other. We lived on the same street as my best friend and her husband. Um so it's wild. And then we um we ended up crossing paths down here, and our first date was um literally the weekend the world shut down. And um and then after that, I think he had to drive up to Oxford or to PontiPach, where he's from, and he um brought me back toilet paper because this was the great toilet paper showing.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Sure, sure, whatever that was, right? Right.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

So that one, you know, just full on romance. He's bringing me toilet paper to to um to help secure the relationship.

SPEAKER_02 15:12

I remember uh Charlie and I were gonna go see Kiss at the Coliseum and they canceled it. And then that's like when I knew like things were like, okay, this is like this is for really happening, you know. Like, and then everything just you know got sideways. Um, so the the two of you, like Tyler's an entrepreneur. I mean, he still does other things, you both do that, but let's talk about Oshner helped. Um, you told me you're an HR and talent acquisition. So is that like recruiting where you like go watch a surgery and show up with a bag of cash and you're like, yes, she's the one. Come work for us. Like that, like college football recruiting. Is it that exciting?

SPEAKER_01 15:53

That would be a lot cooler if we did it. Uh no, it's I'm over the corporate leadership and special projects teams. Um, so for mine, you know, they're they're looking at, they're going into the office and they're like, look at you crunching these numbers so well. Like, here's a bag of cash. Um I'm just kidding. But we uh maybe it's okay. No, we um it's it's a lot of um you know, Osha Help is the largest um private employer in the state of Louisiana and has uh has Mississippi and we have um we had some in I think Rush goes into Alabama a little bit. So we um we do have a lot of applicants for positions and everything, but there are times when we have to utilize like sourcing to go out and headhunt people. Um yeah, it's I mean it's been a great 11 years. I've watched it change and grow so much. Right, or do you have to go into New Orleans much for your job or just I do I go um the New Orleans or Covington, you typically um at least four times a month. Um I'm about I'm about to go there all this upcoming week um because we have like a summit for our team, which I'm really excited about. So we get to just like celebrate our team and do some person um sub professional and personal growth um workshops and stuff like that for them.

SPEAKER_02 17:09

Right on. If I have a choice, I'll probably go to Covington. I think they have that English tea room there.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

I think my Dan's such an easy drive for a child.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

Yeah, uh absolutely. And um, I think you were instrumental in uh the onboarding of our friend Stafford Maestry, who also works at Aushner Health, correct?

SPEAKER_01 17:29

When I met her in person, finally I was like, because I she was I think she worked as like a consultant and then came back like full-time, and I was her recruiter and brought her on as um as her full-time role. And it's just like I kept seeing her name around on stuff that I was starting to be involved in with um St. Vincent. And when I finally met her in person, now I see her literally every day because we work out together every morning. Um so I'd like to say that we're in we're we we meet um professionally every morning.

SPEAKER_02 18:00

Right on. And uh and thank you because Stafford's a lovely person, she deserves a job. You know, she she's a great team. I'm sure she's awesome. So um so she told me that, like you and uh and some other people we know and some of y'all's friends, y'all work ever out every morning or three days a week or something like 5:30, right?

SPEAKER_01 18:18

Um, not that early. We are but but as soon as I drop the kids off, I'm I'm head right to the gym and we have our little crew. We have there is a 530 contingent of our okay. I'm just not going at 530.

SPEAKER_02 18:30

Right on. I get that. And let's let's talk about that. Like, you know, I'm not going to be like, oh, how do you how do you do it all as a woman? Like that that we we all do things, we're all like very active, we all have these lives, but like I know I know what my support looks like. I know how Dana and I manage this chaos together, managing Charlie's schedule, blah, blah, blah. You have two young boys, you and your husband have a lot of businesses, day jobs, all of that. What does your support network look like?

SPEAKER_01 18:59

Sure. Um, so my parents live in Ocean Springs, and my mom was made to be a grandmother. She loves it. Um and she's great with the boys. She she will come down a lot. Like when they that week between when school ended and camp started, she helped me out a lot. Tyler's mom lives in Long Beach, and then um Tyler's dad lives in Ponantoxville, and actually, him and his girlfriend were just here for the weekend, and that was a big help. We have great babysitters. Um yeah, it's the the support uh that we get from the family is like I I couldn't imagine living away from them.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

That's literally, you know, Dana's from here. I met her when she was teaching school up in Columbus, and uh once she got pregnant, we were having Charlie, you know, her her family's down here, so it's like let's go to back to the she's like let's go the past, you know, it's where she's from. And for me, it's been the best decision I've ever made, you know, other than marrying her and being a dad. But I I I love it here. Um, I love the amenities that we're starting to get here. Let's talk about that. So you opened Coast Casual uh how what like a year ago?

SPEAKER_01 20:07

A little over a year ago, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:08

Okay. So Coast Casual, you know, it it's a men's clothing store, it's you know down in the bungalows area. It's awesome. And Coast Casual looks like Tyler Kidd. I'm just saying that. Like if my wife uh decided to open up a clothing store that looked like me, it would have snap button shirts and vans and stuff, you know, like I get that. And thank God she doesn't have to do that because she would hate that. She doesn't like how I dress. But but anyway, what what made you decide, like with everything going on in your life, that you're like, hey, I think I should get into the men's clothing business?

SPEAKER_01 20:41

Well, okay, so one day I was looking, I think Tyler we had an event coming up, and I went and tried to find something for like a shirt for him to wear. Um, and I went to the men's stores that are nearby, and which again, it's still a drive, at least a 30-minute drive typically. Um and just I there was nothing that I liked, or like it was just it was nothing that I could see him wearing. And so then we were driving to New Orleans like the next day or something, and I was I was like, I could I went shopping for you and I could not find anything I like, you know. And I made a joke like, oh, we should just open a men's clothing store. And he was like, All right, let's do it. Like, okay. Um, and that was literally the beginning of Coast Casual. Um, I think we like created the LLC on our way back from vacation. Like it was it was like very spur of the moment. And um, and I mean selfishly created as like a men's and boys because I have two boys, um, and I'm able to dress everybody from there.

SPEAKER_02 21:42

Right on. And hey, the you have great Mardi Glock, Mardi Gras clothes, like Charlie and all his friends have like camouflage Mardi Gras pullovers. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_01 21:51

I love those.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

Yeah, they're they're great. Um, did you were you ever like fashion minded before? Did you know much about market? Was it just like a whole like a

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Learning thing uh full on learning. Like I never even worked in a clothing store growing up. I worked, I was my first job was a deck hand on the Biloxi schooners, so like so far removed from retail. Um but yeah, it was a it was a complete learning experience. I have a friend that owns a boutique and has had it for 11 years in um they live in covington, and I was asking her a lot of questions. Uh just even though women's clothing is so different, which I'm about to dip my toes into all of that. But um, when we went to our first market, it was a big learning experience. Um we went to Dallas, we met with a lot of the brands, and it's hard because you're buying like two seasons ahead. So we were going to market and we weren't even open, and we were buying for fall, but we were opening in the spring, and so it was just it it was very like hard to kind of fathom what people would want at that point. So I think we've gotten it really um fig. I I want to say figured out. I feel like there's still a lot of stuff that I can learn, but we've got the the market and ordering and all of that uh pretty figured it out.

SPEAKER_02 23:05

What about your support network with that stuff? Like take nine toes. Like I know I know your people there. I know Jimmy, like I, you know, I know that the people that y'all trust to take care of your stuff there. And I mean, you you obviously have great people who help you out at at Coast Casual who you can trust so you don't have to be there 24 hours a day. You know, that's that's important, right?

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Yeah. Well, I think like uh being in teleacquisition, I definitely think this way. And then Tyler just he's been he's very business minded and he's been in um operations his whole career. Um, and just he we both understand that you have to hire the right people that so that you can like uh trust them to run it in the way that you would. And so I think um I I think we have um a great general manager right now, Chloe, and she'll be managing um Koch Heek too. But then with the other businesses, like Tyler is great at finding people who um not even that they're like achieving it at that time, but like they have so much potential and he loves to like help grow other people. And so I think that um I think that you can see that those businesses are doing so well because of the people who are helping run them.

SPEAKER_02 24:16

And Co Chic, that's going to be your uh woman's clothing store, which will be out, that's gonna be in your in the shopping center next to Walmart, right? And you have you have a package store there.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

Yeah, that Hayden Square is right there, it's next to the liquor store, the past bottle shop. Um, and then um Derek and Doyle's designs is there as well. So I think uh, and there's an empty space. I don't I think they're working on um who's gonna be renting that, and so hopefully it'll play all play well together.

SPEAKER_02 24:43

And you guys, every cruising the coast have a special edition Matt Crittenden uh bourbon release there. You know, Matt's a good friend of mine, so I I definitely want to plug him. He'll be on the podcast soon. What what made you decide that you didn't have enough going on that you wanted to do women's clothing as well?

SPEAKER_01 25:03

I so from literally the first week, maybe even the first day we opened, um people were asking, when are you when are you gonna open the women's version of this? Like we need the women's version of this. Carol Church is a was a big one that asked me constantly in the beginning. Like, when are you gonna open the women's version on something that I can buy like this? And so it was always in the back of our mind. We just didn't have a space for it. Um, and then when Cave Pavellini moved down closer to on to Scenic, um that that space was available. And Tyler literally was like, Hey, do you want to just go ahead and do the women's version of Coast Casual? And I I I felt like I had to say yes.

SPEAKER_02 25:44

Right on, yeah, I you know, you don't want to say no to Carol Church. Um, and when do you hope to have that online? Like, what's your target for that?

SPEAKER_01 25:51

I'm hoping by July 4th weekend. We'll be oh wow. Yeah, I've I've I've started ordering some clothes. We ha are having some of the rafts installed like right now. Our counter got delivered uh Friday. So we're moving forward. Um I think we'll we may open and it just it's not everything's completely done yet, or like not everything's all the clothing was completely in, but I just want to be able to get open so that we can get start hit getting some traffic and some name recognition for it.

SPEAKER_02 26:20

Is there gonna be like similar brands or like similar to what Coast Casual right up?

SPEAKER_01 26:26

Yes, so it's a lot of the women's sides of the brands that we have in Coast Casual, which we love our brands. I love I that's my favorite thing about going to market is hearing and talking to the brand, um, some the reps or the owners, like it's just it's really nice to hear from them and hear the story. So we're um we're gonna have the women's side of a few of those brands and then um fill in from there. But my whole goal is I feel like we need we need somewhere where you can buy clothes that like if you're gonna chase your kids up the hill at nine toes, like you're not going to like you know, you're it's not gonna be too short or like too flowy or something like that. So like I love I from working out all the time, I love um athletic sets and stuff like that. And so I don't know, I don't think anybody's really doing that right now um nearby. So we want to lean into that as well.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

You know, there's a brand, I can't think of the name Alan, maybe I don't know, but yeah, like yeah, like I I've had my eye on this like Mardi Gras pullover that had like little streetcars on it for like Allen, yeah. And I was like, ah, but I don't want to go to magazine, I don't, you know, I don't want to order it and pay shipping, and and you guys carry it. And I was so glad to get it. This Mardi Gras is like my favorite thing. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

Yeah, good. And he's got great stuff. It's and I mean, like they like shipped, it's you can tell that they're like a startup, also, and so it was just nice to be able to support them and support like m pretty much local, you know, and and they have cool designs that people want to see. So yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_02 27:58

I was glad, I was excited about that one. May maybe think about getting poncho outdoors. I mean, I'm just giving you a tip.

SPEAKER_01 28:04

You are not the first person to ask.

SPEAKER_02 28:06

They're my favorite shirts, but just saying.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

I will work on that.

SPEAKER_02 28:10

They're uh they're they're super comfortable and they're they have snap buttons, so I can I know I know you like you like the pearl snap. I do. I and my wife hates them, but you know what? Here, here, here we are. Um, nine toes brewing. So, yeah, what a what a great addition to the neighborhood that is, right? Like everything we're talking about, like you know, I no one's sponsoring any of this. This is just all my opinions. Like, I love these things, it's it's my neighborhood. Um, but but nine toes brewing, what what made you guys decide that that was a a move you wanted to make? And and I'm so grateful you did, you know.

SPEAKER_01 28:45

So that's Tyler. Tyler is the biggest like hustler I've ever met. Like he um He's a busy guy. Yeah, he is. He and he just works really incredibly hard, and I uh look up to him a lot for that. Um, you know, he's he's constantly thinking of different ways to do different things, and you know, I nine toes really um I was excited that it came about and like how fast everything ended up happening. Um, and now like at the birthday party yesterday, Haley Favre was like, We were out, we were out at nine toes on like um Friday.

SPEAKER_02 29:20

I saw Trace. I didn't see Haley, but I saw Trace, and I was so glad.

SPEAKER_01 29:23

Yeah, and she was like, it was just like I looked around at one moment. We were and like the kids were playing on the hill, and the parents were sitting down hanging out and and having a beer, and and she was like, it was just so nice to see like this is such like a neighborhood thing, and like us we have such a cool place to go. Like, um, she was like, it was just a cool feeling to see this happen. And I was like, I that is the like that is so nice, and I know that's exactly what Tyler, you know, envisioned for it was family friendly, and and it really is.

SPEAKER_02 29:51

It is, you know, my my son, we like to go there and play trivia. I mean, he's he's he's not a drinker, but the nine toast does make a craft soda, which is like a vanilla root beer. And like when I tight the vanilla root beer, like it's like Madagascar vanilla, it's like really, really good. So my son loves to get root beers, loves to play trivia, he likes playing on the hill. And like I saw so many people that I knew there Friday night for the World Cup or to listen to music outside. It was just it's great. Like we can we can literally walk there, you know. I mean, I don't because it's hot, but you know, um I I could, but uh it's it's a great asset to the neighborhood. Darren Chiefs got his coffee shop and Mabel's down there. It's just it's it's a nice area, you know.

SPEAKER_01 30:33

I agree, I agree.

SPEAKER_02 30:35

Um, so you're the the mother of two little boys, uh both of them uh go to St. Vincent de Paul. What what's that like for you having so I know what it's like having one child that small, but like what's it like having a couple of little dudes like that active, that little?

SPEAKER_01 30:51

Yeah, so they're 17 months apart. Um and they um they're very incredibly active. Um I it I don't want to say it's exhausting because I just feel like it probably every parent is gonna say, you know, yeah, it's exhausting, but it's it's worthwhile. Like they're they're such good kids, but they are also just full of energy. Like I always say I like people always say, like, on the weekends, y'all aren't relaxing, like you're out doing stuff. And I'm like, yeah, we gotta wear these kids out. They need to be like stimulated and have stuff to do. So that's um yeah, it's it's honestly great. And school, having them in that school has been so great. Like every time I like every time I go to prayer and pledge, I've like all I've got like tears in my eyes because I'm just so happy they go to a school like this. And then seeing all like James will point out kids that he sees that are in the older grades and be like, that's so and so. And I'm like, how do you how do you even know them? And he's like, Well, we know everybody, like everybody, you know, and I just I love that so much.

SPEAKER_02 31:49

And it's the same, same. Charlie sees kids he knows all the time, and they're it doesn't matter, you know. Charlie's 11, it doesn't matter. Like he plays with your kids, yeah. Out out on the hill. Uh Ryan DeLorenzo was in there the other night with Luke. Luke and you know, it's just like it's such a great vibe at that school, and I I love it so much and I appreciate it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 32:10

Yeah, and and it's it's just so interesting because it like you said at the beginning, like you're friends with all of the like parents at the school, and it's just like it's so nice to have that support system of like being able to say, like, like when Luke busted his chin open, I like immediately got into my group chat with a bunch of moms, and I was like, Okay, what do I do? Like, someone help me because I've I've not had one that had had stitches before. Um and but it's just it's you know, I'm I feel very like lucky and blessed that we are part of this school. Um I'm so glad to be there.

SPEAKER_02 32:42

You do y'all attend holy family?

SPEAKER_01 32:45

No, um we're not Catholic, but no, I'm just kidding. I know we're ending this hard.

SPEAKER_02 32:50

How dare you?

SPEAKER_01 32:53

No, um, no, we um I am I love that the that they're in Catholic school. I think it's important. I grew up going to Catholic Church, and then um when we moved away, we ended up um I grew up more Episcopalian, um, and then Tyler being from um North Mississippi, Tyler's Southern Baptist. So we um but and I'll tell you, Angelica and Alicia um Puckett always try, and they're like, You you should you should convert to Catholicism. Like they're my little Catholic gurus.

SPEAKER_02 33:24

Literally, my trajectory was growing up in North Mississippi, being a Southern Baptist, um, going becoming an Episcopalian, getting married, and Dana's like, Hey, would you mind converting to Catholicism because she's a Catholic? And I'm like, absolutely. I don't want to go to a different church than you and Charlie. Like, that's not the the thing. So that was my trajectory, start a Southern Baptist. I totally get that. You know, it's uh it's awesome. Uh what's next for you? Like, you don't have enough going on. You got uh co-sheet coming online. What do you have other plans? And I do want to ask you about the music fest before we on September 11th and 12th, before we get out of this, but like what what are your what are your next plans?

SPEAKER_01 34:04

Honestly, I like literally the beginning or the end of last year, Tyler said we're not gonna open any new businesses in 2026. But here we are.

SPEAKER_02 34:11

Over businesses later.

SPEAKER_01 34:15

No, Coche is the only one I have um on in my horizons right now. I I who I don't ever know what Tyler's gonna come up with, and which I love about him, but I don't ever know what he's gonna come up with. So um we'll see what's next. It'll be a surprise to all of us.

SPEAKER_02 34:32

Right on. Um, so September 11th, there is uh there's gonna be some music down uh by nine toes, really excited. JJ Gray and Mofro, uh Anders Osborne, a lot of people. Can you tell me a little? I saw you posted it on your social media the other day.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

Yeah. So Hook'em for Heroes. We've done that fish internament the past two years, which is another brainchild of my genius husband. Um he so this year he got and hook 'em for heroes was has is a 100% give back to the um to veterans and then local law enforcement. So all of the money goes back. It's a 501 3C or whatever those numbers are supposed to be. Um, but it is a nonprofit. And that it's been a fishing tournament the past two years, and we've had last we've had bands down there at the harbor, and that it was such a good time, and it's beautiful, you know, um, atmosphere. And so this this time um Tyler has a contact who's really in with a lot of those bands, and he was like, What if we did a uh concert or music festival and with hook 'em for heroes and do it in downtown Pass Christiane. Um and that's it just started growing from there. And so we do have we have JJ Graham, Mofro, um, Anders Osborne, would have to pull the thing, a honey island swamp band, which I've got.

SPEAKER_02 35:49

Right, right, right. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 35:51

It's gonna, and it's a free concert for people to come to. So it's gonna be um along with the fishing tournament, and then um like a big block party uh down in front of Ninto's and all the the bungalows and everything. It's I it's gonna be so much fun. Um, and I'm so proud of all the work he's put into it because he's done he's put a lot into it.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

And Tyler is also he's uh on the uh on the board for for Moses's uh veteran organization, right? Am I correct?

SPEAKER_01 36:18

I don't know if he's on the board, but we we are I know he's a big supporter. Yeah, both of you are we're we love um we love Moses and Angelica just here too.

SPEAKER_02 36:27

Absolutely, the loveliest people.

SPEAKER_01 36:28

I mean correctly, I've known Angelica for I So I met Angelica when I was a freshman in college.

SPEAKER_02 36:37

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

Yeah, so we've been friends for a long, long time. And then when I moved down here, I like immediately text her, like, hey, I'm I live in Pasqua Shina, like introduce me to people, help me.

SPEAKER_02 36:49

She's uh she's she's been on the podcast. She's just she's one of my favorite human beings. I just I I adore her, that their their whole family. Um, look, I know we we talked about how busy you are, so I don't want to hold you hostage all day. But the the last thing that I like to ask everyone on this podcast, because it is a podcast about life, love, and pursuit of being awesome, is how do you how do you stay awesome? So, like, what's the secret to your success, the method to your madness? What does that mean for you?

SPEAKER_01 37:17

Honestly, like there is no secret. It's just the people, you know, that I try to surround myself with. Like it's you know, my family, my husband, like I he's the awesome one. I'm just alone for the ride. Um, but no, and and just surrounding myself with awesome people like you. Um, you know, I'm uh I feel like I decided one day, like, oh, we're gonna be friends. So I just I I had that same thought.

SPEAKER_02 37:38

I was like, I'm gonna be friends with with with with Tyler and Caitlin. Like I just had that thought. I'm like, all right, cool. This is how I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna get on nine toes and introduce myself, and here we are. Because I hear about you both so much. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:51

But yeah, it's just family and friends, and you know, like you want awesome people in your life. Like, and so you know, hopefully, like attracts like. Hopefully, that's the best way to put it.

SPEAKER_02 38:01

Right on. Well, thank you so much for for doing this, and uh, hope you'll do it again soon, you know?

SPEAKER_01 38:06

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. This is great.