Shed Geek Podcast
From Discontent to Industry Pioneer: The Shed Gal's Journey of Innovation and Collaboration
Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn a simple dissatisfaction into a groundbreaking business success? Meet Susan Frair, better known as the Shed Gal. Her story began with a shed that didn't meet her standards and culminated in her becoming a leading name within the shed industry, reshaping the landscape as we know it. Joining us, she shares her insights on the importance of a strong, relatable brand that makes customers feel like old friends.
Navigating the world of sheds isn't just about sturdy foundations and weatherproof roofing; it's an intricate dance of marketing, franchising, and industry collaboration. We tackle the delicate balance that manufacturers and dealers juggle, debating the merits of brand control against the freedom of independence. You'll find out how the use of sophisticated software tools and flexible branding strategies is vital for scaling profits, along with an introduction to Shed Gal's latest venture that aims to redefine the carports and buildings niche. Plus, we don't shy away from celebrating the success stories that arise from a united front within the industry, whether that's at our first industry bash or through the day-to-day camaraderie.
But it's not just about the business of sheds; it's about the people who build the industry from the ground up. We delve into the crucial role of transparency in forging stronger dealer relationships, the surprising insights learned from facing the 'black swan' in business, and the unrecorded, yet pivotal, conversations that pave the way for growth and innovation. We tip our hats to the giants on whose shoulders we stand and open the lines for further conversation with you, our listeners. It's a collective journey we're on, and we're all the better for sharing this path—with a tip of the hat to tradition, eyes firmly set on the horizon.
For more information or to know more about the Shed Geek Podcast visit us at our website.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube at the handle @shedgeekpodcast.
To be a guest on the Shed Geek Podcast visit our website and fill out the "Contact Us" form.
To suggest show topics or ask questions you want answered email us at info@shedgeek.com.
This episodes Sponsors:
Studio Sponsor: Union Grove Lumber
CAL
Shed Suite
Identigrow
Shed Pro
Realwork Labs
Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn a simple dissatisfaction into a groundbreaking business success? Meet Susan Frair, better known as the Shed Gal. Her story began with a shed that didn't meet her standards and culminated in her becoming a leading name within the shed industry, reshaping the landscape as we know it. Joining us, she shares her insights on the importance of a strong, relatable brand that makes customers feel like old friends.
Navigating the world of sheds isn't just about sturdy foundations and weatherproof roofing; it's an intricate dance of marketing, franchising, and industry collaboration. We tackle the delicate balance that manufacturers and dealers juggle, debating the merits of brand control against the freedom of independence. You'll find out how the use of sophisticated software tools and flexible branding strategies is vital for scaling profits, along with an introduction to Shed Gal's latest venture that aims to redefine the carports and buildings niche. Plus, we don't shy away from celebrating the success stories that arise from a united front within the industry, whether that's at our first industry bash or through the day-to-day camaraderie.
But it's not just about the business of sheds; it's about the people who build the industry from the ground up. We delve into the crucial role of transparency in forging stronger dealer relationships, the surprising insights learned from facing the 'black swan' in business, and the unrecorded, yet pivotal, conversations that pave the way for growth and innovation. We tip our hats to the giants on whose shoulders we stand and open the lines for further conversation with you, our listeners. It's a collective journey we're on, and we're all the better for sharing this path—with a tip of the hat to tradition, eyes firmly set on the horizon.
For more information or to know more about the Shed Geek Podcast visit us at our website.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube at the handle @shedgeekpodcast.
To be a guest on the Shed Geek Podcast visit our website and fill out the "Contact Us" form.
To suggest show topics or ask questions you want answered email us at info@shedgeek.com.
This episodes Sponsors:
Studio Sponsor: Union Grove Lumber
CAL
Shed Suite
Identigrow
Shed Pro
Realwork Labs
Hey, this is Mo Lunsford at Union Grove Lumber Studios and this is the Shed Geek. We want to welcome you to today's episode. Okay, welcome back to another episode of the Shed Geek podcast here at the Shed Haulers Bash in North Carolina.
SHED GAL:That's where we are.
SHED GEEK:And we have been trying to line up this interview for a year.
SHED GAL:At least yeah, maybe Absolutely.
SHED GEEK:What's you know, and I want to come out there to Arizona. That's the thing I want to get out there. So maybe we'll do a round two whenever I get out there, let's do it yeah so uh, but today who do we have on the podcast? Care to explain who you are, a little bit about what you do yeah, so Susan Frair, more commonly known as the Shed Gal. The Shed Gal.
SHED GAL:Yes, used to be based out of Washington State, had several shed display lots up there, also had shed display lots in Arizona and that's where I'm based out of now. We pivoted to a new design in our business, so that's.
SHED GEEK:We'll talk about that, but from sunny uh, Phoenix, Arizona, you see, I brought some sun with me thank goodness, because it was yeah, it was wet here yesterday and on my drive out the whole time, so I'm glad that you brought some sunshine. Yes, uh. So tell me a little bit about how you got to know the shed industry. You are well, we're all shed personalities, but I like to think that you are a shed brand in a sense. Yes, you are well known in the shed industry.
SHED GAL:We certainly became a brand. So it was about seven years ago and I know I've shared the story with you, but I think I forgot part. My husband went to build us a shed and several thousand dollars in. We had what I refer to as a nightmare of a shed and knew that wasn't going to work. I have pictures of it. We should pop that into this podcast and everybody will have a good laugh, except for my husband Sorry, mike. Anyway, so that led me on the path of looking for a shed, and I did not even realize that portable buildings and barns were available and found that. But I had less than a stellar experience buying a shed and because of my background in sales, I just felt we could do it a better way.
SHED GAL:We could offer this really cool product that could benefit a lot of people. But we'll do it better and provide better service and help people understand and figure out what their needs and wants are and really serve them. And so we started. I didn't know the difference between a two by four and a two by six when we started, but I sold 10 buildings the first month and I knew I was on to something, and so that's where the journey into the industry began.
SHED GEEK:So that was the beginning of August of 2017. Okay, so, yeah, very good.
SHED GAL:So then you moved on from there as so we worked for a small regional company in Washington the first year, okay, and we had no brand to speak up, but we still did really well. But a couple of people I think it was about a year in, maybe a little less than that a couple people said to me I couldn't remember your name. I saved you in my phone as the shed gal and that is where it began instant lights, you know. Excitement in my head. That's it, yeah, and so we went with that from literally that moment forward and, um, and it's worked well so far absolutely, yeah, I I think about, like the branding on shed geek.
SHED GEEK:I think I wrote a article in shed builder magazine and uh, I said, you know, I just do these things because I'm a bit of a shed geek there it is, and then it just it stuck from there.
SHED GEEK:It was like you know, uh, self-proclaimed shed geek, you know, and it's like, yeah, I mean that's just what I and and and I guess you know I don't know all the meanings of the word geek, but for me, growing up, you know what I mean like it was, you know, shed nerd, shed geek, like these are just the things that you, you, you know, you geek out about or whatever. Right, some people love music, some people love whatever. I just seemed to like I was already collecting, uh, brochures and stuff from other companies and just meeting other people and trying to network and trying to collaborate and things. So I was like, yeah, shed geek works, it works out good. So shed gal has served you very well.
SHED GAL:Everyone knows you as the shed gal exactly and and you and you've probably had this the funny experience is when you're out and about and pretty soon that brand, they really feel like they know that due to the consistency and they see your name, and so I have met people in the strangest places and you know, they feel like they know me and it's been really fun to just start talking. You know they start talking because of the branding and and uh, meeting new people and and it yeah, it's worked out really well. Branding is super important.
SHED GEEK:Let's I. We just did an interview with uh with uh Henry, uh Wong on branding and I found someone outside the industry to kind of talk about it. But let's talk about it inside the industry. I found someone outside the industry to kind of talk about it, but let's talk about it inside the industry. Like. What do you feel like branding has done, done for you? What are you, what are your just overall thoughts on branding?
SHED GAL:branding to me is that you know top of mind awareness when someone is ready to buy a shed. In our experience it was a process. Yeah, occasionally you'd get someone and I want that one right there or that one right there and you write it up and you're done and and that's wonderful. It's fun when that happens. But reality is it's a process for a lot of people, and especially the more money they're spending. So I always had in mind that when they were absolutely ready to buy a shed, I want them to remember my name, not Google Sheds near me and I may or may not pop up. So to me it is what made our business as successful as it became.
SHED GEEK:Well, if you're a consignment dealer, we try to go through the details of some of this in conversation. If you're a consignment dealer, you are an independent dealer exactly so if you're an independent dealer, you have your own llc or s corp or whatever you've got going on, your sole proprietorship, um, so you are trying to brand your own llc, for instance, your own business, yes, uh, but then you're selling another brand of sheds correct and, and that could be confusing, uh, for some folks.
SHED GEEK:so the question becomes you know, am I um oh, I don't know um joey sheds? Maybe there's a Joey sheds out there, I don't really know. Shannon Sheds? How about that? Let's go with that.
SHED GAL:Shed Geek.
SHED GEEK:Sheds If you were Shannon Sheds, but then you sell Shed Geek Sheds Right For the customer. They can become confused on who am I buying from.
SHED GAL:Right. So I have a philosophy that my business name is the umbrella over the products that I sell. So, for example, you know you have a philosophy that my business name is the umbrella over the products that I sell. So, for example, you know you have a big box store. They don't have every name of every product in their name. That's not possible. They are that store, so I am my business and so, regardless of what shed company or you know steel company, or maybe you're selling Hollywood furniture play, sets having that brand make it easier for the customer to remember, and, of course, each company we know would like to, and it's not just one.
SHED GAL:I think it's pretty across the board they would like their name to always be number one. What I think that actually does is it actually backfires and results in less sales. I truly believe that when the dealers have their own brand, they're going to sell more buildings because people are going to remember them. I don't know about the confusion with customers, because had I sold for a company A, b, c or D, I think we got to a certain point really quickly into it. The customers didn't care.
SHED GEEK:It's who they're dealing with right now, in the moment, it's who they're dealing with. Yeah.
SHED GAL:And so, of course, we always promoted the name of the companies that we were representing, for the metal or for the shed. But we wanted our customers to know we're their person, not the company, and so, again, we talked about this. My philosophy is a little bit different. I think branding is of the utmost importance in helping with each dealer's success and consistency, and it's so much easier, especially when you have an area where there's, you know, multiple dealers. If it's, you know, abc sheds of London, or ABC sheds of, you know, mount Vernon, or, or you know, it's great for the company.
SHED GEEK:Yeah.
SHED GAL:Name. It doesn't result in more sales. In fact, it probably results in less. We want it to be. You know, you want to go to shed, geek sheds and buy what he offers.
SHED GEEK:Yeah Well, so I've had, you know, I've had questions and I'm like man, how do I tackle this conversation on a podcast in a way that maintains positivity, um, and and still yet addresses the issue? Cause, of course, of course, people encourage me. You should ask this, you should go that, you should go here. And I said, well, you know, let's, let's, let's, let's. Keep in mind that. You know, we want a positive image, but we don't want to shy away from hard or difficult conversations either. They make us better.
SHED GEEK:So I try to find a way that does that and I'm diplomatic in my approach, um, but so, like, let's talk about, like, franchising. You know, um, if you have a manufacturer and a manufacturer has, you know, 200 um shed lots, uh, now, all of a sudden, you have 200, if they're all independent, individual shed lots, 200 brands. So now we've run into this several times in the marketing world, where you know, is the parent company going to have a website and then are they going to have a separate website for each individual location or will the parties be responsible, as an independent contractor, for maintaining their own website? Then you start talking about 3D configurators and point-of-sale systems and ways to purchase and even running ads, which is becoming far more common now.
Speaker 4:Yes.
SHED GEEK:So who becomes responsible for?
Speaker 4:these things.
SHED GEEK:And I've got mixed feelings on it. So who becomes responsible for these things? And I've got mixed feelings on it. I'll just tell you. My feelings is like, man, when you're an independent dealer and somebody brings you $200,000 worth of free inventory. You know they are investing in you already Huge huge investment. So now the question is do they need to invest farther by franchising their dealers, or is that a responsibility? Where do you land on a lot of that?
SHED GAL:It is interesting and I've thought a lot about this and it almost is separated in my mind. So if a company wants to control everything, then they should pay their dealers as an employee and control every aspect of it and control every aspect of it. Or they can provide guidance and guidelines because, like this example of 200, you may have 200 people doing it 200 different ways, right, and then you lose control over that brand. So I'm torn. I have thought about that, but on the other hand, when you're dealing with people who are contractors, they only have so much control. Yeah, you know that's right.
SHED GEEK:No, absolutely right. So for them, you know and they may be it depends on how these contractors are found. Yes, because they may have a primary business where selling sheds becomes a secondary business, and that doesn't mean they always take a secondary approach, but sometimes it does, and that's probably why we see some lots shut down and they move to different locations.
SHED GAL:Absolutely.
SHED GEEK:Because you kind of want somebody dedicated to your shed brand. And then what happens whenever they sell wood buildings but they don't sell metal? And then it's like, well, I want to be able to carry a metal line of business because I'm an independent contractor, right. Well, I want to be able to carry a metal line of business because I'm an independent contractor, right. So I want to be able to carry, you know, other products that help my business succeed. Because maybe they don't see only selling maybe wood or just metal buildings as an income valuable enough to be able to take on these other tasks, like as they begin marketing and advertising.
SHED GAL:The one thing that you limit yourself. If you're, let's just say it's ABC Metal Sheds, okay, so I'm going to be here's ABC as the company and my brand is going to be ABC Metal Sheds, but now I'm offering stick belt sheds or another, and so we can. We can do it both ways. There's that fine line between. We have to be super respectful for the companies who are putting a tremendous amount of money and inventory into us. On the other hand, the company needs to look at it as the point is to sell sheds. Not that their name is the most important thing. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to sell sheds, not that their name is the most important thing. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to to sell sheds.
SHED GAL:And so I think, if we look historically, the dealers that have a brand are typically more successful because they're they're offering multiple products. They're making more money, hopefully, because they're offering multiple products. They're making more money, hopefully, because they're offering multiple products. So it is. You know it's hard. It's that fine line with the company wanting you to just use their name, you know, in your business name. But yet is that really best for everybody overall? And I think the answer to that is no. I think branding allows the dealer to make more money, which in turn the company more money. So you bring up a good point if they start offering different products.
SHED GEEK:Those products might not be the thing that's ultimately sold, but it could be the things that kind of help bring them in, and then they end up buying what you know. If you were to say, uh. If you were to say, uh, wood sheds are more prominent, for instance, right, um, they may be selling more wood sheds because they're bringing more traffic, more foot traffic, to absolutely. And if they say they have a superior product, then the salesperson will be able to upsell them if that's within their budget to find. So then would we say, would we come to the conclusion here today that offering multiple lines of products could be a good thing?
SHED GAL:I think, without exception and again, that's just my personal belief but we sold more stick-built sheds when we started also advertising metal carboards Because, just what you said, it draws more people to the location. So it's a win-win situation. It isn't saying to go out and invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in things that may or may not sell, but find what works for that particular dealer in that particular area and try it. I'm more, what we're doing on the other side of of our new venture here is, um, something that's that's pretty new, pretty unique in this industry, and and my whole goal is we're going to have sister products that will draw more attention. So, instead of just offering one thing, we're going to have sister products that will draw more attention. So, instead of just offering one thing, we're going to offer four or five things, advertise all of them under the shed gal name, and it'll attract more people do you agree that, like just identifying, just identifying what a shed is has become more complicated?
SHED GEEK:Well it, well, it should be simple.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
SHED GEEK:It, it's, and in in, in one little world it might be, but I've found that just um, I think, whenever people say, well, how are you going to talk to somebody once an hour, twice a week, and I'm like, oh easy, you can. There's so much conversation that can be derived from all of this, because you're not just just in sheds, and not not only do. I believe everyone has a story. I mean, now those sheds can become conversations about barn dominiums, they can become conversations about pole sheds. Um, in michigan I thought it was kind of clever I was talking to somebody and he was like, well, I got a shed in my backyard. It's a, you know, 40 by 120, yep. And I was like, yeah, see, like some people would have a problem with that. They would say a shed, it's just a small out building a four by six to put my mower in.
SHED GAL:Yeah right, yeah so it's, it's.
SHED GEEK:I feel like it's opened up way more conversation, way more opportunity to have conversation, and I think you have a lot of dealers out there that are very organized, uh, who have started selling play sets, gazebos, a post frame, yes you know, um, barn dominiums, uh, and, and then metal structures, right you know, and, and some with a floor, some without a floor. I mean so like the whole conversation just just lends itself to more people being able.
SHED GEEK:It's almost construction geek might have been better, huh, I don't know, but then we would be in like homes and all that stuff too.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
SHED GEEK:We just try to stay. We do try to stay in this space the best we can, but what is a shed anymore? What is a shed?
SHED GAL:And yeah, you're exactly right, because when we talk about it, it's, it's, it's each individual's perception, right I mean that big, huge building. I wouldn't call it right shed, you know, I'm not sure what I would call it, but um, yeah, so it's.
SHED GEEK:It's catering to each individual's needs where they're at do you think there's a difference or an improvement, one way or the other, to go away from the name shed toward portable structure, portable building? You think that matters? Barn?
SHED GAL:I was just having this conversation a couple days ago with with a gentleman in dallas and and we were a different product, but we're just like we don't know what to call it and I'm like that is really interesting and we were talking about portable buildings. I still today, you know, almost seven years into this, have people that say what is a portable building?
Speaker 4:Yeah.
SHED GAL:Because portable kind of implies you can just pick it up and move it whenever you want. To a lot of people, yes, they can be moved, they're delivered intact, but not just willy-nilly whenever you want.
SHED GEEK:Right.
SHED GAL:A portable barbecue versus a permanent, you know. So I'm not sure I prefer the word shed myself.
SHED GEEK:Yeah.
SHED GAL:I hear people talking more about sheds than I do about portable buildings. I think it's also regional. I think back. You know, Arizona, Washington State. We're very familiar with both. Very, a very small percentage of people know what a portable building is if you ask them.
SHED GEEK:Unless they've been to the lot. It's all of this. These are like. These are conversations that just keep coming up in our circles and things like that, trying to figure out what is the best way to move forward for branding, what is the best way to move forward consignment versus wholesale purchase and you know there's just different places in the country and not to say that that's always the case.
SHED GEEK:Like you know, the New England territories seem to to to build and sell wholesale, and then you have a lot of dealers that you know manage expectations by sharing hauling companies or create or hauling themselves. That's why you almost have a hodgepodge even of like haulers and sales people and some say I don't know how to identify my hauler. Am I a salesperson? I'm both. Am I one more than I am the other? I mean, without a doubt, we're here at the shed hauler, uh bash, here in in North Carolina Salisbury, . One thing's for sure about the shed haulers is they do a great job leading and I don't think the sales people have quite caught on to be collaborative as much as the haulers have.
SHED GAL:Oh, you're speaking my language. Yeah, I completely agree, and I'm not sure where it comes from.
SHED GAL:I feel like that almost comes from some people, certainly not all people, but especially on the sales side. They feel like if we work together, it takes away from, and I'm the exact opposite. So I don't really understand that thing, but I've heard that and I've seen it. So where the haulers will be more collaborative, the dealers sometimes in my opinion, way too often don't want to work together, don't want to reach out to each other, and I see it as just the opposite.
SHED GAL:You know you work together. It's not going to help just one of you. It's going to help both of you, and you're both going to sell more.
SHED GEEK:I think it goes back to again Tyler Mahan saying early on in the show a rising tide lifts all boats. And I really do think that an industry can do better and as organized as we are as an industry, that's important too.
SHED GEEK:As we begin to become more mature as an industry. So where one goes, we all go to some extent. Where one fails, we all fail, so we want to do better. I think when one fails, we all fail, so we want to do better. I think, and even though you're competing, I think competition can. There's just been so much talk around it and I always say competition can be a good thing because it makes us sharper, right, makes us better and we should want to improve. And if we stay on where we're at always, does you never improve your systems or processes, you begin, kind of begin to get a little stale.
SHED GEEK:Um, you know, uh, with rto I say the same thing.
SHED GAL:Yeah, you know, you need new ideas, need new blood absolutely um because if you're not, if you're not moving forward, it's not that you're just, you're staying stale.
SHED GEEK:You're going backwards with technology and changes. So what's your new adventure? We see you all over Facebook and I'm like hey, I'm a friend of the Shed Gal now. So I get to tell everybody I'm getting a shirt and everything.
SHED GAL:You are getting a shirt. I brought some shirts to give out at the Hauler's Bash.
SHED GEEK:That would be great.
SHED GAL:So here's our new adventure. So I had a vision. We are, and that vision keeps expanding. As you know, we are now a national dealer for installed metal carports and metal buildings in the lower 48 states. So you know, you're in arkansas, we can help you. You're in washington state, we can help you. We can ship worldwide for the barn dominium and the red iron kits. So we are going to be the one-stop shop.
SHED GAL:Now we're not going to get into the stick built shed business, but what we are going to have on our shed galcom web shameless plug right there website and that's being built right now what we are going to have is a page where, if you are in the market for a stick-built shed, we're your one-stop shop. We are going to strategically partner with dealers across the country in certain areas. Now there's no money exchange there, but we want to be that website where everybody goes to if they need anything in the shed business. So you know, if you're in pickens, south carolina, I'm gonna, I'm gonna recommend you call. You know brian and sarah parton for a shed. You know brandon suarez up in utah for a shed, because we don't do that yeah so that's a big thing.
SHED GAL:There's some big hitters in this industry. But what we're also going to do is open a super center for metal buildings in Arizona and there'll be more details on that. But you don't see the dealers across the country that have 18, 20, 25 metal building displays. But we will. Not only will we have that, we'll have the play sets, we'll have the greenhouses, things that are kind of sister products that will attract a lot more people. So we have the national presence where we're their one-stop shop. They don't have to shop around, we're shopping for them. That gives us a price advantage, right. And then we also will have the big display lot with four or five people running that. A couple other little things in the works, but those will be announced at another time, those we're working on those in our spare time.
SHED GEEK:Well, I just feel like I see everywhere, so I'm curious you know everything that you have going on? Yeah, definitely, we connected through the RTO side.
SHED GAL:Yes.
SHED GEEK:Recently, so we were able to collaborate on that partnership together. I'm excited about that. Can I plug that a little bit? Yeah, go for it. All right, so this is not a paid advertisement, by the way, for Shed Geek Rentals. I'll send you the check later. How about that? Okay, thanks, Wink wink.
SHED GAL:The metal building manufacturers offer in-house rent-owned almost without exception. Well, not in-house, they don't own the paperwork, but they're running rent-owned. We are now affiliated with Shed Geek RTO Rentals and so we do have an in-house RTO where we have more control over helping our customers throughout the process. In the past, on RTO, you know we write it up, it gets sent off. We never, ever have any knowledge of if things go good, bad, sideways or what. So we have a little more input on that and it's going to allow us to serve our customers better, and that's what it's about.
SHED GEEK:One of the things that we talked about early on and again, you know we don't, we don't uh, try to over plug it. Uh, you know we welcome other rdo companies on on the. This is a you talk about a true testimony or testament of of like what, who we are. We encourage other rdo folks to come on the show.
SHED GEEK:Uh, the mbsra, as a matter of fact, is sort of a parent organization for Rent-A-Own has talked about the efforts of collaboration and I'm like, no, no better way to collaborate than to come on and and have conversation. That builds community and that builds confidence and education through our process. So I'm happy to use the platform to do that and I even tell them if you want to advertise, you're welcome to, right, because I can't win them all. I couldn't win them all anyway, right? So there's just going to be people that's going to be happy working with different organizations and we're happy to have our you know hand in there and you know we're going to do a good job as best we can for those we work with. But we do that through conversation and if somebody says, hey, this is just the company I chose to work with, we understand that, right, you know, we're just happy to to be in the conversation. So, um, uh, and, and it lets, it lets me fund my fun seasons.
Speaker 4:I love it.
SHED GEEK:It lets me fund my fun, and my fun is traveling across the country with my wife and with my son and having conversations with the shed gal and other folks, uh who, who have been in the shed space for a long time. They have a story to tell and, who knows, maybe some of what they share on the podcast will help. Um, somebody else I've had so many people say you know, we've learned so much from being on there and I said, well, we want to keep having guests on who can add value to your day.
SHED GEEK:And that's that's important.
SHED GAL:Each of your podcasts, I have learned something. Every time a dealer reaches out to me for help, I learn something.
SHED GEEK:Yes.
SHED GAL:You were saying like having the guests on that are that are in the the same business and the collaboration it comes down to there's enough business for everybody and if we?
SHED GAL:can work together, we are more powerful and more successful overall. There's there's obviously challenges in any industry and and this one is is no exception, but I see good things happening, yeah, and that to me is like being able to come to the shed, haulers, bash and meet a bunch of these people that I've. You know, a lot of them have reached out to me for help over the last couple years especially, and there's no reason to not work together if we can.
SHED GAL:If we can, I mean, um, you know we can't fix every problem, but I just I love this industry, I love the people in it. This, this event, if you were here, everyone, if you're not here, you are missing out. Um, there's no other industry like it yeah, yeah good people in this no good, couldn't agree more.
SHED GEEK:What is so? Is this your first bash?
SHED GAL:this is my first, but not last, so what are? Your thoughts so far I think it's amazing, you and sam are good friends.
SHED GEEK:Yes, you guys get along well. Sam's a great guy, brother from another mother.
SHED GAL:Yeah, yeah, you even have similar hairstyles well, if my hair was its natural color, we would look like twins. What him?
SHED GEEK:and Jason have done putting these events together.
SHED GAL:Incredible.
SHED GEEK:Yeah.
SHED GAL:This is incredible. So right before we sat down here, brian and Sarah and I walked the parking lot and the trucks out there and the amount of time that people have stopped what they're doing during the week and come here to interact with other people in the industry is very telling. This wasn't set up on a Saturday and a Sunday, where you know I can work my work week and come here. It was set up in the amount of people here and I understand that there are going to be 750 or so people tonight for the banquet.
SHED GEEK:It's unheard of. Yeah, I think you said possibly 800. We're just not sure if we could squeeze them in yeah well, we'll make them fit.
SHED GAL:But it's incredible. This is definitely not my last bash, yeah.
SHED GEEK:Why do you think it's important to go to these things, the trade shows, the local, I mean. You know, even if you can't make it to the, the um, I guess it's by annual, every 18 months, shed, hull or bash even the barbecues, whenever you know they, they create those and they're more local. Um, the, any trade shows, anything any company is putting together it doesn't matter if it's a competing company.
SHED GEEK:Um, if they allow you to be there and they should, well, unless it's like a specific, you know, department only kind of thing. But if you're putting something on publicly and things like that, why is it important to go to those things to you?
SHED GAL:We are stronger together. There's not an issue that any let's use a shed dealer, for example. It is very unlikely that they are ever going to have a problem, question or issue that I didn't go through, yeah, and I'm able to share that. So then we have haulers. It is very unlikely that any hauler is going to have a situation where multiple other haulers here haven't had it, and so that collaboration and working together it just makes us all better, it makes us all stronger.
SHED GAL:It seems to be changing, which is a wonderful thing, but but certainly with certain companies out there, I've heard that and you know whether that's true or not, I don't know, but sometimes you, you hear that. You know the dealers feel like they're working against corporate offers, so they feel like they're working against the, the haulers, and bringing something like this together and and like for me it's like no, I don't haul buildings, I did haul, you know haul. No, I don't haul buildings, I did haul some, but I don't haul buildings. But it makes us all stronger, it makes us all better. We can always learn something and we always have someone to call, because not every day, I know it's hard to believe, but not every day is as rosy as every day.
SHED GEEK:I've said for quite some time now, as me and you sit here we look around, this will be filled up tonight. Yeah, but even seeing uh, different folks out here talking, I always say the best podcast that never gets aired happen at these tables. Yes, they happen at booths at the, at the expo. You know what I mean. They happen. So, like those are the best conversations that would never get recorded and probably some of that can be sensitive conversation and maybe that's why. But you'll have those experiences when you're here. You'll be better educated, you'll, you'll, you'll learn more, yes, from talking to people, and everyone has to keep their, their secret sauce right, their, their, their wendy's, dave's recipe, that's right. You know he used to do those commercials for a long time. You know our secret recipe, or is it Bush's baked beans?
SHED GAL:Remember they would have like the you know Kentucky fried chicken, kentucky fried chicken, coca-cola yeah yeah, you keep the secret sauce but you share what benefits. You know everybody's got their their thing. But to me the biggest thing is I have people that I can pick up the phone and call, whether it's good, bad or ugly, and I think that's wonderful.
SHED GEEK:I think we all need that yeah yeah, I think, uh, I think you're stronger together. I think the industry does better with a spirit of cooperation absolutely and not a spirit of uh, of, uh.
SHED GEEK:Well, I don't know, secrecy, that always gets me, you know. I'm like well, there's very little things. What makes a? What makes a 50 million dollar a year scalable? Uh, a vertically integrated shed company, uh, successful? Versus a 1 million dollar a year vertically integrated company, uh, what? What's? What's the change? Because you're selling a very similar product. Of course, there's differences when you get into the details of it, but generally speaking, um, they're similar products.
SHED GAL:So that tells me that it's your internal systems absolutely yeah yeah, you know there's there's challenging challenges there and it's it's hard to take well a dealer. It's hard to train a dealer. In my opinion, it's hard to attract a dealer if you haven't been a dealer.
Speaker 4:It's one of those things and I think it might be the same with shed haulers.
SHED GAL:That's a good topic might be the same with shed haulers too. If you haven't done it, you know I I want to hire a shed hauler. Well, I'm going to post this ad and you know it's really simple, anybody can do it and you just have to drive a truck and learn all these things and you got to be good with the customers and work with the dealers. But if you haven't done it, it's really difficult, and so then I think you get, you know at least from the dealer side. You get folks with companies. You're not going to find very good, very successful dealers that want to go into different positions, that can make a change, and uh and and it's, it's hard.
SHED GEEK:Everybody has to find their place and work together and and accept help and suggestions to to improve things you know talking about finding dealers and you've spent some time doing that a lot of time yeah, whenever I I worked with irvin at summit, that was part of my responsibility and I always found that to be the most the most interesting thing. Um, I'm curious at your approach, or for those regional sales managers that listen to the podcast, I'd be curious that their approach to, or their thoughts or what they'd be willing to share. Of course, I always tell people don't share what you don't want to share on here.
SHED GEEK:But, let's have a good conversation that's helpful and educational, but I'm not asking anyone to share anything they're not comfortable with. I've sent a finished episode to people several times when we're done and said you know, I'd like for you to approve this before I put it out. I won't just put it out without your approval. We're not playing gotcha games or anything.
SHED GAL:Right, exactly.
SHED GEEK:But I'm curious your thoughts, what is your approach? Or you know, would you be willing to share some of your thoughts on your approach to that, or what companies could or should do, or what's working, what's not, that kind of thing.
SHED GAL:I think that's really important because I think that a lot of times that sales managers struggle in trying to get dealers and kind of across the board, most of them have never been a dealer, so that kind of goes back to the part about. It's hard to really explain how it works. So my approach is from the dealer point of view and I believe in full transparency.
SHED GEEK:Of course.
SHED GAL:And so you know the good, the bad and the ugly. So here are the really good things about becoming a dealer. Here are things that I found were very, very challenging. Here are solutions I found to overcome those things that are inevitable, the things that we can't control. But they're going to happen. It isn't oh well, we're going to find someone and you know they have black hair, so they're not going to have the same challenges. Or you know they have no hair. The same challenges are going to happen, dealer to dealer.
SHED GEEK:I feel like that was personal guys. I know, I know I've got enough hair for both of us. She pointed when she said no hair.
SHED GAL:Bald is beautiful. Come on, shannon, come on. So I am a realist with it as far as I wanted the dealers that I was talking to to know the good and the bad and the ugly, and did that possibly discourage some? Yeah, and you know what? That's totally fine, right, because I'm not about throwing mud and make you know. We'll see if any sticks on the wall.
SHED GEEK:Right.
SHED GAL:I want the good stuff to stick. So I would encourage in anyone in the industry who hasn't actually been a dealer. Find a really good dealer to to tag team with, to talk to potential dealers. I think it comes down to setting the expectations, because if a new dealer comes on, it's very overwhelming. There's so much to learn. They might not even know the difference between a two by four and a two by six. Like me, I know the difference now. It's so overwhelming. But then you don't want them to think that you bamboozled them or that you tricked them into it and I've heard that, I've heard nobody told me that or we don't want that in this industry. Be transparent. It's a great industry and you bring on multiple products. This is a wonderful career yeah, Wonderful business for people. But I'm all about trying to prevent issues. So full transparency and training yes, Adequate training.
SHED GEEK:Yeah, absolutely. And training, yes, adequate training yeah, absolutely. I I think that's um. One of the things that I would do is is a lot of questions whenever I went to open up a new dealer I mean you did all your, your normal stuff. You know you looked at traffic count, but but I don't. I don't like the idea of like opening, opening up a dealer and saying we'll see.
SHED GAL:We hope you know I mean they seem like a pretty good person so easy an eight-year-old could do, it Right, yeah.
SHED GEEK:You hit on something you said it can be a fulfilling career. Oh for sure, a fulfilling career, and, and I, and I, wonder sometimes, you know, if you show up as a regional sales rep and you're trying to open up a, a shed lot at a location, you know, do people feel that way? Have you sold it that way? What about conversations about rto? You know, have you me and melody troutman was was just sitting here talking right and it was like what, what are you doing to prevent?
SHED GEEK:yeah, these problems exactly before they become a problem. So like we want to make sure to pull on her and others who have expertise absolutely in the area of of rto and things like that to to make sure that we're not selling it the wrong ways, we're not setting our dealers up for failure yeah, that I think that's the biggest challenge in my mind and and it I'm not picking on just the the shed industry.
SHED GAL:It's very similar in the metal building there's and the companies will admit there's little to no training. Yeah, we're trying to change that behind the scenes.
SHED GAL:I mean I, I am committed to helping whoever I possibly can in this industry because we need that. We need more of that Setting the expectation, the proper training, being supportive. It could change the trajectory of so many dealers quit, so many dealers fail. It does not have to be that way, but someone at the top needs to say we're open to doing it differently Because it's cheaper to keep her.
Speaker 3:I'm sure some of you may have heard that right it's cheaper to keep her.
SHED GAL:That's true in this these companies, I mean they're spending $100,000, $200,000 to put inventory on a lot and then the dealer fails.
SHED GEEK:The transportation of that, the logistics and finding a new. Like in this case, it's cheaper to invest into who you got rather than go out and find new, and anybody who does you know retention and employees and things like that will usually agree with that. Not everyone is worth, or?
Speaker 3:able to be kept.
Speaker 4:Yes, you know what I mean, of course.
SHED GEEK:Because it just doesn't work out. But generally speaking, if it's pride or ego now that's going to cost you a lot more money.
SHED GAL:Exactly that's different right well, if you see, if these companies are seeing a pattern that what they're doing isn't working as far as you know, retain or finding good dealers and training them and retaining it.
SHED GAL:If it's not working, maybe, maybe they should be open to some change and some if they keep doing what they're doing, they're going to get the same results, you know, and that, and that's the hard part, because then you've got people who, well, they didn't provide training, and we don't want that, we want it to be positive things that we hear about the industry.
SHED GEEK:I like that.
SHED GEEK:You hit on something earlier when you said most folks who maybe even wind up in the corporate world, or many, haven't necessarily been a dealer. And when I went through the military, I know there was always angst between you know, your non-commissioned officers and your commissioned officers. So if you were a grunt they would call you, you know, e-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, you know 6 or 7. It was way different than a commissioned officer. So you could come in and be in charge of a platoon as a second lieutenant right off the bat, where you know, this master sergeant spent 26 years in and, right, it's like who's this kid telling me what to do? Right, you know? Uh, so, so. So I think that that there's some battle-hardened scars that you develop through your time as a dealer and when you become that grunt and you work from the bottom to the top and I think if you only have the top down model, it may not give you the missing piece you're looking for.
SHED GEEK:Chris Voss wrote a book called Never Split the Difference, but in that he talked about his company called the Black Swan Company. The black swan was the one among all the white swans we see all the white swans out there. But what's that black swan doing? Right, because that black swan becomes the obvious thing to look at among all of the white swans and he says that the black swan is the thing that's stopping you from growth. It's the obvious thing that everyone else sees in your business that you don't see yourself. Yes, and it's the obvious thing we all see whenever there's a hundred swans out there yes sticks out among the rest, but but.
SHED GEEK:But when you're the black swan, you don't know it because you're looking out and see a bunch of white swans and think that's you too.
SHED GAL:And then your cousins, the other black swans come in, and then you all just keep doing the same circle you know, you just went deep yeah, yeah, well, but it's interesting and I think it's it's it's not just this industry, it's it's other it really.
SHED GEEK:It's not just this industry, it's other industries too. It really isn't, but we're in this industry, right?
SHED GAL:We care about this industry.
SHED GEEK:Yeah, that's right.
SHED GAL:And so there's so many things. But I see good things happening across the board in this industry and positive things. And you come out here you know you West Coast folks you come out here. It's so different. Yeah, big lots, lots of lots. Um, I feel like in the west coast, sheds are just in their infancy, or portable buildings, you know, in their infancy. Most people don't even know what they are yet. And I, you come back here and and the market is not saturated, even though there's dealers everywhere, they're still selling buildings. It's. It's quite impressive to see, to come out to this part of the country. Yeah, it's definitely.
SHED GEEK:Well, I mean there's a couple of different hubs. You know Lancaster, you know Statesville's definitely Anytime I'm around here there's a lot of sheds. Ohio, you know the Paducah area where there's a lot of corporate. You know world that comes out of that circle of 100 miles around Paducah it seems like, and Mayfield and a lot of lumber and just different things, and I mean there's just the mule. I mean there's constantly something that's out there. So it is interesting. I've kind of become a student of just like the industry, like wanting to, just being curious about it, like it's amazing what that will do. If you just try to learn the history, I probably isn't interested as anybody else when someone starts telling me well, you know, such and such started this at that or whatever, and I'm over here writing this down like really it is interesting.
SHED GAL:It is interesting that that the history and and just kind of it I don't Maybe it's just because this is the industry I'm in I truly believe the best people are in this industry. I just absolutely love it like this.
SHED GEEK:This is just absolutely incredible being here, like-minded people begin to find each other on their journeys. But I think the Lord puts us where we need to be in the right timing of where we need to be and when we need to be there, and I think if you're a day early it won't be supported, and if you're a day late you better catch up, because you know, there's opportunity there that passes you by.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, the boat just left, yeah.
SHED GEEK:Well I get, before I ask some final questions to wrap up here, for for those who want to get ahold of you, for those who see you all over, wonder what you're doing, they want to have just a more in-depth conversation. They don't even feel like they got that out of this, this podcast. How do they reach out to you? How do they get ahold of you so you can have a one-on-one conversation?
SHED GAL:Yeah, so I'm I'm happy to set up a zoom call or a phone call. Those avenues are much easier for me to manage rather than someone messaging me, you know, several times a week through Facebook or or or even texting. So let's make the most of our time, but I'm well. Anyone in metal building industry, shed industry, reach out if you have any questions.
SHED GEEK:That was just for you. That was a really nice.
SHED GAL:That was like perfect timing with that music. That was good timing right, susan at Shedgalcom, or my number, easy to remember, 888-91-steel, which is also 888-917-8335. A lot of you follow me already on our new Facebook page that we just started in December, but it's Shedgal.
SHED GEEK:Yep and your youtube page yeah, little youtube page.
SHED GAL:I hey, I think I have 50 subscribers. I feel like life is complete now so it's on youtube.
SHED GAL:It's uh, shed gal susan, so quick little tidbit videos two or three minutes long that that just might get you to think about. Hey, I should ask more about that. But I don't charge for helping you out. And I said or I'll say it again, I said it earlier every time I help someone, I learn something too, and that's what this is about. Sorry, there's a spider over your shoulder, but it's all good, that's okay, all good. Our little friend, yeah.
SHED GEEK:So reach out. This is the Shed Geek mascot that's right Over here.
SHED GAL:So, susan at ShedGeekcom, check out the podcast, check out our Facebook page. My number is all over there. I will always get back to you. If you reach out to me, and even if you think it's a mundane question or something that's not important, it is important.
SHED GEEK:Ask.
SHED GAL:But even if you learn one or two things that can help your business, that's a win for me.
SHED GEEK:Well, I appreciate you and all that you do. Look forward to working with you in several partnerships moving forward. Appreciate those who listen. Hey, whenever you're not here at the bash, this is what you get. So for those of you picking up the background noise, you can hear the fun in the back. It's good, clean, responsible fun. There's a lot of nice, awesome people here. One or two questions. Do you have anything for me? Give everybody a chance to ask a question at the end, in complete transparency. I echo your sentiments. It's how I try to operate. Podcasting, faith, family sheds, you name it. Nothing's off limits.
SHED GAL:So ask and I'll give my best answer. Flash questions Do you have any grandkids?
SHED GEEK:I have one on the way, all right, and she will be here probably Sunday.
SHED GAL:Very soon Okay great March 10th.
SHED GEEK:That's what we're looking at.
SHED GAL:What's your favorite part about the shed industry separate from the people? Do you have a? Do you? Is that the variety of how they're built, good?
SHED GEEK:question the people would be the first easy answer. So good question to say what's your second most? Um, I'm gonna go with, probably like the shed history. Um, I'm a bit of historian. I'm a little bit of a history geek not, maybe not to some extent of many people I know, but there's a at least a small part of me that finds interest in, uh, how this company got started, how that company got started, how business works in general. We will. We travel. We love to see how different people live yeah, yeah and we ask ourselves why is it so much different than how?
SHED GEEK:I live here or in this situation, but I would say the shed history. I love hearing about shed history.
SHED GAL:Well and this isn't a question, this is just an observation of that. I truly feel like there's several of us and I'll include you and me we're changing. We're not changing. We're adding to the history of this industry, which I'll include, you and me we're changing. We're not changing. We're adding to the history of this industry, which I think is really cool. Let's see what's your favorite color.
SHED GEEK:Gray Great.
SHED GAL:And how do you like your steak that you're going to have cooked tonight at the Shed Haulers Bash?
SHED GEEK:Medium. All right, that's all the questions I have.
SHED GAL:Yeah, I love it, good stuff.
SHED GEEK:Appreciate I love it, good stuff, appreciate you all that you're doing. Thank you, wish you lots and lots of continued success. I love that so many of us are trying to put forward a step forward, to just be better in what we do.
SHED GAL:Yes, absolutely. It's what it's all about.
SHED GEEK:Move the industry forward in a way that, hey, I love I pay so much homage to those who've come before us. That that that, hey, I love, I, I pay so much homage to those who've come before us. Uh, even in our, in our marketing space, we try to make sure to to talk to those marketers directly. Whenever we get questions from those clients, we tell them you know, go go back and talk to that client. Uh, go back and talk to your, your, your partner, because that's important to us because, we're going to mess up too, so, so give them the chance to fix.
SHED GEEK:You know there, and we've done the same thing in in the rental space you know, talked with um. Talked with um charles.
SHED GEEK:Uh, here today, wilson you know buddies with uh, jeff traywick. You know jonathan miller's, right next to us. The guys from rtl national are over here. Mott stopped by for a bit. I love talking to those guys and I always tell them thank you. Thank you for giving us opportunity to do this as well too. So this isn't about anything. That we're doing is like we're replacing. Yeah, you need new blood and things, but generally speaking, we want to add to your legacy and what you've already created and we owe you a thank you for being there.
SHED GEEK:That's how we will operate.
SHED GAL:I'm in full agreement with you.
SHED GEEK:And I appreciate you. I'm going to let you go. I'll let you off the hook. I loved your flash questions, I love your whole personality, I love your whole brand and what you do, and I feel the same way. Wish you lots of success and right back at you. Perfect Thanks, susan, thanks Shannon. Hey, this is Mo Lunsford in sunny Union Grove, north Carolina, and we want to say thank you to all the guests and listeners.