Family Unity Fuels a New Business Adventure

What does it take to pivot from a stable career in banking to the rugged world of shed hauling? Join us as we uncover Bryan Parton's remarkable journey, along with his family, from the boardroom to the backroads of Pickens, South Carolina. Bryan shares the pivotal moments that led him to leave his 25-year banking career during the upheaval of COVID-19 and the tremendous support he received from his family, including his son Morgan and his retired pastor father. Hear firsthand how Sarah, initially hesitant about sales, found her stride and transitioned from dentistry to become a successful shed dealer, discovering a passion for customer connection along the way.

Discover practical strategies for expanding your small business as we explore the Parton family's approach to sales and marketing. Learn why drivers in the hauling industry hold the key to operational success and how fostering teamwork between drivers, salespeople, and customers enhances business growth. We'll share insightful stories on broadening your product lineup to meet customer demands—whether it’s adding metal buildings, dog kennels, greenhouses, or gazebos—to establish a one-stop shop for storage needs. The Partons' experiences reveal the importance of understanding customer needs and effectively using advertising platforms like Facebook Marketplace.

Get inspired by the Parton family's dedication to community involvement and brand representation. Hear how investing in local advertising, contributing to charitable causes, and maintaining consistent visibility can boost your business. From wearing branded apparel to creative product displays, learn the significance of product knowledge and genuine customer care. As they plan for future growth, the Partons emphasize the balance between business expansion and preserving a hands-on, personalized service approach. Their story is a testament to the power of teamwork, both within a family and a business network, in achieving sustained success.

For more information or to know more about the Shed Geek Podcast visit us at our website.

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Transcript

SHED GAL: 0:07

Welcome back to this week's episode of the Shed Geek podcast. This is Susan the Shed Gal. I have the absolute honor today to be with Bran, Sarah and Morgan Parton here in Pickens, So , and I want to start off by saying thank you, thank you for having me and thank you for coming on today's podcast. Thank you, thank you for having me and thank you for coming on today's podcast. Thank you for being here. So great to be here A little bit of a cloudy day. You have an absolutely beautiful lot and we're just going to have a conversation and want to learn about you. So, to start off with, tell me a little bit about your business, how you got here, how long you've been in business, and we'll go from there.

Bryan Parton: 0:44

I'll start us off. Great. So I was a, I was a banker for 25 years and um, so got into shed hauling and, uh, just want to do something a little different. And so that was four years ago when COVID started. So me and my wife were talking and I was like, man, this has got to be the worst time to start a business, but actually that was some of the best uh business in uh, probably 20 or 30 years of shed hauling in business.

Bryan Parton: 1:10

So it was a good time to start, so it worked out well for us.

SHED GAL: 1:14

Excellent. So that is quite a jump from banking to shed hauling. So so fill me in there. We've talked a little bit about this in the past when we met at the Shed Haulers Bash. But tell me about how you made that leap, because I don't think it's natural, for I don't think there's a lot of bankers listening that are like I'm going to jump into Shed Hauling. So tell me a little bit about how did you get from here to there or there to here.

Bryan Parton: 1:35

So one of my business customers. He built sheds here, local in town, and so I was helping him with his equipment financing. So I worked with him on that. And then of course, a lot of people say that you know they're gonna make a lot of money in their first year. They think they're gonna make a million dollars in their first year of business. But, um, so I got to watch, you know, as things progressed with him and realized that he was correct and he was making good money with it.

Bryan Parton: 2:03

Ah, interesting, always wanted to do. I was a business banker so I always wanted to do some business and we just never really felt comfortable to make that leap, you know, into full-time. You know, take that risk Right. And so I met Sam through the Facebook page and realized he was only an hour away and so I got to talking with him and then he hooked me up with a shed hauler and I was going to kind of start on the weekend just to kind of get it in. You know, learn and do some of that. And then I got full-time opportunity with it. So we talked and realized it was a risk worth taking. And here we are four years later.

SHED GAL: 2:42

Fantastic. What's been the biggest challenge for you coming from the prior career to this?

Bryan Parton: 2:48

A lot of it was to me probably the physical, because I was sitting behind a desk the whole time and shed hauling is not easy, so it's different.

SHED GAL: 2:57

Oh yeah, very different, a little bit, yeah.

Bryan Parton: 3:01

But we use a lot of banking and selling and I've always enjoyed that part talking with people, meeting new people. So that's how I always used it. And banking is selling. So that's what I've done in banking just talk with people, find something in common with them. And then Sarah she's never really been a super outgoing person or a salesperson and she's really done well with it. You know, got into it. This is something that's different for her, but once she got into it she was a natural with it.

SHED GAL: 3:37

Wonderful. Well, I think we know. I mean it's a people business right, yeah, exactly. So you start off hauling and, M morgan, I know you're involved in that that. Where did your involvement come in with the hauling? Yeah, so he started?

Mogan Parton: 3:50

he started, like he said, with a guy and um kind of took off from there. But but yeah, as soon as he started he he was asking me one day. He was like you want to help me out for a day and I'll be honest with you. I quit my job. What was it? The next week? Wow, wow, that's commitment started riding with him and at the time I didn't have near as many bills but, um quit, quit my job and took off with him and within about six months, we was rolling yep, and then he uh started.

Bryan Parton: 4:24

Uh, he got his own rig. Uh guy had an extra rig for him, so he started doing it on his own. And then love that our other son.

Bryan Parton: 4:31

He's in college right now, but um, he was uh in high school, so kovid was uh he was a senior so kovid oh yeah, one of those two yeah kovid put him on the e-learning so he got to ride with us a lot, so it was a great time. You know, I've always wanted to do something as a family and it didn't really start out that way, but then it quickly evolved to it and you know, we really enjoyed it. And Sarah's got an interesting story too. You know we'll get her to tell that.

SHED GAL: 5:04

Oh yeah.

Bryan Parton: 5:04

How she got in with us on that, but it was me and the boys, and then my dad was retired, so he helped out a lot too.

SHED GAL: 5:12

Really Okay. I did not know that yeah.

Bryan Parton: 5:16

He was recently retired and he was a pastor. He preached for nearly 40 years, and so he started hitting the road with me and he does. It's good for him he got a little physical in there too with it, and he got under sheds with us and learned a lot of that.

SHED GAL: 5:38

you know, that's super interesting to me and I'm and I don't know if this is true for you too, but I'm one of the unicorns in the industry as far as not being related to people in the industry and but I see where this industry, you know it's such a great. You know, from the selling to the hauling to the manufacturing, it's such a cool industry, yeah, that I see why people you know hey, my cousin does it. I know it's a great opportunity. I, I've checked it out and to be able to do it. And then now you're, you're, you're, you're really building a legacy for your family, yeah. So I'm curious, sarah well, let's go back here how?

SHED GAL: 6:15

did we meet so let's see. Well, I mean, I know we met in person first for the shed haulers back. Do you remember when we how we first started talking?

Bryan Parton: 6:27

I think you had wrote a manual. You were, you had your lots at the time.

SHED GAL: 6:33

Yes.

Bryan Parton: 6:33

And you had wrote about a 50 something page manual and you were giving it away Something crazy in the shed business that nobody ever does. But you were giving it away for free and I was like, hey, she's giving us a 50 page manual that tells you how to make uh money in the shed industry and how to improve your stuff. So I think, uh, that's the first time I can remember us talking and then we started, uh, you know, just kind of we'd ask you questions and then when uh we opened the shed lot, uh, then me and sarah got on a conference call with you.

SHED GAL: 7:05

Yeah, and I don't know if you saw the video on UpFlip. I can't remember, but it's been a couple years and it's one of the things that I was reflecting on this morning. I have met such great people in this industry that have reached out and that I'm still in communication with, and it's like at the shuttle, you know, going to the bash. I'm like, oh my gosh, I finally get to meet them in person. It's really amazing. So I want to talk to you, Sarah. We're in this beautiful I mean this office is spectacular and it's welcoming, it's professional, it looks great. They have the best porta potty I've ever seen in my life.

SHED GAL: 7:42

We were going to tape in there, but we couldn't figure out a way to fit all four of us in there. But never seen someone decorate a porta potty. But it's amazing.

SHED GAL: 7:51

I'd highly recommend it.

SHED GAL: 7:55

Stealing that idea. But let's talk about this. You're in the dealer's side now, so we have husband, son, other son, father-in-law, you know, getting in the hauling site. What brought you to being a dealer?

Sarah Parton: 8:07

I was in dentistry for 25 years.

SHED GAL: 8:09

Well, that's a natural leap, just like from banking right, okay, all right yeah.

Sarah Parton: 8:14

So when he started the shed hauling business, you know we had always talked about the possibility of me joining him and doing something you were gonna have her haul your blocks, so my dad actually got sick and I needed to take care of him, so I quit my job okay, I started taking care of him and then riding with him. You know occasionally um and then it got to where I was riding with him all the time my dad passed, passed away so I needed to do something.

Sarah Parton: 8:46

So I started riding with him full time. That lasted what about six months?

SHED GAL: 8:50

Yep, yeah, would have been funnier if you said six days.

Sarah Parton: 8:53

Yeah.

Bryan Parton: 8:55

Well, I thought it was.

Sarah Parton: 8:58

Mentally, I was over in six days.

Bryan Parton: 9:00

In the first six days. She likes to tell everybody I about killed her twice.

Sarah Parton: 9:03

He did, and that's honestly, the reason that we opened this lot is because I was tired of fearing for my life.

SHED GAL: 9:08

Till death do us part.

Sarah Parton: 9:11

He almost dropped a building on me. Twice. He scared me with a snake, which I'm terrified of snakes.

SHED GAL: 9:17

Oh, all bets are off there. My friend, that's the best story.

Sarah Parton: 9:20

And then I got hit with a farm jack and after that I was done. But we won't go into that story.

SHED GAL: 9:27

Yeah, we'll talk about that on the next episode.

Sarah Parton: 9:29

That's a little personal I don't think we can talk about it on here I swear.

Mogan Parton: 9:33

The words were fly. Yes, they were.

SHED GAL: 9:36

And I don't say those words, oh boy, it must have been bad. It was bad.

Sarah Parton: 9:41

Yeah, so we had talked about doing, you know, opening a lot, and I've never I can't sell anything. You know, I'm not a salesman at all, but I talk to people, I love to talk and I mean it's like he said, you know, you just find something that you have in common and just open up a conversation.

SHED GAL: 9:58

Absolutely.

Sarah Parton: 10:00

And that's all it is, and you find out what they want. But so we had talked about opening up a lot and the plan was for him to get off the road, for us to open this together. Him mainly run it. He was here two days and then I think I've been here ever since yeah, all right.

SHED GAL: 10:21

Well, let's delve into that. What did you do? Why only two days? What happened?

Mogan Parton: 10:26

There's a story, okay, all right.

Bryan Parton: 10:29

It was nothing like that.

Mogan Parton: 10:32

And you know she got out.

Bryan Parton: 10:35

Her dad was sick and we had an aide, so we was able to. You know, we was riding together, so that worked out good. But, like I said, we was trying to get off the road and had a good opportunity opened up on a manufacturer's facility. They wanted to do a kind of a storefront.

SHED GAL: 10:51

Oh, that's right. That's when we started talking. Okay, all right, it's coming back to me.

Bryan Parton: 10:55

Yep, and then and the cool thing about this office, too, is me and Sarah did a lot of this work. Sarah did most of the work.

SHED GAL: 11:03

But Sarah said she did all the work and you sat around.

Bryan Parton: 11:06

But what I did?

Sarah Parton: 11:06

I screwed it up so okay, so I sent him home and then I finished it.

Bryan Parton: 11:10

Yeah but uh, we need to be honest, yeah but uh, so we started, uh, with the, the sales lot and and uh, we started kind of opening up. We had some customers come by and it was kind of slow, we were, we didn't have road frontage, but you know, we're kind of doing that. And we had some customers come by. It was kind of slow, we didn't have road frontage, but we were kind of doing that. And then she just loved it and just naturally just is like a magnet for us and she kind of took over and then I would deliver some and we'd kind of get that going. But it just kind of worked out great for us that way.

SHED GAL: 11:43

I love that and that was at a different location, and then you moved to this property when A year ago, a year ago. Okay.

Bryan Parton: 11:51

It was only three miles down the road.

Mogan Parton: 11:52

Okay, and to speak on that too, I think that's what really took off our own line as well. That really helped us out and got her acclimated to selling online because we didn't have road frontage, acclimated to selling online because we didn't have road frontage. So she really got to the point of being able to sell online, being able to post online and really, really got used to selling online versus selling a shed for us you know how to sell a shed you know we have a peanut gallery back here folks

Bryan Parton: 12:22

and we are at a lot.

SHED GAL: 12:24

Customers do come in.

SHED GAL: 13:54

So, Sarah, we were talking about getting in as a dealer, so let's go on. Tell us more about that.

Sarah Parton: 14:06

So I had quit dentistry, started riding with him and we opened the lot. He was here two days, I remember we got to that part and I did. I just fell in love with it. I never thought in a million years that I would ever be doing anything like this. I thought I would die in the dentistry field.

SHED GAL: 14:23

Die in dentistry. That sounds painful. I almost did.

Sarah Parton: 14:28

That's why I got out. Mentally it was just killing me. And I mean, when you own your own business and you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

SHED GAL: 14:37

I completely agree.

Sarah Parton: 14:37

It's amazing.

SHED GAL: 14:39

You said something earlier that I hear a lot, and we were just talking about it out there. You said I'm not a salesman, and I always try to delve into why do we do that. Why do we say that? Because, no matter what we are doing, if you're delivering a shed, no, you're not selling it. Right, you're delivering it, but you're selling yourself as far as how you present yourself and that sort of thing. So what do you think?

SHED GAL: 15:03

You know one of the employees that I had, who was, who was fabulous. He, um, he started out as a customer and we became friends and he and his wife owned a flower shop and they had split up and I, I knew he not working and I'm like personality, this is my guy and so we're meeting and you know, susan, I'm not a salesman. He used to work for one of the founders of Microsoft. He was this head airplane mechanic and so he's like I've never been in sales. And I said, well, you worked at the flower shop, right, you know, yeah, well, yeah, but the flower shop, right, you know, yeah, well, yeah, but you know I'm not, I'm not a salesman. I said, well, when some, when a customer came in the front door, did you run out the back door. This was the conversation he's like. Well, no, of course not. I greeted him. Great, we did that too Then.

SHED GAL: 15:57

Then, you know, they asked you. You know they wanted to buy some flowers and you know you told them go away. You know, no, I, I would ask them questions and, and you know, we, you know we're developing a little rapport and I'd find out. You know, oh, I'm sorry, your brother passed away and or or it's for a wedding, and we do the same thing. That's what, what we do. I said you're perfect, you are a salesman, he's like. But you know it was. But his first thing was I'm not a sales salesperson. I think that in any industry, when, when people think of this just my opinion when we think of salesperson, there's a negative connotation to it, only with people that we don't want to deal with. Most, most sales people, which we all are, are not that way. So so, own that girl, own it, oh, that's what when we started with this?

Bryan Parton: 16:53

um, I've always been the salesperson. I would sell stuff and banking is basically sales yes, it absolutely is and I told her. I said you know, my biggest thing is the way I do and like doing you know just all the time is find something in common with your customer. You can find something in common with probably the most uncommon person that you're going to meet, you're going to. You got one thing in common with somebody or something that you can talk about.

SHED GAL: 17:21

Yes.

Bryan Parton: 17:21

And that's just what I told her. I said find something in common with them. If they like to fish, you like to fish. Or if they like to knit, you like to knit All kind of stuff, you know. Just find something in common with them and get them to trust you, and then it just goes from there and we've manned the lot. So we're actually here. We man the lot, so we're actually here. We don't expect them to sell themselves. And you know, if you want to sell two sheds a month, yeah, you can do that.

SHED GAL: 17:45

just unman it you have a very good point. Yeah, yes, and.

Bryan Parton: 17:48

But we couldn't do that because we had we, you know, we were you were all in. You were all in, yes so, uh, failure was not an option. That's what I tell people sounds familiar the guy that I worked with. He was like man. He said you guys just keep on going. It'd be 20 hour days out there. But I told him. I said we got a family to feed, I got a house to pay for I said there's no option.

Bryan Parton: 18:11

I don't have no option to quit, so, um, but that's what. And um, people come to the office and we're talking about this a little earlier but we're not chasing them down or we're not just sitting in here. We've had people come in and tell us their salesperson would sit in the car and, you know, scream across the lot let me know if you need anything. So we just tell them. We say do you want us to walk around with you or do you want to walk around? And look, and they're 50-50.

SHED GAL: 18:40

I love that you actually ask.

Bryan Parton: 18:43

I absolutely love that.

SHED GAL: 18:46

I hope people are hearing that you ask, because why is that? Some people want to do it on you know they want that freedom to not and it's personal. Just ask them.

Bryan Parton: 18:57

You're talking about dropping $5,000 to $10,000 on a shed. You know, you know, just ask them. You're talking about dropping five to ten thousand dollars on the shed. Sometime you got to figure out how you're going to work the payments or how you're going to come up with that money and you don't want to talk about that in front of a stranger. So you know they can talk about that while they're walking around. I always tell them. I say you know, if you want to walk around and look, feel free, stop by if you got as we're walking. So that's worked very well for us. But, like I said, we've had stories of you know people going to other dealers and nobody even be there to ask a question. Or you know they're chasing them down, trying to force them to buy something that they're not sure. You know, know, sometimes we've had people take.

Bryan Parton: 19:41

They visited three or four times before they finally bought that shed but then they, they end up buying it and they're buying it from us

SHED GAL: 19:47

well, I don't even need a shed, and I kind of want to order one before I leave here today well, you're talking to the right people.

Mogan Parton: 19:54

That's right and you're right.

SHED GAL: 19:56

I am you know, I think it comes down to people want to do business with people they like. People want to buy. We do not want to be sold and you know there's. And then you go back to. We talk about this a lot and I work with people in this industry from all different companies and I haven't personally met a dealer that operates like you do. That has failed. Personally met a dealer that operates like you do. That has failed. The people that I hear and talk to and see, sometimes online, that are struggling are the ones that don't have regular hours or or no signage or there's nothing that sets them apart, and sometimes they're pushy and I think we as consumers can tell right off the bat if someone is genuine or not. And so you know, when you were talking it was like I'm like oh, yeah she's just you're just being yourself.

SHED GAL: 20:50

You are just being yourself. And then? So that's interesting. So let me ask you what do you? What's been the biggest challenge in? Not economy wise, that's, you know, we know, and and sales are cyclical. Things will go up and down. But what business wise, as far as starting your business, what do you see as and I'll throw out what mine was I had no processes in place. I had no help. I had no clue what I was doing. I figured it out. I looked back. I spent the first year or two putting out fires. It wasn't fun, uh, but I did it. I mean that that part wasn't fun. I loved the process, I loved the people, I love selling the sheds and but, but it wasn't fun. What it? What was your? What's a piece of advice that you can give to people out there that are that are something that you go?

SHED GAL: 21:34

gosh, if we had just done that, it would have made our lives easier, something that you could have controlled?

Bryan Parton: 21:39

I think one of the biggest things a I've always, you know, I taught our kids when growing up but just never give up, you know. If somebody tells you it can't be done, well, you know, find a way to make it happen. And I think that's what's really helped us out To me, that's one of our things is, when something doesn't work under delivery, you know something's not working one way, we'll find a way to make it happen. Or in the business, that's great, you know, if, if we see an opportunity here, we could either give up and move on or we can find a solution for it. And yes, you know I'm all about the challenge, you know, and kind of overcoming the challenges. And you know, it's like a I don't call it a game, but it's kind of fun for me. That's kind of how I like to do stuff.

SHED GAL: 22:32

yeah, that's good stuff, you have an advantage and I know what the advantage is and I think you all know what the advantage is. But I say I think every dealer should have to ride along with the hauler.

Bryan Parton: 22:43

Yeah.

SHED GAL: 22:44

Okay. I don't think the haulers probably want most. You know it feels like there's kind of sometimes them against us and that and I always made a point of building rapport with the drivers and we are on the same team. You have a huge advantage because you know how it's done. You have a huge advantage because you know how it's done. What? What advice would you give dealers that have never gone on a delivery, even if they're not riding in the truck, you know, do you think it would be beneficial that dealers take a day or two to?

SHED GAL: 23:15

why would it? Why, yeah, take a month, well, and we get caught up in that, but I have to be be here selling. I cannot take a day to go on deliveries because that's taking away. I think it's more valuable to go. But tell us why you think that it's a benefit that you had that experience. Yeah, I can speak on that for sure.

Mogan Parton: 23:35

I think a big thing for us was you know, we've hauled for a few different companies now and I think the biggest thing is listening to the, the drivers. I feel like that's a big thing. You know me as a driver. I'm not just saying that for me, but talking with a lot of the guys that we've hauled with or hauled around. I feel like a lot of the sales people are just okay. Yeah, you know, anything could, anything can be done. You have a mule or oh, they've got a transformer or a trailer.

Bryan Parton: 24:03

We could definitely get that in there for you. You are miracle workers. You really are Anywhere. Yeah, we hear that. Yeah, we heard that a lot.

Mogan Parton: 24:11

And I think, take the advice of the drivers and take it to heart and once you start listening to the drivers to an extent I know some people just complain, but I feel like you know, at the end of the day, I feel like any advice that you're given from drivers, other salesmen need to be taken into consideration and taken with a grain of salt, because some of it, you know, could be tossed to the side. But at the end of the day, you know you're better in the business, regardless of how you look at it or you could be making it worse. So, yeah, I definitely think, listen to the people around you that have the experience for sure right, and I hear that from haulers.

SHED GAL: 24:49

You know well dealers. Some dealers tell the customer anything to make the sale and I think that's probably true for a few, I think more than that it is so, and sometimes customers fib. I know that's a secret.

SHED GAL: 25:04

Don't tell anybody. Sometimes they do.

SHED GAL: 25:06

But I think the biggest portion of it is customers are excited when they're sitting in front of you and they're not taking in everything you're saying, and so sometimes they forget which blocks we recommended or they. You know that's so important. But to be cohesive as a team. It's not dealers against drivers, it's not dealers against the manufacturer. I think there are possibly in the past, maybe even today, some companies that kind of try to segregate those areas, but I would encourage them to do the exact opposite. We're all on the same team, we have the same goal and you know you're not miracle workers. You can't deliver everything. But in my mind you're heroes because your job is hard. So we're gonna now go to metal buildings a little bit. We were, we were just out here walking around. You represent steel craft. They have a beautiful product. You have some wonderful, wonderful display models. Did you sell steel from day one? Metal buildings? No, tell me about what. Why, why'd you start selling them?

Bryan Parton: 26:12

well, um, we started with a shed company and we were on their manufacturing lot selling for them. So, of course, naturally we sold wood sheds and I'm trying to think we had people just asking for carports, just started out with metal, and I think it's always and I'm always trying to I've always business minded. My college degree was business, so I was business degree from day one. Right, it's kind of who you are isn it yeah?

Bryan Parton: 26:39

So my thing is kind of the natural progression. You know, we've got wood sheds, where do we go from now? Then we go to metal, then we go to dog kennels and then greenhouses and you have some beautiful beautiful gazebos.

SHED GAL: 26:52

Out here I saw a big old lineup of. So hey, if you're around P ickins, South Carolina and you want to come by and see some really cool products, that would be a part in sheds.

Bryan Parton: 27:02

But you know, to me it was just kind of the natural progression of what we were doing. So we started out in shed hauling. So to me the next natural progression is either to grow that business and you know, at the time I was mid 40s, I'm almost 50 now, but so I was like yeah, and I was like you.

Bryan Parton: 27:25

You know you're very young to me yeah, I don't want to be doing this when I'm 50. It's hard, it is hard work, it is hard work, it's not easy, it's hard work and but, um, so that's kind of how we got into the sales part. You don't want something a little bit more, uh, less physically demanding, but to me it was kind of the natural progression. You know, as a hauler, the next step is either to grow my hauling business or to expand into sales.

SHED GAL: 27:48

Well, and what a great partnership that you can take ownership of. I'm selling it, we're delivering it Exactly. I mean, that's yeah.

Bryan Parton: 27:55

And that's this kind of. We had people asking about carports and we was like well, heck, we need to, we need to. You know, that's our next there it is we just kind of? Listen and I just kind of listen to our customers to see where our next direction is going, because if people are asking for the same thing and you don't have it, then you maybe need to look into

SHED GAL: 28:14

right, because they're going to.

Bryan Parton: 28:21

and that's what we kind of want to do more like of a one-stop shop. You know we don't want them to go other places or have to go 30 minutes down the road to find their dog kennel or their greenhouse or their chicken coop. So we want to try to be the one-stop shop for storage needs and whatever

SHED GAL: 28:46

I love that, love that. So, uh, balance wise as far as sheds compared to the, the metal buildings, is it, you know, 20, 80, 50, 50?

SHED GAL: 28:51

50 pretty much every month okay, that's spectacular, yeah, and it that varies so much by lot. I'll talk to one dealer and they're like oh, oh, nobody wants a steel building. What percentage of posts are you doing on free marketplace posts or whatever? I'm a big advocate for that, as we know. Well, I don't do any because nobody wants them. Well, we get those preconceived notions. Going back to that question about the, is there a process or something that you could have put into place that would have made your life easier, that we're gonna pass on some tidbits to help help people out there? Um, would you have jumped into more products right off the bat, or is there a process that you didn't have that you have now that you go? Gosh, that would have made my life easier. Or did you have it all figured out from day one? I did not have it figured out.

Sarah Parton: 29:45

You didn't Really.

SHED GAL: 29:46

Well, let's talk about it. No, well then, you are normal.

Sarah Parton: 29:51

You know, I mean, I was extremely new to this. I didn't have a clue what I was doing, other than after riding with him, you know, knowing how to deliver and set up and that kind of thing um. So we had to learn everything you know. So we I feel like we did it in the correct way. Like we, we learned the sheds and I learned the building of the sheds yes, the components and all that stuff and felt like I got comfortable with that.

Sarah Parton: 30:15

Then we moved on to the next thing. Um, but the biggest thing that I was going to say a minute ago is don't be afraid to take chances. Oh I love that You've got to step out of your comfort zone, which is what I'm doing right now, right here with you, and we talked about that earlier. Yeah, you have to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. You know and just go after it. I love that.

SHED GAL: 30:34

Well, and certainly going from banking, I mean that's a big step going from, you know, working at a dental office. I mean that's a huge step going into something that's new. I love the story about you know the steps on it and that's what's so fun about doing this is everybody's story is different you know, they did a podcast yesterday with a young man who you know, five years old.

SHED GAL: 30:57

His dad started building sheds. You know 12, 13. He's working there part-time. I'm just like man, this is so cool. In his head I think he's like you know, it's kind of boring, but to me I'm like that is so cool because we all have that story of so do you?

SHED GAL: 31:22

what do you feel about? You know, reaching out to people in the industry for help or sharing information, or you know what's your philosophy on that business? Wise,

Bryan Parton: 31:25

well, and it's like, too, when we said when we started how we met you, you know you were offering a 50 something page booklet 52 52 page booklet for absolutely free and not expecting anything in return, and you're sharing it with the industry.

Bryan Parton: 31:37

Um, you know, we can all help each other, we can all work with each other industry. Um, you know, we can all help each other, we can all work with each other. And, um, you know, I find, you know, in anything you can have competition, you know, and friendly competition, which is good. But, uh, you know, working together, we can all work together as well. So, um, you know, we have, like like that booklet, you know giving that thing away for free. You know, uh, product knowledge, like Sarah was mentioning yeah, in banking, that's what is huge is uh product knowledge to sell.

Bryan Parton: 32:08

Because if you've got soup, if you got a whole bunch of product knowledge on what you're selling, you're going to be able to sell comfortably and talk comfortably about it. And I've been amazed, uh, when I come in here to listen to Sarah talk to customers. She's saying she's mentioning words I've never even heard of in the shed business or metal business, that I didn't even know. She's throwing out terminology and explaining it to the customers. I was like holy cow, I didn't know, she knew all that kind of stuff.

Bryan Parton: 32:39

It's just you know product knowledge, you just dive in and learn. Don't be afraid to learn. Jump in, study their brochures, know the company. If you're going to be partners with a business, you need to know them cover to cover.

Bryan Parton: 32:53

Because if not.

Sarah Parton: 32:54

I mean, you know you've got to be comfortable to kind of get in business with them and that's one of the things that you drill into everybody, and I hear you in the back of my head all the time. Oh boy, this could go sideways real fast.

SHED GAL: 33:12

Know your product, know what you're selling, you know it's, I think, so many people get in and it isn't for people not being good people or or lack of wanting to know. I think I think industry-wide and we discuss this a lot is I think there's a lot of room for the industry to improve on training and and helping and and sharing things that work. If I'm a customer and I come in, what are some questions? A potential customer um, what are some questions you might ask me to find out why I'm here.

Bryan Parton: 35:26

I kind of ask you know, what are you looking for? I'm not trying to direct them to you know a 10 by 20 or a product of the month? We're trying to find out, we're trying to ask them questions to see what would fit their needs. You know, because everybody's got different needs.

SHED GAL: 35:46

Yeah.

Sarah Parton: 35:46

You know you need a small building.

Bryan Parton: 35:48

You need a big building. You may be trying to push a big building and somebody's only got space for a 10 by 12. And then you're trying to get them to buy a 12 by 32. Well, they don't even have space so it's not even possible that you're going to make that sale to them. So find out what they're looking for and try to fill that need. Try to fill that void.

SHED GAL: 36:07

Fantastic. So I find out what they're looking for and try to fill that need, try to fill that void fantastic. So I noticed something that you don't do. It's not I'm not being critical. I want to find out why. Because I I'm all about asking questions. There's no right, right or wrong, and you'll, you'll see me throw it up on the shed sales professionals page, the, you know, like the question of the week. Because I I'm curious, because I like to share information between dealers. I don't see pricing on your buildings and that's totally okay they're on there are they?

SHED GAL: 36:32

are they inside? Okay? Okay, all right. So then tell me, why do you put pricing on your buildings? Because some dealers don't. I want to tell you a quick story.

SHED GAL: 36:42

First, there's a gentleman, a great dealer over in Arizona, and he's like I'm not putting pricing up on my buildings and and I was over there doing training with him and in my mind I'm like well, we've always put pricing on the buildings because me, as a consumer, I like to see the pricing. It doesn't really matter, right, what I want, it's what. So I said, well, tell me more about that. And he said I want to get them in and and sit down with them and, um, you know, we'll develop the, we'll develop the pricing. I was like great, and it's working fantastic for him. And then I he also said I do not offer any sales. Well, and he does metal and and would. Uh, he says I don't, I don't discount my, my services. And I said, great, well, tell me more about that.

SHED GAL: 37:27

Because my philosophy is I liked it when the company I was with didn't offer any sales, because I would say you know, our prices are great and we keep them that way for everyone. But when we did go to the, you know having a monthly sale, or always a sale, I would have regular price in the building and then I'd say let's come in and sit down and see what discounts we can get you for. So I was really curious, his philosophy. And he said you know, I don't discount my services. And he said I just don't. And I said you know, if I was still on the dealer's side I would actually try that, because it was we can. We can learn so much, so tell us why you do put the pricing on it. What advantage do you see there?

Sarah Parton: 38:08

People like it. I mean around here, you know. People like to see what they're going to get. They like to see the sale price, they like to see the regular price. I have both. I have the regular price.

Mogan Parton: 38:18

I love that.

Sarah Parton: 38:19

So they can see how much they're saving, because in my mind, my mentality, I love a sale.

SHED GAL: 38:25

Oh, I do too.

Sarah Parton: 38:29

I, my mentality. I love a sale. Oh, I do too. I love, yes, absolutely, um, and we have. I have actually done research on when the steel company was not having a sale. We didn't get as many calls, we didn't get as many leads.

SHED GAL: 38:38

You know, but if you throw out there, hey, so doesn't that tell us that people other people also like?

SHED GAL: 38:43

sales.

Bryan Parton: 38:44

Just one word sale, yes okay, so then you, you know you didn't get as many calls. Where do your calls come from? Mainly facebook okay, are you paying for ads?

Sarah Parton: 38:56

yes, occasionally. Okay, what's?

SHED GAL: 38:58

your main? What's your main thing on facebook that you're doing fb?

SHED GAL: 39:03

Sarah's department. She owns facebook.

Sarah Parton: 39:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I have every single thing that we have on Marketplace. We have a featured building of the week that comes out from Steelcraft. I post that on Marketplace.

SHED GAL: 39:18

And I've followed your page for a couple years. Your graphics, everything it's beautiful. I mean you do an amazing job. I look back six and a half years of the stuff I post. I'm like oh my gosh holy cow. That was a picture. You learn and you grow and that's, that's what people say.

Bryan Parton: 39:37

You know she really owns facebook, but, um, a lot of people it's kind of like the uh, unmanned lot. You know, if you want to sell one build in a month, you can have an unmanned lot. You know, if you want to sell one build in a month, you have an unmanned lot. But she spends time on the advertising, even if it's free, yes, or paid, and we just recently started paying for some of those trying to boost them, get them on out there yeah but, um, and because we didn't have the budget, uh, to spend a thousand dollars a month you're speaking my language, yeah.

SHED GAL: 40:04

Yeah, I mean when I say yeah I with $44 in my account right.

Bryan Parton: 40:09

So we, you know, try to be consistent with it. But also, she spends hours a day. She probably spends one to two hours a day advertising, and every single day, not just two days a week or three days. Every single day that she's here or when she's at home she is doing advertising on Facebook. She's got 40 or 50 groups that she's here or when she's at home she is doing advertising on Facebook. She's got 40 or 50 groups that she's in. She can only post to some of those two days a week or three days a week.

SHED GAL: 40:35

Yes, because of the group rules.

Bryan Parton: 40:37

She's got a spreadsheet that she's got set up. She knows exactly when to post, where to post, what to post, but, like I said, she spends that's. Probably a fourth of her day is, uh, spent on doing those advertisements. And she's gotten better with you know. She's learning and growing. Yes, that's kind of the big thing is learn and grow with this stuff and you know you've been instrumental in that for us to help and got a lot of stuff you know from you guys and things like that you just said a word that I love consistency.

SHED GAL: 41:08

It's. You know, I've I've literally had a couple dealers say you know, I, I do posts, I don't, I, there's no reason to do it. I don't get any calls, nobody comes in. Well, number one, how many groups are you in? I'm in 10. How often do you post? Let's see. See, it's April. I think I did one back in February but it didn't work.

SHED GAL: 41:32

No one called. Well, it didn't work because people they need to see that and we know the algorithms of Facebook. I mean, facebook is a very profitable company for a reason. They, you know, as soon as we figure out that well, we'll never figure out their algorithms, but as soon as we get a hint of this is working, they're going to change it because they want us to do paid ads. I love that you're doing some of each. I do believe that that's best, and you know I can relate. I had zero budget to do paid ads, you know, and so it worked for us doing what we were doing. Now, on our side, we're going to be doing some both, and so I love that you're doing that. Do you ask people when they call or when they come in? How do you know where? Do you ask how they were referred to you or how they found you? Do you track that?

Sarah Parton: 42:27

I tell myself I need to do that daily I just start talking.

SHED GAL: 42:30

You know that's okay well it's working, we're in the conversation. There's no right or wrong, okay, yeah. So you're, you're getting that information, because I think that's important too if you're, if you're listen, if you're doing paid ads and it's driving 90 of your business up your budget, right. So being able to track that is really important.

Sarah Parton: 42:51

But you know what I found out is? I mean, we're a small town so we do a lot of local advertising. Now that we've grown we've got the budget to do it. We were talking about this the other day. We're in Durham's little convenience store down here but it's like booming. Everybody goes to it when they go to the lakes and stuff like that. Well, they do a menu. Well, we have an advertisement in the menu. Be well, honey and chickens. We have an advertisement in that menu. We have one in pizza and we like to eat around here.

SHED GAL: 43:16

I guess you can tell, yeah, you're my kind of people and that was kind of the highlight of our advertising is.

SHED GAL: 43:24

Sarah called me one day and usually we're just kind of asking each other about you know, can we do this, can we spend $500 on this? Well, she called and she said you won't believe what just happened. She said we're going to be on the tables at Pizza Inn our advertisement. I was like what? She was like, yeah, the guy come by and she said that's kind of been my goal ever since we started this to be on the table of pizza. And so now our uh, our average goals people goals.

Sarah Parton: 43:51

What's their? What's their?

SHED GAL: 43:52

best pizza they have their there's nothing bad. Okay, I love that. I love that. The chocolate chip pizza yeah, the chocolate chip pizza, it's amazing, wow, yeah.

Sarah Parton: 44:02

They have all kinds of stuff.

SHED GAL: 44:03

I'm actually glad you brought that up. So, and I'll tell you what my philosophy was, and it isn't right or wrong. I'm wondering if it's sort of the same. Yours is the same. I can't talk right now.

SHED GAL: 44:15

So we didn't do this at our Phoenix lot because it was too big of an area right, but our other lots were in smaller areas. It's really easier to advertise in those areas. And so there was a place called June's Cafe. I mean, there wasn't anybody who didn't know June's Cafe and we did the table toppers and I didn't look at it as someone is going to be eating their eggs and bacon and they're going to be like my gosh.

SHED GAL: 44:40

I got to go call the shed gal, but what I did see it as is name recognition. Is that why you're doing it? Okay, great, because I had a dealer recently who spent a huge amount of money on a 4x8 billboard at a semi-pro baseball field I mean a huge amount of money and I said what are your intentions? And he's like well, I'm going to sell a bunch of sheds from this. Oh boy, now I hope I'm wrong. Wrong, I hope he does. It is fantastic. It's. It's managing those expectations right of. Why are we doing this we're supporting a local company and we're getting our name out there for when they're there eating their chocolate chip. Was it chocolate?

SHED GAL: 45:21

chip pizza yeah, hey guys, what are we doing for?

SHED GAL: 45:27

lunch and they got a new Oreo cookie pizza. You've got to be kidding me.

Sarah Parton: 45:32

Upside down blueberry, strawberry. I'm telling you it's amazing they got good normal pizza too.

SHED GAL: 45:39

I'll go for the dessert first.

Bryan Parton: 45:40

But you know, I've found that with marketing you can burn through your budget in an instant, I mean it's yeah, it's so much.

Bryan Parton: 45:51

You know supplies, yeah, you can kind of get caught up in that. But with marketing you can burn through a budget. It don't matter if you set a million dollar budget, you can burn through that in a few days, right? So that's what and that's what I told. That's what we've talked about. We kind of wanted to have a goal, but also we wanted to kind of help people. We just got in some books. This guy come around, I think it was what $300?

Bryan Parton: 46:20

But they give out books to police stations and fire departments that if a house is burnt down or they pick up kids, they give these books out or they're absolutely free, and so our advertisement is in the front of that. There's a couple, you know, five or six on the first page, and so I kind of like us helping the community and helping children. So if it's involving children, get our name out, right, you know we don't. We don't, I couldn't tell you. We probably spend. The most. That we spend on one item is like $500 for advertising, but it's stuff like the little menus and to help kids, to help kids type organizations and things like this. They give these books out to places that maybe can't afford books and it's. It's real neat. These books are like helping kids their character, how to build their character Right, and things like that.

Bryan Parton: 47:16

So it's very conscious In their time of need.

SHED GAL: 47:19

Yes, so you're doing it with a heart of helping, yeah, and you're getting your name out there. I can't think of a better way to do it. I mean, we sell things we have to market ourselves, let's not kid ourselves. But having that giving heart, do you do any giveaways at?

Bryan Parton: 47:38

all we try to do that. We want to start doing more of that, but we haven't really done any giveaways. But when we kind of look at it, it's kind of twofold we're spending money to advertise and market, but also you know we're involved with the local rodeo. We advertise there, yes, and it's a, it's to help kids and that's what I told her. I've always been on a farm. You know if, if we had this rodeo, I'd have been doing rodeo because I always loved that as a kid right and we never had the option where they go in there and teach you as a young kid.

SHED GAL: 48:08

No, it is.

Sarah Parton: 48:11

I thought he was going to try a couple months ago he was what?

SHED GAL: 48:14

Say that again? Yeah, he was going to try.

Bryan Parton: 48:15

I was going to try to do some shoot dogging with the steers and I bought a steer not for that, but we bought a bull for the farm. Okay, and after trying to manhandle this little 300-pound bull, I was like there's no way I'm getting in there with a 600-pound steer to try to wrestle that thing and then I think he fell off his truck too didn't he?

SHED GAL: 48:39

He fell off something and he couldn't move for a few days. Okay, yeah, that ship has passed, Yep yep, it's done.

Bryan Parton: 48:46

So at this stage, the rodeo's passed, but going back, to asking people where they heard about us.

Sarah Parton: 48:52

That's kind of the point I was getting to. Some of them tell me that they don't even know, but they see me everywhere.

SHED GAL: 48:57

You know, so they can't tell us exactly. There it is. Yeah, I like to say boom, there it is.

Bryan Parton: 49:02

Yeah, it's kind of subconsciously and subliminally they feel like they know you because of your consistency.

Sarah Parton: 49:09

And, too, we both grew up here too, right? So a lot of people do know us. Yeah, they know our family.

SHED GAL: 49:16

I truly believe it's easier to market to a smaller area, especially when we're starting out. We just got hooked up with Shed Geek Marketing and it is not something that I was able to do, especially when I started out, and then I didn't know what I didn't know, so even when I could afford to utilize their services, I didn't even know it was available or how it would benefit me. I'm really excited to see how that progresses. We're going to do some things that are a little bit different than anything we've ever done in the past and I think you know, going back to that, they know you, yeah, they know you. I have had some of the craziest situations. I mean literally. I was in Cabo in December, walking into the airport and I hear someone say, oh, there's the famous shed gal. I didn't know if I should turn around or run and I had sold them a building in Hebrew Overgaard, Arizona probably have never heard of it. It's out in the middle of nowhere, beautiful little community and uh, you know, two years earlier and um, or I'd be. You know the market and like are you the shed gal? am, you know and so, but it's they feel like they know you and that's so important, you know. If there's anybody listening that can benefit of this, let them know who you are. You're wearing a really nice shirt and it happens to have your hauling company's name on it. Why don't they know who you are when you say hi, I'm Bryan? Why do you wear that shirt?

Bryan Parton: 50:40

Well, and you know, like these shirts, you know it's not, it's not. It takes us about $15 a shirt to do these, and so we do that with our hauling company. Me and him have that. y

Bryan Parton: 50:51

We've got the parting sheds that we try to wear as much as possible here, absolutely. You know it's like we walk around. We've got a Xavier Festival they have every spring here. That's today and tomorrow, but you walk around, we've got the hats. You know, you walk around and people see it and every time I go into Tractor Supply there's a guy out there and one day he's going to come buy a shed from us, but he's like I've been meaning to stop out there and look at your sheds. He said you are out near the flea market and I said, yep, that's us, come on out and see us. But he sees my hat and and that triggers him to think about sheds every time I see him.

SHED GAL: 51:26

I love that and you know I think it shows that you're proud too. Yeah, you know you're proud to represent. You know I was talking to someone last weekend that works at a place that sells a product and they said I would never refer any of my friends to come in there because the sales tactics are so shady.

SHED GAL: 51:44

And I was like oh that's horrible, but I was thinking how horrible is that? Like you're proud, I'm proud. There's no reason to not be proud of what we do. Name recognition is so important. At the end of the day, every you're a business person. We deal with businesses every single day of our lives. People know you sell stuff. You know they want your friends want to support you, but there's a lot of people that don't know you and when they see you be proud, they feel like they know you and, uh, you know. I saw the gentleman that was in here and I heard you know it wasn't his first time in. He came back because of who you are and I I think it's amazing. I and I'd love I had a t-shirt, by the way. Um, that's how I get my tips.

SHED GAL: 52:25

So you know so I, yeah, I love, I love watching your journey. Um, you're just you. You are good people. You know what are you. Uh, what's the biggest challenge like with, with a metal building? Is it, uh, you know, what do you see as a challenge in that area, you know? Or or is every sale just perfect?

Bryan Parton: 52:47

I think the the product knowledge, uh, is the biggest challenge, because there's a lot to it, but the more you know about it, because a lot of times people come in they don't know the terms for this stuff. They say you know. We always ask them would you got a picture of what you're looking for?

SHED GAL: 53:02

because they're trying to explain it oh, I like stealing that idea. I like that. Never asked a customer that before and they're trying to explain it. Oh, I like that Stealing that idea I like that.

Bryan Parton: 53:09

Never asked a customer that before and they're trying to. You know my mind works different from my wife's mind and my son's and you know all of our customers, so you know I'm thinking of one thing, and then they show me a picture and it's totally different what I'm thinking they were trying to explain to me, oh, assumptions that we make right, we make right.

Bryan Parton: 53:27

So I think the the product knowledge, knowing what we, what can be done, because I'll be talking with her about something. She's like oh, we can do that, you can do this and you know, she shows me all the configurators. But, uh, you know, just product knowledge, just knowing, and it's, it's so easy, it doesn't cost you anything, you could sit there and before you go to bed, 15 to 30 minutes before you go to bed, read the brochure, learn about your product.

SHED GAL: 53:49

You can do it anytime, anywhere it's shocking to me how many you know people that I've talked to in the industry that have never read the contract that they have customers sign, or because they they've never been taught about it so they're not comfortable, or or that they don't you know. Search out knowledge. I think it gives you, it gives you an advantage. I't you know. Search out knowledge. I think it gives you an advantage. I really you know, and I think that just ensures success. How many buildings on average do you have like the stick buildings on average do you have on your lot at any one time here?

Sarah Parton: 54:21

Typically 30 to 40.

SHED GAL: 54:23

Which is amazing.

Sarah Parton: 54:24

And that's the new buildings, but we also still repose and canals, and all those, but that's just the new buildings.

SHED GAL: 54:31

I noticed you have several beautiful greenhouses out there. Holy cow, you did some in the greenhouse. Well, you did it in the porta potty, so I shouldn't have been surprised. I'm telling you people you need to come by this lot and check out their porta potty.

Mogan Parton: 54:46

That's right, it's the craziest thing.

SHED GAL: 54:47

But we went into the greenhouse and what did I see? I saw plant starts.

Bryan Parton: 54:54

You're very creative.

SHED GAL: 54:56

Yeah.

SHED GAL: 54:56

Yeah, you did the porta potty too. No, no, no.

Bryan Parton: 54:58

She did the porta potty, I did the. He's the plant guy.

Bryan Parton: 55:04

Okay, I did the solar, I didn't even notice. I got to go back.

Sarah Parton: 55:07

Oh yeah.

SHED GAL: 55:08

So that greenhouse is really cool because when I walked in there I'm like this is what I'm thinking in my head. You made it so I can visualize how I can use this. You did the same thing with your office, porta Potty. We know how to use that, but anyway, I just thought that was you know and it's you know and you're growing some cool stuff in there too. Yeah. So, yeah, that was. That was really neat, getting people to visualize how it's going to work for them, not making assumptions, doing the regular marketing it.

SHED GAL: 55:41

My husband, he'll listen to this. Oh, he put your phone down. I said I can't, it's what makes us money. I had a friend one time stop by. He lives about a mile from one of my lots and he was going on and on and on talking to me and talking to me and it was great, except for I'm like in my head, I'm like I have so much work to do. I need to be doing this stuff. And I finally said I've got to get back to work. And he goes there's no one here besides me. And I said, oh my gosh, that's what customers think too, that we don't have anything to do behind the scenes. I said actually I'm on a break right now talking to you, and that's the same thing when I have a customer, that's a break.

SHED GAL: 56:21

My work is behind the scenes it's so fun when a customer, customer, customer comes in.

Bryan Parton: 56:27

Yeah, and we, we find ourselves in it. That's the hard part and I know a lot of good business people you know say it's it's. It's hard to find that work, uh, home balance, because we'll be at home or Sunday afternoon where we're supposed to be taking a break.

SHED GAL: 56:41

Wait a minute, I have to. I'm sorry, I have to interrupt you because I think you just spoke in French. Work-life balance Home balance or work-life balance? I don't know what that is right now.

Bryan Parton: 56:53

So sorry to interrupt. We've been on vacation before and she's talking with customers. Yes, you know, because she's been you know. But it's like we said earlier, it is what we like. We don't want to spend 10 hours a day on our vacation doing this, but we can spend a few hours because it is our passion.

SHED GAL: 57:11

And it allows you to go on vacation.

Bryan Parton: 57:12

Yeah, and people don't realize that we're on vacation, you know, with the internet and things like that. Nowadays, over the phone and things like this, people don't know where we can be. In Cabo, which I see all those pictures and I want to go to Cabo too.

Mogan Parton: 57:26

So in Cabo, which I see all those pictures and I want to go to. Cabo too. Maybe with our partnership that can be our business meeting.

Bryan Parton: 57:31

But so we kind of do that and people don't realize. Or late at night, everybody say we appreciate you getting back with us. It's 10 o'clock at night and you're sitting here answering questions. We can't necessarily get them used to that all the time, but sometimes we can do that and they really appreciate that, so make the contact.

SHED GAL: 57:53

I think really, what ensures your success is you, what I, what I'm hearing is you do things that other people don't do. You take the extra step and you're darn good people. You're consistent. I mean it's it's if you're not going to be really well you already are really successful, but you'll see continued growth. If you don't, nobody will.

Bryan Parton: 58:15

I mean literally.

SHED GAL: 58:17

And very, very interesting. What's your flash questions? What's your dream vacation? Sarah, Bora Bora, oh Bora.

Bryan Parton: 58:26

Bora. She sees these pictures of the little cabin or the little huts. Oh, she wants to stay in one of those I think I've seen one of those facebook ads.

SHED GAL: 58:35

It's almost like facebook post work, yeah that's right morgan flash question uh, what's your dream car? Wait, it's a toyotaolla, isn't it? Oh, 100%.

Mogan Parton: 58:48

Yeah, we had one of those. We had one of those I'll pass. So I'll be honest with you. I've always wanted the truck that I have now. Actually. You know, everybody wants million-dollar cars and that would be cool, but in reality, as much red mud as we have here there's no reason in having that right unless I move somewhere else.

Mogan Parton: 59:10

There's no reason to have that.

Mogan Parton: 59:11

So, uh, the truck that I have now, it's 2017 ford f450, and I've always wanted one. I've always thought you know just the size, the pure size of it, put a set of wheels and tires on it and it looks awesome, so fantastic isn't it I think and you're, and you're still young.

SHED GAL: 59:29

I'm much older, little older. I meant my dream car today is way different than it was when I was 20 25 or 30, isn't that crazy? A lot more practical, exactly.

Bryan Parton: 59:41

He's got a he's got a corvette over there that I was wanting to buy from him, but after sitting in it and trying to get out of it I was like that dream car has done past.

SHED GAL: 59:49

Yeah, isn't that funny, yeah, isn't that ironic.

Mogan Parton: 59:53

I've got two babies now, so you know single row cars don't really do too well with two babies. I've got to have four doors and a full back seat to where they're not going crazy on each other.

SHED GAL: 1:00:04

Yeah, how old are your kids now?

Mogan Parton: 1:00:08

they're not going crazy on each other. Yeah, how old are your kids now?

Sarah Parton: 1:00:11

so I've got a two-year-old she's right now two years and six months.

Mogan Parton: 1:00:13

And then my little boy.

SHED GAL: 1:00:14

He is just turned six months yesterday oh, wow well and I and I saw the kids just a couple months ago and especially with the little one. I'm sure the baby's changed a lot already.

Bryan Parton: 1:00:25

Oh, yeah, that's our first grandbaby, so we're always showing pictures. Have you seen pictures of my grandbaby? Yeah, I noticed the pictures.

Mogan Parton: 1:00:36

Yeah.

SHED GAL: 1:00:36

I think it's great. It's great. Let's see, Bryan, what can we ask you for a class? Let's turn around. What do you want to ask me? Goodness, I don't know. Put me on the spot there you know I noticed I didn't say do you want to ask me anything? I didn't want to get a no I said what do you want to ask?

Sarah Parton: 1:00:51

me see if uh sarah's got a question okay, no, you know better than that you don't have to ask me anything I usually just ask you when I think about it and I, and I appreciate that and I appreciate your. You always have an open line of communication and you have helped us succeed in this business. From day one, I was terrified to do anything like this, and the conference call that we had and just knowing that you're there, you know I'm like Susan how do I do this, or what do I do?

SHED GAL: 1:01:22

It's why I do what I do. It is and I really appreciate Thank you. I really appreciate you saying that because sometimes you know, we don't know the impact that we have.

SHED GAL: 1:01:31

Yeah.

SHED GAL: 1:01:32

Let me ask you this when do you see your business in a few years? Where do you want to go? Do you want to expand lots? Do you want to just stay doing what you're doing? Do you want to expand products?

Sarah Parton: 1:01:41

Tell me about somewhere, and we've always talked about doing that, and maybe you know morgan, morgan running it um. So we definitely want to expand new products, new locations.

Bryan Parton: 1:01:53

But I don't want to.

Sarah Parton: 1:01:55

I would love to be able to have a little more free time, but I can't ever see myself not being involved.

SHED GAL: 1:02:02

Right, I think it's hard for me to let go. I think what this industry has done for me is what it's also done for you. I didn't know what the opportunity was and it's just I can't believe that not even seven years, and here I am sitting with you on the Shed Geek podcast, getting to interview you. I mean I had no idea. Just the opportunities. It's going to be so fun to watch you on your journey. I want to thank you all for for I mean, sarah begged me to come on this podcast. I was like gosh, I don't know, I don't know, you know, but I said you know, I'll do it, I I'll, you know, I'll come out there and do it but I do I truly want to thank you.

SHED GAL: 1:02:44

You're just just fabulous people. Anything else you want to add?

Bryan Parton: 1:02:49

I think the biggest thing is in anything, any type of business, it don't matter if it's sheds or cars or what, but just treat people the way that you would want to be treated, and that's how I try to. If I'm out delivering a shed, I try to set up the shed the way I would want it set up in my own yard.

Bryan Parton: 1:03:08

It's a great way to do business, yeah and when people come here and we're talking with them, I try to treat them or respond and talk back with them. Because if you think what? If you're talking to a business and at 10 o'clock at night you can tell it's a person responding instead of just a robot canned speech, you know you're? You're like wow, those people are really dedicated to it. Or you know, when I'm here, we're here 10 to 1 on saturday and it's 1 30 and people's like, oh, you gotta go. I said hey, I own this business, so I'll stay here until the customers.

Bryan Parton: 1:03:41

If I want, yeah, but you know, and I said you know, and I said you know it's my business, so you know it's crucial to our success of doing these things. Because if I was to, you know sometimes the 9 to 5 jobs at 5 o'clock or 5.15, you're ready to bust out the door.

Bryan Parton: 1:04:00

Or your employer forces you out Exactly, it doesn't matter if there's a line, you know, line of people and you know, here this is our business, so the success is up to us. But we don't want to just run out the door at 1 o'clock or whatever. So I've been here for two hours. I've been here until 3 o'clock, two hours past, when we closed, because people were still here, yeah, and not because I was wanting to make the sales, but you know people's coming in. I want to talk with them.

SHED GAL: 1:04:31

You want to take care of them? Yeah, and I think to feed off of that too.

Mogan Parton: 1:04:34

I think a big thing that you know customers tell me all the time because I get to talk to the customer after the sale.

Mogan Parton: 1:04:40

So yeah, so a lot of times, you know, nobody knows that I'm the son, until I get there and I introduce myself and oh you, you're akin to them and yeah, I'm the son. And you know, a lot of times, you know, they'll tell us straight up like oh well, it was a pleasure working with them and we really pride ourselves on being able to sit across the table from you or being out there talking with them or at the setup. We pride ourselves on, like you said, treating people how we want to be treated and genuinely caring about people versus all right, we need to make this sale, all right, we need to get this set up, and then we're never going to talk to you again. We're not those people.

SHED GAL: 1:05:18

And you never will be Exactly, you never will be.

Bryan Parton: 1:05:26

And I've actually quit telling people that he's my son, because when I say my son and they've never met me face-to-face, they don't know I'm nearly 50 and he's 25 years old. They're thinking, you know, in their minds I'm sitting here, thinking they must think he's like a 14-year-old kid going to come out and deliver.

Bryan Parton: 1:05:39

They don't know. He's 25 years old. So a lot of times I don't say that until, or I say my driver's my son, you say that until, or I say my driver's my son. Yeah, yeah, you know morgan will be coming. You know, said to me because they think I'm showing up and I was like no, I'm not showing up from the customer's perspective.

Mogan Parton: 1:05:52

You know I'll tell them oh yeah, I'm, you know they own the business, and then I drive with them and whatnot. And a lot of people sit back and say, well, are you going to call your dad for help? And I'm like, I'm like, yeah, I mean I could, if I needed. You know the machines do all the work. You know I control the machines, tell them what to do and they do all the work.

Mogan Parton: 1:06:10

And being modest, he's amazing To all the shed people out there if you don't have a mule, get a mule Makes life a lot easier, for sure.

SHED GAL: 1:06:23

Well, I have to tell you I'm so glad that you reached out a couple years ago. I am so impressed with who you are, your business, I'm so proud of you. I can't wait to just continue being your friend, most importantly, and watching your journey. So I'd like to thank you all for tuning in to this week's Shud Geek podcast.

Mogan Parton: 1:06:47

And thank you, thank you very much. Thank you for being here.

SHED GAL: 1:06:51

Hey, this is Mo Lunsford in sunny Union Grove, N north Carolina, and we want to say thank you to all the guests and listeners.