In the Loupe
In the Loupe
Buy Like a Guy ft. Andy Koehn
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Mike sits down with retail jeweler and podcaster Andy Koehn to talk about why many men feel lost in jewelry stores and what actually helps them buy an engagement ring with confidence. We get into meaning over metrics, why the story matters more than the 4 Cs, and how a simple book became an unexpectedly powerful tool for earning trust and closing sales.
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Welcome Back And Guest Intro
SPEAKER_02Welcome back, everybody, to In the Loop. What is up, everybody? My name is Michael Burpo. Thanks again for listening to In the Loop. This week we're back. Sorry about the quick break last week. I had a short week and I was also kind of sick. Uh, we are back with Andy Kane with the Buy Like a Guy podcast. It's pretty cool. I've actually listened to Buy Like a Guy um for a few years now. Um, every year I probably would listen to at least one. And Ross was mentioning it to me and he was like, hey, you know what? You should reach out to this guy. He's really interesting, and he has a podcast about the jewelry industry as well. And I wanted to get a chance to speak with him. He's also a retail jeweler, so he offers a really unique perspective to the podcast world where I don't know anything I'm talking about. He seems to. And it's just a really cool conversation to uh talk about the buying habits of uh typically men and kind of what you can do as a retailer to um kind of address those and set the concerns aside and also convert more. And he also wrote a book which is uh really impressive. It's all about um you know selling engagement rings or buying engagement rings. So I think it's a really fun conversation. I hope you enjoy.
SPEAKER_00This episode
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SPEAKER_02Great,
Why Buy Like A Guy Exists
SPEAKER_02Michael. How are you? I'm doing so well. So exciting to get a chance to speak with you. Uh, whenever I have a guest on, I always, you know, do some research and do like a little deep dive on them. And uh yours was one of the more interesting ones because I got to listen to a podcast and I love podcasts. So uh you've been running uh the Buy Like a Guy podcast for um quite a while. Can you kind of maybe set up what the the main focus of that podcast is?
SPEAKER_01Uh yes, absolutely. And by the way, you're really good at what you do, Michael. Thank you. Um so yeah, I started that podcast because I noticed that a lot of this, you know, I used to work on the floor a lot. So I was I was behind the case. And there were just, you know, repetitive questions that came up. And I thought, you know, instead of re-answering it every single time, why don't I just record my answers? And that's kind of how it was born. And it was definitely um it's it's uh guy centric. And if I may, I I I will say it's because so much of our industry, in my opinion, uh just treats men like they're idiots. And and men are definitely not idiots, they just don't know about this realm. And and as I say to guys, like they only they don't care until they do. And then when we care about something, we just want to know it, and then we move on. We move on to what we to what we know, what we like, what we're comfortable with. So um I just have always I I just I've noticed over the years, I've been doing this for 34 years, but I really noticed the guys disappearing from the marketing materials, the training, and you know, it's just it's an evolution, right? Um, but they've they've disappeared. And it's not because I I just felt like someone needed to be talking directly to a guy, you know. I'm not trying to keep out other people, you know. I'm as inclusive as the next. I just wanted to to focus specifically on the guy who came out of the, you know, from building a home, comes in, feels feels really stupid walking into a jewelry store. Yeah. And and I was like, well, I just need this guy to feel like, you know, someone just needs to talk man to man to this guy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, or like feel welcoming. Just because I I sometimes find that uh the marketing is like directed at usually women, directed at women, and then it's like the last sentence of it is like, oh, and like, and tell your husband, you know, like to come to come buy this. And I I kind of feel like I don't know, it sort of feels like like we're kind of like uh, you know, an afterthought, or we're just like a little walking around credit card. And I sort of feel like maybe if you market to the guys, maybe like they would sort of um, I don't know, feel more in the driver's seat, but maybe that's not the case.
SPEAKER_01Uh you know, yeah, I I could not agree with you more. And and you know, I even say it, I know we'll get to this, but I say it in my book, to the guys, like you're more than just a wallet, you're not a walking wallet, man. You have an opinion, and guys are afraid to give their opinion because they don't know. It's like um, and and you know, how much do we actually care? Some. I mean, you know, but it's like we want her, we I say this all the time. Uh, we want, you know, to give her something that we're proud to give her and that she's proud to wear. So we do have an opinion, but of course, we definitely want to know, you know, what is her, you know, traditionally her um, what is what does she want? And then as the guy, I'm like, I'll get it for you. I will provide that for you.
SPEAKER_02I'll provide. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's quite an interesting thing though, because I've done these um these interviews in the past, which are um, I call them let's talk with ring buyers. And I've done, I think six or seven over the years, and uh, I've done them for every men buying for men, men buying for women, women buy for women. I've done young buyers or second buyers or um getting a custom ring. But what's so fascinating, all the different variables you can throw into the mix, what does it all come down to? They just want uh to create a ring that is representative of their love and that will not get laughed at. And I feel like that kind of boils down to they just want to be proud of what it is that they provide. And I think that uh sometimes jewelers get too caught up in their own sauce. They think they're so uh they like want like like the I get it. The four C's are as important as an as to the next person. But sometimes it's like, don't even muddy the waters. Let's like, let's talk about what is actually important to this person. And that's what I've tried to strive for is like, I'm not a jeweler. Let's talk about what how the sales process went. And you'd be surprised. They don't talk, they don't, they don't sometimes even know the numbers for these diamonds. A lot of times they're just like, yeah, it's uh ring with a with one diamond. It's like, oh, what kind of cut? And they're like, I don't know. But it's like they're proud of it and they still feel good about it. And I think that that's just so um at the heart.
SPEAKER_01I know I make people in you know, contemporaries in the business who are whom I think are great people. I will say that too. I independent jewelers are like freaking hardworking people, risk takers. Um, and uh, but I'm not the kind of guy that even I think the four C's are are just planted on people. Like we're gonna make you believe it's really, really important in the final purchase. Sure, it affects the price and all that, but uh, I'm just uh I'm a guy, and I went to GIA, but I'm a guy who's like, ah, dude, don't even ask it if you don't care. I mean, because that's why I'm always like get to somebody who does know, right? The podcast, the book, all of it is look, there are professionals out there. If I need to have um, I I had to replace a part of the faucet on our kitchen sink, right? And I did the YouTube video, and then I'm like, this is so out of my league. I know it's someone who knows how to do it, very simple, but it's like, well, I'm calling a plumber, man. And and then he can tell me what he's gonna do, or I just wanted to work, right? And then here's my options. That's what I would like, but not everyone's like me. I'm I'm just a I'm the anti-do-it-yourself guy. I'm like, find someone that knows what they're doing, pay them, and then I can do what I do well, and people can pay me. Yeah. Um, so so I just think a lot of that stuff, uh, uh guys and and women too feel like they need to know about those. And I'm like, eh, here's a little bit, but you really don't need to find someone who's really gonna guide you in the right direction, go to them, uh, connect, let them do that part for you, let them serve you, right? That's cliche. But um, boy, and I look, I've gotten letters, I've gotten emails from guys who said, that's really nice, but how do I find this person, right? And so then I give them a quick answer, but but anyway, I'm getting off track. But um, it's all right.
SPEAKER_02I think
Watches Bourbon And Other Topics
SPEAKER_02so. You in a couple times you mentioned in your podcast, so like buy like a guy isn't you are a a retail jeweler, however, it's not exclusively about buying a ring, it expands to beyond jewelry to um other what I might consider traditionally masculine. However, you know, things are changing all the time. But you were at some points you talked about, I think about whiskey. But um, what else does that expand to you know, for by like a guy to uh include?
SPEAKER_01Jewelry, so it started obviously it started with jewelry, but after like 80 some episodes talking about jewelry, I was like, wow, this is now I really gotta dig deep to running out of jewelry. I'm I'm I'm seven years into this thing. Yeah. So then I went to watches, which is is a really and I've had some cool watch guests on. Yeah. And then I'm like, oh geez, you know, uh bourbon, you know, I I'm really intrigued by bourbon. So I had a bourbon guy come on. Cool. Um, and this is a little bit dicey, but I had a gun guy come on because there are guys who want to know how to buy a gun. Yeah. And it should expand out from there, but I still have this day job. And uh honestly, I'm getting geeked about it again, just talking to you about it. I'm like, oh my God, there's so much out there that it'd be nice to, I mean, even the bourbon world alone and watches alone could be a whole season, right? Could be a whole year.
SPEAKER_02Watches are such a cool industry, too, because I feel like they're it, it's almost like the rules of jewelry sometimes it's almost like they're suspended. Like they don't, they don't always apply. Where it's not just about uh a lot of times when it comes to uh to jewelry, it's like how much material is in this thing? What is the market price of the gemstones and the stones and things like that? And then, like, yes, there's a little bit of markup, but uh you know, uh on top of it for like the craftsmanship and everything like that. But in the end, like what are you paying for? It's a lot of times it's the material and the brand sometimes. Um, but same thing with watches, it's like it's not as much about the material, like a lot of the times it's about no, it's while it works, but it's also like the brand, but it's also like how cool are they, how durable are they? There's a lot more rules to or um uh variables to it, and I I find that really inspiring.
SPEAKER_01I I think the watch world is fascinating. I mean, it is, and it's it's not an easy I mean, it's easy to get one, it's easy to enter, but geez, how do you know? You know, I mean, like just I I started with like looking into Rolexes, and then and that is just a world unto itself. And then I had a guy on, his name is Tim Jackson, amazing guy. He knows so much about the independent watch industry where these small uh companies make maybe a hundred watches a year, and it's like wow, that's crazy. And and and and that I find so like maybe the workmanship of it is just really, really cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so in the fact that they like are just these little machines. I think that there's something um like I've always found them to be like the closest thing to magic that humans have ever created is like uh have you ever seen a you know, those watch cogs that are like the size of like a grain of sand? Like they're incredible. And how do you time it out? Yeah, I have no idea. It's so funny. They created watches like hundreds of years ago, and I still don't really know how they work. Same thing with a zipper, but I mean that goes beside the point.
SPEAKER_01I know how Velcro started.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, from Burr's, right? Everyone does, yeah. Yeah, that's so cool. But at the same time, what sort of things um I've learned a ton of things through the podcast, but I almost keep myself um intentionally a novice, if that makes any sense. Granted, I am a novice, but it's almost like I would love to be in the seat of a of a student. Um, I can only imagine you've learned quite a bit as well. Um, is there anything that you've like you've you you might have learned through your podcast?
Meaning Over Materials And Metrics
SPEAKER_01This is not jewelry related or watch related, but I've learned how important the definitely the story behind the piece is. And the story begins with the client when they get it. And then the and then so so to talk about all the materials and the workmanship and all of that, that's great. But I think it's I think my favorite part about all of it is what does it go, where does it go from there? So for example, a guy gets a wedding band, and and and that wedding band is with him through the ups, the downs, the fights, the babies, the all of the things. And so it's not like we sit and ponder our wedding bands, but but there's a lot of um power in that band when you see it on a finger, or when I look at mine and the scratches and all that other stuff, you know, it is important what it's made of, but boy, that's just kind of the leaping off point for like the person who ends up acquiring it. And then you fast forward and go, because life is fast, it goes so fast, and then you fast forward and you go, Okay, uh, I'm leaving this world and and what I've left behind, um, you know, maybe people keep books, maybe they but they don't keep shoes and clothes and glass, but they keep the jewelry, yeah. And and the jewelry is such a great uh tie to that previous person that that we that we knew, and it doesn't replace them, but it sure is a great material touchstone to what to you know, and I I so so while it's easy to get lost in the money of jewelry and and I want to sell shit, it's I think it's really, really important to remember why we're doing it. And it's just almost sounds cliche, but it's where the meaning is for me. And so, so why is the the podcast or the book even exist? Well, because I don't want someone to overthink the materials, I'd rather they they remember why they're doing it in the first place.
SPEAKER_02That's a great way to kind of summate it. Uh, I've had a really interesting experience over these past bunch of years in talking to retailers. I find whenever you talk you get like a little bit deeper with uh with a jeweler, you see their love of jewelry kind of show up. And I'm like, oh man, this is so cool! Like, yes, we're all talking about SEO and friggin' A guy and all that kind of stuff. And sometimes, like, it's like so much noise in the room. But then when you just strip it all back and you talk to a jeweler, oh my gosh, like they are still so passionate about it. Like you ask them, you know, what's a memorable sale that you've made? And they could tell you one from literally last week where they sold it to, you know, um a baptism gift or you know, so and they just have them ready to go. And I still that's why I'm still thinking like in a weird world where technology is changing all the time, I do feel like jewelry is kind of here to here to stay. I think it's gonna be here for a while.
SPEAKER_01I I would argue it's a necessity. I think I even have an episode about that. I I do, in fact, I do believe jewelry is a necessity. It's it's sold as a versus a luxury. Wow. I think it's a necessity.
SPEAKER_02Can you can you make your uh take your stance on that? I would love
Jewelry As Art And Human Need
SPEAKER_02to. I've always argued that at its core principle, it is a luxury. Um it is uh is a want, not a need. But I guess I did just say that that's kind of isn't the case.
SPEAKER_01Uh to me, it's like it's like art or music or fine literature or whatever. You know, we we we tend in this world, we really like to boil things down to spreadsheets and dollars and measuring. And the most important things in life are immeasurable. And I think jewelry to, you know, like we said, you know, you provide it. There's a there's a certain um we cannot enunciate what it means to give it, and the receiver can't enunciate what it really means to receive it, and and those are the things that are beyond our minds, and I think our lives without those things really are pretty boring or awful. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But no, right on the ADK talks. Yeah, well, I think that's so fascinating. That is uh a nice way to frame it. I've always just felt that yeah, why what is the difference between art and jewelry? I guess I don't really have the have the words to kind of take that stance. I'm a um and it I call consider myself a semi-professional watercolor painter. Um, that's my you know second career on the side. And but the same thing with with art, I always joke that like there's no um, there's no magic in the paper, man. It's it in the end, it's just a piece of paper with pigment on top of it. And uh, I hope you enjoy it. But at the same time, it's the closest thing to alchemy that we have. I take paper and I take pigment and I turn it into, you know, hopefully a lot of money. And the same thing with jewelry is like, um, yeah, like with watches, you're taking steel, which could be, you know, could be rebar that you put in the inside of your house, and you're making these tiny little cogs that work together and tell time, and you charge a lot more money as opposed to the materials. So yeah, I think that there is like kind of like probably it's the human element.
SPEAKER_01Again, it sounds so cliche. I'm just probably repeating things I've heard over the years, but oh, I love it. Let's get into it. It must be that, it must be that. Like it encapsulates, like we don't think of the person making it, you know, but ultimately a human being made it like like it's okay. You're an artist. I've seen these freaking videos of oh, look at how this water jet from AI can can create this sculpture. And you're like, Well, what the hell is that? Who who cares? Like, like isn't it much cooler to to have this person who spent, you know, I read things about Michelangelo and and hundreds, thousands of hours. It's incredible, yeah, it's incredible. And it's like, well, there's deep meaning in that somehow. Um so maybe I don't know, maybe it's this again, it's it's inexplicable, but um, yeah, I'm glad to hear most jewelers feel the same way. I I do believe that because I've been at bars with them after the shows, and that's what we talk about. We first we talk about money and then money and business, and then we talk about the cool art. Two, three drinks in, we like, oh my god, you should have heard yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So and I love that. And that's one of those those parts. Uh, there's these weird aspects of the jewelry industry that um every time I bump into them, I am so pleased that they still exist. One of them is how remarkably transparent retailers are amongst each other, that there's uh a real seeming lack of uh gatekeeping for a lot of people when it comes to not just business marketing and strategy, but like also just what trends like, hey, what are you selling a lot of? What are you selling a lot of? Yes. But also I find um that jewelers just really like jewelers. And I think that's part of the reason why why we're all here is because if this was just a day job, um, I don't know. I think that it would it's pretty hard. I feel like there's easier ways to make money than than just in jewelry, but I guess that's that's that's just my thoughts.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, you're uh you're you're right. And I mean it's it's it's the best and worst job in the world, you know. We're very lucky. I think we all again at the end of the night, when it's last call, we all agree, uh, wow, we have a great, we we are working in a great profession. And I think I I definitely know that we know it. And it's funny because when you said that, I'm like, it's it's weird that that jewelers have this reputation of ripping people off.
SPEAKER_02And it's like, shit, not the ones I know, the ones I know are given great deals and they they throw in free stuff and they want experience to feel white love. Yeah, I know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's amazing. And it doesn't matter if they if they have a $20 million store or a $200,000 store for the most part. It's just like, no, I just really want my clients to love me, and I'll here's how I'm gonna do it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
Sponsor Stratus Estate Buyers
SPEAKER_02But Andy, we're gonna take a quick break, and when we come back, I want to hear about your book and how it's um influenced your store. So everybody, stay with us. This episode is brought to you in part by Stratus Estate Buyers. Partner with Stratus Estate Buyers to host a turnkey buying event that brings new customers through your doors at no cost to you. Their estate buying events are designed specifically for jewelry stores looking to increase foot traffic, create immediate revenue, provide free advertisement featuring your store. They handle the entire process from marketing to on site evaluations and transactions, and follow up with detailed marketing data to capitalize on long term value. They invest in private. Marketing in your local market, so like full page advertisement in newspapers, postcard mailers, social media, that kind of stuff. All branded with your store. This drives qualified customers directly into your showroom and introduces them to your store. During the event, their experienced buyers work directly with your customers in a professional, transparent environment, and they evaluate and purchase jewelry, watches, coins, estate items, all on site, giving customers a safe and convenient place to sell. Best of all, their partnership is designed to be low risk and easy to execute. They bring the buyers, they bring the customers, and they handle the logistics. Email sales at Stratus Estate Buyers.com. That's Stratus S-T-R-A-T-U-S Estate Buyers.com or call 888-898-2112 or visit Stratusestate Buyers.com to learn how to book your buying event today. Thanks and back to the show.
The Book That Converts Ring Buyers
SPEAKER_02Alright, everybody. Still speaking with Andy Kane from Buy Like a Guy. So Andy, you are a retail jewelry. Where are you based out of, if you don't mind me asking?
SPEAKER_01We are in a beautiful little town called West Bend, Wisconsin. It's about 30 minutes north of Milwaukee.
SPEAKER_02Oh, super cool. And I was just telling you before we jumped on the podcast, I'm a big uh Gloom Bay Packers fan. So uh that's really cool. And I wanted to ask, so uh you wrote a book. You're um an author. And it sounds like Buy Like a Guy, your book, and being a retail jeweler um all sort of go hand in hand, similar kind of um past experiences and flavor. Could you talk about your book and and um what prompted you to write it?
SPEAKER_01Sure. So so the book is called The Inappropriate Guide to Buying an Engagement Ring. And again, it is definitely targeted at men, although anyone can read it. Um, and the way it started is I had uh a woman working here, and she was she came to me one day and said, Hey, can you like write down the things that you say when you're with a client because they just sound so good and I want to I want to talk like that? And I'm like, Yeah, sure, no problem. So uh I started writing it uh down, and I'm like, okay, this has just gone from a sales manual to a book that anybody could read. Oh, cool. Um, and the title came because you know, I don't know if you write, but when you write, you gotta go, yeah, go like free form, right? Like any everything you're thinking should just fly into that page. Yeah. Like, oh man, some of this stuff's really inappropriate. I don't know. And I'm like, oh, okay, that's what I'm gonna call this. Yeah. Um, and so it's it's basically my way of telling, you know, well, like it says, how to buy an engagement. If a guy's sitting and I I did, I was talking to this guy sitting next to me, but he, you know, here, because it it does happen, right? They they go, oh, you're a jeweler. Okay, so so all right, how what's the best way to buy a ring? You know, what should I do so I don't get ripped off? And I'm like, first off, no one's out to rip you off. Second off, buy me a beer and I'll tell you. And so that's so that's sort of the the the little journey that's in the book, is I'm like, okay, we're four beers in. Now I'm gonna tell you this part. Um, it's only 85 pages long, um, and it's it's there's not a whole lot of fluff. It's very direct guy-to-guy talk, and uh it's been well received.
SPEAKER_02That's super cool. And was the the process of writing it um must have been at least entirely formed from your experiences of like um having these kind of conversations with men. Um, did you is was this while you were making your podcast or before?
SPEAKER_01Um it was it was during. So and and a lot of the material came from like I was like kind of looking back. So again, you're a podcaster, right? I don't so yours is very unscripted. Mine is just me, and so I have to have it, I have to write it out first, right? Interesting. So for me, when I was when I sit down to do a podcast, um, if I have a 10-minute podcast, which is long for my podcast, um, I bet you I have eight hours, nine hours of writing. And so I had all that material. That's a lot of writing. Yeah, so I took all that stuff. Well, you know, because you gotta edit. Yeah, you gotta get it down to that however long. I told you I'm long-winded, you should see me writing. Uh so so uh so yeah, so I had all that stuff, and I'm like, I'm gonna start compiling this into this book. So I so so I did have a lot of it, you know, in place, and then I just really had to edit it down to the book, and then I think again, it's what do you leave out is more important than what you leave in. Um, so yeah, so I did it uh based, you know, it's really loosely based on the podcast and then compiled into one thing.
SPEAKER_02So so and you were telling telling me that you used it as like almost like a um like a leave behind or like a sales tool. Uh so how did it fit into your like your engagement ring selling process?
SPEAKER_01Like where here's how that happened. I just wrote it because you know, everyone wants to write a book. Maybe you've said to yourself, someday I'm gonna write it off, right? Yeah, yeah, for sure. So I'm like, all right, fine. Uh this wasn't the book I expected to write. That's coming out later this year. No, um, so this isn't the one I expected to write, and I wrote it, fine, it's on Amazon, and then it's so then I get like the copies for families and friends, and they're sitting on my desk. And then I I'm listening to one of my salespeople. She's talking to this guy. He's like, Okay, uh, cool, I'm gonna think about it. Every jeweler has heard that. All right, let me think about it. I'm like, I'm gonna go get a book. So I went, so I went, ran upstairs, got the book, gave it to him, and said, Hey, this might help you. And he sees the title, he laughs. Yeah, he's like, Ah, cool, man. Thanks. You know, it's like this cool gift. So he leaves, and I'm like, like, this is a far better marketing tool. That's not how it started than any business card, any brochure I could have handed that guy at the moment. Yeah, so um, you know, he comes back four days later. He actually read it. Whoa, I know. Most guys do not read it, they take it, but they don't read it. Um, but anyway, he came back, he's like, this was amazing. He's like, and I felt so good because he's like, I laughed. I'm like, oh, good, because some of the jokes are a little bit dicey. He's like, no, dude, it's perfect. Um, so anyway, that's that's how that was born. And ever since then, um, that's where I was like, that was a light bulb moment. I'm like, well, why aren't we just giving this to every every legit person who's like, we've made some headway. Yeah, they're gonna leave. How about we leave with them?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Oh, wow. And you know what? It's such a talk about you know, a leave behind. I mean, you get a a business card, you know, everybody has business cards. It might end up in the trash like as they're walking out the door. But a book, probably a lot less likely to lose it. And even if you don't read it, you definitely kind of like feel like you should read it. And I think that talk about just a really solid leave behind. I think that's really it is incredible.
SPEAKER_01It's an incredible gift that we found. No, uh secondly, um, they don't even know I wrote it. Like I'm not on the floor anymore. The girls just give it and and and I I watch it, I hear it, they're just like, ah, thanks, you know? And and they don't throw it away. Eight eight out of nine guys don't read it, but doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter. It's not the point. And and those that do, um, definitely come back.
SPEAKER_02So have you ever done like a cost analysis on that of like, you know, cost per book, per um conversion, and see how much money it costs to convert one sale?
SPEAKER_01I have. Oh, you have? That's uh I wish I had that number at my it's on my I have a buy like a guy website and I put it right out there for jewelers. I have a little jeweler section there. Um the risk the return rate is like the ROI is something like twenty-five thousand percent or something like that. It's just like well, for all the things we spend on marketing, right? Um just to get them in the door, then then we have their time with them. I mean, I think the book costs a jeweler like 10 bucks, which sounds like a lot of money, but please, what's the average engagement ring going for? And and and and to set yourself apart. I know I'm getting preachy because I I just I noticed it working, and I'm like, okay, this doesn't say come to my jewelry store. This says whoever literally in the first few pages it says if you if you're reading this now, the person that gave it to you is your guy. This is your guy to go buy the ring from. And and so, so but that that goes along with my buy like a guy thing. I just feel like it's for all independent jewelers. I I think our industry, we we already talked about it. Great people. That's if someone's gonna buy a ring, it needs to be from a a solid independent, it does not need to be from a big box. I'm sorry if you deal with them, but um, I love indies.
SPEAKER_02Me too. I think that that's who we're fighting for. That's who uh that's at least the the side I like to fight for. And um, I think that's a really uh a cool leave behind idea because uh we've done different, various different leave behinds in the past, and uh I think that there is something to be said about like you know, a really solid one that kind of sticks with you. It's not until you go to, if you've ever been to JCK, you go to JCK and they have those uh like giant billboards or pop-ups or whatever in the lobby of um of the of the of the casino when you're going in and it just says like buy these diamonds. Do you know how much those things cost? It cost like a million dollars or $750,000 for that banner. And it's just like you know, it and that's just for the chance for you to think of them when it comes to buying your diamonds. And then it's just like, yeah, giving someone a book, having something, worst case scenario, it they feel worse, uh, you know, about not reading it. And then maybe they'll come back and in the future and get their engagement ring, or or maybe not, maybe an anniversary um gift.
SPEAKER_01So that's really we found it rich sweet. We love it. It's it's just um again, accidental. I feel I feel really braggadocious. I'm not trying to say that. It's just um, you know, you find something great and you just want the world to know about it. Like, you got this. Look, look what I discovered. Heck yeah.
SPEAKER_02Hey, sometimes you know what? I'm I'm I'm that way. Sometimes I like I I make a nice painting and I'm like, you know what? I really want some people to see this. And it's like, I'll send it to some of my friends. I'm just like, hey, isn't this cool? And it's like, it's not bragging, it's just you know, sometimes we need a little bit of uh well, creatives are not the best self-promoters, that's for sure. That's for sure. Yeah, amen.
Links Ratings And Final Goodbye
SPEAKER_02Um, Andy, if people want to learn, let's just start with uh with with the book. Where would they go if they wanted to learn more about your book or maybe even grab a copy themselves?
SPEAKER_01So yeah, I put up a site just for this. Honestly, it's it's at uh the inappropriate guide.com.
SPEAKER_02The inappropriate guide.com. Love that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I have some stats up there. Um and and again, it's it's just really fun. And and I I have a uh a book that I would recommend to everybody. It's called uh Get Different. It's by Mike McHallowitz. And and it just so happens that after I had this book, I'm like, oh cool, I have this. And it's like, how do you stand out as a retailer these days? I guess some of these gigantic stores really help. Um but even at that, man, even at that, it just isn't it's how we started this too. It's person to person.
SPEAKER_02I agree. And and you know what? So speaking of person to person, if people were interested in um hearing your podcast, um buy like a guy, uh, where would they go?
SPEAKER_01You can go anywhere you listen to podcasts, it's on Spotify, Apple, just go to buy like a guy and pop up. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, thank you so much, Andy. I really appreciate your time. It's uh it's really cool to be across from a podcaster. Not many. I've you know that I'm creeping up on 300 episodes, and I don't know if I've interviewed any podcasters. So you get to be in rare air. So um I really appreciate your time. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you are again, I'm gonna repeat this. You're really good at this.
SPEAKER_02Oh, thanks. Thanks, Andy. And you know what? If my boss is listening, you heard it here. So I appreciate you all. Absolutely. Turn make that louder. I appreciate that. Thank you again. Um, everybody, we'll be back next week, Tuesday, with another episode. Cheers. Bye. All right, everybody. That's another show. Thanks so much for listening. My guest this week was Andy Kane with the Buy Like a Guy podcast. Make sure you check him out in the show notes below. This episode was brought to you by Punchmark and produced and hosted by me, Michael Burpo. This episode was edited by Paul Suarez with music by Ross Cochran. Don't forget to rate the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and leave us feedback on punchmark.com slash loop. That's L-O-U-P-E. Thanks, we'll be back next week, Tuesday with another episode. Cheers. Bye.
