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Where we've been and where we're headed: Episode 51
142 Plays3 months ago
Nate and Kyle have finally made it back home from ATA in Florida and Event Essentials in Madison for an ARA of IL and ARA of WI event. They give you the highlights of the shows, the culture and morale at Event Essentials, and the importance of industry engagement through live shows. They also share emotional moments from the events, what to look forward to at The ARA Show, and more.
This episode is brought to you by Anchor Tents & Clear Spans. Learn more at www.anchorinc.com.
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Transcript
Introduction and Tailgate Talk
00:00:19
Speaker
And we're back again with another episode of Under the Vinyl, a rental management media podcast. Today, we got a nice tailgate talk for you. And as always, I got my buddy Kyle. Kyle, how you doing, bud?
Event Recap and Challenges
00:00:30
Speaker
I am i'm alive. It's been a long nine, ten days that you and I have been together.
00:00:37
Speaker
It's kind of weird not seeing you person this morning. Man, I will say it was probably nice to not see you this morning because I felt like if I was with you, then I had to be doing something or be working of some sort. So um we had a good, i think we had a good run there. Of course, started at ATA. What was it? I don't even know day. felt like I said that all week long. I didn't know what day it was. It was constant trying to figure out what day it was i had no clue from the moment we landed. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it was it was great, though. I think we had a good good show. Everybody pitched in together on the board to get everything together, even the ramp. The ramp was a little bit of chaos to get built, but we got it done. Thank you, Bill Jacks, for the ramp.
Acknowledgments and Sponsors
00:01:24
Speaker
Shout out Chattanooga Tent coming in second place. Ed Knight, we're coming for you next year. I'm coming for you, Nate. Kyle, you want to talk about your car, Kyle?
00:01:33
Speaker
I'm just going to leave it at we had some steering issues, at some 5 a.m. m practice time. You weren't supposed practicing, but, you know, we were doing some hits, some test runs, and my driver happened to find me. some hits all right. Yeah.
00:01:47
Speaker
He totaled the car. I think we've got to make a whole new one. Shout out Block and Roll. yeah Yeah. Shout out Nick Danito from Block and Roll. You're going to get the bill for that car. But yeah, it was a great time. um I think that the it was all the manufacturers brought a ton of good stuff. and There was a lot of lot of good stuff there. good to see everybody. I feel like it was probably the best show yet.
00:02:11
Speaker
um How about that band? Yeah, the band was freaking great. the The last night party at Fred's was pretty cool too. Fred's did very well. I felt like that was the first show that everybody, all the even the manufacturers, felt like everybody was kind of like...
00:02:26
Speaker
good. Like everybody was good with each other. Everybody had fun. Everybody jumped in. it was a good time overall and a good location, really good location. This episode of under the vinyl is brought to you by anchor tents and clear spans, a fifth generation family owned company, making tents and clear span structures right here in the USA.
00:02:44
Speaker
Anchor isn't just about selling the best products on the market. They share decades of experience and stand beside you. As you grow your business, anchors, craftsmanship and engineering, give you a peace of mind and will allow you to use the equipment for years to come season after season.
00:02:56
Speaker
For the next generation of rental owners and installers, Anchor aims to not just be your supplier, but a trusted partner helping guide you into the right products to grow your business. Call to be connected to your sales rep today, 1-800-544-4445, or visit their website
00:03:13
Speaker
um Minus the weather. Yeah, from there, moving on from ATA. Yeah, well, yeah, the weather was, what, 30 degrees in the morning and maybe got up to 50. Besides that first day that we were building the Vixen. Yeah, that was hot. And I got sunburned.
00:03:28
Speaker
yeah Yeah, and you were you were dying out there. I saw you struggling. It's okay.
Weather and Culture in Wisconsin
00:03:33
Speaker
I was. I pulled 45 meters of tops for the first time in a really long time, and that ah got me, but I did it. and Shout out to my team. On that build, we had that Vixen laid out and done and built in five and a half hours, and that was even with the floor, with you and your team helping us with the floor, and then us getting the whole tent up after that. uh, one of the more user-friendly structures I think that I've put up and I've said that a lot, but, um, anchor did a very good job with that Vixen product. I'm very excited about, we had it with myself and five other guys, me and sir, and, uh, four of our Chattanooga tent guys, we had it in the air in 26 minutes, which is pretty damn good.
00:04:16
Speaker
Um, so we were cooking, but, Yeah, everybody jumped in, helped out. I know your team did a lot. Shout out to your Uncle Kevin for all the hell he went through and the stuff that he did. i tried to give him today off, and he's walking behind me. I'm like, why are you here, man? You've been away for nine days.
00:04:35
Speaker
He was all over the place. He did a damn good job. So I think that everybody did a great job there, and that was fun. And then, hell, then we went to – we thought we were in the cold, and then we jumped on a flight on Friday morning at 8 a.m. And what was it, negative 5, zero, something like that in Wisconsin up at Event Central? Yeah, but i didn't feel that cold. Like I came back to Jersey, and I was freezing, but I wasn't that cold in Wisconsin.
00:05:00
Speaker
I felt like it was more of a dry cold, and that's why I say every time I go north, I feel like it's a dry cold. ah And I could wear a sweatshirt and a vest up there, and I didn't feel like I was dying. Where down Orlando, I was wearing sweatshirt, a vest, and a winter jacket and still felt like it was cutting through me. It's because your brain tells you that you're not supposed be cold. It should be warm. exactly. That's why convinced.
00:05:22
Speaker
Yeah, it cut right through me. Event Essentials, what a place. Man, yeah. um We did do a live show down in ATA. Let's jump back to that real quick, though. Waiting to see how the audio turns out on that. So that that should be coming out soon. But we had some good guests on there with Kevin, friend of the show from Made in the Shade, and ah Biff, the tank guy from Anchor. Now, why would the audio be messed up, Nate?
00:05:49
Speaker
Well, that's because our buddy Kyle was in charge. He always gives me hell for trying to be organized, but I let my guy Kyle take charge, and this is what we get. Hey, in theory, the plan sounded good.
00:06:01
Speaker
It sounded good, yeah. it Well, and it could be. We'll see how it goes. I was dedicated to the plan until the end, and that's what you should appreciate. that's true. made my plan, and I stuck to it. It could have been the Anchor sponsored by – or the Margarita sponsored by Anchor. Well, that didn't help. I didn't need that right before we started. ah But Event Essentials, yeah, sorry. Let's go back to that. So Event Essentials, probably one of the coolest, nicest places I've seen.
00:06:27
Speaker
um i mean, we've seen some pretty cool places, but that – That building there, just in what they did and how they pulled some stuff from other companies and things like that to create such an amazing, well-run operation was so cool. Along with just walking around there and seeing the morale of everybody from the people that you talk to and meet to just the people on the walls and everything, if you want to go through that a little bit.
00:06:53
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, just... Their culture is definitely top-notch. We talked about it in one of the episodes that's going to come out later, but that picture wall where everybody works there is just intermingled together. No names, no departments, and you know the owners next to potentially someone whose job it is just to sweep the floors, and I think that's awesome touch because it just shows that, yeah, we're all one team here.
Live Show Highlights and Future Plans
00:07:16
Speaker
Yeah, I think it'll be cool to see the warehouse tour that comes out on that. And, you know, I think warehouse tours do great and um on this show because everybody just loves to see how everybody else does things. And shout out, Robert, for the hat. I got my Event Essentials hat on today. hey Robert. um You're listening.
00:07:35
Speaker
You don't see one on my head. That's true. But he was, ah it was great. I mean, we got there, did the ARA of Wisconsin slash Illinois Winter Summit Friday night, went to the the golf simulator ah restaurant, had some good drinks and some food. Kyle's golf skills were maybe not on par, um but ah we we powered through it and we made the best of it. So, They did a great job. Just proud of everything that they had going on there for ARA of Wisconsin, ARA of Illinois. And I think they did a great overall job on the Friday night.
00:08:16
Speaker
um We were talking a little bit about your golf game here, Kyle. My golf game is very good. I had the highest score. Yeah, plus 34 through nine holes on a par three course was fantastic. Yeah, doesn't that mean i win? it Yep, yep, you win.
00:08:31
Speaker
Also shout out Austin, uh, Goman from JK Reynolds, um, hung out with him, to spend more time with him on Friday night and his wife, And, uh, yeah, he's got an episode coming up too as well. We did a nice sit down with him at event essentials, uh, that will be coming out here soon.
00:08:48
Speaker
Austin's got a really cool story. And for people that don't really know JK and don't know Austin, um, I'll just tease it. You know, he's got a good military background, um, and then coming born into the industry, but leaving in and, and, um, serving the country to then, um, going back into JK and trying to, um,
00:09:09
Speaker
try and Try and progress that that company as well. And also, the kid doesn't have an ego. I say kid because he's he's six years younger than me, but he he doesn't have an ego. He's just a good, genuine human. He is. he's He's funny. He's fun to hang out with. I'm really glad that we've gotten to know him over the past year.
00:09:27
Speaker
So he's a good he was a good addition to our group chat, I'll say that. He was. Yeah, he is. And we, so then we did a live show Saturday morning at Event Essentials. um Probably one of the best turnouts I've ever seen for a region meeting, would you say? Not even a region. That was really just two states.
00:09:48
Speaker
Yeah. Crazy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it was on a Saturday morning. You know, I said that on on that live show, but like, Not many people you see just give up their time to come to a Saturday um a saturday event like that. now you know Maybe Friday evening, Friday, people would love to do it. But people showing up on Saturday to come to the show. and it was It was more of like a it was a two-day event. so They had a Friday They had all-day Saturday at Event Essentials, which was some um classes. us Us on stage. They had and another salesperson on stage.
00:10:26
Speaker
um I'm blanking on his name right now. Elliot. Okay, Elliot. You see Elliot on LinkedIn all the time posting stuff, that which is great. He was there. Hey, Nate.
00:10:37
Speaker
Should we talk about how Elliot had to stay on the second floor above the gym and I had the presidential suite in the hotel? But yeah, we ran into Elliot in the elevator, and he was giving Kyle hell for being on the sixth floor because Kyle looked important.
00:10:52
Speaker
But elliot was on the Elliot was on the second floor third floor, but Good guy. Didn't realize who he was in the elevator until I put two and two together, but they had him on stage as well. So that was overall great. And then they also had the vendor time there and they had a lot of vendors show out and show up. um I think overall they were like 250, maybe? don't know. i think it was 200. 200? Yeah. okay Yeah. pretty good though.
00:11:19
Speaker
But then they even had a they had a party that night too at the Hilton afterwards. So like I said, that much time on a weekend and for everybody to show up and to to put forth the effort to just drive forward this industry really shows a lot about ARA and what this industry is about. And so that was really cool to see and really cool to be a part of.
00:11:43
Speaker
But yeah, I think overall it was good, good travel up until I had to leave. My flight got delayed again. Did you make it through? i did. i had no problems. Yeah, see, my flight got delayed, and I landed 25 minutes late getting into Chicago, and I sprinted from e to F, and somehow, miraculously, they held the plane 25 minutes just for me. Did you dap everyone up when you got on? Like, hey! I was like, serve get everybody drinks. I'm out to have now. But it was I walked in, they were like, Nate. And I was like, yep. They're like, well, we were just waiting for you. And I was like, thank the Lord. Because my poor wife had been home with ah all the kids for seven days by herself. And I was not about to do another eight eighth day in a hotel. um so it was nice to finally get home. and she She probably would have been upset with you.
00:12:32
Speaker
Yeah, I think have just been really upset with myself. I was playing through all the different ways to get home at that point. And it was either stay in Chicago another night in a hotel and take the flight out at nine o'clock the next morning and get home at noon or take the late flight out to Nashville that night and try Uber from Nashville. I wouldn't have a car. So Uber from Nashville to Chattanooga because they wouldn't let me rent a car one way. So All the scenarios are playing through my head, but the biggest scenario was I was getting home and my ass wasn't sitting in another hotel for an eighth day, I'll tell you that.
00:13:05
Speaker
Yeah. there Yeah. Traveling that long does get old, but it was good. I'm glad we did it. It does, yeah, and it was good. Glad we did it. um Hopefully, you know, we'll be looking at some more of those live shows like that and just these warehouse tours. I think these warehouse tours are going to be – are huge. Yeah.
00:13:24
Speaker
Seeing what we did in North Carolina and then doing it at Event Essentials again, I think everybody's really going to see what these places are about and and just maybe even pick up some things. But we're ah yeah we're back on the road here at the end of the month, um and we're going to be going back to ARA. We got some good podcasts lined up there. I think we finally scheduled all of our guests. Is that right, Kyle? lu I got mine taken care of, and i you saw in the text you got all yours done.
00:13:49
Speaker
Yep, yep. So we should be good then. I got some really good guests coming up. I got a special podcasting area for us that we will be bringing everybody together in. um And yeah, but I get to see you for another six days and in i would say sunny Orlando, Florida, but it has been a frozen a frozen tundra of Florida.
00:14:15
Speaker
um It's actually 26 degrees there today, Chad. Yeah. Are you coming to events? you, Nate? I will be there. I fly in Friday. You're going to see me talk. I'm a speaker. Yep. Yep. That's why I did it. Originally, I was coming in Saturday night, but now I'm coming in Friday. I made you feel guilty.
00:14:30
Speaker
Well, I was trying to figure out actually this morning if I going to change my flight to Friday morning because of all the chaos of flights. I'm afraid to – I have a 3 o'clock flight out. I land at 845 at night, and I'm afraid that I'm going to get stuck again. So I might end up pushing that up on Friday. But, yeah, overall, I will be there. I will be there just for you, Kyle.
00:14:49
Speaker
Wow, I really appreciate that, Nate. I'm glad. And anyone could not – you don't have to come to my session. It's okay, guys. I'll probably be nervous. He might throw up before he has to go on. We don't know. Did you see me go do it at Advent Essentials? I walked out.
00:15:05
Speaker
Oh, and yeah. i didn't I didn't realize that was a thing up until ah about two weeks ago. It's a me and Brian thing. Yeah. My dad does it too. which is wild because you wouldn't expect that. Hey, also shout out Brian and shout out Mike Holland, uh, Wadeski award
Recognitions and Closing Remarks
00:15:23
Speaker
winners. Um, that was awesome to see them kind of come in together and get that award. Then, um, on the latter half of their career has been really cool. Um, and I know that everybody that was there just love that there he is in the background. down the out He's in the blurry background. Oh, I love that. I love that. But it was really cool for them to get that together. And hell, Mike had me up there crying. He was up there crying. i was sitting in my chair crying. ah didn't Didn't see that coming, but it just shows that their passion for this industry is far beyond just the justice industry as a whole and what it does typically. It's it's more personal than anything for them. And I love that. And it was good to see their emotion.
00:16:06
Speaker
so And the two of them really wanted to get it together. Yeah, and I thought that was... Look at their friends. Those two are really good friends. Chattanooga 10.
00:16:20
Speaker
Maybe the latter half of our career. Who knows? We'll get an award together. Yeah. Yeah, maybe one day. We'll get the dipshit award. Whatever that is. Number one podcast in the event rental industry.
00:16:32
Speaker
it was pretty It was pretty cool to see under the vinyl presenter badges. I will say that. yeah We're making it in life. we've We've officially done something with our lives. Hopefully my mom's proud.
00:16:47
Speaker
I love it. Well, buddy, got anything else for us before we wrap this up? No, I'm going to go back to bed try to catch up on some sleep. There you go. Love it. Well, stay warm up there. And we got some good episodes, like i said, getting ready to come out.
00:17:00
Speaker
If you're not fully signed up for ARA, get signed up. We'll see you there. Come see us. This has been another episode of Under the Vinyl, a rental management media podcast.