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EP 3 Texas in the house!
210 Plays2 months ago
We sit down with Darren from Houston Tents and Events and Jeff Holloway from Macon Tent
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Transcript
Return from ARA Show
00:00:01
Speaker
All right, we're back again here live from Las Vegas, the ARA show. Got some good guests on today. i've Got Kyle with me. Hey, everyone. Happy to be here. Me and Nate are pretty happy with the response we've been getting to this podcast. A lot of you seem excited, so we kind of pulled some people away from the education this afternoon.
Introduction of Guests
00:00:20
Speaker
Hopefully ARA's not pissed at us, but we're going to get another one out there for you guys. So we got a couple of good guys here we're going to introduce. we got Darren Randall, founder of Houston Tents and Events in Houston, Texas. And we also got Jeff Holloway, second generation, making tent rentals based in Weatherford, Texas.
Darren's Business Journey
00:00:40
Speaker
And Darren, tell us a little bit about your company and how long you've been in business and how you got started. So I started the company January 1st, 2020, incredible time to start an event company and had
00:00:54
Speaker
10 good weeks right out the gate after i'd I'd spent four years prior at a smaller company and wanted to continue growing and and developing, taking taking the industry to the next level, and had 10 great weeks out the gate. and Then COVID hit, which everybody in this industry is all too familiar with. ah so we had it We've had a crazy run at it for the last first five years of the company's existence and and been able to to garner some incredible growth as well.
00:01:23
Speaker
and tons of of of craziness on the way that I can't wait to share and and talk to it with everybody. So what made you want to come into this industry? I was the customer before this. I worked in sports in college and then for the Houston Texans. And after that went and followed a a corporate path that I thought was going to be the right fit for me and my career. And after a few short years,
00:01:47
Speaker
I realized I'm not a corporate guy. and dress ah yeah i wasn't I definitely didn't know I was a tent guy. but ah Well, that's still to be determined if you're a tent guy. That's true. That is very true. sure so i We had some some things happen at Comcast where I was working at the time and some acquisitions that fell through of Time Warner Cable and ultimately got me down pretty bad because I spent 16 months working on a a potential you know billion and a half dollar acquisition for it to fall back and the business operations for a Fortune 50 like that just says, go back to business as usual. And that's not the way that I roll. So I didn't know what I was going to do, but went home and and told my wife that you know I think I'm going to go small business route. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I think I'm going to go ah do something in advance. And she's like, you're going to
00:02:38
Speaker
do event management and coordination or event planning because I i did that previously at some of my other stops within college and sports. It had event connections to it, more on the operations side. And I said, no, I think ah ah think I'm gonna go do tents. And she's like, what do you know about tents? And I said, I know that there's a big market out there in the city and there's a lot of companies that I've used every big company up to this point in my market. Are you saying that you thought this was easy for looking from the outside?
00:03:08
Speaker
I thought that there weren't good options in my city. And I thought that ah the worst case, I could earn a living on it and at least control my own day. And ah definitely control my own day. So that was completely a unicorn. But um I mean, I took
Transition to Tent Rentals
00:03:24
Speaker
a leap. I started out the smaller company. And to be honest, and and I mean, I love this stuff. like it's It's incredible. And it's it's a mix of blue collar, you know hardworking construction mixed with hospitality. like it's it's kind It's unique. There's not another industry like it.
00:03:39
Speaker
So you're how old now? Uh, 34. So 34 started in 2020. So did you think that was the beginning to an end when you started? Um, I thought that I was about to kill it for the first 10 weeks. And then I stopped in a, uh, the, the day that rodeo, uh, he's an officer shown rodeo, the largest rodeo in the world, uh, the day that it canceled March 10th, I believe I just finished a site visit for a really big wedding and everything was looking up as it was. And,
00:04:07
Speaker
Uh, here on the radio, that's Houston, I thought showing rodeo in the first year of it's, I don't know, a hundred years of existence or more, uh, was going to cancel the rest of the show
Securing Key Contracts
00:04:16
Speaker
season. And, uh, I knew my world was about to be flipped upside down. And, uh, so I did what anybody would do. And that's, uh, go eat it and stop at Chick-fil-A and go grab lunch. And, uh, while I'm there, it's raining, uh, perfect glory, you know, gloomy day to do this on. And I'm getting rained on as is the girl taking my order. and Roll my window halfway down, try to order me my my chicken sandwich, and she says, ah and she can't hear me, and I'm getting rained on on, and I said, hey, I said, I don't understand. This is a location in the Heights. Why do y'all not have a... Or why do y'all not have a can of... Hey, is there a manager here I can talk to? And she she said, about what I said, if you can tell your manager, whoever is in there, you have a really pissed off customer, and I promise that you'll never get rained on out of here again.
00:05:05
Speaker
And she said, what do I tell her I'm mad about? I said, just tell him I'm pissed at everything. It doesn't matter. So she calls in, and the way the world works, I'm faith-based. And so I think there's a lot of things that fall in place sometimes. And the operator was there. We all know that most of these franchise restaurants, you're not going to kiss the owner operator on any day of the week. Just so happens he's there. He comes out, talks to me. I explain that I'm not really mad. I'm mad I was getting wet.
00:05:34
Speaker
Um, but that I had a proposition for him and I did, I think would help and trying to figure out why I didn't have it anyway. Um, their processes and permits are crazy long. And so he said that, you know, it was going to be a little while and he would, he'd love to explore the options. So he beat me up on price. He was very aggressive in that rightfully. So, but the price how many, uh, free chicken sandwiches did you get? Um, actually, I mean, over the next few months of this story, I got a lot of them. So we, so, so I, so I tell him what I want to do.
00:06:02
Speaker
And we commit I made him commit to a three month period of time to do that location and his other one that he had. And I knew at least at that time, all right, now I've paid the mortgage for the next three months and the other location paid for my truck note, right? I only had my one truck at the time. And so I figured that that was the path I was going to do. I was going to start trying to tackle every order or job I could get now.
00:06:25
Speaker
wasn't to make money, it was to break even on bills, right? Because I knew I was about to watch the entire book of business and portfolio for the year just tank. Which is the attitude 90% of the industry ended up having to go to was, what can we do to cover bills? Because I think we were all pretty scared. Yeah. And so was that your first actual 10th then?
00:06:46
Speaker
No, I'd done tents, again, starting in January for 10 weeks. A bunch of tents in the Coast Guard. Twitter did their national conference in Houston. What did you start with inventory wise? You don't have to give a full list. A couple of storage, first my garage and then a couple of storage units of basic rentals, tables, chairs. I subbed from a lot of, I'd say a lot, two or three companies. Who were you buying from, like tent wise?
00:07:08
Speaker
um central Okay, so you're buying smaller, smaller stuff? Small, high-pitched stuff. And in fact, in some of the relationships I was i was making, in rows I was building, I never wanted to get into structure. And so by this point, I still don't have structures. um But I knew... currently um No, no, at this point in time. You mean 10 weeks in, you didn't have structure? That's shocking. say But I built them and I'd subbed them on so many jobs prior. okay So I knew about them, I knew the capabilities. So you were disrupting the market within the first 10 weeks? Yes, big time. and and And I would imagine that if I wouldn't have had the relationships I had with companies that had structure that I'd agreed not to buy, if they helped you know float me and helped me get off the ground.
00:07:49
Speaker
and gave a ton of business too. I mean, I was a chunk of some of the other companies. so um And so ah get three months out of it. I know that he wouldn't have canceled that after three months. It was going to be June and he was saying it's 110 degrees. So I was like, all right, that's a six month rental. I'm le going to get out of these two. All I told him was I said, when I come in back in three or four days and I build this on Sunday, all I want is, can you please like post it on social media or share it or anything? I said, because I know of other locations I could do this at.
00:08:15
Speaker
Little did I know that he was the voice of the South for the Chick-fil-A locations in the Texas or Southeast Texas region. So he posted and shares it has his marketing girl put it out on Sunday. um On Monday morning at 8 a.m., I'm getting blown up by multiple locations. I want me to come and do a site visit and talk to them about potentially doing the same thing there. um You transition a week and a half later. There's an email that goes out from Inc. from Chick-fil-A corporate in Atlanta that's got emergency use approval because they knew these these franchises were gonna do it anyway.
00:08:47
Speaker
And so they give the observation. So you were the first one to do that in the country? Wow. And it had a picture of that tent on this communication that went out to everybody around the whole country. So they certainly helped us, that's for sure. Yeah. During that time, man.
00:09:02
Speaker
They were blowing us up in Georgia. I still go to Chick-fil-A's around the country. I'm passed by them, and they're still tense up. It's kind of cool. I felt like during 2020, that was one of the big things that everybody's seen. And that was you go to a Chick-fil-A, and you see the tent, and you see what's possible. And then now, all of a sudden, people are thinking, OK, now we can take this concept and move it to a drive-thru for COVID, which I'm sure, then, you produce those as well, right? Yep. So to finish off Chick-fil-A, I ended up doing over the course of maybe I'd say eight to 12 weeks after that day, I ended up doing probably 22 Chick-fil-A's. How'd you get the inventory? I was subbing it all. So all the couple of local companies, they had day and heavy jobs, right? So we came up with good pricing and deals where I could just pay my bills, wasn't making money, paying my bills off the off the profit, and they were paying their bills. right yeah and so So both parties were happy. It was a win-win for everybody. And then you started acquiring what they had.
00:10:02
Speaker
um Not until a little later. yeah I mean, at this point, you know I would say by the time I ended up doing 29 Chick-fil-A's by the end of the summer, I would say, and they're still, right now, i still have four or five up from five years ago. know Is that just because they haven't made the switch to buy the awnings and things? are they're not going on where it's at oh they have on They've got awnings built. They wanted to expand their drive-through elsewhere, oh and so they're kind of operating under the approval.
00:10:28
Speaker
and And to be honest, it works, man. It's all at crazy locations now. At some point in time, they'll probably expand their stuff, but like they've they've been a great partner. In fact, the first location still has two up. And have you been taking any of those down, maintenance home them, cleaning them? How does that work? So what what I did, as ah as it got through, I'd say once the event doesn't start to come around after transitioning some of the chick-fil-a's and then going and doing some testing sites, you know I wasn't getting nearly what the big dogs were getting.
00:10:56
Speaker
It was enough. Well, those testing sites became the profit, right? Chick-fil-A's were paying the bills. The the testing sites became the profit. Well, that just started letting me buy more rentals. Because again, I was going to stay out of the structures and just buy small tents. um And so I then used all of that, um all that to start tackling the event business. Well, by the time the event business came back, um i I was like, all right, we had a business relationship not not go so well.
00:11:23
Speaker
with one of the companies that have been helping me around the city. And so I i went and started buying structures and taking us down and putting ours up. And so that would have been, you know, sometime in 22.
Company Growth & Expansion
00:11:35
Speaker
um You know, I think it's it's kind of crazy, you know, this industry, you you make relationships and you all try to create win-wins. but That's all this is. Nothing. Nothing ever lasts forever on a lot of these things. well and i think I think a lot of that is the handshake, you know, in this industry is the older generation has a handshake and agrees and everything, but this younger generation and then some people, a lot of the older guys do get a lot real cutthroat too. And I think that it comes down to you know you go and Yeah, you can play you can play fair and it's the pride. When you drive by and you see that other guy's tent, I don't care if he, you know, you want it gone. You want it gone, you want to do it, but this industry is built on relationships and that's why we come to these conferences. This is a networking conference right here. And I think that's why, I mean, that's why you are where you are today.
00:12:20
Speaker
Yeah. Right. And so, so now we're now after you got through all that, what it started taking off and now you got the structures and what did you do from there? So we went, so let's just, let's go 22 on and started getting into structure and smaller beam stuff. Um, expanded warehouses. I kept, I kept buying or leasing another space where I was. So that was full. Then went a mile down the street and got another one or two. Um, and then where I really saw um a lot of these percentage growths, you know,
00:12:50
Speaker
happened for people during COVID that were able to do some crazy, unique things. But for us, I mean, we were, what was that market mover for a couple of consecutive years now, and granted we keep bumping down the list. The bigger the number gets the harder it is to do that amount of business. But you, well, you started at zero in 2020. So, you know, are yeah I'm doing pretty good. Yeah. You know, I'm, I'm trying to, I've, we're all the way up now for structured, you know, to say that we're I'm, we can build up to 25 mid on our own and obviously great partners.
00:13:18
Speaker
like you guys, you know, helped me with Super Bowl. And Jeff's got a 30 major. The reason I don't have to go get one right now, I mean, he's got one, right? I've been weather for a couple hours north of me, um up in South Oklahoma, as we call it. No, brother, I don't know. I'd rather be a T-post than text on that. Anyway, so so i've I've gone to inventory, and but i because i'm i didn't I didn't have somebody family in the industry to look up to,
00:13:44
Speaker
I didn't have 10 years leading up. I didn't start out as an installer or do the jobs myself. I mean, everything I've learned about this industry, it wasn't learning in my market. and How did you learn it then? By everybody here. I mean, seeing, you know, um, the guys, I mean, I would go to a lot of job sites when I was subcontracting and stuff out, yeah I would go and want to learn it and talk to the guys. You know, I knew I was never going to be able to run and grow a business and be an installer, right? But I need to think and know like an installer, I want to know what they're not getting.
00:14:13
Speaker
what they need and, and so that I can build out my team the right way. Um, so yeah, I mean, I, I love this engine, but we now have, so I've said what we got up to structure. Um, I acquired another company, a finer event last summer that, um, pushed me into tabletop. So we truly are now a ah turnkey event solution companies. Yeah. One stop job. Yeah. Power generators was my niche that I learned at my first company I was at. I brought that over.
00:14:39
Speaker
immediately, but the tabletop was the last piece of the puzzle for us. Now, how long have you been a tabletop? Um, six months. How do you feel about it? And when I say tabletop, we've always been table chairs, rentals, podiums, but China, glassware, flatware. How do you feel? that' That's a crazy part of the industry. Um, you want to have it to have it. Um, I will say that I think, uh, I think we do less business than we would would have projected to prior to the acquisition.
00:15:09
Speaker
but I'm perfectly okay with that because I've got it when I need it. Um, and not just for my wife's events. So are you, are you content with where you're at or do you want to continue to to grow from where you're at now as your size? What is your size company that you would necessarily like to be in? I say the people in the industry that I, I look up to and trust, you know, the Tommy Wilson's that at all occasions and Mike Holland, that, that you know, your company at Chattanooga and like there's people that, um,
00:15:38
Speaker
they've kind of taken me out of their arm if I've had a question or issue and able to help it. And some of those questions I ask, good because there are bigger companies that have been around a long time, you know, what are signs? Like, you know, and a lot of things are, you know, number related, right? Once you get certain number tiers, this gets a little bit easier, this gets a little bit easier. And so you're constantly chasing a rev number, but at the end of the day, none of that guarantees money in the bank, you know? I guess that's my point. So, you know, I guess this whole industry is based on their growth of their the revenue number, but where do you want to be as far as employees and tents that you're doing, structures and things like that? Do you want to travel more? Do you want to stay more regional? what Where are you at? I think that there's a lot of market share left in Houston. Houston has room for a good 10 event rental company to continue taking on jobs that other of my competitors are doing. um I think that Texas has an insurmountable amount of growth. I think that um you know there's some relationships in some of these markets that
00:16:38
Speaker
you always want to be aware of, but I think that there's multiple competitors of my friends up in north, north Texas and over in central Texas that would love and welcome, you know, some expansion. So we've been doing some things in those markets in 24, a little bit more. Um, I'll say that we, this year and beyond, we'll be a little bit more travel, but the one thing that I'm not going to make the mistake on is leaving the back door open in Houston just to go travel. um When I said I started the company, we're a Houston event company. If we can be in a Houston event company and go to New Orleans and do Super Bowl like we're doing this week, then fine, I'll go to New Orleans. If I can go to Colorado and ask them to do a ah big wedding this fall, we'll go do it. As long as Houston is taken care of and that there that anybody who wanted us and was able to
00:17:27
Speaker
work with us on their event or project that it's going to be done with the same level of quality that that I expect for a small backyard party, then yeah, we'll continue to grow and and travel. But even as, you know, as mere growth of employees and everything, it's all going to be determined by um what the outlook is and what type of projects keep coming our way. If somebody doesn't want to use us or we eventually get out of someone's budget that we started with,
00:17:54
Speaker
those things happen, right? I mean, headcount and over overhead all go up, but as long as I can keep doing small jobs that can afford to use us and our services and and our quality of products, um I want to keep doing it. But my five-year outlook is just to kind of... It's to it's to level out that that trajectory, that you know uphill growth of... Maybe take the foot off the gas a little bit. 6,000 RPMs has been a lot for five years for me and my family, and so I think I mean, it's one thing learning here this year. I think this is the first year where I'm tackling it as I don't feel like I need to be in the same growth mode anymore. There's thing there's a way to grow so a little more conservative. Organically, kind of not. Yeah. Well, we said in this morning, we were saying earlier to the lady from ARA, you know, that that first seminar that we went to today on Work-Life Balance, that was one of the best ones. You have three kids, I have three kids.
00:18:46
Speaker
how How have you found the work-life balance being your age and s starting from ground zero to now? Are you finding the work-life balance? Are you just now finding it or have, you know, where are you at with
Work-Life Balance & Family Involvement
00:18:58
Speaker
that? I think that the end of this last year in the fall, it showed me that um it showed me that there is a way that the company can run itself with the right leaders in place.
00:19:10
Speaker
Um, I've, I've almost built out our entire leadership and management director team now, um, that I trust. And, uh, you know, I, you know's know, it's how open a public it is, but I've talked with a group of profit equity people about a year and a half ago for ah maybe a year period of time, just because it's in everything I've been around. And I want to know, like, I'm seeing it in the industry. I need to know what these people are doing. What do they think? Like, what are they, what are they about? You know, and what am I missing here? What do I not know? Why do they want 10 companies? You know? And, um,
00:19:40
Speaker
One thing that came resonating from it was, you know, they said that, uh, I've got to figure out how to get the business to run off Houston intensity events and not Darren Randall anymore. Darren Randall today today has been doing this Alzheimer's walk for 10 years. There's an expectation level and they helped build me. They helped put food on my table, help pay for my kids' schools, right? But at a certain point Houston intensity events has got to take everything that I've built it to be and run and do that job. The same level of quality, the same level of expectation. Um,
00:20:10
Speaker
and understand that like the wins now aren't Darren Randall anymore. It's use-intensive events. The losses are also not Darren Randall anymore. It's use-intensive events making mistakes and losses, right? So I think trying to differentiate that um is something that our you know that the older generations in this industry never figured out. And I think they're all trying to now. they're they're You're seeing how much commitment. Because that's the way we've always done it, right? sure Yes. Do you think you can change the market a little bit?
00:20:38
Speaker
My goal past all those equity conversations, I don't, that's not a focus or a passion or a avenue for me. I want, I want to help the other people. There's other Darens out there. They can maybe be in smaller markets. I don't know. Or it might be a second generation, or it might be a son of somebody in the industry or daughter that, um, just needs help from somebody outside because that's what I am. I feel like I may.
00:21:00
Speaker
I feel like I'm an outsider third party customer that just found out that i I liked events and tents there and the rentals were part of it. And so I'm trying to take that um understanding and try to grow it and to help push the industry forward with the same knowledge that I'm getting from the same people that um have been doing this and laid the blood the ground groundwork for the tent business. I mean, it'd be nowhere near what it is or be profitable like it is if it weren't for all those as we call them, OGs, right? yeah yeah o ges Don't tell them that though. they ego tell already boosted If any of you are listening, let that out yeah we'll probably cut that section out. Especially Brian. So is your is your family involved? Is your wife involved in the business in any way? She is. So kids right now are one, four, and six. okay It's kind of hard to be super involved from day one like that, right but we're hitting strides as a family and i and she's been integrated more in the business last year so much so that um I found myself that I'm running the business, but that decision making and conversations and her coaching and honestly just being a, as our as our team grew, um with what it started out with a lot of men, now it's a mix full mix of men and women in different roles.
00:22:12
Speaker
that I needed to have her by my side in a more leadership role. So she's actually taken on the CEO role. okay um And it's wonderful it's been, you know, she was doing it unofficially anyway. so And she loves planning, she loves events, hosting. And so ah it's it's been it's been something that she's been able to contribute. And and I'll say it she had probably had zero passion for the tenor business before, but now that I've gotten into it and she sees how much I love it,
00:22:42
Speaker
um It's become a passion for her and and the kids, you know, my ah well, do you think she loves seeing you? Happy and you building this for not only Her and your future but your kids future as well. Yeah, I think that she she wanted me to have substance when I we've both we've been to together since freshman year of high school in tennis small town in Tennessee So we moved to Texas and to Houston because um that's where mom lived um And I wasn't close to most of my family and so it made sense to to go be where she wanted to go where she wanted to grow up but couldn't because she grew up in Tennessee with her dad. And so um as I've seen her grow, as like like she wanted me to have substance. And I wasn't getting that in the small town I grew up in. So she goes and throws me in this melting pot of Houston, first restaurant I go to, whether we come down my senior year to look at schools. um I was looking at UH and UT and others. There's four languages being spoke around me.
00:23:33
Speaker
And I just kind of looked around like, where am I at? you know But it's made me who I wanted to be. And like on the business side, I'm getting the substance to where I'm trying to fulfill my my cup, right? like There's a lot of easier paths. There's so many easier industries that I could have felt like I could have excelled at and made a lot more money and golfed a couple of days a week, even at 30s a year. What's different? I've seen pictures of you golfing pretty often, Darren. That's not good. I'm talking about my golf game.
00:24:01
Speaker
But yeah, I mean, like that's ah the quality, right? The substance. how do i How do I make this industry work for me and my family? And so I think, yes, I think that she she's happy because I'm doing it. And um and i many my kids, I mean, I'm sure yours are the same way, Nate. My daughter, was it's inevitable, we'll go out to eat.
00:24:19
Speaker
I'll take a drink out of a nice pink glass and my daughter will notice it. It's just a water goblet and she'll say, that's a cool glass. I'm like, you know how much we could rent this for? Or you look at the bottom and see where it's made or if it has somebody's initials on the bottom. Yeah, that's if it's out in my boy. So it's become a family thing. And I don't know that I ever, I've seen a bunch of these companies, most of these are no different. All three of you and some support. The company you're at now, your company,
00:24:49
Speaker
your company like everybody I won't say that it's ruled out that maybe there is some lineage and some second generation down there for one of my three kids but by all means what I'm doing at least they have the option it's an option yeah it's an option for sure yeah well that's great that's awesome so how many employees you have now we're at um I think 68 or something right there 65 to 70 and is that All the way through the business, how many installers? and It's about 60% installers and crews and about 40% admin related, maybe 35. And what is the what is the position that you're currently going to be hiring for that you're really looking for that you think will take your business to the next level? I think that there's still another operations person somewhere out there that can bring in some non-industry experience. We've got guys with that experience in the operations team.
00:25:43
Speaker
um and i I think that some of our positions may just start getting, removing things from somebody so they can excel at what they're doing. Instead of having the same Jamie who's doing our director of business operations who we just hired.
00:25:58
Speaker
a few months ago, having her be able to focus on more of business and growth and revenue side than having to do also HR, right? So I think that we're close though. I think that, as I mentioned, you hit those different tiers of revenue. Usually they get easier because every one of those tiers, you no longer have to go and hire as many as you had to hire the last bomb down, the last stair step. And so I think that if we have the year that we're forecasting and projecting for 25 to do,
00:26:28
Speaker
that the new hires are going to be minimal administrative wise. And I think that um we're going to really be able to fill the successes of it all. But I'd say just being able to specialize more some of the positions we have and bring in a more dedicated person than having somebody wearing multiple hats will be the focus there. And obviously, Cruz can say the exact same. and The need comes. We know what has to happen. You'll go hire more. Why are you going to hire more? Because that means the revenue is coming in. Well, it's like I always tell my operations guy, you know he starts to really worry about business. And I've even told Jeff, you know as long as you got the inventory, we'll find the labor. Somehow we always find the damn labor. There's labor out there. yeah and You just got to find it.
00:27:09
Speaker
None of us have ever not completed a job on time. It gets done every time, no matter what. We had this conversation the other day. Mike Holland and I, and you know we have a customer that you know they'll call and be on our ass about, hey, you haven't had the timeline? We've got to get this. There's only this many guys. And the comment back is always, have we ever let you down?
00:27:30
Speaker
And the answer is always no, we will get the job done. It'll get done. Don't worry about now. It'll get done. We always find, I think, and that's our, this is the one industry where we don't miss a delivery. We don't miss, we don't miss times. We have to always be, you know, on our P's and Q's compared to any other industry that can do whatever the hell they want when they give you a damn two hour window. Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't cut your grass this week. I'll come get you next week. Yeah. Yeah. You don't get call outs. You know, when you get four inches of snow in Houston, no they still expect for that event in two days. Well, it's going to 72 to,
00:27:59
Speaker
to get built, how are you going to build the hot chocolate run? You're going to it out, right? You're going to figure it out. Well, it sounds like you've figured it out.
Goals for ARA Show
00:28:07
Speaker
Is there anything that you're looking to get purchased or get from this this conference, ARA, while you're here? I think that my wife and is going to be, it's our first ARA show okay um to tend out here. And so I think that she's going to be able to have a little fun on the tabletop side where I normally just run very far very fast past them. Well, now she's the CEO, so she makes the yeah she makes the rules on what she buys. Shout out Darren's wife. Yeah, I'm going to try to get some more tents and I'm going to end up with more chargers. It's wonderful. I would say that you know as you grow, the the purchases get bigger, right? It's no longer $25,000. It'll get you four new lines of chairs, right? And 500 apiece.
00:28:48
Speaker
Now it's you know big numbers, and the but the quantity of things that you need are less. you know The type of items are less because you got the other stuff. so um We're looking at some of the elevated flooring, which obviously, Chattanooga and other companies have been great partners to help us. you know I'm envious of Chattanooga. When they got into elevated floor, it was cheap. yeah The price is today. Oh my goodness. It's my place, right time.
00:29:11
Speaker
it Yeah yeah it's true. But a good product right? i mean It's a great product. It's a game changer for industry. We need the industry to get up the price a little bit on it because to get your money back if you're buying in today is. And by up the price you mean up the price out in the field by some renting it.
00:29:26
Speaker
Not up the price to the manufacturer. When you do a lower the price. yeah but but and If you think about it, like a lot of that, that's the right way to go for safety. right yeah out of Me being an outsider and never feeling like I knew technical and mechanical things, I can't i can't change my own oil in the car. it's not It's not something I ever learned to do or wanted to do. I can't um you know i can't i couldn't build a house. right I couldn't frame a barn you know without a whole lot of help and time.
00:29:51
Speaker
But when I look at things like this industry, you start pushing for safety. And we know that um we know that that's the next level of safety. And, you know, even in my market, they're still building beam and ply everywhere. And you think, man, like, there's a time for it. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that there's a time for everything. I mean, there's a time where you need different style, tennis, structure, whatever it is. Same with flooring.
00:30:15
Speaker
But the raised level flooring has changed the game, especially in our area in Tennessee, where it's mountainous, and you can go from zero to 14 foot tall. So you need to get some raised level floor. So I think we know where you're going to go. Yeah. Bill Jax, if you're listening, I'll take the sponsor plug.
00:30:33
Speaker
We're going to switch gears over here to Jeff.
Jeff's Business History
00:30:37
Speaker
Jeff, give us a little background about you and your company. I know Jeff is an OG, I'd say, but he's still one of the next gen guys and hangs out with all the next gen guys. Obviously, you guys can't see this and you're listening to this.
00:30:53
Speaker
it's cowboy Jeff so if you see if you see if you see him walking around with the shows it's the guy with the big cowboy hat on so make sure you ask him how he's doing and just you know do not wear a cowboy hat around him he takes offense to that so I go on the on that saying that the old man said you always wear a hat nobody ever forgets that the guy that wears that. That's the damn truth. Yeah um Darren touched on that one thing that you know there are easier things to do and and um there there was a lot easier ways to make a living. and I just for one never wanted to go that route never never knew. I grew up farming grew up in the
00:31:35
Speaker
um agriculture type industry. In 1987, 88, my father saw May Content Realms advertised in the paper and they made a deal. and You know, we we bought it. and What was the thought process behind that? just broke We were We were hungry. We were starving. I love it. That's awesome. and No better motivator in the world. ah yeah It was a service type business that my father grew up in. We grew up in a service type business, being in the butter and ice cream. and
00:32:08
Speaker
He knew that that could be a, hey, it's not that big a deal. I mean, we figure out a way to drive a stake in the ground, tie it off with a rope and stretch the vinyl or stretch the canvas back then. And he decided, you know, the mechanical side of it, the engineering side of it, he understood it and went to school for it, you know, all that kind of stuff.
00:32:30
Speaker
we We bought the company and it was all canvas stuff and we had a handful of tables and chairs and I was 12 years old running around going, and this is some kind of something. here Put me back in the milk line. I enjoyed pushing the cows up. But anyway, um as as we progressed, we had a good time.
00:32:54
Speaker
Learning the industry, being around, Anchor was a huge partner in us and our growth. we We got to spend a good bit of time at the factory and with our sales rep and figured out there were a whole lot better ways and easier ways to install a tent. Who was your sales rep back then? Pat Gleason.
00:33:17
Speaker
ah come Bradley Gleason. Okay. um and of course you know, Lou Brown, I mean, we got to talk to Lou and JD Howell, all those guys that were definitely OGs, you know, that were, be they were big time guys, you know, when we got started, it was like, holy moly, you got, you had two guys, one was in Albany, and then the next guy was Steve Reese in Atlanta, and the next guy was Chad Nugent, and that was it. I mean, there weren't any,
00:33:51
Speaker
other tent guys you could call, you know, and all do everything in the pickup truck, go to the mailbox and mail off your invoice and pray that something else is in there something on my other end yeah something's in the mailbox and just, you know, grow it that way. Um, but that's how we got started. We, we, um, the the butter and ice cream sort of died out and We made the warehouse out of the butter plant, ice cream plant. And it was about 3,500 square feet. And I grew up in it. My brother grew up in it. And we you know we just had a good time stretching vinyl. and We were guinea pigs for a lot of stuff.
00:34:40
Speaker
uh, anchor was, you know, coming out with the century, the high peak. And we had one of the prototypes and, you know, they, they sat down with us and said, how do y'all want to do this? We came up with ratchet and strap combinations and all that kind of stuff to make it easy and use winches to pull the center poles up. And, you know, then we were a pole tank company until I came along. And, um, and so when did you make that transition over to, from pole to structure?
00:35:10
Speaker
Well, coit to be honest, um I called Chattanooga Tent and I went and hung out with them. Mike really did take me under his wing. mike Michael and Mike both took me under their arm and and showed me you know some some things. and i I booked a job. and I never will forget it. It was about a Thursday afternoon. and It was pre-COVID and I had purchased the business. Brian Corgan and I purchased the business and got a phone call from this guy that said, look, our construction site is shut down. I don't think that you can cover this, but
00:35:58
Speaker
We are in bad shape. Did you say hold my beer? I'll be there. And I said, hang on just a second. Yeah. that be right there So I took off, went to the construction site, met with the guy, he throws out a plat and he goes, this is a hundred by a hundred. This is where we're pouring the concrete for the bathrooms. We need this covered before we can continue on. If you cannot do this by this particular time, um, you know, we'll have to go another route. They had had,
00:36:25
Speaker
or we had had 15 inches of rain at the time and they couldn't even get close to the site. And I said, yeah, I can do it. Ain't no problem, I can do it. and And then he got back in the truck. He went, how the hell am I? i Man, I couldn't spit. I was so nervous. I left out of there. But you know at the same time, like you were saying, you know in this industry, there's nothing but cowboys. And I told this to Mike Collin one day. truth I said, you know, and we were we were my first my first show was in Orlando.
00:37:01
Speaker
in, uh, 15 Did you know it? If you guys could see it, you would think it was 1908. This is really great. So I'm standing there with Mike and I said, you know what, there's some, there's some dudes around here that you want to be, um, when it all goes to, you know, when it goes down, you want these guys on your team. And Mike said, because everybody has been told,
00:37:30
Speaker
I don't think you can, but this is what we want. but and And I took that and said, hey, I can do this job. I'll figure it out. I went back to the truck, called Mike and said, I got one, man. And I don't know if you can, you might can walk me through this. You might need to fly down and look at it. You tell me what you want to do. And he said, this is nothing. We'll fly the arches in using a crane. You got a crane company? I said, yes, sir.
00:37:57
Speaker
And next thing I know, the the structure is sitting, this is on a Sunday afternoon structure sitting on job site. and We started building and we had it up, finished Monday monday afternoon and they were happy. They finished boring their concrete, did all their construction. We took it down. That was my, you know, my first run. And I said, this is where I'm going to be. i'm In the structure again. Yeah, I'm going to do this. Yeah.
00:38:24
Speaker
yeah So that was it, that's how we got going. What you were just talking about the... I look for the, I don't know how I'm going to do this. I love those jobs. I do and I don't. The older I get, now that I have three kids, I'm like, oh need this I don't need that stress no more. My shit's enough with that home. But but it is. It's it's almost like a i don't know how to change it it's like a sick drug. yeah like ah It's like a crackhead trying to get into one more piece of crack. yeah its like I had a job last year. I knew it was coming for six, seven months. And every day, I'd say to some of our guys, I don't know how we're going to do this. But we always figure it out. yeah but Going back to it. And now this year, I'm like, Jones is going to get one. like oh i need a i always have phone ring i'm I'm telling you right now. They tell me to cover a a pool again. I i know exactly how to do it. Don't you? just get that way yeah um Let me tell you how to do this for the record operations hates this sort of thing. Oh, yeah. This is Michael Holland. If you're listening to this right now, he's beating his head against the wall. yeah No, no. yeah yeah he's tzz events We we don't do any of this.
00:39:22
Speaker
No. micy mouse stuff So you so you that's that's where the structure started. So let's rewind again. So back, your dad, yeah you bought it from your dad then and with your partner. right And when was that?
00:39:35
Speaker
2013, we made a deal, 2014, we made the purchase. Okay, we made the purchase. So then from there, you started kind of growing the business, but sticking with the polls? so Oh my gosh, man. And we're in Georgia at this point, correct? Yeah, we're in Georgia. We're not back in Texas yet. That's right. And and mining you know mine and saying, oh yeah, ah I came home. I told my wife, I'm sitting there, she's crying. on the She's sitting on the step going, I can't believe you did this. My brother called call me February of 2011.
00:40:05
Speaker
And he said, I'm done. I'm out. I don't want any more part of this. You can come and get it. Now I walk i got off my horse and and walked to the guy that I was working for. And I said, I'm giving you a two day notice and today's the day. don't Don't call me anymore. I want my money. You were a cowboy. And that was it. I was shooting horses and I was running a stock yard and I was a cowboy. I mean, I was looking after cattle for people and riding horses.
00:40:28
Speaker
And that guy, he said, are you sure? I said, my brother just left. My dad ah called and said, you want to come back? You want to you want to do this? And I and i told the boss that I was working for. I said, look, if I can work 98 hours working for you, I can do this on my own. And um while I was there, I met another guy and I bought his herd of cows that afternoon and I leased his place. and So I was in the farming randalph right off the bat and you were young um before you yeah whatever you know i came home I came home and I told Denise, I said, Hey, you just bought a tent company. and By the way, we're moving. I just leased the place. Where were you living at this point? We were in Macon. Oh, she was thrilled. on you Oh my gosh, you you man. She's
00:41:15
Speaker
she threw the whatever she had in her hand, she dropped it and went on the floor and she walked outside and started crying. I can't believe we're gonna do this. What did you pay for it? And I said, that's all right, we'll get a pay for it. She said, I can do it, baby. we're we're going you just You just stick it out for a little bit. Don't check the bank account for a few days. For years. yeah I said, we're gonna be fine. And we got a credit card. Do you have another credit card? She was like, you know, my cards got $200.
00:41:42
Speaker
60,000 miles. It's okay. I'm on my second motor. We're fine. We're fine. I got, I got some more horses we can ride. well Yeah, the horse just got fresh shoes on it. So you're good. music she ah another horse so they say structure yeah So then you bought the company, you started diving head first.
00:41:59
Speaker
Yeah, and our our thing was, I told Brian, I said, look, let's grow it as fast as we can, as hard as we can. First two months of buying it, we bought probably 30,000 square foot of vinyl, added some more trucks. So you didn't have acid? No, we were we we were out in the field. I was field guy, I would work from sun up, sun down kind of thing.
00:42:24
Speaker
Um, and still coming home and checking cows and trying to do all that and within about, did you just have a feeling that this was going to be okay? Cause that's pretty ballsy. Just, you know, I didn't go by 30. I didn't know any different. I didn't know any different. You were all in. That was a mentality full throttle. No matter what, it was to the point where I was bound and determined. Well, here was another thing. here's So, you know, you get that, hey, you can't even take on a partner. I mean, that was told to me. And I was like, hold on, what'd you say? so Hang on just a second. yeah The other part of it was, I mean, you don't know anything.
00:43:08
Speaker
I mean, the only thing you know to do, you don't even know how to talk to like you don't even know how to talk to a customer. yeah I mean, you're a great conversationalist, but you can't close the sale. It's like, hang on just a second. I'm gonna figure that out too. Wait a minute. And so the challenging part, and I have to be, I'm the i'm that guy, you don't have to be challenged. Otherwise I'm bored and I gotta go do something else. um The challenging part was I couldn't wait to do it. A, I didn't have a choice.
00:43:38
Speaker
And the other thing, B, was I now had men dependent on me. And at that time- Not just that, the families too. Yeah, their families, their wives. I tell people all the time, that's the worst part about it. You're not just feeding the guy who works for you. You're feeding his kids, his wife, his animals. Hundreds of people relying on you. Yeah, exactly.
00:43:58
Speaker
Getting a get a job done and having money in the bank account. And that's the stuff that keeps you up at night. That's why we don't say no to these shops. I had one lady called me and she said, my understanding is you did stuff at the Ritz at Lake Oconee. And I said, yes, ma'am. She said, well, my daughter's getting married. If you can do that one, um we want you to do, we want you to come and talk to us. And I said, okay. Well, they had had this planned and in the little town and, um,
00:44:27
Speaker
You know, it wasn't hardly anything there. They were the first people to have an event, and this place had just been created. And I i told her I could handle the job, 500 people coming to this wedding. And I told her, I said, I cannot believe you're going to do this.
00:44:46
Speaker
you can't control 500 people. But I said, I can do the tent. You just gonna run out of food. yeah I just don't understand why you gotta have 500 people. And she said, you you put up the tent, make sure it doesn't go anywhere. out the food We'll worry about the food. We're worried about the decor. And that was that was that kickoff you know where everybody was like,
00:45:09
Speaker
Holy moly, you really did it. You know, and then you just I just grew it from there. I didn't have a choice Yeah, i mean but now you know going back to that marketing thing. Hey, will you blast this?
00:45:23
Speaker
help me. I don't know anything about any of this. So help me blast it, you know, and, and it took off from there. Okay. So at that point in time, then how many employees were you running with? About 14. So 14 guys just got all the trucks. Just sounds like you just took on a large nut for the trucks and vinyl and everything
Texas Expansion Strategy
00:45:41
Speaker
else. So, yeah, I mean, that's what I was saying the other day. If you're going to go in this industry, you can't half-ass it. No, you got to go all the way. Yeah. you You can either have yourself a job or you can,
00:45:50
Speaker
have you can make ends well well You can be a backyard warrior. i mean You can be a backyard guy that does you know no no offense to them, but if that's what you want to do and you want to make you know make yourself $100,000 a year for you and one other person, you're fine. you're You're buying a job. But at the end of the day, if you want to go all in and make this a business for to pay these people and their families and yourself and everything, make a really good living for yourself, then you do it like you did it. Yeah, that's right. Jeff, you ever think like ah like what you just told me about that job, connecting from the roots and saying, you know, hey, can if you can do it, I can handle it, and it's a big job. You ever think that some of that stuff just happens at the right moment when it's supposed to? i'm god believer I'm a firm believer that that's the only... You know, and I pray this prayer every morning. I only want the jobs that you want me to have.
00:46:38
Speaker
period into discussion. I don't want if if I need to create the job, it's going backwards. Mike Holland and I have had this conversation many times over the past couple of years when I always say,
00:46:50
Speaker
And he'll say, how are you doing? I said, you know, i i'm I'm good because God is providing, but why is God providing so damn much right now for me at one time? I don't, here's my, throw me a sign, give me something. But you know, it's, we've been grateful in this industry that we all, a lot of people made it through COVID because of the, you know, tents and everything. and Well, it shows you how resilient this industry truly is. You know, yeah even looking back to 0809, it really didn't, hurt the industry that much i can't tell you
00:47:20
Speaker
What happened? 0809? I don't know. 10? Because you're still busy. man I had none. We were buying 10s left and right. We didn't know. That was the beginning of the time like COVID when the house crashed. There was tents all over the place and stuff. Not for homeless, but for what? let mean Everybody was getting married. Everybody was throwing a party. It was just a smaller type deal. but There was still events. There was still money coming in. we were doing yeah We were busy. I mean, I worked for a company in Northern Indiana at that time.
00:47:50
Speaker
We were still doing things for football games and parties and weddings and everything else. I mean, yeah, the recession was there, but at the end of the day, people are still going to have to go out and have parties. It's like it's like during COVID, when people were trying to hide it, that they were trying to have parties. And it's like, people got to have some sanity. And people are going to party to have their sanity. But even recently, you know, everyone talks about, oh, we're heading to a recession. editor People who are spending money have the money no matter what. They're not going away. The people spending money with all of us have money to spend most of them. They're not feeling the impacts of any economic change. that' sure Right. So now, fast forward over to 2020, got into the structure, trying to get into that job for you. And then so then you said, hey, I'm going to go in and I'm going to... I mean, we had a conversation, Mike and I had a conversation and I said, I'm in it. So what do you need me to...
00:48:44
Speaker
What do you want me to do? I said, I'm not going to get you to come down and put another 10 up for me. I said, sorry. And he goes, you know, I got all this hawker stuff, man, you can have it. Just, uh, I need you to hurry up, make a decision. I said, don't I'm, I'm in. Um, and so i went down and picked all of it up, hired a truck. We, we, that was at the old building and we loaded it out one morning and I came back to Macon and we were looking at it and I said, well,
00:49:14
Speaker
Again, your wife's on the front porch. No, she was right on the front porch. Now listen, Denise is- We just paid off the last one. Denise is- More of them, here we go. she is for If she's listening to this, she is 100% an event person. Yeah. she She was born into, her mom owned ah owned a flower shop, and so she's 100% in. She got it. We met on a job site. Right.
00:49:41
Speaker
When you were working for dad. Yeah, um she was the assistant to the president at a college that. They threw events all the time. The president loved tents in the backyard of the president's house. and so I was over there quite a bit. and that's how To do the tent or to go see her? yeah That's right. and My father, he was looking around and he goes, did you see? I said, my gosh. I'm going to marry her one day. i couldn't yeah I couldn't hardly talk when she was around. and so She's still involved in the business? Very much okay very much so. She is the reason why
00:50:20
Speaker
ah Grow this thing. Okay. We are in Texas trying to grow it. So when did the Texas transition so about five years ago I met ah I met some guys here in a RA meeting and They said hey you got some structure and I said sure I got it. I said I'm coming to Texas I I've reason to go, you know there and um Luckily, Darren wasn't around then. yeah yeah He's down then. I think they call that South Louisiana.
00:50:47
Speaker
here we go um I met some guys and I started going out there. and you were soing They were subbing from you? let That didn't start till about three years ago. and I landed a couple of jobs and we paid the business off and I took off.
00:51:07
Speaker
and I said, let this is the time to do it. Is it more you're in Texas for personal reasons? I know you enjoy cattle, you enjoy riding horses, things like that. You just prefer Texas. Absolutely. Okay. Absolutely. I mean, this is a dream. This is not a Brian and Jeff dream. This is a Jeff dream. Okay. So so then, so you met the people, you said you're going down there. Yeah. What was that process then? And how long did that take?
00:51:32
Speaker
couple of years. it took It took a while, but I had to go and meet people. And then finally, somebody gave me some names ah of caterers and planters. Finally. And they were willing to be kind to me and don't embarrass me. yeah And they passed the note across the table and said, now I'm trusting you not to so Yeah. So I took it and ran. So it was yours for the taking at that point. So, so you're bringing inventory, at that point from making down to Texas to do one or two jobs and then shipping it back right back home. That's right. So when did you make the, when did you make the move to Texas and are you still in Macon? Yeah. So January the third of, uh, 24 we launched, uh, made a website, made a God of Texas his phone number. Um,
00:52:23
Speaker
kind of going back and forth from there to Texas, from from making to Texas and just seeing if I could land anything. March of 24, the phone started ringing and I started answering calls and I go out there and you know meet with people and I actually and went out there first February And I was on my way to to church riding with a guy. And I said, this is ridiculous. ah I said, I'm not going to land anything. I don't know. These people, this is not my market, apparently. I don't know how to speak the language. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm too high. the I don't know. It's something. And I said, I'm headed home. and
00:53:10
Speaker
i'm going to make it yeah yeah I'm headed back to Georgia. I said, this is ridiculous. I mean, this was a great place for me to visit, but it doesn't look like this is going to be my, you know, finish my day's home. And my my buddy Jeff, he said, I don't think so. ah Are you broke? And I said, no. i'm Not yet. We called Denise for a third credit card. yeah I said, it's just frustrating. He said, don't go. And he said, I'm telling you, so it's not your time.
00:53:41
Speaker
you know You don't need to quit. I said, I'm not quitting, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Somebody needs to you know point me in the right direction and tell me what I'm not doing. I came out there with the intent of I'm only going to do structure and I'm going to do a cell call. And that was it. I didn't want to do tables. I didn't want to do chairs. I'm going to do you know the linens and ice, they won't fool with any of that. were you That was the headaches. I was, I was in that, you know, you, you said, um, Darren, that, you know, all that table topper stuff can be good. Lord keep you up at night. Wondering if the table calls are clean. Are you offering that in Georgia? No. Just tense. we' Well, well, I'm back up. Yeah. We, we do linens and tables and chairs.
00:54:29
Speaker
and dance well We do all all that stuff in Georgia. The streamline stuff, not yeah not nothing over crazy over the top. No. yeah And so I came out there, I was just going to focus on these these things. I was going to grow it organically, stay right there in that niche. And you know I was frustrated. And he said, don't do it. Don't don't quit. you know this is And the phone rang. I'm driving back to Weatherford. And the phone rang. And this lady, she says, we're going to have ah revival in Halton city. Can you come and do a 10? I want you to fill up the park. that's a big one i mean And I said, everybody wants a big tent till they see the price see a big tent. And she said, I'm, I'm telling you, we want a big tent. Well, 8,500 people showed up to the revival and I did a hundred by 150. And so that was kind of, that was, that was a, I did the P1. Joe, if you're listening, I did put up your P1.
00:55:26
Speaker
30-meter charge. That was that was the kickoff man that you know that I knew that this was gonna this was gonna take off. it was got So I got a question for you. I'm gonna make it. yeah i am You're riding the church. I'm throwing my hat in. yeah Your friend tells you to stay. What's the timeline to this phone call? Five days.
00:55:49
Speaker
It's crazy. But you were, did you, so did you go back, you went back to making and sat down and said, I don't know, we're going to do anything up the call or were you still in Texas? I was in Texas. Okay. I started making, making friends, making a home. I mean, I was working on that. This is your retirement plan. Correct. this is You want to retire in. but texas Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't really matter. I mean, it won't be in Texas. Yeah.
00:56:14
Speaker
um that This was my thought. you know that um i ah I've started making relationships here. I've met with those planners, those those caterers, those florist people, the the highfalutins. I met with all of them and they were, oh, it's so nice to meet you. Oh yeah, we'll call you. you think it's good Do you have the good old boy syndrome down there where you're you're the out of towner? It's tight. It it is super tight.
00:56:42
Speaker
You dressed the part, I'm guessing. You probably had spurs on. I don't know.
00:56:49
Speaker
Well, yeah so so then, so you got the call, you got that one job and now how's it going in Texas currently? We're good. The phone's ringing. The emails are coming in. I'm booking jobs. and You know, it's, it's going pretty good. Are you operating under making time rental? Yes. good So they didn't change the name, any of that. So then you're down in Texas. And so who's up in making and who's running? Brian's, Brian's, okay all the crew is still there. to bri still there yeah So it's a, it's one of those Jeff's solo man right this second. Yeah.
00:57:24
Speaker
So you're fielding the calls kind of as they come and then kind of figuring out the labor and inventory stuff as you go. That's right. Kind of like how what Darren did. And there's a need in Texas for it. I mean I told you that from the beginning like him coming over like there's a tight group of people we've got in the state.
00:57:43
Speaker
Again, heck, I need that so-called. Well, the good thing is you got people like Jeff that are are good, genuine dudes that you know you can trust, that he's not going to try and steal your business, that if you need something, you call him and you'll help him, he'll help you, where I'm sure that there are some people, I mean, just like in any area. This goes back to what we said at the beginning.
00:58:03
Speaker
I would shake Jeff's hand right now and trust every word that came out of his mouth. you know you're going to get at the end of the day and you know that if if you went back and said hey you still good yeah he's gonna be good or somebody else will say hey i'm sorry um'm sorry i got to go different direction so Yeah. So Texas is good. Macon is good. Macon is good. So where do you want to be? Where do you want to get this thing to? What is going to be comfortable for you at this point? All right. So there's the big guys. You got classic tent cement.
00:58:37
Speaker
in Atlanta and Steven is a super super super friend good dude you got Chattanooga there just cream of the crop got Brian it just up there in New Jersey just cream of the crop and I have sat and pinned them all and said pour into me what you would do different What am I doing? Danny Hooks, I sat over there yeah in the corner. I said, hey, put me up against the wall. Tell me what I would do different. Ed Knight did the same thing. yeah i Where, if you had the opportunity, and I'm 49 years old, and I'm starting this thing by myself in this little town, and ah my goal is to cater from Tarrant County, which is Fort Worth, from Tarrant County all the way to Abilene, which is Taylor County. I want to do everything North Texas,
00:59:26
Speaker
all the way to Abilene, go to Midland, go wherever. But you know those are kind of where those those big ranches, they all got daughters. that's my That is my thing. You want the rancher's daughter. I want to do the the weddings. the wedding yeah no one did The weddings. I want to do the parties. you know that those are That's my clientele. And and i've always I've asked them all, hey, what would you go do?
00:59:50
Speaker
And I said, if you had, you know, if you could look in the ball again, crystal ball and say, you know what, this is what I would do. I've sat with them and they all said the same thing.
01:00:02
Speaker
do not force something. Just, just go slow, man. Don't get so far over, over top that you cannot operate, that you can't buy a meal, that you can't, don't do it. yeah So I've kind of gone on that. You asked where I want to be. I'd love to have $150,000 payroll every week. yeah I'm asked to go. The girl that's probably shooting loves. I mean, that's probably shooting. Darrin has a face.
01:00:38
Speaker
my dad my blessing this is the what no that's that that You want 150,000 of payroll expense a week? I'd love to have that. I would eat that up. But I mean, and in reality, in in you know in that, okay, now we have Um, these, you know, the, the phone is, saying is that possible? Probably not. But usually that means you're doing a lot of good things for a lot of good people. yeah If that's what your payroll looks like, too it means that there's a lot of people that they shit and i trust you. Yeah. And that's where I want to be.
Independent Growth & Networking
01:01:09
Speaker
I mean, I, you know, sit with the big guys and, and understand how that, what they, what they're thinking, you know, pour into me, you know, what, what you would you, what, if you were in my shoes, where would you,
01:01:23
Speaker
And then what's the goal? And they've all said the same thing. I mean, this is where you want to be. Do you honestly want to be out there um at four o'clock on Tuesday morning, getting me in?
01:01:36
Speaker
um you know, getting going, driving stakes or drilling holes and setting base plates. Nope. No, that's not. No, that's not. No, but you're going to still grow. How is that growing the business? Yeah. I want to grow the business. Just like what Darren said, it's not Darren's rental, it's Houston-Tenson events. That's right. I won't make content rentals to grow at a point where You know, Jeff is overseeing and taking it on. Well, that's been, I think, tough for the older generation at this point. There's a lot of people in this industry, good, great people, but they can't get out of it because they've lived in it for so long, and the industry has run them, and they've not learned this stuff. That's why. Well, it's also a drug to them. Well, I grew up the same way. They love this. You know, one of the mistakes that I made was buying my father out. I shouldn't have done it.
01:02:28
Speaker
But I'm glad I did. I'm glad that, you know, I'm glad I did. it But at the time I should have sat with Brian and Mike and gone, am I doing the right thing? And you're, what would you do different? Yeah. You know, but I, I mean, you know, at the time, you're a much nicer son than me. I keep telling my dad, I'm not going to give him a dime. But I was thinking, I was thinking, Hey, i i want I want my dad to retire. I want him to enjoy life. Well, this was his life. Yeah. I mean, this was his job. This was what he wanted to do.
01:02:59
Speaker
not that he doesn't do it now i'm just saying that you know i didn't need to buy him out yeah to this get you fired up man coming to a showing you around to be around to everybody yeah play they you know some of the conferences that happens but you know area by some of the rights well it's not something that's what keeps you see in the instruments like we said on the first podcast you know when i was burned out after so many years in this industry in twenty twenty i'm in it twenty one years now and after twenty twenty i was ready to get out i mean but the people in this industry is what keeps you coming back
01:03:30
Speaker
the networking, the people. restaurant And yeah, going out to the jobs every once in a while is something I love to do. I mean, I love going out on the job site. Now, do I want to be out there swinging the sledgehammer and humping it every day? No, I don't. But ah we've given ourselves the ability to live a good life and get to pick and choose when we want to do that now. Right. so But these relationships, I probably text Darren, we probably talk once every two weeks, just about some dumb stuff. And I still remember you came and sat down next to me on a couch somewhere at a bar at like 11 o'clock at night and you were like dan yeah you said scan this QR code it's got my phone number and in my email if you ever need me here's all my contact information and that's literally how this all started just me and Darren talking was he forced himself into my phone like oh
01:04:15
Speaker
Like I was a cheap hooker or something. I force myself into random groups around here because it's the only way I'm going to learn. Yeah. But that's the problem with this industry too is nobody will say anything. It's tight-lipped until you force yourself in. And that's just like we said on the other podcast is, you know, that's how we got into positions that we're in in this company is we have kind of forced our way to keep moving up the ladder and to get where we are. Otherwise we'd still be on the damn truck sitting in the sledgehammer if it was for the, if it wasn't for the owners. And you know, as leaders,
01:04:45
Speaker
We talked about it then after I was kind of thinking about what we talked about on that episode and I was like, you know, I'm just as guilty of, you know, I got a guy, he's really good at his job. Well, I don't want to promote him because now I got to find someone to do his job. And it sucks. And then if somebody's got to do my job, somebody's got to do your job. yeah And there ain't no way we're going anywhere unless somebody's doing our job. Don't know if we can replace and get on the, get on the lake or get on the golf course or find somebody smarter than me to find the person to replace us. Yeah. Cause then ah if if I can get high up by enough.
01:05:17
Speaker
that's ah That's in the clouds. There's no position. There's nothing left to do there. You're exactly right. I did do that. and I hired a guy straight out that was CEO material that operations been in the business for 30 something years. and He saw me ah post something on on Facebook and i I'm horrible at this, but I posted a picture and he contacted me and he said, I'm looking for somebody that is brand new, what you what you got. And I was like, well, I ain't brand new. but what you want to do and he said, I want to help you grow it. Like, man, I don't know that I can afford you right. You know what? That's how you grow. That's how you do it. You got to spend money to make money. You care to make money. That's right. And so that guy, you and I talked to it at ATA and has he started with you now? Oh yeah. Okay. Where's which location? In Texas. That's awesome. Good job. He's helping grow the Texas location. What's his name?
01:06:15
Speaker
Kurt. Curtis. Curtis Day. Awesome. Curtis Day. He actually came across my Facebook the other day, so now we're friends. yeah So we're coming up on a little over an hour.
Advice for Industry Newcomers
01:06:24
Speaker
I'm sure people don't want to listen to us talk too much. So one of the things I'd like to end on is one piece of advice you could give to maybe there's a new guy in the industry listening to this right now. Even guys who've been in it 10, 15 years, what's some wisdom you can bestow upon them as a parting note Jeff? Any advice for the next generation?
01:06:44
Speaker
do do the right thing even when nobody's looking is very important to me and be authentic. This industry has had some um ah issues with people back the last decades and decades and and um it's a tough industry to break into um and a costly one that gets more and more expensive to get into.
01:07:04
Speaker
But if you're an authentic person and you do the right thing for your team, your clients, um others in your network in the industry, success will find you. you don't have to You don't have to look for it. Love that. Yeah. You can't be scared. You got to be willing to take chances. um The other part of that is you cannot make something happen.
01:07:27
Speaker
Usually when you make something happen, it goes sour. I love that advice. Can't force it. Can't force it. Don't force it. god will God will have a plan. And for some reason, God always provides in this industry for us. 100%. But well, we thank you guys for being on.
Closing Remarks
01:07:41
Speaker
This has been another great episode of Under the Vinyl. and I think we'll get under you we'll get it home don jeff get even another the name of a podcast here' just done we'll get a few more going here. Hey, you listen, I get, hey, come here. You want to do this podcast? What are we talking about? Well, sucker and anybody for a couple beers, but, uh, yeah, hold me off the blackjack tap there go but yeah, we'll get some more, uh, we'll get some more interviews going here and stay tuned. Thank you guys.