On today's episode of Gathering the Kings. It appears as a step back, and it might be a temporary little piece of time where you make slightly less on your paycheck, but I'm an owner. I own a business. You know, that there's a point where that ownership will pay back tenfold. You are listening to Gathering the Kings with Chaz Wolfe, featuring fellow 7, 8, and even 9 figure business owners who have real battle scars from business and life.
But have prevailed as the king that they are designed to be. We welcome high performing entrepreneurs to the stage in order to reveal the reel of the reel. On what it takes to build a successful business today. We dissect the good and bad decisions they've made along the way Chaz give a true and accurate picture of the journey success and how you too can get there.
Through this dialogue, you will learn the value of growing your network and surrounding yourself with power players and keys like today's guest. Grab your pen and notebook because we're about to dive in. What's up, everybody? Chaz Wolfe. I'm your host gathering the king's podcast. Today, I've got Steph still here on the King stage. How are you? I'm great. How are you? You know, it's Thursday. I don't know if I could be any better.
The reality, though, as you know, as a business owner, there's all these things going on all at the same time. And we love it, and we're you know, we hate it and we love it all the same moment. Absolutely. It seems strong, you know, but We love it. We love it. We love it. There's just there's just times where it it's, it's harder to love, you know, but we still love it. Yeah. Hopefully, we'll get into some of that with your story here today, but Steph Tels, what kind of business that you have?
Yeah. I have a boutique small grocery store, right in the heart of Austin, Texas called tiny grocer Chaz I am just utterly proud of and excited to share and, just love with my full heart. I I can I can literally it coming through the screen? For the listeners, I hope that you can hear it in your ears. I can see it on the screen here. That I'd I think you would, you'd lay your life down for Chaz. That little tiny tiny grocery place. I feel like I do every day. Absolutely. That's right.
That's right. Okay. Well, so before we jump into your story, you've got you've got a history of success here, and I wanna go through that. But before we do that, at this level in the game, you're winning you're you're more than winning. You're crushing. Why are you still at it? You know, why why not why not throw in the cards and and cash out and and a sail away, why are you still why are you still pushing and grinding? You know, I think I just I have too much energy in me.
I have too much drive in me to stop. Like, I have I'm not young by any means, but I have a lot of good years in me. And let's see what I can do in 10 years, you know, and then maybe that's a time to think about something something different, but I I've got a lot of time in me. Yeah. I think that there's the, the potential is really what you're you know, referring to it. Like, I'm not why why stop? I'm not done. Right? Like, we we stop when we're done.
Exactly. How Chaz that always been your mindset? Have you come to that through some conclusions recent? Like, tell us how you got there. Well, I think the truth is are we ever done? Right? But for me, you know, this is a plan for the rest of my life. Like, this is, I have had success in careers along the way, and I learned a very particular skill set that I actually love and love doing. And I'm doing something very special, I think, in what I'm bringing to the world and how we're bringing it.
And so to me, It's it's, what what what else would I be doing? This is this is what makes sense for me. You know, this is what I want to do. If I was gonna spend my time doing something to build something. This is what I want to build. Yeah. I I guess, you know, there's a there's an old adage that's they say work or do what you love for work, and you'll never work a day in your life or something like that.
And that, you know, that's a little cliche and a little bit of, you know, singed by the campfire type of a feeling, but that's what I'm that's what I'm hearing you say is that you don't feel like it's a push or grind. You just feel like you're doing what you're what you're made for. Yeah. And, you know, make no mistake. It's a push and it's a grind. You know?
But, like, if I'm gonna push and grind, it's gonna help if I have true love and passion behind what I'm doing and why I'm doing it, then if it were just a push and a grind for a paycheck. Yeah. 100%. What would you say? The entrepreneur who's listening right now, you know, they they maybe once had, some passion like you do Maybe they've lost it. Maybe they lost sight of it.
Maybe they they like what they're doing, but maybe they don't see it as a life, passion, or like this thing that I've been made for. What would you say, or have you always found that, or what would you do say to encourage them, if if they don't have what you have at this current moment? Yeah. You know, I I don't know that I have great words of wisdom, but what I'll say about my own journey is that You know, life is so interesting in hindsight. Right?
Like, when you're in it, it's hard to see what's happening, and it can be just a grind. That's right. But it it isn't until you get a little further out and have some perspective back Chaz when I look at my life and the different jobs that I took and even the big leaps of faith and what got added in my experience repertoire from doing that, all of that has led to exactly where I am right now. So, you know, for me, it really was a I switched industries for a while.
I I took a little tour into the hospitality industry, both in the hotel world and the restaurant Wolfe. And coming out of that, what I learned from that definitely has influenced me in how I'm going about what I'm currently doing Right. But it was also in doing those that I looked back at my world of experience in one particular industry and said, why would I not use all of these skills that I've garnered.
Right. I think I think a couple things I think about sometimes is, you know, I spent 24 years in the grocery business before I took those leaps out of it. And I went back to school later in life. And I remember being in a class and a younger person saying to me, that's just not respected anymore, the 24 years in, in a single industry, And I just would challenge that that's not right thinking.
That that that 24 years of experience really made me an expert in my field And is probably why I am able to go forth and do this, not just from the skill set knowledge, but also people's trust in me and just what this looks like from a business standpoint.
Yeah. What I guess the underlying, truth that you're that you're stating is that you spend enough time on one thing 24 years or whatever the length of time is that developing that skill, you do reach mastery, right, or that that level of expert. And and, to your point, why would you throw that away? But as an entrepreneur, It's our job to utilize skill sets, whether they're skill sets that we've earned or learned or gained or people on our team and their skill sets. And and it's a puzzle.
It's a it's a it's a it's a mixing game of bringing skill sets together. That's what's needed to build a team and build a business and serve clients and this experience that you're so excited about at this tiny grocery store in the middle of Austin. Like, that's all it is is it's it's taking all these skill sets and putting it putting them together so that the market loves it. Right? Would you add anything to that?
You know, the only thing I would add is that, I heard somewhere along the way that if you like what someone's doing, Like, if you want to be in a particular profession, or if you just like a skill set that someone else Chaz, is go work for them. Learn from them. And I feel like the 2 forays into the one into the hotel business and the one into the restaurant business I learned massive incredible lessons from those two people that have have really benefited and served me.
You know, so put yourself near someone that you really admire and pick up everything you can. Yeah. Yeah. You're right because it doesn't always have to be in a paid mentor mentee scenario. It could be you going to work for that person. I've even I've even, done it myself when I was younger, but heard of other scenarios at a higher level of, like, I'll just work for you for free, so that I can gain that, that potential, knowledge or experience, skill set, for me, I I didn't go, for a short time.
I worked for a pretty big name Grant Cardone, I didn't go there with the intention of let me let me pick up some additional things here to learn so I can go back and put in my business. I went there for an actual business opportunity. But the things that I learned Chaz I liked and that I didn't like really have stuck with me the last several years of like, okay. Here's here are some building blocks of, of why I wanna do or why I don't wanna do certain things. 100%.
And I'm the same way, like, mine were for jobs. Like, they were JOB jobs, but I will say that there was, absolute admiration for the two companies that I worked for and what they had built. And, you know, I I had worked for a pretty large company my whole life. And so going from like a fortune 500 company to a, I needed some lessons in how do smaller businesses operate, you know, like, what are the pieces I'm taking for granted here? You know, very, very different.
And And, yeah, you know, I cut my teeth with some other folks, and I really I appreciate that experience. And you're right. I learned good and bad. Along the way. I learned things I definitely wanted to, pick up and things I definitely did not wanna pick up along the way, but what what an incredible life experience. Yeah. You just said something that I wanna I wanna just ask you a follow-up question too before we move on.
You said that there In corporate America, there was maybe some some covering, right, some some extra cush, that that maybe we don't have in small business. And so I'm curious to know what those things that are where you that you learned. Like, what when you got into the small business, what'd you learn that you were taking for granted? That maybe the the listener right now goes, yeah. I deal with that. And then how have you you know, how does that work for you?
Yeah. I I just think in in larger business, there's so many departments. There's so many, like, We had global offices and regional offices, and there's people doing things. There's a lot of levers being pulled for you. I mean, I would say accounting is one, right, where, like, you know, all of these numbers are funneling through these people who are putting them together into a sheet that you are taught to read in a very specific way.
And so Yep. You know, now you're you're literally working with accountants to create the sheet that you wanna see it that way. And it it just it takes a lot of yeah, Kush. I mean, there's a lot. Marketing is 1 where there's marketing teams and, you know, basically every aspect of that is on the small business owner. So, yeah. So for me, like a glimpse into the smaller companies was like, what key positions do they have, and they weren't they weren't even small companies.
I would call them medium companies. One's probably even a large company at this point, but, you know, it was like, You know, I dream of one day having a director of operations, right, that would be incredible to just have this other person kind of with me up at the top, really functioning at a high level with, as we grow. Right. You know, I I think a trigger you know, a switch I'm gonna pull myself. I don't know if I've mentioned we're opening a second store. Okay. No. That's awesome.
It's exciting. Yeah. Very exciting. And so as I'm thinking about that one, it is hiring a it's almost like I almost wanna lump all these jobs together, but it would be kind of a marketing and catering person, like, not necessarily catering. Like, they're cooking, but that they're going out and actively seeking catering gigs for us But marketing, creating events, and demos, and all of those things that just drive traffic and drive business, I think that that is money well spent.
So that's probably one of the first key positions. But as I look at these other businesses, as you get to a certain level, you might need an HR person. Like, I'm, I'm a ways away from Chaz. You know, but what are those key positions that you need to have in place? And so those are kind of my initial thoughts about what I'm thinking about them. Yeah. No. I think it's great for the listener to hear because a lot of times, we we just start a business. And and we're doing the thing.
And then in your in your case, I'm I'm selling grocery items or or or catering or whatever that that that, the option is that they're purchasing from you could be, someone in the trades. It could be someone in marketing. Whatever whatever it is that they're that they're offering. And we just get started. We're doing the thing. And, we start to grow a little bit. Maybe we're doing 2, 3, 5, 6, 800,000 and it starts to get a little chaotic. We're wearing a lot of hats.
And we start hiring a little bit, but we're hiring just kinda like, hey. You take this little thing. You take this little thing. You take this little thing. And what you're talking about is really the next level Chaz you start to transition into what we call kingship, we're really starting to build an actual team. It's not just people on your team, but it there's key roles that you can actually develop through leadership, through specific hiring. Here's how I want you to lead.
This is why we're hiring this role. Like, it's a little bit more strategic at that level, higher level thinking, which is really exciting for you. Yeah. Very exciting. Then I even get the to think about this at all is very exciting. Absolutely. Love it. K. Well, let's get into your story a little bit. I know you kinda gave us a little bit, but how have you become an entrepreneur? How did it all start? Yeah. I mean, Well, it's real recent. You know, I I I grew up in the Bay Area.
I in 1995, I was shift manager of a coffee shop. And, a friend of mine said there's a new grocery store coming to town. And I think you should check it out there hiring, and it was called Whole Foods, and nobody knew what it was. Yeah. And so I ended up flying and getting a job in the deli, making sandwiches for 6 bucks an hour. And pretty quickly, they made me a supervisor and, you know, I think I've always been someone who, you know, I needed to make money.
I needed to pay my rent as a young person, and I was not afraid of taking some responsibility to make more money. So Right. Right. What was nice about Whole Foods was, 1, even though I think there was 47 stores or 50 stores when I started. You know, we grew it like crazy. Like, it there was 500 when I left So it was this, I saw it evolve. It kind of always felt like a startup, even though it was a big company. We were always just making stuff up and seeing if it worked, It was really fun.
It was really creative. So, yeah, I kinda just kept going. I basically Chaz every job you can imagine. I switched to the grocery team because I didn't wanna wear a hat. And They're little quirks. Uh-huh. Exactly. And, you know, I got to drive a forklift and do all that you know, it felt like you were working out at 5 in the morning, loading these shelves. And, yeah, just something about it, even though the hours were hard and the work was hard, it resonated with me. I liked it. I liked the crew.
It's, you know, usually why people stay at a job is the people. Yeah. And the people were good. And, Yeah. I just made my way until finally I was running departments and then going into what they call store leadership where I was running stores. I I basically, became they call it a store team leader, but a general manager of a store in California and then got this incredible opportunity that really pulled me forward.
I would say career wise to moved to Austin in 2008 and run the flagship store of the company. And this is here in Austin, it's at 6 Lamar. It's about 80,000 square feet of groceries. And, you know, we did about I I don't know if I'm supposed to say what, you know, what we did like $2,000,000 a week, it was insane. And when you think about her, she's like cans of tuna, heads of lettuce, you know, this is not big ticket items. So it's just volume. And I feel like A lot of movement.
Yeah. Grocery is a volume game. So so, yeah, I did I ran stores for about a decade and, Yeah. I I would say that, something started to happen for me where started to kind of get, I I'd say bored in my job. Yeah. I've been doing it for a decade. And, there was several there was a couple different positions that came that we thought I would take, that didn't end up panning out Chaz were real exciting to me. Yeah. So I realized that me being bored was not Whole Foods' responsibility.
Me being bored was my own responsibility. Love that. I I I heard somebody say that if you're bored, you're probably boring. You know? Like, you're not you're not doing enough. So So I decided to I mean, this is one of the great things about a big company Chaz I was able to take a sabbatical.
Yeah. And so I took a sabbatical, and I went back to school, and I started, getting a degree in organizational leadership and communication because I felt like it really went along with what I was taught already.
Yeah. And, as the sabbatical came to an end, I went back to Whole Foods and continued to work while I did school and I still just kinda wasn't feeling it, and I just kinda took one of the biggest leaps of my entire life after a 24 year career in a real, steady, nice, big paycheck, I left, you know, and I I finished up school.
And as I was just finishing and graduating, I was actually offered a job as the director of operations for a hotel group here in town, and that was absolutely incredible to learn an entirely new industry Yeah. At a high level. And then really, I did that for about a year and a half, almost 2 years. And something, again, just kind of wasn't resonating with me. They there was some transition in that company, and I felt like it was a good time to jump off again.
And I started pursuing this idea of the small grocery at that time. And I really worked on this idea for two and 3 years before it ever came to fruition. Like, I I knew the name. I bought the website. I was actively planning the business. Yeah. Just kind of these early moments. And, I wanted this one location, which is where the store is now, but, I started walking down this path. I was actually talking to someone about possibly being a business partner in this.
And and and the whole thing just got held up. Like, it it was nobody's fault. It was a landlord couldn't write a lease for a certain period of time that just needed to resolve. And the gentleman I was talking to about possibly partnering has a very successful restaurant group in town. And K. He said to me, they were buying a bakery here in town called Swedish Hill. And he said, I'm buying Swedish Hill right now. Why don't we do that?
And so that was this other gift Chaz really was given to me at at a time when I needed something where I got to work for this other group, and it was it was everything I needed to do for myself Right. For someone else before I had to do it.
So it was it was everything about the purchase of a business, the permits, the remodel, the all of these things and being in all of these meetings and hiring the team, training the team, launching the cafe as cafe got back and going and that service model of a restaurant, you know, all of that. Again, great. And I did that Also, for about a year and a half, almost 2 years, a year after it opened to the public. Yeah. And then and then, really, it was like, I I have to get back to the idea.
The idea was the small grocery. Like, this is great. Yeah. And I could keep doing this, or I could really go back to that idea. And so I don't wanna be too long winded about this, but I left in February of 2020, and we all know that March of 2020 COVID hit So I found myself unemployed of my own doing. Wow. And kind of freaking out.
But, again, out of nowhere, a friend who Chaz some investors that were buying a small grocery store in Fort Worth reached out and said, you know, would you do some consulting work on this new store that we're doing? So I got to continue to do work. I needed to do for myself.
Well Yeah. Getting a paycheck through COVID and, you know, work on some flow of the store and where signage would be and putting together, you know, what items I thought would do well there, putting together sourcing items is very time consuming. So Yeah. And then, sure enough, about October of 2020, I reached back out and that landlord could write a lease and that woman was ready to sell and And here we are. And here we are.
I I just think it's so incredible, not only just your story, you know, how you just continue to press in one thing after the next. I think that that will relate to anybody listening. But what I wanna highlight, one thing that I've experienced myself in this journey to kingship, if you will, is that any any one of us, we can look back at our history, and we realize what we're doing now is a culmination of all these things that we had done before.
And in the moment when we were doing the hotel and when we when we left our cush paying job at Wolfe Foods. And all these things that you can look back on and go, what was I doing? Why did I do that? Well, and and in the moment, you're just, like, you're kinda just in the moment toiling, doing the thing. And, but now you can look back and you can go, I get it now.
Absolutely. I also think I learned a lesson pretty early on with Whole Foods, actually, that has served me, which is not being afraid to take a step back to take a step forward. Yeah. You know, like, I'll just, to kind of try to make this when I worked for Whole Foods, It was like, I was a buyer, you know, so I'm like a 20 something kid, but I'm picking all the products for the store because that wasn't regionalized or globalized yet.
These are some of the skills I'm so great for, because these got taken out of people's hands as it got bigger and bigger. But Yeah. It was my favorite job I ever had, but I was salary. As a buyer. And then I became an assistant manager of that department. And just as I became an assistant manager, they determined that the buyer couldn't be salary. It needed to be hourly.
And so now I'm salary as an assistant manager, and then I become a manager, and then they determined that the assistant manager can't be salary, it needs to be hourly. And it's like, you know, I remember going from being a department manager into the store leadership and In each of these, I actually feel like I didn't I made less sometimes to take a step up. But that I knew the step up was worth it.
And I feel like that has really served me when I left Whole Foods, I made it made a good amount of money. The hotel gig was, you know, a third less. The restaurant gig was 10 to 20% less than that. You know, I pay myself whatever percentage less than that right now, but there's a bigger picture. Of what this can be. And, you know, I think not not being afraid monetarily. Yeah. Is a big deal, like, to say I can it's like living in a yurt while your house is being remodeled.
You know, like, I can I can live in a yurt for 2 years to have the house of my dreams? You know? Yeah. A 100%. I was talking with, one of the guys, in the Gathering the Kings mastermind group just right before the podcast. We're talking about him. He's trying to position, a piece of property. It's an acreage, and there's a house on it, and he's gonna use it for his business and equipment and all this stuff. And He was talking with his wife about how, they're really excited about this.
And she was kinda like, hey. So, like, can we do this? You know, like, do we have the resources for this? And he's like, yeah. Yeah. You know, things are gonna get a little tight, but, like, we're gonna do it while I'm making it happen. And it's those moments similar to what you're describing where it's like, it's okay.
Things aren't gonna be a little tight or that I have to pay myself less or Chaz I should take a step back because in the moment it appears as a step back, But it's a strategic move for the bigger picture that you said that's at play.
And so if you realize that you're building a business, that maybe one day you can sell or that you have other people, you know, buy into or or whatever that you pass on to your family, like, whatever the end exit looks like, that's why you make the strategic step back so that you can take another 10 forward down the road or at a more applicable time. Does that make sense? Am I saying it right? It it makes it makes total sense, and you're right. I think it appears as a step back.
And it might be a temporary little piece of time where you make slightly less on your paycheck, but I'm an owner. I own a business. You know, that there's a point where that ownership will pay back tenfold, what I'm not paying myself right now. And then honestly, you know, talking about the fact that we're opening a second store, I'll pull a second salary, and I'm actually getting much closer to where I was. Even just with number 2, but I really think there could be 5 of these.
You know, I think that who knows what happens in 10 years? Maybe there's 10 of them. You know? And then when you're talking about selling a business at that level, that's even that's even different. You know? So This is my retirement plan. This is how I intend to enjoy the rest of my life. Yeah. I love how you how you tie those two things together, my retirement plan, but how I intend to enjoy the rest of my life.
It's not only just in the building of it, but it's also in the exiting whatever the exit looks like, and and being able to enjoy the entire process One thing we we've talked a lot about some strategic moves that you've made that have been good. What I would classify as maybe our good decision topic, but What's something along the way where you just go, that did not work out. That is not a good choice. Give us give us one of those sticky situations.
Yeah. I mean, there's so many things that don't work out along the way and a long career for sure, but I'll use a more recent one in tiny grocer is I think you've probably heard in the news and everywhere else that staffing is really staffing has probably been the most challenging thing about this business, is just really, you know, we wanna make sure that we're competitive. We have added benefits. That I just wanted to make sure the business was successful before I could do that.
I wanted to launch with benefits, but I just needed to know it was gonna make it so that we've added that. But, you know, there was an employee that I just really adored and that really adored the space and the place and was constantly saying, like, you for creating this, and this is amazing.
And then really, you know, just wasn't kind of making it financially, and We came up with some areas of responsibility they could take on for a bit of a raise, and, and they ended up leaving because so we are we pay hourly plus tips. Okay. We we're a coffee shop and a sandwich. We have a deli. So people tend to want to tip in in those areas, and it it works out really well. What we realized is that the amount of money that they were offered by somebody else is about what they make.
With their tips. And so I decided to put up a poster saying we're hiring And I said, we guarantee this much per hour plus benefits. And it was it was just a bad decision twofold. Please. We're we're all on the edge of our chair listening. One was that that when you got into slower months, it went a little below that. Right? And Right? And so now because it's a tip based thing, it's gonna fluctuate with the with the with the needs of the business, with the sales.
Yep. And we're all in this together. And So I I mean, it really only affected 1 we only hired one person during that time. That sign came down within a day, partially because the customers coming in were like, you make that much an hour, then I shouldn't be tipping you, you know, kind of thing. So one was this perception of, that they make some grandiose amount of money, and we didn't want it to affect their tips. But two is I will never never used the word guaranteed ever again.
Like, this is, you know, and it it was hard to walk it back. Really, I find that in those situations, just utter honesty, is the best thing to do is the one person that we did hire that this affected is just really having a conversation about I made a mistake here. I used a word I will never use again. It really only affects you, but I I also need to be able to learn from my mistakes.
I need to be able to walk this back and say, you know, Here's why I did it, and here's what we really need to set it in. Wolfe, and then it needs to be an average because if you average it over the year, you are making Chaz, but anyways. It was it was just a real it's a lesson in language. And I would say, you know, I'm I'm very concerned about the happiness of the people that work there.
Like, that's part of the joy of owning a business is employing other people and creating a a fun, safe space, where people enjoy coming to make their living. You know? Yeah. I love what you, the last Wolfe part there, it it's assuming that they have to make a living somehow. Right? And we do. We all do. Yeah. And so why not be, person that is creating that space where it can be enjoyable.
Obviously, there's there's, you know, mistakes, signs, guarantees, that we've all thrown out to get creative and see what happens, as you said, back in your career. We just get creative sometimes. We see what works. What? You got some applications, I bet. Yeah. We were able to hire somebody. Absolutely. It was it was enticing, and you know, it's funny. I I don't even know that I would sway away that much from what we had said.
I might say we average this amount per you know, just change the language, but guarantee. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Well, and the reality of it is is that that speaks to your character because there's a lot of people out there who will use the word guarantee and think not twice about not actually fulfilling it, whether it's to their client or to their to their team. But it's just that you're a person of character, you're a person of integrity. And it matters. It matters to me.
I would I would I would feel the same way that you do, about that. So Okay. I wanna transition just a little bit here, to the speed round. First question, the speed round is about tracking lots of things to track inside of a tiny grocery store. With Cafe and deli and all the things that you guys are doing. If you could only pick one thing to track, though, in the entire business, what would it be? Okay. So it's 2 things. They're connected. Okay. Fair enough.
The number of people that come in a day k. And the average basket size. Love it. What does that tell you? If you know those 2 things off the off the cuff, what how do how does that help you navigate the business? Well, you know, it it allows me to know whether we're up and down in in how many people are coming in. We're still a brick and mortar type store. So it's it's information you need to know. You, you can see in the slower months less people came in.
Average basket size is how well you're doing it selling. So are they coming in for a $3 beverage, or are they coming in and doing some shopping? Are we getting $50, $100, $150 rings? That Yeah. Even out that basket size to a bigger a bigger basket. Yeah. Love that. What book would you recommend, Steph, for a 6 figure business owner trying to grow their business?
I was thinking, you know, I I I don't read a lot of books about growing it makes me want to read more books about growing their business. The book I'm reading right now is called the Secret Live of of Groceries. Okay. Pretty pretty niched Yeah. Because I'm a nerd. Right? Like, I'm a grocery nerd. And, I love it. It's fascinating.
It it it's really all of the different points along the road and and, you know, it's I don't think people really get the nuance of what's happening from the farmer, to the truck driver, to the grocery store, and how many pinch points there are to try to shave costs. I feel like grocery in general is a race to the bottom. Yeah. Like, who can be the lowest price, lowest price, lowest price, and there's costs to that. Like, my store is not the lowest price. Like, I'm, I'm very committed to quality.
Yeah. I'm very committed to it might cause a dollar or more, like, when you're in the grocery world, it's not a massive amount of money that it costs more, but the quality can be so much better. Yeah. And I think how easily we'll all drop 40, $50 on a t shirt. You know what I mean? But we spend 799 versus 599 for a better jam. You know? Right. It's interesting to me. So I believe in that 799 jam, like, It is local. It's got the best ingredients. Right.
It's it's absolutely heads heads and shoulders above what's out there that's that bargain basement price. Yeah. Exactly. I love that. What do you think about intentionally net working or masterminding with other entrepreneurs? Yeah. I think it's brilliant. In fact, I just reached out to a woman I really admire who has a home delivery food service that's done really well here in Austin.
We've had coffee a couple times, and I'm actually due to write her again to say there's gotta be some way that our businesses can benefit each other. There's another restaurant tour in town woman who's opened a an ice cream shop here locally that, you know, we've met whether it's like, you know, can I sell your gluten free pastries that are the best I've tasted, yeah, to, to even inviting her to have a conversation with the developer where my new store is going to see if that's a good fit?
I just think, I like this about Austin too. I'm just gonna say make a plug for Austin. There is an entrepreneurial spirit here, but I really appreciate where it doesn't feel so so competitive. Like Sure. Like such a scarcity. Yeah. It's like if I can help you and you Chaz help me. It benefits everybody is really this mindset I feel over and over again here. So, yeah, reach out. If you even have an inkling, that you guys can help each other sit down and have coffee.
It might not even come to you for a year or 2 Yeah. What that actually is, but there might be something there. Yeah. I I wanna get 2 scenarios there because and I don't do this often, but I think it's just so applicable for this moment. One of my edible arrangements franchise is years ago, right next door, we had nothing but cakes moving. And the owner kinda, you know, come over real real easy. You'd tail between his legs. Like, hi. I'm the owner of your competitor right next door.
Like, please don't hate me. And my response to him was look, man. We're gonna bring more of the same person to the parking lot. Maybe they want cake. Maybe they want fruit dipped in chocolate. Someone maybe comes to the parking lot thinking they want me, and then they end up you or vice versa, in my opinion, we're bringing more of the same person to the parking lot. So thanks. Appreciate it. And he was just like, Mind blown. You know? Yeah. Because you're right.
Like, how can we serve each other? We're we're I'm not selling cake. Well, we do now, but, yeah, the reality is is like, hey. Look. Like, at the end of the day, there's gotta be a way for us to service each other inside of our mastermind group. There's guys across the country in completely different industries that are like, hey. I had this idea, ding ding ding ding, and the other guy in a tech space is like, hey. All you need is a blah blah blah tech piece that he's familiar with.
He's like, we should do this together. It's like, yes. This is the reality of when you put mines together, same business or not doesn't matter. We can go for it, and we can we can just level up time and time again. I don't have to reach into grocery. You've got 24 years plus. I don't you can be the grocery nerd. If I got questions on grocery, guess who's I'm calling. You know what I mean? That's that's how we can work together. Alright. So Last question here for you, Steph.
K. If you could whisper in the younger Steph's ear, What would you tell her? It only gets better. I love that. Like, just keep going. You know, give it your all. I think anything worth doing is worth doing well. I agree. I agree. You've been nothing short of inspirational, and tactical. I love how it's both, with you. And so thank you for the time that you've given to us. How can the listener reach out? How they can connect? Maybe they're in Austin.
Maybe they need to come check out this coffee, deli, tiny grocery quality jam that you've got. Where where can they find you? Yeah. We're on South Congress. We're right in the heart of the capital of Texas in the walking district. I feel like whenever anyone comes to town, they walk up and down South Congress. So we're right there. We're right by a lot of hotels. You come get supplies for your room. Yeah, come see us. We have a beautiful website. You could reach out through email on there.
I respond to everything. And then the very fun thing about the store that's coming up Chaz will be in Hyde Park here in Austin, which is a great neighborhood, and it will actually expand our food offering. So The little deli in the first one will actually become a restaurant. There'll be indoor seating and patio seating. We're adding a dinner service and brunch on the weekends. And so Love it. It will really be small grocery meets cafe life style.
And, I'm really excited about it, so come check it out. Very cool. Give us the website. We'll put it in the show notes as well, but say it here on the recording. Tinygrocer.com. Easy enough. Well, you have been incredible. I'm so excited for your second location. I have I have a a good friend in Austin. In fact, I'm gonna as soon as we get done here, I'm gonna text him to come down and check you out. And when I'm there seeing him next, I'm gonna be checking out the the brunch option.
I'm a brunch guy. I like I like some, like some hash browns. Yeah. Absolutely. Let me know when you're coming. We'll make sure it's great. Sounds great. You've been incredible. Again, lessons on your business, your family, and, the remodeling that you got going on there in the background. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thanks for listening to Gathering the Kings.
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