Shed Geek Podcast

Reimagining Spaces with Kytan and Matt's Vision

• Shed Geek Podcast • Season 4 • Episode 81

Share episode

What if the future of living and vacationing could be reimagined with stackable, modular pods? Join us as we sit down with Ky and Matt from Hex-A-Pods to discover their revolutionary approach to housing. We’ll explore how their innovative designs, which maximize vertical space and offer multi-level living, could reshape rental communities across the U.S. Ky’s vision and the unique architectural details, from integrated and spiral staircases to gabled roofs, are set to challenge and elevate traditional living standards.

We dive into the nuts and bolts of these customizable, portable homes. Learn about the diverse materials chosen for their specific benefits, including smart siding, cedar, pine, and animal-deterring metal exteriors. We also touch on practical elements like custom window options, inset porches to handle snow buildup, and the pods' modular nature, ensuring ease of transport and permit compliance. The discussion extends to a fascinating array of pod designs, from children's play areas complete with rock walls and slides to specialized dog kennels.

Finally, we journey through Ky's inspiring personal and professional story, from his unique adoption experience and family challenges to his entrepreneurial ventures leading to Hexapods. We'll also delve into the strategic partnerships and growth plans that are fueling their nationwide expansion. Discover how the scenic beauty of Utah and the bustling communities of the U.S. are being transformed by these stackable living spaces and the dynamic individuals behind them. Get ready to be inspired by the future of housing and the incredible potential for growth and collaboration in this innovative industry.

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

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube at the handle @shedgeekpodcast.

To be a guest on the Shed Geek Podcast visit our website and fill out the "Contact Us" form.

To suggest show topics or ask questions you want answered email us at info@shedgeek.com.

This episodes Sponsors:
Studio Sponsor: Union Grove Lumber

Cardinal Manufacturing
Cardinal Leasing
Shed Challenger

Sambassador:

All right, guys, welcome back to another episode of the Shed Geek podcast. Friday fun day Sambassador version. Everybody knows Friday is where it happens at the Monday. People, they're magnificent but they just don't quite pull up to it. And Shannon has the Wednesday. He's the anchor in the middle, he keeps us balanced. But if you really want to know where it's at, you got to be on for Friday and, man, I am so excited to be on today.

Sambassador:

Guys, I have met Ky. I haven't met him as far as in person, but I met him online and met him through a phone call a while back. But I've been tracking this guy for a little while, ever since my buddy, Brandon, posted up about him. He's got an innovative product and I'm always all about seeing what's next on the market and where we're going. I reached out to him because I'm actually interested in his product and I want to see what we got to do to bring it to the Southeast. So, Ky, without any further ado, if you'll introduce you and your friend there and the name of your company and just give me a brief little rundown of what you're doing right now and where you're headed with this. So yeah, my name's.

Kytan Smith:

Kytan Smith, or you can call me Ky. This is Matt Burningham and our company is Hex-a-pods and the whole reason. I came up with this in the beginning was to just have something new and innovative that nobody's really seen before. We're still working on a couple different things with our product to make these stackable, to make them on trailer frames more portable, with plumbing included, kind of entering into that park model kind of feel, just something that you can get, that really you can't find anywhere else.

Sambassador:

Stackable. That's a new one on me. I haven't heard that part yet. So what? What is the? What's the plan as far as you? You mentioned that you have these on wheels and we'll throw some of your pictures up, which is always cool to put. You've got some great pictures. It never even dawned on me that these are stackable, but now, all of a sudden, I've built me a whole village with these things. I've got them about five high, I've got them leaning this way, that way, and I've got gaps in the middle. What's your picture on that?

Kytan Smith:

So eventually I want to start developments all over the US where you can rent these out as getaways, vacation rentals, different things like that, where you can stay somewhere that just is way different than the rest, where you have beautiful views, just kind of a unique place to stay and then just to be able to talk about it being in something so unique, I think will be a big thing for people.

Sambassador:

Yeah, so if you would do this, you bring up rentals. So I do RV rentals. I've played around in that market a little bit where we actually take them out and we set them up. I guess you're saying you could do that if they were on it, if they were done on wheels, or you could even do it as rentals, like cabin rentals. Is that where you're going with that?

Kytan Smith:

So it'd be more as, like cabin rentals, we'd put them on a foundation, we'd have them all engineered the right way, and then we would just have we'd either do small little ones where you could just stay in one single pod as your room.

Kytan Smith:

Um, there'd be a facility for restrooms and showers, or we could do stackable of like three. Where you'd have one is your kitchen area. You could walk up the wall into the next pod. Have that as your bed area and down into another one is either another room or a bathroom, or whatever you want to do that is really cool.

Sambassador:

so you're stackable. You're thinking of multiple rooms, I'm thinking of multiple units of people. Different people are in um. So where, where does the where like? Where? Where does guy come from? As far as I'm sure you weren't a 10 year old playing in the sandbox and saying you're going to build these little stackable. So my son's a Lego nut and the engineering and some of the artistic stuff I figured out from watching him build Legos and stuff is crazy. It opens your brain up to stuff that you really never. I'm a builder. I grew up building houses, so I'm out there. I understand all the different designs and stuff and I always like to say well, what if we take this house, we change this gable, we do this, we put this a hip instead of a gable? Is that kind of like, where did you come from with this?

Kytan Smith:

So the whole idea came from being able to sell something that I couldn't, that we couldn't sell here on the lot already. We have a whole bunch of dealers that are companies that we are a dealer for, and I needed something that wasn't competing with what we already are selling, something different, but then also kind of bring the same type of people in, and so that's how it all originally started. But then I was trying to find ways to make the most space out of your unit and most of the time you go off your floor plan of. This is the size and this is your max you can get if you want to keep it on wheels or if you're going to not go with permits or whatever process was. If this is your floor plan, we can go wider on the walls so you can store and put your cabinets, everything up on the walls out of the way and you would still have your full floor plan and can serve on your space.

Kytan Smith:

So people kind of think it's wasted space when they see them, because they're like what am I going to use this for? But once you can get everything tucked out of the way and you still have your full floor plan, and then, yeah, you can have plenty of a lot of ideas for storage and things inside of here that uh hasn't really been shown yet.

Sambassador:

That's that's a great point, and the fact that you said you can stone your cabinets up there and they're out of the way and you're still on a very fairly small floor print. So I'm gonna, I'm gonna back you up. About About eight years ago I started building dog houses the way you're building these things. We called ours the Wizard of Oz. We built them to where they were, like this Real steep roof on them, big chimney. It was amazing how much room was inside that little three by four floor plan because the walls bowed out. You could put stuff up there. I had a spot where I could put my dog food and stuff up there in a cabinet and stuff. I like that idea of what I can see, exactly what you're saying. It actually looks like you're inside of one of these.

Kytan Smith:

I am. Yeah, you can kind of see it here that there we go. Yep, there's the shape of it. We left this one kind of bare um so that we can show what we can do but not have it too full. That way people can custom whatever they want through and so we have we're going to have options from cabinets to drop down beds from the walls. Um different types of sinks, counters pretty much everything you can think of and is there.

Sambassador:

So, yeah, I understand that if you put them on wheels you got to stay inside of a certain measurement or they're going to have firm oversized permits and all that. How do you, uh, are you going to offer like pretty much any size? Do you have certain sizes? You want to stick with what's your?

Kytan Smith:

we're going to keep both of it underneath the permitting for the roads. Um, we've got drivers that can go up to 16 wide, so this one here with a six foot floor plan or wide on the floor. We're sitting at 11 and a half roughly from point to point, and so as we go, a little bit bigger.

Kytan Smith:

We are going to tilt the walls up a little bit more so they're not quite as far out, and then we'll go out to 16 wide on the points, and then anything bigger than that we'll do on site, or we'll do something where they can do multiple and we'll stack those and we'll deliver the three units and then we'll attach them and do the rest of that on site.

Sambassador:

I love that idea of stacking these things. It's just like I've got it in my head. You guys got to do it now because you're the ones that put this plan in my head, that I've got to. Um, so I want to. I want two on each side, then I want a gap in the middle, and then I want two on top of there and one on top of there and, of course, I want my master all the way at the top. How are you going to get me up there?

Kytan Smith:

so in the inside the walls, with them being like this we're going to have stairs that go up that wall with a cutout. So when you go, up, it'll drop flat, and then you would just do the same thing into the next one. And then, if we do the ones on top, if we do them a little bit shorter, then you can have a walkout porch onto one of those as well.

Sambassador:

Oh yeah, onto the top of one. Yeah, yeah, that's cool.

Matt Burningham:

We can also consider spiral staircases going up through the top.

Sambassador:

Oh, yeah, yeah, that would be good, I guess. Yeah, yep, yep. So I'm going to get you in trouble here because I just asked questions. This is what I do, so you're going to put gables on the side that look like the front.

Kytan Smith:

On what? On the? Side that look like the front on what like right there behind you.

Sambassador:

I want, I want a hexagon gable that sticks out so I have windows looking out that side behind you, and it's shaped the same way as the front is.

Kytan Smith:

So we have thought of that. Yeah, we have looked at that a little bit. We're trying to see how that'll work, especially if you're going to stack them. Um, we're looking at different dormers. Most likely the dormer would just come straight off the roof and it would just drop about halfway on that angle. Okay, window in it yep, but we have looked at different ways to keep it stackable, but also do that, yeah that's cool.

Sambassador:

I like that idea. So what is, is it? Uh? So the other day, um, I was looking at it and I had a friend with me and he's like, is there runners under there? Like can you move it like a shed or does it have its own system? Kind of walk me through the process of how it's built like a shed or different from a shed, so it is on runners like a shed, because these are portable.

Kytan Smith:

They're under restrictions for permits right now. They are portable. They're under restrictions for permits right now. They are portable. They have an exterior plug-in for power. That's what we're doing now. We're still working on the ones that are going to have. Plumbing will be set up on the trailers, so those ones will be like a park model or an RV. Everything's already on that.

Matt Burningham:

And then anything else like, if they don't want it on runners if they want it bigger.

Kytan Smith:

Those will just be ones where we'll do them on site. We'll probably build the trusses and different things first and then we'll ship them out, and then we'll just build everything on site straight onto the concrete, or however they want to do it and what are?

Sambassador:

what are my options? What are you using for like material on exterior? Is this a? It looks like smart side there on the back side, but it might be something else. What have you got in there? So we?

Kytan Smith:

do offer pretty much anything that you're looking for Right now. This one that we're in it has your smart siding on the back. On the front you have cedar, and then we have pine that's around the porch, and then we have we sheeted this one all the way in metal. Most of them will be in metal. We have I don't know how it is out east, but we do have a lot of people up in the mountains that will complain about um woodpeckers, different animals oh yeah, we have exciting, and so we.

Kytan Smith:

If we do them all in metal, it does help with that, um, but we also want to offer other options where we would everything would be sealed and then we could put rustic side, just like rustic wood on the outside um, seal all that off, but just pretty much anything it's just right now we're sticking with metal, just because that's what people have been looking for mostly yeah, that's cool, that makes good sense.

Sambassador:

um windows and for mostly yeah, that's cool, that makes good sense. Windows and door options. You have all that kind of stuff.

Kytan Smith:

Yeah, we're still putting a list together of everything that we will offer, but we do have enough custom. We can get custom windows and doors with different connections that we have. So if someone's looking for something specific, we would just have to price that out for them and figure out what we need to do to get that.

Kytan Smith:

But we will offer double or single doors and then windows. Anything standard size window we can do. But if there's something that they already have or want to order specially, we could do that and install it as well. We've looked at a full glass back full glass front as well okay, that's.

Sambassador:

That was one of my questions. How much glass can you get in those fronts? So I love the way you've inset the front. Um, is that pretty much a standard with all your models or are you doing some to where it doesn't have the inset porch what's up? So we can't really see that here, but we'll put, I'll have. We'll have pictures that will show.

Kytan Smith:

Yeah, I can always do a walk around to on my camera on my phone and we can kind of look at that.

Sambassador:

Yeah, I do.

Kytan Smith:

I do like to in, so I set it in four feet on most of them at this size, so you have some sort of Covered area for your door.

Matt Burningham:

We do it a lot.

Kytan Smith:

We don't want snow falling right up in front of the door. That was kind of the main logic. We also wanted the a wall part way in because it is a flat roof. It's not very wide, but if there is snow building up on there we don't want it getting too heavy to where there'd be issues. So we have that wall there so that it will help with support and then if you notice on, like the corners on the inside, how there's a little flat section.

Sambassador:

Those are other braces in the inside to help hold those walls up so that it's not just going to fold in half. So everything yeah that's a good.

Kytan Smith:

So everything is a two by four um treated underneath um. We can do two by sixes or two by eights, just depending on where it's going, and then it's Full insulation.

Matt Burningham:

Yeah, full insulation.

Kytan Smith:

There is option for batting or spray foam and then the way you want to finish them out on the inside. Everything's 16-6 on center.

Sambassador:

I was wondering about that flat roof on top when some of y'all so. You know, Jason Kaufman's a good friend of mine. He's up in all the way at the top of Montana and he's always fussing about snow loads. Um. So I was like well, you got a flat roof up there.

Kytan Smith:

You just got to figure on eight foot of snow sitting on top of that thing yeah, and I think so, like with this one being six wide, I really don't think you're going to get too much weight on that amount yeah, um, because once it starts getting far enough, it's going to start going onto that side and it's just going to fall off. Yeah but, there is other ways where we could do, where we would do a half wall where the bed is here.

Kytan Smith:

Oh, yeah to kind of hide that bed away, and it would just give it an extra support on the inside. And then we are looking at some of the options too to offer steel frame. Um, so they're actually steel two by fours, and then that would just help with overall strength as well I got you.

Sambassador:

That makes sense.

ADVERTISEMENT:

What was that? You heard that too, Sam. what was that? Oh, you heard that too, Sam. What was that? Oh, that wasn't supposed to come out.

ADVERTISEMENT:

What is it?

ADVERTISEMENT:

Sam, I was given some confidential information. Not sure what I'm supposed to do now that you heard that though.

ADVERTISEMENT:

Well, what?

ADVERTISEMENT:

was it, Sam? You gotta tell us. Well, you can't tell anyone, but the Cardinal engineers, the mule guys, have been at it again. They heard all the hollers bellyaching about a bigger machine. You know how they're always fussing about it ain't big enough. Well, guess what? They've got a bigger mule, a lot bigger. What? How about a mule with a 70 horsepower diesel engine that's built to move 40,000 pound sheds? You ought to see it. It's a real beast of a mule and it's up to any shed challenge. No way, Sam, a diesel donkey like you had. That's fantastic.

ADVERTISEMENT:

Yeah, a diesel donkey like I used to have. Hey, there's a lot more stuff coming, but I've said enough. I'll get in trouble soon if I say any more.

ADVERTISEMENT:

No-transcript.

Sambassador:

Go back to your front porch a little bit. That's what you were talking about. The ceiling and stuff would have. That's where you're putting your cedar and pine boards on.

Kytan Smith:

Yeah so this one on the front we have a rock siding on the bottom, half cedar on the top, and then we have pine all the way around. This one we painted to kind of go with the design of it. The next one's going to be mostly all natural wood, probably a stained or just natural wood, but it's all. Everything we use is top of the line. So it's like your grade A lumber your pines smart siding, treated for the flooring.

Kytan Smith:

Yeah, pretty much top of the line stuff that we use on our sheds as well.

Sambassador:

Yeah, okay, that makes sense. So we got runners under it. We can move it like a typical shed. Do you have an idea of what the weight is like compared to a finished out shed?

Kytan Smith:

It's pretty similar because your floor is going to be a little smaller on this one specifically, but then you do have your extra on the walls. I'd say it's similar to something that's the size of maybe a 10 by 20 okay um, and then obviously if we add more cabinets and other appliances in it, then it's going to go up. But I'd say we're probably sitting right now. Probably what? Five, seven.

Matt Burningham:

Yeah, maybe a little over seven.

Sambassador:

Okay, so that's yeah, that's very, very similar to what it would be, yeah.

Kytan Smith:

And we have buildings here that I mean they're all the way up to 25,000 pounds and so. I know it's in there somewhere. We also what are?

Sambassador:

what do you visual? What are you visualizing for sizes like, if you could, if you have the perfect world scenario, what are you going to be building and offering, mostly as far as sizes?

Kytan Smith:

so we have, so we have our dog pod um, which I'm will be listing sometime this week. It just got finished.

Kytan Smith:

It is a small little like dog kennel in the same shape as this. It's fully insulated. We're going to have that, which is so we go off the hexagon size, so each there's six sides, so each one on a dog pod is going to be two feet, and then the total length of it will be four. And then we do our next size, which is the play pod. That's another one that will be posted here soon. What we're going to do on that is it's going to have four foot sides. We're having rock walls and slides coming off of that, and then on the inside you'll have electrical and insulation so the kids can play inside. We'll have mats and different climbing on the walls and different things like that.

Kytan Smith:

So it'll pretty much just be a play set where you can have a deck on top of it You'd have your slides, your rock walls, your ladders, all of that stuff like a play set, but then on the inside you could have a TV so kids could watch TV, play games, have AC in there, kind of use it as that. So it's just something different from your standard play set.

Kytan Smith:

That gets hot, you get slivers, you get all sorts of stuff oh yeah, and then that's how big so that one's 12 feet long and each side of the hexagon would be four feet and then the next size from that. So we're still working on our sizing for our trailers, because we're trying to keep them at that eight and a half mark wide. So we're still figuring that out a little bit, um, but then after that, would be the one we're in here, which these are six foot sides.

Kytan Smith:

Um, it's 20 feet long and we're actually working on we actually can get more space out of these ones. So we're going to probably go up to 12 feet total width from corner to corner and we're going to make them 24 feet long.

Kytan Smith:

So we're going to have a little longer porch on the front and then on the back it'll just come in about a foot kind of keep the window safe and just kind of give it a little look of different looks, so you're not just looking at a flat wall on the back nice, and so those that will be all the different sizes for portable as of right now and then, once we dive into getting like stackables in the and on-site builds and all that work, we can go, I mean as big as you want to go, they'll just be different there'll be, different ways for the roof that will do to make it strong enough to support it.

Kytan Smith:

Well, we might have, like, the one side of your front, where your port or where your deck is, and then the back have a slight slope to where the water would run off the back side of that so yeah, you'd be looking at it and it would be. It would look just like a flat roof, but it would actually be sloped just enough to where you would actually see it from the outside. But it would run off that back side yes, that makes sense yeah um, what, what else?

Sambassador:

what else do you want to throw out there as far as product wise of the actual pod, so to speak? Anything else you want to put in there? Before I go digging into who you are as an individual, and as a person I mean I?

Kytan Smith:

think as of right now. That's kind of it. We're just, we're still new. I have another company that I had started a while back, and then this was something new to me, so this has only been a couple of months in the making and it's just one of my things that I know is going to be big, and so we're. I'm just trying to figure out things as I go and kind of see where it takes me.

Matt Burningham:

Like the interest on.

Kytan Smith:

It is insane to me. I have people come in every day that see it online, that just want to come look at it. And so it's crazy to me because it's so new, but just looking at like that big picture and everything that we can offer we can offer anything that a cabin can offer, if not more. Probably better pricing and just more options.

Sambassador:

Yeah, so are you in Utah.

Kytan Smith:

Yes, I am, I'm in, so I'm here at Brandon's lot. Okay, we rebranded a little bit. So we're a dealer for Montana Shed Center. We also sell containers, we sell patiova, we sell Platinum Cottage Park models and we rebranded our lot to Utah Structures. So rather than just focusing on just being a dealer for a shed company, we do have pretty much everything you can think of now Okay, as long as with containers and we have rentals here, like equipment rentals and a whole bunch of different things.

Sambassador:

Oh nice, I did not know about the equipment rentals. That's cool. We have U-Haul rentals and a whole bunch of different things. Oh nice, I did not know about the equipment rentals. That's cool we have U-Haul rentals.

Kytan Smith:

We have heavy equipment rentals.

Sambassador:

And a fabulous little hardware store. As a neighbor beside you, I absolutely love that store. I mean, that's like going to Walmart for me. Go in that store and you can get lost in there for hours.

Kytan Smith:

Oh yeah, we're talking about. Smith Edwards right.

Sambassador:

Yeah, yeah, that's a cool store. So how did you end up in Utah? Born and raised there, where are you from?

Kytan Smith:

I was born and raised here, nice. You want me to start from when I was born.

Sambassador:

Yeah, you go back as far as you want to I promise you, I'll find something in there. I always do. Whenever I go back and I hear somebody's story, I end up it's like what, how is that even possible? So I'm always looking for that.

Kytan Smith:

Well, you're in for a treat because I've got kind of a crazy story. So when I was born, I was adopted right when I was born.

Kytan Smith:

So right off the bat different than most. Then, a couple of years later, my sister was born from the same parents but I had already been adopted. So they actually found the parents that adopted me to see if they would take my sister as well. So we actually grew up together from the same parents, but adopted into the same family, and we were it wasn't at the same time, it was years down the road. So they actually found her later. It wasn't all like the same adoption or anything.

Kytan Smith:

So that's pretty crazy okay yeah a couple years later, my dad actually my dad who adopted me actually passed away from cancer. So my mom she was. She was widowed at 20, 27 with two kids that were under four.

Kytan Smith:

She ended up getting remarried and then she had one of her own that she didn't adopt because it was my dad who had cancer that couldn't have kids, so she was able to have one. They were married for quite a few years and then, back in I guess it's been 14, 15 years ago, they got divorced and when she got remarried my new stepdad. He actually adopted me under his name, since my dad had passed away, and so he kind of raised me pretty much from young teen all the way until just recently and he passed away in a plane accident.

Kytan Smith:

So, it's been pretty wild, just on, just on that side of things. Um, and just kind of in between I I went to school in Wyoming, uh, for high school. I mostly lived in Utah before that, um, trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I grew up doing graphic design. Um, I got into clothing a little bit for a while. I do have watches. So, like I, I design watches Nice I love watches. Yeah.

Sambassador:

Can you make me like a really big, gaudy one? Because I'm like a big dude and I can't never find big enough watches to just be gaudy.

Kytan Smith:

Oh yeah, I mean I do all sorts of custom work on them, so I mean we could do whatever.

Matt Burningham:

That's cool so yeah I got into that.

Kytan Smith:

Um, then I, then I that was kind of my side thing um, I worked a whole bunch of different jobs in management and while trying to run side companies, just kind of doing my own thing.

Matt Burningham:

Um but I just realized there's so much more than just working for somebody and so once I of once.

Kytan Smith:

I kind of left that and kind of got into the shed industry. It's been almost three years now. You you might work as a dealer for a company, but you're, everything you do is kind of on your own. So I've kind of got into that and it just opened my eyes a lot and it wanted me to push my businesses more. So I got into that and here we are now down the road 've worked for a couple shed companies.

Kytan Smith:

Now I don't know if you know summit structures, oh yeah, but I but I worked with them for quite a while and then I and then I haven't worked for Montana Shed, but I work here with Brandon um we. We just work kind of as a team. So he, he's the dealer for Montana Shed and I just help him with pretty much all of sales here.

Kytan Smith:

We just sell everything you can think of, so I don't really focus on one thing. But when I started looking at all the numbers I was like I need to have my own product here, something that is different and where I can actually be part of that manufacturing side of things and designing my own things that nobody offers. But then I can still stay in sales where I like to be. I like to be around people and you know, see what we can do.

Sambassador:

So do you consider yourself an entrepreneur? I do.

Kytan Smith:

Yeah.

Sambassador:

Okay, Very good. Like how do you meet Brandon? Where does the connection come? Did you just drive by the lot one day and meet him there? So just for the record, Brandon and I have some history. I don't know if he warned you or not, but I can tell you stories about Brandon all day long. Yeah, I know he knows you. I haven't heard too much, but I can tell you stories about Brandon all day long. Yeah, I know he knows you.

Kytan Smith:

I haven't heard too much, but he does know you and we've talked about it a little bit and the crazy thing.

Matt Burningham:

So when Summit I?

Kytan Smith:

worked for Summit. They were leaving Utah. They decided to not sell in Utah anymore. I'm going to open their lot in Utah. I was trying to. I knew who Brandon was for a year and a half before I actually had ever met him, because when I was with summit, they were trying to put me in a location to compete with Brandon. Because they're like you got the personality you're going to do.

Kytan Smith:

You're going to surpass him in that Utah market, but then they didn't want to open up different locations and I mean there's a whole list of things that we were just like trying to go over and trying to find to work out. But I kind of had like a feeling that something was going on, like they were going to close in Utah, because I wasn't getting answers on things and just like little things like that.

Kytan Smith:

So I just I reached out to Brandon. I was like, hey, do you mind giving me a call sometime? And so he called me and I was like, hey, I think this place is probably not going to be here in Utah for much longer. Um, are you hiring or are you just, you know, just kind of like figure out something on that? Cause I wanted to stay in sheds, um, and if I, I wanted to be somewhere where it's you know, it's already developed a little bit. Um, cause, the main thing I was looking at was location and I couldn't get that location. So the his was the first place to come for that and he wasn't hiring. But I was like, well, why don't I just come down and interview and you can just see what I can do?

Kytan Smith:

and he's like, yeah, why don't you come down here? So I came down here. I met with him.

Matt Burningham:

I sold a building on his lot on my interview day and he's like, okay, um that was, and he's like that was impressive.

Kytan Smith:

So from then on I just kind of I was like, why don't I come in just? One day a week or a couple times a month, on a Saturday when i'm not working, and just like see what I can do and help you out. And so he's like all right, I'll like test it out, and so I came down and I just sold whatever I could sell.

Kytan Smith:

You know every day that I came down here and I did that for a couple of months and he's like I want you to just come work here. And I was like all right, let's do it. So I, so they finally closed up bit summit um, just in the Utah location I came down to here and, yeah, pretty much since then just been selling as much as I can um.

Kytan Smith:

As soon as summit knew that I was doing that, they they know brandon pretty well too they're like as much as I want you to, because they wanted me to transfer to Montana.

Matt Burningham:

They're like as much as I want you to come down here.

Kytan Smith:

I think that it would probably be in your best interest to go work with him, because if you guys are so similar. I think together it's gonna be pretty unstoppable. So that's kind of where it all started and how I had met him, and I've actually only been here with him for about six or seven months now is all.

Sambassador:

Nice.

Kytan Smith:

But it's been going good. Like we, we stay crazy busy, we just have a lot of fun.

Sambassador:

Honestly, yeah,

ADVERTISEMENT:

unlock the power of productivity with Cardinal Leasing. Are you looking to elevate your business operations with top-tier equipment? Look no further than Cardinal Leasing. We offer a wide range of reliable and high-quality equipment tailored to meet your unique needs. Flexible leasing options Whether you need short-term rentals or long-term solutions. Our customizable leasing plans are designed to provide maximum flexibility and affordability. Conventional financing available Cardinal Leasing also offers great conventional finance options for those of you that prefer that over-lease purchase options.

ADVERTISEMENT:

Expert support Our team of experienced professionals is here to guide you every step of the way, ensuring a seamless leasing experience. Boost efficiency With our top-of-the-line equipment, you can enhance productivity, reduce downtime and achieve your business goals faster. Why choose Cardinal Leasing? Competitive rates, exceptional customer service, hassle-free process, quick and easy approvals. Don't let outdated equipment hold you back. Partner with Cardinal Leasing today and take your business to the next level. Contact us now. Visit our website at equipment. cardinalleasing. us or call us at 618-803-4086 to get started.

Sambassador:

Yeah, I can see where you two guys would well, you're either going to get along well or you're not going to get along at all.

Sambassador:

Um, that's, that's, that's the way those deals work. Um, it's, uh, that that it's. It's interesting to me that you come down there, you sell something while you're doing an interview with him, because he's know I like to rag on him a lot about. You know, he's one of our original superstars, national publicity guys. You know that everybody knows him because of his hauling side. And you know, I don't know if he's ever told you the story about being all filled up, but you need to hear that story from him sometime. I'm curious to see what he would tell you.

Sambassador:

But he's known as the all filled up guy. Somebody stuck a mic in his face one day and asked him how you win a championship at the Hauler Bash you know competing and it caught him off guard. I know it did. And he just looked at him and said well, the first thing you got to do is make sure you're all filled up. You know your trailer, I know it did. And he just looked at it and said well, the first thing you got to do is make sure you're all filled up, your trailer's full of gas, your mule's full of gas. And that was funny in itself.

Sambassador:

But then a couple months later he took a picture of himself sitting in his rig and you can see the truck stop up there and he was out of gas. That's awesome. It just fit too easy. And he's a fantastic guy. He's a great auctioneer. We get him to auctioneer at all our benefits and stuff, love having him and I can see where you two guys get along would get along well, work together well, man, I love it. So, speaking of working well and getting along well, who's? Who's the gentleman right down there?

Matt Burningham:

yes, my name's, Matt Birmingham. Yeah, again, uh, I just actually partnered up with kai here. Well, what, what's it been a couple few months now? Yeah, um, just kind of developed a friendship real quick and, uh, I love the product he already you know, basically said everything there is to be said

Matt Burningham:

at the moment about the product, but he already basically said everything there is to be said at the moment about the product. It's just a matter of both of us being excited to just launch this thing Again with Brandon and stuff coming down here over the years. That's how I met these guys. I just wanted to show them what I could do, and that's what I do. In here is a lot of the finish work and things.

Sambassador:

Okay, so you actually work in, I mean you help with them too.

Matt Burningham:

Yes, so that's why I was coming through. Here is I run another company, handyman Services which is me, matt, and yeah, so that's what I've always done is just kind of build houses and do handyman services which is me, matt, and, um, yeah, so that's what I've always done is just kind of build houses and and do handyman work and things like that too.

Sambassador:

So it sounds like you've done something similar, but oh yeah, you and I could spend quite a bit of time together. Oh, I'm sure.

Matt Burningham:

Yeah. And so yeah, that's kind of how it's all gone, and this was Ky's baby and, as we all know, that sometimes money is needed to start a new product, and so we decided to partner up and let's try and make this thing everything it can be.

Sambassador:

So are you native to the area or where are you from?

Matt Burningham:

Yeah, I was born in Boise, Idaho, and transplanted here fairly early on. Yeah, I would say I'm a Utah native. I've been all over Utah, Lived in Alaska for a little while, things like that, but Utah's always been home base. Yeah, right now I actually live not too far from the lot, which makes it easy to come down.

Sambassador:

Oh yeah, nice.

Matt Burningham:

Hang out with my friends.

Sambassador:

So back in the 90s when I used to truck long distance over the road all the time, north Ogden Flying J was my number one favorite place to stop because I love that area, I love those mountains that are there. Finally got to go up to the top of that mountain in my pickup truck. All the rest of them took their little side-by-sides and all that stuff up there, but I took my truck and went all the way to the top of that thing in my truck, got a picture up there 20 years after.

Sambassador:

I always said I'm going to go up there one day. I remember when Brandon took the first picture of his lot, that mountain was in the background. Instantly I'm like what? You know why? What are you doing?

Kytan Smith:

there.

Sambassador:

And you know how Brandon landed. There is probably a crazy story. I'd like to hear it sometime, but it's. I love that area. What's? What's the little area? Is it called Eden? That's over the mountain in that valley. That's in the valley. Yeah, that's in the valley. So when we came out there for the bash, we actually did Airbnb on a huge house over there in that valley and, man, we had a blast there, like it's a great area. I love where I'm at in South Carolina, but it's like you just can't beat it. It's got everything you want there. Um, I've not got to spend much time out on the, you know, on the lake itself or that, the flats or all that area over there. Someday I'd like to come out there and be out there for like two weeks just getting my fill of it. But to live in that area, it's got to be, that's got to be cool.

Matt Burningham:

It is lots to do there, that really is a lot to do.

Kytan Smith:

It's one of the fastest growing states right now too.

Sambassador:

It is so you have good growth there.

Kytan Smith:

Oh, it's insane. We've, I want to say it hasn't Utah, like nearly doubled within, like the last, like five years, like it's insane it's so like you've been out to this lot, right?

Kytan Smith:

yes, okay, so this this was kind of maybe even a little more south, was kind of the end where it starts getting more country and you split off into different areas up into Idaho, up into Cache Valley and all that, and it's just expanded like way out west and way more north. So we're kind of centered where we used to be, kind of on the end of everything. We're kind of in the center of everything now, because everything around us has just exploded so it's just, we just watch it and it just goes and goes and goes, like more houses, more.

Matt Burningham:

Everything is just go, go, go a lot of California money coming in a lot of people are leaving California and coming here, California's gonna run out of exporting pretty soon.

Sambassador:

Everywhere I go, I listen, I can go above Dallas-Fort Worth and California. People are moving in there from everywhere. I can go up to four different places in Montana and California. People are moving everywhere. Utah there's moving in everywhere.

Sambassador:

We don't get political on this show but it's like maybe if we get enough people out of California we can actually compete with those guys. Maybe one day we're growing here too. In fact the four-county region here actually pushed out Huntsville, Alabama, as the fastest growing area in the US. Right now the whole state of South Carolina is the number one state in the nation for growth under new contracts I mean new permits for housing right now. Part of that's because we're a right to work state and we've had a lot of big companies come in, open up some big plants and stuff. But our four county region, where we're up here close to the mountains, we've got the lakes there's still. There's still a fair amount of retirement money coming in and a lot of ours comes out of New York, New jersey, Connecticut, people that are wanting to move south but they don't want to go into Florida but we do get the occasional California that comes all the way across also.

Sambassador:

So it's like it's really for a guy like me that gets a real good feel nationally we're in an industry and we're in a time in life, so to speak, where it's kind of frustrating to me because I see huge growth in certain areas and then in areas I see guys that just about can't make it and I keep telling those guys over and over again you have to diversify. You know, if you're building sheds, you got to start building something else. If you're selling sheds, start selling something else. One of the things we're pushing right now is what we call mega lots. This is what I had talked to Ky about. We're putting in lots to where, instead of having the 15, 20, 30 sheds that a lot of guys have done, we're putting 120 sheds on one lot. But then we're also bringing out, instead of two or three, carport demos you put in 10 demos. You bring in greenhouses. You put in 10 demos. You bring in greenhouses. You bring in hexapods. You bring in grain bin, man caves, everything that you can get your hands on that you think you can sell.

Sambassador:

You need there, and I'm going to let you in on a little thing, jason Graver.

Sambassador:

He's the owner of Shed Suite, which is one of the biggest systems that the shed industry uses right now to track stuff. I did an interview with him last week and he actually made the comment on there that we're going to start seeing the 10 to 20 shed guy disappear because the guy has never been taught how to sell. All he knows how to do is write up paperwork for somebody that comes in and buys a shed. If we can wrap our heads around the idea that there's a difference in buying a shed and selling a shed, that's where we have gotten to start training ourselves, and we're all about education around here and anything we can do to help. That that's what we want to do. Um, I guess I'm saying that to you guys on here because that's where I see you guys have something you can offer everybody that nobody else is offering right now. I just don't know if you're ready for the growth because we're realizing that real quick and and you get this episode out, you're going to be like man.

Sambassador:

We should have never gave our name out to anybody. So I have no idea if you guys are seat belted in there, if you're locked and loaded or what you're up to.

Sambassador:

But this is what excites me to no end, because you know, you guys call me and you're like Sam, we need five more. I'm like, oh man, I can have you that two hours because you're offering what I'm preaching. I'm telling guys that we have to get more and more stuff on board and, man, what you're doing is phenomenal. So tell me how, how do we go about? What's your plan? How do you go about spreading this? What do you want to do with what's? What's the big picture?

Kytan Smith:

so I want, I want this all over the us, obviously so I want I want different manufacturing set up soon um in different areas we do when I first made my initial post, I didn't know that I was going to have people from all over the u? S, because I've posted things before on sheds and it's within a certain little area and that's all it hits. I posted this Um. I had 20, almost 25,000 people reached in the first seven days and it was from. Alaska to.

Matt Burningham:

Florida to clear up almost to New York.

Kytan Smith:

I think it was clear up in, like new jersey, um, all over the place of like how can I get this here, how can I? And? And I don't have that yet. So it was way more than I even imagined. So it was like yeah, like we'll ship it there to you or we can, you know, reconnect here in a couple months and see if we can make that happen here in a couple months from another location so that's kind of how that all took off.

Kytan Smith:

Um, and then I ended up meeting, like talking with susan quite a bit too. Um she, you know, susan, that's how I think, that's how you, you got my number.

Sambassador:

Susan promptly called me and said I need to call you.

Kytan Smith:

Yeah, she was one of the first, within minutes of that post, even posting, was one of the first to reach out and I called her that following day and we talked about a lot and kind of her plan, which is with that super center thing is kind of what we're doing here on this lot. Oh yeah, that's, I know it works. We do it every day. We see how many people come in here and how mind-blown they are with how much we offer and I know that that's the route that things need to go.

Kytan Smith:

And so to be able to get this in on the east side, down south somewhere in the middle, to be able to kind of make sense, to get them all over the place, is what I need to do, and get that figured out.

Matt Burningham:

As I'm sure you know, shipping is quite expensive. Oh yes, we're trying to manufacture wherever we can as quickly as we can, but on a budget?

Sambassador:

Hey, it always. That's why I was chuckling when you said something about money earlier. It always comes down to money. It's man. It's so frustrating some days. So, obviously a guy like me. I hear everybody's ideas and you know it's probably a good thing. I don't have a billion dollars sitting around because I'd be throwing it everywhere. There's no telling where it goes. But then I sit there and I look at Elon Musk and I'm like man, that dude's got all the money we need to do anything and he throws it here and he throws it there. You know, it's like we're always looking for better funding and better options. It's out there. You can find it. You just got to find the right guy that sees the vision. And some days you know what? You just put your boots in the mud, you go, plow them through it. You come out the other side that's just what you do. And looking at you, two guys I see that. Um, I see two guys that are willing to thank you. Yep, I see guys that are willing to put into work, guys that you know I'd be happy to be involved with and that'll come across. Um, you'll, you'll do fine at that, I.

Sambassador:

I like the idea of what you said about moving into certain areas so you can ship to a certain distance. It's not that bad. And guy knows, we see guys ship from Pennsylvania to Idaho, to Arizona. They ship cabins everywhere. But you're talking about a $300,000 cabin. You're talking about a $250,000, $450,000 cabin. Or it's a whole lot easier to budget $10,000, $450,000 cabin, or it's a whole lot easier to budget 10, 20 grand in for shipping. You know, when you're looking at percentages, obviously you'd be a lot better off building them in different regions and then shipping them from there. Is that kind of the plan? Is that what we're looking?

Kytan Smith:

at yeah, that definitely is the plan. Yeah, that definitely is the plan.

ADVERTISEMENT:

Introducing the Challenger, the revolutionary new shed mover that's taking the industry by storm. The Challenger features a touchless design ensuring it only makes contact at the end of the skids and the bottom of the floor joists. So rest easy knowing your gable walls will remain pristine. Worried about reliability? Fear not, the Challenger is always up for the challenge and will not overturn or scuff your shed. Harness the power of innovative wireless technology. Remotely control the Challenger via your smartphone. No cell service needed. And guess what? The cell phone remote comes standard with every Challenger, at no extra cost.

ADVERTISEMENT:

Featuring floating forks, a four-directional tilting mast and sliding weight transfer, move the shed weight precisely where you need it to get ultimate traction, With self-loading capability, straight onto your truck. Say goodbye to the need for a hydraulic carriage. The Challenger makes your job easy and more efficient. Choose from two machine sizes 10,000 pounds and 15,000 pounds. Perfect for any job. Visit us at the Shed Expo in Michigan this September. Find us at booth 552. Don't miss out. Visit www. shedchallenger. com or email us at info@ shedchallenger. com, or call or text 828-220-3508 for more information. Experience the future of shed moving with the Challenger.

Kytan Smith:

It was going to be over quite a few years.

Sambassador:

It's a year plan you need to come to South Carolina next week. We can't wait a year to be doing this.

Kytan Smith:

Yeah, I want to get out there sometime because I kind of want to see. I've been out to Washington DC and Georgia and Florida and I've been out there quite a few times. But I need to get out there again and like really see what area I want to be in, you know kind of the environment where people are.

Kytan Smith:

Do a show out there or something where we can I don't know, maybe build one out there but then take it to some shows, see the interest people have there, and then, or our other plan would be to get our pretty much everything we can include into a trailer that we could and just take a tour around the US Get signs on it See what people think of all over the place.

Sambassador:

That's a great idea. Just build one as your trailer and put all your stuff in it. When you get there, set it up. Yeah, I like that. That's cool. Anything you want to put in, as far as so, basically, this is your time. Um, anything like how do people get a hold of you? Don't want anybody getting a hold of you right now. The way it sounds, you're maxed out. But if people want to get a hold of you, how do they go about finding you? What do you want, like, what do you want people to know about y'all what you're doing?

Kytan Smith:

so around here everybody knows kind of who we are, um we're I mean, we were Montana Shed Center um. Now we're.

Kytan Smith:

We still offer their product, but we're Utah structures everyone knows like where we're at around here so once we say like, oh yeah, we're just, we're Utah structures, we're by Smith and Edwards or we're right off the hype, you know everyone's like, oh, I know exactly who you guys are now with this. When I mentioned where it's at, everyone's like, okay, I know where it's at. But for everybody else out there on different states and where this is gonna go, I have my cell number. You can find that number and my email on Facebook and Instagram. You can get that. You can message me on Facebook or Instagram as well. I'm trying to get together another email that will be just for sales and then other ones for just like building questions and stuff like that. So that's still kind of in the works. Working on brochures, we're working on like a full product matrix of everything we offer.

Kytan Smith:

Pretty much all that is coming up here soon. Um, we have, we kind of have our own little list, but we're trying to get everything all put together perfectly where it's easy. Um, and yeah, I mean I'll announce that here pretty soon and we're gonna be doing that. I'll probably be, starting some sort of YouTube channel here pretty soon too.

Sambassador:

That's cool, yeah, yeah, um, so hexapods that's how, like? I found you on Facebook just by searching for hexapods. Yeah, that's the best way to basically reach you. All your information is on there pretty much.

Kytan Smith:

Do you have a website? Yet I do? Yep, it's thehexapods. com. There's no dashes, no spaces, nothing, just thehexapods. com.

Sambassador:

Thehexapods. com, the as in T-H-E Thehexapods. com. Okay, that's very good, and Shannon will put that normally up. He posts all that stuff up to be able to get a hold of you. Anything else, you guys Go ahead.

Matt Burningham:

Yeah, just to add to what he said. You know, please just bear with us again, we're just growing. Just coming out, we didn't really know when to launch, but when we did, we did not expect the overall reach, I guess. And so, please again, just bear with us.

Kytan Smith:

We'll make sure you get what you want, um, in a timely manner, as quickly as possible, so we, so we actually had a parade that we did about a week before we launched um, so I had I put the website up and pretty much everything within a few days of that parade, just in case people ask questions.

Kytan Smith:

That's kind of what set things off right at the beginning is the website went nuts off of that first like week, and then a week later we launched, so it just kind of exploded all at once and so not even imagining to get what kind of questions and people from all over. So like we're still getting everything up and going, we thought if we just had at least enough and then we keep adding it over the next few months, it would start building up and it just was not like that.

Sambassador:

I should have warned you Don't put anything on Brandon's page If you don't want to blow up. That's just the way it's going to go. Oh, we know that. Yeah, up, that's just the way it's gonna go. Oh, we know that. Now, yeah, yep, um, all right. Well, if you guys are good, I'll wrap this up. Um, you good, anything else you?

Kytan Smith:

want to put in there. I think that's pretty much it. I just know that. Another thing too I guess it's real quick, just like with everybody around the us too. Everyone's kind of looking for something to maybe live in or a little guest suite, I mean times are tough. Right now, everything is expensive, so we're trying to offer things too where, like you've seen the price of tiny homes and park models and even rvs now they're insane and so we once we get these all the way finished out with plumbing.

Kytan Smith:

Pricing will be different on those. But we want to try and keep everything at a pretty fair price for everybody, just to kind of help that class of like. Someone wants this but only if you're high, middle, middle class and up. You can afford it kind of a thing. We just want everybody to be able to do it so as soon as we get like those rent to own options and those financing options and everything like finished setting up. We're hoping that everybody can be a part of it too.

Sambassador:

That is a yeah. That's a great plug. I was literally three hours ago standing on our lot having a conversation with the lady about we are going to have to, as a whole nation, figure out alternative housing better than what we're doing right now, and it's a high priority on my list. Everywhere I go I see people that are struggling with housing, especially in our area here. It's ridiculous. You can't even afford a house anymore. Anymore it's a little 1972 remodeled house beside me that the living room isn't even big enough to put a couch in. You know it's 1972 house that's been remodeled and it gets in a bidding war when it comes on the market and sells for over 200 grand and eight years ago yeah, eight years ago it was 105 grand, you know it's.

Sambassador:

And, yeah, like if you buy it now, brand new, it's 400 grand. And we've got, we've got these. Oh, what do you call them? I'm just having a complete brain fart on the word. I'm looking for where they just come in and they build flat concrete slab houses. I mean complete brain fart on the word. I'm looking for where they just come in and they build concrete slab houses. I mean they just stack them in one right on top of the other, yes, and they're just packed and it's like we have to have a better way. We've got to have better options.

Sambassador:

So thank you for putting that plug in. That's a big thing to me Alternative housing. We need so many options for that. I even think that we're going to see some change in our building codes, our building permits and stuff where it's going to get a little bit easier in some areas to do this because they have to have it. We have to come up with a way to give some of these people alternative housing. So thank you guys so much for coming on today. I know I kind of pushed you forward. I'm like you. You got to do this. Um, hopefully it won't blow you up too bad, but everybody understands when something new comes out. You got to be patient with it. Um, love seeing where you guys are going with this. Actually, I really hope we get to work with you guys.

Kytan Smith:

Um, yeah, that'd be awesome. I know I've met a lot of people. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do with that. Yeah, just the last couple years in the shed industry, I didn't realize how many people know each other with every company and so being in it. It's just like with this company and this and all that, you meet everybody and they're all connected.

Kytan Smith:

It's pretty cool honestly, it's like that. So, just like the new people I've met over the last couple months, I really think there's going to be some good growth and good opportunities coming up yeah, that's good, very good.

Sambassador:

All right, guys. Thank you for joining in with us today on another episode of the shed geek podcast, Friday fun day virgin with Sambassador. Thank you guys for being here and thank Ty and Matt for Ky not Ty, Ky and Matt for being on today. Appreciate you guys very much thank you.