Shed Geek Podcast

Beyond Sheds: The Heartfelt Stories that Shape Our Industry PART 2

• Shed Geek Podcast • Season 5 • Episode 18

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Step into the heart of the shed industry with this eye-opening episode focused on the essential theme of customer service. We're unpacking the prevailing norms and practices that govern interactions between businesses and their clients, arguing that a customer-first mindset isn't just ethical—it's fundamentally smart business. Our guests share genuine insights into the subtle yet impactful ways customer service shapes the industry. Listeners will gain a wealth of knowledge about the often-overlooked dimensions of rent-to-own financing, highlighting both its advantages and ethical dilemmas.

From marketing strategies that connect with today’s digital-savvy consumers to reflections on how personal values like integrity and transparency can transform business practices, this episode offers practical wisdom for anyone invested in the shed marketplace. We dive deep into the importance of understanding customer stories, fostering trust, and navigating the complex landscape of inventory management—all while striving for growth and sustainability.

Most importantly, we tackle the pressing question: what does it mean to prioritize merit and service in an industry that could easily succumb to the allure of profits over people? Leverage these insights to not just sustain your business but propel it into a future shaped by genuine customer care. Join us for thought-provoking conversations that inspire change and foster community within the shed marketplace. Don’t forget to subscribe, share your thoughts, and leave a review!

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

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Studio Sponsor: Union Grove Lumber

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Shed Geek:

Thank you for listening to part two of a two-part series here at the Shed Geek podcast. If you missed part one, just go back to last week and listen for more engaging conversation here at the Shed Geek podcast.

Shed Geek:

You are right, there are people who want to rule the world and that's maybe what me and you can identify with. Maybe our we're probably less aggressive on return. Just to be clear with you. We're probably less aggressive on marketing. I almost there's a guy I almost want to have on here to talk about our marketing because he wanted to come to us from a different company and we knew the company he was working with was a good company and we actually discouraged him because we felt like maybe there was a lure to our services or personality or something to work with us that didn't match what he was looking for. He was being serviced he's been serviced just absolutely fine and instead we took more of a consultative role in his company and we tried not to interrupt the services that were already working.

Shed Geek:

And I would make the argument for any company who comes to us, whether it be in rent-owned finance or if you look, if you have something that's working, keep using it. I'm not going to convince someone that a company is doing a bad job to win your business. I do not feel like that is an approach that we should be taking and I don't think that's the betterment of the industry. Would you agree to have to quit using that lumber because we support this company. Come over to us. Whether it's a good fix for you or not, it's a good fit for us. So we've had to have some accountability of ourselves, and that's very difficult to do whenever you have a lot of gain in front of you. But yeah, we've. We've had to do that.

Vance Wright:

At its core. Really, if it's not service based, it will probably get twisted somewhere. So, if it's not serving those who are serving you, it will probably get twisted somewhere. So, if it's not serving those who are serving you, you're probably going to get it out of order at some point. That's kind of where I was kind of. I know there are again we're.

Vance Wright:

We're a small, small fry in a big pond as well. We're a small, family- owned shed company and I don't think what I'm saying here today is going to influence the shed world. I don't think a business move we make is going to materially change big players in the RTO industry. I'm just down here looking at it and really in the trenches.

Vance Wright:

The whole concept was to serve the customer that walks through the door, that needs a shed, that might not have the cash to pay for it today and in my view, at times, and at least in places, it has evolved into something much more, dare I say it maybe even sinister at times in terms of its influence on the actual industry, in terms of the way it has held, you know, like I described to you the whole repo cycle and the way that has held. Retail pricing even has been repressed by that, which, in turn, hurts the manufacturer. That's really bringing, bringing the industry to the table. To start with and you know this is not a secret Many folks who are big players in the RTO industry started out as a shed manufacturer and, in my view, have migrated to the rent to own simply because that's where the profit margin existed within the industry.

Shed Geek:

You know, I would even make the argument even beyond rent to own. There's just this complexity of you start in one area but you see opportunity in the other. I see opportunity everywhere. It amazes me when people say there's just no opportunity. I'm like, oh, there's not enough time in the day, and then it makes it worse because I'm a visionary and I'm a little light on implementation, so I have to have friends around me who are better at doing things that I am, which isn't hard to find. You know, I've literally. For those who have had an opportunity to have us come speak or something like that, they've literally heard these words.

Shed Geek:

I have found the key to success. The key to success is doing what people tell me. It's getting people smarter than you in a room around you to help be successful. I never claimed to have it figured out. I've harvested the power of networking to be able to work with people who have dynamic talents and skills. That just amaze me and I stand back and I am amazed and I love seeing them benefit and grow, because to me that's a personal satisfaction.

Shed Geek:

To me is seeing Dylan do his thing in marketing, or Cord, you know, or Josh and Justin, which, by the way. Justin is the one I want to give 100% of credibility to in the rent-owned world for discussing and really driving the force behind a direct-to-consumer, which he may want to wring my neck for, because sometimes there's a competitive advantage to staying quiet. But you know what? It doesn't matter if you're offering it. If it's out there, why not do it, even if it does limit the control there. Why not do it, even if it does limit the control? What I'm more interested in is if I have a consumer come into a I won't mention any companies, but let's just assume a large company's name, anyone whoever's out there in the magic audience world today.

Shed Geek:

Imagine a large shed manufacturer and just imagine that I find that customer and I send them in and I say they're pre-approved, whether it's on finance or rent to own. Can you imagine the manufacturer saying oh no, no, we offer rent to own. So, Mr. Dealer, you can't sell to that customer unless you use ours. You can't use that rent to own provider. Imagine saying I'd rather not sell the shed and help the customer today if I don't get the rewards and benefits off of it. That is self-serving personally and I can't help but imagine we almost want to do this, but I don't know how the industry would respond. We would have to market direct to consumer, and a two-sided marketplace is difficult. If you don't believe that, just shed hub sheds for sale or the marketplace that Jason Graber is putting out right now, that's very difficult to accomplish. It's way different to reach fish in a barrel b2b than it is to reach the consumer base of 300 million people in America.

Shed Geek:

Um, and I think a lot of people thought that's what the podcast was initially and that's not. But that doesn't mean we're not going to go direct to consumer at some point. And this is. This is all interesting conversation, because this is like I didn't want. I didn't expect that we'd go this deep today, but that's fine. I love having difficult or hard conversations and figuring out even our own view and our own direction of where we're choosing to go.

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Shed Geek:

What's the solution? You kind of make the argument that the solution is it needs to correct itself and it needs to be self-serving. Is that what will limit the influence?

Vance Wright:

I think I'd have to say that I feel I've shared with you all the insight I have. Honestly, I really don't know. I've chosen my words carefully. I think it's interesting the dynamic that rent-to-own has played in the industry, particularly in the last 10 years or so, and I think it's very interesting how that is shifting to either offering in-house financing through some of the more seasoned and larger rent-to-own providers or, like you said, partnering with financing solutions. I think it's a good thing that we recognize that need to the end consumer, regardless of what's happening internally in the industry, regardless of how that may affect the rent-to-own companies, the manufacturers long-term. Really, in any industry, the customer should drive the innovation, the need to serve that person walking in my door not just me, I'm not saying that but as an industry, the folks walking in our doors that's who's feeding our families man, that's who's supporting our industry. We don't have an industry without those folks, and seeking a way to serve those folks purely, I think will give us a good answer long term do you think?

Vance Wright:

it's going to affect the things we've talked about here today. You know, obviously. You know marketing has to be done right. I mean, customer acquisition is real. Competition makes that at times more difficult than others. You know, as you see, the cycles up and down of the industry and competition and you know lots coming and going, all those things. That's nothing new about that to you and I. We've been in it a number of years. So, just going back to the roots of what it actually is, the customer needs, what need are we actually serving?

Vance Wright:

For me, I think I have, at least at times, even in the past, at times even in the past, not understood that that's what's driving the need for a payment plan on the shed Right. Sometimes, sometimes I think we've construed that to be that, look, we've got to satisfy our rent to own company rather than we have to do what's best for this customer Can be two very different things. Not intentionally, I'm not pointing. You mentioned someone coming on and defending themselves. I hope it hasn't come across that way what I've said. You know we're a red dome provider and I'm not. I'm not throwing us under the bus, I'm just interested in seeing what drives that and where it goes from here.

Shed Geek:

Well, same here, and I even have to speak to our own company as an RTO provider as well, too, I'll be at a small provider we still hold some place right, not only in the industry but to our development of our customer, to the devotion of our customer. One of the reasons that I really partnered with the devotion of our customer, you know, we, one of the things that one of the reasons that I really partnered with the guys that I'm with right now you know what really, what really drew me to them was, like their customer approach, their kindness towards the customer as opposed to an abrasiveness, and it's like, well, there's a time to I don't know. There's a time to be tough, dad, and there's a time to be loving dad. Right, there's a time to discipline, but for me, I kind of approach that in the same way as my faith. Look, discipline never worked with me. I know that the beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, but I would always tell people I was too stupid to be scared, right, you know, instead, it was love that reached me. You know I didn't get reached through discipline, and some people did. You know, I got reached through love. I got reached whenever grace was offered to me and I didn't have any other option, and that was one thing. That's a large comparison to draw, possibly to our rent-out provider. But the one thing I appreciated is how their customer approach was. I appreciated the approach they took to their customer, that it meant a lot to them to understand their story, their difficulty and their hardships. You know, work with them, be able to not take just such a hard approach. I'm again not suggesting that those things aren't necessary at times, but I'm you're in my wheelhouse right now, vance.

Shed Geek:

I'm doing a keynote speech here soon and you want to know what the power or what the topic is. It's the power of giving versus taking and trying to identify when you need to be a giver and when you need to be a taker. And I'm really trying to dig in deep. I'm reading a book over the power of giving. I'm watching as many videos as I can. I really want to make the most impactful speech that I can possibly for this group of people who, by the time this podcast comes out, that will have already happened. For this group of people who, by the time this podcast comes out, that will have already happened. It's fulfilling for me to try to dig in and be better myself.

Shed Geek:

I think that's the hardship of being in business and trying to operate in morality, trying to operate in um conviction of like who you are, so like that's. That's one of the things that excited me. I think there are other companies I could have worked at that probably do a better job in rent to own in terms of like their uh, their numbers perhaps. But it's probably a little more aggressive approach than what I just felt like I wanted to be associated with. Necessarily, our brand is a particular brand and we can't outrun that. It's like I would rather roll up the podcast or any other business that we're doing.

Shed Geek:

But before I get too far on that, I want to ask you this much like the rent to own, are there other areas of the business that should be customer focused and not maybe self-serving? We obviously. I got into marketing. Why did I do that? Not only because the opportunity was there, but because I really felt like it served the customer, because the shed industry is not immune from the way the rest of the world chooses to shop. No, and you said earlier, customer acquisition is a real thing. Competition is good. It sometimes makes that difficult. But that competition makes us a little bit better, doesn't it, when someone comes out and does a good job. And the one thing that we recognized, I think, is that there are, whether you like it or not, there are a lot of customers shopping at Amazon, and how were we going to be able to bring that to the shed industry if they weren't doing it already?

Shed Geek:

And I'll share with you my most frustrating sentiment about this entire thing. We have customers that we get leads and they sit in the CRM untouched for a week. I literally discussed this with Jason Graber yesterday at ShedSuite. We have customers that we talk about rent on. Let's talk about manufacturers. Let's talk about manufacturers and their dedication to the customer. They will sit there for a week and then their expectation is that whenever they finally get around to making that phone call, that that customer should answer, and when that customer answers, they should purchase a shed with minimal trouble.

Shed Geek:

And if not, we have not done our job as a lead provider, because we basically didn't deliver a person who sold when you were ready to sell them something, and that is mind boggling.

Shed Geek:

It's actually appalling that you want to just negate the entire sales process altogether. If I could bring a lead that were so substantial to your table that they bought every time you called when you were ready to call and didn't give you any trouble, I would start selling sheds. I probably wouldn't provide marketing because if I'm that good and look, these are good leads You're first place in the opportunity to sell them something among 3000 manufacturers that could sell them something. Them something among 3,000 manufacturers that could sell them something. You're first place and all you have to do is dedicate your sales process and or your dealer network to utilizing systems and processes that work. We're almost at a place to where I'm almost making I mean Shed, oven Sheds for Sale. The fact that these programs weren't embraced as much when they initially came out is amazing to me. Some of our advertisers, Solar Blaster fans, the Zula I'm not just giving them shout outs, I'm amazed that we say we sell the best product but we don't embrace new products until the customer demands it.

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Shed Geek:

Why do the manufacturers not? Why wouldn't they have that same aggressiveness towards bettering their customer experience through a sales and marketing process? And or product, not just rent to own, which is a service, or financing traditional financing but what about other areas? What about delivery? You know, I watched these guys come out with the Challenger. We did their website Amazing product and I love the shed haulers. But all I saw for years was how they wanted an alternative and, man, they put those guys through the wringer and hey, they should have difficult conversations, I agree, but in my opinion, they really put those guys through it?

Shed Geek:

Will it do this, will it do that? Ah, it's this. You know what I mean. Like those are natural questions, but I've been around some maybe different conversations than others. You know, shouldn't we embrace these things? You know what I mean. Like, when there's new innovation and stuff like that, I mean, we can, we can do this in multiple directions, right, you know, like I don't know. You have any thoughts on it?

Vance Wright:

Well, when it all comes right down to it and I've said this a couple of times if it, if it helps me serve that customer coming through my front door that needs a shed, it makes me either more efficient, more professional, more competitive, then that's really what should be driving the decision. As a manufacturer, as a salesperson, serving your marketing guy or serving you as a sales guy, we'll say, serving the guy in the plant and making his life easier is really not what we exist for. We exist to take care of that customer and it's hard to keep that. You know, you, you said I've, I've listened to some of the podcasts and I think, as a whole, the industry is a very conservative group.

Vance Wright:

So maybe I can quote a scripture. But it's much easier to say we're going to esteem others better than ourselves versus actually doing it and actually having a servant's heart and actually meaning that. I mean customer service and the customer first and we always do the right thing, and integrity, all those buzzwords. That's easy to say when everything is sunny and it's on a Tuesday afternoon and we're happy and having a good day and everything has went real well thus far in the week, but when it's going to cost you $10,000, or you're going to have to stay late and miss your kid's ball game because you made a promise to someone that walked through the door you'd get them a quote. That's when all those things actually come into play, is when it costs you something. And then we get to see if you mean that. We get to see if you actually think more of that person that walked through the door than you do your own selfish desires and your wants.

Vance Wright:

That's the test, not saying it that matters. It's what you do, it's your character. It's not. It's what you do. It's your character. It's not what other people think you do, and it's not what you say you do. It's what you actually do. Mine hadn't always been real excellent.

Shed Geek:

What helped you better that process.

Vance Wright:

A lot of people have sown good things into my life. I don't know that I could. I don't know that I have a great process yet, but I just know that it's but I know that the I know that without that customer walking through the front door and being served well, we don't even have an industry so what is your?

Shed Geek:

what is your dedication to your customer? What is the focus, what is the mission statement of your company? Your dedication to your customer, what is that?

Vance Wright:

To build lasting relationships by doing unto others as you'd have them do unto you. That's maybe paraphrasing our mission statement just a bit. Whether it's having a hard conversation, okay, I'll just. You know we don't have perfect processes. I'll be very transparent with you. Yesterday evening we have a carport company who we're a dealer for.

Vance Wright:

Right, a nice, warm Saturday morning right before Christmas, I'm working in the office by myself and this lady walks in, is moving from Florida to Oklahoma and needs a carport Not an uncommon story. There's people there out on audience shaking their head Yep, yep. She wants it as soon as possible. So, I send a rush order into the carport company. Well, yesterday afternoon they're out installing her carport. All right, it's been about three, four weeks with the holidays and everything that was as quick as they could get it done.

Vance Wright:

And she calls up here to the office upset because the guys are wanting her to get blocks. Well, it's, you know, 15 or 20 degrees out in the winds blowing, the wind speed's higher than the temperature, and she's out trying to gather some concrete blocks for that crew to put her carport up. And she's ticked off and I, when that conversation's finished, I'm frustrated at me for not screaming it louder and making it more obvious that your ground has to be level. Lady, I didn't serve her. Well, yes, did, I did. I tell her absolutely, but obviously I didn't communicate it to her effectively, because now she's having a terrible experience the ground's frozen and she's out trying to dig cinder blocks out of the dirt and can't do it, and and she's rightfully- so she's ticked off.

Shed Geek:

You know I'm thinking about all that you're saying. I'm thinking about conversations we've had with people in the past, people who want to, or at least have a desire to, see it, whether they want to create it or not, uh see, like some kind of trade association. You know cause? I? I believe that education that's why I use the tagline education through entertainment was the process by which the podcast was birthed. It was a labor of love. I've admitted this before. It went from being a labor of love to being an all out job.

Shed Geek:

At this point I'm not saying I don't still love it, but I don't love it in the same way that it's very charitable. I love it in a way that is serving for me and my family and the family of those who work with us. But, man, I've really been thinking about a lot here lately on. You talk about the power of serving and it just really shows to me in your entire demeanor, from your facial expressions down to the influx in your voice, that you care about the customer. But that's a staple in who you are and what you built your company around. And I believe that you're not a rare company today. I believe that there are multiple manufacturers out there today that echo your sentiments here today of what it means to drive the customer, and sometimes we can get lost in the business of business.

Vance Wright:

Right Technology upgrades or you know what the industry shift means. It all means nothing if the customer is not served with excellence. Yeah, in the long term in the big picture, none of it even matters.

Shed Geek:

Yeah Well, I think about. You know things I can share off air, things that they're not. They don't hold any eternal value. You know what I mean. So, there's no reason to share them publicly, even on the podcast, and things we've experienced inside of the industry that made me shake my head once or twice. You know what I mean, you know. But that's also just life in general, isn't it, Vance? Even outside of the shed industry, we have to wake up every day and approach the world with that same armor of God right Ephesians 6 and what it tells us to do and how to arm ourself for the day

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Shed Geek:

I'm going to shift just a little bit and then we'll wrap up. But we're sitting here at January 21st, the day after the inauguration, thinking about politics. I'm thinking about how much politics has crept into our society in general for everyday conversation. For everyday conversation, I even think about how it's crept in somewhat to our small niche of the shed industry and our little neck of the great big woods. Right that we think about what the future is going to look like from a top-down model, from a 50,000-foot view, if you will. Do you think people are encouraged today? Do you think this will change the retail market, based off of what we're seeing in offices as high as the white house?

Vance Wright:

Well, that's an interesting discussion, and who can tell? So, one thing that you mentioned off the air that we might get into a discussion about this yes, I'm a voter and yes, I think you should vote. And if you want my heartfelt opinion about politics, I think I could distill it down to you in a very few words. I could distill it down to you in a very few words. When you start saying what can we do, rather than why don't they do it different, then your opinion will mean something to me. Okay, if you're not involved, it doesn't really matter to me what you think about politics, at least at some level. At least do what you can. Yeah, you know it's. It's whether it's in business or whether it's in politics. Probably a personal pet peeve of Vance's is I don't like to hear you say they, especially if you have a stake in this thing. Yeah, what that is. What that is a subconscious way of you relieving yourself of the responsibility that you have.

Shed Geek:

Virtue signaling.

Vance Wright:

I wish they would get their act together up there in Washington. And do I understand there's a lot of corruption and a lot of you know? I was looking at some of the footage from the inauguration yesterday and do I know that all the opposing parties and forces and previous presidents and all, do I know that they're all connected? Yes, I do. Yes, obviously I mean those guys are on a first name basis. They, you know, drink beer and hang out on the weekends together to a large extent. And do I know there's a lot of corruption and a lot of big money changing those things I do.

Vance Wright:

But I just hate to hear somebody say I wish they would get their act together because to at least to some degree, we still have a government of the people, for the people and by the people. And when you say they, it renders you with a powerless feeling. If nothing else, you can't do anything about it. So, what I'd say is do what you can. It's not them that are the problem. They're not the issue we are. If Shannon and Vance will get up and do the right thing tomorrow for our families and everyone else in the world would do the same thing. I'd be very interested in seeing what happened and, and you know, am I am I a little bit relieved at the change of power. Honestly, I am politically personally, but I don't think that's the answer. I think the answer is for us to accept some personal responsibility in those roles.

Shed Geek:

You know, the army changed their slogan from be all that you can be to an army of one, and I really like. I really like that whenever I use that as a, as a reference and an intro to. Your family is your first ministry that God has trusted you with and your family is the smallest level of government to which you'll ever be involved with. It begins in your family. As a matter of fact, when you go back to the podcasting, I listen to a lot of podcasts. When I was out on the road trying to knock on doors and sell people things, one of the things that always stood out to me is the power of local, and there was actually a podcast I was listening to that really talked about the power of local. And what I mean is if you went to your local and I'm guilty, so, just to be clear, I have to include myself but if you go to those local judges, local circuit clerks, sheriffs you know people in the community that you can go and talk to and find out who they are and what they're doing and what they stand for. And whenever you do that from one community to the next, that's whenever you start wagging the dog by the tail, because you have the opportunity to make a difference in your home. If you don't get a chance to talk with President Trump, even if you support him, you will have a chance to talk to your local judges. And you will have a chance to talk to your local judges and you will have a chance to talk to your local mayor and alderman. And I believe you know beyond that. It starts in your family. I think it starts at home, and it's how do you represent yourself in your community? There's so much here that is powerful.

Shed Geek:

How does all that affect the shed industry? Somebody who's listening today saying I tuned in to listen today. I didn't want to hear about all this garbage. I wanted to hear about sheds and people's stories. You know I'm painting with a broad brush, I recognize that, but you know politics and those things are. You know we don't talk about it all the time, but this is the day after the inauguration and I felt like, hey, it's powerful to try and talk about who we stand for, what we stand for, and those things do have a direct effect on our industry, absolutely.

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Vance Wright:

I'd say I don't know if that was a question for me or you, but I'll respond anyways. I feel you've already covered some of it, but what I would say is those of you that are out there somewhere in a shed shop building a shed today, when it comes down to hiding a flaw or fixing it right, go ahead and do the right thing. Probably has a lot more impact than you talking on break to your fellow shed builders in the paint booth about what's wrong in Washington. Have a lot more effect if you'll just do what's right today.

Vance Wright:

That's a powerful statement had we always been doing that, we wouldn't be having the discussions that we're having today about genders and many, many, many other things. We wouldn't be having the problems we that are caused by social ills. If a bunch of these inner city kids had a dad that was doing the right thing on a Monday, what is it Tuesday morning today? All their life would be a much different place and, honestly, that's probably where you and I can have the most effect.

Vance Wright:

You go, do the next right thing yeah

Shed Geek:

Vance, has been exciting, to say the least. I want to do the same thing that I do with everyone else. Um, you may have listened to a few podcasts, so you know this is coming or not, but I like to open up the floor, as if I haven't talked enough already. Um, I think you played a Jedi mind trick on me and you interviewed me in this podcast today. I'm not sure what happened, but you definitely got me out of my shell. I certainly hope that me or you didn't say anything that would be offensive, and if we did, I certainly hope whoever was offended will get over it.

Shed Geek:

I believe that difficult, hard conversations and even challenging conversations are always welcome. I don't know if this was hard or challenging, but it was certainly thought-provoking nonetheless, and we didn't talk about what we were going to discuss off air, I think. Even one of the things you asked is do you have a list of questions or some agenda? And I said no. My agenda is to make compelling content for people to listen to about our industry, and I think through this conversation, we did some of that today. But my question to you today is do you have any questions for me? Podcast, faith, shed related, family. It really doesn't matter, just as an open transparency for conversation. Do you have anything that you would want to ask here today or get my opinion on? If not, it's okay, but feel free to ask anything and I'll give you my best answer that I can drum up. How about that?

Vance Wright:

My interest would be that you would give me feedback on what you think the state of the industry is from your position, what it looks like going forward and, if need be, we're looking at it. Look at that in retrospect in terms of how it relates to the past, but not necessarily just where we go from here more.

Shed Geek:

One thing that I've kind of kept close to my chest but I feel like, because we have a platform that we can speak on, at least one thing that interests me is I've not discussed this really loud with much any people, but something that seems to be developing in my psyche that I believe is going to be, if it's not going to be, the future. It's certainly something that we recommend here at the podcast, or at least I think we do right now. Maybe I haven't vetted it enough to have that conversation out loud. The one thing that surprises me the most that I've been seeing lately in regards to how it affects a lot of the industry is inventory. I've been stuck on this thing about inventory Vance here lately. It's truly amazing that we will spend so much time and money building inventory.

Shed Geek:

You said something about carports earlier. You guys sell a lot of those barn dominiums. We're partnering with a company out of Ohio called Dayton Barns and these guys are pretty sharp. I really like them. I think they'll be on brand sort of with our vision and they're going to be talking about the carport industry on Mondays and a lot of that, that world. The one thing I find interesting in comparison to the two industries as we dive into it further, is that everything is a new construction build for the carport world carport and steel buildings and if you really look at some of the most successful shed companies, they sell on three or four different models and then they really harvest the power of websites, seo, ads, all these different things that we've explored and gotten into to bring a customer in. Maybe it's on a 3D configurator. They operate that completion through that point of sale and then it moves on to either a rent-to-own or a finance traditional finance, however it looks or cash buy.

Shed Geek:

I'm asking myself from a shed perspective. I mean, I know companies have easy $800,000 worth of inventory on the ground. How much more effective can you be if you change your strategy away from an inventory model and start selling off of your displays, kind of like what we see in the carport world? I feel like that would also change some of the conversation we've had here today about rent-to-own, providing inventory, therefore capturing the heart and soul of the company. Right, I mean it would change things like that when you can go direct to consumer, when you can sell off an inventory or off a display piece, as opposed to having 200 pieces of inventory out there, the burden that puts on either investors or the company. If you have 80 lots and you're putting $200,000 on each lot, if you gave me 200,000 to be your 81st lot, could we potentially, with good marketing and sales processes, outsell 10 of those lots and therefore be more productive for you financially?

Shed Geek:

You have a commitment to your dealers but we're not offering jobs in most situations. Most of the dealer networks are 1099 independent contractors. We're not going through the trouble to put them on w2 not most cases. I'm not saying some don't, so you know. That's why you know I'm going to address this again and I'm tired of addressing. I'm gonna let it go. But I got got stuck in my crawl that I had somebody say you know, don't, don't partner with Shed Geek, he's trying to steal your dealer network. I'll just say today it's the most ignorant statement I've ever heard. I'm trying to steal your dealer network. I'll just say today is the most ignorant statement I've ever heard. I'm trying to do anything, but it's actually the last thing on earth that I would want is to go acquire someone's dealer network and try to fund that inventory. If anything, we would be much more, much more inclined to harvest the power of knowledge and what we've learned through digital presence.

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Shed Geek:

I don't want a dealer network. It's the last thing I want. If I started a shed company today, I'm not opening up shed lots Now that's not saying it's not a productive model. It's got us here and it's very productive and it's done very well, I know. And I'm not saying it's not going to do well for a long time. All I'm saying is it's certainly not the avenue that we want to go down.

Shed Geek:

So, I think I'm curious can you have more success by increasing your digital presence, which is also a bit counterintuitive to the way some people in our industry with conservative roots choose to move their life forward in all aspects?

Shed Geek:

So, I can respect that and while I do respect it, I also believe it will offer up opportunity for bigger fish, so to speak, to come in and occupy that space and take a larger market share. Unfortunately, and that's OK, because I think you know, those people who don't support the ideas will see that as a God thing and just kind of change the direction in the course of where they feel like they're having to move away. And I can tell you the companies who are taking the bigger market share also probably see that as a God thing and that their prosperity and opportunity is just being brought their way, so they're perfectly okay with swallowing up more competition. In short, what I would say is I'm sort of doubling down on embracing the digital presence and using that ability to reach customers and get in front of customers. I do think it's here to stay. I think it's only going to get bigger and I'm really watching the companies move more toward investing in that, as opposed to inventory on the ground that's sent there until you have to discount it.

Shed Geek:

I don't know Doesn't mean I'm right, Vance, I've been wrong more than I've been right. If you don't believe me, ask my wife. So, you know I just try to take what I learn and try to listen. You know I'm much more introverted than people realize. I know that sounds crazy, but also people who say, oh, he talks a lot, I don't talk a lot, I listen a lot. And because I listen a lot, sometimes I have something to say. Doesn't mean I'm right always, but I give it my best effort and I really do try to be an active listener to people and hear.

Shed Geek:

I would say, first and foremost, I'm successful because I got above and anything that I've done. I can't get up and walk through the door without his permission. So, this podcast, my businesses and anything my name is associated with 100% belong to him. But if they don't, I don't want them. Two, I'm not perfect. Only one perfect person walked this ground and I ain't him. Three, I have failed my way to success. Anything that you see that's good for me. You see the tip of the iceberg. I promise you do not see the bottom of the iceberg, which is years of doubt, depression, self-doubt, been fired, I've quit unnecessarily, I have not been dedicated to jobs where I should have been. I was undisciplined, I was immature, and all of those things have led me to here today and I'm not ashamed of those. Things have led me to here today and I'm not ashamed of those things, but you know, uh, they got me where, where I am in any in in any uh sense of success.

Shed Geek:

So, um, I probably answered your question way too long there, but I hope you got something out of that, or the listener got something out of that I did. Thank you, yeah, I would imagine you're a fan of prayer, and not only have I not been wearing my traditional Shed Geek outfits here lately, also, I recognized the other day, listening back, that I haven't been praying on as much episodes as I did recently, and that's always been a staple of who we are, what we are. We'll shut it down before we have to give up the idea that, that, that we're not gonna, that we're not gonna pray and put Jesus first and all that we do. Happy to edit this out If you don't feel comfortable with it, do you? Do you feel comfortable praying? And if not, over the industry, if not, I'll gladly bear that responsibility. I know it's a lot to ask and I didn't warn you about that.

Vance Wright:

I'm certainly not opposed to prayer. I'm not sure how prepared I am to perform that, but prayer is an essential part of who we are.

Shed Geek:

So well, I opened the floor to you, if you would. And uh, uh, just let God lead you with whatever prayer he puts on your heart. That's okay.

Vance Wright:

Probably the hardest thing I've ever done is prayed in public, but I can give it a shot, God in heaven. Today we ask you, lord, that you bless the fruit of our labors. Thank you, lord, for bringing us to this place. Would you give us wisdom that only comes from above, as we go forward, lord, bless our efforts. Bless Shannon and his labor with the podcast. Bless all of us in the industry as we try to put others ahead of ourselves today. Would you help us to serve with excellence, as if you were here in our position? We ask it in the name of Jesus, amen.

Shed Geek:

Amen. I'm going to tell you something I've said on the podcast before. Others have maybe got a kick out of it. I pray throughout the day, Vance, I talk to God and I've heard some people say I don't do that. I've never done that and that's strange to me because I feel like you know, the Bible says he puts a song in your heart. I believe that only that song is heard sometimes between you and Him, and it's a unique voice that you hear from Him and that he hears from you. But I'm going to tell you a little story, then we'll go. It's a story about when I worked with faith-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation. I've told it before on the podcast.

Shed Geek:

For those of you who have listened to it, turn me off here, but you know, for those who haven't listen close, I had the privilege of encouraging thousands of men to pray. We prayed for dinner, we prayed before we went to bed, we prayed and we got up. We prayed in a lot of situations, always before breakfast, lunch and dinner. You call on somebody different in this faith based drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility that we were in, to encourage men to become more bold in praying publicly, because public speaking and even public prayer is a difficult thing and I finally got Alan, and Alan was one that would always get away from everybody. He'd always sneak back and hide and we just wanted to call him out and out of the thousands of prayers that I've heard and called on men to pray even the best prayers I've ever heard prayer warriors I don't remember any of them, but I remember Alan's prayer and I think it was the simplicity of it and I called on Alan one day because he thought he was going to get away and I said Alan, would you pray over our lunch?

Shed Geek:

And Alan was not only funny in what he said but funny in his reactions. And he literally looks at me and has this look on his face and he says yeah, yeah, yeah, of course, yeah, no, yeah, of course, I'll pray, absolutely. I'd love to pray today over the food. It's OK, I wouldn't give it a shot. He closes his eyes and bows his head along with everybody else and I just kind of kept one eye open and peeked over at him and he said Lord, I'd like to thank you for today. Today was a good day. And then he does this with his face. He kind of yeah, you know, almost as if to say I mean I'm really does this with his face. He kind of, yeah, you know, almost as if to say I mean I'm really feeling this. You know, he said it was a good day. It was a good, good day and amen and he was so pleased with his prayer

Shed Geek:

yeah and everybody looked at me like is that one okay? And I just gave this nod of approval, as if to say, hey, you gave it all that you had. And i'm'm going to tell you I've never remembered another prayer that another man said in all of my life, like I have Alan, because it was from the most genuine place I had ever seen. And he thought, man, I can't, I've been busted and I can't hide no more. I'm going to give it my best. And I believe that God heard that prayer and I'll tell you what that was a good good day in advance. Today's a good good day, Absolutely. It is the day the.

Shed Geek:

Lord has made I thank you.

Shed Geek:

I'm going to go ahead and end the podcast right there. I thank you for being a guest on the show as an example of you know. Hey, look, can't say enough for Tyler. He's been great. I still have a song that I listen to on my Apple Music that he shared one day on Facebook. It's called Love. I don't know if you know the song. It's called Love. The pastor stood up and all he said was love. And then he sat back down and I still listen to that song. Tyler's inspired so much for me in the shed industry. Uh, I, just I thank you. Your whole business, uh, bless you guys hope that you're doing well and continue to do well. Thank you for being a guest today thank you for having me.

Vance Wright:

I have enjoyed the interview, the two-way interview.

Shed Geek:

It's been great.