About Mike Brewer
Cracking Nuts
Pecan pies, divinity candy, roasted and salted, or just plain – pecans are ubiquitous in the south. Whether you call them pea-CANs or pea-CAHNs is likely down to where you grew up as the pronunciation was passed down through the generations. When I was young, we never bought pecans that had already been shelled – not when my parents had free child labor readily available in the form of my siblings and me. I remember that there was a pecan tree where we rode our bikes, and we could take as many pecans as we could carry. I was really bummed when that tree was struck by lightning, bringing our free pecans to an end.
We learned how to crack pecans by putting two nuts in your palm and applying pressure with both hands then picking out the meat and leaving the shell. If you’ve ever mistakenly left even a tiny bit of the inner shell, the bitter taste served as a reminder to be more careful next time. I recall that we had a bowl of unshelled nuts with a nutcracker and picks to aid in getting to the good stuff. The bowl had some sort of fake bark on the outside. You know it’s from another time when it’s labeled vintage and you can buy it on eBay for almost $70!
Shelling pecans manually may never come back in vogue but there are some things from the past that are worth the labor to bring them back. Good old Americana in the form of family road trips seems to be making a bit of a comeback. I know that seems like a far-flung idea what with gas knocking on the door of $5/gallon, but I believe that the pandemic has awakened a desire to return to earlier family experiences. If there is one way for families to reconnect, it’s a road trip. If you can survive days 1-3, there is a tipping point where you start to communicate with each other. But brace yourself – the early days can be a grind and have you questioning what sort of crazy decision started this mess.
Thinking about those endless drives to see roadside attractions and national areas of interest reminds me of some of the roadway giants – Howard Johnson’s, Holiday Inn, and Stuckey’s. Among the many things I looked forward to were the Stuckey’s pecan logs. Light fluffy nougat dipped in caramel and rolled in pecans, the Stuckey’s pecan log was too much of everything – delicious, sweet, and sticky perfection.
Stuckey’s motto – Relax. Refresh. Refuel. – signaled their role as a precursor to the modern convenience store. The Stuckey’s story began in 1937 with a roadside stand and a family-owned pecan grove but its brand heyday was definitely in the 60s & 70s with 370 stores in 40 states, which makes sense because that was pretty much the peak of the family road trip.
Over time, the stores went into decline, and the family business was sold. Eventually, the brand was diluted and its future was grim. Enter Stephanie Stuckey, an environmental lawyer who decided to revive the brand and her grandfather’s vision. It is an uphill battle by any measure, but if it can be done – this dynamo will make it happen. If you aren’t connected to Stephanie on LinkedIn or following her on social media, stop right now and do it. You know she’s got something going for her if the massive views on TikTok are any indication.
Stuckey’s comeback story is a master class in the power of one person, the importance of candor-filled storytelling, and social media done right. Whatever obstacles you face – grit, humor, honesty, integrity, respect, and authenticity will go a long way to improving your lot. So, I’m not going to rewrite Stephanie’s story when she tells it so elegantly. She says, “I invested in storytelling, and I invested in beautiful design.” She believes that spending strategic dollars on design is the most important aspect of branding. AND she is hanging onto the company sacred cow – that pecan log roll. Smart thinking.
I would kick myself if I failed to mention that Stephanie Stuckey has a standing invitation to be a guest on our podcast “Collective Conversations” any time. I would consider it a high honor to hear her story firsthand. So, if any of you know Stephanie – please connect us!
Do you have a Stuckey’s story? Or a brand revival story? Share them with us here or on our social media. We all learn from each other.
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What Do You Fear
What Do You Fear
Fear is embedded in the stories we tell ourselves. From the fear of public speaking and small spaces to spiders and snakes, most people can readily identify something they are afraid of. Left unchecked, fear can creep up on you and begin to seize control of your choices. When that happens, I encourage you to face it head-on – be willing to feel uncomfortable, anxious, embarrassed, or judged – and take back your control.
Caroline – The Wise One
I had the genuine honor of hosting the great Caroline Ferguson on this week’s episode of Collective Conversations. She is the accomplished interviewer of the Solutions by Southwest Utility podcast and is just a tremendous human overall.
As we kicked off the episode this week, Caroline reminded me that I was the first guest on her podcast back in 2018! She shared the story from her perspective – it was the first time she had ever traveled alone, and she was terrified. She arrived at our offices to sit down for the interview and she was so nervous – hands shaking, heart pounding armed with a laptop and small microphone. I remember feeling her anxious energy and before we hit record, I recall saying something along the lines of “Hey. We are just two people having a chat over a cup of coffee.” When you listen to that interview today, it’s hard to tell that she was anything other than a seasoned pro.
Caroline felt the fear and did it anyway. She knew in her gut that if she wasn’t willing to face her fears and do the work, she would struggle to create intentional connections and build genuine relationships with others in the industry. She makes a valid point that we consider growth as it relates to sales, rents, bottom line, etc., but growth should also be counted in relationships without regard to whether you ever do business together.
Free Your Mind – The Rest Will Follow
Last year, we discussed this topic. Conquering fears is not accomplished in one fell swoop. If the thought feels overwhelming, it is not necessary to become instantly fearless – but just to fear (a little) less – just enough less to allow you to take the next step. Small steps lead to bigger steps and eventually to a life less encumbered by fear.
In our conversation this week, I could feel Caroline’s command of the medium as our chat moved on to the topic of leadership – something she feels passionately about. Facing her fears paid such big dividends in her life and freed up her mind to build on her aspirations.
Caroline spoke eloquently about leadership and the importance of listening. She credits her mentor with saying, “Listening is so close to love that most people can’t tell the difference.” What a profound statement! Listening with intention (and without distraction) is the most loving thing we can offer another human. It conveys a simple message – I see you, I hear you, and you are worth my time. What you are saying is more important than whatever is trying to pull my attention away. That feels a lot like love to me.
You can live your life without ever facing your fears, but it is almost guaranteed to be a smaller life than you are destined for. Fears can slowly shrink your life but trusting yourself to fear (enough) less is like a muscle. The more times you do it – the stronger your courage becomes, and fear begins to wither. As your courage grows so does your sphere of influence, your ability to connect with others and to listen intently.
My encouragement to you is this – shut down the stories you tell yourself that constrain you from reaching for your goals be they professional, personal, relationships, or other. Don’t restrict yourself – fear (just a small bit) less.
When you feel the thrill of facing your fears and doing the thing anyway, please share it with us. We are encouraged by your stories.
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What We Believe
Have you ever been to Buc-ee’s? If you have then you’re in the club. If not, then I encourage you to try it at least once. There are many incredible and incredulous things to see and experience at Buc-ee’s – more than can be experienced in a single trip. This travel convenience chain is rooted in Texas but is creeping across the southeast. We have two in Georgia so far. In Warner Robins, the site sits on 22 acres with a 53,000 sq ft store, 120 gas pumps, more than 70 iceboxes – and brisket, the holy grail of the thousands of their daily offerings. People come for the brisket and stay for just about everything else – the kitsch of a literal one-stop-shop for everything from a wall of jerky to deer corn and beaver nuggets.
How did a giant beaver-themed convenience store knock the socks off its competitors, and what are the takeaways that apply to any business?
THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE
On their careers page, this (beaver) nugget stands out: Do you believe what we believe? We believe our store should be clean. We believe our staff should be friendly. We believe our prices should be low. If you believe what we believe, come join the Buc-ee’s team!
They advertise their pay rates which range from $16-$33/hr depending on position with 401k (100% match), three weeks paid time off, healthcare, nightshift premium pay, etc. The stores are filled with staff on the move and on the alert for any customer who needs assistance or just looks a little confused.
Their stores are brightly lit and well-stocked which is a feat in a time when supply chain disruptions cause sparse shelves in other retail stores. They advertise and maintain the ‘world’s cleanest restrooms’. Their locations are outside the urban core, located instead on the interstate just far enough away to make stopping for road snacks and a top-off reasonable – and it never disappoints.
THEY KNOW WHO THEY AREN’T
Surprisingly, Buc-ee’s is not a truck stop. They do not have parking or pumps for big rigs nor do they offer any of the amenities a long haul truck needs such as showers or a place for extended parking.
The phone numbers for their stores are unlisted. They found that having phones ringing distracted cashiers from caring for the customers in front of them. If you have questions, go to the website.
Their return policy is the opposite of easy – as in return to the store where you purchased it and ask for a manager. My guess is that this means they have very few returns. They do not have a system for letting you know if an item is in stock at a particular store. Take your chances.
WHAT ABOUT MULTIFAMILY
There is a tendency in multifamily to chase after the newest thing – be it tech, amenity, or experience. If you’ve been here for a while, you know that I am a big fan of more innovative technology to improve the customer and team member experience. The future is now, and I’m leaning into it. Ship and iterate and get rid of the stuff that slows the process and progress. Which is all well and good…
But – if we can’t distill who we are and what we believe with the brilliant simplicity of Buc-ee’s, then we have some remedial work to do right now. It doesn’t take a three-inch-thick binder of policies and procedures if we simply believe that our properties and offices should be clean, our maintenance shops stocked and organized, our amenities clean and functional, and make-readies should be ready like you’d move your mother into ready.
I encourage you to start asking your team members – what do we believe? Distill it down to its simplest form and then spread it throughout your organization. Clear, concise, and easily communicated.
Who are we and what do we believe?
Share with us your experiences with defining your company’s beliefs and sharing them with your team. What worked and what didn’t?
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Durable Goods
Lately, I have been thinking about durability – what lasts and what doesn’t and the things we hold onto versus what we should toss.
My wife grew up in a rural area of Wisconsin. She is a big fan of Carhartt and has owned some of their clothing for more than twenty years. I had the opportunity to learn more about their brand while shopping for a gift on my wife’s wish list. Carhartt’s claim of durability is justified – just ask their 1.2 million followers on Instagram.
Not Durable – Failure
In interviews with more than 100 people at the top of their fields, Tim Ferriss found they all shared two habits: 1. They ask ‘absurd’ questions and 2. They deconstruct fear. In the article, Francis Ford Coppola is quoted as saying, “Failure is not necessarily durable. You can go back and look at it and go, ‘Oh, that wasn’t a failure. That was a key moment of my development that I needed to take, and I can trust my instinct.”
If failure is not durable, why do we hold on to it? When engaging in real open-hearted conversation, most people can quickly recall and recount moments of failure – so much so that it feels like failure is cataloged in our brains for easy recollection.
Poor Decisions
Failures related to poor decisions can be quickly rectified in a culture of honesty and safety. Bad choices lead to better ones when shared openly with a team dedicated to group success. The only thing worse than a wrong decision is making NO decision – the GPS can’t let you know that you’re headed in the wrong direction until you start moving.
Character Failures
I find that failures related to character are the hardest to let go of. When I haven’t lived up to my personal values or acted in a way that contradicts them – those failures cut deep. They happen in business and personal relationships. I don’t know about you, but I find that I can readily recall those failures – can actually feel them in my body when I think about them.
But here’s the thing – even those personal character failures are not durable, and there is no value in holding on to them forever. Once you do the work – the personal character work – to reflect, course correct, and make amends for those failures – it is time to release them.
Past vs Future
Carrying around the weight of the past takes up personal bandwidth that is better used to serve your current and future purpose. Acknowledge past failures for the lessons they provided and move on. It’s easier said than done – but it is worth the effort.
What do you consider to be durable – important enough to keep? And what are you holding on to that is past its expiration date?
Let us know what you think.
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By The Roots
As I write this, it is springtime, and signs of the season are everywhere you look with abundant flowers, blooming trees and shrubs, and pollen that covers just about everything. Many years ago, I owned a landscape company named The Lawn Ranger, and it provided me with a real appreciation for the rapid evolution of the spring season.
People who love to garden also seem to come alive this time of year. Choosing plants, preparing the soil, and carefully determining what conditions each plant will need to succeed. The smell of fresh-turned earth fills the air as the gardener carefully puts seed to ground in an act of faith. The belief that water, sun, and warm temperatures will do the work of generations and bring the seed to bear fruit.
The work of the gardener is never complete. Attention is turned to an almost fanatical process of watering, weeding, and battling pests. There are many methods to fight weeds, but few things are more satisfying than pulling out a pesky weed that comes out of the ground all the way to its roots. Some weeds come out easily but others (I’m looking at you, dandelions!) have long tap roots that resist removal. If you pull a weed at the surface but leave the root, it looks better for the (shockingly short) time until the weed reappears.
Cultivating Team Members
In the multifamily space, we serve a similar role – as the gardener is to crop so are we to our team members. The topics of competition for talent, rapid new hire turnover, and current team member retention are everywhere in multifamily. The pandemic acted like a pressure cooker on the front line and support employees, but it did not create the problem. High turnover has been an issue for the last several years, well before Covid-19 was added to the mix. The multifamily turnover rate was 33% compared to the average national rate of 22%.
Planning for the arrival of a new hire begins before the job is even posted. Setting pay rates that are competitive with the marketplace is a baseline requirement. Not the amount you paid the person who was last in the role – but what the market demands today. It is unreasonable to expect someone to work for less than their worth. Pre-start date communication and touchpoints, onboarding, peer-to-peer connections, and mapping out those crucial first weeks – training, support, and encouragement – help new team members find their way through the maze.
In the early days, new hires are quietly checking their experience against what was promoted and promised before they accepted the position. This is where we lose them. When we aren’t who we say we are. When our core values aren’t practiced every day – trust is broken and like those pesky weeds, it won’t be fixed with a surface-level solution.
There are no simple solutions to talent acquisition and retention, but the fundamentals are fairly straightforward. Competitive pay, intentional connectivity, serving a purpose higher than self and ensuring that your brand promises align with the actual cultural experience throughout your organization.