5 Questions With Debbie From The Cow

August 12, 2015 Lindsey

Original ice cream photo by BSK.

The Cow is a family-owned ice cream and burger institution on Rt 56 in Alum Bank, PA. It was my first “real” job and I learned many vital lessons working there. Not only did I learn the value of customer service and excellent product quality, but I had a front-row seat to the Claycombs’ incredible work ethic. The only notable downside of me working at The Cow was that I ate my way through my paychecks as I indulged my sweet tooth.

I mean, c'mon, how could I not love this place?

Debbie was my main, day-to-day boss and a second-generation Claycomb. Her dad, Stanley and her mom, Dale, started The Cow. They all were excellent people to work for. I look up to Debbie a lot and was excited when she agreed to an interview. Her words hold a lot of wisdom. I hope you savor them as much as you'd savor an ice cream cone on a hot day in August.

The Interview:

1. How many years have you worked at/run The Cow?

I first started working at The Cow when I was 13 years old and continued until I graduated high school. I came back to work at The Cow in 1998 after living in New Jersey for 20 years. My interim profession was a florist. My former husband and I owned and operated five flower shops as well as a design school. So my current run is 17 years.

2. What has been the most valuable lesson you've learned in that time?

When I first started as the manager, I think I was high strung and had an attitude, maybe that came from living in New Jersey, but nevertheless I think I thought I knew it all, having already owned five flower shops. My Dad taught me that there were ways to accomplish the desired results with a more diplomatic approach. He never lectured me. I learned by example in how he would handle certain issues and get the exact results I was looking for without being demanding or getting angry with someone. He taught me that I needed to step back and get a different perspective. He also taught me that instead of forcing the issues, give things a little time and see how situations often times played out on their own without a lot of conflict. He also placed great emphasis on the customer. Making sure they would be able to afford the products we sold - even to the extent that he took less profit in order to do so. He wasn't out to make a killing in money. He wanted to offer a fun place to go have a burger and some ice cream for the community. I have continued to follow his policy and found ways to be profitable as well. The parking lot is always full so I think he got that right!

3. What is something others would be surprised to know about your experience in business?

Perhaps that my real profession was a florist! I'm self taught and I never planned to be in the food industry but sometimes life takes you down a road you hadn't planned on... that's what happened to me.

4. Working with family can be hard at times. What has been most helpful in maintaining healthy relationships and a healthy business?

We have broad shoulders. We get very busy and things get hectic so when it ramps up, there is a chance that it’s going to get a little hairy in the kitchen or in the ice cream part. We bark orders and make demands but in the end when we close the door and go home all is forgotten and tomorrow is a new day. We don't take things that happen at work personally. We know that it is the nature of the beast, so to speak, and ultimately we as a family are all driven by the success we have and that is our top priority. Our desire to continue our parents legacy is what keeps us balanced and focused. We all contribute in different segments of the business for the benefit of the whole. As a family, our parents instilled in us that family is the most important thing; that we can have disagreements but in the end when somebody needs something we will always be there for each other and work together.

5. Where do you find your motivation to stay in it when times are hard?

My motivation comes from honoring my mom and dad. I wanted to work in the business again and my dad gave me the chance. However, the title manager didn’t come with it. He told me that he was still the boss! I took on more and more responsibilities as time passed and spent more time there as well. I worked to prove myself and help mom and dad improve on finances as well as other issues that seemed to be holding the business back. They began to rely on me heavily in the later years and I never wanted to let them down. I promised I would keep The Cow going and not let anything happen to it. My daughter has stepped in to help as well with the same dedication and love for what they created. She has taken the marketing/public relations/IT part to a whole new level for us and it is exciting to see the response from that. The volume of business we have is rewarding and greatly appreciated. So when I get frustrated with employees not doing their job, inventory not coming in, or from being so tired that I don't know which end is up, I remind myself that we are a success and very much loved by our customers; and that is a phenomenal tribute to mom and dad.

I admire Debbie's selfless motivation to honor her parents. I'm so thankful for all the wisdom and humility she shared. Also, it’s really encouraging to hear her commitment to work out the second generation of quality, community-serving business at The Cow.

The Cow really is a wonderful establishment - check them out on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Even if you don’t live in the area, the deliciousness of their photos may be enough to lure you into a road trip.

An Interview With The Hairsmiths

June 19, 2015 Lindsey

I am so thankful and excited to share this interview with you today. I got to virtually interview The Hairsmiths - a husband-and-wife barber team in Carlisle, PA - who are also my aunt and uncle. Their names are Bernie and Carol Smith - so obviously The Hairsmiths is an awesome business name.

When I was young, we would take the 2-hour journey to visit them. I remember asking about the barber pole out front, getting my hair cut off and overhearing discussions about how I hated to bath (which my aunt reassured my mom that that would change - and oh, it has). I remember learning about plants (my aunt has a superior green thumb), laughing with family (even when I was too young to understand the jokes) and eating incredible brownies (a love of sugar is in my genes).

Overall, their humility has floored me. They keep their business going, but always have time for family. They’re amazing people and I hope you enjoy gleaning wisdom and getting to know them through this interview.

Here goes:

How many years have you run your own business?

We have been in business together for forty years and married for forty-one years. We have been partners in all senses of the word for forty-one years. After a year of marriage, Bernie realized he wanted to get out of the army to start a business of his own. So we did an inventory of our strengths and weaknesses, what we liked to do and what we didn't want to do.

What has been the most valuable lesson you've learned in that time?

One of the big lessons, we have learned starting our own business, is not to be discouraged by people telling you it can't be done. Welcome positive advice but take negative comments with a grain of salt. It's amazing how many people will try to discourage you, from making positive changes in your life, with gloom and doom stories or comments.

What is something I'd be surprised to know about your experience in business?

You may or may not be surprised to know that neither one of us is too fond of social situations. Probably the biggest similarity between us is our shyness around other people. Sometimes after a busy day we are both exhausted from dealing with so many different personalities and want to be alone and regroup.

What was something that concerned you in business, but now feel like it wasn't worth the worry?

Failure was one thing we shouldn't have worried about. One does what one must to pay the bills.

Where did you find your motivation to stay in it when times were hard?

Motivation comes from having a goal to work toward. Our goal in life has always been to nurture our love for each other, our children and our grandchildren. It's not hard to get motivated when your labors help the ones you love have a better life.

They're so selflessly humble, right? I love how they use business as a tool to serve people in their lives instead of making business their lives. Your business doesn't have to consume you.

We can love and serve others with what we have. We just have to be careful not to make it about us.

An Interview with Baron Batch of Studio AM

January 5, 2015 Lindsey

A few years ago, Mike said to me over tacos at Smoke Taqueria -

“I think that’s Baron Batch.”

“Oh yeah? Where?”

I looked over. He was in line with a group of people.

Mike knew who Baron was because he started reading Baron’s blog when he became a Steeler and recommended that I read it. In fact, we first came to Smoke because of Baron’s online recommendation. We kept going back because it was so phenom. When we were leaving, we stopped by Baron’s table and said hi. He was normal, which is always refreshing when you meet someone that you’ve grown to like virtually.

Fast-forward to the beginning of last month. Since the time we met, the creative venture Studio AM was born. I’d been reading Baron’s blog and he wrote a phenomenal post that I included in one of This Week’s Gold. We connected on Twitter over it and he graciously agreed to an interview last week. I gleaned so much and was incredibly encouraged by his ideas, ethos and hustle. I hope you are too.

The (paraphrased) interview (not Sony’s version):

Me: You’ve written recently about how you’ve transitioned from being known as a former Steeler to being known as The Artist - could you tell me about how you made that transition?

Baron: As simple as it sounds - work. And create a whole new portfolio of work that people can judge for themselves. There’s so many tools to put your stuff out there. And shamelessly self-promote. If you’re making a good product, you should put it out there and be proud of it.

It was kind of like this light bulb went off - at the time I was doing a ton of art projects and different collaborations but I just wasn’t getting credit for the amount and quality of work that it deserved. And it hit me - no one knows. No one knows. I’m not showing anything. That opened my eyes - you have to promote yourself while you work. To show your progression.

How you make it off your morals from you being you - is people have to know you. On a level that they feel like whatever you’re doing, they want to support you. Not just the product you have to offer - at the end of the day - you’re your product. You’re selling yourself.

My art is an extension of me, but it’s not really my product like I am. Without me, the art’s not going to make itself.

Me: Would you say vulnerability is a key component of that?

Baron: Yeah, I think to be vulnerable is to be invulnerable, really. Just because most people aren’t. Most people are terrified of being vulnerable, so when you are and you’re cool with it and you’re cool telling your story then it makes you impenetrable. What are you going to say to me that I don’t already know about me, that I haven’t already told everybody?

I think that’s part of the process. I wrote my blog for 7 years now. It’s been such an interesting process. I read some of my old stuff and I’m like man, I’ve changed a lot since then and progressed.

At the same time, you have to think about how it looks in the eyes of the reader. The best thing that you can ever do is tell your own story - but then curate your own story. You know, keep up. So people can actually keep track of that growth. There are people that have followed me when I was a high school football player and now I’m an established artist in Pittsburgh. And they’ve watched everything in between and you gotta think people like that are much more inclined to be supportive than someone who’s just stumbled across a link.

Me: I bet that helps with the transition from ex-Steeler to artist too. Because they’ve watched you progress as a person instead of “oh, now he’s trying to do this thing.”

Baron: One thing I’ve realized is that once I became really confident in my craft - it became really easy to transition. Because I knew the work would speak for itself.

And that was a big thing. Doing something like being a full-time creative on your own - it’s all about confidence. It’s about being able to put yourself out there confidently and stand behind it.

Me: Did you feel fear?

Baron: The first art show I had was terrifying. You never know how you’re going to be accepted. Even if it’s just one person that affirms you, you know it's going to work. It’s truly about hustle.

Me: What would you say has been the key for making Studio AM come to life?

Baron: It’s been a group of people who has been themselves the whole time. It can’t be replicated by anybody. People have been themselves since I’ve known them.

Also, like-mindedness going into it. Not in the way that everyone thinks the same way... but everyone has to stand on a similar foundation. There are very basic things we don’t do. We don’t let emotions into business decisions.

Business is truly is one of the most complex but simple things. Businesses are run by people who are generally f’d up. But business itself is simple.

Baron on keeping hours: I want to have a workplace environment where people want to come to work.

No one keeps hours. That’s a pretty messed up place to be (if you have to keep hours and police people into them).

Me: Do you feel like there’s a lot of communication then?

Baron: Yeah, it’s not typical though. We don’t have meetings to talk about the next meeting. (None of that) corporate shit.

There are no unimportant jobs here. No one feels like they have to work their way up. There’s no bureaucracy.

(But) that’s hard when you’re growing a company because you have to ask people to do something they aren’t comfortable with. I’ve had people I had to let go because they thought they’d shoot video and not have to sweep the floor. It’s a mentality.

Me: That’s been one of my biggest struggles is finding people that think like me.

Baron: But that’s when you need to teach your story. Teach the way you think.

Draw knowledge that may be lacking to teach someone else from a situation you went through.

Baron on taking advantage of opportunities:

When I go into a room - the reason I dress like this is because I’m a walking billboard. (He always wears jeans with paint on them)

Very rarely is it (opportunity) even open, it’s often just cracked a little bit.

Baron on learning from others:

Ask them about their process. Not just who they are and their backstory - ask them about them.

Asking Will Smith about his favorite movie that he did is a dumb question. Instead, ask him how he decided those things. After all, Will Smith is a collection of his decisions.

Me: What motivates you to work so hard?

Baron: To be able to do it one more day. It’s a poisonous mentality to know that you’ve made it. When you know you’re set, you stop innovating as a person.

I always want to be growing in some form.

I never want to spend a year and end up in the same spot the next year.

Most people don’t think that they can fail when in all reality - you should acknowledge that you’re kind of failing at things. There should be part of you that’s always terrified that you’re not doing it right.

Baron on if you want to do creative work but not become a machine about it:

If you want to make money from what you want to do - then it has to be a job. Don’t feel bad if you’ve made a product that people like.

Make your process efficient. You can limit the amount of time doing something you don’t want to do then.

Limit your supply. Force people to like the next thing you put out. You don’t want people to fall in love with your product. Because you want to put out another product.

You have to think long-term. From a marketing standpoint, be able to gather your own data and metrics from still working and progressing.

I gather info by street art. I find what is most popular that way.

Baron on creating demand:

There are a few types of demand - product demand, intellectual demand and emotional demand.

You have to deliver all three. You can create something with physical demand. You have to create an emotional demand for your work. You need consistency to create emotional demand. There’s a tremendous amount of power in consistency.

Once you undoubtedly know how you’re perceived, it is so important to be consistent. What strength actually is is when you’re being pulled in a way that is inconsistent to who you are and you say then f' that. You have to work hard to be your own brand.

Craziness is relative to who has the tools to make it happen.

Baron on income stream concerns:

Your value is not numerical. Your value is in how well you work your process that is only yours.

I will always be able to make money. I have tools. I’m smart.

We had to make rent, so we did corn hole boards. We sold $10,000 in corn hole boards. You have take layups that life gives you like that. You have to be able to do something you don’t want to do, to be able to do something that you do.

Be strategically insane. If it makes sense to you, then do that.

Try living fearfully motivated. I don’t mean living like there’s something chasing you. Live like you’re chasing something that’s always moving forward and you have to keep up with it. When an opportunity comes then you need to be ready to perform.

Very rarely does someone say they want to create that and then go and do it.

You have to just progress.

Baron's an incredible man and I’m thankful I got a chance to learn from him. Also, his artwork is even more impressive in person. They’re doing great work at Studio AM. Check them out and be encouraged.

To: Business Owners

The Interview:

Here goes:

The (paraphrased) interview (not Sony’s version):