The I Love CVille Show With Jerry Miller! - The Kyle Miller Show: Keith Groomes, Jr. Of The Pie Guy Joined Kyle Miller

Episode Date: February 8, 2024

Keith Groomes, Jr., Owner of The Pie Guy, joined Kyle Miller live on The Kyle Miller Show! The Kyle Miller Show airs live Thursday from 2:15 pm – 3 pm on The I Love CVille Network. Watch and listen to The Kyle Miller Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, iTunes, Apple Podcast, YouTube, Spotify, Fountain, Amazon Music, Audible and iLoveCVille.com.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the show. I'm your host, Kyle Miller. Thank you for being here. And today we are bringing stories and insights from extraordinary individuals from around town that are making differences in their lives and their community lives. But before we meet our guest today, today's show is sponsored by Apex Allies. So listen up, folks, because we've got something to tell you that's going to revolutionize the way you run your business. Picture this. You're swamped with admin tasks. Well, with Apex Allies, you can kiss that overwhelm goodbye.

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I appreciate you having me, man. Hey, man. I appreciate you coming on and just talking before the show. You've got a lot of stuff going on. It's exciting. You've got a lot of experience in business and personal growth too, right? Definitely. definitely and so I find a lot of people uh in business or outside of business that is not on the inside of of what business owners are doing on the day-to-day look in and think that business is easy like they they open up a shop or they do this and they're making hundreds of thousands of dollars and they're making all this money and you know I even find you know especially in the food industry or you know if retail sales like oh they're making all this money. And, you know, I even find, you know, especially in the food industry or, you know, if retail sales like, oh, they're making all this money.

We're friends. We get a discount, you know. But it's not always sunshine and rainbows, is it? No, it's not. And I mean, a lot of people, I would say they do understand because they, you know, in the local community, people ask. And if you're honest, you can you know say oh everything's okay yeah but if it's when it's hot it's hot and you know you got to make it work so right i mean it's definitely understandable if we we gotta share um i got caught up we gotta share that hey

it's it's tough but right they always come support so it was real helpful. Okay. So with the pie guy, right? Yes. It's a food truck, right? Yes. Catering company. Catering company. Food truck. I say I'm a mobile caterer.

A mobile caterer. Yeah, we go across the map and back. Oh, I like that. I like that. How did you get into that? That's a long one. Yeah. So I came home from Virginia State state university and i had an idea to

do vegan vegetarian food i you know i got rid of all the burgers and wings and all that and i was doing vegan vegetarian food i connected with my high school english teacher kathy zengrav okay shout out to you you're the best at charlesville high school charlesville high school she uh she gave me an opportunity to work with her uh her stall at the farmer's market called it was called greenies okay and we did creative vegetarian so we would make up dishes on the spot sometimes that morning and i got to learn a little from there and then after that it just just kept going i mean i worked for Donut, learning how to drive trailers and learning catering aspects and different vendors. Have you always been involved? Like what was the drive to be in the food industry?

I just seen the opportunity. I mean, at this time, that was 2010. There wasn't vegan, vegetarian food that I wanted necessarily. And, of course, it wasn't like everybody's doing it. So I said, hey, I know how to one plus one equals two. And of course it wasn't like everybody's doing it. So I said, Hey, I know how to one plus one equals two. Uh, I can get it. So, you know what I mean? Um, and I just came home, try to hone those skills, cook different dishes. But then I learned things along the way that transitioned to me, transitioned me into what I do now.

Okay. Okay. And now the pie guy, you were saying you work for Greenies and the pie guy was owned by a different individual. Yeah. Justin Bagley. Justin Bagley. And so you started working for him, right? I started working for him because we were next to each other at the farmer's market. I was going to say, because you're going from vegan to the pie guys. Right. And it's, it's explain what the pie guy does. So we do savory and sweet ham pies, insides. Okay. So you can get local beef, tuna loin, mixed veggies, chicken curry, black bean quinoa chili, which is a vegan option, halal bacon, egg, and cheddar, sweet potato, whatever. Right. And then so you guys were working beside each other, and then you started just having conversations with him?

Asking questions. So his line was moving faster. Okay. And we're cooked to order. Okay. So we're having a sample, and we're having to really sell this vegan-vegetarian thing. Right. And it's delicious.

Everybody enjoyed it. But this dude moving units. Okay. And growing up, my mom worked at the stadiums in philadelphia right and i know about long lines in the spectrum where the sixers played and all that back in the day they had a long line i need the line well not that i need to keep it there but i need people right so i asked him you know what kind of festivals he do because with greenies let's say we did festivals in a tier of like 5 000 guests right he was doing

20 000 guests okay so i said hey can i work with you and yeah then it just it happened fast within one year okay i was he moved away and i was running it for him you know so he moved away you were running the whole the pie guy yeah i stepped in uh opportunity where i could still cook my vegan vegetarian food and i would run my stall and then i would run his stall next to me okay at the same time so you're running both of them yeah i mean it's really easy i mean as in this stuff is prepared already we're just cooking serving sell gotcha over, as long as I got my sauces and all my veggies prepped and all that. Okay. This one only needs one person.

This job needs two. Okay. It's not that crazy. Okay. All right. And then, so you went in, you started running it, and then you took it over? Not right away. All right.

So the next owner, which is a great friend, Rob Harrison, the owner of Food for Thought, cattle farmer here out in Troy, Virginia. He he wanted to acquire it and moved on with him. He gave me opportunity. I worked with him and his wife and then shout out Shannon. And eventually they gave me an opportunity to be a partner. And then a year after that, I bought the whole thing. Okay. Yeah. So you worked for the business for two years first, getting your time in, understanding everything about it.

Right. Understanding, you know, the different venues that you're going to. Right. That you're selling and you know how to sell. And then what was it like buying it? It was wild. Yeah? I was in Thailand, like, you know, know thinking about i knew the day was coming it was

january 15th 2019 okay and i know when i come back home i'm signing is on let's go you know i mean and uh i mean it was it was a good first year yeah and then we know what happened the next year. But, you know, it was I really transitioned those things. So we used to been every day at UVA. That was cool. Like cash flow wise. But right. You kind of weren't making any money. You weren't making money out there was like more so like a training platform. So you can come with all the cells, you can come with all the sales you can come with all the deals right but it doesn't matter the students want what they want they'll stand in line for an hour and i i don't i need i need this cash right i mean so right i decided i'm gonna step away from that and we went to more concerts we expanded and went to you know

larger events i would do like i did Philadelphia's 4th of July celebration uh Fort Lee I know they changed it now down to Petersburg Virginia you know different things like that and of course Richmond more Richmond yeah now and then that's going to the going to the events and then and then selling that what was it like when when you first that first, did it feel different after you signed on the line, you bought the business, right? Now there's nobody to turn to. It's 100% on your shoulders. It was already, it's the same. Okay.

When we're doing something, it's on. We're not playing around. But now it's on me. It's just, I'm already, we plan and plot it. So it's not like I'm running into money this Saturday. Oh, this farmer's market was great. What am I going to do? No, I expected that already.

Right. It's already spent. I know I need a new hot box. I need this. That's really it. It's not no frantic or really crazy excitement. It's just more so just trying to be consistent because no one wakes me up. Right. I mean,

the alarm clock don't even work sometimes. It's you that got to get you through that day, whether you hurt yourself or you're just exhausted from how they say you burn the candle on both sides. I threw it all away in a fire. It was on. Yeah, you burnt the whole candle. For sure. There was no two sides whole candle for sure yeah it was burning that um i just love like listen to you i can hear the passion the drive that you have for business has that always been ingrained in you definitely when i when i left i went to school to study history become a teacher but that was really like a backup plan because i knew i wanted to be some kind of entrepreneur right i was i was raised in it, and I know you always got to have product. Right.

You can have whatever else going on, but if you can, product pretty much is equal. Some cash can be coming your way. Right. And I can divvy it out this way, so. Now, you were telling me earlier about your mom, how she's always been involved with stuff, too. Definitely. Treating Jackson. Do you think she rubbed off, like, and you watched her through that i was there it wasn't just watching you know

i was a kid and i was originally from philadelphia we used to go to jeweler's row we went to all the stores and you know you seeing how we she's you know we would uh get ready for events and i had to build bracelets with her but she also made pamper case. She worked at the nail salon, the hair store. She worked all over. Then, of course, those vending events, I seen her out there. She was hustling in there. Yeah, so that kind of rubbed off on you. Definitely. I think kids growing up seeing that, seeing that hustle, seeing that drive changes kids. I don't know if you have any other siblings. Yes. Are they entrepreneurial? No. I have a brother that he has, he can sell better than me, hands down. My brother Jamar,

but he's not, it's in the moment. So he helped me open my store when I had my store. He came in and you know, he's extremely charismatic. But my other brothers, they'll do it, and my sister also. But they go to work, and I'm off at 5. Yeah. And there's something to be said about that, too. Yeah, that's cool. Some days I wish I was off at 5, and I didn't have to think about all the stuff I've got to do tomorrow and the next day and what's coming up the next month. And am I going to hit cash flow?

And I've got to pay this bill and that bill. I think we call it C and D, crazy and deranged. You know, if you win this, you just believe the cash flow going to come. You know. You got it. It's going to come and usually it do. It might come two days later, but you're going to figure it out. That's such a true statement because as entrepreneurs, you know, you think you got all the ducks in a row and then boom, something pops up.

Yeah. A big expense. A refrigerator goes out. A stove goes out. I mean, if I could share my wildest story. That 4th of July, this is my biggest day. I mean, I'm expecting big money. It did not happen.

It did not happen. It did not happen. The day before leaving, my brand new car, I've had it less than 30 days, and I'm going to go pick up my freezer truck so I can load it up to get on the road. And someone hit me into another car, totals my car. My family was like, Keith, you need to go to the hospital. No. Let's load this truck up. I'm all messed up.

They finally was able to get me to get someone, allow someone to drive me to Philly. Yeah. So we get to Philly, 4 o'clock in the morning. We work 4 for July all day till about 10, 11 at night. And I probably made a third of what I wanted to make. You know, and the other event all got rained out. Yeah.

And then when we got back, and I'm like, all right, I'm short. My freezer went down. All the product that I bought back, I lost. So, and then all you do is just go do it. Do it again. Yeah, what's the next step? Okay, that stuff. Have insurance. That's one thing I would say, you know.

I had insurance, but you got to have the right stuff. Right, right, yeah. Insurance definitely pays. It's important. Yeah, and you got to make sure. You don. Right. Right. Yeah. Insurance definitely pays for it. It's important. Yeah. And you've got to make sure. You don't just be like, oh, I just got business insurance. No.

The right one. How did you learn to have the right insurance? That mistake. That mistake. That mistake. I mean, I know I have insurance for doing a business when we go to these events and all that. Right. But you need to have the right thing.

Even if you get a food truck, don't just say, I have a trailer. Right. Make sure you say, hey, I got this trailer with this in there. With the product. I mean, I'll pay now so I won't be hurting later. I mean, you know. Yeah. Try. Those are hard lessons. And I have lost some money on a couple houses

and I, you know, I just call, hey, tuition. You know, it's part of, I'm getting a master's in business and understanding of what and I just call, hey, tuition. You know? I'm getting a master's in business and understanding of what all can and will go wrong. You know?

And the other thing is, like, it's unpredictable. You never know what's going to happen. Yeah. You just go get through it. Pray. And you'll be get through it. Pray. And you'll be all right. Yeah. So what do you enjoy most about that business or just in business in general? I guess it's more so what I envision.

Yeah. When I say across the map and back, I mean that. don't I don't I mean, I love my city. I love Charlottesville. Right. But I need to be everywhere. I want I would like to be a kind of it's not like you need to know who Keith Groom is. You need to know who the pie guy is or whatever, whatever I'm putting in front of you. Right. You know, I mean, right. Just to be able to see that grow. I mean, you want to be like McDonald's yeah you want you want to be normal household name that was my intent with vegan vegetarian food but I seen like it uh and not to say it's not possible because people have different models now right that works and stuff like that but

you know once you once you got skin in the game and and then, of course, I enjoy it. It allows me different diversity and that cash. The cash is important. That's why we have businesses. Everybody needs to eat. We've got to have the cash flow coming in. We're helping with jobs. We're providing to the community. We're creating an environment and just growing as individuals and people.

Right. Right? We learn. I think the biggest thing that I've learned in business is patience. Do you need it? Because, I mean, like you said, we can't control everything. Everything is going. What can will go wrong.

You know? Right. It's inevitable. And so, you know, having patience, having self-control, being able to understand, okay, this happened. Now we need to make a decision. What are we doing next? And then take that step. I mean, commend every business owner that does that because every one of them goes through that. All of them. It's happening. You never know what's going to happen. So just, it's going to be okay. Just get through.

Make the decision. Don't lose it. Right. Because you can lose it easily. But, you know, get up. And I think losing it is like losing your, you know, you can lose a business, but you can also, like, lose your desire and drive for it, too. That happens. But it's just more so don't lose the balance in it because you you are going to be tired you you're not going to want to do some things but

understand the i guess your purpose for doing it you know yeah so you're you used to have um down on the corner you used to have a coffee shop yeah yeah. I got coffee. It was, yeah, it was cool. It was a good experiment. I had definitely had big intentions for it to, you know, create a kind of like a, a chain. Uh-huh. And then how did that go? It was bad. Yeah, it was bad, but it was a lesson in you can't, um, you do got to listen to people. Right. But you really got to listen to your customers. When they say identify your customer or just acknowledge who they are. Right. You know what I mean? So in Charlottesville, they support you.

Right. But if any, most college towns probably are the same. You don't go to the university during a certain time. So my people who've been keeping me in business all this time weren't coming to see me. But I seen them every week, but just not in that space. Right. So the students aren't necessarily enough, especially if you don't have what they want. Right.

Which I wasn't allowed to sell beer, which is a big thing. You know what I mean? I tried to try to get canned beer and wine and, you know, they ain't work out. So it didn't happen after a year. The opportunity came to get canned beer and wine. Uh-huh. And, you know, that didn't work out. It didn't happen. So after a year, the opportunity came to get out. Yeah. I went back to what models I do that kept the store alive, which was vending and catering. But you were telling me about programs that, you know, the city, I didn't even know, actually did for business owners in town.

Yeah, the city, I mean, there's a lot that offers. So if you have new equipment that can make you more money, there's an opportunity there. I know of one that I received earlier on. I was like, I need new signage. I got that one. But even at the coffee shop, just based on it being in a certain neighborhood, it was a grant for that that helped me out with like rent or something like that during that time

okay then it's just the other opportunities they allow you to be able to get granted into like not granted a scholarship through CIC to help which I'm you know I think I did see I see in 2017 okay so I can remember being in class and running the pie guy in there trying to figure out my stuff for my business right you know at the time so and now you're also helping more people I can remember being in class and running the pie guy in there trying to figure out my stuff for my business. Right. You know, at the time. And now you're also helping more people do that, right?

Yeah. I just started a new position with the city of Charlottesville, Department of Economic Development, helping entrepreneurs take advantage of all those opportunities, grants, and things like that. So not only are you an entrepreneur, but now, and you're still keeping the pie. Oh, no. The show's not going to stop. Yeah, the show's not going to stop. Yeah. The show's not going to stop. It's just going to be in the weekend.

The pie guy is still cooking. Yeah, the show. Y'all going to see me at the show Fridays after 5, concerts there, Ix Art Park Farmer's Market, and, you know, a couple others. But now since you're familiar with that program and you understand how it all works, you're going to be able to help more entrepreneurs here in Charlottesville. For sure. I mean, the entire time is just now I'll be getting a check from it, but I've always pushed people to those avenues. CIC is going to really help you identify what you're trying to do,

see if it's really even possible. Because I'm a believer kind of like if you tell me, hey, I want to do this, all right, let's figure want to do this. Right. All right. Let's, let's figure out how to make it happen. Right. And there is a process that you can't just jump out there. Like you were saying, like, you're not going to become a millionaire tomorrow. Right. If you do, I am happy for you. Right. Order some pies. You know what I mean? But, uh, is a process to it.

And it might take different views of how to get there, and you might have to have a job some of the time and make it work. You might have to step out of yourself, which I'm not really good. You said I'm not on Facebook like that and stuff. I'm not the social, social guy. But you may need to get that money coming your way. Right, right. Now, what do you think is the reason why some of these business owners don't know about these programs, don't know about the stuff that's going on with the city, and just these different things that the actual city is trying to do to help businesses?

I can't say that people necessarily don't know. I don't know any of it. Oh, you don't know any of it? No, I don't know. I haven't say that people necessarily don't know I don't know any of it you don't know any of it? no I don't know I don't even know about it well that's why I'm here right and from what I understand

a lot of people they may hear about it or they it's just that they're not taking advantage so I knew about CIC a couple years before I even took the course I thought I knew enough I didn't need that.

But what you can grow there as well as, it was more so that network of people to be able to send you this way and get that kind of mentorship you may need, those avenues there. So, I mean, it's just more so word of mouth, getting it out there, letting people know, and getting it in people's face.

Yeah. And CIC is what? You keep saying CIC. Community Investment Cooperative. Okay. Cooperative? I believe, yeah. Okay.

I'll have to look it up and check it out. So getting involved with that has helped you a lot with just the different programs. Definitely. I mean, I didn't even know anything about this. There's different grants out there, but you just got to be, once you're an entrepreneur, you'll say, let's take the pie guy, for example. Right. There's different parts of the business. If you're the owner operator, I have a catering business.

I got a food truck business. I have a solely administrative business. And then, of course, it's supposed to be like whatever else, if there's a storefront or, you know, merch or something like that, that you, you know,

you're putting your energy towards. So that administrative part would be fine at any opportunities and whatever locale you may go to. And if there's a grant opportunity, if you can, because most cities you go to, you have to get a business license to vend or something like that. Right. See what's up. If you're license to vend or something like that. Right.

See what's up. If you're going to be going regularly. Yeah. You know what I mean? That's interesting. But here in Charlottesville, there's definitely stuff for you. And it's support. What do you feel about entrepreneurship and how businesses in Charlottesville,

what do you see a need for? What do you see? When you look at Charlottesville as an area to do business in, what do you see? What's needed? I would say more diversity. Yeah. And what do you mean by that? So there's not like...

There's my people at Pearl Island, Soberanum, really great. that you need so there's not like there's my people at pearl island uh so bearing them really great they're doing it's like i guess it's like puerto rican uh haitian fusion um caribbean food okay so um but that just you know they've been established for a while now but that took some time to come in but i don't think we have any african restaurants anymore what's the name the south african food is out okay there's oh my man filipino the taffy there there is diversity uh but i could say more in an established setting but it's hard so yeah i mean it's just finding the space they're trying to do it at a dairy market. It's a little mixture in there.

Right. But we need more people to come, I guess. To support the businesses? Yeah. People need to go out. People spend money. Why do you think, because obviously those markets, those people are here that know that can provide that product. Right.

Right. Why do you think they don't start businesses? Why they don't start businesses? Yeah, why don't you think like... I mean, they may try here and there, but, you know, it's not cheap. You know, I would say, you know, when people say you start a business, you bootstrapping it, I barefooted it. You know, it just happened.

I had a little support from CIC and my people in my community that I grew over time to help me. And I'm a familiar face. I was around, but it's not free. You've got to save and prepare and really be serious about what you're trying to do. It's an investment in yourself, and you've got to take a risk. And there will be a lot of losses. You know what I mean?

And that view is different from everybody's view of a loss is different. But if I go somewhere and I thought I was going to make, you know, a thousand bucks and I made 300, but that happened like 50 times. Some people would say, like, you shouldn't go there no more. Right. It's like, but the next couple of times after, you know, let's say I only made 300 this time. Next time I made two grand. Right. So you're going to go try it again, but the next time you made $300.

You never know. You do have to pick and choose and learn your markets and all that, but you just got to keep going. Is that the hardest thing about having a food check? The weather. That's it. That's the hardest thing? Yeah.

So finding the events and going there. That's fine. All that stuff is easy. Yeah. I'm not going to say you could do whatever event, but once you find what you want to do, you just pay and go. I mean, you're going to learn whether it works for you, who you want to be set up next to, your price point changing. Oh, so that makes a difference, too. That makes a difference.

I mean. So when you go to these events, who's your ideal candidate? You want to be next to a drink. A drink? Yeah, if you could be next to the beer tent, that's great. Okay. Or, of course, we're outside when people are outside this summer and stuff. Right.

Be next to the lemonade person, the ice cream person. Okay. They're going to get their snack. You could be right next to them. Hey, I'll make up a deal on the spot. You buy a scoop from them, ice cream, you can get a pie for this price. I'm just trying to pull people from out the line. Right.

Being creative. Yeah, just be creative. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's a lot that goes into it. There's a lot. I mean, you don't just put in eight-hour days.

You put in your days days you put in no your days are longer than that right definitely yeah i mean i try to you know balance it out now i've been doing a while i'm i'm beat down i've yeah i've definitely hurt myself and different things and just from being fatigued so well you said it earlier right? Just because we don't go out to, you know, you learn how the business runs and operates. So you're out there at UVA during the day. You may break even for the whole day. And maybe you do that for a couple weeks straight. And it's like, you know what?

It ain't worth it. Yeah. You know? Because I can go and do these food trucks. Because my time is valuable. If I go out and make zero money for my time, then I don't want to continue doing it, right? But if we can say, hey, we can do the food truck on the weekend, and, you know, we can make 3,000 bucks or whatever it is just for that weekend, and I don't do anything over the week, you know, just set up those events and go. Yeah,

I mean, you've got to do what works for you i mean simply so yeah uva might not work because of based on you know percentages or how many days you have to send out send out be out there or catering is the number one thing if you if you're on the food you know you should do catering how does how does the catering work with you guys call me call me baby we're going to pick you know just pick your time, how many people you need. There's different deals for if you want catering in town, and we just deliver it to you. So you come and you deliver it?

Of course, if you want full service, we do weddings and all that. But that's a different window. Okay. That's interesting. But it's definitely, you should do that that's where the money is the catering yeah because it's guaranteed so farmer's market nine to one right now down at xr park it could rain or if it's between i'm selling hot pies so if it's right below 40 right you already know this many people are just not going to come outside it's early in

the morning blah blah blah right but if it rains only the troopers are going to come out that's the people that come rain or shine right and they're there early they i love them uh but the herd who comes later and they just you kind of we call them the herd more so because they just go by you can wave to them say hey want a sample They just don't pay. They just keep moving. They are probably not going to come. You know what I mean? It's that four-hour block. So you try to get as much in there as you can.

Right. You can do business so many different ways. There's so many different opportunities to do it. What do you see in the future with your stuff? Where would you like it to be?

Where do you want to grow to? What do you aspire? Definitely major ports of transit. You can catch me in the airport. I'm just as fast as Starbucks. You can have the coffee. You can have your pie. You want halal. You want this kind of beef. You want chicken. You can have all that. You can have your pie. You want halal. You want this kind of beef.

You want chicken. You can have all that. And it's grab and go. It's not all that waiting. Of course, train stations. Bus stations is really, maybe DC because that is kind of combined, the bus. But just major ports, college cities mostly, more college towns, more catering. Yeah.

How would you get into those spots? Just try to get in. If there's a space available, you try to see, and you pay the fee if they want you or not. It's really that simple. I mean, you know, of course, certain spots, if you go into an airport, that's a little more, a lot more to go into that. But if there's a space available, they're taking your money. Now, you're going to try it and give your, again, how to go about it because they may want a certain percentage. So now your price, you know, sways a little bit.

But my business is based on volume. It's not like I'm selling you this $30 steak. Right. My pie is $6. You know what I mean? Oh, that's all they are? Yeah, pie is $6 tax. You know, now, of course, if it's different windows,

like catering is a little different. Right, right, right. You have to put it all together. Yeah, we give breaks and you're taken away from a day where the pie guy can go out and do two, three events in one day. Right. So you just took up a whole day, so you kind of got to balance that out. Yeah, it's custom.

Right. Yeah. That's interesting, man. I commend you, like, all the hard work. I know what it takes. I know what it takes to do. Long days and nights. Long days and nights.

Yeah. Looking at the books, looking at, you know, QuickBooks at night, going, oh, is this going to make it? You know? Yeah. I mean, yeah, you can look at it. Yeah. You better go get it. Yeah. You know what I mean? I can, I know you're, you were definitely supposed to plan and have a strategy, but you got to get after it. You know what I mean? And not being there, you're not gonna, you going to miss out. Yeah.

That's why I would say to a lot of people, like the pandemic time when everybody was shut down, I was not. I was outside. I had to be in front of their face. You can try. And just people still today say, hey, you was out at Lowe's. It was a long time ago. Right. But they see me there every good morning. Right.

And I'm going to catch you on the way in. I'm going to say something to you on the way out just to be consistent. That's really all it takes. Just be consistent. If you didn't show up for your podcast, people are not going to tune in. Right. You know what I mean? Right.

But you're consistent with me. You bring that up. Consistency in business and life, that's the key, right? Show up every day. Show up. You know, I wasn't that smart in school. One, I didn't like going. I didn't enjoy it at all.

Right. But I showed up every day, and I passed, right? That's it. But that taught me a lot in life. Like, man, I hated going. Like, absolutely hated showing up. Well, I hated going. I didn't enjoy it.

This is high school. Didn't enjoy the subjects. I didn't enjoy any of the stuff about it. I was the one that was sitting in the corner daydreaming about what I'm doing. I probably enjoyed high school too much. It was a good time. Shout out Charlotte to a high. But I did show up every day.

In college, showed up every day. And when you show up every day. Right. In college, showed up every day. Right. You know, and when you show up every day, good things happen, you know. So I think I graduated B average, but I didn't enjoy it, you know. So, but that taught me a lot. You know, show up for football practice every day. Yeah. You're going to get better. On time.

Every day. Yeah, on time. On time. On time. Discipline. Definitely. It's needed. Because, of course, there will be the days where you will be late.

I'm guilty. Yeah. But you need more days that you are on time, you stay late, and you finish. Right. And you will be rewarded. Yeah. And, you know, it might be the littlest thing, but you're going to be rewarded. 100%.

Well, Keith, I appreciate, man, you coming in, sharing your story, sharing your journey, and telling us what you're doing. How do people find you, connect with you? They connect with you on the stuff with CIC and the loans and grants

and stuff from the city of Charlottesville. How do they connect with you? Facebook, Instagram, the pod guy, Seville. Okay. And just come see me in the Department of Economic Development. Yeah. I'm over in there. Okay.

All right, cool. And that's when you want to talk about some grant opportunities and what the city got to offer for you, you know, and lead you the right way to creating that business or building that business. Before we leave, what's the number one thing over there in the economic development group that business owners that are listening to this podcast right now? From what I know, the Piedmont pitch coming up, I think it's about $10,000. I'm not sure if the opportunity has passed for you to get in there, but that's a major one.

I think it's the second year it's happening. It's during TomTom. Okay. pass for you to get in there but that's a major one is every i think it's the second year is happening okay during tom tom okay so that's some money to make some shake if you could you could practice all year now you got a whole year to get ready get your line together and establish your business a little bit and say hey i want to i want to bring this you know a pitch offering right you know to get some money and know that there's other opportunities out there that's just one that's on the line right now. Right. So if you're a business owner with that, get with Keith.

He'll help you. If you can't make that pitch this year, make it next year. Get that money. Right. Cool. Keith, thank you for showing up today, sharing your story, sharing your journey, the ups and downs of it. We really appreciate it. And that's what we really want to share with people and business owners that you know hey things happen we overcome them we take the next

step forward we keep going we keep pushing we're determined and to make it happen yeah i would last i would say to that is you know it's not just who you know or what you know but it's truly what you do so you have to be consistent yeah and utilize all those things that you have around you to keep it going. Cause it's going to be, it's tough at times, at times. But also a lot of satisfaction in it as well.

Yeah. I'm, I'm happy. I'm not, I'm not sad or, you know, about, you know,

the thing up and down in the business, that's just a part of it. Right. I still got pie to make, you know what I mean? So definitely come holler at the pie guy, X art park and all that of it. I still got pie to make. Definitely come holler at the pie guy, X Art Park and all that. Cool. Well, thank you, Keith.

Again, guys, this show is sponsored by Apex Allies. If you're looking for a virtual assistant, go to goapexallies.com and they will help you out. Thank you so much and enjoy. I'll see you next week.