Chapter 38

Chapter 38

8 States, 6 stops, 1 trip

This is only the beginning

Jan 28-Feb 1

 

Before I dive into the best weekend of my college career, I need to give you a quick update on Buddy’s, or what is now, Waterless Buddy’s LLC.

Before the launch of the test market, we entered into the EDENS retail challenge. EDENS is a property owning company that owns properties from New York to Miami. Their retailing challenge is a four round challenge that comprises of creating a self-video, writing a business plan, a virtual presentation, and the 3^rd and 4^th rounds are pitches regionally, and then a finals day in New York. The Buddy’s team was fortunate enough to get invited to Atlanta for the regional competition, which we were scheduled for Jan 29 @ 11AM.   Following the launch, Randy and I added two more members to our team. We added two friends, but two guys that shared our vision for the future of the company, Taylor Beck, and Tyler Hagan.  In the time between the test market, and Atlanta trip, we worked hard perfecting our pitch, creating new T’s, and speaking with a number of different entrepreneurs in the UNC community.  As we hopped in the car on January 28, 2015, I felt relaxed, excited, and eager to present the biggest pitch of my professional career.

Stop 1: Lexington, NC

When we were invited to compete in Atlanta, EDENS sent us a $500 traveling stipend, and we thought we would make the best of our trip.  

Before the trip we planned to go to Lexington, NC (Taylor’s hometown) to try their famous barbeque. If you’re not from NC, you probably don’t understand the barbeque dynamics. North Carolina is known for its pork barbeque, and each section of NC has a different way they prepare it. Word on the street was that Lexington BBQ was the “best,” and I don’t know if I would go that far, but it was definitely a treat!

Following our quick meal at “The Monk,” we got back into my car, and we were ready for Atlanta!

However, I forgot to mention that we were traveling with a car hood that would be used during our presentation! During the weeks prior to the trip, we decided to venture to a junkyard in Durham, NC. There we explained our story to two nice gentlemen, and they gladly took us around back, and told us we could choose anything we wanted from a select pile. In this pile of used car parts lied a hood, and a side panel. The hood wasn’t small, and was much bigger than the hood of the car that we drove to the junkyard.  Taylor insisted that we get the hood, but none of us could fathom how it would fit into the car. But, we didn’t give in. After what seemed like endless tries, Taylor gave it one more shot, and with a “wooooo,” and a chest bump, the hood managed to fit into the back seat of a 2002 Toyota Camry.

On the ride from Lex Vegas (Lexington in Taylor’s eyes), we had a great plan. Our current itinerary was Atlanta, Athens, GA (to see Taylor’s friend), Valdese, NC, and back to Chapel Hill. However, we remembered the Heels were playing at Louisville on that Saturday, and if we could get tickets, we would be there in a heartbeat. Taylor quickly began texting some of his friends on the basketball team, and it was just a waiting game from there.

Stop 2: Atlanta, GA

We arrived at our hotel at 12:30AM, to find our presentation papers to be soaking wet with the waterless product. One of our bottles had leaked, ruining everything remotely close to the bottle. Luckily, Microtel, our hotel, came to the rescue with free printing for all guests.

After sorting out that issue, we wanted to find where the EDENS building was located. It was also something that The Circle Maker, the book I spoke of last chapter, encouraged. We circled the building in my car, and then took a peep through the large, revolving doors before the security guard gave us a nasty stink eye. We quickly got back into the car and made our way back to the hotel for much needed rest.

But….. what’s a big presentation without multiple mess-ups? And, this one was 100% my fault.

Before bed I decided to iron my shirt, and Taylor’s Buddy’s T. I pressed my white button down with pure finesse, Taylor’s, not so much. Mid-iron, I dropped the iron onto the carpet, burning some bits of the carpet, then preceded to put the iron back on the shirt. This took the bits from the carpet, and ironed them directly onto the brand new Buddy’s T. The T that would be worn during the presentation. However, the Buddy’s team wants to give another shout out to Microtel, their washing machine works at 3AM!

Sometimes the alarm clock doesn’t have to wake you up. January 29, 2015 was one of those mornings. We sprung out of bed, practiced our pitch two final times, had a prayer with our big Buddy, and left for the biggest presentation of our professional careers. However, before arriving at the EDENS office we had to grab a quick breakfast at Chick-fil-A (can you really lose with that combo?)

When we finally arrived, one of their assistants came down to assist us with the car hood that we had toted along with us. And I must say, carrying a car hood into an office building will get you a few strange looks.

Before our presentation we were met by a few EDENS employees that offered us water and some words of encouragement. Side Note: Arriving early is always the best thing to do, but arriving early means sitting in an office in anticipation.

“We’re ready for you,” said the EDENS assistant. We perked up, it was game time.

We quickly learned that most of the EDENS office had joined the conference room to listen to our pitch. The judges, the CEO of EDENS, a representative from GAP, and Teavana were also in the room. We were told that we had 10 minutes to present, and 20 minutes of Q&A, but it didn’t work out that way.

After what was probably the best presentation we had delivered, the judges preceded to give us 50 minutes of Q&A! 50 minutes! And these were 50 great minutes. They were asking questions that were not only challenging, but questions that will help propel us into the future. The Buddy’s team and I were blessed with the opportunity to pitch in front of these retail professionals, and believe it was a turning point for the company and our careers. It’s kind of crazy though, you work so hard for ten minutes, and those ten minutes can either make or break you. We will find out mid-February if we move on to the final round in New York!

After the pitch we went to the famous Varsity restaurant. They serve some fried, some more fried, and all kinds of fried food. If you have never been to Atlanta, it’s somewhere you have to check out. However, you might just want to check it out once, it’s not the healthiest of eateries.

We also had time to venture to Centennial Park, CNN, and maneuvered our way onto the Georgia Dome field, which is home of the Atlanta Falcons. At 3:30, I felt we had accomplished a solid day, but the grind never stops. It was time to keep moving, supposedly they have a traffic problem in Atlanta?

Stop 3: Athens, GA

We arrived in Athens, GA, home of The University of Georgia at 5:30 PM that evening.

Have you really gone to college if you haven’t visited other colleges? You have to scope out the competition. And most likely you’ll have a friend, that’ll have a friend who will gladly offer their room to you for a night. Although we were only in Athens for a night, literally 5PM-9AM, we got to see a lot of campus, dabbled in some night life, and caught some Z’s before we were on the road again. And, to a place that you know is close to my heart.

Stop 4: Valdese, NC

It’s always good to go home, but I had never brought UNC friends back to my hometown for a night, and there’s a distinct difference of experiencing Athens, and Valdese.

When we arrived in the “big” town of Valdese I gave them my 5 min tour of the “city”, and we headed back for dinner. My parents prepared an awesome dinner of steaks, baked potatoes, and salad, all while Luke (my nephew) interrupted the nice dinner with a, “ I got to poop.” Like Uncle, like nephew I guess.

Update on my family: Luke continues to grow, and has learned new words like poop. Also,  I am going to be an uncle x2! Blessed brother, and uncle. My dad turned 50, and my mom is close to that age, but she’ll never admit it J

During dinner Taylor received notification that his sources would be supplying three basketball tickets to the Buddy’s team. We got a bit hype, and knew it was time for bed, we had a long drive ahead of us.

Stop 5: Louisville, KY   

Its 6.5 hours from Valdese to Louisville, and then another 8 hours from Louisville to Chapel Hill. We had a long day ahead of us, but we forfeit a lot for the Heels.

Traffic held us up a bit, but we arrived at the KFC Yum Center 10 min before tip! The Yum Center is an immaculate arena. There are two levels of box seating, exclusive bars on both sides of the gym, and an even sweeter view from the third row.  

To keep it short, we blew an 18 point lead, but it was a game we will never forget.

The beginning of the end of our trip had begun. 8 hours to Chapel Hill. 

Stop 6: Chapel Hill, NC

On the ride back we had a lot of time to reflect on the trip, we listed top moments, called our other teammate who wasn’t able to make the trip, and Taylor enjoyed that too much. During the extremely, long ride back I got a feeling that Chapel Hill was tugging me back.

Maybe it was me wanting to get out of the car, or missing pick-up at Rams gym, or maybe it was for once, Chapel Hill calling me home. It was a feeling that I had never had before, a feeling that might make my senior year a little harder than I had expected.

As we arrived at 4:30 AM, we all agreed it was time for bed. And for once, at least for a little while, we wouldn’t be leaving tomorrow. In all, we were physically in 7 states, but we saw Indiana across the river in Louisville, so we had to count it.

At the end of our pitch, the EDENS CEO asked if we had anything else to say. I perked up, and I told him, I had been an entrepreneur since I was seven, but nothing excites me as much as the opportunity we have with Buddy’s. Then I said something, that I would learn was the wrong thing to say. I said, “I feel like I am a match, and all I need is a little gasoline.” This quote was challenged during a meeting with the same Adams Advisors that I spoke about last chapter. He said, wait a minute, gasoline is quick, and makes a huge explosion, it doesn’t last. He said, “You need a sustainable source, yeah that’s what you need.”

It’s crazy, in 5 months we (Buddy’s) have grown so much, and it’s just the beginning.

No gasoline, just a sustainable source.