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Drip Talk by Boshart
37 Years of Wisdom: Lessons from a Career at Boshart (S1.8)
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Brenda shares how she went from the order desk to managing massive sales territories across Canada and the U.S., what it was like to pioneer new markets where no one had heard of Boshart, and the simple habits that helped her build customer relationships that lasted decades. She also opens up about the advice that almost stopped her from taking the job, the power of honest communication, and why following through is still the ultimate sales advantage.
Welcome to the Contractor Lead Podcast. I'm your host, Aiden Henry. Today I'm joined by my co-host, Bray Lynn McEwen, and we are sitting down with Brenda Hannem. Now, if you've known Beauchart for any length of time, you probably know the name Brenda Hannem. Brenda has served at Bowshark for 37 and a half years in a whole variety of different roles, starting out on the ordering desk, working in sales, and now in pricing. And so with that, Brenda has a lifetime of experience, knowledge, funny stories, and great takeaways for you to improve your business. So without any further ado, let's get into it. Brenda Hanna, welcome to the podcast. Thanks for being here.
SPEAKER_04Thanks for asking me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I uh you're someone that we've had in mind for quite a while, so I'm very, very excited to have you on the show. And of course, to my co-host, Bradley, thank you for being here as well.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. I'm excited to do this with you.
SPEAKER_00I know this will be good. You've known Brenda longer than I have, so you might be able to reach into the depths of your memory and come up with some really interesting uh things to ask her. But yeah, this is gonna be a cool episode for sure because um it might be a little bit uh different from some of the other ones we've done, where this is gonna be maybe a little bit more personal and just kind of asking about your experience, right, Brenda? So for anyone tuning in today who doesn't know who you are or what you do or how long you've been at Beauchark, can you give us a bit of an overview of your career here?
SPEAKER_04Certainly. Um so I've been with the company just over, well, a little over 37 years.
SPEAKER_00And no small feat.
SPEAKER_04No. And when I started, I believe there were 14 employees total. Okay. So it was a very um, you know, small, close atmosphere. Um when I started, I basically did whatever needed to be done as far as helping out in the office. So I helped do filing, I helped assemble catalogs, I did helped stuff envelopes to put in the mail, the invoicing, and basically, you know, just kind of did whatever was needed. And then I started, I was asked to help out on the order desk, uh, which scared me because I knew nothing about insert fittings and pitless adapters or tank tees, and I thought, oh boy. And I remember saying to Gary, I don't know if I can do this because I don't really understand the products. He said, You'll be fine, you'll learn more as you go. And um, so that kind of I guess started the launch into my sales career. So I helped out on the order desk and then was asked if I would take uh consider taking um a territory in Canada, whether it be Eastern or Western Canada, um, as we were making some changes internally. At when I started, Mel was the only salesperson that traveled outside. So he traveled all of Canada, and that was an that was amazing. Um so they did some shifting around, and I said, sure, I could try that. So I picked Western Canada. I don't even really know why I picked West versus East, but that was my choice. Um so then, you know, I was kind of the dedicated contact person for those customers, and the territory was Thunder Bay to BC. So that was quite a range of two, three time zones?
SPEAKER_00How many times have you?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. Yeah, three. Three. Um so that was fun, and you know, the customers were very patient, and you know, I was learning and they were just so helpful. And I think, you know, the Western Canada customers that I learned with, I still think to this day are some of my favorite people that I met. Um so that went well, and then um we decided uh to maybe expand sales into the U.S. market. So again, I was asked, would I help um do that? And I said, sure, I'll give that a try. Um so over time that was working with a lot of reps and traveling. Um so while I was still doing Western Canada, I was also doing some of the U.S. And then as our US business grew.
SPEAKER_00So sorry, hold on, I'm just gonna pause there. You're saying you're doing Western Canada and the U.S.? Because I know that you've covered those two territories. Yes. I did not know there was overlap there.
SPEAKER_04There was overlap.
SPEAKER_00Okay, sorry, continue.
SPEAKER_04No, that's fine. So it was like as we set up reps and and got customers set up, it was like the whole U.S. right at the very beginning. Now, that it didn't involve a lot of travel at that time, but it was more just reaching out to customers. And as our sales grew in the U.S., it obviously cannot be handled by one person. And Julie was working for us then too, so we split the U.S. in half. So this is where it gets even a little crazier, because I was still doing Western Canada, but our business um in the U.S. was more on the east where I had started. So my territory became Eastern U.S. and Western Canada, and people would look at you like that doesn't even make sense. And it's like, no, but you know what, it that's how it that's how it works. Um so then, you know, US sales kept growing, and we were hiring more reps and and people. And then came COVID, and we were making some other changes, and I was asked if I would come back and just focus on Canada, and I was excited to do that. Um, so I was gonna be like the Canadian sales manager and looking really forward to traveling across Canada. And um as I said, COVID hit, and then everything kind of as far as travel got put on halt, and I didn't do as much travel then, but um, you know, we hired you know additional staff, and and then as I was, you know, heading towards retirement, um, position came up um for pricing, and I thought I could see that, you know, years ago that this would have been a very good position to have developed because things were getting like very busy, and you know, you're looking at US Canadian pricing, and it was handled by a few different people. Um so when this position uh was developed, and I was asked if I would do it, I thought, yeah, I was on board for that. So kind of started doing you know a lot of miscellaneous jobs and went into sales, different sales territories, and then you know, ending up in pricing.
SPEAKER_00So wow. Well, yeah. I mean, incredible, right? And and there's so much detail you're glossing over that. Surely we're gonna get into some more. But I want to back up just a little bit because um I I'm a little hazy on the details, but I would love to know you almost did not take this job, or or maybe it's fair to say you might have been dissuaded a little bit or something. So maybe without throwing anyone under the bus or shaming anyone. Could you just expand a little bit on that? Because I think that's that's interesting.
SPEAKER_04So, yeah, so um I was in the banking industry for a number of years and and really ready to make a change. And I remember when I went to my boss at the time and said I was leaving and I was going to work for this um small family-owned business, and he said, Oh no, he said, You're making the biggest mistake of your life. He said, You never want to get involved in a family business. He said, family will always come first, there'll be no opportunities for you to advance. And he said, I really think you should reconsider because I think it you'd be making a big mistake, um, which um was anything but the truth because I was given so many opportunities for advancement. And you know, over the years it's it's just been great. And I have ran into him a few times since I left, and uh, you know, he's always checking how it's going. And um I would always make sure to say, hey, we're growing and uh I'm advancing. So so I proved him wrong, which was good.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, I'm glad I'm glad that you decided not to uh to take that advice.
SPEAKER_04And I'm glad that you're well I do like I did say earlier, like the first I remember the first week and looking through the catalog, and I honestly felt maybe he was right because I knew these products were all like foreign to me. I thought, what what have I got myself into? Like this is just crazy, but it uh it all worked out.
SPEAKER_03So when did you feel like you kind of hit that turning point of this is where I want to see myself be for the next you know 30 years?
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Well, it's funny because when I would be, you know, doing a lot of traveling in that, and people say, Oh, how do you like that? Is that you know what you were hired for? I said, No. If somebody would have told me I was applying to be a sales manager of a territory, I probably would have said, don't wait. Um, but I think like pretty early on, I knew it was a great place to work, and I just wanted to contribute in any way I could. Um and I still feel that way. Like after 37 and a half years, I can honestly say there has not been a day that I did not want to get up and come to work. Wow. And and then people say, oh yeah, right. And it's like, no, that is honestly the truth, because it was no two days were ever really the same. It was always busy and there was stuff going on, and you know, as you traveled and met different customers and reps, I mean it just added a whole new dynamic. So I think even though maybe the first couple weeks, months, I was a little nervous about getting into sales. Once I got into sales, it was like, yeah, this is I love this, and I just wanted to, you know, grow that side of the business. And it was fun to see how things, you know, grew over time, and that you were a part of that. So yeah, it was earlier than I probably looking back would have would have thought I would have felt that way.
SPEAKER_00I love that. Did you do you remember the the first time you hopped on a plane for the company and went out west and what that who like what that was like? Were you stressed out? Were you feeling confident?
SPEAKER_04Well, at in the beginning, I usually traveled, I actually traveled a lot with Mel.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_04Um, because he still um technically traveled that area. He was the outside person. And I was kind of more still the inside contact, but I would go travel with him to see customers and go to trade shows. Um so yeah, those were pretty uneventful. But I do remember traveling to the U.S. a few times uh early on that I remember getting to the airport and realizing that I didn't have my passport. Oh no. And panic mode hit in. So luckily I was able to get a hold of my husband, found the passport. We met in Guelph halfway, and I still managed to get to the airport and get on the flight on time, but it was like really nerve-wracking. I thought, never again. Like I'd always do a double check to make sure I had my passport.
SPEAKER_00I was sure just some of the first of many uh flight delays and cancellations and all kinds of things that you'd come up against, eh?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's um I remember spending a couple of nights in airports just because of flight delays, and then you want to be there early in the morning, so um don't recommend it. It's not Atlanta airport is not a place you want to spend the night, but sometimes you just have to. But you do what you gotta do. For the most part, like for all the travel I did, um the delays and flight cancellations weren't as bad, or maybe you just kind of expected it and it didn't, you know, and I'm a I love to people watch, so there's no better place than at an airport to people watch. So the time actually went fairly quickly.
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna ask you what might be an impossible question. Could you estimate either how many flights you've taken or how many millions of miles you've flown?
SPEAKER_04That would be really tricky, but I do know one year when I was traveling a lot in the U.S., um I was I had 96 flights that year. And I know it because I was four short of meeting a plateau. Um but I and I didn't realize that I was that close, and at the end of the year it was like 96 flights. Wow, that's that's a lot. That's I mean there are that was a that was probably the busiest year. But uh yeah.
SPEAKER_00Something like 200 working days in a year, give or take. So like that's that's or 250, maybe maybe my math's off, but that's a lot. That's that's approaching what once every two days you'd be on a flight of some kind.
SPEAKER_04That's some, yeah. It was a lot. It was gone a lot. So it uh but I mean it's again back in those days when you were um drumming up business and you know, meeting customers, a face-to-face interaction was so important. So uh we did a lot of state trade shows, and that's how you got to know people, and that's where you got to meet potential reps, and um, so you know, it was all it was a lot of work, but it was looking back, it was, you know, it was well worth it.
SPEAKER_00So comparing and uh contrasting the US and Canada, so you started in Canada uh and then you then started doing stuff in the US, how different was that business? Because with in the West, obviously, um, you know, you're traveling with Mel, you're maybe um you're becoming the face of existing relationships. But in the US, yeah, as you just said, you're doing state uh trade shows to drum up new business. So from your perspective as a salesperson, what was that transition like? Was that pretty smooth? Was it natural? Because prospecting is a totally different thing in sales than uh maintaining existing relationships, right? So what was that like?
SPEAKER_04Um, well, that was fun too, because it was, you know, you had nothing, basically. We had a few customers that we sold to, but uh it was just um it was it took a lot of work to get a new customer on board because for one thing they had never heard of Beauchart Industries and like we're this company out of Canada, and you know, what can you sell me? And um you know, it it was very it was very slow and tedious to a point where you know you got them to buy in on a couple products and then you would expand from that. And then it was kind of funny because um you would start, you'd set up a customer, and then word got around, oh, there's this new company, and then someone else, well, maybe I should look give them a try. So it kind of, you know, was a bit of a domino effect in some areas, but you know, and getting reps on board when again they had never heard of Beauchart. Um, so they were like basically pioneers of our line. So they were really instrumental too in helping us get started in the US, but it was very slow and steady growth over the years. Um but the potential in the US, I think that was a part for me that was very um, I guess I wasn't as aware of what the volume could be. And one example of that is um we manufactured our own torque arrests, and we had a customer that placed an order for 5,000. So I called him because I thought that must be a typo because we had never sold that many on one order, and he said, No, that's how many he wanted, and it's like wow. Well, then the next week his competitor like 20 miles away called and ordered 2,500 torque restors.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_04It's like wow, okay, this is serious business to be had. Um, so that was kind of fun, just seeing the potential of that market, and um, you know, it's still such an open or open territory, not that's not what I mean, but just there's so much room for growth in the US because the market there is just um so much bigger than it is in Canada. But even in Canada, you know, we had a well-established customer base, but as our product line grew and we, you know, had a lot more products to offer, it was was still a challenge to get customers, even though they were well established, to get them to take on some of the new product lines that we that we brought on.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, and was that part of like your job to kind of find the customer base in the US, or like how was that process?
SPEAKER_04It was a joint um a joint effort with the reps. A lot of the times it was more like you traveled with the reps and um you would, you know, meet new customers. Um and a lot of times too, you'd go to a trade show, and that's where a lot of the customers and contractors um would come. And that interaction was was always really valuable. And right.
SPEAKER_03And our product line, like you mentioned, it would be probably compared to what it is now. Oh wow, yeah. Like how fast did that grow? Like, did you see it from like what customers were wanting? Like, is that how we would grow our line, or like how did we kind of go about that?
SPEAKER_04I think it was a combination of both. So when I started, we were primarily strong in the water well, right? Um, and I remember after we moved to Milverton and we got our first shipment of pipe fittings here. So that kind of was a bit of a turning point that we're okay, this is a direction we're going. Um, and then of course, if you bring in pipe fittings, then you need pipe nipples. And then if you bring in, you know, this product, then this goes with it. So the plumbing side was slowly expanding, um which was really good. And I mean it continues to expand, then you have you know flexible couplings. Well, if you have flexible couplings and you need no hub couplings, and it, you know, it just goes on and on. Um and sometimes you know, with the new customers that we were bringing on, it was like, well, you should get into this or you should add this to your line. And it's like and sometimes that's good advice, and sometimes it's not as good because you need to really know the market and um you have to listen to customers, but in the same time you have to do what's best for the company. And um you know, our I know our competitors probably weren't as happy that we were starting to grow into the US market, but again, as I said, that was slow and and steady uh year after year as we picked up more customers and um yeah, and more reps. So we got our name out there, and then um yeah, it's just kind of grown ever since.
SPEAKER_00When you were prospecting with those reps, maybe not again, not to in an effort to throw anyone under the bus, but did you always see eye to eye on who you should be approaching or what uh you know was the descriptor of a good customer to be reaching out to? Like what was that interplay like with reps? Because I know that um you know you're a factory direct employee and sometimes there can be tensions that exist there. I don't know if that was true back then, but um I'm just curious to hear more about the dynamic of that relationship, I guess.
SPEAKER_04Well, in the early days too, you relied more on the rep in that territory because they were kind of the experts and they knew, you know, the better customers that you maybe wanted to partner with or get set up. Um, you know, and our our uh qualifying was that they had to be a wholesale distributor. Um and which made it a little confusing because you would have a big contractor that felt because of the volume they did that they should be able to buy direct. And um I remember taking calls on the phone and it would be, Are you a wholesale distributor? And I said, Well, what do you need to be to be a wholesale distributor? And it's like, well, then you're not if you don't know what you need to do to be one. Um but we also had um customer lists where you knew, like in a buying group, you could get a list of accounts, so you knew you could obviously focus on them. Um but a lot of times too, it was up to the rep in that field, in that territory, to g to give you um, you know, the best customers to pick from and set them up. And I mean it was it was tough because even though you would go and call on a customer, they were often very hesitant again because they didn't know us and Beauchard Industries, who's that? And or if they did know us, they thought we were only a water well account or a water well um supplier, and um you know you're trying to sell them plumbing, and it's like you know, I don't know if you can be competitive in that, but it's it was just a lot of back and forth and um did we set up every customer that applied? No. But for the most part, um if they were you know a wholesale distributor, their credits references came back good, but we would definitely set them up and yeah, that makes sense. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Did you so obviously you would have had uh many different customer visits with reps? Are there any particularly uh funny or memorable ones that uh that you can share at least on camera? I know uh I'm sure there's plenty that won't that'll we'll leave on the cutting room floor, but any uh any yeah, particularly funny or interesting, or or maybe even if you can't think of anything like that, but just like a turning point where you maybe something clicked for the first time and and you saw your job in a different light, maybe.
SPEAKER_04Um so yeah, I mean there's a lot of interesting customer visits in that. Um, but I think maybe one thing that kind of hit home for me is at a trade show one time in the US, and there was a customer had stopped by our booth and he was asking about Beauchard, like what makes you so great? Like, why should I buy from you? And so I started going through a list of things that we offered as a company uh to our customers. And one of the things that I uh mentioned was that if you know if you have a back order and the original order was prepaid, that someone will call you from our office and give you the opportunity to add to a back order. And as I was saying that, one of our existing customers walked by and he turned into the booth and he goes, and they really do it. And I thought, wow, they you know they do appreciate that. And it's like it's something very simple and very basic but um yeah it was kind of like wow this is you know it's a simple thing but yeah we need to keep honing on that we need to keep stressing that point because it does make a difference and um and just I think too um developing the relationships with the customers and getting to know them um and earning their respect um because then they would come to you for advice and it's kind of like okay they trust me they are coming to me for help so that it's kind of like yeah this is gonna work and this is this is good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah that tucks right into uh like what we've talked about. I know Sean Hansen was one where we talked about being a trusted advisor, right? And how um that's just such a a great opportunity to build long lasting partnerships truly with your customers, right? One of the other things I wanted to touch on just real quick there about um you know being able to add on to back orders, for example, uh COVID naturally was not a a very nice time for many businesses, but for Beauchart um I think we did a lot of interesting things that actually strengthened a lot of relationships with our customers.
SPEAKER_04Is there anything there um whether it was a specific thing that we did that you can touch on but more just kind of the the maybe the the lesson or the take home that you kind of took from that that uh really made COVID not as crappy as it could have been perhaps um we did a lot of um video one on like meetings over the phone and just more you know personal contact with the customers even though we couldn't get in to see them you know just making more phone calls as opposed to just emails and that's always been kind of one of my um things that I like to stress to the insight team is don't just email a customer when you want to ask a question or I said pick up the phone and call them because you know before we had email back in the early days you know you were on the phone all the time talking to customers and that's how you developed the relationships and that's how you got to know your customers and then it wasn't just you know you could pick up the phone and ask somebody oh you know last time I spoke you were doing this and that how did that work out for you and um I think COVID you know took away the face to face but it brought maybe back a different personal um right contact with through the phone as opposed to just email.
SPEAKER_03Do you have like a favorite way that you kind of get to know a customer like when you go like maybe like an icebreaker or something that you used or that you maybe you learned over the years?
SPEAKER_04Well one thing I found too when I was in a uh with a customer and you'd be sitting in their office um that tells you a lot about a person and I remember being at a customer one time and um they you know had NFL football all over the office. So we you know in my little limited bit of knowledge I have about NFL football we were able to find something to talk about that wasn't business kind of like a bit of an icebreaker and um I remember leaving the meeting and the reps said oh I didn't know that you were into NFL football. I said I'm not just so you know um or I remember being at another um customer and um she had a very unique painting on her wall and I commented on it. Well it was one that she had um painted herself so she was you know quite happy to talk about you know um all the things she's painted in that and it's like so you know so it just kind of took it away from business right off the bat you found something to I guess break the ice with and then carry on but uh yeah so there's always you just have to be aware when you're going into um someone's office to look around and see okay what can we kind of talk about and you know especially the first meeting um after a while when you've been calling on the same customer time and time again um obviously you don't do that but uh you know you get to know their family so you can ask how their kids' soccer is going or how you know whatever.
SPEAKER_00Well that reminds me like uh I was on uh I was riding along with uh some of our outside sales team in Florida uh this is now a couple of years ago um and we were calling upon some uh would-be customers just to introduce ourselves and kind of talk about stuff and um we would walk into the office and shake hands and kind of sit down and uh they would go oh yeah Bowshart I used to buy from Beauchard uh there's a woman named Brenda she handled us and I kid you not out of the maybe seven or uh eight locations uh that we went to in the you know span of two days or something that I was down there um probably four of them remembered you from many years later. So I could dig up names if you're in the woman but um to me it was again it was a testament of um how well you had been known and and what an impression that you'd left on people. And like even um when I was out west uh with our outside sales team there uh again a couple of years ago uh we were doing the classic you know uh Timbit uh drop off that we do our donut holes for our American friends and um that is reminiscent or that was something that Mel would do. Yes. Right. Is that and so even as we were doing that to hear people bring up Mel's name, you know, however many years later um again just speaks to the impression that I think we as an organization did really well but it's obviously never the organization it's the individuals within that organization. I think that that's just such a testament to you Brenda and just uh how awesome that was uh to experience now I'm curious when you came on with the company did you have an idea of all of the opportunities that lay ahead of you so you know did did you believe to like surely you'd hold okay you know maybe in a couple years I'll make a little bit more now or something but did you have any idea that it would become what it would become that it would go from this 14 person operation to in the hundreds one day?
SPEAKER_04I think I do there was always growth in opportunities but it just um and it was like it was every year there was you know the sales increased and we grew but I like looking back I remember when we hit a hundred million in sales it's like how did that happen? Like that is just unbelievable. And that was a number of years ago so I'm not really sure what our sales would be now but um compared to when I started it's just like wow this is incredible. And when you're in it and when you know when you're doing the day-to-day work you don't really stop and think you just keep doing and going pushing ahead and then all of a sudden you see a milestone like that and you just think wow this is amazing. So it's like I knew there would always be you know potential and as we were you know adding on to our warehouse and you know expanding across the street in plant two that you know we're growing and we're not done and now we've just you know had a 6000 square foot addition added again. And it's just like wow there's no stopping like this is just continuing to snowball and we're you know which is really exciting and great for the company. So I think I always knew yeah that this company would do well and would grow um but it's yeah it's just and I mean 37 years has gone by extremely quickly. Like it's you think back and it's like wow now you know over three quarters of the people aren't even probably 37 years old at work here. But uh no it's it's been something that I had the vision but I don't think maybe anticipated it would come quite as quickly as what it actually did.
SPEAKER_00That's fair. Well that's one of the things that I love and find very endearing about you is that when we are in meetings and it's one of a billion meetings where I'm trying to extract as much knowledge and information as you from you as I selfishly can get, you'll bring up something and you'll be like, oh well actually this was a number of years ago and then when you do the math you're like maybe it was about 20, 25 years ago. And it it's incredible to me though and it speaks to how um fresh all of this stuff is in your mind and how much um you just you remember it and again like just the all the different milestones along the way of Beauchart's history and again how much you've contributed to that. So my next question to you is kind of on that topic of milestones. So naturally you know COVID's a big one or expanding into the US is a big one but for maybe Bochart uh corporately or maybe just even you as an individual what were or what was uh a milestone that felt kind of like a a turning point or a before and after where um again it was maybe it was a a really big lesson learned uh whether that was with a customer or whether it was exactly something like hitting a a sales goal or something like that or traveling to you know a particular state or something like that. But can you think of um a milestone in the past 37 years that you really felt like, oh this this changes things even if it was just subtle and personal and maybe not totally obvious to someone on the surface? Well I think too like back in the early days as I said you um were looking for sales reps to you know pioneer your line and not to uh put down any of the sales reps that we have hired in that but you you took any rep that was interested in your line so to speak and as your sales grew in that particular territory um then the reps started calling you wanting to work for the company and I think at that point as that started happening more frequently I thought okay like we this is this is good we are we're crushing it like when people want to come and work for you um things have turned right I love that that's great um again you've you've been out on the road uh many a times had many customer meetings can you think of one of the best meals you ever had I know that that's absolutely well it's work related in a manner of speaking but I'm just so curious because I know for me especially when I started here and I would get out on the road a little bit and again like just I'm just in marketing right I'm not even in sales and so um I would in the early days I would text pictures to my wife of like oh check out this incredible meal I'm eating and I eventually learned not to do that because my wife would say well I'm reheating leftover uh mac and cheese for the kids for the third day in a row so don't don't send me pictures of your incredible restaurant so well I learned too very early on too not to come home and brag about the delicious meals that I had because it was like hmm didn't didn't go over as well as I didn't want to rub it in.
SPEAKER_04But as far as the best meal I've had on the road I okay I do remember uh being in Providence Rhode Island and it was about uh this time of the year it was in the fall and I had the best salmon dinner I have ever had. And it was yeah I can't even describe it but I remember purposely eating as slow as I could because I didn't want that meal to end because it was so delicious. That was probably the one of the the best meal but I just remember too when I traveled in New England and again early on I was not a seafood lover but I very quickly became one when I was in New England. I think one week every day I had clam chowder at lunch and the rep said is that all you're gonna eat I said hey I'm in New England I'm gonna eat it as much clam chowder as I can and I love that. Is that would you give uh like what what state I guess would you give the crown as uh the best food that you've eaten is that is that possible to do it oh that would be really tricky that's all right Massachusetts Maine like those yeah up there right all right and you know the other thing too is um Bill Hastings who was our first rep there and is still our rep knew where the best places were to eat in New England.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_04And it was amazing. Like I remember going to one place and I was I questioned him when I said this is where we're going for lunch because it literally if you were a tourist traveling through you would kind of just keep going. You wouldn't want to stop but the food was unbelievable and it was neat because they didn't have a menu they had it on a chalkboard and you ate whatever was posted on the chalkboard and it changed every day.
SPEAKER_03But there was always an amazing seafood dish in that so um so I you have told a story uh before about like a porterhouse dinner steak dinner um and that's kind of like a funny story. Do you have any more like memorable uh funny stories even involving not necessarily dinner but like anything with a a customer or rep while you were traveling um I remember traveling with a coworker in we were in Arkansas and she was always um wanting to not stay at haunted hotels which I did not believe in.
SPEAKER_04So we get to this hotel I can't remember the name of it in I think it was in Little Rock Arkansas or Lake of the Ozarks I'm not sure but anyway this hotel had like a haunted vibe to it the entire when we pulled up and she goes I think this one's haunted and I said oh come on and we had dinner in the hotel restaurant that night and um she did ask the server is this a haunted hotel and he looked around he goes yeah but really only the odd numbered floors are where they recorded sightings. So we were on the fifth floor. Oh perfect so it was like okay this is this is going to be interesting and it was an old hotel so it wasn't like you know the new hotels now where you you had an old fashioned key and like the door didn't shut right so and she you know it's not that our rooms were even side by side we got off the elevator which was a whole other experience she went one way and I went the other and it's like oh we're not even close together and then it's like maybe this is haunted but um I didn't see a ghost or anything. But it was it was kind of an eerie feeling to be there. But she planted that seed but um that's funny. Yeah no haunted no I can't say that I ever saw a ghost on my travels.
SPEAKER_03I'm just gonna switch gears a little bit here but like you have worked um under three different presidents so Mel, Gary and Julie can you just describe like what the difference is between each one similarities things you learn yeah things you learn well you learn from I've learned from all of them.
SPEAKER_04Like I said early on I traveled with Mel in Western Canada and people absolutely loved him and we could get appointments or we didn't even need appointments if you showed up and said oh Mel Beauchart's here. Some of the customers literally would drop what they're doing and um you know want to see him and just I learned a lot just the way he interacted with our customers and you know had a very calm and humble approach to things and and people really just loved him. And he was a very interesting person to you know sit down with that night and have a dinner and um turned out we knew a lot of people in common like from my that you know he knew of my parents and you know some of my aunts and uncles so we would have these very you know neat discussions at dinner so you know I learned a lot just how he interacted with customers. Then I you know traveled with Gary too in the same you know approach uh him and Mel were very similar in some ways. And it when Julie started a lot of times as we were growing her and I had the you know same roles just in different geographies. So we did a lot of the same things um you know and you know I learned from her you know hopefully she learned a little bit from me too but I would say one thing they all had in common is three of the most hardworking people that I've ever worked with or had the you know privilege to work with. And I think when they are all hardworking in that it just makes you want to work hard too because you want to be like them and you want to contribute and um so yeah but I couldn't I you know they're all I think respect them all very much and I'd say they're all some of the hardest working people I've ever seen.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely all well known for good reason. Right absolutely have left uh small legacies of their own you were kind of touching on it and I would love to ask um were there any heartfelt moments with a customer so you know you're kind of talking about maybe with Mel that you uh he knew some of your family and there was some connections there. And so what I love about that is when it starts to go beyond just being work right but beyond just numbers and trying to sell you something so you can sell it to someone but um you know really uh touches on the the human side of what we do. And obviously this I think is one of uh Beauchart industry's greatest strengths is is that care, concern love for the individual that is contributing to it. And so I'm curious with your customers or with a coworker has there ever been a moment where um you ever felt like oh this is about more than just product or this what I do can have more meaning and value and impact than just you know hit all my numbers right because again Brenda one thing I would say um that I have always really enjoyed about working with you is obviously you are so lovely and so caring but but you choose to do so when you don't necessarily have to and I guess I'm curious to understand more of um what drives that and maybe if yeah again there was a a customer experience or uh an employee a co-worker experience where you were like ah this this is bigger than just you know uh numbers on a sheet of paper.
SPEAKER_04Well I remember calling on a um a customer in um northern Saskatchewan that had been a customer of ours when I started and um you know got to know them um called on them multiple times and the owner of the company had said that um Mel had called on them a long long time ago and he was one of the first salespeople to make the trip to see him and that they just loved Mel right from the get-go and um they had nothing but great things to say about Mel and the company and they became one of uh you know I don't have favorite customers but they would rank in the top the top list of favorite customers to call on and they were just so um opening open to trying new things. If we brought on uh a new product line they would definitely give it a shot they would try it and they would provide good feedback and um and they expanded and grew as we were and they were you know adding new staff and you know we attended their open houses we had them come for customer training and you just kept developing that relationship and I remember um talking to Mel because they had a new location and then Mel was no longer traveling the prairies um he was just Alberta BC but they had expanded their warehouse and I said to Mel I said you know what would really mean a lot I said if you could go when you're you know close to that border and you could cross over and go visit the account I said that would mean the world to them. So Mel did that the next time he was in uh that part of Alberta he made the trip and I I wished I could have been there to see their reaction when he was there but I said it's like you know they loved Mel and the fact that he went out of his way to come and see them after so many years just meant a lot. Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_00Yeah you've mentioned northern Saskatchewan is perhaps a place that you didn't expect to have such a great partner or I imagine you know the I mean when you look at like a heat map of the uh population of Canada it's a lot all the way west and a lot in Ontario. But uh whether in the US or Canada was there any other um states or towns or territories or just places you travel to that you found particularly interesting or uh was a bit of a hidden gem? I'm I'm always looking for places to add to a road trip. So if you've got other than good uh clam journal in New England can't stress that enough is there anywhere else that yeah you whether again whether it caught you off guard on a visit or was just somewhere that you were happy to finally cross off the bucket list that uh really meant a lot to you another place that I would recommend people should go visit if they haven't and I was able to go there a number of times is um San Antonio Texas. Okay.
SPEAKER_04That is a very um interesting place to go. Um San Francisco had been there to do a presentation to a buying group and had uh an opportunity to spend a few days there because back in the day you had to stay a Saturday night to get a decent flight now that has changed but so we had some free time. But yeah um it's hard to it's really hard to pinpoint a favorite territory. I mean British Columbia probably would be it's hard to beat.
SPEAKER_03Mm hmm it's just so beautiful the scenery um no kidding you know it's is there anywhere that you didn't get to that you would have loved to have traveled to
SPEAKER_04So in Canada, I was fortunate that I have traveled across Canada. I've been to every province. Uh I have not been to any of the territories yet, but that is uh on my bucket list.
SPEAKER_00That's what retirement's for.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's what retirement will be for. In the U.S., I did with my kids a couple of years ago, we added up all the states that I had been to when I worked in the U.S. And I think I was to 41.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_04One yeah, one state that I'd never been to that I really wished I could have would have been Montana. Because I've just heard it's so beautiful. And uh so maybe that'll be on my bucket list to get to Montana.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean we've got some people out there now, so you can always uh give them a ring.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they'll take you around and they'll give you the New England. Maybe there will be a hidden gem there, too. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I love that. Um yeah, if I'm not mistaken, I feel like Julie has also said that Montana was one of her favorite states in terms of just visual beauty, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, that uh that was a place that she um I feel again, if I'm not misquoting, uh she has said that she really, really loved. Um one of the things that I'm gonna do.
SPEAKER_04I was just thinking of one other place that came to mind was um again, many years ago, I traveled Nebraska. For some reason, I just found Nebraska was a neat place to travel. And I remember the reps saying, Oh, you're gonna be so you know, Nebraska. They were kind of downplaying it, and I said, No, I like Nebraska. Like I definitely would come back or Iowa, like they were just all a little slower pace than you know, obviously New York City or Orlando, but um again, a lot of nice people there and nice customers, and it was yeah.
SPEAKER_00So speaking of New York City, is there any interesting New York City stories that you can commit to? I know of one. I don't know. You complete the fifth on this one if it's better not to say it. But I know you've yeah, I mean, from absolutely downtown Manhattan to out in the boonies in the middle of nowhere, right? Um, you you've traveled to a number of places. Is there anything you can share about your experience in New York City specifically, or do you want to pass?
SPEAKER_04No, I mean that New York City is a very interesting place to travel, and you do learn as you go what are the rules and what are not rules. And I remember the first time going, traveling with the rep, and um I don't like to carry my purse into sales calls a lot of the time because it's it's too cumbersome in that. So I said, is it all right if I leave my purse, you know? And he said, absolutely not. Because you're where he goes, you're in New York City. I said, okay. So I said, can we lock it in the trunk? He goes, No, that's a working thing.
SPEAKER_00Like you're crazy, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, you're crazy lady. Um so I said, okay, I'm in New York City. And I remember we were in um in Brooklyn and we had a two o'clock appointment, and he was looking at his watch, and he goes, Okay, we need to be out of Brooklyn by three o'clock. I said, Yeah, but it's only three o'clock. We need to be out of Brooklyn, this part of Brooklyn by three o'clock. I said, I didn't question him, but he said, No, we we trust me, we need to, we need to leave. So I was like, Okay, I trust you. Yeah, I definitely would trust you with my life.
SPEAKER_00Apparently, I didn't know I signed up for that.
SPEAKER_04I didn't know I signed up for that. But I mean it's and I was fortunate because you know, whenever I traveled to a lot of the bigger cities like, you know, Boston or New York City or Orlando, um, I always had a rep that would, you know, do the driving and knew the lay of the land, so um, which I was fortunate. I didn't really have to do anything but just listen to their advice. The one story in, I think it was in Brooklyn, we were calling on a customer, and they were in a there's a lot of older, you know, buildings there, obviously, in New York City. And remember going to see this one customer, and we had to come out of the warehouse, and then his office was kind of upstairs. Uh, we had to go back outside and up these wooden stairs to his office. And as I opened the door, um, a big rat ran across the bottom stair. And I hate mice, I hate frogs, I hate any little, and I was all I could do to not scream, but I maintained my composure and the rep kind of laughed, and he said, It'll be fine. So up I went, you know, up to this office. That was the story I was hoping you would think. That was the one you were thinking about.
SPEAKER_00I wasn't gonna call it out specifically, but no, that was a a memorable trip. Yeah, we're we're not in Kansas anymore. That's that's that's what that would feel like, I'm sure. Um once again, switching gears just a little bit here. I'm curious to hear you kind of your perspective on the water well industry and the plumbing industry as a whole. So, over your 37 years here, how have you seen those industries grow and change? And what um, you know, do you do you foresee anything for the future? So obviously, again, even for us um as a you know master distributor, we have continued to expand our lineup and seen great success with that. And I know um even just in the past number of years since I've been here, we've seen uh water well distributors bringing on uh plumbing products and vice versa. So have you have you also seen changes like that over the years? And does that give you any indication of what might be ahead? Or do you have any thoughts on all that?
SPEAKER_04Um, like I said, and you know, the early days we definitely um were primarily uh water well-based, but you know, adding products gradually to you know strengthen our plumbing offering. Um there's still much, you know, more products I think to be had on the plumbing side. And again, it's kind of like um where do you start and stop? And you know, I I remember someone saying, Oh, you don't want to get into this product because it's too competitive, and it's like, well, what isn't competitive? Like you know, and um I think too, it's been a gradual, a gradual growth on the plumbing side, but again, in in Canada, I feel like customers um carry both, like you know, it's a smaller market, and depending on the area, um, you know, there's a lot of rural customers that we have, so they have to be more diversified and carry a bigger product offering. Whereas I feel like um obviously New York City, you're not gonna have a lot of pitless adapters and well caps, and that is strictly, you know, plumbing. Um and again, once you get into some of these plumbing accounts, it's like, well, you should carry this because your competitor has have these products to offer. Um, but it takes time and it takes a lot of you know research. Um, but I still feel yeah, plumbing is probably um an industry that we can continue to grow, um, which will only strengthen our position.
SPEAKER_00When you would, you know, so when you're talking about kind of comparing two different types of customers, so the customer uh maybe more for us, that's a Canadian customer that does both plumbing and water well, but then maybe more in the US, you have those that are more um specialized in one or the other. From a sales perspective, was that uh easier or harder? Like did you prefer one over the other? Did you just love the variety? What was how did that change, how did that change your approach to kind of what you did?
SPEAKER_04Um yeah, I think it was always a challenge. I mean, first of all, to you had to do some research to find out kind of where was the strength of of the customer and um you know, are they more plumbing-based, are they more water well? And then we actually in a lot of territories would have plumbing specific reps and water well. Um we kind of put water well and irrigation together, and plumbing was kind of separate because the plumbing accounts were were more, you know, separated than um they maybe carried a little bit of water well, but it was a challenge to especially I would say more so on the plumbing because we weren't known for plumbing, so it was again you were kind of pioneering the line all over again with a different customer base.
SPEAKER_00Um that's interesting because I know Sean Hansen in the US has talked about um, particularly when he's prospecting and he's walking into uh, you know, potential customers who don't know us yet. Um and he, I think at times he, if I'm not mistaken, at least has told me that he enjoys when that uh potential customer doesn't know who Beauchart is because he sees it as a blank canvas and he can kind of fill it in versus the other times if he does get, you know, okay, yeah, Bochart, yeah, I know you water well something, is that right? That he almost finds that a bit of an uphill battle. So did you did you feel like one or the other was better? That you know, the blank slate or kind of filling in the gaps? Like, did you prefer one or the other?
SPEAKER_04That's a good question. I think too, I would tend to agree with Sean that if they didn't know you and didn't think of you as water well, that was one less hurdle that you had to get over right off the bat. And then you could just strictly focus on yes, we are, you know, based out of Canada, we do have all these products that, you know, um for the plumbing industry. Um but yeah, it was sometimes a a big hurdle to get over with customers that only saw you as water well. And now, as our plumbing sales have grown over the year, now the reverse is also sometimes the truth. Because it could be a water well account that only knows us more on the plumbing side. Um not as frequently, but you know, that has has changed a little bit.
SPEAKER_03Do you find that wholesalers now are having the same challenges as maybe they were, you know, 10, 20, 30 years ago, or as there are new challenges that they're facing now?
SPEAKER_04Um I think too, like wholesalers to keep in certain markets, they I think they have to be more diversified too and get into um additional markets just to keep keep business going. Um like we've had to, like we're in, you know, irrigation, we're in industrial, we're in um, you know, obviously plumbing and water well. And I think um, you know, customers have to be willing to expand to where where need where it needs to happen.
SPEAKER_03Um so I started in the warehouse and then I moved up to uh customer service. So I did um uh Manitoba, uh Thunder Bay, all that. Um and I remember like I would get off the phone with a customer and I would come and talk to you and I would, you know, tell you about, oh, like this person mentioned you or mentioned a story that maybe you'd be able to share. And so that was something I always really enjoyed that I could, you know, talk to you about somebody and you would know what I was um was going through. So do you have any advice for people that are starting um in sales or or working with um the different customers that you've just kind of learned over the years that can help them? Um, because sometimes I was a little nervous about being on the phone or different things like that. Is there something that you could uh give to them to help them? Sure.
SPEAKER_04I mean, I've like I said, when I was asked to help out on the order desk, um, my first comment was, well, I don't know products. And um, you know, Gary was very encouraging and said, Well, you'll you'll learn more as you go, it'll, you know, it'll come. Um, and another bit of advice that he gave me, and I would pass it on to anybody, was if you don't know the answer, tell them you'll you'll get back to them. Um, don't pretend that you know or give them uh information that you're not a hundred percent sure of. And that was maybe some of the best advice. Um, because we, you know, if I didn't know an answer and you told the customer, look, I'm not 100% sure, but let me find out and I'll get back to you. And then obviously make sure you get back to them. Um, but that always, you know, um was very helpful and that was very successful. And I would say that is it doesn't matter what the position is, if you don't know the answer, find out. Don't try to bluff your way because a customer will pick up on that, and then you've then you've you know you're trying to earn respect and you know gain their confidence in that, and you do something like that, and that just shoots it right back down.
SPEAKER_03And I feel like Bochart has gotten really well at providing different forms of like education. Like we've started um the Bochart U blogs, that was, I believe, 2019, and then it evolved to knowledge base articles and it's evolved to accelerator. And so uh those are not necessarily great tools for customers to use, but also for our staff here on um just learning products and feeling more confident.
SPEAKER_04So, you know, and before we had all those um, you know, the Bowshirt U and the knowledge base, you know, back in the early days, you just had to go to someone and ask them, right? Whether it was Gary, whether it was Mark, whether it was Mel, you know, Paul, there was a number of people, but they're always very willing to answer the question. And then once the question was asked, it kind of started, okay, I get it. You know, and so it did build, and I mean you did become more confident. Um, but there has always been, whether it was the you know, the resources that you mentioned or the actual people, there was always that support behind the scenes. And that was really beneficial. And you know, but I would say, yeah, good advice, always ask if you're not sure.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you're never alone. There's somebody personally here. We've had lots of people here that have been here for several years and they're always they're still go-to people.
SPEAKER_04And and I also remember, too, like um Gary and Mel, it didn't seem to matter how busy they were. If you had a call from, you know, often contractors phone indirect and had a question about a a product. Um, if Mel was in the office and you ran the question by him, he said, I'll talk to them. And he would stop what he was doing and he would, you know, he would speak to a contractor or a homeowner if they called about a problem. And he was always willing to do that. And um, you know, when I started, we sold to contractors as well. So there was always um getting their input into product developments or if they were running into issues with a product of ours, um, everyone was always willing to hear their feedback, whether it was, you know, good or bad. But it was um that kind of amazed me that, you know, Gary and Mel, as busy as they were, if a contractor had a question or a concern, they were always willing to stop what they were doing and and speak with them.
SPEAKER_00When you um look back at customer relationships that you've built over the years, I would assume that there are a few that uh have lasted quite a while. And so are you able to speak to, especially for someone again, someone new maybe to the industry or just trying to kind of get their footing in sales? What have been some of the biggest keys to success for you to build a long-term relationship? And um, you know, whether that is strictly in the business context, is there, you know, business relationships that have become personal relationships that you know these people and you catch up and you talk about your kids and things. But um, yeah, I I especially want to know, do you have pointers for someone on like, ah, here's what I did that really changed how people saw me?
SPEAKER_04I think too, when when I would be out on sales calls, is I would always really pay attention to um to the customers. Like you would ask questions and I would always I always took a ton of notes. And I I think it, you know, did a couple of things, um, helped me remember what the conversation was about, but I think it also showed the customer that I was paying attention and you know what they were saying was important to me. And again, the the biggest thing I think would be following through on what you say you're gonna do in a meeting, um, whether it's get back to them with a price, whether it is send them samples, um, and make sure you do it. And that you start to build that relationship and earn their their trust and respect. Um very basic, very simple things, but I think um you know, don't go into a call and promise them the the world and walk out and then forget about them because the next time you go in, they're not going to give you that same time or you know, right.
SPEAKER_00I get that. That makes sense. Has there been uh yeah, a particular accomplishment that you're really proud of in your years? So as you you know start to to look back on all the things that you've done, again, whether that was uh a partic a particular customer whose business you won, or um maybe it was just surviving and and covering such broad territories on opposite sides of the continent and uh and and doing that successfully. But is there anything that you uh you're like, ah yeah, that felt good. That whether even if it's just real small, it has your name on it somewhere.
SPEAKER_04Um I think too, it it's you know, there are still an like I haven't been in sales now for a number of years with the new pricing role, but um I still have some customers that I reach out to on a regular basis just to say hi. And um, you know, they check in on my kids, I check in on theirs, and you know, some of the customers have retired, but we still stay in touch. And um, you know, I remember calling the first time I went out to dinner with this customer and his wife, his daughter, you know, sat in a high chair. And we still talk about that. Now she's married, and it's like, where did that time go? And I mean, it's just it's just been a lot of fun. Um we have so many good customers. Like, I can't think of a customer really that I didn't like or that I didn't enjoy calling on. Um, because really they've all been so amazing and and supportive. Um you know, and I think back too in the early days, there weren't very many females that called on wholesale accounts. Um so maybe they gave me, cut me a bit of slack, I don't know. But I remember one rep that I traveled with, and you know, we were talking about product knowledge, because he said, is there's one thing that you could, you know, sharpen your skills on, what would it be? And I said, Well, you know, product knowledge for me was still wasn't really a stumbling block, but I always wished like I had like Mark or Paul's knowledge because they could just talk on any product, and it was like, how do they know all this stuff? And he made a comment that um, you know, made me feel a lot better. And he said, Well, what you lack in product knowledge, he said, you more than make up in your attention to detail and your follow-through. Wow. And I thought, okay, well, thank you for that. So I kind of like let that um sink in, and I thought, okay, I can't possibly know every detail about all the products we have, but I can use the resources and just continue to do what I'm doing to be successful.
SPEAKER_00Well, just to backtrack a little bit from what you were saying before about um if a customer were to ask you something that you genuinely didn't know the answer to, that was uh a very incredible gift you gave me early on in my time here. Because I remember um some of the first trade shows that I had attended with Beauchart. Um, I think I just kind of had two uh bad coincidences in a row where I had a contractor stop by and ask me very specific questions about, you know, uh stamps or markings on one of our products or something. It was just like not even in my repertoire to even hint at answering it. And I remember just clamming up and being very stressed out anytime uh everyone would leave the booth and I was left alone. I'd look around watching my watch just to be like, when is someone getting back to save me? Right. Um, but yeah, I'm sure at some point I I must have been expressing something to that extent to you. And uh yeah, you had shared, like, hey, just like tell them, hey, I don't, I genuinely don't know, and I'll follow up with you. And again, the the emphasis on actually following up, right? And and that really um gave me permission not to know everything.
SPEAKER_04But not, yeah, you know, and don't beat yourself up about it because it it takes time and absolutely right.
SPEAKER_00And so that uh yeah, thank you for that. That was incredibly helpful. And and again, it's something that even I I hope I've shared with my team well enough is just like, um, yeah, you don't have to know everything off the top of your head, but at the very least, that's an opportunity then to go and expand your knowledge, at least, right? Um, kind of tucking into all of that as we slowly start to uh wrap this conversation up. I could talk with you for hours, just to be clear, but uh at some point we should probably eat lunch today. Right, that would be good. Um, you know, when you look back at your career, is there a particular lesson? Obviously, you've shared tons and tons of lessons already, but is there another lesson that you haven't said out loud yet, maybe, or just something you want to just, you know, underscore and emphasize once again, of just something that was transformational for you in your career? So, you know, one of the questions it was uh earlier, and we we kind of glossed over the conversation, took a different turn was just, you know, what are some of the things that have made you as successful as you are? And I know that you're too humbled to brag about yourself, but I'm gonna ask you to try for just a moment because I think, again, Brenda, your career is a testament to uh your your dedication and your hard work and your uh you know, your desire for excellence. So I think those are all great things. And I know that you have things like you, as incredible as you are, you are not superwoman that you can do these things and you have just learned things and other people have poured into you. So I'm curious again if there's anything you can share to say like this was pivotal or pivotal or foundational or transformational about just the way you approach your job and what you do.
SPEAKER_04Well, one thing that came to mind when you were asked. That question is the company has always given their employees opportunities for to improve their themselves by way of you know different seminars or training opportunities. And I always took advantage of any opportunity that I could just to get a better understanding what maybe the expectation was or how to handle a situation. So I would encourage people, even if you don't think it actually pertains to you or your position, if you're given that opportunity to get training, take it. And you know, I took the opportunity as often as I could. And I mean I've been to seminars on you know time management and you know um just how to deal with difficult employees, or you know, just a whole range of things. And at the time I thought, oh, maybe this applies, maybe it doesn't. But it always did apply to some part of your job. And even if you think it doesn't, if you're given that opportunity, go for it and put yourself out there and and maybe um if you think you can't do something, don't sell yourself short. You know, try it. And I mean, like, and I go back again to that very example that um just starting out on the order desk, and I was hesitant, but you know, Gary believed in me and I had the support. So, like I said, if someone would have said, would you have ever seen yourself, you know, being a sales manager with the territory, I would just laugh and say, absolutely not. I would have not applied for that position had it been the one, you know, that I that I, you know, started with. So I would just say, take advantage of all the opportunities, put yourself out there, be, you know, make yourself uncomfortable if and you'll learn, you'll learn from that. And you know, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
SPEAKER_03Is that the kind of mindset that you had when you switched your roles to um be in pricing? Or like what drew you to switching to being in pricing?
SPEAKER_04Um, I think I saw the need for that role, like for a long time. Um, as I said, there was a number of different people that were doing pricing, and it was kind of like um not cut up, but there were, you know, this person had this responsibility in this person, and yet I felt there was maybe something missing. Um and you know, being on the road is is tiring. And I think too, when COVID hit and you couldn't travel, I honestly thought, oh, I'm really good. How am I gonna do that? Like I've been so used to traveling and I did really love it for the most part. And then when COVID came and it just stopped, once I was off the road, and you know, I thought, oh, you know, this I kind of like this now, you know, and then this opportunity came, and I think I was just ready to be um be home more, and I, you know, had grandchildren, and so that changes your whole perspective on things. And um, so it was a good transition.
SPEAKER_00But again, just asking questions and uh well, maybe speaking of those grandkids, the last question I would love to ask you is potentially a very personal one. You can take it in whatever way you want, but when you look back over your career here at Beauchart, maybe when you're talking to one of your grandkids and you're telling them about uh your time here, can you share a bit with us about what you will share with them about how you would start to even summarize your career?
SPEAKER_04Well, with four of my grandchildren, I can also tell them that both of their mothers worked here um part-time in the summer, so their mothers would have some insight too. Um, but I would just tell them that it's been a very family-oriented feeling company. Like the company has done so much for um its employees and continue to do that. And they have so many, you know, you know, company picnics and company barbecues. And I would just say, if you can get into a place that offers all of this, um go for it. Um you know, don't, you know, don't judge a book by its cover kind of thing. Don't judge a company by what you think they do or don't do. But um, you know, the company culture here is is amazing. And I think I would stress that to my my grandchildren that find a job or a company that you like or a pr profession that you like and and stick with it and give it your all.
SPEAKER_00What about even just on a personal level? What has being an employee of Beauchart meant to you and how it's impacted, changed the trajectory of your life and so on?
SPEAKER_04Oh, that's like I said, it's it's just been amazing. Like, I mean, from when we were 14 employees till now, there were 100 and I don't know, 70. Over 200, and I don't know a third of the employees, but you know, there's still a enough from the core group that, you know, you can reminisce about the good old days and you know how things have changed, but it's always been positive and um a lot, you know, just a lot of fun and hard work, but a lot of fun at the same time. And um the dynamics have changed and they haven't changed. Like I said, it's a bigger company, but there's still that same feeling. Um, and like I said, um never never the never has there been a day that I didn't want to get up and come to work. And yeah, and people say, oh, that can't be true. And it's like, yeah, it can be. If you find the right place, yeah, it can be, it can be. I love that. And I think um somebody asked me a while ago, have you ever was, you know, were you ever considered leaving the company? And I said, no, never. Wow, never.
unknownThat's amazing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that is amazing.
SPEAKER_00Well, Brenda, thank you so much for your time. This has been good. So nice to to finally have you on here in the chat. And yeah, I mean, I I feel like I know you better now, even just learning more about uh your time here. So thanks again for taking the time. Thanks for all the wisdom you've shared. Uh, not just in this podcast episode, but uh all of us personally. Um we are better because of you. So thank you for that. Thank you, Brenda. And that is our episode. Thank you so much for tuning in. If you haven't yet, be sure to head to contractorle.co to get signed up for our weekly newsletter where there's tons of exclusive content and reminders about new contractor lead episodes that drop. Also be sure to subscribe to us on your favorite podcasting platform, whether that's Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. And until then, we'll catch you in the next one.
