Is PAX West Great for Nerdy Businesses? - Talking Nerdy 34

1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:02,330 Chris, what are we talking about today? 2 00:00:02,830 --> 00:00:04,110 PAX West, 3 00:00:04,230 --> 00:00:06,530 the reflections and experience 4 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,490 we had there just a couple of weeks ago. 5 00:00:24,830 --> 00:00:27,530 Yeah, we spoke to a bunch of different 6 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:29,860 Nerdpreneurs at their booths, 7 00:00:29,970 --> 00:00:32,290 and we got five minute interviews with them, 8 00:00:32,340 --> 00:00:33,110 and we're going to be 9 00:00:33,150 --> 00:00:35,310 releasing that content bit by bit. 10 00:00:35,470 --> 00:00:37,430 It's really good stuff, 11 00:00:37,590 --> 00:00:40,530 and I kind of want us to just dive into it.

12 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,560 What would be your number 13 00:00:42,610 --> 00:00:44,890 one takeaway from those interviews? 14 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:46,220 One of the consistent things I heard 15 00:00:46,250 --> 00:00:48,810 from each and every one of them was, 16 00:00:49,910 --> 00:00:51,220 you really need 17 00:00:51,290 --> 00:00:53,620 to understand the business side. 18 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,260 Nerd passion isn't just enough. You know, 19 00:00:57,340 --> 00:00:59,410 one of the things that they all said 20 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,470 was they figured out, you know, their passion.

21 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:03,800 They loved this hobby, 22 00:01:03,850 --> 00:01:07,310 they loved this thing that was nerdy. 23 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:09,120 But then when they got into it, 24 00:01:09,190 --> 00:01:10,540 they realized it was all the 25 00:01:10,580 --> 00:01:11,960 business stuff that was holding 26 00:01:11,990 --> 00:01:14,470 them back from success as a business, 27 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,400 and they had to go to work on that, 28 00:01:16,470 --> 00:01:17,850 not only on that problem, 29 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,710 but also themselves to be those entrepreneurs 30 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,900 that actually could succeed in business. 31 00:01:24,060 --> 00:01:26,290 And so it was a lot more than 32 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:28,240 just passion and being a nerd 33 00:01:28,350 --> 00:01:30,140 that allowed them to be successful. 34 00:01:30,180 --> 00:01:31,750 That was the biggest takeaway, I thought, 35 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:33,060 from the whole event.

36 00:01:33,220 --> 00:01:35,310 Who is someone that said that? 37 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:36,610 Who's someone that stands out 38 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,280 to you as really championing that point? 39 00:01:40,430 --> 00:01:42,160 Well, you know who it is. Chris.

Like, 40 00:01:42,230 --> 00:01:43,220 it was Chris from. 41 00:01:43,300 --> 00:01:44,640 And that's not me, by the way. 42 00:01:44,670 --> 00:01:45,530 I know my name is Chris, 43 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,790 but we met another Chris from Tinkerhouse, who, 44 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:49,830 on his video, 45 00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:51,530 he definitely talked a little bit about that. 46 00:01:51,570 --> 00:01:53,180 But then it was like he took us back 47 00:01:53,230 --> 00:01:55,680 behind their booth and we chatted 48 00:01:55,710 --> 00:01:57,970 with him for another 20 or 30 minutes 49 00:01:58,010 --> 00:02:00,870 about his entrepreneurial journey from, like, 50 00:02:01,020 --> 00:02:03,680 years of back selling.

Like various. Like, 51 00:02:03,710 --> 00:02:05,680 he was in liquor sales for a while, 52 00:02:05,750 --> 00:02:08,630 he was in other import business type stuff, 53 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:09,550 and he was. 54 00:02:09,740 --> 00:02:10,919 He recommended to 55 00:02:10,949 --> 00:02:12,060 not get into the liquor business. 56 00:02:12,110 --> 00:02:14,460 Yeah, yeah, exactly right.

So there was a lot 57 00:02:14,470 --> 00:02:16,440 of things that he had in terms of experience 58 00:02:16,590 --> 00:02:19,290 around business before he wound up in 59 00:02:19,430 --> 00:02:22,200 Tinkerhouse doing the thing that he does now, 60 00:02:22,310 --> 00:02:26,420 which is create terrain for tabletop 61 00:02:26,500 --> 00:02:29,150 war games and now Tabletop RPG's as well. 62 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:30,150 So I think he was 63 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:31,330 the one who exemplified it the most. 64 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,310 Cause we got to spend the most time with him, 65 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,400 and he really talked a lot about it. 66 00:02:35,410 --> 00:02:36,970 I could tell he just had a passion, 67 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,520 a serious passion for business, 68 00:02:39,670 --> 00:02:43,720 not just nerdy tabletop stuff.

69 00:02:44,140 --> 00:02:46,120 Yeah. Chris was a wonderful 70 00:02:46,170 --> 00:02:48,540 person to speak with, and he also. 71 00:02:48,730 --> 00:02:50,530 One of the common themes I 72 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:52,180 noticed from everybody we spoke 73 00:02:52,210 --> 00:02:54,740 to was everyone was kind of tired. I mean, 74 00:02:54,770 --> 00:02:56,600 it was the second day of Pax, 75 00:02:56,690 --> 00:02:58,060 day two of four.

76 00:02:58,250 --> 00:03:00,210 And these kind of conventions, 77 00:03:00,260 --> 00:03:01,530 for people who go to conventions, 78 00:03:01,580 --> 00:03:03,350 they know, like, it's exhausting. 79 00:03:03,430 --> 00:03:05,170 Even just being at a booth, especially, 80 00:03:05,260 --> 00:03:07,320 you're there constantly talking to people, 81 00:03:07,370 --> 00:03:08,640 saying a lot of the same things. 82 00:03:08,730 --> 00:03:09,590 And even though these 83 00:03:09,630 --> 00:03:11,290 people that we spoke to were tired, 84 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:12,180 they were still very 85 00:03:12,250 --> 00:03:13,880 passionate about what they were doing, 86 00:03:14,010 --> 00:03:16,390 and they were really happy to talk about it, 87 00:03:16,500 --> 00:03:18,610 even if you could see on their face, like, 88 00:03:18,770 --> 00:03:20,740 sometimes it seemed, you know, 89 00:03:20,750 --> 00:03:22,110 we spoke to many worlds, 90 00:03:22,220 --> 00:03:25,600 many worlds tavern founder Andrew, 91 00:03:25,750 --> 00:03:28,770 and he was, he was, 92 00:03:28,850 --> 00:03:30,180 he was a little worn out. 93 00:03:30,230 --> 00:03:31,490 He had a big team with him.

94 00:03:31,530 --> 00:03:33,020 He had a lot going on, 95 00:03:33,110 --> 00:03:36,600 but he still even gave good advice about, 96 00:03:36,790 --> 00:03:38,040 if you're going to start something, 97 00:03:38,150 --> 00:03:39,990 just be aware of what you're doing. 98 00:03:40,350 --> 00:03:42,270 And this point 99 00:03:42,310 --> 00:03:44,050 you're talking about with Chris, you know, 100 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:45,430 even though he was tired, 101 00:03:45,590 --> 00:03:47,250 he still was just so 102 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,900 happy to help and talk about it. 103 00:03:50,050 --> 00:03:51,570 Everybody was really nice. 104 00:03:51,700 --> 00:03:53,810 Everybody was very warm and 105 00:03:54,230 --> 00:03:55,580 inviting and excited to 106 00:03:55,610 --> 00:03:57,300 talk about the idea of nerdy business.

107 00:03:57,370 --> 00:03:59,210 And I think that they were also 108 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,010 surprised that we're kind of the first 109 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:02,800 people to really take interest in, like, how 110 00:04:02,810 --> 00:04:04,560 do you be successful in this nerdy business? 111 00:04:04,610 --> 00:04:05,990 So I want to know, like, 112 00:04:06,030 --> 00:04:07,950 what was your number one takeaway from 113 00:04:07,990 --> 00:04:10,620 this pax event and the interviews we did? 114 00:04:10,660 --> 00:04:12,260 Frank Ooh. 115 00:04:12,420 --> 00:04:13,850 Along the same lines of what 116 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:15,720 you said about knowing the business side, 117 00:04:15,810 --> 00:04:20,560 except it's more so knowing your capacity, 118 00:04:20,630 --> 00:04:22,160 knowing your fortitude, like, 119 00:04:22,210 --> 00:04:23,820 what are you capable of?

120 00:04:23,940 --> 00:04:25,190 And knowing that you 121 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,440 need to be capable of a lot. And Patrick, 122 00:04:28,470 --> 00:04:31,050 from lethal shadows, minis, 123 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:33,120 he elaborated on it really nicely, 124 00:04:33,170 --> 00:04:34,590 but you need to be prepared 125 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:36,910 for what it's going to take. It's going, he, 126 00:04:36,950 --> 00:04:38,440 he laid out for himself. He said, 127 00:04:38,490 --> 00:04:41,080 we've been at this for five, six years, 128 00:04:41,170 --> 00:04:42,240 going really strong.

129 00:04:42,330 --> 00:04:44,540 I haven't had a vacation in that time. 130 00:04:44,650 --> 00:04:45,740 My family knows that. 131 00:04:45,770 --> 00:04:47,760 If you're going to want to hang out with me, 132 00:04:47,850 --> 00:04:49,230 you either come to a convention, 133 00:04:49,270 --> 00:04:50,520 you come to the shop, 134 00:04:50,690 --> 00:04:51,740 that's where you find me, 135 00:04:51,770 --> 00:04:52,880 that's where you spend time with me, 136 00:04:52,890 --> 00:04:54,850 because I'm working so hard on this. 137 00:04:54,940 --> 00:04:56,570 And people who want to start their 138 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,050 nerdy business need to be ready 139 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,310 to spend that kind of commitment.

140 00:05:01,490 --> 00:05:05,020 And it's an extreme example in some ways, 141 00:05:05,150 --> 00:05:06,940 because there is, you know, this is, 142 00:05:07,050 --> 00:05:09,600 I think there's a spectrum here of how much 143 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:11,610 you want to commit to your nerdy business. 144 00:05:11,740 --> 00:05:13,810 But he is bringing this 145 00:05:13,900 --> 00:05:16,460 all in or nothing mentality. 146 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:19,510 And I think it's good to hear that, because 147 00:05:19,660 --> 00:05:22,400 there are some nerdpreneurs that are nerdy, 148 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:23,460 believe it or not. 149 00:05:23,570 --> 00:05:25,660 And nerds can get very committed.

150 00:05:25,710 --> 00:05:28,170 They go all in on this thing. 151 00:05:28,330 --> 00:05:30,350 I want to push back on something here because 152 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,710 I think it's interesting what you said around, 153 00:05:33,250 --> 00:05:35,020 or maybe just have a discussion around it, 154 00:05:35,030 --> 00:05:37,770 because what you said there was that people 155 00:05:37,810 --> 00:05:39,960 have to really know their capacity or 156 00:05:39,990 --> 00:05:43,390 they have to know what it's going to take. 157 00:05:44,490 --> 00:05:46,430 And I think, yes, 158 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,310 in some capacity you do. I agree.

However, 159 00:05:51,130 --> 00:05:56,550 I want to push back on the idea of knowing 160 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,210 what you can take because I think vastly, 161 00:06:00,260 --> 00:06:01,550 people underestimate what 162 00:06:01,580 --> 00:06:03,700 they're capable of most of the time. 163 00:06:03,870 --> 00:06:06,180 And I think also that when they jump 164 00:06:06,230 --> 00:06:08,630 into something like this with real passion, 165 00:06:08,780 --> 00:06:10,640 they should expect to have to 166 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:14,090 sacrifice certain things for sure time. 167 00:06:14,220 --> 00:06:17,000 And sometimes they might have less 168 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,070 time with family or loved ones or to 169 00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:21,620 play the game that they actually love. Right.

170 00:06:21,670 --> 00:06:22,910 How many times have we heard from 171 00:06:22,940 --> 00:06:24,340 people who are nerdpreneurs who are like, 172 00:06:24,390 --> 00:06:26,100 I don't play much d and D anymore, 173 00:06:26,150 --> 00:06:27,580 or I don't really do a 174 00:06:27,590 --> 00:06:29,600 lot of video gaming any more products. 175 00:06:29,690 --> 00:06:31,430 For it, but I don't play very much. 176 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,540 Yeah. So I think that is something 177 00:06:33,580 --> 00:06:35,170 that people should be aware of, is 178 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,130 that you do and you should expect to sacrifice, 179 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,680 but that's not why they're doing it.

180 00:06:41,730 --> 00:06:43,610 And I don't want people to listen to what 181 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:45,920 you just said there and think, well, then, man, 182 00:06:45,950 --> 00:06:47,130 I'm better off being 183 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,930 a nerd instead of a nerdpreneur. 184 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,560 Because I think that when they hear that, 185 00:06:52,590 --> 00:06:53,280 that can be very, 186 00:06:53,350 --> 00:06:54,900 that can be jarring to people who 187 00:06:54,940 --> 00:06:57,260 are thinking about actually doing this. Like, 188 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,350 and I don't think that 189 00:06:59,810 --> 00:07:01,300 that's why you're listening to this. 190 00:07:01,390 --> 00:07:02,480 You want to hear, oh, 191 00:07:02,510 --> 00:07:03,170 it's going to be hard.

192 00:07:03,210 --> 00:07:03,900 It's going to be like, 193 00:07:03,990 --> 00:07:05,370 it is going to be hard, sure. 194 00:07:05,530 --> 00:07:08,230 But everything is hard. So, you know, things 195 00:07:08,260 --> 00:07:10,580 that are worthwhile are hard and challenging. 196 00:07:10,630 --> 00:07:12,710 And I want to say that there's 197 00:07:12,740 --> 00:07:14,370 a lot of reasons why people 198 00:07:14,490 --> 00:07:16,880 who are there are doing it.

And, yeah, 199 00:07:16,910 --> 00:07:18,060 some of them were tired at the con, 200 00:07:18,110 --> 00:07:19,790 but also they weren't, like, 201 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:20,830 collapsing and terrible. 202 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,350 Like that guy we met with. 203 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:23,630 At the end of the day, 204 00:07:23,980 --> 00:07:25,240 he was tired because it was 205 00:07:25,270 --> 00:07:27,200 literally end of a twelve hour day. 206 00:07:27,230 --> 00:07:28,920 That was the only time we could get him.

207 00:07:29,010 --> 00:07:30,350 Yeah. And I weren't disheartened. 208 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:31,360 They were just, 209 00:07:31,530 --> 00:07:33,310 their energy levels were low. 210 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:34,970 They were still very passionate.

211 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:36,420 Yeah. And the other thing, too, is like, 212 00:07:36,460 --> 00:07:37,900 they're sacrificing because 213 00:07:38,020 --> 00:07:41,150 of their passion for the hobby. And, you know, 214 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:42,070 it was Patrick. Right, 215 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:43,720 you were talking about.

Mm hmm. 216 00:07:44,140 --> 00:07:48,720 And Patrick is so passionate about 217 00:07:48,910 --> 00:07:52,640 bringing great models to his game. 218 00:07:52,710 --> 00:07:54,030 And the way he talks about it 219 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,220 is that we deserve this in our hobby. 220 00:07:57,340 --> 00:07:59,530 So there's a reason that's driving 221 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,010 him at that level to go that 222 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,320 deep and do what he's doing because, 223 00:08:04,430 --> 00:08:07,180 and also he's doing very well.

224 00:08:07,260 --> 00:08:09,240 I want to put that in there, too, 225 00:08:09,370 --> 00:08:10,910 that you might say, wow, 226 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:11,800 it's going to be a lot of work. 227 00:08:11,830 --> 00:08:12,990 And like that he's not 228 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,770 just scraping by a little bit. 229 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,620 I think he's probably really crushing 230 00:08:18,660 --> 00:08:22,630 it right now as a nerdy entrepreneur, 231 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:26,310 and he sees the vast and important opportunity 232 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,650 in front of him that he has an opportunity 233 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:32,260 to seize and he's going after it. So, yeah, 234 00:08:32,299 --> 00:08:33,090 it might be hard, 235 00:08:33,159 --> 00:08:35,600 but it's a sacrifice he knows he's making.

236 00:08:35,770 --> 00:08:37,690 I think he would agree with me is that 237 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:39,820 he's making so that he can have that 238 00:08:39,860 --> 00:08:42,039 freedom and that positioning and that 239 00:08:42,070 --> 00:08:44,480 incredible part in the market down the road. 240 00:08:45,020 --> 00:08:46,920 Yeah, there is some of that. 241 00:08:47,610 --> 00:08:51,790 I will push back that they are saying to 242 00:08:53,690 --> 00:08:55,220 don't get into this if 243 00:08:55,230 --> 00:08:57,110 you're not willing for the sacrifice, 244 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,080 if you're not willing to make the sacrifices, 245 00:08:59,230 --> 00:09:00,550 if you're not willing to 246 00:09:00,580 --> 00:09:02,980 really go in it for the long haul. Now, 247 00:09:03,070 --> 00:09:04,510 a couple things on that, 248 00:09:04,620 --> 00:09:07,310 going back to Randall at Catalyst game Labs.

249 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:09,810 He was saying when you asked him about 250 00:09:09,890 --> 00:09:11,430 what would you tell people who are looking 251 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,010 to work for their dream company? He said, 252 00:09:14,090 --> 00:09:17,810 I would say don't run as far as you 253 00:09:17,850 --> 00:09:20,610 can as quickly as you can, was his response. 254 00:09:20,730 --> 00:09:22,260 And then he followed up with, 255 00:09:22,350 --> 00:09:24,280 but if you don't run 256 00:09:24,310 --> 00:09:25,800 away and you really want to do it, 257 00:09:25,870 --> 00:09:26,810 then I will help you. 258 00:09:26,850 --> 00:09:28,870 I will do my best to help you, but 259 00:09:28,900 --> 00:09:31,640 it is a lot of hard work.

And I think, I mean, 260 00:09:31,670 --> 00:09:33,740 he said he's been doing it since the nineties, 261 00:09:33,870 --> 00:09:36,620 so we're talking 20 years. Uh, 262 00:09:36,670 --> 00:09:37,890 20 plus years, actually, 263 00:09:37,930 --> 00:09:40,700 25 ish and 25 plus. 264 00:09:40,820 --> 00:09:42,850 And he was very supportive, 265 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:44,660 but he'd seen a lot, I think. 266 00:09:44,780 --> 00:09:46,280 I think he'd seen a lot of people.

267 00:09:46,390 --> 00:09:49,320 He's been on a small team, small company, 268 00:09:49,510 --> 00:09:51,080 and they have probably 269 00:09:51,110 --> 00:09:52,420 seen a lot of people come and go. 270 00:09:52,460 --> 00:09:54,170 It's a bit of a revolving door. 271 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:56,690 And I think that also Patrick, 272 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:57,750 in the same vein, 273 00:09:57,800 --> 00:09:59,200 has seen the same thing, because 274 00:09:59,270 --> 00:10:02,440 he was talking about what's really important. 275 00:10:03,140 --> 00:10:05,280 What's really important is 276 00:10:05,310 --> 00:10:08,270 for people to stick to their word.

277 00:10:08,460 --> 00:10:09,990 Don't go into this 278 00:10:10,060 --> 00:10:12,970 nerdy business idea and think that, oh, 279 00:10:13,010 --> 00:10:14,810 I can treat this nerdy business 280 00:10:14,890 --> 00:10:16,960 like I treat my nerdy hobby. 281 00:10:17,070 --> 00:10:18,750 That's the same genre. 282 00:10:18,900 --> 00:10:19,920 If you play 283 00:10:20,030 --> 00:10:23,220 any tabletop role playing games, dear listener, 284 00:10:23,310 --> 00:10:24,490 you know that sometimes 285 00:10:24,530 --> 00:10:26,350 people just flake on showing up, 286 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:27,400 and it's like last 287 00:10:27,470 --> 00:10:29,350 minute and it's super frustrating, 288 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,520 and they don't take it very seriously. 289 00:10:31,670 --> 00:10:34,790 But that's what Patrick was warning.

290 00:10:34,980 --> 00:10:35,720 He was saying, 291 00:10:35,790 --> 00:10:37,530 if there are people 292 00:10:37,650 --> 00:10:38,990 who want to start a business, 293 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,390 they can't treat it with the same mentality 294 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:43,470 that they treat that nerdy passion. 295 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:45,450 They need to be reliable, 296 00:10:45,570 --> 00:10:49,000 they need to be helpful. And furthermore, 297 00:10:49,070 --> 00:10:49,670 he was saying, 298 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:51,000 when you get into it, 299 00:10:51,150 --> 00:10:52,910 you really got to know your goal. 300 00:10:53,060 --> 00:10:54,630 Why are you starting?

301 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:56,670 Why are you starting this business 302 00:10:57,490 --> 00:11:00,190 and plan to get there? 303 00:11:00,940 --> 00:11:03,880 One of the reasons we're doing what we're doing 304 00:11:04,460 --> 00:11:07,490 is so that those of you who are looking to 305 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,810 do this don't have as hard a time as these 306 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,030 pioneers in the nerdpreneur industry. Yeah, 307 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,730 I've seen it in other business that the 308 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,610 people who are in business for five years know 309 00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:23,150 more than people who are just starting off, 310 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:25,280 and people who are in business 311 00:11:25,350 --> 00:11:27,130 for ten years know more than 312 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,080 those people who are five years in. 313 00:11:29,270 --> 00:11:30,500 There are these people who.

314 00:11:30,620 --> 00:11:32,240 There are people that you learn from, 315 00:11:32,350 --> 00:11:33,520 who become mentors, 316 00:11:33,610 --> 00:11:35,450 or that you hear what they've done, 317 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,080 or you model their success and it shrinks 318 00:11:38,110 --> 00:11:40,870 the amount of time you need to get to that 319 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,080 next level or to have the success they had. 320 00:11:43,170 --> 00:11:46,620 They're not any different in terms of anything 321 00:11:46,660 --> 00:11:49,910 but their capacity or their strategy. You know, 322 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:51,510 if you're not getting where you want to be, 323 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:52,710 there's something 324 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,320 wrong with your strategy. Right.

Or 325 00:11:55,330 --> 00:11:57,440 there's something wrong with your methodology. 326 00:11:57,610 --> 00:11:59,210 And so when people decide 327 00:11:59,260 --> 00:12:00,760 to look deep into what it 328 00:12:00,770 --> 00:12:02,550 is they're going after and look at, well, 329 00:12:02,590 --> 00:12:04,930 it's working for them over there, right? 330 00:12:05,020 --> 00:12:06,000 There's two tea companies 331 00:12:06,050 --> 00:12:07,440 here that were successful, right? So it's like, 332 00:12:07,450 --> 00:12:08,630 if it's working for them, 333 00:12:08,750 --> 00:12:10,340 something they're doing is working.

334 00:12:10,450 --> 00:12:12,540 I bet I can go do that same thing, too, if I 335 00:12:12,570 --> 00:12:15,170 wanted to get my own nerdy tea company, right, 336 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:16,490 or nerdy coffee company, 337 00:12:16,620 --> 00:12:18,700 somehow they figured it out. 338 00:12:18,810 --> 00:12:20,220 Now, the one thing he did say was, 339 00:12:20,250 --> 00:12:21,810 don't ever start a coffee shop. 340 00:12:22,750 --> 00:12:23,770 And I think there's something 341 00:12:23,820 --> 00:12:27,360 to that in post Covid retail. Right, like that.

342 00:12:27,390 --> 00:12:28,820 There's a lot of people who are like, 343 00:12:28,870 --> 00:12:31,650 don't do this because of the really, 344 00:12:31,730 --> 00:12:34,560 really hard last few 345 00:12:34,630 --> 00:12:36,900 years that brick and mortar has had. 346 00:12:36,990 --> 00:12:40,120 So I can absolutely appreciate where, you know, 347 00:12:40,150 --> 00:12:40,950 many worlds tavern 348 00:12:40,980 --> 00:12:42,960 was coming from in that moment. 349 00:12:43,110 --> 00:12:45,570 Yeah. I think there's a common thread of, 350 00:12:45,690 --> 00:12:46,220 if you're going to 351 00:12:46,230 --> 00:12:47,400 have a brick and mortar location, 352 00:12:47,470 --> 00:12:48,390 make sure that you have a 353 00:12:48,420 --> 00:12:50,750 good online presence to support that.

354 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:52,520 And not a lot of people really talked 355 00:12:52,550 --> 00:12:54,330 about having a brick and mortar presence. 356 00:12:54,510 --> 00:12:56,210 No, most of them do not. Right. 357 00:12:56,260 --> 00:12:59,100 There was candles who did?

But, you know, 358 00:12:59,150 --> 00:13:02,030 and there was many worlds who also did. 359 00:13:02,140 --> 00:13:05,040 But most of these people were con heavy. 360 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:06,220 And what I really liked about 361 00:13:06,250 --> 00:13:08,590 it was when I asked everybody, you know, 362 00:13:08,620 --> 00:13:09,470 how many cons they did, 363 00:13:09,500 --> 00:13:11,130 there were so many people who were like, oh, 364 00:13:11,140 --> 00:13:13,580 I've done, like, ten cons, 20 cons. 365 00:13:13,650 --> 00:13:14,720 There was even geekify 366 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,660 who they did 30 cons in a year, 367 00:13:16,750 --> 00:13:18,240 and they've been doing it for years.

368 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:20,350 So you start thinking about, you know, 369 00:13:20,390 --> 00:13:21,390 what is the importance 370 00:13:21,430 --> 00:13:24,010 of cons to certain businesses? 371 00:13:24,140 --> 00:13:25,370 There are many of them that 372 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,770 were just focused on doing cons. 373 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:29,710 They put it into their schedule, 374 00:13:29,830 --> 00:13:31,690 and that was how they ran their business, 375 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:33,010 was they go there, 376 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,010 they have three or four, five days, 377 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:36,610 whatever it is, for the con, and 378 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,280 they just crush it for those four or five days. 379 00:13:39,370 --> 00:13:41,770 And then they go out to.

They come back, 380 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:42,520 they make more product, 381 00:13:42,570 --> 00:13:43,570 and they go out to the next con. 382 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:44,700 And it's just like that, 383 00:13:44,810 --> 00:13:46,660 their business cycle. 384 00:13:46,770 --> 00:13:47,740 And you know what? 385 00:13:47,770 --> 00:13:48,740 There's nothing wrong with that.

386 00:13:48,770 --> 00:13:50,440 It's a lot of work in certain times, 387 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:51,860 but they're really serving 388 00:13:51,910 --> 00:13:53,820 their nerdy hobby and helping them out. 389 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,220 Yeah, that reminds me, on a not 390 00:13:56,290 --> 00:13:57,900 at PAx was this brought up, 391 00:13:57,930 --> 00:14:01,220 but with Sienna Art Studios, 392 00:14:01,270 --> 00:14:02,380 who we have yet. 393 00:14:02,430 --> 00:14:03,650 Have not released yet. 394 00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:05,740 But we, 395 00:14:05,790 --> 00:14:06,620 when we spoke to her, 396 00:14:06,650 --> 00:14:09,050 one of the things that was brought up was 397 00:14:09,140 --> 00:14:12,750 cons and how she at, for a one, at one point, 398 00:14:12,820 --> 00:14:14,960 Washington going to all of these events, 399 00:14:15,010 --> 00:14:16,770 and it was just back to back to back.

400 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:18,210 Just enough time for her. 401 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:20,000 She said she didn't even have enough time 402 00:14:20,030 --> 00:14:22,380 to make the product in between the events. 403 00:14:22,420 --> 00:14:24,840 She just had enough time beforehand 404 00:14:24,870 --> 00:14:26,910 to make all the product and then put it 405 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,010 into batches in preparation for when 406 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,410 she would go to these events. She'd fly back, 407 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:32,320 get everything she needed, 408 00:14:32,370 --> 00:14:35,000 go to the event, fly back, get more stuff.

409 00:14:35,150 --> 00:14:37,140 And you got to think about it like 410 00:14:37,180 --> 00:14:39,050 that when you have all these products. 411 00:14:39,180 --> 00:14:41,960 But I'm glad you went this direction, 412 00:14:42,010 --> 00:14:44,670 because all the people we spoke 413 00:14:44,710 --> 00:14:46,850 to were selling a physical product. 414 00:14:47,190 --> 00:14:48,890 Everybody had a physical product, 415 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:50,730 and everyone said, 416 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,620 these cons are so important for them. 417 00:14:54,730 --> 00:14:56,170 And Tinker House really.

418 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,000 I think Tinkerhouse games 419 00:14:58,050 --> 00:15:00,970 really drove this point. Sorry, the terrain, 420 00:15:01,100 --> 00:15:01,930 Tinkerhouse terrain, 421 00:15:01,980 --> 00:15:04,500 they really drove the point home of this 422 00:15:04,530 --> 00:15:07,150 is huge for us because our shipping costs 423 00:15:07,260 --> 00:15:10,050 are kind of expensive because our product 424 00:15:10,130 --> 00:15:13,120 is kind of heavy. You know, it's. It's compact, 425 00:15:13,270 --> 00:15:14,870 but it's pretty heavy stuff.

426 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:16,310 It's dense cardboard. 427 00:15:16,610 --> 00:15:17,910 And so shipping, 428 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,590 it creates this barrier, this 429 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,960 of a price point for consumers, for customers. 430 00:15:25,070 --> 00:15:27,300 So if they can see it, feel it, 431 00:15:27,310 --> 00:15:28,900 and look at the quality, 432 00:15:29,070 --> 00:15:31,050 it's much easier for them to buy it, especially 433 00:15:31,130 --> 00:15:32,670 because they're not having to pay for shipping. 434 00:15:32,700 --> 00:15:33,470 They're at the con.

435 00:15:33,540 --> 00:15:35,620 All they do is pay for it and take it. 436 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:37,860 So I think cons are really good 437 00:15:37,900 --> 00:15:39,680 for people who have physical products, 438 00:15:40,260 --> 00:15:41,600 especially if your 439 00:15:41,630 --> 00:15:44,360 product heavily relies on touching, feeling, 440 00:15:44,390 --> 00:15:45,760 or even smelling. 441 00:15:45,790 --> 00:15:47,170 In the case of tea and coffee. 442 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:49,700 There was a lot of con tips that we got, too, 443 00:15:49,740 --> 00:15:50,490 and I don't know if I can 444 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:51,700 run through all of them that we got, 445 00:15:51,740 --> 00:15:53,960 but I thought it was 446 00:15:54,010 --> 00:15:57,000 interesting that for a lot of people, 447 00:15:57,420 --> 00:15:59,390 their advice was, yeah, try a con.

448 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:00,900 It's a great way to test 449 00:16:00,940 --> 00:16:05,190 your market and confront your market, you know? 450 00:16:05,310 --> 00:16:09,270 So the idea of a first step for a nerdpreneur 451 00:16:09,350 --> 00:16:12,430 might be going to a con or picking 452 00:16:12,470 --> 00:16:16,390 a local small convention where, you know, 453 00:16:16,470 --> 00:16:19,240 your ideal client is, 454 00:16:19,410 --> 00:16:21,540 and just go, you know, 455 00:16:21,570 --> 00:16:23,290 you don't have to commit to a comic 456 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:25,570 con or a pax west for your first con. 457 00:16:25,620 --> 00:16:26,790 Those are a little more expensive. 458 00:16:26,870 --> 00:16:29,510 But every city, you know, 459 00:16:29,580 --> 00:16:30,910 usually wherever you are, 460 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:32,950 will be having some form of 461 00:16:32,980 --> 00:16:35,340 nerdy or anime or whatever type 462 00:16:35,350 --> 00:16:38,460 of convention where you can go and be, 463 00:16:38,510 --> 00:16:40,750 as an independent business owner, 464 00:16:41,690 --> 00:16:42,670 access your nerdy 465 00:16:42,700 --> 00:16:46,150 culture and confront it firsthand.

466 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:47,480 So many of them said, yeah, 467 00:16:47,510 --> 00:16:50,750 just give it a shot and iterate. You know, 468 00:16:51,210 --> 00:16:53,560 when I was talking to the candle people, 469 00:16:53,670 --> 00:16:55,340 Dragon's den candlest, 470 00:16:55,380 --> 00:16:56,330 that's how they started. 471 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:58,850 They just sort of did a very small 472 00:16:59,790 --> 00:17:02,120 con in their local area, New England. 473 00:17:02,210 --> 00:17:03,800 And this was actually the 474 00:17:03,930 --> 00:17:05,589 first time they'd ever been 475 00:17:05,630 --> 00:17:08,329 outside of New England for their cons.

476 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:09,609 And so it was, 477 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:11,650 this was a cool thing for them to be able 478 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:14,970 to be in a place that wasn't their, their home. 479 00:17:15,160 -