Intro

Brian 0:10

All right. Well, welcome back to the Vero Beach podcast. This is part three of our guest interview here with Chris from the Vero Tackle and Water Sports. So, what's something that you've come to appreciate about the community here in Vero Beach?

Sweet Desires, 21 Amendment, and More!

SPEAKER_00 0:22

All the small businesses get together and we work with each other and we help each other and we recommend each other. There's so many wonderful small business owners that are not afraid to share and help each other. And I love that. Um, we do partnerships with like three or four other businesses to that kind of just we all do better together. Was it uh rising ship, you know? Oh yeah, rising tide raises all ships. Yeah, yeah. So it's very much in this area, is is that mentality.

Brian 0:49

That's cool. What's what who are if you don't mind sharing, like who are some of the businesses that you've worked with that you guys have done stuff with?

SPEAKER_00 0:54

So one of the major ones we're doing now is uh sweet desires. Okay, have you guys seen it on the website? Or oh yeah.

Brian 1:00

So sweet desires, we just went, was is that where we went for the jazz music?

SPEAKER_02 1:04

Yes, and I know exactly what he was gonna say because I I bookmarked it. It's you can take out a boat, a cocktail cruise, right? That's right. Oh my gosh, that's so funny. So brandy that owns that yeah, it's nighttime actually.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Nighttime. Yeah, so we get to rerun that whole that same electric boat. It's an electric boat, it's really cute, that little black boat. It's got the really comfortable seats and a table in the middle and a sound system. It's it's wonderful. So it's a sightseeing tour boat during the day. Go find dolphins, and it's electric. So when you get near dolphin, you hear the breathing sound. It almost kind of startled me the first couple of times because it's cool right there. And I think they like the electric boat, they're almost drawn to it. Um, so we do that, and then at night we go to Sweet Desires and they have a slip right behind Sweet Desire. So you can book uh a Sweet Desires boat ride where you get a reservation, uh, whatever drink you want, and then you get on the boat with us, and we take you through the City Marina and then back, and then you have a reserve table you arrive to. The best date night thing in Vero Beach.

Brian 2:02

That is cool. That's such a cool collaboration there.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

That is a very cool collaboration, yeah. Yeah, because it's such a cool place, too. So it makes sense for those two things to go together because it's such a vibe there. That is so fun.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

So Brandy's been a friend of mine. We we've been in the Chamber of Commerce together, which is how we met. We did uh leadership through the Chamber of Commerce. So we were in this class that got to uh discover, you know, the the county. And so we'd always kind of been friends, and I had this boat, and I was like, you know what? Like we I did a date night there, and it was like, I got a boat for you guys. Can you guys get access to a slip behind here? And she's like, Yeah, let's let's check it out, let's come up pricing, let's let's see what we can do. So it was phenomenal. Yeah, it like it just checked a lot of boxes.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

Yeah, that's it, it's such a fun idea, and you know, everyone is is uh moving more towards experiences, and that's such a good one.

Brian 2:52

Yeah, so who are some of the other collaborations that you've worked with or that you guys are working with?

Dancing With The Stars

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Yeah, so um 21st AD, we have a drink package with them. So you can actually check the box on your booking, and we will send an email to them and you could select uh four different bottles uh that are pre-mixed, and they will deliver them to the boat for your trip. Awesome! Right. So is Jeff is a good friend from 21st AD. We just did dancing with the stars together. Um thank you for bringing that. Yeah, yeah. So that was a fun other community thing that we all kind of got together. I got to meet a ton of really cool individuals that you know are in that uh competition group, really, but we're all friends, you know. You know, if I was on that, it would they would call it dancing with scars. So kind of how it was for me too. I am not a dancer, I'm the guy that stands in the back and holds the jacket, you know.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Yeah, tell us about that experience, like how you decided to do it and then how it went.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

So I really didn't want to do it, honestly. I was very hesitant because I'm not a dancer, right? And and it it it's a huge commitment. Um, but the more I thought about it, it it's just it's so good for the community, and it just was kind of the right thing to do. And and I do feel like you kind of got to push yourself out of your comfort zones every once in a while, right? And this was definitely that, like there was nowhere near comfort zones. Um, but it's such a good cause. So you gotta do it. Um, and I'm so glad I did. Um, but we and I got to meet so many great individuals. Uh I got to learn to dance. My dance instructor, Karen, was phenomenal, she was so patient.

SPEAKER_02 4:16

Oh, took us months. What else did you do?

Riverside Theater

SPEAKER_00 4:18

We did the American tango um to um the Hugh Jackman movie, The Greatest Show. Yeah, so I bought a proper top hat, the red coat, like I had a custom-made red velvet coat. The I actually won the best costume. I knew I wasn't gonna get danced, so I went all in on costumes. That's what I'd have to go in for.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

Yeah, we love the greatest showmen, so oh man, that is amazing.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

That is cool. All that that whole process was so cool.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

Oh, that's so funny!

Brian 4:43

That's a cool experience, yeah. Yeah, we've we've I've been following the riverside uh theater, but we haven't been there yet. So they have a lot of great shows. I'm like, we're gonna have to go there. That'd be a cool place to check out.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

Comedy night, which is phenomenal. The the regular productions are amazing, like they get some of the best actors, they they do all the props in house, they have a whole production studio behind, so it's all made in-house. Like it is legit.

Brian 5:05

I mean, I saw their what was it? The the post I was showing you they're doing. This is what I love about this part of the podcast is we get to learn more about the areas too that we want to visit. Not only the people that are listening that are visiting or that have been there their whole life. I'm like, I've never been there, I gotta go. Uh, I've been following the Riverside um theater, and I what was it? They had some kind of like the show that had like the fly plant, whatever that the little shop of horse. Yeah, I'm like, I was like, they this place looks legit. I was like, I mean, they're set up. I was like, we've gotta go, babe. That's gonna be that's gonna be cool. So that's cool to hear you've heard that ex had that experience.

SPEAKER_02 5:39

Yeah, that's so fun.

Brian 5:40

It will definitely be stubborn.

SPEAKER_02 5:41

I can't wait for the next one. I can't wait to go and watch the dancing. Yeah, me too.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

I can't wait to be in the audience.

SPEAKER_02 5:46

Yes, yeah. Had you ever seen the show before you were part of it?

Vero Beach Community

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Yes, okay. Yeah, so I'd seen, I was aware of it too. I was that's why I was kind of surprised I got asked, right? It's kind of an honor just to get asked, right? This is their funding for the year for the Healthy Start Coalition, right? Like, so they're they're asking like legit people, and I was like, wait, did I just get included in this group? Like, that was another reason I said yes, was like, wow, I just made this, you know, that's this casting call kind of. And so that was an honor on its own, even to be asked. Oh, totally. Yeah, no, you gotta do it. Once you get called, you gotta do it. So yeah.

Brian 6:20

Wow, wow. Okay, so what would you how would you describe your relationship with Vero Beach? How has that been like with the Indian River Lagoon and even like with the chamber? You mentioned the chamber too.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

That's right. Chambers been a huge part of the Indian River County Chambers, phenomenal. Um, that's been huge. That's where I made a lot of my connections, opening the beach locations, um, networking events for that, as how I met almost everybody. Highly recommend if you're a business owner in town, just showing up to the events. You never know who you're gonna meet or what connections. Almost all the collaborations we have came from some sort of uh connecting event. Um, so that's been huge. Yeah. Uh I don't think I'd be anywhere near I was where I am now without their help, right? Like we wouldn't be doing the beach operations or any of that stuff. So that's huge.

Locals Vs. Tourists

Brian 7:01

That is that is such an important piece. Like if anybody has a listener, like and you're thinking about I want to start a business and stuff like that. I I've always learned that it's not all about marketing, it's about connections, really. It's that's what I look at. Marketing is marketing is connection, it's not promoting or advertising, it's connection. And you gotta lean into that even more today. Uh, connection is just key. So that's great. So we talked a little bit about this earlier, but I want to ask this question with you know, with serving two different audiences, like you talked about locals and visitors, how are they different?

SPEAKER_00 7:35

Weather makes a huge difference, right? So, like warm weather, we're gonna get the locals. It's just funny because the tourists aren't so into the warm weather, right? It's too hot. Yeah, it's a very Goldilocks type scenario, right? So yeah, locals don't like the cold, and and tourists necessarily, you know, very stereotypically, don't like the hot. And so we so yeah, we have to kind of transition. So wintertime, we're looking at that um visitors, and summertime we're looking at locals and trying to see how we can help them.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

Yeah, that's so funny. It feels so backwards, but you're right. I mean, that's exactly how it is. But it's so funny because logically you would think our our guests are coming in the summer, but that's not the way it is.

Brian 8:13

Not here, nope. Yeah, to do the do the collaborations with like 21st Amendment with the cocktails and sweet desires, does that help with the locals? Because, like, hey, it might be cold, but you're gonna have some bourbon wire on here, and you know, you'll warm up after a little bit, you know?

Wired For This

SPEAKER_00 8:26

Yeah, that's right. That definitely helps a bunch. And then I think that's shared marketing too, right? Like, you know, 21st AD has a different, you know, mark group of customers than I have, and and vice versa. Same with sweet desires. Like we know, we kind of share those those customers now, which is really huge. That's cool. Yeah, we all kind of win together.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

Are there moments that stand out to you where you've had the thought, like, this is exactly what I was meant to do?

Pizza Shop

SPEAKER_00 8:51

Yeah, definitely. Would have never predicted it and and didn't think like I said earlier on the the other episode, I thought I was gonna open a pizza place at one point. Uh so this is totally different than what I thought. But yeah, I I was definitely wired for this uh and to be outside and to run businesses and and lead humans and and give good vacations.

Brian 9:07

Okay, before you go to the next question, I've got to ask, because the pizza has come up a couple times. What are you what's your favorite pizza? Like toppings?

SPEAKER_00 9:16

Uh pepperoni.

Brian 9:17

Pepperoni. Just simple pepperoni idea.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

Yeah, nice. Do you like thin or thick crust? Ooh, I'm good for both. I like to try both, but I'm if I had to pick one for say the rest of my life, it would be a thin.

Brian 9:28

Okay, yeah. I like to be able to fold it too. Like that's kind of a different way. Yeah, I want to flip hold over.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

I want a little bit of flop, but not too much. You know, like it's yeah. We knew you'd have particular taste. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, oh well. There's like the red that's what I was looking at before I opened this. It's like, what's the ratio of cheese? Because you actually, if you have really good cheese, it's too oily. So you have to have like there's a mix, you know, you a lot of time you'll put like a high and a low mix, but that ratio matters, like the dough, like the different ingredients. Yeah, like so there, there's a strategy or a formula to all of it. So, yeah.

Brian 9:58

So this has turned into a pizza podcast now.

Bigger Business Goal

SPEAKER_00 10:00

But yeah, no. Well, that's I actually just do plan on opening a pizza now that I've like run businesses. I'm like, all right, I still gotta I gotta come back around and do that.

Brian 10:07

Like, it's to do a pizza experience on the tiki bar. Like, hey, you want to do that?

SPEAKER_00 10:12

Pay this and you get fresh pizzas. Like, I don't know, that's cool. So, my bigger business goal is to open, so I don't own anywhere that we're right. Like I have a contract at the hotel, I I I rent where I'm at, but I don't actually own any of it. And it's amid the level, it's like I got a lot invested into this. I need to own something. So I want to buy some land and open a bigger retail store. Um, it's gonna be called open air recreation, and it's gonna be baby bass pro shop that has all the local things, right? Powderboard, kayak, beach cruisers, you know, camping gear, but only Florida stuff, right? Yeah, because you can go to Bass Pro and buy like a furry hat, right? Who needs that, right? Yeah, it's ridiculous. Like it's just wasted space. So like real proper stuff. Uh, but I want to put a pizza place in it. Um that's gonna be the draw, you know, it's like come to the pizza place, maybe go do some retail shopping, you know, fishing gear, all that stuff too. But yeah, so that's like my tenure plan is to do something like that.

SPEAKER_02 11:01

Is there um like property that's close enough that you're like envisioning, you know, close enough to the tackle shop, or would it kind of be its own like separate thing?

Closing

SPEAKER_00 11:10

It'll probably its own thing, probably more inland. Um, because I also you've you probably haven't been there, but you made uh Terra Firmata in Stewart. No, oh you guys, okay. So this is a little out of town, but there's an outdoor venue in Stewart, almost in downtown Stewart called Terraformata. So they do live music and they have a bar that's basically like a food truck, and then they have a food truck. Oh, and it's so you're just sitting, it looks like somebody's like gravel backyard with random chairs everywhere. It's like it's like if you just had a collage of like just whatever outside furniture you can find, and that's what it is. Uh, and you just have a seat and just watch uh a band, you know. So I'm thinking kind of a mix of that with a to go pizza place that you kind of just hang out. So I want it to be like a destination where you're gonna want to go hang out, you're gonna want to spend the day, watch the game, listen to a band. That's cool.

SPEAKER_02 11:56

That's kind of you can partner with like a brewery.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

That's right. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

When Your Not Working...

Brian 12:00

Well, uh Chris, this has been great. This has been a great time having you join us. Uh, I mean, I'm not excited again. I'm like, all right, we gotta go, I'm ready to go run a boat. I know, I'm ready to. It's too cold right now, though. It's too cold right now, yeah. Maybe, you know, what look at the sweet desires thing and stuff like that, but right down the street from you. So I love that. And being able to get to know you more and your heart behind what you're doing, your love for the lagoon and for the water and for the people in the community. I love that. All right, so as we get ready to wrap up, Chris, I'm gonna ask you one more question. I was gonna ask you about what was looking ahead, like what was the future, but you already shared that. So that's great. I love that a bit. Oh, that's great. Like, I love that. Better organic like this. So I'm gonna ask you this. Well, when you're not working, where do you like to spend your time around town?

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Ooh, around town. Honestly, I do the things we do still. Uh oh, uh commonly you'll find me at the beach in a cabana uh on my day off. Um, or I might be in a the sandbar or things like that. So yeah, I'm I'm actually just kind of if I'm in town, I'm doing the things that we do.

Brian 12:58

That's cool. That's cool. All right. Well, for anybody that's listening that hasn't been out, like how can they learn more about you? Where can they go?

SPEAKER_00 13:04

Yeah, check out the website, uh VeraWatersports.com. It has a list of all the things. It can be a little bit much because we do so many different things, but kind of whatever you're into, or give us a call. We're really good at kind of figuring out what you're into. We commonly get a call like, hey, I want to run a boat, but they actually wanted a tiki boat, right? Uh so they didn't want to drive it necessarily, they don't want to be the captain, but but we'll kind of figure out if you give us a ring, we'll figure out what you're into and how we can help.

Brian 13:28

Oh, it's perfect.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

We can do about three or four different days of activities for for anybody on vacation. So that's cool. We got off.

Brian 13:35

That's cool. Oh, I love it.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Do you do like a three or four day like package? Like, hey, it was I don't actually. I haven't had a request for it, but we can definitely put it together. Yeah, then that's it. Whatever you're into, like, we can sort it out.

Brian 13:46

Just call and let you know. Like, we want to do three days. All right, we'll get you set up. That's right. Just where you should start.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Part of the group wants to go fishing, the other part wants to get a beach cabana. We can set that up right now.

Brian 13:55

Oh, I love it. Such a good idea. It took me back to when we first went, I was like, we're gonna go fishing. You're like, I want to go, but you took a hammock because she hung up in a hammock by the river and gave me my son's fish.

SPEAKER_00 14:06

Perfect. Yeah, whatever you guys want to do. We can split the group up, meet in the middle later, whatever you guys want to do.

Brian 14:10

Well, that's awesome. Well, Chris, thank you again for joining us. We love having you on the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Yeah, it was so great.

Brian 14:16

And again, if if you guys have enjoyed this episode, make sure you leave us a review and share it with your friends so they can find more of your local businesses and your local podcast right here in Bero Beach.

SPEAKER_02 14:26

So with that, thanks for listening, neighbor.