Welcome And What They Do

Brian 0:20

All right. Well, welcome back to the Vero Beach Podcast. I'm Brian.

SPEAKER_02 0:23

And I'm Shauna.

Brian 0:24

And today we are sitting with Todd from Solar Solutions and Vero here. So, Todd, we're so excited to have you on the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

Thank you. Yeah, likewise. Took a little bit to get me here, but we're here. Kids' spring break is over. Um, yes, Todd uh with Solar Solutions window tinning here in Vero Beach. Um, we do residential, automotive, and commercial window tinning. That's like our bread and butter. Uh, we also do vehicle graphics and um paint protection film, which protects your vehicle from rock chips. Um, we also do ceramic coating on vehicles. So we, you know, there's a lot of different things we do. And so sometimes the name of your business doesn't really evaluate everything.

Shawna 1:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Um, we do get some calls like, yeah, like they think we do um solar, like energy, solar solutions. So hey, you're not the first one to call. So yes.

Brian 1:22

Um, so if you're ever gonna extend in different areas, that might be something you consider.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Yeah, right now we've kind of got our hands full, but maybe down the road.

Brian 1:30

So basically, you're in the coding and covering up business. Yes, right.

Shawna 1:35

Yeah, not as that's not a good name either.

SPEAKER_02 1:39

We'll uh yeah, don't squint when we go to we'll focus on that.

Brian 1:44

Oh, that's good. I love it. I love it.

Shawna 1:47

I'm excited to talk about all these things, and specifically, the first thing I want to know is the ceramic coating for like the paint part of it.

Brian 1:53

Oh, yeah, don't go into that. Yeah, that's too early. All right, well, Todd, we're we're excited to have you on the podcast. Uh, we would love to get to know you a little bit before Shotnell jumps too far ahead. And we've also learned that you know, we're originally from Ohio, which tent in Ohio is like it's like a want. But in Florida, we've learned that it's a need. You have to have tent. There's a lot from that solar intensity coming down.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

Yeah, and I mean, definitely, I'm actually I'm originally from Minnesota as well. And I grew up in this business. I've been doing this since I've been like 19 years old. Um, so it's definitely a want item there, but you'd be surprised, right? In the summer, it can get pretty brutal. Yeah. And even though the sun, even on cloudy days, it's still coming through, and you're getting that UV, which you can't really see. So it's you know, damaging the interior car, the interior of your home, as well as your skin, like you know, so um, but you are right, and that's why I love having a window film business here in Florida because anybody can be a customer and should be a customer. Because oh my gosh, if you are driving a car, A, and your windows are clear, I just I feel so bad for you. I like look for a business car and I'll put it on your on your door because uh even you don't it in the the big thing is to back in the day you would have to go dark to get performance nowadays. You don't the technology in the window films has gotten so good. You could almost have a virtually clear product but reject over 50% of the heat. Wow. So our lightest product in our um infrared ceramic film will reject more heat than a super dark limo tint. Wow, so you know, and I'm not gonna it shouldn't be like depending on dependent on your age, but let's just say you're in your 60s or 70s and you want that protection, but maybe your eyes aren't great. So you're like, I don't really want dark windows, I don't want window tint. No, now actually, I'd rather have you have really light window film, but a really good quality, that is so great, and then you get that protection. That is so great.

Brian 4:10

I was just thinking, like, this is like my marketing brain. I'm like, you're talking about putting things on people's car. I can see a I can see a business card that says I'm not a shady tenner. You need us.

SPEAKER_02 4:21

Your wife is super hot, she needs some tin.

Brian 4:27

Oh, that's good. Well, okay, so you said you're originally from Minnesota. So uh tell us a little bit about that. You said the business started in Minnesota or you started doing tinning?

SPEAKER_02 4:36

We're we're still firing on all cylinders up there. Um, my dad got into the window tinting business about 50 years ago. He is now 77, 78, and he's still coming into the office every day and he's working. It's his his passion. Uh, but I I grew up in the business pretty much. I took a little hiatus. It's just interesting because growing up in it, I didn't really think anything. It's just like what my dad did is like, and I was just like the type of student or high school kid. I didn't really, I wasn't thinking about my next move, you know? Yeah. So I never really thought of like working for the family business, but I wasn't a very good student. And then I went to college. Um, what I was good at was having a good time. And um our house is kind of known for having a good time. And that led like it's a family treat. That led to like a really fun night, but then ended up with me getting hit by a car out in front of our house.

Florida Sun And Ceramic Tint

SPEAKER_02 5:40

Wow. After the party was dispersing. It's another story in itself.

Brian 5:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

And I broke both of the bones like underneath my eyes. And I don't really I don't really remember the accident, but I remember waking up and getting wheeled into surgery. But fast forward, it was like the first semester that happened like on a Friday night. The next Monday was gonna be the first semester or the semester tests at college.

Brian 6:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 6:11

Well, I couldn't, yeah, I couldn't go. Or the my teachers actually gave me my grades that I had, but then I started to heal at home, and you know, then I couldn't go back to school because it's like too far down the line. Then my dad's like, Well, you're not gonna sit here and like do nothing. And it's like I had a rod in my leg, so it's not like I like was casted up, but I could still kind of get around. So, anyways, I started he started bringing me to his work, which was an hour and a half away from like where we lived. Wow. So every day for an hour and a half, I'd ride up, you know, go up in the morning and do our thing, and then I just kind of kept doing it. Yeah, like I'm actually making money. I didn't make hardly anything, but I was making money, and my roommates were broke college kids. So um, anyways, um I was working with him forever, you know, I've done everything in the business. Um, answered phones, you know, car tinting, residential tinting, sales, everything. I just whatever I need to do, I'll do it. Um and we grew the business up there from when I started, probably have five or six people. Now we have um 50 travel uh with both locations. But as we are growing, our um growth area was always in the Midwest. Like, where can I get in a car and drive three to four hours? That was kind of our our growth areas because my dad is still very involved in the business and he wants he just loves to grow, and we always want to give everybody in our organization another rung of the ladder to climb if they want to. And in order to do that, you know, you just need to expand. Yeah, and just me being like, you know, a Midwesterner that always felt like they were born in the wrong state, like warm, warm, warm weather. It's like, oh, so then I get this bright idea, you know, like, oh, I could, you know, just fly back and forth, and I have three kids at home, a wife, and she's like, What are you doing? But um Vero Beach was not in our expansion plans, but um, you know, they say everything happens for a reason. Super glad I hit the search bar on that. Vero Beach popped open. Um, or you know, we that brought that opportunity here.

SPEAKER_01 8:43

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

Um, ended up buying the business from a great couple who started the business, uh, probably like they've had the business here locally, probably for 10 plus years. Okay, wow. Grew it to a great level, and then now it's you know on me or on our team now just to grow it um to even yeah, bigger and better.

Shawna 9:07

When did you so when did you move to Vera? When did that all happen?

SPEAKER_02 9:10

Um, I believe we acquired the business like two and a half years ago, and then myself and my family moved here about two years ago. Okay. So the flying back and forth, that wasn't we're like in growth mode, right? Because as soon as I acquired it, then you have acquisition costs. Like if you want to grow, you need to hire more people. We needed a bigger building, and it was just a lot to do, just only being here every so often. So I found out real quick that I needed to be here. So um, it's like, oh to my wife. I'm like, I think we have to move to Florida. And she's like, What are you talking about?

Shawna 9:54

Does she like it now?

SPEAKER_02 9:55

Absolutely loves it. I'll never be able to get her to move.

Shawna 10:20

Yeah, so stop Googling, you know, businesses to buy. Oh, true, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:24

Well, at least now they're centralized, like, at least in Florida only.

Brian 10:29

So, what would you say has is the biggest difference from the business in Minnesota versus being in Florida?

SPEAKER_02 10:37

Um, I think no matter where you are, it still comes down to awareness. Because let's say 20 people come in in the next couple days to have their cars done. Do they have their house windows done? Probably not, but they don't they don't realize that that is available. Um, so what I do enjoy about Florida is they have a really lenient tint law so you can go dark if you want to, so you get best best of both worlds. You still can do a really high-end ceramic type film, good heat rejection, everything, but you can get the privacy too. Yeah, in some states, the laws are very restrictive. Very um,

Todd’s Minnesota Family Business

SPEAKER_02 11:23

so I love having a nice law that we can do everything legally and you can still get an amazing look.

Brian 11:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:32

Um, so I enjoy the fact that everybody needs their car done here because it is it is hot and it, you know, I've been here a couple summers, like it you need relief, you know, and if you don't have relief, like it can be tough. So um, I love the fact that everybody needs their car tinned. It still is a want, right? Um, but it's still the awareness, is there's just so much room for awareness to talk about residential window tinning that um I think it'll just always be a thing that I'm doing.

Shawna 12:09

Do you see the residential part growing?

SPEAKER_02 12:12

Yeah, and that's kind of like you guys said you're car people. Like I'm a car person too, I love it, but maybe I'm just gotten a little numb to it because I see such beautiful cars every day. But my passion is more on the residential side because I just love like me and my wife have moved every three years we move, and it's just kind of like sometime sometime in the same city, but yeah, you know, it's like I just like I I do like the adrenaline of like listing my place and then finding a new place, okay, and then you know, like and getting the equity and like keep moving on. Flipping it out, you know. Um, but I just love houses, so I would move every year if I could, just because I love the experience of a new house. Yeah. So when I'm quoting projects or doing insulations at someone's house, it's just really fun for me because I like look at like this was my house, what product would I use? Or, you know, a lot of the homes are beautiful, and it's like I know I'm adding to the beauty of their home, but yeah, not so much the curb appeal of it, more of like the comfort on the inside. Yeah. And if you have, you know, carpet or a new beautiful painting, that painting is gonna last years longer than it would if you didn't have film on that window.

Shawna 13:37

Not to mention, I'm sure it does a lot for your energy bill, right? When you're 100%. Because depending on some time, some of these windows, like the sun just like will just heat up a room.

SPEAKER_02 13:47

Yeah, I mean, there's obviously your initial costs, like you got to pay for us to come and do the film. But the nice thing is, is over the course of time it's gonna end up paying for itself. Now, depending on how many window windows you do, like you will immediately feel the difference, like immediately. I was just at a customer's house and their kids' room was just brutal. Like, literally, the minute I put the film on, they could not believe it. That's so cool. Um, so no, if you do your entire house, and maybe you don't need to do your entire house because a lot of the windows are north facing or something, but if you do more areas and you know just one targeted area, you're definitely gonna see the difference because your AC doesn't have to work as high.

Brian 14:35

Yep.

unknown 14:36

Yeah.

Brian 14:37

I I I could totally understand like what you're sharing here too, because I remember we had uh an SUV tented a couple years ago, and uh, and this was in central Florida when we lived there, and the guy asked, he said, Do you want regular tent or do you want ceramic? And I was like, What's the difference? He's like, There's a big difference, and he showed us like with a heat lamp the difference in the feeling from ceramic than a tent without ceramic. And I was like, Whoa, like I could barely even feel the heat. And I was like, give me the ceramic. And we had the whole thing done. And I remember we would sit in that SUV with leather seats with no tent, and it and it was in the garage. But when we came out, if it sat outside, if we went to the beach, it would be so hot when you get in there. After the ceramic, we barely had to run our air conditioner because it kept it it stayed so much cooler because it kept that heat intensity out of there, it wasn't just you know, just flowing through it. So it was a big difference. So I couldn't even imagine what it would be like in a house.

SPEAKER_02 15:31

Yeah, it's like the same thing, right? You're sitting having your coffee, or you're more reading the paper. If people read papers anymore in the morning, you if there's that special place in your home that you love, but then it's like, oh, I gotta have the shades closed. Yep. At this certain time, I can't sit there, then you eliminate those problems.

Shawna 15:51

Definitely.

Brian 15:52

So I would love to know like what is it that you love the most that you've found like I really enjoyed this part of the business.

SPEAKER_02 15:59

Um, probably doing what we're doing now, just meeting new people. Um, I think no matter what business you're in, you're in the people business. It's like I always kind of joke around, like, business is so easy. Honestly, if you if you like people, you have a good product, and you do a good job, everybody should be happy. And you know, there's no, you know, we've all been in different scenarios or different, you know, lines of work, restaurants, or whatever. There's sometimes there's some people that you can't please, but usually there's something else going on. Um, and I've definitely ran into that. Um but yeah, just just especially being in a new city in this town is like small. This is the smallest town I've ever lived in. So I'm I've always wanted to feel a part of the community. So being able, I feel fortunate that I'm able to own a business here, so I'm in that position, but then I can meet customers on the daily coming in because they're just, you know, people that go to my kids' school, or they're you'll just meet people in the community, and you do a good job, and everybody should be happy. So that's what I'm enjoying about being in a smaller market, is um even though a lot of people know who we are because the previous owner did a really good job, um, there's a little bit of um, it's been a couple years now, but right away, you know, everybody, their loyalty was like to the other owner. Oh, sure. And then it's like, do you guys know what you're doing? And even though a lot of the staff is the same, they're just there's some new faces, and I'm one of the new, yeah newer faces. Um, and I I want it to be all about the employees, anyways. Um, because I'm if I'm doing everything correctly, I'm not probably gonna be the one behind the counter every day meeting the people of Aero Beach, or I might not be doing the installations. Um, but we want to hire everybody, you know, people that hold our same values, which um I'm you know very confident that we have that. So that's what I'm enjoying is just meeting everybody, meeting new business owners, new, you know, auto customers, new residential customers. Yeah. Um, that's sometimes you don't get a chance on the transaction side to really dive deep into like meeting them, but sure at least you'll you know have a nice conversation for a little bit, figuring out what they want, and then um, I guess wherever the conversation goes, yeah, from there.

Brian 18:54

Yeah, I love that. I love that. Yeah, that's what we love too about the community. We've really got to if just doing the podcast, we've got to know so many more people than we normally would have ever have had. Like we've never had that opportunity in a community that we lived in. Like I like we were sharing earlier before we hit record, like most of our neighbors were cows and and like well. So that's not a really interesting podcast.

Shawna 19:16

And uh and this is probably the biggest town we've ever lived in. The biggest, biggest, yeah. Wow, but it's so different because it's got so much more of a community, and like

Growing Fast And Moving To Vero

Shawna 19:28

it seems like small businesses really want to support each other, and it's easier to meet people here the places we lived before. Well, like the town we grew up in, for instance, was like 13,000 people, but it's like I don't know, it's just so decentralized.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

It's like it feels way bigger. I I always will look at is what do they call this sense? I'm like, I don't even know what it says. Let's just say it says 20,000 or 60. I what I whatever. I have no idea. It feels way better. And I get it. We have the influx in the winter, but even in the summer, I'm like, this still seems like a lot more people than maybe it's because like you know, so many people come here too from Sebastian and Fort Pierce.

Shawna 20:07

It's like people kind of flow around in the county. Yeah, yeah, good. So I wonder if that's why.

Brian 20:11

Uh so let's talk it. So let's transition to talk a little bit about your services. You said you guys have been doing this for like 50 years. That's that's that's huge. So uh you've probably got some interesting stories just that you want to learn. You probably have dealt with some shady things, uh, but I'm not gonna let that go.

Shawna 20:27

Yeah, now that he's got it.

Brian 20:29

All right. So uh how did the how did the business begin? Like the beg the business itself.

SPEAKER_02 20:35

Um my father uh uh worked, he was in sales, and I believe he was like selling fire alarms or okay, just something random, right? And then I think the guy he worked for was like really like a go-getter, like a you know, just like mover. I don't just like I don't know what word I'm looking for, but he's always looking for something next. And then he started selling um like mylar, like solar shades, like you came back in the day you'd see at like a gas station. Yeah, and uh over several years it it started out charcoal and beautiful looking, but then it started looking purple, and you probably see a bunch of like old gas stations. Yes, they started selling like shades, like solar shades, and then that kind of led into like window film, window tinning. So he, my dad, actually was a salesperson for that company, and then there was a business. We grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, which is like the home of the male clinic. Um, and we are about an hour and call it an hour, 15 minutes, hour and 30 minutes south of Minneapolis, St. Paul. So then there was a business popped up. Jeez, now back then, I don't know how in the world he would ever probably in like the classified vapor. But anyways, there was a business for sale up there. It was the owner and one install and one employee, and we lived an hour and a half south, and so then my dad wanted to buy it. Um, so he ended up buying it, but we lived an hour and a half away. And my mom's like, well, if you ever get it going, I guess we can move up there. Sure. Um, because then he got a had a non compete, but that was far enough away. So then he started commuting, it was like an hour and a half every single day. And then he I'm one of three, so he we had so the dedication to him to make all those back and forth hour and a half each day. Um, so that's Where it started, he bought that business with one. Well, I guess then it was just him and one guy, um, Chris. He came with the business. Um, uh, so yeah, so it started with him buying an existing business with one person, and now, like I said, up there we have about 45 people in here, you know, call it five or six. Wow.

Shawna 23:04

Did your uh did your parents ever move closer? They he still drives.

SPEAKER_02 23:08

Yeah, so he we never moved. So it just then it just got to the you know, not saying you can't move with little kids because I literally just did it two years ago. But trust me, it's not easy, yeah, easy. You they have their friends, they have their school, they have their teachers, you got your neighbors, got your family. So then he was like, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna, I'll make the sacrifice driving. I won't pull all the kids out of school. So um, yeah, you know, when there wasn't sporting things or when weather wasn't great, he literally just had like a twin bed in his office. He would just sleep up there.

Shawna 23:47

Oh yeah, I didn't even think about that because I mean you get a lot of still up there, right?

SPEAKER_02 23:51

Yeah, and it's a lot of driving no matter what, you know, like you get up there seven in the morning, by the time you get done, it's five or six, and then it's like to do it all over again. Some some days it just made sense for him to crash there, and we didn't have the money to like for him to be buying another house or something.

Brian 24:09

So um wow, yeah, that that's I mean, even like when we lived in Cincinnati the last time, we lived about an hour and a half from where I had to work, and I remember we got to the point I was like, this doesn't make any sense for me to drive. Like we would get hit just a little snowstorm would make that hour and a half drive easily, two hours, two and a half hours. It's like, oh my gosh, by the time I get home, it's gonna be eight o'clock at night. So yeah, it gets dark at four o'clock. Yeah, exactly.

Shawna 24:36

Yeah, it is, it's there's um, it's very different when you're building something like he was, like he's building his own business. You were working for someone else, so you're like, I'm not doing this anymore.

Brian 24:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:47

Yeah, either way, it's rough, right?

Brian 24:49

Yeah. So okay, so so what would you say has been for you as a business, as you know, running this business has been like one of the biggest challenges or lessons for you since you've just been doing this since you were 19?

SPEAKER_02 25:04

Um you need people to grow. You can't do everything yourself. And you know, I'm good with doing anything I need to do, but realistic, you need you need to um I think it's just kind of been I've learned just as we've grown like organically, and you just learn you can't do everything yourself. You need you need people to grow. So um being able to rely on other people. Um and I think I've just gotten smarter like hiring.

Home Window Film Comfort Savings

SPEAKER_02 25:43

That's so big. And it's like I still I still feel young and like I can still do this for a long time, but realistically, you should always be retraining your replacement, no matter what. Yeah. And not saying you're gonna go to a different job or something, but if you want to keep growing, it's fine if somebody takes your position because you're just gonna go to the next. So that's so true. Um, I think just learning, you know, I wish I wouldn't, I wish I would have known a lot more, you know, like early on 10 years ago, yeah, five years ago, two years ago, it's crazy. I'll be like in bed like for two hours, like having conversations like with Chat GPT, or like I've been trying out the what Google Gemini. Oh, yeah, like just having conversations. Because what's interesting is like you you hear people saying it, but like when you're a business owner, like if you don't have a business partner, it's really being and I'm lucky to have partners in the business, but if you're your own business and you're the only if you're the owner, it's lonely at the top, right? Yeah, because like maybe you're just making tough decisions, you don't know what to do. Should I be talking about this? Should I not? Like, I've gotten to the point now of like just full transparency. Like, I don't, and some people might be like, You're too transparent. Like, what do you mean? Like, if we all have a goal and these are our numbers, and like we we got we uh so for me, just like to be clear or just everybody like know what the goal is, what we're trying to do. Um, and I feel now here, I'm kind of still trying to figure it out, like the ebbs and flows of Vero Beach. Like, when do people come in? Those people coming in, are they even customers of mine? You know, like do they really want to get there? When like they got other things to do, go eat, go to coffee shops, do this, go to the beach. Like, oh, like tourists, you mean? Yeah, yeah, or you know, or like with the seasonal people, oh like the snowbirds, right? Oh yeah, so the snowbirds, how many of those snowbirds are really my customer? I don't know, some of them, but yeah, so when the influx comes in, like we're I don't think we're really like crazy affected by it. Yeah, yeah.

Shawna 28:08

I could see that also.

SPEAKER_02 28:09

So just the challenges of just you know, being open to learning, yeah, and like you know, yeah, that's so cool.

Brian 28:18

Yeah, I I think that's that's very uh it's very insightful too because to to learn about everybody's like your audio, your target audience is different here in Vero and still learning like again, like from the people that's you know, the snowbirds that come in. I never really thought about it from your perspective of that business. Because you know, we we've interviewed restaurant owners and they're like, you know, they love it when the snowbirds come in because it brings in so much more business when they're gone. It's it can be a very difficult season. Like we found out they used to, I think some places still do, but they used to close down like a lot of the businesses for like what the whole month of September September because there would be such little business because all the snowbirds were gone.

SPEAKER_02 29:00

And all the local travel warm and kids are out of school. That's why I'm my old business partner would always be like, high tides float all boats, like you know, all the time. He'd always be saying that. And it's like so I whenever I'm like online or something, like the local pages, you know, it's like when people like talk bad about the snowbirds or like I get it, you've lived here all your life, you don't like all these people coming in, but realistically, like we need we need that commerce to grow. And if you're a small business owner, no matter what business you're in, we the city needs to grow so everybody can grow with what they're doing, yeah. Um, because if you know, if we're just slim pickings, there's not there's not enough to go around. So I'm I'm the opposite, you know. I get it. I don't I don't I don't want to live in Miami or in a crazy Fort Lauderdale, but we're very far. Yeah, we're a long ways away from worrying, in my opinion. I know there's already somebody watching right now. No, yeah, like yeah.

Brian 30:11

Oh no, that I think that's so good. Okay, so when we talk, let's talk a little bit about your services because you have a lot of services that you guys offer. Uh, you have from when I was looking on your website, you had auto and residential tent, which we've talked a little bit about already. I guess some questions about that, and I'm sure you do too. Uh, the protection film, the graphics, and then the expel. Is that you, is that how you say that?

SPEAKER_02 30:34

Yeah, so the the expel is like our main line of main main manufacturer line of products that we so um on the automotive side, we feel like expo has like the best automotive um products, and then on the residential setting, um, hopefully our my expo rep isn't listening to this, but I feel like the 3M and our Solar Guard, I always like, what do I feel like is the best? Like, yeah, I will we can buy any type of product we want. So what what do I feel is the best? And on the automotive side, I feel like Expel's the best. Residential and commercial, we use both 3M and Solar Guard just because they all have different offerings. Um, but we do carry the the best products. So the days of a $200 tint job for us, it's just it's that yeah, you know, it's hot here. I don't want to see you in two years or a year when your film's all purple and bubbled up.

Brian 31:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:36

Um, you know, we're gonna carry the best products, which are a little bit more expensive, but you're gonna get a really good product, and then I'll see you when you get your next vehicle. Yes, exactly.

Shawna 31:45

It's so worth it to pay for the quality. Just from our personal experience, we know that.

Brian 31:51

So let's talk about the uh okay. So I want to go back to that, the the residential tent. So I had some questions there because one of the things that I've always well, I know is a big thing of Shauna because I'm like, I've always thought it was like it'd be good to get the windows tinted some. Uh, but then she thinks about house plants. So, like, how does that affect house plants?

SPEAKER_02 32:08

They can still grow perfectly. Yeah, good.

Shawna 32:11

Yeah, okay, because I mean, you see, I need my plants to have some light. That is what I told them at our last place. So it was like tinting is not an option for us.

SPEAKER_02 32:19

Yeah, if you Google it, it'll tell you they're all fine. There's like a different type of like UV light, or uh they can still thrive. Good, for sure.

Brian 32:29

That's one thing, yeah. Because the last place we had was upstairs, everything was upstairs, and we had windows everywhere, and it like she had plants everywhere, and it was all based off of that natural light. But I was it was so hot, and I was like, if we could tennis, they done greenhouses.

Hiring Trust And Owner Challenges

SPEAKER_02 32:44

Like, I I don't know if the name, but it's a big name in the Midwest, like Bachman's, like Bachman's floral. Oh wow, anyways, we did their entire um green room. I'm not sure honestly why, but it must have just been too bright maybe um for the employees or whatever. So, but yeah, yeah.

Shawna 33:03

Also, some plants need more of a filtered light too.

SPEAKER_02 33:05

So maybe it was even so they don't maybe burn or yeah, so they don't burn exactly. Yeah, on the automotive tinning, we have three products. Um, I call like a good, better, best scenario. And I always tell people they're all great, like we're we're hand selecting these, which we feel out of all these manufacturers, what are the three best products? So no matter what you purchase, like you can leave happy and excited. So if you go with our standard film, which is $289 versus the one the very top tier, that's like $549, or it's still great. Don't feel like you're getting like a bad product. It's just if you plan on having your car for a good amount of time, or you literally really have a hard time with the sun, go with the more expensive one. Um, but some people trade their cars like so fast, like within a year. I'm serious. Like I've tinted this one customer's his fleet, he always switches them out, and honestly, four or five months later, that car will be gone. You'll get a new one. That car will be gone. So for him, he probably doesn't need the the best one, but maybe you're getting into a lease and you're like, gosh, I don't want to put too much money into this. Um, so for this price, it's perfect. Um, but if you want a ton of heat in infrared rejection, you could go one way. If you're like, hey, I just need some tint, I don't want to go with Joe Blow down the street, that's operating. Yeah. And I, you know, I always kind of tell people too that if you're making a decision, I know maybe not everyone has the time, but go visit too. You can make three phone calls, but go to those three shops and go inside and see their facility. Is it clean? Are they knowledgeable? Um, you'll you can sometimes you could have the best, you know, that's script over a phone, and then you go in and like you would never leave your car there.

Shawna 35:18

I love the confidence of saying, like, go check out three other shops or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 35:22

Well, that's what we really put a lot of pride into, and that's what I really wanted to accomplish when I came here is to have the best facility for both a uh like our staff, yeah, and then for our customers. Because I always it's kind of weird, but like I always look through things like through like a woman's lens, or like if I'm married, but I'd always say, Well, if I'm dating this girl, like would her mom want to come to my shop? You know, you're like trying to impress the mother-in-law or something. It's like so. I always look through like a woman's as far as design and like comfortability. Um, like, hey, you can sit here, have a coffee. Like, maybe you don't want to wait two to three hours, but you're more than welcome to. Like, maybe your spouse is annoying you and you just want to get out of the house.

Brian 36:17

You're like, this seems more relaxing, not like it's creepy and I want to get out of here.

SPEAKER_02 36:20

Yeah, yeah, exactly. But yeah, you can come and hang um if you want. But yeah, as far as you know, when you're shopping, if you have the time, go check out all of them. Such good, especially if your wife or your daughter or somebody or your kid has to drop the car off, or maybe they have to wait, like they shouldn't have to feel like they need to take a shower when they get home because because they save 50 bucks. Yeah, that's good.

Brian 36:46

Yeah, that's good. I love that. And we know people that have like that have gone cheaper routes, and then all of a sudden they have problems with their tent, it's bubbling, it's not staying on right, and we've seen that. Uh, so that's that's really smart to go out and visit those places. Uh, this is this has been great. So, okay, before we get into the community part, I want to ask you a couple things about what you love about this area. So you said you've been here for two years, is that correct? So I'm sure there's some places that we always like to learn from other people in the community. What are some of your favorite places and things to do? Uh, but before we go into that, uh, real quickly, what's the best ways for people to reach out to uh to solar solutions to learn more? And not about solar panels.

SPEAKER_02 37:27

Yeah, no, just window tuning. Um, I think any of our socials are really responsive. If you just, I'm assuming if you're listening to a podcast, you probably have your phone pulled up, um, you know, Facebook, Instagram, um, or just you know, find our number and give us a call. We're open Monday through Friday. Um, obviously the internet's open 24 hours a day. So if you want to send an inquiry, you can just send that and we'll get right back to you.

Brian 37:55

Awesome. And you guys have a website too?

SPEAKER_02 37:57

Yep.

Brian 37:58

Yeah. Do you know what that is?

SPEAKER_02 37:59

Um, Solar Solutions Vero.com.

Brian 38:02

Awesome, awesome. So definitely check that out. And uh, okay, so about the community. I know this is one of Shauna's favorite parts here too. And I did notice on your site you said that you guys are deep roots in the community. So I'm like, all right, this is great, this is great to talk about. Uh, what what have you learned to love about Vero Beach, the area here in the community?

SPEAKER_02 38:23

Um, I think it definitely like again, it's like the smallest town I lived in. So I've always wanted to live in a small town. So it's been fun meeting our customers. Um I pretty much coach all my kids' sporting teams. So basketball or football have been my two.

Picking The Right Film And Shop

SPEAKER_02 38:43

So just meeting people through the sports community because man, there's been some coaches in my life that have impacted me, and like I love kids, and it you know, it's all about having fun. So um I've enjoyed, you know, meeting the kids and stuff in the community. Um, we do a lot of law enforcement vehicles here, and unfortunately, from the time I've lived here, there's been some pretty tragic things happening, shootings. Like, I think honestly, every fatality that has happened here since I've been here, they've been a customer of ours. Oh wow, yeah. Even the people, those two people that just got shot, they were both customers. One on the Friday before, and the other one like a week or two, like the Monday. Like I pulled her car around. I remember talking to her. Um, again, in a small community, it's like, oh my gosh, like that that guy was in here on Friday. And it's like, holy cow, it's like one minute you're here, the next you're not. Yeah, again, you think you're having a bad day. It's like, yeah, hey, we're not having a bad day, we're here. Um, so yeah, uh just meeting the you know, people, and I guess for me, it's like um obviously when you're in business, you want to have a successful business and stuff like that. But for me, it's more of like the impact of like how can I change the community? Yeah, I think I'll figure that out as we go. Like, I'm a big dog lover too, so I want to get involved with more like dog rescue organizations and do um like a fundraiser. Let's just say the month of November, come in, get your car tinted. Oh, it's this thing, you know. I'm I'm thinking like what you know, a percentage of your sale will be donated to dog rescue group, or you know, maybe with what I'm just talking about now is something law enforcement. Like, hey, yeah, if you're in law enforcement or have somebody that you love in law enforcement, um, this month we're gonna so I'm excited to do like drives like that, which A obviously brings us business, yeah, but then it a portion of that gets donated to that nonprofit. Yeah. So I'm hoping forward to doing stuff like that.

Brian 41:09

That's awesome. Yeah, if you got whenever you guys get to that point, keep us posted so that way we can let the listeners know and yeah, we can also put it on our Instagram too. Yeah, so we would love to be able to do that and help you guys out too. So yeah, that's cool.

Shawna 41:20

Uh do you have any favorite um restaurants or like places to hang out in town?

SPEAKER_02 41:25

I make my own coffee in the morning, but I'm iced coffee all the way all afternoon. It's like my pick-me-up because after, you know, once four or five o'clock hits, like, well, the second part of my day is now starting. I get to either go home and deal with them or I got a sport to coach. So um coffee shops, like tribe coffee's super good. So good. Um, I've been going to the, you know, something's pretty close. I've been um going to I kind of rotate um depending where I am, but tribe coffee, sweet desires have you been over there. I love that. Um, and then I go to the the um uh Coco Rio or Rio Coco. Yep, um, as well as the coffee house for if we're doing toy, I'm all over.

Brian 42:11

We have so many options that we're gonna do.

SPEAKER_02 42:12

We do have a lot of so so I definitely get coffee time because it's like during the day and I can control that. Um if me and my wife go out to dinner, which really has not been much, but um good sushi I've had at the Mai Thai Bistro. Yes. Um, I tinted all their windows so they're a customer, so then definitely was blown away by their food.

Shawna 42:37

Oh, yeah, we love it there too.

SPEAKER_02 42:38

The citrus grill, I've always had good meals there. Their burger is good, and like the steak I get, they like finely cut up the steak and mashed potatoes, and we we just ate there two weeks ago, I think it was, and we were blown away. Yeah, pretty good. What the place uh on US1, what is that? Like you're going to Sebastian.

Shawna 43:00

It's like um oh, chilling grill. Chilling grill, yeah. We haven't been there yet.

SPEAKER_02 43:04

I brought my kids there and they were great. Um, they didn't have any lemonade, which I thought was weird. Um but and we don't really let our kids drink soda, so it's like, oh shoot, yeah, water for you.

Shawna 43:17

But um They're like, we're at a restaurant, we're supposed to get something home.

SPEAKER_02 43:20

I'm every one of my kids ate all of their food. Wow, and that's huge. So and I had like a good shrimp and like um linguini like dish. So it was good. And then uh I pick up like I'm always kind of on the move, so like Penny Hill subs.

Local Favorites Giving Back Closing

Shawna 43:38

Oh, we haven't had that yet.

SPEAKER_02 43:40

They're right off 12th Street in Old Dixie. Okay, so yeah, that's a good one. We'll have to try that out sometime.

Shawna 43:45

Yeah, definitely. So if someone listening has never heard of your business or never tried, like never had any window tinting, what would you want them to know?

SPEAKER_02 43:54

Um, it's in my opinion, very affordable and for what it does, right? Whether it's your home or car. And there's no um such thing as a bad or a dumb question. I think my fourth grade teacher like told me there's no such thing as a bad, a dumb question or something. So um just ask questions and like we'll definitely be able to answer all those questions for you. I always tell people it's like it's just window film, okay? I've never had anybody hate it, but for some reason you like, you don't like it, and we have to take it off or something, just don't worry about it. We can take it off, I'll get you reimbursed. Um, it's not the end of the world, right? There's a lot more things that we should be worrying about than when so it's it's it's a very simple process. It's call it a couple hours for your vehicle. You're more than welcome to wait. Um, set up a ride, go have lunch, go have coffee with a friend, catch up, and then come back at the end of the day and it'll be ready.

Brian 45:01

That's awesome.

Shawna 45:01

That's awesome. Well, yeah, it's been so great talking to you.

Brian 45:04

Yeah, thank you again for being on the podcast. We really enjoyed it. And everybody, if you guys have enjoyed this episode, make sure you leave a review. That will help other people here in your local community and bureau find your local podcast.

Shawna 45:17

So with that, catch you next time, neighbor.