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Welcome to another inspiring episode of Celebrating Small Family Businesses! Today we’re featuring Sugar and Spice in Las Vegas – a family business with a powerful mission that creates gourmet chocolate-coated peanut butter balls.

We had the pleasure of chatting with the Long family: Sheri and John Long, along with their children Aston, Keilani, and Alexis. What started as a teacher’s side hustle in Southern California has grown into an award-winning Las Vegas chocolatier that provides meaningful employment opportunities for foster youth who have aged out of the system and individuals with developmental disabilities.

Key Highlights:

  • ๐Ÿ† Gold Winner – Best of Las Vegas 2024 Chocolatier (3 years running!)
  • ๐ŸŽฏ Mission-Driven Business – Employing foster youth and individuals with autism
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆ True Family Teamwork – Each family member has found their unique role
  • ๐Ÿˆ Surprise Ending – How they won Super Bowl tickets!
  • โ˜• Big Dreams – Their goal to get into Starbucks nationwide

This episode showcases the power of family teamwork, the importance of having a mission beyond profit, and how a small business can make a big impact in their community. Whether you’re a family business owner or just love inspiring entrepreneurship stories, this episode has something for everyone!

Timestamps:

  • [00:00:00] Introduction and welcome
  • [00:01:00] The origin story – from teacher side hustle to full-time business
  • [00:02:00] Starting in Nevada right before COVID
  • [00:04:00] Awards and recognition, including Best of Las Vegas
  • [00:05:00] What they love about working as a family
  • [00:09:00] How each family member discovered their strengths
  • [00:13:00] The importance of making participation a choice
  • [00:18:00] How Sheri’s teaching background helped
  • [00:21:00] Overcoming their biggest challenge – COVID
  • [00:28:00] Corporate gifts and cross-promotion strategies
  • [00:33:00] Super Bowl and F1 opportunities in Las Vegas
  • [00:35:00] The viral Super Bowl ticket surprise video
  • [00:36:00] Future plans and expansion goals
  • [00:42:00] Celebrating small wins on the path to big dreams
  • [00:44:00] Advice for other family businesses
  • [00:45:00] Where to find Sugar and Spice

Connect with Sugar and Spice Las Vegas:

  • Instagram: @sugarandspicelasvegas (their biggest platform)
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sugarandspicesales/#
  • TikTok: @sugarandspicelasvegas
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sugarandspicesaleslasvegas/
  • Website: https://sugarandspicelasvegas.com

Products:

Gourmet chocolate peanut butter balls available in 4-count and 12-count boxes, featuring smooth chocolate coating with a “surprise crunch” inside. Available at various locations throughout Las Vegas, Reno, Mesquite, and expanding to Texas and Manhattan!

Transcript
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John and Connie: Hi, and welcome to another episode of Celebrating

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Small Family Businesses.

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Today we are celebrating Sugar and Spice in Las Vegas, and

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we have Sherry and John Long.

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And then we have their kids, Aston, Keilani, and Alexis.

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Welcome guys!

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How are you doing?

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Sheri and John Long: Good.

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Keilani and Alexis: Thank you.

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Sheri and John Long: Fabulous.

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Glad to be.

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John and Connie: We are so glad to have you guys here with us.

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So, who wants to tell us the story of the, I I'm guessing it's

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probably gotta be Sherry, but how did the business get started?

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Like where, where did Sugar and Spice come from?

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Sheri and John Long: Sugar and Spice began as a teacher side

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hustle in Southern California.

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Um, at the time I was working with at-risk high school students.

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I was working with these kids out of the classroom, so they were in an

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alternative high school diploma program.

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And I was working to help these kids find housing, find jobs, set up bank accounts.

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What I discovered while I was working with these kids is the majority of them

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were foster youth that had aged out of the system at age 18, and they kind of were

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left to their own devices at that point.

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So when we left Southern California and moved to Nevada and this teacher side

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hustle became a full-time endeavor, I opened it with the intent to bring

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those kids in and hire those kids.

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So since then we've pulled, we've worked with different organizations

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and workforce development programs, and I have kids come in that are

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foster youth that have aged out.

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And many of them also have developmental disabilities, a lot of them, most

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of them on the autism spectrum.

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John and Connie: Right.

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Sheri and John Long: So it's, it's been a. It's been, well, that was

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John and Connie: Wonderful.

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What a mission.

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Wow.

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And right before Covid.

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Sheri and John Long: and right before Covid.

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Exactly.

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That was a whole story in and of itself.

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Okay.

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Yeah.

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John and Connie: And your, your primary product is peanut butter

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balls that are coated in chocolate.

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Is that right?

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Sheri and John Long: We do gourmet chocolate peanut

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butter balls in two sizes.

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We have four count boxes and 12 count boxes.

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People always ask if, is that all you do?

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And it is.

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I I always say we are a one product operation.

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However, um, Keilani and I did did do some r and d and try different flavors and, um.

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The general consensus was that they were liked.

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Um, it's just a matter of the time to perfect it and reprint boxes

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and ingredient labels and whatnot.

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So we did add some flavors.

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Um, Keilani, we did butter, rum, banana,

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Keilani and Alexis: And peanut butter, which actually went quite well with it.

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Sheri and John Long: coffee,

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Keilani and Alexis: Uhhuh?

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Sheri and John Long: and we did, um, we added a protein powder to, to try it out.

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Um.

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And they were liked.

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It's just, it's just the time involved.

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It's, you know, there's only so many hours in the day, and so, so right now they're

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just straight up peanut butter balls.

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They have a chocolate, smooth chocolate on the outside, and we always say

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surprise crunch on the inside.

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I.

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John and Connie: Ah.

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All right.

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Well, I think you've won some awards too.

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I remember from your website you've won several awards in the, in the Las

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Vegas area for best of this and that.

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Right?

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Sheri and John Long: Yeah, just this past Saturday they announced,

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category, so that was exciting.

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Um, we're three years running now for best of Las Vegas, and you know, it's.

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It's humbling when a small business wins and we've got other larger

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candy locations, um, all over.

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So that was exciting.

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And in this town it's huge bragging rights.

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So yeah, that was really fun.

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It comes out and it's a big deal.

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Everyone looks to see who won for this year, and so we are

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best of Las Vegas chocolatier.

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John and Connie: Wonderful.

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Cool.

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Sheri and John Long: The award that I won for the local autism foundation.

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Um, we were recognized as the community partner, in working with

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their workforce development program and bringing in the, the kids with

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autism to work in our program.

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So that was, that was exciting.

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Um, I've, I received a, a grant for training from, uh,

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manufacturer Nevada recently.

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So they're working with me on, um, we're doing some sales and marketing and some

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financial training and pulling QuickBooks, which is completely foreign to me.

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Um, so yeah, so there's been, been quite a bit.

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It's, it's been exciting.

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John and Connie: That is fantastic.

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Well, so, so our, know, big question since we're talking about

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family business is what do you love about working with family?

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And we got a lot of voices here, so who wants to start?

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Keilani and Alexis: Um, I'll

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Sheri and John Long: I'll start.

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I,

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John and Connie: Yes, sir.

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Sheri and John Long: oh, excuse me.

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Either the princess or the, uh, the one with the different hats here can go.

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Do you wanna go first then?

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Keilani, Keilani.

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Go for it.

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Keilani and Alexis: Um,

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Sheri and John Long: Okay.

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Go ahead.

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Keilani and Alexis: a lot of time to like bond together when we're working.

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We just like, I mean, we'll just be talking and I feel like even though

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we're already family, like we get to know each other better and like stay caught

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up with each other's lives and stuff.

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And we'll play like little games while we're working and stuff.

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And it's really fun in that sense.

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We've got a shared curated playlist that has everyone's music taste, um, that's

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usually playing in the background.

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Mm-hmm.

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Sheri and John Long: Yeah, I, I, I think so too.

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Like, it, it's created a lot of time where we'll be across from each other and the,

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and we're in a, a big commercial kitchen space, but we're across from each other at

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the, the tables and conversations happen.

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Keilani and Alexis: Okay.

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Sheri and John Long: know, you're making peanut butter balls and there's

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a lot of conversation that happens.

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Well, and on, on my end, I think, uh, being able to pull together and be a, a

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part of the success through the business.

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Starting out in the very beginning, learning how to fold the boxes, which

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boxes are gonna work, all the research or the research and development that,

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you know, my wife Sherry had to go through and what about this one and this?

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And so we knew how to do this one and then we knew how to do another one.

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And as it evolved and as the product was starting to change and get

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dynamic and then making a commercial kitchen out of rented space and going

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through the process of that and doing the floors that were acceptable and

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passing inspection and investing all that time and effort into it.

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And then seeing all the fruit of the labor coming into, well now I walk

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into the kitchen and she has this workforce and they're just knocking

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this out and the people are in the commercial kitchen and you see the

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joy that they are achieving a lot.

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And it warms your heart to see that these young individuals are working

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in an employed state and they're, you know, they're being compensated as well.

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And the, the feeling of being able to be successful in their endeavor and

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then see what the finished product is.

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It's very nice to see that.

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I drop in from time to time when my delivery boy hat goes on.

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Um, when it's not the IT, which, you know, we've been having difficulties on

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our internet, but, um, you know, I do the, the financial things and a whole

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variety of things, but seeing what it takes to pull it together and I think

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as a family to be able to do that for each other and for, you know, mama.

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And seeing the success that follows along with it and what

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we have for hopes in the future.

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I, I think it's a very pleasant, uh, experience for our children

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and to see how a business grows.

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And our children are very much the go-getters in life, and they

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are looking to have successful careers in their fields as well.

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So I think it's a, a beautiful example of how the good work, um,

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pulls together and there's a lot of reward involved with it as well.

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Keilani and Alexis: I completely agree

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John and Connie: well said.

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Keilani and Alexis: She's, um, she's a good influence on how to run a business

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and deal with other people and stuff.

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And I will say when we have to, you know, combat, you know, hurdles that

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come our way, being able to have so many different perspectives, um, helps with

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troubleshooting and we were able to bounce ideas off each other and well, you know,

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I'm thinking, what about if we try this?

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Well, I actually was thinking this.

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And that's been very helpful just to have us all as a family in that sense as well.

Aston:

I

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: I think we, I think everybody's paid attention

Aston:

to things that, um, you wouldn't normally pay attention to either.

Aston:

You know, like the kids open, what, when it was, when we were trying to

Aston:

master the box, the kids would open a pizza box and they'd be like, well,

Aston:

mom, what about if we made it like this?

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Or, you know, just

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that you never really paid attention to.

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They'd say they'd come home with saved boxes, you know, a cookie box and like,

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well, I looked at this box, or, or, Aston was at a Starbucks and, and took a

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picture of something and sent it to me.

Aston:

So things that you wouldn't even normally pay attention to, I think as

Aston:

a whole, we kind of look at how things are designed in a whole new light too.

Aston:

John and Connie: Cool.

Aston:

Aston, you were trying to get in there.

Aston:

Yeah, I just, I wanted to talk about how like, one of the coolest

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things I think, at least for me is to, I mean, we've been in this for

Aston:

such a long time now, to look back and, and just see how far we've come.

Aston:

You know, we're always constantly working so hard and, and to kind of just stop

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the moments where, you know, like, like the kitchen for example, you know, we

Aston:

walk into the kitchen and you see a, a whole factory line and, and these kids

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are hard at work and it's like, you know, years ago this was just an empty

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building and we kind of built all of it.

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And it's just to, to, to kind of step back and watch everything and really see

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what we've built, I feel like is one of the coolest, coolest parts of it all.

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Sheri and John Long: And I will say they point that out to me a lot

Aston:

because I'm so, in the moment they'll be like, mom, this is your kitchen.

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Like, you know, this is like, look.

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And, and so sometimes I have to step back 'cause they'll walk in and just

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kind of look around and, and sort of, um.

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You know, this, this is your, this is, this is, this is our space here.

Aston:

Like, so sometimes it, it, it kind of, I'm just so like, go, go, go get it done.

Aston:

Focus on what?

Aston:

That they sort of sometimes bring me down and, you know, look at, look at

Aston:

what, look at what we've created here.

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah.

Aston:

Measuring progress, you

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

John and Connie: living, being, I mean, being present, like being in the moment.

Aston:

Yeah, you gotta.

Aston:

To do that, to get it done, but, but how will you appreciating what

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you've come, how you measuring Yeah.

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Measuring that progress and appreciating it.

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Keilani and Alexis: important.

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John and Connie: Yes,

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Sheri and John Long: Say that again, Keilani

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Keilani and Alexis: And realizing how much you've accomplished is important too.

Aston:

John and Connie: Mm-hmm.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

Just recently, AJ has, AJ has recently stepped up into the sales market as well.

Aston:

Some of the local contacts here, bigger companies, uh, Aston is developing a

Aston:

nice way of presenting a sales pitch and being able to go in as the closer

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when my wife gets the clientele and he's able to, uh, draw them in further

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and, and get an opportunity for a trial.

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And, um, so he's contributing more and more on that end.

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So it's nice to have the businessman in the setting as well.

Aston:

I think everyone kind of, it's, it's been a, a learning experience in that everyone

Aston:

kind of has their role and, and their strengths and, you know, when you're,

Aston:

when you're running the whole show and.

Aston:

Um, you know, Kay Keilani has this brain that can look at a flat template

Aston:

of a box and figure out what it'll do when once it's folded, my mind

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does not, does not work like this.

Aston:

So I would get these templates from the printer and I'd be lost, and she

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would look at it and say, no, you need to have this, this, and this,

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and these tabs, and then it'll fold.

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And okay, I'd send it back and they'd send me something else

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and I'd be like, how about this?

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And she'd be like, no, but this piece needs to, whereas

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my brain doesn't do that.

Aston:

So I'm like, you, you're the director of packaging, you know?

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Um,

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John and Connie: you go.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: work together and benefit each other in that way too.

Aston:

Like we have different minds, so we see different things.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: definitely.

Aston:

John and Connie: Um.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Um, I am not a social media guru and I know that social

Aston:

media is huge and I look at Instagram and just wanna start crying half the time.

Aston:

So I'll send Alexis things and say, can you put this on there

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and share this and tag this?

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And, you know.

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And she's, and I'm like, okay, we now have the manager of social media and then, you

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know, it comes to sales and I'm, I'm kind of hemming and hawing and I can't get, you

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know, I can't get something in a location.

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And I'll tell Aston, "Okay, call him, you know, make it happen."

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And he will get off the phone and say, okay, go deliver tomorrow.

Aston:

You know?

Aston:

So I, I think we all kind of have our strengths and we've put those into

Aston:

play and it's been very, very helpful.

Aston:

John and Connie: And did you know those strengths beforehand or did you kind

Aston:

of figure them out on the fly as, as you had problems to solve together?

Aston:

I think more than ever we kind of had no choice.

Aston:

It was sort of brought out of us.

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So even

Aston:

I

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Sheri and John Long: pulled it out.

Aston:

we had these, these, um, you know, strengths before this, I mean, especially.

Aston:

Just, just growing up, we've, I mean, we were younger when the business

Aston:

started, but I think kind of having no choice but to look at each other's

Aston:

perspectives, and even though we might all be part of the same family,

Aston:

we we're very different people.

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So when we all kind of come together, we, we have no choice

Aston:

but to sort of rely on each other in the, in the areas that we lack.

Aston:

And it kind of just brings us all up together.

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Sheri and John Long: I, I think working, working as a family.

Aston:

Uh, let me just add this sweetie, and then you can go.

Aston:

Uh, I think working as a family syntax is very important because initially

Aston:

it wasn't, would you like to go to the kitchen and help me today?

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It's, you'll be going to the kitchen and helping me today.

Aston:

No, I always made it a choice.

Aston:

I never did that.

Aston:

I always made it a choice.

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I always, and I did that on purpose because I never wanted it to

Aston:

be a, a, a resentful situation.

Aston:

Like, I have to go work for my mom, or I have to do this.

Aston:

So it was always made, I always made it an option or a choice.

Aston:

And I think that is what also pulled out strengths because, um, Keilani

Aston:

was the one that chose to come to the kitchen and do the, the physical, you

Aston:

know, the physical creation of, of, of a product while Alexis did the behind

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the scenes and AJ's the people person.

Aston:

So I always made it.

Aston:

Um, a a choice of, you know, do you wanna do this?

Aston:

Do you wanna do that?

Aston:

Um, now sometimes I'm like, okay, now I really need you to call

Aston:

and get this location and close the, close the sale, you know?

Aston:

Um, but they're also older now, so I think they, they see it,

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you know, they get it more now.

Aston:

Um.

Aston:

And then, you know, when the computer breaks, the IT guy steps in and, you know,

Aston:

um, when there's plumbing issues, the plumber comes, arrives at the kitchen and

Aston:

you know, and then of course we're coming at the end of the year, so taxes are due.

Aston:

So the accountant is here.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: And I'd

Aston:

John and Connie: it's a lot of hats.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: allows us to like combine our strengths

Aston:

and work together like that.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

John and Connie: how do you, when you say combine, um, you mean, uh,

Aston:

in, in a general sense, or do you mean like, like something to do?

Aston:

Maybe like the boxes where you, you found a way to combine that way?

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: I'd say like we each kind of have our

Aston:

own section of the business.

Aston:

So like she said, like I'm the packaging manager, Aston does the sales.

Aston:

Alexis is like the

Aston:

John and Connie: You can froze, sweetie.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: So

Aston:

John and Connie: There we go.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: we can all, um, like work together to make

Aston:

it a whole and succeed like that.

Aston:

I think it, it kind of goes both ways with that, because if you look

Aston:

at the business as a whole without.

Aston:

Each of us, I feel like we're all kind of crucial in our own way.

Aston:

So the business would suffer a lot without each of our strengths, but

Aston:

then also with individual things, like sometimes Keilani and I will be

Aston:

trying to find a more efficient way to do this or that, and I can't figure

Aston:

it out and she can't figure it out.

Aston:

And then when we sit down together and look at something, our strengths

Aston:

kind of come together on, on something in like a smaller aspect as well.

Aston:

So it kind of goes both ways.

Aston:

John and Connie: Nice.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: a good point.

Aston:

John and Connie: that's what I was wondering.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

So, um, hopefully all these things that you're figuring out and documenting,

Aston:

uh, that you're documenting them also that, 'cause someday you're

Aston:

gonna, need to replace yourself.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Right.

Aston:

John and Connie: on to something else,

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Well, and....

Aston:

With the, with the boxes in that.

Aston:

I always told the kids, you know, when it, when it gets into the big factory and you

Aston:

know, you're in the supervisory position, I say, Keilani can walk up there and

Aston:

say, oh, it's a little bit more efficient if you do it this way, because she's

Aston:

learned everything from the ground up.

Aston:

Right?

Aston:

I mean, that makes a great manager if you've done all the jobs yourself and

Aston:

you know exactly what it is and, and what the little tweaks and tricks are,

Aston:

and I think to what AJ said, I think you think of things , you know, different

Aston:

people think of different things.

Aston:

For example, he, he called one location to see if they would

Aston:

take product and sell them.

Aston:

And they kind of hemmed and hawed, oh, we're not interested.

Aston:

You know, we're not really sure.

Aston:

And had I been on the phone, I would've said, okay, well maybe you know,

Aston:

another time and gotten off the phone, put my tail between my legs and left.

Aston:

And, you know, when they came back with, you know, we're not, we're not

Aston:

really sure we want peanut products.

Aston:

He was so quick on his feet and said, "Well, you know, I have noticed that

Aston:

you have Reese's and Snickers and both of those are peanut products."

Aston:

You know, and that was such like, I can't even think that fast.

Aston:

So when, so I think it's just different thoughts and different

Aston:

brains and, you know, you just think differently and it comes together

Aston:

and, and really creates something.

Aston:

John and Connie: What'd you say, Keilani?

Aston:

I missed you.

Aston:

I missed it.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: A hundred percent.

Aston:

I totally agree with that.

Aston:

John and Connie: Oh.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

John and Connie: Oh, that's what teamwork!

Aston:

Exactly.

Aston:

I mean, the fact that you guys have just kind of figured this out naturally.

Aston:

You know, some families go decades and they don't figure this out and, , getting

Aston:

the roles right, getting the roles straight and, and figuring out strengths

Aston:

and so my hat's off to, to y'all.

Aston:

This is fabulous and letting each other grow where you need to grow.

Aston:

That's

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: And I think it's.

Aston:

John and Connie: to you two.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

Does your teacher background, Sherry, does your teacher background really, um,

Aston:

did it really lend itself well to, to bringing your kids into the business?

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Oh, tremendously.

Aston:

Tremendously.

Aston:

I think I pulled them in probably the same way I would teach is like, you we're

Aston:

gonna find your strength and we're gonna, we're gonna focus on your strength.

Aston:

Um, I think when I was teaching, I also.

Aston:

I don't wanna say I made learning a choice, 'cause you know, these

Aston:

kids are forced to go to school and they have to be there.

Aston:

But I had a way of making my students responsible for their learning.

Aston:

And I would say that with my own kids, um, making it a choice and,

Aston:

and having them see their strengths and realize that they're good at

Aston:

this or they're good at that and they can really benefit the business.

Aston:

Um.

Aston:

I think was definitely a teacher background.

Aston:

Yeah, for sure.

Aston:

And I think it's helped them in other ways.

Aston:

Alexis has gone on, with working with marketing and in, with Sugar and Spice.

Aston:

She's gone on and created, she's in the process of creating a group

Aston:

on her college campus right now.

Aston:

Completely unrelated, but still with the background that she learned

Aston:

or, or took with her to, to school.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: And you being a teacher.

Aston:

You definitely taught us leadership, like to take control when no one else will.

Aston:

That's a big, aspect that you pass down to us.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah, yeah.

Aston:

To, to kind of take the bull by the horns and make something happen.

Aston:

Um, and I think all three of my kids have, have seen that.

Aston:

And, and that's, I mean, I think part of it's probably personality, but I think

Aston:

a lot of it kinda came out in a step back and teach kind of mode as well.

Aston:

Um, you know, Aston's working right now and, and like John said, he's doing sales

Aston:

and I think it sort of transfers over.

Aston:

Um, so I think they've been able to take what they've learned and kind of

Aston:

put it in areas of their own lives too.

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah, when you can learn and, and take some risks and

Aston:

make mistakes and it's still okay , and it's safe, then you know, you,

Aston:

you have much more self-confidence.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

John and Connie: to try new things and to, to transfer those skills.

Aston:

'cause there's so much transferable skills I'm hearing here that, you

Aston:

know, just goes on in other areas of life and other businesses.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Do I miss the classroom?

Aston:

No.

Aston:

Will I ever go back to teaching?

Aston:

No, but I, I always joke that my classroom has morphed into a large commercial

Aston:

kitchen and it's still happening, so.

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: We still have an educator in the works.

Aston:

I'm on my year 31 of teaching, so I keep talking to the boss

Aston:

over here who, you know, supplies my, my big paychecks for me.

Aston:

When are we gonna explode so I can get into retirement mode for my first

Aston:

occupation and get in here full time.

Aston:

John and Connie: Cool.

Aston:

One of our questions that we like to ask is about a challenge you've overcome and,

Aston:

and you talked about the little growing pains, but you had a pretty big challenge

Aston:

a few years ago with Covid, and you guys are in a food manufacturing plant.

Aston:

So tell us about how you weathered that storm.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: So I actually couldn't even think of a challenge and

Aston:

Keilani said, you know, Keilani was like, I think it was when, when Covid

Aston:

was around, I had Covid very, I was down for six weeks, completely down.

Aston:

Um, probably should have been hospitalized, but I wasn't.

Aston:

I was quarantined to the upstairs bedroom.

Aston:

Um.

Aston:

So for six weeks I was not in production.

Aston:

I was not doing invoicing.

Aston:

I mean, I couldn't even get out of bed.

Aston:

It was, it was a, it was a challenge just to walk to the bathroom.

Aston:

So they took over.

Aston:

Alexis you did the balls.

Aston:

Keilani was helping with the balls and the packaging.

Aston:

AJ was making boxes.

Aston:

Alexis, like, at one point I was walking her through how to, how to

Aston:

complete an invoice to invoice one of the hotels out here and she said,

Aston:

oh, I didn't know you did all this.

Aston:

And I was like, yeah.

Aston:

So she became pretty adept at, at invoicing.

Aston:

When checks came in, I was talking her through how to, you

Aston:

know, mark it as a paid invoice.

Aston:

And then he was delivering.

Aston:

So I was literally in bed, down for six weeks and they ran everything.

Aston:

And, and that speaks, speaks volumes.

Aston:

I.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Yeah, I'd say it was a really big challenge.

Aston:

And more than ever we had to learn to each do our part.

Aston:

I mean, of course excluding Sherry because she couldn't help out with us, but we

Aston:

were really connected at that point 'cause we totally had to work together.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: I mean, I remember getting like a report,

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: I.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: you know, how many, how many boxes?

Aston:

earlier,

Aston:

John and Connie: Go ahead, Aston.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: ahead, Austin.

Aston:

like earlier we were talking about kind of how our, our, our

Aston:

strengths come together and this was like a prime example of that.

Aston:

I mean, it really, it went, Beyond.

Aston:

I know she likes to say we, we had a choice.

Aston:

I would argue that during Covid we did not have a choice, but it

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Okay.

Aston:

I mean, we had no choice.

Aston:

We had,

Aston:

so we sort of had no choice but to sort of, you know, come together

Aston:

and, and if we didn't, the business was not gonna continue to thrive.

Aston:

And it was, it was definitely a challenge, but we learned a lot.

Aston:

We grew closer because of it, and, and ultimately we were able to

Aston:

come together and make it happen.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: There was probably some bribery in there at that point.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

If, if you can fold, then you know, something came with it.

Aston:

Um, but yeah.

Aston:

There, there were bonuses to that minor salary at that time.

Aston:

John and Connie: Uh huh.

Aston:

There you go.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: I mean, Keilani just brought up the,

Aston:

John and Connie: bring hard choices

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: yeah,

Aston:

John and Connie: mean.

Aston:

Mm-hmm.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Keilani just brought up the other day.

Aston:

She said, remember when it was a snow cone or a McDonald's sundae for pay?

Aston:

I said, yeah, I remember that.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: exactly.

Aston:

It

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: was

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: very worth

Aston:

it though.

Aston:

John and Connie: Cool.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

So I, I would say that was probably the biggest.

Aston:

That was, that was a huge hurdle.

Aston:

Um, the way of challenges and just, you know, I mean, when you're a small business

Aston:

and you don't have other people to run the show, um, it's, it was a matter.

Aston:

I couldn't just, I couldn't just go out for six weeks.

Aston:

Um, so it was a matter of keeping things going and I was

Aston:

completely hands off at that point.

Aston:

And I would say on top of, I would say that was the biggest challenge, but

Aston:

other challenges that we've had was like the first time that there was a

Aston:

considerably larger order that would come in and it's like, oh my goodness.

Aston:

Uh, so we have to get the boxes ready.

Aston:

We have to have enough of the ingredients, we have to get it together.

Aston:

I have to have time to, you know, create the product and then get it packaged and

Aston:

then get the invoices and everything.

Aston:

And when it was a quick turnaround, so that was, you know, you, you

Aston:

work well under pressure and we got a taste of what the pressure

Aston:

was like in those moments as well.

Aston:

And that's when you really gotta stay levelheaded and pulled together.

Aston:

And, uh, I would say those times makes you a lot more efficient and that

Aston:

transfers over . Yeah, I, I think that transfers over with the organization and

Aston:

then also with the teaching background as far as organizing things like you

Aston:

would organize a lesson, everybody has a component that goes together.

Aston:

It's gonna pull together for your finished product.

Aston:

And a lot of things in education, that's what we're, we're trying to get the young

Aston:

people to do is work together and have an understanding as to how they play a

Aston:

certain part in the overall each piece.

Aston:

And that makes it successful in the end.

Aston:

Keilani, what were you gonna add?

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: It was, it was such a difficult time for us.

Aston:

So I think it's definitely proof that if anything like that ever happened again

Aston:

or if the rest of us had to run the business, then we could definitely do it.

Aston:

I.

Aston:

Absolutely.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Oh, and you guys are older now too, so I could see.

Aston:

I think yeah, definitely.

Aston:

I mean, let's hope what never does, but I think even being older now,

Aston:

you could definitely take over.

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah, it's huge self-confidence boost.

Aston:

You know, that's, that kind of goes back with that, you know, mention of track of

Aston:

your accomplishments, you know, that's one of those things, you know, you can do.

Aston:

You went through that, so, and you know, it goes on the

Aston:

list and a well run business.

Aston:

If the owner has to step out for some reason, everybody

Aston:

else can pull it together.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: And I feel confident now that if, if that were

Aston:

to happen, if for some reason I had to leave or step out or, or travel

Aston:

and get whatever, I feel confident that, um, they, they could do it.

Aston:

Mm-hmm.

Aston:

They could do it.

Aston:

John and Connie: right.

Aston:

Well, they did it for what, the 18 months to two years of covid.

Aston:

So

Aston:

kudos to all of you.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Mm-hmm.

Aston:

And that was a, that was probably, I mean, that it was me having covid but was.

Aston:

With having a food product and being in a tourism city, it was a

Aston:

challenge keeping things going also, because all of my hotels shut down.

Aston:

I, I have a lot of the coffee locations in the hospitals and obviously those were

Aston:

closed without visitors in the hospitals.

Aston:

The airport, all my stores in the airport, if no one's flying, my stores

Aston:

in the airport weren't taking product.

Aston:

So it was a challenge in terms of losing a lot of locations that

Aston:

either were shut down or closed, or didn't come back after Covid.

Aston:

And then having to reestablish relationships with the different, uh.

Aston:

Companies and, and finding new locations.

Aston:

And, uh, you know, she, she wore out some shoes hitting the pavement.

Aston:

Mm-hmm.

Aston:

She was really having to hustle and come up.

Aston:

And still, it's a, it's a constant that, uh, you know, she's constantly getting

Aston:

out there and she's getting more notoriety and people are, are seeing the product and

Aston:

she's getting, um, reorders from people from different functions, different,

Aston:

uh, places that they've seen them.

Aston:

They're in venues where there's sporting events and that's

Aston:

starting to come to fruition.

Aston:

And, um, it's starting really to grow.

Aston:

So I'm, I'm waiting for the explosion.

Aston:

John and Connie: Do you have a, a, a corporate gift part of your business?

Aston:

So where you, you know,

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah, I do.

Aston:

John and Connie: we've got a.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: I, yeah, I've done quite a few.

Aston:

A construction company and, real estate.

Aston:

I just did an IT company.

Aston:

And one of the things that I do if, if they want is, I'm always willing

Aston:

to co-brand with, with companies too.

Aston:

So if they provide me with ribbon or stickers or they, you know,

Aston:

I, I'm happy to, to, to share in the, you know, in the product.

Aston:

Um, so I've done some co-branding with some companies and, and you know, we put

Aston:

both, both of our names or our logos on the box somehow and make it work and.

Aston:

Um, I, I love cross-promoting.

Aston:

I, you know, especially if it's a fellow small business, I, I, you

Aston:

know, I, I love helping them out.

Aston:

If they're gonna buy product and get it out there, then I'm more than

Aston:

happy to put their logo on my box.

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah.

Aston:

'cause you know that IT guy is not sitting back there rolling Peanut butter balls.

Aston:

You might be rolling something out.

Aston:

but they're not.

Aston:

Right.

Aston:

But, but what a, what a wonderful thing of, of, of that smart cross branding

Aston:

because a lot of people don't understand that, um, what It helps everybody.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Mm-hmm.

Aston:

Mm-hmm.

Aston:

Mm-hmm.

Aston:

I love cross-promoting.

Aston:

I, I feel like it's a win-win for everybody.

Aston:

John and Connie: Absolutely.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah, I know Alexis is, is being, being on social

Aston:

media and, and, and the social media manager that she is, she'll find

Aston:

things or places online or, or posts and she'll send them to me and say,

Aston:

Hey, can we do something with this?

Aston:

Or do you wanna contact them or should we reach out to them?

Aston:

Or, you know, so, um, you know, it's, it's sometimes finding those leads too.

Aston:

Um, so she'll find the leads and I'll contact them, and then I'll

Aston:

have Aston close the deal and Keilani will get the boxes good to go.

Aston:

John and Connie: There

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: a, it's a win-win for everybody.

Aston:

John and Connie: There we go.

Aston:

Cool.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: And then, and also with the website too, where

Aston:

it shows where the product is.

Aston:

And so that's giving promotion for the different venues that she, uh, is, is in,

Aston:

especially with the smaller businesses, some of the, the coffee establishments.

Aston:

Local.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

A local owned small business.

Aston:

And it's like, you know, the product can be found in these locations

Aston:

and you see that on the website.

Aston:

And especially for, you know, we, we appreciate the local draw of

Aston:

the people and if they can seek her product at a coffee shop, at a butcher

Aston:

shop, at different things like that.

Aston:

And that is helping to promote the other people too.

Aston:

It just, it starts tumbling and tumbling and tumbling and there's more and more

Aston:

orders that are coming from those venues

Aston:

For her, and as a result.

Aston:

They see, hey, these people are coming in, they're asking for it.

Aston:

It's also drawing in their business as well,

Aston:

John and Connie: right.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: it's great.

Aston:

John and Connie: And, and if you are running, if you're running links from

Aston:

your website to those locations and they're getting a back link to their

Aston:

website, and that's also good for

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Mm-hmm.

Aston:

John and Connie: Mm-hmm.

Aston:

Nice.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: And they do, they, I, I have links for, you know, different

Aston:

small coffee shops, winery, you know, um.

Aston:

Gifting.

Aston:

I work with some gift basket type locations and, um, you know, it's,

Aston:

people think of Vegas as as big and it, once you're in, in, once you're

Aston:

in it, it's really, especially as a small business, it's a very

Aston:

supportive city of small business.

Aston:

Um, and it's really just not that big.

Aston:

Um, you know, we all run in the same circles and so, I'm friends

Aston:

with a basket lady who uses cookies and peanut butter balls and puts

Aston:

'em all in her gift baskets.

Aston:

I I find that it's, everyone kind of tries to help each other

Aston:

out and lift each other up.

Aston:

You know, people think of Vegas as big, but I think in the small business world in

Aston:

Vegas, we all run in the same circles and I, I think everyone's pretty supportive.

Aston:

John and Connie: That makes sense.

Aston:

'cause you've got really two economies.

Aston:

You've got the, you know, the, the strip economy, the big nationwide

Aston:

advertising on tourism and then.

Aston:

You've got the rest of the city

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

John and Connie: and the people who live there and work there.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: And there's a, there's a, there's also a big difference

Aston:

between, um, you know, my wholesale sales and my consumer direct sales too.

Aston:

So I, I kind of go in both directions because I guess the

Aston:

nature of the city that we're in.

Aston:

Sherry through some organizations had some, uh.

Aston:

Invitations to, um, when F1 was first getting established, she did a, uh,

Aston:

uh, she had an area where she was, um, helping with the media people

Aston:

that were coming in Super Bowl, well, for, for F1, the media coverage.

Aston:

And they were there and got to know her product and things like that.

Aston:

It was a big, shindig for all of them.

Aston:

And then, um, and then with the Super Bowl too, and as a side product.

Aston:

They, well, the, there was the Business Connect program comes into the host city

Aston:

and I think they had 700 applicants.

Aston:

They found 200 small businesses.

Aston:

They vet those businesses and then they put them in a manual, I guess

Aston:

you could call it for, for the host committee to come into town.

Aston:

And here's 200 small businesses and, you know, they were everything,

Aston:

photography, videography, balloons, flowers, you name it.

Aston:

So I made that.

Aston:

What, what is it?

Aston:

What, what was it?

Aston:

It was a, a, uh.

Aston:

John and Connie: Catalog?

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Catalog, I guess, of businesses.

Aston:

And I was one of the 200 that were in there.

Aston:

And then what John was talking about was the media event that they hosted

Aston:

when they welcomed all of everybody and they had the small businesses,

Aston:

um, participate in that media event.

Aston:

And, and you know, they either did the decorations or we, we had our

Aston:

food products there and whatnot.

Aston:

And then they did a lot of, um, small business.

Aston:

Um.

Aston:

Like conference type situations.

Aston:

We, they, they taught us about cybersecurity.

Aston:

They gave us a little talk on marketing.

Aston:

It was just sort of like the host committee and the Super Bowl came

Aston:

together and they just wanted to like train these small businesses on various

Aston:

aspects of, of, of being a business.

Aston:

And, um, at the very end, the very last one was kind of like a hoorah.

Aston:

The Super Bowl's coming, you guys made it this far.

Aston:

This is awesome.

Aston:

And they raffled off two tickets to the Super Bowl.

Aston:

John and Connie: Congratulations.

Aston:

Fabulous.

Aston:

Wow.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: No sugar.

Aston:

Sugar and Spice took those tickets and, uh, I brought them home and

Aston:

Alexis videoed me, you know, telling him that he won these tickets.

Aston:

And I, I, how many views were on that video?

Aston:

Alexis?

Aston:

60,000.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: pretty high.

Aston:

It, yes.

Aston:

That sounds

Aston:

about

Aston:

right.

Aston:

I haven't looked recently.

Aston:

I mean, it was, it was a while

Aston:

I think it was 60 or 80 thousand

Aston:

views

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: it was crazy.

Aston:

I mean, just, just coming home and telling my husband, guess what I,

Aston:

I, I walked in with an NFL bag.

Aston:

It was like a a a, like a duffle bag.

Aston:

A duffle bag.

Aston:

And I said, look at this cool bag I won.

Aston:

And it had the NFL logo.

Aston:

And he thought that was just the neatest thing.

Aston:

'cause it was the official NFL duffle bag.

Aston:

And I said, but wait, look what's inside of it.

Aston:

And I opened it up and pulled out those, you know, massive like life-size tickets.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: right there behind you.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Um, and it was, his mouth just dropped.

Aston:

And so, um, he, you know, in my head I'm thinking, I, I

Aston:

can buy a new house with this.

Aston:

Um, but he's like, my question was, are you gonna take me?

Aston:

I said, I said,

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah, I was gonna say there's, there's a whole here.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: think if I didn't take him, it would've

Aston:

been grounds for divorce.

Aston:

So, so yeah, that was, that was fun.

Aston:

And that was as a result of being a small business here in Las Vegas.

Aston:

John and Connie: There you go.

Aston:

And you never know where something like that's gonna show up.

Aston:

Oh, and that's an asset that just continues, right?

Aston:

That's right.

Aston:

And you can

Aston:

repromote that too, can't you , Alexis?

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: yeah, yeah.

Aston:

John and Connie: Mm-hmm.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: So that was, that was definitely a perk.

Aston:

John and Connie: Cool.

Aston:

Well, so our

Aston:

final question, I guess is what's next?

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

Where, what do you see

Aston:

Expansion.

Aston:

John and Connie: company?

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Wait, what did you say?

Aston:

John and Connie: That was quick

Aston:

I said expansion.

Aston:

John and Connie: expansion.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: But like, okay, so if someone asked you that,

Aston:

they, they know the answer to this.

Aston:

What's, what's, what's been the goal for me from the get go?

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Ready,

Aston:

Should we say it on three?

Aston:

Starbucks.

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: My goal from the get-go has been to get Sugar and

Aston:

Spice peanut butter balls, our little four count boxes, into Starbucks.

Aston:

And

Aston:

John and Connie: Fab.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: in one once and, and there was this little tray in the

Aston:

four by four space by the register, and he took a picture and said, mom,

Aston:

your product would fit perfect here.

Aston:

Um, and I'm in, you name a coffee house in this town

Aston:

and I've either contacted them or they carry my product.

Aston:

Um, so the goal has always been Starbucks.

Aston:

I, and, and, and I think with that would be to get beyond

Aston:

the confines of, of Vegas.

Aston:

You know, I, I'd love to just, I mean, how many independent

Aston:

coffee houses are in this country?

Aston:

Right.

Aston:

Um,

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: mean, you have to

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: you know,

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: credit you have.

Aston:

Um, I mean, you were in Texas for a while.

Aston:

You had a coffee shop

Aston:

You are in Manhattan.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Um,

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: man.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Yeah, so the, the

Aston:

John and Connie: Cool.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: is coming at a very quick speed.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

Um, Texas and Manhattan.

Aston:

Manhattan, he had a coffee shop here and he took, he, he, he sold this

Aston:

coffee shop and opened a place in Manhattan and still wanted them,

Aston:

so they were shipped to Manhattan.

Aston:

I moved

Aston:

John and Connie: Wow.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: them to New York and then Texas.

Aston:

She found I, I don't know.

Aston:

Alexis, you that was an online, she found us.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Yeah.

Aston:

She, um, I think had seen one of our, our posts that had gotten, um, to

Aston:

a, a larger audience and said, yeah, I run this cheese shop, you know,

Aston:

these would be a great addition.

Aston:

And we said, okay, let's do it.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

So...

Aston:

John and Connie: Which city in, in Texas, I'm curious.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Round Rock.

Aston:

John and Connie: Round Rock.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: I think

Aston:

John and Connie: Okay.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Yes.

Aston:

It's

Aston:

little.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

Tiny little.

Aston:

It's like they, they're known for some huge antique show

Aston:

that they have every year.

Aston:

John and Connie: Yes.

Aston:

It's a huge thing.

Aston:

See?

Aston:

See.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: See, there you go.

Aston:

Now if you go there, you probably see her product.

Aston:

John and Connie: there you.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Um, so yeah, I

Aston:

John and Connie: I'd rather come to Vegas.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Vegas, I'd love to get beyond the confines of, of.

Aston:

John and Connie: Sure.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: I mean, I, I'm in Reno up north and, and, uh, Mesquite.

Aston:

Um, but just to get beyond Nevada and, and move into other locations,

Aston:

um, would be, would be like

Aston:

John and Connie: coming and you got a team behind you.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: expansion.

Aston:

we're, we're only one national contract away,

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Okay.

Aston:

I like that thought.

Aston:

no matter what it is.

Aston:

I think that's, that's the big break we need.

Aston:

I mean, we we're expanding rapidly, but we've got some things that are,

Aston:

you know, in talking stages of regional and that, and I think just one national

Aston:

contract with a, a chain of stores or whatever it may be, will just kind of

Aston:

get us out there so much and it'll, it'll just take off from there to, you

Aston:

know, everywhere you go, Sugar and Spice.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: I mean, and we are in some locations here regionally,

Aston:

you know, we're in Total Wine, and, their distribution centers, aren't

Aston:

really set up for food right now, you know, and they're back east.

Aston:

And so there's some logistics in there.

Aston:

Um.

Aston:

Uh, uh, but, you know, I'd love to think that eventually we could move

Aston:

into other Total Wine locations, um, you know, or, or other hotel.

Aston:

I mean, a lot of the hotels obviously have, have other hotels and, you know, um

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah, there's one particular chain that

Aston:

is known for their cookies.

Aston:

If you could get into another chain

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Right,

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah, but

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: right.

Aston:

They know.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Yeah.

Aston:

John and Connie: but, but to go into another brand and say, put

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Right.

Aston:

John and Connie: there and

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yep.

Aston:

John and Connie: go.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Yeah.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: And that's what I would love.

Aston:

I would, I would love to just, you know, like Aston said, get some,

Aston:

some sort of national distribution.

Aston:

Well that, that, that coming from our up and coming salesman there, I, I think

Aston:

he just, uh, found his next project.

Aston:

John and Connie: On it.

Aston:

I

Aston:

think I got some work to do.

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah.

Aston:

Yes, you do.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: He could do it.

Aston:

John and Connie: Networking

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: I'd say

Aston:

if she did get to that point, then it's definitely like when,

Aston:

yeah, when she gets to that point.

Aston:

It's definitely like a watermark for both businesses.

Aston:

'cause obviously we know the Double Tree cookies, we've

Aston:

visited tons of Double Trees while

Aston:

traveling and stuff, so that would be a great opportunity for her.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

John and Connie: Yeah.

Aston:

Absolutely.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: I think it's just, I, I've always, I've always

Aston:

been a, a strong believer that the right people come at the right time.

Aston:

And, um, so sometimes I think it's just, I, I feel I, I've always felt

Aston:

like there's, there's something big around the corner, um, and little baby

Aston:

steps are setting me up along the way.

Aston:

Um, so sometimes I think it's just being patient.

Aston:

Um, and just trusting that the right people or the right opportunity will

Aston:

present itself at the right time.

Aston:

John and Connie: Super well, and it's hard to go from a crawling stage to a full run.

Aston:

There's a lot that has to happen.

Aston:

Right?

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Right.

Aston:

Right.

Aston:

John and Connie: so it sounds like you all are, are in that getting, starting to

Aston:

stand up and getting ready to rock out.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: And I will say we celebrate together too.

Aston:

You know, I mean.

Aston:

I just got a massive order, from one of the hotels for a Valentine's

Aston:

event that they're doing.

Aston:

And I came home and I said, um, it's 700 boxes.

Aston:hey changed, they upped it to:Aston:afternoon, now they want:Aston:

we celebrate together too, I think.

Aston:

Um, and, and,

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: I think that's what also fuels us

Aston:

celebrating

Aston:

the, the little wins.

Aston:

Mm-hmm.

Aston:

Um, it, it keeps us going and keeps us encouraged, um, and, and, and

Aston:

does show us how far we have come.

Aston:

It's not even really us celebrating the bigger win, or I mean

Aston:

the, the, you know, the little wins.

Aston:

It's us celebrating one step closer to the bigger picture, even if, you know, it's,

Aston:that we're excited about the:Aston:We're excited that:Aston:

So it's like, even though, you know, we celebrate the small things, it's

Aston:

because we have that big picture in mind.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Definitely.

Aston:nnie: it's gonna be more than:Aston:

You know, you, it is exponentially.

Aston:

They're gonna

Aston:

Absolutely.

Aston:

John and Connie: they're gonna show their family.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Right.

Aston:

John and Connie: know, and it's going to, it is going to explode.

Aston:

So

Aston:

kudos

Aston:

to all of you.

Aston:

Good thinking there.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Thank you.

Aston:

John and Connie: That frame, you know, it's, it's, what does

Aston:

it mean, where does it lead?

Aston:

Right.

Aston:

Awesome.

Aston:

What a great way to, I, I, I am looking forward to sharing this episode.

Aston:

I think there's just, yes, just a lot of lessons here

Aston:

for other businesses to learn.

Aston:

Is there anything else anybody'd like to say before we

Aston:

I have a, I have a question for the two of you.

Aston:

I mean, obviously you guys have talked to so many other families.

Aston:

What, what advice do you have?

Aston:

What, you know, what do you guys have to, to say?

Aston:

John and Connie: In general or in in a

Aston:

I mean, I guess what, what would you, what advice would

Aston:

you have to us, to the business?

Aston:

I.

Aston:

John and Connie: Mostly, I say keep doing what you're doing.

Aston:

Communicate.

Aston:

That's the number one issue in a small family business.

Aston:

Is communication because 'cause we bring in past with us when we come in, we can

Aston:

deal with what is now and go forward.

Aston:

And it sounds like you all are doing a great job on doing that.

Aston:

So continue that.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

Keep doing what works, keep, keep talking, do more of what works and

Aston:

less of what doesn't, that's the, yeah.

Aston:

A really, really simple principle.

Aston:

But.

Aston:

It is solid.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

And, and listen, and you know, the, the, the whole thing about, you

Aston:

know, you have two ears and one mouth and, and listen on that too.

Aston:

'cause that's another thing that's really important.

Aston:

Not only knowing where you're coming from, but listening to

Aston:

where somebody else is coming in.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: And I think I, like, I, I always seem to, maybe

Aston:

it's the teacher and yeah, I always say I'm like the eternal learner.

Aston:

I'm always pulling in from

Aston:

John and Connie: Mm-hmm.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: other businesses and, you know, picking their brain about how

Aston:

they did something or what they learned.

Aston:

Um, so.

Aston:

Um, Alexis, uh, share our social media.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Yes, sure.

Aston:

So we are on, uh, Instagram is our biggest platform right now.

Aston:

Our handle is @ Sugar and Spice Las Vegas.

Aston:

Um, and you can find us on there with all of our announcements, updates,

Aston:

sales, promo codes, um, new locations.

Aston:

Um, it's a good way to stay connected and see what we're doing.

Aston:

John and Connie: Good.

Aston:

And we'll also have all this in the show notes.

Aston:

Yeah.

Aston:

So, so we make sure

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Perfect.

Aston:

John and Connie: your website, uh uh.

Aston:

Any email addresses, you know, any of that stuff that you'd like to do.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: can find us on pretty much all platforms.

Aston:

Um, Sherry's big on LinkedIn, um, and then Facebook and TikTok as well.

Aston:

Mm-hmm.

Aston:

John and Connie: We'll be sure to get the, oh, TikTok right now, I, I'm not, I

Aston:

don't think I've ever been on TikTok, so I'd have to get the address or like how

Aston:

should be the same, right?

Aston:

John and Connie: isn't it?

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: It's the same handle.

Aston:

Yes.

Aston:

Mm.

Aston:

Sugar and Spice Las Vegas

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Yes.

Aston:

John and Connie: Cool.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Well, you're gonna have to, you're gonna have to plan a trip

Aston:

to come out here and visit us and, uh,

Aston:

John and Connie: Looking forward to it.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: you know,

Aston:

John and Connie: saying.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: I mean, you know, this, this city, there's, there's, there's

Aston:

more to do than just, you know, the gambling, you mean peanut butter balls?

Aston:

Eat peanut butter balls.

Aston:

You can come peanut butters and see the salt at the same time.

Aston:

John and Connie: that's right.

Aston:

Yes.

Aston:

Thank you so much for, for, for taking your time out and joining us.

Aston:

Yes.

Aston:

And for all getting together to do this.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Yeah.

Aston:

Thank you for having us.

Aston:

John and Connie: It's nice to meet you all and we are so looking

Aston:

forward to seeing the the continued growth of Sugar and Spice.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Thank you.

Aston:

John and Connie: I can't wait to see you in my Starbucks here in Tampa.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: There you go.

Aston:

John and Connie: Or the Total Wine that's right across the street or

Aston:

the Total Wine that's right across.

Aston:

Oh, I could go to Total Wine, then come back to the Starbucks and go back.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: Chocolate and peanut butter balls.

Aston:

Wine and peanut butter balls.

Aston:

What?

Aston:

Better combination.

Aston:

There

Aston:

John and Connie: right.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: go.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: balls.

Aston:

Yep.

Aston:

John and Connie: Yep.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Yes.

Aston:

John and Connie: Well,

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: All right.

Aston:

Well, thank you for having us.

Aston:

Keilani and Alexis: Yeah.

Aston:

Sheri and John Long: We're.

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