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Chattanooga’s Tow Show, Explained · Towing News Now

• 0:03
  SPEAKER_06: Hello, everybody.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_06: Welcome to uh our podcast, American Town Recovery Institute on the Go.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_06: We're happy to be at the Tennessee Toe Show with good friends of ours, and they're gonna introduce themselves to us in a few minutes.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_06: Um, we got here, it's a great event.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_06: If you've never been to Chattanooga, you should come.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_06: Um, how many years, Brendan, how many years have you guys been doing this toe show?
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_05: 2012.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_06: 2012 was with Tennessee with with Tow Times.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_05: Toe Times in the Tennessee Tow Truck Association partnered, and we've just started in 2012.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_06: And so for 13 years, the next show you'd be 14.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_06: We didn't do 2020.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_06: Nobody did.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_06: Right, but every year we've been here.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_06: A little happiness going on that year, so I don't know.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_06: Don't think anybody did that much of anything.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_06: Um, I think everybody took that year off, right?
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_06: Unfortunately.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_06: All right, I'm gonna let you guys introduce yourself um and what your your part is in this.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_06: And um go ahead, Brenda, you first.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_06: Okay, I'm Brenda Fallman.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_05: I uh originally worked with Toe Times magazine as their advertising manager, and then when the Tennessee Tow Truck Association approached us, then I started working mostly with uh as their event manager.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_06: How long have you worked with uh Toe Times?
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_05: I started in about 2004, and then I took two years off from 2008 to 2010, then came back in 2010.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_05: Worked as the advertising manager and the event manager until uh 2019, and now I just do the events.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_06: And uh what was your background?
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_06: What was your background before tow times?
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_05: I worked for an electroplating association as their membership manager.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_05: Wow.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, so it's always been kind of a sales situation.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, I'm and you're good at it.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_06: Very good at it.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_06: Very, very good at it.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_06: Do not get in her way because she will she would she will get you.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_06: Then we have our our superstar here.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_06: He's shaking his head no, but we're gonna play you a clip here in a little bit, and we're we're gonna illustrate what a superstar you are.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_06: Go ahead.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_03: My name's Anthony Roberts, and uh I am the uh newbie to the family.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um I am the Tennessee Tow Truck Association Administrator, and uh that means that whatever is needed uh is is a task that I don't know how to do, then I have to obviously learn how to do it.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_03: So that's the that's the gist of it.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_03: And so this has been my first year to be actively involved uh with tow times, putting on this amazing event that uh actually I have a personal testimony about this.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_03: 15 years ago to September 15th, when you used to have it in that range, uh is the first day I started work in the towing industry.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I didn't come from the towing background or anything like that.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_03: So when I come to get to come to the uh the uh the tow show, this is my anniversary.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_03: So this is also you know a very special place for me because I love this business, I love the industry.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_03: Um there's something about being able to pick up the phone when someone calls and you answer the phone and you're there to help.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_03: There's just a unique feeling with that, and that's kind of been my my emphasis.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_03: And uh I really enjoy doing it.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_03: I have a passion to see uh people grow and people succeed with their businesses, and um I thought it was been a great fit for me.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I've I've really enjoyed it.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_03: Got a lot to learn.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_03: Um, if I can if I could raise money a third of the good as Miss Brenda could, our association wouldn't have any issues whatsoever.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_03: So I have a lot to learn.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_06: So well number one, number one, if Brenda wants something from you, she's probably gonna get it from you.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_06: That's correct.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_06: That's not 100%.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_06: Okay.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_06: That's correct.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_06: She's very, very good at what you're doing.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_03: She don't mind calling an ace of spades.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_03: She does, she does it's it's there's no there's no issues with that.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_03: So it kind of keeps you in line.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_06: So yeah, she doesn't confuse you, that's for sure.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_03: That's for sure.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_06: So if you looked at Anthony the uh working this event, you would think that he's been doing it for a while because it just looks like you honestly, Anthony, it looks like you were a natural artist.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_06: You just picked everything up and then you just went with it.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_03: I appreciate that.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_06: Some of your background from administrating comes from working for Iker towing as well.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_06: That's correct.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_06: Because I know that you're very essential with that.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_03: I come from the business management background.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I actually, my career, so to speak, is is was operating and working with uh rent-to-owned companies.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_03: I actually opened three different stores for a particular company that in in our area over there.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_03: And then I was in sales, car sales, cell phone sales, uh, you know, just everything's always been the the uh kind of unique, kind of a funny story.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_03: I got out of college and I go work for a paper mill, okay?
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_03: And you show up to the same place every day.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_03: And uh I'm I'm uh what I guess what they in their world they call a free thinker, which is not a good thing in the corporate world, okay?
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_03: Uh in in a lot of times.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_03: So um I was pouring down rain at this paper mill, brand new place.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: They had a big leak in the roof.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_03: So I took it upon myself to move all the paper out of the rain.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_03: Makes sense, right?
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I got I got almost fired for that because I was not told to do that.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_03: And the HR lady said that you don't need to be doing this.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_03: Uh you you think too much on your own.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_03: You need to be in sales.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_03: So I was like, hey, so I found out that the Lord blessed me to run my mouth.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_06: And when she told you that you have to be in sales, did she give you a position in sales?
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_03: Oh no, no, they moved me out, they moved me out into the worst position in the plant.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_03: And then within two days, they moved me for that because I made the guy up there that that mulched everything, uh, made uh he got mad because I worked him too hard because I'd figured out a uh an easier way to push the product into the mulcher, and he didn't like that.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_03: So then they put me in the bowler room, and I knew absolutely nothing about the bowler room, and the most craziest thing happened, they lost their contract, the place shut down.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_03: Guess who got to keep their job?
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_03: The bowler room guy and the supervisor.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_03: So I had another job for four months, and guess who lost their job?
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_03: The HR lady.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_03: So I didn't think I'd done too bad.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_03: I guess not.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 6:06
  unknown: Yeah, absolutely.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_06: And then what is Brenda?
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_06: What is your background?
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_06: Um, I I know that you've been with the the show for 2012, and you've been with Ho Times much longer than that.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_06: What is what is your background?
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_05: Well, kind of weird.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_05: Um, I was a barber in my dad's hometown barber shop for a couple of years.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_06: Then I would have never have guessed.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, and that was uh little town outside of Pittsburgh.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_05: Then I moved to Orlando when I got married, and I worked for the Electropellers Association until I didn't.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_05: And I we moved to Texas, I came back, um, and then very shortly after that started working at Tow Times.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_06: How did you how did you hear about this?
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_06: I mean, it's not it, it's not a typical business, any of it.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_06: Towing is not a typical business, let alone a trade magazine for you.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_05: My very first friend in Orlando was Eleanor Joyce, and she was the advertising manager at Toad Times, and then another friend of mine went from uh Lockheed, from one of the electroplators to Lockheed to Toad Times.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_05: So then when Eleanor was leaving, they called me.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_05: Amazing.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_05: So yeah.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_06: We're gonna take a quick break, and then when we come back, we're gonna talk about this event that um Brenda and Clarissa and Anthony have pulled off, and many others too.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_06: We're gonna actually talk about some of the other things that we have the team effort.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_06: So um come back, come back after the break, everybody.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: When that next call comes in, will you be ready?
• 7:38
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• 7:47
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• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: Reeser and Wes Wilburn, bring over 60 years of combined towing and recovery experience.
• 7:55
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• 8:00
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• 8:12
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• 8:25
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• 8:32
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• 8:39
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• 8:45
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• 8:50
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• 8:56
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• 9:05
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• 9:09
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• 9:14
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• 9:27
  SPEAKER_06: Welcome back, everybody.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_06: We're on the floor of the Tennessee Toast Show, and we are talking about the people who put this together.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_06: We uh are honored to have Brenda and Anthony, two very essential people.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_06: And they've already introduced themselves again, but we're gonna bring it back.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_06: Number the first thing I actually want to talk about a little bit is about Anthony.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_06: Anthony's bashful, he's a little bit shy, but his voice is not.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_06: His voice is phenomenal.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_06: We the whole place almost came down this morning when he sang the national anthem and opened up the show.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_06: And we're gonna let um you guys hear a little snippet of it.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_06: I just want you to sing Ave Maria now, okay?
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_06: That's the only one to hear.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_06: I mean, it is.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_03: I don't think I can pull that off.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_03: First of all, I gotta say thank you for letting Miss Brendan M trust me too.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_03: When I sang, you know, when I said, Hey, I'm gonna sing the national anthem, uh, there was a moment of silence.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, I didn't know if that was like the axe was gonna come down or like, okay, because you know, I've been in that position on the on their side when somebody says they want to do something, and uh it gets kind of interesting.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_03: So I was to maybe say no.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_03: I was honored that they they allowed, you know, for me to do this.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_03: So one of the one of the things is is that you know, Miss Brenda in Tow Times has put this, you know, incredible event on on our side of the on our side of the floor, so to speak, with the with the association side, you know, Jimmy Collins and and Evan Miller, and there's probably some others that that in uh David Um uh from David Williams and stuff, they're really the founders of it that that got with tow times and put those things together, and they're an integral part on our side.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_03: Toe times really is the is the nuts nuts and bolts and glue.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_03: And then when we get here that we're just like, hey, what do you need?
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_03: How do you want us to set it up?
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_03: And I I hate to use the word the enforcers, but we're kind of like the enforcers, and and then then Miss Brenda, of course, uh is the final say-so.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_03: So we're very honored, you know, to be a part of that in that regard.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_06: I think it's that's more about structure and having like a uh a direction to go in because it can it can get a little crazy if you don't know which way to go with that, and that's a very good thing to have.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_06: Not everybody could lead like that, Jill.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_03: But to answer the question about the singing part, um, my mom and dad is you know church goers, you know, we travel different around the country.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_03: My dad worked nuclear power plants for a living.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_03: So we moved every two to three years, and dad had a little book, and he would look up in the organization that we were in, and he would look up and find that church, and that and they he would visit three or four churches in the area, and generally they're smaller churches.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_03: My mom played played the piano, my dad sang.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_03: He worked, you know, as kind of what we call a lay minister in the church.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_03: And then for some reason uh I I learned that I could sing a little bit, and um not only that, I play a saxophone too, uh, that I didn't learn until a little bit later, you know, closer to my teenage years.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_03: But um at nine years old, I sang my first song in church, and it was kind of a unique thing.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_03: It's kind of because I didn't I've always been the guy that just like, well, I can sing a little bit or whatever.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_03: Well, as time got on, everybody knew me for playing a saxophone, nobody knew me for a singing.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_03: So, but I had a very blessed grow uh growing up, even though that we moved every so often, we had incredible talent with the with the choir teachers and in in the growing up and kind of that real that real pivotal time in my life was kind of like the eight to twelve year old, you know, twelve twelve years old.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_03: And I had an incredible teacher, uh, you know, that was just a drill sergeant when it comes to doing parts, when it comes to singing, when it came to technique.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_03: And then I was able to kind of carry that on.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_03: But I remember the days I used to lay in my bed, you know, and I would listen to the music, you know, and I'd try to sing.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_03: I'd try to duplicate what I heard.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_03: And it's just a passion.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_03: And then uh I do praise and worship with church and got an we've we've relaunched a brand new trio, uh gospel trio that we're trying to do.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_03: So it's just a passion.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_03: It really is.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_03: It's a God-given gift that I don't take lightly, and that uh if I can bless someone, it's just it's it's a blessing to me.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_06: Well, we were all blessed today.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_03: We're very grateful.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_06: You have that, and I reported it.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_06: So gonna submit it to the voice for you so you can get it.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_03: We'll make another round in the morning.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_03: We'll make it, we'll make it uh uh number two if it's okay with Miss Brenda.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_06: I don't we call we call that an encore in the business, okay?
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_06: We call that an encore.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_04: I got kicked out of ninth grade chorus.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_03: Oh no, Miss.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_04: She said, You have no range, honey.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_04: Oh goodness.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, okay, art class.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_03: I sang with the girls uh growing up.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_03: So I mean I was I had to get stand over with the boys next to the altos.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_03: So I actually learned alto before I learned tenor growing up.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_06: I can't I can't sing at at all.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_06: And the only time that I could do it is karaoke, and if I've had one or two or three, maybe.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_06: And then I could sing everything.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_05: At least you think you can.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_05: I think I can.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_06: I think I can, yes.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_06: And so now we have Brenda here who is the ringleader, so to speak, of everything, with Clarissa, who's doing museum stuff right now.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_06: Brenda, tell us about um this show and what it takes to put it together and who it helps to and how and and how essential that is.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_05: Well, it takes a full, like once we leave here, we're gonna start all over.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_06: From right now, really, from right now to next year, you're working on the next show.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, yes.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_05: But let me let me stress this it is a complete team effort.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, I might be the person selling the booth space, but everybody in that tow times office has their hands involved in this.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_05: From ordering banners to doing the social media to making the phone calls to designing the ads because I couldn't sell boost space if we didn't get attendees here.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_05: So there isn't one person in that office that doesn't have their hand involved in this.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_05: So it is a true team effort.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_05: And then once we get here, then the association helps exponentially for moving in.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_05: Beauty contest, helping me make decisions because they're their booths in the ground in the trenches.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_05: They know the people that um on their end.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_06: Oh yeah, and at any time we can go to Anthony or Jimmy Collins or Evan or anybody and and get assistance at any any time.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_06: And that's the one one of the good things about this show, and if Wes was here, we would stress this.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_06: Number one, it's a give back to the industry show.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_05: Oh yeah.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_06: This show is a give back to the industry show.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_05: Right, and that's what that's what it and the one thing about tow times that you may not know is it is owned by a group of stockholders who are towing company owners.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_05: So they know the business, but they also give back.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_05: And um that speaks to uh the other contract that we have here is working with the International Towing Museum with their fundraising auction, with their Hall of Fame dinner.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_05: We don't get much much involved with the Wall of the Fallen because that's mostly all museum personnel, but it's we're it's all rounded, it's all together.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_06: You guys don't do that much with it, except that you do help advertise it, you do help promote it.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_05: Right, we're not boots on the ground over there running the wall of the fallen.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_05: That their their uh board members do that.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_05: We we really are more involved with the fundraising auction, getting the the the items and then handling the dinner and that sort of thing.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_06: There's only a couple shows that um well I'm gonna say Wes does, but me too.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_06: And Ohio's one, Tennessee is one, and Florida is one, and that's because those three shows are give back to the industry shows.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yes, they're association based.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_06: They're association based, and you guys don't you're not just association.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_06: I mean, you do give back to the industry.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_06: And Wes is not gonna do anything unless it's a give back to the industry.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_06: That that's just all if it's just for profit, he's not doing it.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_06: And um I I had that value in him with that and and respect with him and that.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_06: And I when we come to these things, we see it.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_06: The people who come to these shows and are vendors because if you don't get vendors, you don't have a show.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_05: Well, and I also have the utmost respect for tow operators, owners.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, it is one heck of a dangerous business.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_05: And it's primarily a family business.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_06: Most of most probably like I'm gonna say like 95%.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, and the nicest, most down-to-earth loving people you'd ever want to know.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_05: And it it's it's an honor.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_05: It's an honor for me.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_06: So they are down to earth no matter how successful they're even, no matter how successful their businesses are, they they could they could have trucks and trucks and trucks and trucks, and they're still gonna look like you you and me.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_06: They're gonna wear the the jeans and uh and you're never gonna know that if they're really successful, you're gonna never know that by what they're wearing or what they're driving.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_05: You'll never know that they own a half a million dollar truck or a fleet of half a million dollars trucks.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_06: But they're just um You're never gonna know by how they dress or or their demeanor or how they treat you.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_06: And um it is a it's a very unique industry that we're in.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_05: And I one of the things I I love about coming here is I've never been ma'amed so much in my life.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, talk about true southern hospitality and politeness.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_05: It's it's beyond.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_05: Oh yeah, if you want to get treated well, you come to Chattanooga.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_05: Right, right.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_05: So I it's an honor.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_05: It's an honor for all of us at Tot Times.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_06: And it's a great event to be here.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_06: Uh Wes is gonna be Wes is gearing towards this 1000th class.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_06: Okay.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_06: I'm it's probably impossible to do it, but I would love for his 1000th class to be here next year.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_06: He's at 972.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_06: It's feasible, it's possible if nothing if we like hand it out and nothing cancels.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_06: That the 20 28th year, we have 28 classes from me from 1000.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_06: I will love for his 1000th class to be here.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_05: Have to see how it goes.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_06: For everybody too.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_06: For us too, it's laying out their classes.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_06: Because there's a lot of moving parts to a heavy duty class.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_06: So and even us, it is like we if we're blessed and we get 35 classes, that you know blows it out of the water.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_06: But and um, you know, so but we just be a unique a unique thing to happen.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_06: Right, especially where the industry started.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_06: That's it.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_06: And what's this very sentimental?
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_06: Wes is very sentimental about Chattanooga.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_06: And as as most of us are, absolutely.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_06: As most of us are.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_06: All right, we're gonna come back from the break, and then Brenda's gonna tell us what you need to do if you want to be a vendor uh for next year.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: TRAA, the injured drivers fund, and legislation that makes all of us safer or what makes this industry special.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: INA towing supports all of this and more.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: When there is a need, Gay Rochester is always one of the first to come forward and ask, how can I help?
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: The American Towing and Recovery Institute is honored to have the support of the INA Towing Network.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_01: Together, we all make a difference.
• 21:39
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• 21:45
  SPEAKER_01: The best towing companies offer a combination of great training, efficient operations along with quality supplies.
• 21:51
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• 22:00
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• 22:05
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• 22:08
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• 22:15
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• 22:21
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• 22:26
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• 22:31
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• 22:39
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• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: That's 910-747-9000.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: We look forward to serving you.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_06: Welcome back, everybody.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_06: We are um on the floor of the Tennessee Toe Show with Brenda and Anthony, and we're talking about the great event that is going on here.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_06: It's ongoing.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_06: Today is uh the Friday of the class, and tomorrow is Saturday.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_06: Um, it's been great so far.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_06: Brenda is gonna give us the date.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_06: We already have the date for 2026, and she's gonna talk about what needs to be done.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_06: If you want to be a vendor at one of these at this at this show next year, 2026, then I'll let you know how to do that.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_05: So next year's October 16th through the 17th.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_05: So the 15th, if that's a Thursday, that would be moving.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_05: So what you have to do is you have to get on Tennessee Toe Show.com and uh contact me, and I will get you on the list to get a booth.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_05: If you're new, if you're an existing uh vendor, you have right of first refusal on your space.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_05: And once all of those people have been contacted and given me a yes or a no, which is mostly a yes, then I um I I reach out to the new people.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_05: And our goal is from here until 2028 to have it in October.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_05: It works better weather-wise here, but it also works weather-wise around the country because last year, even though we had it was in September, not by our choice, but because we were forced to move dates.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_05: Um Chattanooga was beautiful, but there was hurricanes surrounding the entire 500-mile radius, which inhibited travel uh for our tendees.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_05: That's why we are staunchly gonna stay in October.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, I was we were here last year and there was a lot of rain and there was a lot of flooding at that.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that's when it went up through Asheville and it flooded.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, and even like not here.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_06: There was heavy rains here, but it didn't close anything down.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_06: No, no, and it stopped kind of like right before the show show had started.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_06: Yes.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_06: But like when going home like I've 40, we got rerouted because parts of that was shut down.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_05: Our street party, which we have every Friday night at the show, was canceled last well.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_05: We had to move it indoors, but we have a free street party every Friday night for vendors and attendees, and it's uh really good sugar ribs barbecue, and uh we have beer and a DJ and a face painter and games.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_05: So it's just a little treat for everybody to just kind of hang out together.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, that's a fun hangout, and you'll do that again next year, too.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_06: That's just uh let your hair down, just have a little something to eat, a little something to drink, and just be able to network and talk and just chill out.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_05: Five o'clock the show shuts down, and we just walk over to the street.
• 25:27
  unknown: Right.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_03: I I got something I just want to share maybe from from like a different perspective.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_03: You you you know, sometimes we say, Oh, it's the toast show, or oh it's just well, it's just somebody trying to somebody trying to sell something or anything.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's it is that they they come here, they show up, they're here to they're here to promote their company in whatever manner or capacity that they are.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_03: One of the things that I think gets forgotten about, and we probably we know about it because we're here and things like that, it's the connections that you make that you can't put a dollar amount on, and the conversations and the relationships you begin to be build with vendors that you wouldn't have not known about because they may be a regional vendor, uh, or they that some of them may be national vendors or something that you would never known about.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_03: Not only just the vendors, but the relationship that you're building with other towers.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_03: Nothing is more this is this is a thing that I really like about this.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_03: I meet people, I get their phone number, and believe it or not, for whatever reason, there may be somebody that I know that's in their area, and they'll call me and go, hey man, do you know anybody in this area?
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_03: Well, matter of fact, I do.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, I know a guy in Kentucky, hey, I know a guy down in Georgia.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_03: Where are you at?
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah, he's like 10 miles from you.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_03: So me getting those relationships and stuff and being able to help people in their time of need, that's one thing.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_03: But not only that, listening to companies, how they operate their business, and you're a tow owner yourself, and you have a you have a street party like we do out here on that we're gonna have tonight, and you get to listen how they operate and do their business.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_03: I promise you, if you'll open your ears just a little bit, you're gonna learn something.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_03: Take that home and apply that to that you to that business, to your business, and and generate more revenue, you can't put a price tag on that.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_03: I can't.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's building those relationships.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_03: Now we we're spoiled because we're used to it.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_03: You know, we know what happens.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_03: It's the people that say, hey, and I've never been to a toe show.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so busy.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_03: Listen, we put the toe show on to have the training.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_03: And a training is a really big part for me that's I think is very vital to what we do.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_03: And having comp having owners or they can send their people into our events that are able to get training, I think is a a vast necessity.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_06: You know, I got two points on that.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_06: Number one, is the seminars you guys had yesterday, the different ones, the different topics, that's a valuable thing.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_06: Number two, I agree with everything that you said as far as the networking, not meeting people that you would never meet before.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_06: The flip side of that is the family reunion vibe that you get when you come to these shows because have not seen them for a year or two or three.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_06: And now you get to see them.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_06: It's the family reunion with everything that you said, it's that it's that part of it too.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_06: It's true.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_03: And we're a very small niche industry.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_03: That's true.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_03: Very small.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_03: I promise you, if you screw up, it ain't gonna take long for somebody to know about it.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_03: You you do a really good job, it's not gonna take long for somebody to know about it.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_03: And we're we're really just we're a niche industry, we're a vital part of the industry in what we do and how we do it.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_03: And but it's just important for what we do.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_03: You know, they put on a great program, and I hope I'm saying this okay, to plug this for the summit.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah, we can touch upon it.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_03: They also they also put the summit on, and I had the I had the honor and the privilege to go be a part of the summit uh earlier this year in Florida.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_03: It was amazing.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_03: I learned a ton of information, and I got a different perspective in listening to owners talk about things that's going on and how they approached them and how they fixed, you know, how they they fixed them.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_03: And then also we learned about down there on if if you're an owner and you're you know reaching towards the end of your career and you know you want to sell your business.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_03: Well, what are the things to do to sell your business?
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_03: Now we don't want to ever talk about that, but at some point it's gonna come.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_03: You get of age, you don't want to do it.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_03: So there with the summit, it's just it's a way different approach.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_03: It's not a hands-on thing, it's sitting in classes and listening to people go through things.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I learned a very valuable thing, and I don't know if many people talked about this.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_03: The AI thing blew me away.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah with the with the guy he talked about what he was doing with it and where where he was going with it.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_03: It blew me away with what how he was implementing it with his business.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_03: Guess what I did?
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_03: I come home, I signed up uh to get AI, which everybody talks about AI today, but I started applying that to my business, you know, to our business.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_03: I don't own the company, but I run the day-to-day operations.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_03: I do it in billing and stuff like that.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_03: But it helped me it it helped me dramatically.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_03: I started implementing it with different parts what I was doing with the association, you know, and it changed.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_03: I mean it it really has changed.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_03: So just that one little class for me there was other things and I don't really want to, you know, go down that road, but it was people that I met.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I got to meet the association members that head up the Florida Association.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_03: And they're a powerful organization now.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_03: They definitely are and they do a lot of lobbying legislation for their state.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_03: To be do you know be like other count you know other states.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_03: I about to say other countries but other states.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_05: But now the towing and recovery management summit is uh an event that Tow Times puts on started in 2014 based on a need for owners to learn how to run this is the tagline to learn how to run their business instead of their business running them.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_05: And it's not seminars on how to hook up a car or whatever.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_05: It's business related.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_05: Now there's a towing aspect to it but we bring in speakers from all different aspects and it's it's it's grown to the point where we're probably going to cap it because we don't want it to be too big because that takes away the the networking part of it.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_05: But the the fact that they just talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and vendors can be there and they learn something on how to run their business and then they get to know these owners very intimately and we will be in Denver May 13th through the 15th into 2026.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_05: Answer my next question I was going to ask is when and we then then in 2027 we'll come back to the East Coast so we can we can cover the country.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_06: That's great because you give if if traveling is an issue and time off is an issue.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_06: The alternate year you can get we at least be on your side of the country.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_05: So it's it's really uh it's it's a very vital part of education.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_06: I want you to talk about Iker towing and how they have been wonderful in letting you have this flexibility Anthony.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_03: I've just been honored um you know we we wanted to be a part of the association we were for several years and and I wanted to get involved from a different perspective with the association because I really felt like it was vital to us to know what's going on in our state and I have a passion for information to let others know and for their business to run better, you know?
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_03: And in our state we've had a lot of changes go on.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_03: And unfortunately what happens is is that somebody gets upset and they know somebody in the state and they go we're going to make a new law or we're going to make a new rule or we're going to make some sort of change that affects the tower that was due to someone that didn't understand the process and then all of a sudden hey it's a new law.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_03: So we as an association are there to protect the tower across the state of Tennessee now when it comes to my company I'm very fortunate that we have great we have a great team and you know I have a boss that believes in the association and I'm able to you know go out and and promote the association but I'm also able you know kind of like not really I look for ways to help our company which is what I love coming about here but I'm just honored that I have a you know I have a a boss an owner that that believes in the association and believes in what we're doing and allows me that time.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_03: You know that's really what it because he believes in the program the process and what what's going on he's like hey you know if you can help them you know I want you to help them and I'm like well I'm trying you know but it's it's an uphill battle you know and and we have a lot of things that we're going to be facing in our state not to really point the finger at the Tennessee but we have we have some new things that's going to be implemented in the next 18 months that we don't know how it's going to how it's going to adversely uh uh make how how we operate our businesses and it's going to be a huge thing and it's state involved it's not like we're going to have a choice and so those are things that the association does that we're able to have those conversations behind closed doors that we've been having a huge impact and just this past year just from the association standpoint we were able to get make 13 amendments to the new motion act in the state of Tennessee and we're also had uh 13 or 19 revisions made to that law and that was huge for us.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_03: We're a small organ you know we're a small association and we have we have an incredible uh lobbyist that goes on our behalf and she costs money.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_03: I mean that's that but that's you know and so we have to pay them and I can tell you about other states that I found out about the summit that they spent nearly$100,000 and lost their case to for for their particular company I'm not going to name but they're going to every single state trying to get laws changed to benefit them as a company which I get it they have a right they have a lot of money invested and they just want to know that towers are doing things the right way well it adversely affected Tennessee and how they done and we were fortunate to be able to go back in and get those corrections.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_03: So the associations are vital you know tow times is vital you know what they do that they're giving information they have an incredible magazine that I think that gets overlooked from a toe show standpoint but the the magazine is incredible information.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_03: We're able to share I had the I was honored this year in July and had my first article ever in tow times.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_03: That was a big deal for me because I'm I'm not a writer I'm not I'm just a I'm just a guy with an idea and I was able to share what was going on in our state and I was very honored that they were able to do that.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_03: And it's information is key when you want to get in a business and you want to start a towing business you have to know information.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_03: And going coming to the tow show getting a part of associations getting getting the tow times magazine all of those things are extremely vital for what we do.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_03: And without one without the other and everybody kind of connecting the dots it really doesn't exist.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_03: It really doesn't unless we work as a team and we put these events together and it's stressful and it's frustrating and we got people I mean it's amazing to hear some of the questions that go on and you just have to look at them and you smile and you go hey I'm so sorry that you don't understand let me repeat that for you because let's just say people didn't grow up in the same neck of the woods that some common sense uh you know lived in you know and so we have to change that.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_05: And I mean that humbly and I think that Miss Brenda I was just thinking about a question that somebody asked me here a few years ago is it okay if I bring a box of baby squirrels into the show and like say that again?
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah I found a box I found some baby squirrels and I don't know what to do.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_05: I'm like yeah bring them in.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_05: Not bring them in as the one thing to do or not do right yeah I'm like put them under the table and if they get loose they're like no no no they were like just they found they were found newborn it was one of you know well the thing about baby squirrels and I found this out because we had we had a cat that brought in she was a hunter and brought in a baby squirrel and then got loose the baby squirrel would imprint on you it would it would try to attach to you.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_06: Get out really so you they would probably had pet here so it will imprint well it's a it's a nature it's a nature thing baby squirrels didn't get out so I didn't have to worry about it so yes yes now I'm gonna tell a funny story about and I think this was the first year that Toe Thomas was doing Tennessee Toast show and Wes was considering whether to do a booth here and West will consider things for a long time and you called and you was like what are you gonna do and Wes was like well and you were like well hell you gotta do something and it made him he was like he said you're right I have to do something it was like the deadline the show was like in three days or something and you still had to spot or something and it was gonna go and from that point on that's funny.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_06: From that point he's told that story so many times that's so funny.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_06: In closing I want you to um give us the website give us a date again for next year and for the um the summit and how do you get the magazine okay so we have Tennesseetoe show dot com and that's October 16th through the 17th next year in Chattanooga.
• 38:15
  SPEAKER_05: The Toe Summit is tow summit.com May 13th through the 15th in Denver and then tow times dot com you could subscribe there.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_06: Thank you guys thank you guys so much for doing this podcast with us we really enjoyed it and um thank you for asking we hope to see everybody here in twenty twenty six thank you