Latest / The Weekly Run / Family Business | #27
Transcript
- Jeff Perera: to the Weekly Run. I'm Jeff. Abby: I'm Abby. Jeff Perera: And today we're talking about what's hot at just Bigel Run. Welcome back, Abby. Abby: Thanks, I'm so excited to be back. Jeff Perera: I mean, Erin's on vacation this week, so you being back is definitely a special treat. Abby: Right? I feel honored. Jeff Perera: This is awesome. Yeah, I think your episode might have gotten the most views we've ever gotten. So you might have to be a regular. We'll see if you perform again. Abby: I'd love to hear it. Maybe if you need a third co host, I'm interested. Jeff Perera: Got it. All right. You can be your your side hustle. Absolutely. Well, you're back with a another spicy take what's your take? Abby: Yeah. the obsession with going viral is why so many brands never actually become memorable. Jeff Perera: I 100 % agree. I think that virality is by definition short lived. The attention you get from going viral is rented, but the reputation you have is something you own. Abby: Yeah. Exactly. Like it's virality is just temporary. But when you build those memories, it's not. Jeff Perera: 100%. I think it's interesting because so many brands right now have these viral moments and then they disappear and they lack that consistency of, I don't know if it's consistency of messaging or consistency of story, but you see it across so many different categories. It's not just, the Bengal landscape, doesn't matter which category you're in. I feel like you go viral and then People forget about you. But like you used to say like 15 minutes of fame. I feel like it's like 15 seconds of fame now. Abby: Yes, a thousand percent. Especially with TikTok. It just the trends go so fast that if you're not actually making an impact, it's just gonna go away. Jeff Perera: Yeah, so do you think the trends are what make people viral or do think people who really go viral are the ones who start the trends? Abby: I don't think it's the people who start the trends that go viral. I think it's the people who do the trends make it viral. 'Cause you need the multiple people going or doing the thing to make it viral. 'Cause you're not just seeing one person do it and then it just blows up. It's a combination of multiple things or people. Jeff Perera: Got it, so you think that you have to have somebody want to replicate what you did and put their spin on it to make it actually become viral. Abby: Yes, and not just Yes, and not just one person. You need to have multiple people. Because it's not gonna go viral just because of two people. I mean that's how it starts, but it doesn't just pause. Jeff Perera: Yeah, like one video could give somebody some recognition and they get a lot of views. There could be a lot of buzz about it, but to make it become like that viral sensation, other people want to have to do it too. Whether it's, you know, in the early days of TikTok, was dances and then now it was like skits and now it's just like, dude, whatever the most ridiculous thing is that you could do to kind of create that experience. Yeah. Abby: Yes. Exactly. Yeah. Jeff Perera: I mean, if anybody's following my personal TikTok account, which I think most people are not, they're watching me slice watermelon right now. So it's stupid, but I haven't gone viral. Abby: It's quite silly. It probably needs to stop, honestly. You should stick to bagels. Jeff Perera: I know I have one more I'm much better at the bagels Much better at the bagels. All right. Well, that's a great take Abby. I'm like I Like that. I think yeah, I agree with you. I think you know just Going viral for the sake of going viral is not enough to really sustain a brand. You've got to do more You've got to put some you got to some more stuff behind it. So Abby: No, a thousand percent. Jeff Perera: Aaron not being here this week is kind of, I don't know, maybe this makes Aaron go viral finally, because like the guy just goes on vacation and doesn't show up for the pod. You step in, it's great. You're a, you're a member of this. Abby: The podcast blows up because of me. Suddenly Aaron's out of a job. Jeff Perera: I mean, he's not even getting paid, so maybe he'll be happy. I don't know. Abby: Honestly, I don't know if I could take one more thing. Jeff Perera: So we all have a lot on our plates for sure at the Bigel Run. So you do support the Bigel Run. You work for Jeff's Bigel Run. You're at the franchise company. You support franchise marketing. And so you're part of the team. I mean, you started out as, you know, my kid and then you became now you're like, have an important job. Abby: Yeah. I do. I'm full Bagel. Jeff Perera: You did, you did, you went full bagel. It wasn't intentional though. Abby: I did. No, I mean I really I tried to do my own thing. After I graduated, I went and worked another job and it just wasn't for me. And from there I think everything happens for a reason. I saw a job posting on LinkedIn at the bagel run and I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna apply. Like, take me for me out of the situation. I want the best person to have this job and if it's me, that's awesome. If not, that's also awesome. And everything worked out. Only a bit. Jeff Perera: You were you were sneaky about it though. Like you were sneaky about it. You didn't tell me. I mean, you applied for the job. You sent a note to Katrina, our VP of Marketing, and you were like, hey, it's Abby. And you were like, I think I'd be a really good fit for this role at the time. was a marketing coordinator position, think, right? Marketing administrator, something like that. Yeah, like super entry level, like the kind of job that someone right out of college gets. then it was like weeks later that Katrina came to me and she's like, okay, so you... Abby: Yeah, it was. Yeah. Jeff Perera: How do I say this? Your daughter applied for a job. I don't think she's told you. it's, I don't know, now it's like kind of part of the lore of the bangle run. And then she was like, what happened? Well then she was like, what happens if like, I was like, what, if it goes bad? I'm like, that's on you. She works for you. She doesn't work for me. So like, if you got a fire, you can do that. I don't care. I was like, I think she's going be the hardest working person on your team, but you know. Abby: It really is. Like if you know, you know. Yeah. Truly. Yeah, exactly. Jeff Perera: I think you double down because you are a family. I think you work even harder. Abby: A thousand percent. I see you guys working twenty four seven. I'm like, my gosh, why am I not working right now? Jeff Perera: I know you're like around and you're like, what are you doing? We're like, we're just catching up. And you're like, OK, well, guess I could check email. It's like, you know. Abby: It's like seven AM on a Saturday, I'm like, I gotta lock in real quick. Jeff Perera: Just out here, working, recording podcasts, whatever it takes. Abby: Exactly. It's part of the fun though. Jeff Perera: But that's been it? How long has it been now? Like eight months? Six months? Eight months? No way. Abby: It's it's almost been a year. September will be September will be a year. Jeff Perera: That's crazy. Abby: I know, right? I mean I guess it's July, so I guess we've got a couple of months till September, but in my brain it's already December. Yeah. Jeff Perera: But still, okay, I mean, it's basically a year. True. We're working on 2027 already. I think when you... Yeah, it's already like... Holiday is already behind us. so, yeah, it's been a... We're working very far ahead. So I get it. Okay, so it's been almost a year. What do you think? Abby: So it's already twenty twenty seven. Yeah. I mean I love it. I have s transferred from the marketing coordinator position into this build marketing role now, which I absolutely love because I get to travel to all of the places that we're opening new stores and it's just been so much fun. I love building the communities in these new places and just showing them what makes the Bayel Run run. I'm like it's always so exciting because they don't know the story and it's fun that I get to tell it. And it's like they don't know that I have any ties to the bagel run other than it's my job. And so it's really fun to just tell it from that third perspective. Jeff Perera: it's interesting because you went to you were in Texas for the first time you went to the Houston opening their third store you were there I was also there and I listened to you talking to our guests as they come in the store or like influencers they come to create content in the store and you're like and so, know Daniela you have to make him a bangle so as they did and like, you know, you go through the whole thing and it's so funny to hear you tell it almost as like this like Abby: Yes. Jeff Perera: third person out of body and then I come through and like break through the fourth wall and I'm like, I was like, stop it. You're my kid. Like you've been a part of this from the beginning. You know what's up. You thought I was super cringy. I know. Abby: No, I know. I did. But it's fun to tell it from that other perspective. And then like if you're a cool customer you find out like the ties and it's really it's even cooler because then they even love it even more. Jeff Perera: This is true, yeah. It's true. Yeah, I try not to blow up your spot too much in those moments. I think there's some folks. Abby: No no no. Eric Kirby, Koughkoff. Loves to loves to Jeff Perera: Eric if you're listening Eric loves to be like, this is the Abby and blah blah blah Abby: Yeah. I'm like shh, let's keep it down low. Not everyone needs to know. Jeff Perera: Here's a spicy take for the future. Yeah, right. Spicy take for the future is Abby doesn't want to be known as the Abby. Yeah. Abby: No. Only on the pod. Because this is kinda fun. Jeff Perera: Yeah, think it's a, this is neat platform to like tell our story. It's a neat place to, I don't know, I think, yeah, like there's nobody here right now. So it's like totally, it feels safe, even though like one day someone's gonna go back and watch like episode, whatever 27 or 28, whatever number this is and be like, yeah, it's gonna be, it's gonna be like that. But that's sort of like what it was like in the early days when I was making from bagels from home and like, Abby: For our ten listeners. Yeah. A thousand percent. Jeff Perera: posting cringy videos on Instagram, you're like, dad, you know, like, what are you doing? And so now I'm doing it all over again with the podcast, which most people only listen to. So I guess there's that. Abby: What are you doing? Yep. That's okay. I think I'd rather listening than watching. Jeff Perera: Okay, so Aaron is notorious on the pod for not listening to the pod. So he doesn't ever listen back. I only sent him clips and like edit notes, but he doesn't listen to the full episode. Did you listen to your last episode? Abby: I did listen to it, but now that this is like a full length episode, I don't think I'll be able to because that's a lot of hearing myself talk. Jeff Perera: but you were good on it. Abby: Thank you. I I the f smaller increment wasn't bad, but I was like, why did I say things like that? Like you really like once you watch yourself, you're like, What are you doing? Jeff Perera: You sort of start to analyze a little bit more and like I guess second guess yourself Abby: Yes, exactly. And so like now I know from like the first episode, okay, to pronounce my words or just speak a little slower so I don't sound like I'm just rushing. I don't know if I'm doing any better, but Jeff Perera: I get. You're doing great. I do find myself like when I listen back and I edit and then I'm listening to the final edit, I think, I could have fixed that or I could have done this better. you do mumble when you're trying to say Jeff Spigal run or you. I find all those critiques as well in myself. So that's OK. I think that's how we get better, though, you know. Abby: Exactly. Jeff Perera: I saw a statistic that said if you do something, like if you practice something 18 minutes of the day every day for a year, then you will be better than 90 for, see, I just mumbled. If you practice something for 18 minutes every day, you do that for a year, you become better than 95 % of the population in the whole world at that thing that you practice for 18 minutes. Abby: That's a crazy statistic. Jeff Perera: 18 minutes doesn't feel like a long time. Abby: No, it's really not. Round it to twenty and I wonder what that percent goes to. Jeff Perera: I mean, this part. Right? mean, we're halfway through the year. If you started right now, you'd still be better than like 50 % of the population at whatever that thing was that you practiced. Abby: That's true. Everyone get practicing. Eighteen minutes. Jeff Perera: I been podcasting since. That's it. It's all you need is 18 minutes, I think. Like, if you'd never played the piano and sat down at the piano and played for 18 minutes, by the end of the year, you'd be better than 95 % of the population of playing the piano. Abby: That's fascinating. The random knowledge you have. That and chickens. Jeff Perera: I it's I don't know now the number of chickens. like 45 billion chickens exist on the planet any given time. It's a lot of chickens. But yeah, podcasting wasn't something that like 18 minutes. I do with a lot more than 18 minutes a week, but like we're almost 18 minutes into this podcast so far and. You're getting a lot of practice. Abby: Exactly. I'll be a pro. Aaron, watch out. Jeff Perera: That's what I'm saying. You better not take vacation again. shots fired. She's like, it's my job now. That's so funny. He would, he would probably be really sad. I think he likes it. Abby: I'm taking your co hosting spot, yeah. Yeah, watch out. I'll podcast from the road. Yeah. You guys have a good dynamic too though, so Jeff Perera: It is kind of fun. this is a... Yeah, he's really smart and thoughtful and I'm a little... I'm less smart and a little more off the cuff. So, makes it fun. It's a good combination. Right, so the Spicy Abbey is coming back though and I wonder, will you be eating it in a couple of weeks? I think it's actually... it next week? I think it's next week. This week we're in the middle of like international week because of the finals of the World Cup. Abby: It does, yeah. Jeff Perera: Argentina is playing England right now, Spain has already advanced, so we will see... you know what? It's not the Spicy Abbey next week, it's the Spicy Cheez-It next week. It is the regular Abbey and the Spicy Cheez-It. Yes, next week is the regular Abbey. So... man, I guess it's just a regular take then, it's not a spicy take. Abby: There we go. Yes. I That's okay. I like the regular Abbey better than the spicy Abby. Jeff Perera: I think the spicy Abby's just like a funny caricature of, you know. Abby: No, it definitely is. The regular Abbey is the way to go though. A hundred percent. Jeff Perera: The spicy Abby is definitely not like a real version of you. I don't think you're a very spicy person. I think you're kind and thoughtful and, you know, equally stressed out as every other 22 year old on the planet. So I mean, that's it. Like, you know, you're trying to juggle all the things that everybody else is like, I have to work and buy groceries and pay for rent. Abby: Not at all. I'm not. Thank you, yeah. A thousand percent Yeah, exactly. Just a twenty two year old. Yeah. Post grad life. Jeff Perera: Welcome to being post-grad. I know. Do you ever talk to any of your friends who are like graduated and also like working? Like what is that like? Is their life the same as yours or? Abby: I mean my life is nothing like any of theirs, to be honest. Just because I travel so much for work and that is such Jeff Perera: Mm. Abby: a rare thing I feel like, especially as a young post grad, you typically just hope you get a job, honestly. And that's what everyone kinda wants. I got really fortunate to be able to have a job that brings so many cool opportunities. everyone's doing their own things. I have a lot of education major friends they're all teaching. So very different lifestyle than me, have their summers off so it's very different. But everyone's experiencing the same postgrad what are we doing with our lives sort of thing. Jeff Perera: I remember what that was like. mean, believe it or not, I know I'm old man, but when I was 22 and graduated in college, didn't, it's not that old. Do I turn 49 this year? I think it's 49 this year. Abby: Not that old. Yeah, I think so. Okay, maybe a little old. Jeff Perera: What year were we in? was 26. Yeah, I was born in 77. So I turned 49. I know. I don't feel like I'm 49. I still feel like I'm 22. So, although my body tells me otherwise. Physically, my body, it is, but physically my body tells me otherwise. you know, my knee hurts occasionally. And if I sleep funny, my shoulders done for the day. But, you know, that's OK. I remember being 22 and being like right out of college and Abby: There go. That's what matters. Age is just a number. Jeff Perera: I was just happy to have a job. You know, like I had. Abby: Exactly. That's kind of how everyone feels, I think. Jeff Perera: Yeah, and it's a job that I like doing, which I think was important. I think there's a lot of people, right now who are probably doing jobs they don't like. we can feel fortunate that the work that we do is actually something that we enjoy. I certainly like, I mean, I'm, I like what I'm doing. Abby: thousand percent. I like what I'm doing too. I mean, I was so grateful to get a job right out of college, even though I discovered that it wasn't for me and I just wasn't ha bringing myself joy from it. I am very fortunate to be able to have pivoted and found a job that brings me so much joy and makes me so happy, but also pays my bills and takes care of everything that I need to take care of. And that's not what everyone could say. Jeff Perera: Listen, could be, I was gonna say that could be like your second take, because I mean, I 100 % agree. this is really kind of cool, because if I was looking at you when you were unhappy in your job, I probably would have been like, we'll go find something else. Right? And you did. Like, I didn't tell you to do that, but you did. You were like unhappy and you didn't like where you working, so you just went and found something else. Happened to be at the Bagel Run, which is cool. Abby: Yeah. Yeah. Jeff Perera: And it's led you to like, lots of neat opportunities and to travel and do some different things. And obviously there's like a different level of connection there because it's family business. But at the same time, you you actually like what you're doing. And like not a lot of people can say that. And I think when you're 22 years old, have so much ahead of you. You think, I'll just do this thing I don't like for a little while because it pays the bills or because I need a job. But the reality of it is life is really short and you might as well do something you like. Abby: Yeah. Yeah. And you don't want to be miserable. Yeah. A hundred percent. And it's hard to get a job nowadays, but also like you have to prioritize the time to find something that brings you the joy. Or outside of work do things that make you happy. Because life is short. Jeff Perera: Yeah, don't be miserable. I used to think that you had to, like work was my life identity. And like the job that I had was really kind of made me who I was. But. Abby: I mean that's kinda the case today. You created the work for yourself. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It makes it a little different. Jeff Perera: fair. But I created the work. I think I did. It's different. It's different. But I don't think... Okay, but you've seen me obviously through some different jobs and different roles that I've had in different positions. I personally don't think that my work in the Bagel Run and being Jeff of Jeff's Bagel Run is my life identity. Abby: Yeah. No, it's definitely not your life identity. It's just a fun it's like a fun fact. Jeff Perera: Like I think that Yes, yes. It's like I don't, I used to like be really proud of like introducing myself as like a regional vice president of something. Like that's so dumb. It's like, what does that even mean? Like. Abby: I don't know. Jeff Perera: It really like that should not like your job title and what you do shouldn't define who you are. I think the fact that I just happen to be a guy who made bagel for his wife and we built a business around that, that's great. But like I'd much rather be, your dad, a great husband, a great friend. Like that's more I think how I've evolved to be. Abby: Yeah, a thousand percent. Fully agree. Great takes over here. Yeah. Very much the Abbey, not spicy. Jeff Perera: Yes, regular Abby, not spicy Abby. But how do you get other 22 year olds to feel that? How do you inspire a 22 year old to get there? Because it's hard. Abby: Yeah. It it really is hard. I think it just takes time because I it's probably not even for just a twenty-two-year-old. It's anyone who's still in college and is like freaking out like I was a year and a half ago. my gosh, how am I gonna get a job? What am I gonna do? And I just felt like I was never gonna figure it out. I was like, I'm just gonna go be a server somewhere. And like, that's okay. Absolutely. I think you just have to keep pushing. Like once you put in the hard work and you just put some effort in to whatever you're interested in, I think things just fall more into place. It takes so much time though. I think you have to be patient. And like it takes a while to learn that. And I wasn't always patient. I love to like crash out and then everything works out. Jeff Perera: I think that's a really... Abby: It's like a trend for me, truly. Jeff Perera: you said two really important things there. One, invest time in doing something that you like. That to me is important. Like you said, you could have gotten any job. There was opportunities for you to get a job that provided you an income, but it wasn't something you enjoyed doing. waiting and finding the thing that brought you a little bit of joy. now obviously at the Bigelow Run, it's a different, it's like a much happier place for you to work. But that important, super, super important, like do the thing you like to do. And then the other part of that, which I got to see firsthand, was like that lack of patience. And I think that comes just from, I think that comes from being 22. To be fair, like from being a young person, like you haven't had enough opportunities to experience what that patience looks like. I mean, even being a dad, Abby: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jeff Perera: You want so badly to see what this kid's gonna become and be like, and then you wait nine, well, actually, technically you wait 10 months for them to show up, and there's this little blob, and you feed them, and they cry, and they keep you awake, and then they grow up a little bit more, and then they grow up a little bit more, and then you have to wait 22 years to see him become you. That's patience. So I think that just comes with age. Yeah, you just gotta wait for it. It's worth it. Abby: I there's a lot of patience there. Yeah. A thousand percent. It is, and it takes the time, but again, if you crash out, it might just happen right after. That's what tends to happen for me. Jeff Perera: I mean, I don't recommend the crash out to everybody. It seems to work for Abby, but like between you and me, think, minimize the crash outs, but yeah, they're, it's a part of the growing process, right? it's how you learn. It's how you overcome, the things that are difficult in your life. It's how you get through transition periods and, that's okay. Like you don't live in a constant world of crash out. Like it's not like your basic state. So Abby: The crash out just happens. No. No no no. That would be that would not be great. Jeff Perera: That would be a lot of medication probably if that was the case. Abby: Probably. No, thank goodness. Jeff Perera: And it's not the case. For sure. For sure. Well, this has been really fun to chat with you and get a not so spicy Abby take and then talk about your journey so far at the Bangle Run. I'm really glad you were able to be part of the pod today and be a part of the journey. It's really cool. Abby: It's so awesome. I love it. It's fun to see every single time the progression grow more and more. just being more involved with the business. I'm like, my gosh, how are we at thirty eight stores? we're planning for so far ahead on like my gosh, store fifty. I get to be there and I'm going to be sobbing. it's just really amazing to be a part of all of this and I'm just so grateful and so happy that I get to play a little role in it. Jeff Perera: Well, I'm glad you're here and a part of it too. It makes it super fun and extra and extra. Yeah, this is the best. what kind of life is this? I talked about it on the last part of the day and I was like, it's great to be Jeff. Like this is like this. This isn't work. This is this is nonsense. This isn't work. So Thanks for being here today. And I guess for everybody else out there, like look for the not so spicy Abby to come next week and then. Abby: Me too. And then podcasting is fun too. Yeah. Right? Everyone wishes they could be Jeff. No. Yeah. Jeff Perera: Big fresh, bring joy, build community. Talk to you soon. Bye. Abby: Bye.