April 28, 2022
Bill Black
Bill Black:
Identify, what are those personal core values that mean something to you, and then, whether you’re starting your own business or whether you are going to work for someone – does their core values align with yours?
Announcer:
Welcome to Agency for Change, a podcast from KidGlov that brings you the stories of changemakers who are actively working to improve our communities. In every episode, we’ll meet with people who are making a lasting impact in the places we call home.
Lyn Wineman:
At KidGlov, we love connecting with businesses who have a purpose to make the world a better place. Today’s guest is the chief marketing officer at an organization that promotes relationship coffee, and connecting through love, humility, integrity and courage. Hi, everyone. This is Lyn Wineman, president of KidGlov. Welcome back to another episode of the Agency for Change podcast. And today’s guest is Bill Black of Scooter’s Coffee. We are going to talk with him about their unique messaging strategy, as well as the amazing growth of this Midwest-based coffee chain, and what new ways they are planning to help us all satisfy our caffeine addictions. Bill, welcome to the podcast.
Bill Black:
Thank you, Lyn. It’s great to be here. Let me ask you first. Who puts love in their core values?
Lyn Wineman:
Well, apparently KidGlov and Scooter’s Coffee, right. And I think that’s why we should be talking today. Love is an amazing core value.
Bill Black:
Really is.
Lyn Wineman:
We’re going to talk more about that in a bit. Aren’t we?
Bill Black:
We are.
Lyn Wineman:
All right, but Bill, I want to actually start by asking you about “relationship coffee.” That is a term I haven’t heard before. What does it mean to Scooter’s?
Bill Black:
Well, you probably think it means your relationship with your coffee, right?
Lyn Wineman:
I do think that actually, which is quite strong all across the board.
Bill Black:
No, we really take a lot of pride as Scooter’s Coffee in the relationships that we have with our coffee farmers in the origin countries. And so a lot of people don’t realize that coffee is always grown around the equator. So, between the tropics, between the Tropics of Cancer and Tropics of Capricorn, that’s the only area in the world where coffee beans are grown. And so, as you go around the globe, all the countries that fit into that segment are what we call origin countries. And at Scooter’s, we purchase coffee beans from probably a dozen different countries throughout the region. And those origin countries are made up of coffee farmers. And we take a lot of pride in going in and actually building relationships with those coffee farmers. And we buy their coffee beans directly from them.
Bill Black:
And that allows them to get a higher price for their coffee. It also allows them to have a livable wage that they can continue to grow coffee, provide for their families and for generations to come we have a partnership.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow.
Bill Black:
But a lot of coffee today is really bought on the open commodity market. And so, the open commodity market doesn’t provide a lot of profit for the farmers. There are about 18 different hands that touch every dollar that goes through the commodity chain.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow.
Bill Black:
And by the time the farmer gets his or her cut, sometimes they don’t even get a cut, sometimes they actually lose money on the deal, and that’s not good.
Lyn Wineman:
Not good at all. Bill, first of all, I’m going to tell you here, you just crushed my dream. You mean those coffee beans I planted in my backyard aren’t going to come up?
Bill Black:
Probably not going to come up here in Nebraska.
Lyn Wineman:
Probably not, probably not. Actually you could have given me 10 guesses, and I may not have gotten to that as the meaning of “relationship coffee.” And I’m curious because when I think about coffee, the term that I’m used to hearing is fair trade. How does fair trade differ, or how is it similar to relationship coffee?
Bill Black:
Well, fair trade is just simply a certification program that is established by Fair Trade USA. And so they do some really, really good work. And a lot of the things that we do with relationship coffee, Fair Trade is already doing that. So, things like safe working conditions and environmental practices, sustainable livelihoods, paying a higher price for the beans. Those are all great admirable things that the Fair Trade organization does. And for a lot of companies and for some coffee companies, that’s great attachment partnership for them to get in on and ride along with the Fair Trade people and get that certification. We just happen to do it in-house. So, for us, we do mostly all of those things that Fair Trade USA does, it’s just we do it on our own. And that’s how we separate ourselves, that’s what we call it, our fair trade, we call it “relationship coffee.”
Lyn Wineman:
I like that. I like that you’ve branded it and made it your own. And as both of our companies are based in Nebraska too, I love that you’re looking out for the farmer, even though you can’t grow coffee beans in Nebraska, I think looking out for farmers across the world is a good thing to do. So Bill, we’ve talked about relationship coffee, let’s take a minute to hear more about Scooter’s, maybe something about the history and let’s hear a bit about those values that include love.
Bill Black:
Sure. I’ve been with Scooter’s about four years, over four years now. And I know we’ll talk a little bit more about that later, but I’m amazed living here in the Omaha area at how many people I come across who don’t know that Scooter’s Coffee started right here in Omaha, actually in 1998 in Bellevue is where the first store was opened and it was opened by our co-founders, Don and Linda Eckles. And both Don and Linda are still very much involved in the business.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s great.
Bill Black:
And so that’s fantastic to have that knowledge. And Don’s quite a guy to be around to hear stories about how that started and all of that. But yeah, we’ll be celebrating our 25th anniversary one year from, actually one year from last week.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow. That’s amazing. You know what? I do want to jump in. I’m not surprised that people are surprised because Scooter’s, we were talking before we turned on the record button that it feels like I see Scooter’s everywhere I go. And I think the quality of the brand is so topnotch. It feels like a national brand, but Omaha is a great place not to grow coffee, but to grow coffee chains. How about that?
Bill Black:
Absolutely. Yeah, no, it’s been fantastic. I know when I got here in 2018, the company was sitting at about 200 stores, I think. And most of them were Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, maybe a few in South Dakota, but it was really just the ring here around Nebraska. Currently we’re approaching 450 stores.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow. Doubled, doubled in four years. Wow.
Bill Black:
We doubled out in four years. And we’re now in 23 states.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s great.
Bill Black:
But we will have probably 650 stores open by the end of this year. So, we’ve got a lot of runway yet to go this year.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow.
Bill Black:
And so we’re excited about that. But it really is built on that foundation that Don and Linda started 25 years ago. And then as we’ve evolved and identified the core values of integrity, love, humility and courage. Those really are our guiding principles. And our mission statement is to create an amazing experience for each life to touch. And so I was able to be part of an offsite meeting over four years ago where the leadership team went off and actually established those core values, and established that mission statement, because we had them when I got here, but they were just words on a poster and they really weren’t being lived, or no one ever spoke to them or spoke of them. And if you ask someone, hey, what’s our core value? What’s our mission statement? Most people probably couldn’t tell you, but now we’re now four years in and it lives on the walls and the hearts of everybody.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s just great.
Bill Black:
We talk about them every day, every single day, and many decisions are made based upon those values.
Lyn Wineman:
Bill, you’ve talked about two things that I find just really interesting in marketing right now. You’ve talked about how you as an organization stand for something beyond the coffee. And I’ve been reading a lot of research on how consumers really want to align with brands that stand for making the world a better place. And then also how employees want to align with an organization that stands for something. And I think the way that you talk about your core values really speaks to that as well. The other thing I know about Scooter’s is I know you do a lot for the communities that you are in and I’m curious, why is that community aspect important to the organization?
Bill Black:
Well, I think it’s a, to be involved in the community I think is a really, really important differentiator between us and other brands. And I think what a lot of people don’t always understand is that almost all of our stores are independently and individually owned by franchisees who are back home in those communities.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. Yeah.
Bill Black:
So it’s not like this big corporate behemoth coffee chain, corporate stores all over the world, we team with local residents of communities and they become our partners, our franchisees. And so they recognize that as much as we do, it’s part of the whole interview process of when we’re talking to new perspective franchisees, is getting their buy-in on how important it’s to give back and be part of their local community. And that takes to face many different ways. In some cases, it’s, they’re very involved in youth programs in the community, or they’re very involved in educational programs within the community, in the public library, or environmental issues within the community, or Boys and Girls’ Clubs. Four hundred and fifty stores, I bet you we have 400 different community involvement programs.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. That’s great.
Bill Black:
That’s good and bad. I think it’s more good, but I think it’s more good than bad, but we’re certainly always talking in leadership about how we need to find a way to hone all of our community support into just a few pillars and get really focused strategically around what we stand for.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. That is an interesting conundrum, but what I do imagine is what you are involved in are the things that are important to those individual communities, and that’s hard to decide at a global level.
Bill Black:
And that’s at the local community level, but then we will also do things that are very much more systemic. And so, an example of that is the partnership we have with The Pink Agenda, and they are part of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Every October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we roll out what we call a courage cookie. So, right in line with our core values. And we will give a portion of 20% of the sale of every cookie goes to The Pink Agenda for breast cancer research.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s amazing.
Bill Black:
And this past October, it was over a $143,000 that was donated for breast cancer research. And that just lines up so perfectly with our core customers, which three fourths of our customers are women.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. I did my part, I had my fair share of courage cookies in October. They were delicious.
Bill Black:
They are so good. And we get asked every year, can you keep those year-round? So I think we would probably work our bakery to death this year.
Lyn Wineman:
I love that. A few of us would have to spend some more time on our Pelotons also, I think.
Bill Black:
There you go.
Lyn Wineman:
… if you did that. So, let’s talk about those 450 soon to become 650 more locations. You really, Scooter’s has achieved so much success in branching out to different states in the Midwest, but are you committed to staying in the Midwest, or will I see you someday in New York, in New Jersey, in LA?
Bill Black:
Well, right now we’ve got our eyes set on, I believe it’s about 35 states that we have identified. There are some parts of the country that for right now, anyway, we’re basically saying we’re going to hold off for a minute, but really focus on these particular areas. And so the Midwest will always be home. It will always be our heartbeat, but so much of our growth right now is coming South. So we’re opening a lot of stores, we start across Arizona, across through New Mexico and Texas, and then into the Southeast, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and then up into the Ohio Valley there, the Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, those are all huge growth areas for us right now where we have hundreds of commitments already signed.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s amazing.
Bill Black:
Yeah.
Lyn Wineman:
Congratulations to you.
Bill Black:
Thank you. Thank you.
Lyn Wineman:
Bill, I’m curious, why the name Scooter’s? Is there a deeper meaning behind the name?
Bill Black:
Not really. It’s another one of our differentiators. If you’re familiar with the book by Jim Collins, Good to Great.
Lyn Wineman:
I love that book. “Get the right people in the right seats on the bus.”
Bill Black:
That’s right. And he also has a piece of that book where he talks about the hedgehog. What is your hedgehog? And so, we have a core competency statement at Scooter’s Coffee, and the hedgehog for us is really about speed. And so you can go a lot of places and get coffee and you can get good coffee at a lot of places, but you don’t want to get in line and wait 18, 20 minutes to do it.
Lyn Wineman:
No.
Bill Black:
So, we really focus our model on speed, speed, speed, and getting customers through the line as quickly as… So “scoot in, scoot out” is where the Scooter’s name came from.
Lyn Wineman:
Very nice. I like that. I like that a lot. That’s part of the amazing experience as well.
Bill Black:
That’s right.
Lyn Wineman:
We’re all busy. We got things to do. We got to get to the next meeting, the next kids’ event, we got to pick up our kids and get coffee. I would hope, I have this, I talk to operators and franchisees and marketing people all the time, and I always tell them, I say, look, there’s a point between the kiosk or the building the window, where the barista is greeting you and handing you your drink and the window of your car.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
And that distance is about three feet. And so I always tell people that’s the last three feet of the sale.
Lyn Wineman:
Ah, yeah.
Bill Black:
And so that is where the brand is either made or where it’s not.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s a good point.
Bill Black:
So as you pull out of that kiosk window, if you don’t have the feeling of, man, that was pretty amazing.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
That’s what we hope that you realize, or you feel when you pull away.
Lyn Wineman:
One of the small touches that I’ve always liked too, Bill. I always liked the stickers with the smiles on them.
Bill Black:
Yeah. Yeah.
Lyn Wineman:
So the stickers, I think are also a nice touch. I know it’d probably be cheaper to go with plain stickers, but I like the branded stickers too.
Bill Black:
What’s interesting about that is that particular, that smiley.
Lyn Wineman:
Smiley. Yeah.
Bill Black:
Yeah. So smiley came in to being when Don and Linda first opened their first store. Linda went out to Walmart, I believe, or Target, I think it was Walmart. And she found a role of stickers. And so she just organically started putting the stickers on the cups.
Lyn Wineman:
I like it.
Bill Black:
And then, I don’t know, as the story goes, a month or a few months into it, it became a bit of a hassle. And the decision, I think Linda and Don made was, oh, we don’t need to do the stickers anymore. That takes too long or it’s whatever. Customers…
Lyn Wineman:
People complained. Right? They love the stickers. Yes.
Bill Black:
People complained, they rebelled. And so they had to go back and get more stickers.
Lyn Wineman:
There you go.
Bill Black:
No pun intended, but it has stuck.
Lyn Wineman:
It’s stuck. Very nice.
Bill Black:
Now we have so much fun with the stickers, even we’ll put Santa hats on the sticker, or we’ll have, during the 4th of July, they’ll have an American flag or something like that, but we do have a lot of fun with smiley.
Lyn Wineman:
You know what the stickers say to me, is that you care about me as a customer, that I don’t burn myself, that I keep my coffee hot. And that you took that extra little minute to make sure I have just a happy moment during the day.
Bill Black:
Oh, you would be surprised, we have people email us where they put the stickers on their…
Lyn Wineman:
On their dashboard. Yeah.
Bill Black:
… on their dashboard, or on their cubicle at work.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh yeah.
Bill Black:
Yeah.
Lyn Wineman:
Very nice. So big question here. Do you have any new or upcoming products to tempt us with new ways to get our caffeine on?
Bill Black:
I’d have to kidnap you if I told you.
Lyn Wineman:
Only if you kept me in the store. So nothing you can reveal at this moment. Huh?
Bill Black:
We’ve always got our eye on new things. And, of course, here in the spring, in the summer, where nitro cold brew is becoming a hot item right now in the industry.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
So we’ll be looking to expand that in many more of our stores, a few of them have it right now, but we’ll be doing more of that. And we’re getting ready to launch our quenchers, which are, it’s a refreshing non-coffee, although it is made with green coffee extract.
Lyn Wineman:
Interesting. I didn’t know that.
Bill Black:
Yeah. But the quenchers are just a huge, huge hit in the spring and summer.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
In fact, we’re probably looking to keep that year-round after the summer.
Lyn Wineman:
Very nice. Very nice.
Bill Black:
We have lots of new flavors coming, lots of new flavors with our red bull infusions, our energy infusions, and we have new lemonade and teas.
Lyn Wineman:
I’m looking forward to it. I’ll report back. How about that?
Bill Black:
Yeah.
Lyn Wineman:
All right. So I want to switch gears a bit Bill and talk about you. I know you have a really interesting journey. Can you tell us what you did before you came to Scooter’s, and what brought you here and what you’re looking forward to in your role?
Bill Black:
Yeah, sure. I tell you, when I think back over the career, I got into this crazy coffee business in 1994, the nineties, they were going back a few years.
Lyn Wineman:
Was that back when we still paid 50 cents for a cup of coffee?
Bill Black:
Probably, probably, But I joined Dunkin Donuts as one of their field marketing directors. And so I had a better part, the middle part of the country for Duncan. And then we added on Baskin-Robbins to that shortly thereafter. So it was Duncan-Baskin.
Lyn Wineman:
Nice. Yep.
Bill Black:
And now it’s just Duncan brands. And I think Duncan Donuts dropped the donuts down. So they just.
Lyn Wineman:
Do they even have donuts anymore?
Bill Black:
They do, they…
Lyn Wineman:
Or they do have donuts, just not in their name. Right?
Bill Black:
They do have donuts, but they don’t make them, I don’t believe, maybe a few do, but most stores don’t make them at the store anymore. Used to, they would get up, a baker would come in and make the donuts early morning at three o’clock.
Lyn Wineman:
Time to make the donuts was the classic tagline, right?
Bill Black:
That’s right.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
But I was with Duncan for 10 years and then got swept off my feet to go work for the big green mermaid – Starbucks. And at the time that I was with Duncan, I was living in Kentucky where I grew up, but I was officed out of Chicago, make my track to Boston every month. But then when Starbucks came calling, they moved me and my wife, we had just become empty nesters and they moved us to Atlanta, Georgia.
Lyn Wineman:
It’s a good time to move. Get a little fresh scene there. Yeah.
Bill Black:
Our youngest was off to college, so it was good having a new adventure. So we moved there and I was with Starbucks for almost five years. And then, around that time was when the Great Recession hit. And so I was with them from 2005 to 2010. And then after I left Starbucks, I actually started my own consulting business called The Marketing Coach. And I did that for eight years.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh, my.
Bill Black:
I loved it. Loved it, loved it. Swore to my wife, I would never work for another brand, or another company full-time, ever again. And then around Christmas of 2017, I get a phone call from Omaha, Nebraska, and Scooter’s, and they’re getting ready to go through some changes in their marketing leadership. In my role, as The Marketing Coach, I was doing a lot of interim CMO and interim roles for companies. And they asked if I could come in and do a four-to-six-month contract, and just help them stabilize the ship and maybe even help them find their next leader. Lyn, I’d been in coffee for 15 years before that call. Okay.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
I had never heard of Scooter’s Coffee.
Lyn Wineman:
Well, at that time, what did they have? I guess they had 200 stores. So that is quite a lot, but still.
Bill Black:
Yeah. Yeah. Right.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
I’d never heard them. So I flew in on January 8, 2018, and it was eight below zero, oh my gosh, what have I gotten into? But within about 30 days I realized there was something pretty special. And, of course, the leadership was saying, well, Bill, what do you think about maybe doing this full-time? I had other clients. So I was part-time, and I’m like, well, I’ll extend my contract a little longer, but I can’t do this full-time. I’m not moving to Omaha. I’m living in Atlanta. I’m not moving to Omaha.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
Okay. That’s fine. And then 60 days later I was all in. And I think February of 19, we moved to Omaha.
Lyn Wineman:
Ah, that’s great. Well, I think Bill, Scooter’s and Omaha and Nebraska are all very lucky to have you here. And one great thing about really, really cold weather is that it really makes you want to drink a lot of coffee.
Bill Black:
That’s exactly right. Although cold hot weather can bring on the ice coffee too though.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s true. That’s true. So, Bill, what’s one big thing that you learned in your previous roles that you brought to Scooter’s. I’m sure there were many, but what comes to top of mind?
Bill Black:
Yeah, I think as a leader and then, I think the connection that I made with the other leaders at Scooter’s, there was an incredible chemistry fit.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
And so I just found that it, from a previous role, how important it is to be other-centric. And so, as I was working with Don and Todd and the other leaders of the executive team, it was apparent that we were sharing something pretty special. And I’d been in this crazy world for, career, for 35, 40 years and had never… And I worked for some great big brands.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. Yeah.
Bill Black:
And had never really experienced anything like that. So it’s been quite a ride for the five years that I’ve been here.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s great. You were feeling the love, it was one of the core values, but it sounds like you were feeling it from the very beginning.
Bill Black:
For sure.
Lyn Wineman:
So Bill, as a leader, what advice do you have for other young leaders that want to make a difference in the world?
Bill Black:
Well, that’s a really good question. I think it’s easy sometimes for newer leaders, or folks who maybe just getting into their career to just think about, oh my gosh, what do I got to do to get this job done today?
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
And they don’t really ever take pause to think about, well, what is it that I want to stand for? What are my own personal core values? And I think anybody needs to have that moment. And maybe you go off somewhere for a weekend and you just, you, yourself and your dog, and you take some time and you just reflect on what’s important to me?
Lyn Wineman:
That’s such good advice.
Bill Black:
So then identify, what are those personal core values that mean something to you? And then whether you’re starting your own business, or whether you’re going to work for someone, does their core values align with yours? Because if it doesn’t, then the paycheck’s going to be short lived.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. Yeah.
Bill Black:
So don’t settle.
Lyn Wineman:
I heard once, Bill, someone defined stress as a situation where you’re not living your personal values. And I think what you’ve just defined there is such great, great advice. And for young leaders is out there, it is an employee’s market right now, and you certainly can often find a company that matches your values. So that’s great. Bill, I’m going to ask you my favorite question next, because I get to talk with so many interesting people like you and I love motivational quotes. And so I am going to ask you for a Bill Black original quote to inspire our listeners.
Bill Black:
Wow. You’re really putting me on the spot.
Lyn Wineman:
I know you’ve got it in you though. I think you’ve already given me a couple, to be honest.
Bill Black:
Well, my wife and I have three adult children as well and 11 grandchildren, believe or not.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh my.
Bill Black:
So yeah, it’s crazy. But one thing that I’ve always told them, and then I also say this in my work life too, so people that have worked with me over the years know, oh yeah, that’s Bill quote. But one thing that’s very near and dear to me is to never hesitate to stoop, to help others.
Lyn Wineman:
Whoa. Never hesitate to stoop, to help others.
Bill Black:
To help others.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh, I love that.
Bill Black:
Yeah.
Lyn Wineman:
That is really nice.
Bill Black:
I think that, to me, that’s why the humility core value resonates so well, because that particular quote, if you will, or management principle, or parenting principle, for me aligns right with where the company is at. And I guess if there was another quote, philosophy I live by would be always acknowledge others, acknowledge others.
Lyn Wineman:
Very nice.
Bill Black:
Acknowledge work of others. Yeah.
Lyn Wineman:
Both of those roll right back into that love core value again, and the humility as well, Bill. Very nice. Very nice. So what is the best way for our listeners to find out more about Scooter’s, what’s on the menu, where are the locations?
Bill Black:
Well, of course, there’s always the obligatory website you can go to, scooterscoffee.com.
Lyn Wineman:
Scooterscoffee.com. All right.
Bill Black:
There’s a place there where you can click on the locations and there’s also a click where you, maybe you want to be a franchisee somewhere someday.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
There’s opportunity there for you to request information about that. And then, of course, our mobile app is very popular right now. We’re probably not too far away from a million downloads on that puppy.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow. That is the way to go these days, in food marketing and restaurant marketing, to have that mobile app. That’s great.
Bill Black:
Yeah. You got to have it. The upcoming generations are so tech savvy, you mentioned it earlier today, or earlier about how people want to work, or they want their brand to stand for something more than just a cup of coffee, or more than just what they do. And that is so true with the upcoming Gen Z and the Millennials, is that, and Gen Z, especially, which is by the way, the fastest growing US population segment in the country right now.
Lyn Wineman:
And they’re amazing. They’re courageous. They’re innovative.
Bill Black:
Yes.
Lyn Wineman:
Gen Z gives me hope for the future, I tell you what.
Bill Black:
They do not know the world without social media and the internet.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. Yeah.
Bill Black:
And so if you put a rotary phone in front of them, they don’t know what that is.
Lyn Wineman:
They’ll laugh at you. Yes. I was saying to someone the other day, “this happened before the internet was a thing,” and they just dropped their jaws if that was just unbelievable to imagine.
Bill Black:
Yeah.
Lyn Wineman:
You and I can remember that world. I can remember it at least.
Bill Black:
Yeah, no, I definitely do.
Lyn Wineman:
So Bill, as we wrap up our time together today, what is the important thing you would like our listeners to remember about the work that you’re doing?
Bill Black:
I think that the most important thing would be that everything we do hopefully is making a difference. So we sell coffee and we sell blueberry muffins and a breakfast sandwich.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh gosh, you’re making me so hungry right now.
Bill Black:
But if it’s just that, then you can go anywhere and get there.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Bill Black:
So my hope would be that the experience that you have as Scooter’s Coffee makes your day, because, think about it. People come to us, our heavy users come to us every single day, we are part of their morning routine in most cases. So they’re up, they’re dressed, they’re showered, they’re brushed their teeth. They’re off to work, we’re the first human interaction sometimes people have on their way to work, or school or play.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow.
Bill Black:
And so we have to make that connection positive. We can’t set the tone in a bad way for you. So that would be my takeaway, is I hope that our brand stands for something that means something to each of our customers and we can help make their day.
Lyn Wineman:
That is so great. I can see why you’re doubling in size and locations and why you have such a great future ahead of you at Scooter’s. Bill, I fully believe the world needs more people like you, more organizations like Scooter’s. Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me today.
Bill Black:
You’re very welcome. Thank you for the offer.
Announcer:
We hope you enjoyed today’s Agency for Change podcast. To hear all our interviews with those who are making a positive change in our communities, or to nominate a changemaker you’d love to hear from, visit KidGlov.com at K-I-D-G-L-O-V.com to get in touch. As always, if you like what you’ve heard today, be sure to rate, review, subscribe, and share. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time.