1 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,959 Speaker 1: Welcome to On the Job. This season, we're focusing on 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: how people and businesses are getting back to work. Let's 3 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: call it a great transformation, a change in the way 4 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: workers are thinking. Employers need people to work more than ever, 5 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: putting laborers in a sort of position of power. We'll 6 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 1: be hearing from people navigating this new normal for themselves 7 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: as they find their life's work. In the last couple 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: of years, the workforce has been experiencing what we're going 9 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:39,599 Speaker 1: to call a great transformation. Basically, COVID has motivated a 10 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: lot of people to reevaluate what they do for work 11 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: every day, changing the way in which they do their 12 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 1: job and inspiring a lot of people to leave their 13 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: stable careers altogether. Well, today we talked to Scott who 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: took an enormous risk leaving his work and marketing to 15 00:00:54,120 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: do something completely different. Ever have a weak stomach, No, 16 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: even the first time, being around like a dead animal like, 17 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, it never really bothered me. This is 18 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: Scott Kerry and having a strong stomach is kind of 19 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: a requirement for his new line of work. I am 20 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: a whole animal butcher and I own sleep Bell Butchery. 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: We're located in Sailorsburg, Pennsylvania. Sailorsburg is just north of Allentown, Pennsylvania, 22 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: a big city but surrounded by lots of farmland. Pretty 23 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: ideal for being a whole animal butcher. It's a little 24 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: different than like a retail butcher, where we're selling behind 25 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: a case to customers that walk in. We are actually 26 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: a farm processor, so we take animals from the farms. 27 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: When we process them down from carcass to cut, Scott 28 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: doesn't do the slaughtering that happens at a different facility, 29 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: and then he has the animals delivered to him. He 30 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: breaks them down into different cuts and packages them for 31 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: retail for the farmers to sell however they'd like. So 32 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: we're basically the middleman between a farmer and the end user. 33 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: After over a decade in marketing, Scott opened Slate Belt 34 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,359 Speaker 1: Butchery in August of twenty twenty. They've only been open 35 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: a little over a year, but they are busy. A 36 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: big part of that is there's not a lot of 37 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: small processors doing what he does anymore. Number one, I 38 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: think a lot of butchers are retiring and they're not 39 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: passing on their their trade to like someone else. This 40 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: is true, big agriculture has had a huge impact on 41 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: small family farming. Another reason. Scott believes today's world values 42 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: a four year college degree over learning a trade skill. 43 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: And so, like a lot of butchers that I talked 44 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: to you that are retiring, like they just can't find 45 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: the workforce or people that really want to do the work. 46 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,359 Speaker 1: I mean it's it's like it's dirty, it's cold, it's 47 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: not like the most glamorous job. But for anyone who's 48 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: willing to do it, there's not a shortage of work 49 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: out there because it's needed, you know, like there's so 50 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: many farms out there that need processing. And we work 51 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: really hard, you know, every day. So a day in 52 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,920 Speaker 1: the life at Slate Belt Butchery, it starts pretty early. Well, 53 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: I mean we I wake up at five am and 54 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: then I'm usually in the shop by six am. He 55 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: and his crew have a team meeting. Scott delegates what 56 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: everyone's doing for the day. It's like here's what we're 57 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: gonna do, here's who I want doing what, and then 58 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: we just get to work, like making sausage. I'll put 59 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: someone on sausage, or slicing bacon, or breaking down animals. 60 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: Scott does a little of everything. But he's more on 61 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: the logistical end. Now he's got two full time butchers, 62 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: someone for packing, a driver and his business partner, Mike. 63 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: And Mike is like less on the business side and 64 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: more on the production side. So Mike's really good at 65 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: like just leading the breakdown of animals, and like it's like, 66 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: okay if I like step away to like handle customers, 67 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: because I'm like keeping the business coming through the doors, 68 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: and Mike is keeping the business going out the doors 69 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: so we can bring more business in. Still he hops 70 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: in wherever needed. Some days they're making ground beef, some 71 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: days they're carrying hams. They've got a smokehouse, so some 72 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: days they're busy smoking belly season all kinds of other cuts. 73 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: Halfway through my day, I usually step away to answer 74 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: phone calls, handle emails. When we first started, it was 75 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: just me and Mike just cutting and processing, and I 76 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: would say, like I was probably holding a knife a 77 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: lot more during those times. But they've been doing so 78 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: well and they've gotten so much business over this past 79 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: year that taking in new customers is a job all 80 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: in itself, honestly, Like you tell one farmer, hey, there's 81 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: a new processor in town. Like three farmers are gonna 82 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: call me. Scott got in at the right time. Locally 83 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: sourced food is in more demand than ever, and at 84 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: the same time, small processors like him are harder and 85 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: harder to come by. Yeah, if we're not around, it's 86 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: it's going to be nothing but these massive, big agg facilities, 87 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: and then you're not gonna have any local meat. A 88 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: lot of butchers go into the trade because that's what 89 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,159 Speaker 1: their parents did, or that's the industry they grew up around. 90 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: Not the case for Scott. He grew up about an 91 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: hour north of where he now around scrant His dad 92 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: was in it. He had to stay at home, mom 93 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 1: and my whole like basically a childhood, it was it 94 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,720 Speaker 1: was like go to college, get a four year degree. 95 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: Like there was no real like talk about like trades, 96 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 1: no matter like who you would go talk to you, 97 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,559 Speaker 1: whether it was a teacher or your parents or friends. 98 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: Like everyone was going to college and so that was 99 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: my path. Scott's high school experience was similar to mine 100 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: in that we had a trade school attached to our 101 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: high school building where kids could go learn plumbing and 102 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: mechanics and electrical work. But they did have a reputation 103 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 1: trade school was almost like one step away from like Juvie, 104 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: Like it was like the bad kids went there for me. 105 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: Looking back, I think that trade school that I grew 106 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: up around had a bad rat because it was just 107 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: a very working class environment, which is pretty messed up. 108 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: And it was just like I was conditioned to like 109 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: just think that I didn't even think about going to 110 00:05:58,240 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: a trade It was just like, Oh, you're gonna go 111 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 1: to college and then all right, you're gonna major in 112 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: like the sciences, liberal arts or like business or something, 113 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:08,559 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. Like I didn't even think 114 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: that like going to school to be like a butcher 115 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: or a chef, or like an electrician or plumber. Like 116 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: it wasn't mean like a thought that it didn't man 117 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: occur to me that I could do that. After high school, 118 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: he immediately went to King's College in his hometown and 119 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: decided he'd get a degree in marketing. Did you know 120 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: you wanted to get a marketing degree or did you 121 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 1: just kind of like throw a dart at the board 122 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: and just say that's what I'm doing. The reason, the 123 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: real reason why I did it because I played drums 124 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 1: in a band and I liked the opportunity to like 125 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: booking my band or like making flyers or something. And 126 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: I was just like, well, what is this. It's marketing. 127 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: I was like, well, I like this. Let me let 128 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: me just major in in. Well, how the how the 129 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: band work out? I didn't. Well. He did know is 130 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: that someday, somehow he wanted to be an entrepreneur and 131 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: maybe this is the way to do that. He graduated 132 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: in two thousand and nine, immediately got an internship at 133 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: a marketing company, and then started working there full time. 134 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: I knew pretty early on, like I was like, man, 135 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: this is exactly what I didn't want to do. It 136 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: didn't feel like me personally, Like I felt I feel 137 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: really anty when I like sit down and I'm just 138 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: sitting in a computer, Like I can't like sit still. 139 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: I like working with my hands. But he was doing 140 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: Google ads and Facebook ads analytics. He was getting paid well, 141 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: but he was not enjoying it. The entire time I 142 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: was going to school, I was thinking like, I don't 143 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: want to sit in a cubicle. I don't want to 144 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: work in like a corporation. But that's what I was 145 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: going to school for. While I was doing it, I 146 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 1: was just like, man, like the career that is waiting 147 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: for me at the end of this, like, I don't 148 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: even know if I want to do it. And I 149 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: actually went and I did it for ten years. That 150 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: first job lasted a few years, and then you got 151 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: another one a two year contract, and I was still 152 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: doing like web analytics or internet marketing, and they offered 153 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: me good money, and I was like, I was only 154 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: doing it for two years. I was like thinking to myself, well, 155 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: maybe I'll get a promotion a couple of years down 156 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: the road and maybe it'll work out for me or something. 157 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: But the whole time, he knew there's got to be 158 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: something else out there, and I would always try to 159 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: find like these little side hustles and do little things 160 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: to try to get myself out of there. He built 161 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: custom drums for people going back to his music days. 162 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: That didn't work out, so we started any commerce store 163 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: selling school supplies and so like once I did it 164 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: and then it was starting to run, I was like 165 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: getting these like customer service calls. I was like, yeah, 166 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: this is like too much for me. And I was 167 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: only like twenty three at the time, so I didn't 168 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: really like understand what it takes to run a business. 169 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: I was kind of more like like an entrepreneur, a entrepreneur. Yeah, 170 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: you ever hear that that phrase. That's the first time 171 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 1: I've ever heard that. Yeah, Like you like want to 172 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: be like a business owner, but you really don't have 173 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:55,559 Speaker 1: like you don't know what it takes to do that. Yeah, 174 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: you don't know what it takes. At some point, he 175 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 1: also pitched a custom design card deck on Kickstarter, but 176 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: he didn't get the funding. The years passed, and he 177 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: eventually got married to a wonderful woman named Nancy. He 178 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: bought a house, he had bills to pay, and at 179 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: a certain point his career felt like a sunken cost. 180 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,679 Speaker 1: He built a life around it, and he felt stuck. Eventually, 181 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: I you know, while working in the office and stuff, 182 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: it actually started to like affect my mental health and 183 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 1: I became like very depressed. I think like the Kickstarter 184 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: thing like really like took it over the edge for 185 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: me and really like messed with my head a little 186 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: bit because I felt like, man, if I can't even 187 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,319 Speaker 1: get like a Kickstarter project funded for a couple of 188 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 1: thousand dollars, like I'm not gonna be able to do anything. 189 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: I just like I remember like coming home from like 190 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: my job and just like for a couple of months, 191 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: I was just like laying in on my couch and 192 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 1: just like just being completely like depressed, and like I 193 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: think at that point was like when it was like okay, 194 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: like you got to make it like a change, like 195 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: there's something you have to do something here, I was 196 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:01,559 Speaker 1: like do I go back to school? Like I was 197 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:03,439 Speaker 1: kind of at a crossroads, like what do I do. 198 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: Scott was working as a web producer for a hospital 199 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: at this point, doing their analytics, running their web page. 200 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: It was monotonous, but at the time, like I was 201 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: getting really into like backyard barbecue and I was just 202 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 1: like dabbling back there, and just like every weekend I 203 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 1: was just like trying different things while I was kind 204 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: of like depressed and like defeated from like all these 205 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,960 Speaker 1: failures and the like my side hustles, and I was 206 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: like still working this job that I wasn't a hundred 207 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: percent happy with, but like I was finding like happiness 208 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 1: just cooking on the weekends. It was the first time 209 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 1: that Scott was doing something on the side that he 210 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: wasn't trying to grow into a business or make a 211 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: quick buck off. He just like brisket. What happened was 212 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: as I my wife knew that, like I was very 213 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: like unhappy with my career or she was like, like, 214 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: you need to do something because this is like affecting 215 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: like everything, and so like before I even like quit 216 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: my job in marketing, I was like, well, let me 217 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: get like a part time job, just like like on 218 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: the weekends, like working for like a butcher's shop. He 219 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: figured he likes barbecuing, but there weren't a lot of 220 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 1: barbecue restaurants around, and he wanted to learn more about meat. 221 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: So butchering seemed like a good fit and you'd get 222 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 1: to supply his backyard barbecue habit. But then also like 223 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: it would just it would get me active, get me 224 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: out of the house, get me away from my other job, 225 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 1: and it would just give me something to do, you 226 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: know what I mean. And so that's what I end 227 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 1: up doing. It. We'll get back to Scott's story right 228 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:48,079 Speaker 1: after the break. A strong work ethic it takes pride 229 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 1: in a job well done, sweats over the details. This 230 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 1: is you. But to get an honest day's work, you 231 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,320 Speaker 1: need a response, You need a callback, You need a job. 232 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 1: Express employment professionals can help because we understand what it 233 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: takes to get a job. It takes more than just 234 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 1: online searches to land a job. It takes someone who 235 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: will identify your talents, a person invested in your success. 236 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 1: At Express, we can even complete your application with you 237 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 1: over the phone, will prepare you for interviews, and will 238 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: connect you to the right company. Plus, we'll never charge 239 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: a fee to find you a job. At Express. We 240 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: could put you to work with companies of all sizes 241 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: and industries, from the production floor to the front office. 242 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: Express Nose jobs get to no Express, find your location 243 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 1: at expresspros dot com or on the Express jobs app 244 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: to pick up on our story. Scott realized he needed 245 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: to make a change and started reaching out to butchers 246 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:52,839 Speaker 1: in his area, seeing if anyone needed part time work. 247 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: One of them said yes, and I went in. I 248 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 1: told him I was like, I have no experience like 249 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 1: doing this. It's like just like cooking in my backyard. 250 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: And they took a shot on me and they brought 251 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,439 Speaker 1: me on and I worked basically Saturday and Sunday for 252 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 1: like a couple hours every day for about six months. 253 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: I should say here that the guy who did take 254 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: a chance on him was Mike, the guy who would 255 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,680 Speaker 1: become Scott's business partner. Yep, okay, So Scott starts working 256 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: in this butcher shop. I like learning about like the 257 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: different cuts. Like I had no idea I cooked a 258 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: brisket and I had no idea where on the cow 259 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: where it came from. I got cooked a pork button. 260 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: I thought it came from the pork's butt, and actually 261 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: is the pork shoulder. So like I was like learning 262 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: all these things, and I was like, well, what's a 263 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: try tip? And I'm like, well, what's a top round? 264 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: And like what are all these things that I'm like, 265 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: like I'm starting to cook? He inhaled knowledge loved learning 266 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: the craft. He started talking to customers more and answering questions. 267 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,559 Speaker 1: He started looking forward to weekends when he would get 268 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: back into the shop. And that's where I realized that, like, 269 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: this is what I love to do. Like at first, 270 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: it was just like I'm just gonna do it just 271 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:56,840 Speaker 1: to like get away, And what it turned it into 272 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: is like me like finding like my love and like 273 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: me finding like this is what I want to do 274 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: full time. Scott told his wife Nancy he wanted to 275 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 1: do this. They knew their lives would change because he 276 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: wouldn't have his marketing salary coming in. But she still 277 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: supported him, like in my opinion, like that's love right there, 278 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, Like she wanted to see 279 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: me happy. Like we just like how to go live 280 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 1: within like our means. He put it in his notice 281 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: at the hospital web producer job he had and started 282 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: working full time in the butcher shop. All he wanted 283 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: to do at first would learn the craft, and he 284 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: was excited, but he immediately got thrown into the packing room, 285 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 1: not cutting me at all, thinking to myself like, man, 286 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: I quit my job and now all I'm doing this 287 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: packing boxes and it sucked. But like at the same time, 288 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 1: like I remember like stepping back and thinking to myself, well, 289 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: I'm learning in the business here, like if I just 290 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 1: keep my eyes and ears open, like I'm learning how 291 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: this whole how product enters the building and leaves the building. 292 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: It's where you realized that the craft of butchering is 293 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: really just half of it. You can make like great charcuterie, 294 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: but like if you don't know anything about the business, 295 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: like you're probably gonna fault apart. Eventually he got to 296 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: do every part of the business, including how to process 297 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 1: an animal and cut meat. He says, more than anything, 298 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: this job taught him the entire business, and it taught 299 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: him how to work because they were busy. I always 300 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: thought like, man, like there's massive demand for this. Like 301 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: when I was there, it was like he was like 302 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: turning people away, like he was booked out two years, 303 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. He really couldn't get people. 304 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 1: And I was like, I was like, where are these 305 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: people gonna go? Like where are they going? You know, 306 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: where do they go? I don't know, Like they send 307 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: their animals to auction and they go like across country 308 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 1: or something, you know, Like they don't Once an animal 309 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: goes to auction, they can go anywhere. So after two 310 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: years in the shop, Scott could finally call himself a butcher. 311 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: I learned how to make sausage in charcouterie, But what 312 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: I really learned is like there's like a massive business opportunity. 313 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 1: Right around this time, Nancy Broker leg And was out 314 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: of a job. Scott wasn't making much money in the 315 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: butcher shop, so he left to get another job in 316 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: marketing to pay the bills. For the time being. It 317 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: was kind of tough, but I was always like, Okay, 318 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 1: I'm going to come back to this back home. He 319 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: used his skills in the off time to make Kilbossi 320 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: for family and friends, and he was making enough where 321 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: he was doing custom orders deliveries huge batches, and then 322 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: I ended up creating out can LLLC because I was like, well, 323 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna 324 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make good money doing it. Scott finally felt 325 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: that he wasn't a entrepreneur anymore. He still wanted to 326 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: start a business, but now he knew what it took 327 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: to do it, and he had the work ethic to 328 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: make it happen. I got like a commercial kitchen set up, 329 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: and I got inspected, and I was going through the 330 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: process of just like doing like little little sales here 331 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: and there, and I signed up for like a farmer's market, 332 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: and then COVID happened. The commercial kitchen he was in shutdown, 333 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: so he started calling around to other butchers seeing if 334 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: they'd help impack his products, and on one call one 335 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 1: of his connections said, better yet, I know a guy 336 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: who built a butcher shop and it's it's sitting empty 337 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:08,439 Speaker 1: right now. He's not using it, and that like I 338 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:13,880 Speaker 1: envisioned this entire thing in that phone call. The guy 339 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:17,159 Speaker 1: who built this kitchen was a farmer. Because there's not 340 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: a lot of small butchers out there. Some farmers try 341 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 1: to vertically integrate by doing all the processing themselves, but 342 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 1: this is a huge undertaking, which is why this guy 343 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: wasn't really using it. When I got up there, I 344 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 1: was like, man, this is perfect, this is everything I 345 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,679 Speaker 1: need and and he wasn't using it. So he started 346 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: renting it to me and I started using it. Additionally, 347 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: Scott offered to do the processing for this farmer, which 348 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: was a good deal of work and he needed help. 349 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 1: He called up his former boss, Mike, who was working 350 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: in a kitchen somewhere at the time, and he was 351 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 1: like on board. He came up that weekend. We talked 352 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:56,919 Speaker 1: it out or in the numbers, like this is a 353 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:58,880 Speaker 1: no brainer, Like I didn't have to build the building. 354 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: I knew that there was other farms that are going 355 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: to want processing. So in August twenty twenty, Mike and 356 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: Scott officially started as Slate Belt Butchery. It was crazy 357 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: because it was just like we had one customer and 358 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 1: then like the next month we got two customers. Third months, 359 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:16,919 Speaker 1: we got three customers, and so on. I felt like 360 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: every month we got the same amount of customers, but 361 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: like additional, additional. Yeah. Again, by three months in you 362 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:27,439 Speaker 1: had six customs. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. From there, it 363 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: was just like a snowball. They picked up another big 364 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,719 Speaker 1: client in Philly. They hired a driver to pick up 365 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: animals and do deliveries. On average, we were doing five 366 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: ten animals a week, which was manageable for us, but 367 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:42,880 Speaker 1: pretty soon they were doing more. He hired his first 368 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: new butcher and then another. I think one week we 369 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 1: did over thirty animals. We're up to forty customers right now, 370 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: and in December I hired a full time packer. Within 371 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:57,400 Speaker 1: a year, you had forty customers and six or seven employees. 372 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 1: There's five full time employees and we have like one 373 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:04,640 Speaker 1: part time employee. That is rapid grows. Yeah, it is crazy. 374 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: I don't know. I feel like we're like growing out 375 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:13,399 Speaker 1: of the walls that we're currently in. He told me 376 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 1: that something was in the works regarding that, they wouldn't 377 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 1: tell me what. But Slight Belt Butchery just keeps growing 378 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,880 Speaker 1: because there is so much demand for smaller processors. Like him. 379 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,239 Speaker 1: Someone just called me today. They're from Massachusetts and they 380 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: need meat processing. They're having trouble up there to get 381 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 1: meat processing. I'm like, you're gonna drive like five hours? 382 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:32,920 Speaker 1: He's like, He's like, be honest with you, I would 383 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:34,679 Speaker 1: because I can't find anyone that can do it for 384 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 1: me up here. Bigger processing facilities dominate the market right now, 385 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 1: and generational businesses like butchering have been on the decline. 386 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: Scott does hope that his story does set an example 387 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,199 Speaker 1: for other people in his community who want to do 388 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: something like this. There's a lot of people willing to 389 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 1: do this type of work because I don't know if 390 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: they're not really being introduced to it. So if you 391 00:19:56,359 --> 00:20:00,640 Speaker 1: could go back and introduce young Scott to butchering, would 392 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: you do it? Would I change that? Probably not? Like 393 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: Like who knows, Like if someone pushed me to be 394 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: a butcher when I was eighteen, like, would I have 395 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 1: turned away from it? Like I'm very proud of the 396 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: fact that I'm a first generation butcher, Like it wasn't 397 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,399 Speaker 1: in my family. No one pushed me to be a butcher, 398 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 1: Like I kind of found this on my own, Whereas 399 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:21,919 Speaker 1: it's the opposite with like marketing. Like I feel like 400 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: college was like pushed on me from a young age. 401 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:27,199 Speaker 1: I'm kind of glad that I was able to like 402 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,920 Speaker 1: go through that really low period and like I found 403 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 1: what I was passionate about doing and I was able 404 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: to come out of it. I don't know where I'd 405 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: be if I'd never found this, But I don't want 406 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:49,680 Speaker 1: to think about that. You took a huge risk when 407 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: you jumped from your career to do this. How do 408 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: you feel now, I'm very like just hopeful for the future. 409 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: I visualize a lot about what is going to happen. 410 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: Whereas like in the past, like when I was like 411 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: really low, I didn't ever do that. Like I never 412 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 1: like visualized, I never like I didn't get excited about 413 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,360 Speaker 1: things because I always felt like it wasn't gonna turn 414 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:16,640 Speaker 1: out for me. Scott never really believed he could get 415 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 1: out of marketing. He did once he became a butcher. 416 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 1: He didn't really think he could start his own shop. 417 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 1: He did, and even then he still never thought that 418 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:27,959 Speaker 1: it would be his career and that he'd have employees 419 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: and be working around the clock doing something he loved. 420 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 1: Like we did all that, I did all that and 421 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: like I don't like sit there like in sulk. Really, 422 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 1: I used to brood a lot. I think I've done 423 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,879 Speaker 1: the least amount of that in the last year. The 424 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: Great resignation, so it's called the last couple of years, 425 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 1: has been happening for a lot of reasons, but at 426 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 1: its core, it feels like the philosophy of how we 427 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:55,199 Speaker 1: work in our daily lives has shifted. A lot of 428 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: people went into careers before because that was the path 429 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: laid out for them. It was something clear and certain. 430 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 1: But faced with the uncertainty of COVID and the lives 431 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: realistically lost to it, we're reevaluating. Before maybe it always 432 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: felt like we had time and certainty on our sides, 433 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: so why risk big changes because it'll work out eventually. 434 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: But now without those certainties, and it feels like anything 435 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: could happen at any time. It just feels like, how 436 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 1: could you not make a change if it has the 437 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 1: chance of making you happy? Because I don't want to 438 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,200 Speaker 1: sound like cliche or whatever, like as you said, have 439 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:34,199 Speaker 1: a positive like outlook, you gotta think like man, like 440 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: I'm capable of doing anything or taking this business as 441 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,960 Speaker 1: far as I want. Now now it's like I feel 442 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 1: like the sky's the limit for on the job, I'm 443 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: a dis gray