1 00:00:01,639 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: Hey, I'm Baritune Day Thurston, and this is how to 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: citizen with Baritune Day in season two, we're talking about 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: the money, because, to be real, it's hard to citizen 4 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: when we can barely pay the bills. All right, this 5 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: is the moment we've been waiting for. Approaching Uh York 6 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: Boulevard and then the section with North Avenue fifty. I'm 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: looking across the cafe the lecture. You haven't been there 8 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: in a minute. I remember back when the pandemic was 9 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: getting started and I was taking my regular freedom walks, 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: these walks that got me out of my house, winding 11 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: through my neighborhood. Johnny's became my favorite, like neighborhood dive bar. 12 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: I'm at mad locals there but a shot. I could 13 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: feel that like cheers vibe in there where you could 14 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: become a regular, everybody can know your name, and that 15 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: just don't exist. And I was struck by a big 16 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: chain in the landscape that friends they're back. When you 17 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: could to that. Businesses were closed the east along absolutely 18 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: shuttered and abandoned storefronts. Here on the north Side, it 19 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: felt like a ghost town. And I lived near enough 20 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 1: to a major thoroughfare York Boulevard, which I am used 21 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: to having this hustle, this bustle of this color in 22 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: this life, and that was gone. My favorite bar, Johnny's, closed, 23 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: and I understood why so many of them had to be. 24 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: It was a public health safety measure. But over a 25 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 1: year later, a lot of those businesses they couldn't hold 26 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: out any longer. In fact, I just learned that somewhere 27 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: around fifteen thousand businesses in l A County alone have 28 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: permanently shut since the beginning of the pandemic, well the 29 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: fallout tonight, a new study finds at seven million small 30 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: businesses across the country may not survive the economic crunch 31 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: caused by the pandemic. People are afraid to come, Some 32 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: people don't care about cutting their hair anymore. Sales are 33 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: down or wapping. The worst part is not knowing what 34 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: to expect tomorrow. How much worse is it gonna get? 35 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: And we all know the other side of that story. 36 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: We were ordering so much stuff online. I'm talking toilet paper, sweatpants, 37 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: weighted blankets, and ring lights. Oh my goodness, if you 38 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: were able to successfully order a ring light off the 39 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: internet in the first few months of the pandemic. You 40 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: were super blessed. And while we were doing all that ordering, 41 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: we were patting the pockets of rich corporations and leaving 42 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: behind small local businesses to fend for themselves. Last week 43 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: we learned how a giant company like Amazon gathers up 44 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: all this power and the effect that that has in 45 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: our democracy. But Amazon is not the entire story. Yes, 46 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: it's true businesses couldn't hold on and they're gone, But 47 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: others they're still kicking. They're fighting to stay alive. Because 48 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: when COVID hit communities showed up, they citizens, they participated, 49 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: they supported those local businesses. Here we go calls what's up? Man? 50 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: So why is this blue? Then? Is this a blue pat? Oh? 51 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: And how loving doing that? You should call this the 52 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: smurf larte? Have you got silver like Ramen a k 53 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: a Ramen of York. They're still hanging in there. And 54 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: then Rosy Bunny Bean, which is such an attractive looking 55 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: pet food shop. I thought it was a people food shopped. 56 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: And then we've got just the saving grace as Teca 57 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: and they look like they've adapted so well. Forgot Mario's Liquor. 58 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: Mario did a major upgrade and he's looking like he's 59 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: doing great, so I hope that's true. But very new 60 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: signed Pristine Mario, trying to keep up with the time. 61 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: How are you doing there? In fact, what inspired this 62 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: episode was my wife reading an email, an email that 63 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: featured Maya Komarov, who started this business called shop in 64 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,359 Speaker 1: n y C now during the height of COVID in 65 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: New York City. Shopping NYC created this online network of 66 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: local businesses offering same day delivery, competing directly with Amazon. 67 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 1: They even had this super catchy campaign, get this Brooklyn 68 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: not Bezos. Oh I love that. And Shopping NYC is 69 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,239 Speaker 1: actually how I met my guests today because while people 70 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: like Maya were showing up for her local community, those 71 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: local businesses, well, they showed up right back, helping their 72 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: neighbors survive these unprecedented times. Marie Estrada is the co 73 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: founder and co owner of Moto Spirits Rice Whiskey Distillery 74 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, beyond making 75 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: delicious libations in the spring of twent each want to 76 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 1: get the height of COVID. Marie was there for New 77 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 1: York when New York needed her most. M m HM 78 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: so him, Marie, nice to meet you. Hi. Oh, it's 79 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: nice to meet you too. Well, thank you for taking 80 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: some time to speak with us. Can you, just, for 81 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: our purposes introduce yourself and your business. My name's Marie. 82 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: Actually my full name is Marie eleanor Augustine Estrata. Thank 83 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: my parents for that. Um. I was actually born in 84 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: the Philippines. So I'm an immigrant naturalized and uh came 85 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 1: here to New York, went to Columbia University, studied English 86 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: and anthropology. Then then now I'm making whiskey at Moto 87 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: Spirits right across the street from a police precinct. Actually, 88 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: and are they frequent visitors? They are in a nice way, 89 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: you know. They come by once in a while and 90 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: they're just like, oh, you know, I think we need 91 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: your air compressor, help us with your tires, that are 92 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: you know, And I'm like, yeah, yeah, come on in, 93 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: you know. And so yeah, okay, So it sounds like 94 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,039 Speaker 1: you should be on the payroll of NYP, But that's 95 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: like a different conversation. You're the auto body shop and distillery. Um. 96 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: And then what's what's your role in Moto I'm co 97 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: founder and so my my business partner, he guy um 98 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: Yar Denny. He and I run Moto Spirits together, and 99 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 1: a actually called Moto Spirits because we ride motorcycles. Don't 100 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: listen to that mom, and everything we make is inspired 101 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: by motorcycle trips through different countries. Well, okay, tell me 102 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: something about yourself that that might surprise people that's not 103 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: in your official bio. Well, I have my pilot's license. 104 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 1: I've been flying since I was fourteen, and I flew 105 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: sailplanes with my stepfather and then I got my regular 106 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: pilot's license back in two thousand seven. So I think 107 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: some people are surprised that I do that. Um, they 108 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: don't often see someone who looks like me flying cessna's, 109 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: owning a distillery, flying planes, breaking all kinds of moles. Marie, 110 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: I'm proud of that. Actually, you know you should be. 111 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: You should be. Do you remember the moment you decided 112 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: to open a distillery? So I have to bring in 113 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: my my business partner, and he and I live in 114 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: the same apartment building in Williamsburg. We would have these 115 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: amazing rooftop party barbecues and all kinds of things, and 116 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 1: whenever there came a project, he would come to me. 117 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: Because I have certain skill sets that I wouldn't say, Well, no, 118 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: they are on the other end of the spectrum as 119 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: a guy. And so you sound like Liam Neeson. You 120 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: have a particular set of skills. What kind of skills 121 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: are talking? Well, I actually, you know, I don't smoke 122 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: like a chimney. I know all this stuff. So I 123 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: have a palette. He likes to kind of bust doors down. 124 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: I like to still bust doors down, but you know, 125 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: then clean them up and make them organized and actually 126 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: execute things that are ideas that that's how we operate together. 127 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: And so when he first went on the first motorcycle 128 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: trip to Vietnam, he came back and he said, oh 129 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: my god, Marie or he calls me, we we I 130 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 1: have this thing. It's amazing. And so he had me 131 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: taste these plastic bottles filled with clear things. My first 132 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: reaction was, oh my god, this is terrible. It was 133 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: just does not taste good at all. And I have 134 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: no reservations about saying my opinion about the way things taste. 135 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 1: And he said okay. And I said, I think you're 136 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 1: colored by your experience there in Vietnam, because he had 137 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: described falling in love with the people just discovering these 138 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 1: people making moonshine basically even though it was called rice wine, 139 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: and he said, I want to find this, and his 140 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: impatience was like, I can't find it. And so this 141 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: was the two of us then realizing that, you know, 142 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: we we can find it, but not really um. And 143 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: so that's kind of how it started. Some explosions a 144 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: little bit and home experimenting. I'm sorry, explosions tell me 145 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: from so inside. Uh, what happened was we were trying 146 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:28,359 Speaker 1: to experiment with how to actually make this drink ourselves 147 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: so that it was palatable. And all of this is 148 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,719 Speaker 1: I guess the history of what happens. You know with 149 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: legitimate distillers, they tend to do things under the radar first, 150 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: and then they do things legitimately and avoid those kinds 151 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: of pressure cooker explosions things like that and the ruining 152 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: of someone's girlfriends, you know, Jimmy Choose and sneakers and 153 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: things like that. When that happens. This is a very 154 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,319 Speaker 1: adventurous start. What are you making in your distillery? What 155 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: are you distilling? We're making two things, but the whiskey 156 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: we're making made from one rice. And it turns out 157 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: that officially, the designation is a whiskey if you're using 158 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: a hundred percent grain and then aging them in barrel, 159 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 1: and then we produced also what's called jabuka, and jabuka 160 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: means apple in Croatian. The wet year, did you found 161 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: motor spirits? So whenever someone asks me the question, I 162 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 1: have to answer legally. We started in two thousand sixteen. Yeah, 163 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: but but you destroyed Jimmy choose and a pressure cooker 164 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:37,839 Speaker 1: well before. Yes. Um. One of the things about what 165 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: we were doing, and we went into this very practically, 166 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 1: was that we don't know what we're doing. The thing 167 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: I think with both a guy and me is that 168 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: we're not We're not the most normal of distillers. My 169 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: stereotypical view as a you know, bearded white man with 170 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: sometimes glasses or not. But I am not that, and 171 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 1: a guy is not. At What does it mean for 172 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:07,319 Speaker 1: for you to not be seen as normal? I wouldn't 173 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,439 Speaker 1: say I'm proud of it. It's not like I walk 174 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: around saying I'm you know what, I have said this before. 175 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 1: I'm a little brown person who's from the Philippines and 176 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 1: I make whiskey, you know, um, But I am without 177 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,559 Speaker 1: actually saying it, and I don't mind representing something that's 178 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 1: um limited. I'm limited in this world. After the break, 179 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: COVID hits New York City and Marie has to figure 180 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: out how to keep her business, her community, and herself alive. Yea, 181 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 1: can you tell me, um what was it like when 182 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: COVID for came to your community? You know, as a 183 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: business owner, when COVID first hit, I think it was 184 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: even March twelve, you know, I put it on my 185 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,079 Speaker 1: calendar or something like that. When it became officially a pandemic. 186 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,200 Speaker 1: It took a little while for it to register that 187 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: it was an actual pandemic. Today, Governor Cuomo announcing starting 188 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 1: tomorrow at five pm, a ban on any gatherings of 189 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 1: five people or more tonight in a studying policy reversal, 190 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: New York City, joining California and urging the general public 191 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: to where non medical face coverings to stop the virus. 192 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:37,199 Speaker 1: The Trump administration has declared New York a major disaster. 193 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: The state accounts for nearly half of the nation's reported 194 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: cases of COVID nineteen. We are literally scouring the globe 195 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,199 Speaker 1: looking for medical supplies. We're becoming crushed under a tidal 196 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: wave of unfathomable numbers. I even got covid um and 197 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: I lost all sense of smell and taste for a month. 198 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 1: And I was telling my business partner too at the time. 199 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: I said, you know, I just I don't know what's 200 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 1: wrong with me. And this was before we recognize that 201 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: one of the main symptoms of getting COVID was losing 202 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: your sense of smell and taste. And I said this, 203 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: sim I said, I don't know what's wrong with me. 204 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: And then when all of this information started coming, he said, oh, 205 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: my gosh, you had COVID, and so it wasn't you know, 206 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: So we did coronavirus, driving a consumer scramble for hand sanitizers. 207 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,679 Speaker 1: This is Attorney's General in several states cracking down on 208 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: price gougers. Last week, a twelve ounce bottle of hand 209 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 1: sanitizer was selling on Amazon for fifty dollars. Comparing ounce 210 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 1: for ounce, that's about two times more than the price 211 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: of gasoline. When COVID hit, what we started researching and 212 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:50,199 Speaker 1: hearing about was that you could make sanitizer. Right, we 213 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: have the equipment and the ability to produce alcohol in 214 00:13:54,160 --> 00:14:00,680 Speaker 1: the same way that's produced in sanitizer. And then what 215 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: happened was one of my workers. She had a friend 216 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: who was working alongside New York City makes Ppe, and 217 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 1: so they said, can you make sanitizer and we will 218 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:16,440 Speaker 1: help deliver the bottles of sanitizer if you just keep 219 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 1: producing it. So we actually pivoted our business. We started 220 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: using our mixtures of experimental concord grapes and rice and 221 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 1: jabuka tails and redistilling them and produced our first sanitizer. 222 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: So the large part of our business and my day 223 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,359 Speaker 1: to day was literally, Okay, I have to batch cocktails, 224 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 1: put them in containers, how do I put a label 225 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: on sanitizer? And is this legal? Okay, We're We're just 226 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: going to do it because no one has sanitizer right 227 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: now and we can make it. And it wasn't a 228 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: money making strategy or anything. It was all of these 229 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: hospitals and we were just seeing this lack of anything 230 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: and that that's what our two thousand twenty was like, 231 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: I mean, that's what we're doing, bottled cocktails and sanitizer 232 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: and making sure not to swap those labels right exactly 233 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 1: exactly What was it like to change your production so quickly? 234 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 1: It wasn't too too much of a change. Actually, because 235 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: I think that's how we're lucky. We're not a huge 236 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: production and so any changes we make tend to start 237 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: with experiments. It was ideal, in fact, because we could 238 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: just produce it in a way that no one else could, 239 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: and we we made videos actually, so we even taught 240 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 1: people how to make their own sanitizer. We told people 241 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: that they could even go to their liquor store as 242 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: quickly as possible and get some you know, X y Z, 243 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: some ever clear whatever it was that they could get 244 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 1: their hands on and use that, and then we showed 245 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: them how using certain ingredients based on whose recommendations. And 246 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: some people were like, oh my god, I did it. 247 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: You know, I said, don't drink it. So as a 248 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: business owner yourself, how do you justify all of these 249 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 1: activities which we're not prioritizing any kind of bottom line? 250 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: It sounds like it was a human reaction. I think 251 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: I thought to myself, Wow, I'm in a rarefied position 252 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: right now. I never thought I never woke up in 253 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: the morning thinking, oh mom, I'm making hand sanitizer. You know, 254 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: it was never a cool thing. But you think about 255 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: all these people who potentially are dying, and you don't 256 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: know what's going on. You just you sit there and 257 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,479 Speaker 1: you say to yourself, Okay, the world is in a pandemic. 258 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: Everything that's happening now has no code written or or 259 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: anything like that, and so anything that we do now 260 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: to even make a small difference will be a big 261 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: difference probably. But at the same time, there is a 262 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: practical side. I don't want to paint us as you know, 263 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: oh there are you know, these ridiculously generous people. I 264 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: think we are. But at the same time, we were 265 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: thinking practically and we said, well, if we can't sell 266 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: our booze right now, at some point we'll be able 267 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: to somehow balance out the fact that we can't sell 268 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,679 Speaker 1: anything else by somehow maybe just keeping ourselves afloat, and 269 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: maybe this will happen. We were giving away sanitizer and 270 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 1: we were also getting donations from people, so we said, okay, 271 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: if you guys donate to us and we can keep producing, 272 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,199 Speaker 1: and then we can keep giving our sanitizer to folks. 273 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: And that's what happened. A lot of people were incredibly 274 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 1: generous and they said, wow, we love what you're doing. 275 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 1: And here, you know, and if if we couldn't fulfill 276 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: a particular order. Then we were passing it on to 277 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,239 Speaker 1: someone else, and so there's a sense of it just 278 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 1: has to happen and someone would take it on. What 279 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 1: did you call your hand sanitizer? We call it don't 280 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: be an Asshole, And it's because that's actually written on 281 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: our label and it's always used protection. So we thought 282 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,160 Speaker 1: it was kind of a joke, you know that people 283 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: once they could always use protection don't be an asshole. 284 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: So that's our sanitizer. Did it change or highlight your 285 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: own connection and your business is connection to your actual 286 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 1: local community? Quite a few people who I think it. 287 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: I started realizing that people did love us in a way, 288 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: which is something I didn't really recognize. Everyone was reaching 289 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,199 Speaker 1: back out to us the relationships that we had initially 290 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: fostered with random things like motorcycles and dogs, and they 291 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: just came, you know, everyone just said, Okay, well we're 292 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,359 Speaker 1: gonna do this. Or bartenders came and we did this 293 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 1: bartending event once, this competition, and they reached out and 294 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 1: they said, hey, how about if we do um, you know, 295 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:39,439 Speaker 1: a special cocktail thing for you online and then we 296 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: can you know, give that money to a certain organization. 297 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: And so that's that's how we've been doing things. Now, 298 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: how how would you define community? I think for me, 299 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:57,399 Speaker 1: community is a healthy dependence on each other. I'm really 300 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,719 Speaker 1: lucky because I have a strong sense of family and 301 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: I'm my sisters are my best friends, and my family 302 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: has always been very close. But beyond that, I start 303 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: thinking about all the things that I have to do 304 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:12,399 Speaker 1: or want to do, and I start reaching out to 305 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,440 Speaker 1: the people who are not necessarily always aligned with who 306 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: I am, but who can we can help each other, 307 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: and it's that sort of bond that means you're part 308 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: of a community. I don't when I think of community, 309 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: I never think negatively, which is maybe um naive of me. 310 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: But I don't see it as a crowd, right, that's 311 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 1: the opposite for me. It's like there's power in crowds, 312 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: but it's a louder thing, whereas a community is you're 313 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: in it. The businesses who I support, they often are 314 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: my friends. One of my friends owns this really amazing 315 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,800 Speaker 1: spot and he's Pakistani and it's called b K Johnny. 316 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: But what happened with him after COVID was and he 317 00:19:56,359 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: went he was hospitalized. He brought in program of feeding 318 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: under served people and so now since June, he's I think, 319 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: going to hit ten thou free meals. So this to me, 320 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: I started thinking about this and every time I ordered food, 321 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:14,880 Speaker 1: it's often there because I know exactly what he's doing. 322 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:22,400 Speaker 1: So that that's what the community is. I think for me, Well, 323 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: we come back how Marie balances values with necessity when 324 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 1: it comes to that company that shall not be named. Okay, 325 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna name it is Amazon. That's that's the company. 326 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 1: H When I think of Amazon, I don't think of community. 327 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:57,679 Speaker 1: I think of it definitely is a huge conglomerate as 328 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:00,640 Speaker 1: a business, and that's the difference. I think. But when 329 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 1: I'm in this business and I have to get something 330 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,920 Speaker 1: delivered in a certain amount of time, unfortunately for me, 331 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: I end up often having to get something from Amazon 332 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 1: because I need it in a certain amount of time 333 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 1: with as little hassle as possible. Why do you why 334 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 1: do you say, unfortunately you have to order from Amazon. 335 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: You're trying to avoid ordering through Amazon? What is what 336 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 1: is that about? I wish it were a different world 337 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: where Amazon wasn't almost overtaking so much. There's an intention 338 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:34,439 Speaker 1: with small businesses, that's why they're called mom and pop shops. 339 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,919 Speaker 1: You know, it's like, oh, there's a sense of community, 340 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: whereas I don't think Amazon has a sense of community 341 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 1: except for a bottom line. Like, Okay, we will attach 342 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 1: ourselves to an initiative. We will start promoting certain businesses 343 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 1: like black owned businesses, Asian businesses, all kinds of things. 344 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,160 Speaker 1: But it's not the intention is not because they necessarily care, 345 00:21:56,440 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 1: but they want to profit off of these communities. It 346 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 1: gives me a terrible taste in my mouth. And I 347 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,359 Speaker 1: know they employ a lot of people, and look, I 348 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:08,399 Speaker 1: I know this, and even some of the people I 349 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,239 Speaker 1: had brought in for certain events and things had on 350 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,679 Speaker 1: the side been working at Amazon because they needed to 351 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 1: make money. But goodness, couldn't we have alternatives? Yeah? From 352 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,679 Speaker 1: a from a customer perspective, When I'm a customer of 353 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: so many businesses and I have felt that hesitation, that 354 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: distaste in my mom, I guess I'll go to Amazon. 355 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: What do you think a small business can offer a 356 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: customer that a larger resource business like Amazon can't. This 357 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 1: is something if you do want someone to do something 358 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: for you that you want to help them with, or 359 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: you bounce ideas off of and that's what happens often 360 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,719 Speaker 1: when I am working with motorcycle businesses, other food businesses 361 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 1: in the area who are in Brooklyn, any chefs or 362 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 1: you know, any anyone like that. Then we create events, 363 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 1: we do things together. Even a hairstylist, we this event 364 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: called moto Oasis because you know, we wanted to serve 365 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: our community and have people outside safely, get back massages 366 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 1: and haircuts, you know, and eat really yummy Filipino food. 367 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 1: I mean, who was so you can't do that with Amazon. Yeah, 368 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:20,360 Speaker 1: there's a word that's occurring to me, which is relationships. 369 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 1: I don't I don't know that I feel like I 370 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: have a relationship with Amazon. I have a have a 371 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:34,359 Speaker 1: series of transactions exactly very efficient transactions, but I don't 372 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 1: know them right. So, in the context of everything we've 373 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 1: talked about, in particular the community connection that a business 374 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: can have with other businesses and with the public, is 375 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 1: there anything you encourage a listener to do. I think 376 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 1: one of the things that I always remind myself to 377 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:58,880 Speaker 1: do to kind of slow things down, um, not rush entirely, 378 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:03,960 Speaker 1: and to be okay with making those mistakes. I don't 379 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: think I would have my business if we didn't have 380 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 1: all those problems and those mistakes, and if we slow 381 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:15,159 Speaker 1: things down, um, forgive ourselves a little bit for these mistakes, 382 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:19,719 Speaker 1: and think about also doing things outside of our comfort 383 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: zone so that we can actually allow ourselves to make 384 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 1: those mistakes. I think all of those come together for me, 385 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,399 Speaker 1: and that's what I would recommend, slowing things down, making 386 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: some mistakes, for giving yourself. Wow, that was now what 387 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 1: I expected at Although it can be like shop small 388 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,720 Speaker 1: business Saturdays, But no, you went to the deep end 389 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: of the pool. No. I mean I wouldn't have my 390 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 1: business if it wasn't for all the mistakes we made, 391 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 1: you know, And I just I think people are so 392 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 1: scared to fail, and you're not learning if you don't 393 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: fail honestly and in the context of the value you've 394 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 1: been a part of, contributed to, and benefited from in 395 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: your community as a business. Is there any advice you 396 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:10,879 Speaker 1: have to us citizen consumers out here ways you'd like 397 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:14,480 Speaker 1: to see us showing up more or better? Oh for sure. 398 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 1: So I think something that would be really amazing to 399 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:21,160 Speaker 1: take a look at it what you're actually purchasing and 400 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 1: how much time and money you're spending on your online purchases, 401 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: Whether it's Amazon or not. Your online purchases and the 402 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:32,439 Speaker 1: purchases and the things you're doing with your money that 403 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: are local and or brick and mortar, and if you 404 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,439 Speaker 1: actually did you know, an Excel shoot or whatever it 405 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,440 Speaker 1: is that you want to do and said to yourself, Okay, wow, 406 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:45,959 Speaker 1: I think I could spend significantly more on the local 407 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: business and also the physical business. Maybe once you know, 408 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 1: things open up a little bit more. If I can 409 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 1: do that, then I think it would make a difference. Actually, 410 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: So that's what I would would recommend. I love that 411 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,639 Speaker 1: that's a good it's a good home work assignment. And 412 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:03,879 Speaker 1: it makes me wish that a platform like Mint or 413 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: quick Books or you know, one of these online finance 414 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 1: things could let you like you could probably flag it 415 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: in there and see it over time. But it plants 416 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,879 Speaker 1: a good question in my head. Marie, thank you so 417 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:18,720 Speaker 1: much for the time you can I order your stuff 418 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: to be shipped? Is that possible? Is they way to 419 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:24,959 Speaker 1: get it to California? Unfortunately, so when I'm when I'm 420 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: able to travel back to New York, I'm coming to 421 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 1: Bushwick and I'm coming to try your products, rice whiskey 422 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 1: in particular. All Right, thank you again so much, thank you, 423 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 1: thank you. Marie just gave an excellent call to action, 424 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 1: which is to really track how much of your spending 425 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 1: is happening in your local community and then try to 426 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 1: increase that percentage. In that spirit, we're just gonna pass 427 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 1: the mike to Marie to shout out some of her 428 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: local businesses that you should absolutely support. Brooklyn, this is 429 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:04,920 Speaker 1: for you. There's b K Johnny means sweetheart in Pakistani 430 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:08,080 Speaker 1: love Nelly also known as the Drunk Bakers, and they 431 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: make the most delicious and panadas bolero elevated street food Vietnamese. 432 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,920 Speaker 1: I mean, I could go on. There's Engines for Change, 433 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:20,359 Speaker 1: and then there's Motor Velly, and then there's motor Girl, 434 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 1: and then there's I got it. It takes a village, 435 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: and you're gonna member of the village. I would, I would, 436 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 1: and my mom I have to thank her. I wouldn't 437 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: be here. Next week we speak with Bruce Patterson, technology 438 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: director of Amman Idaho. Don't let the small town a 439 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 1: seventeen thousand fool you. They've managed to invest in a 440 00:27:50,600 --> 00:28:00,040 Speaker 1: model of municipal broadband that any city would dream of. 441 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:08,919 Speaker 1: For you know what time it is? Time for actions. 442 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:11,879 Speaker 1: Here to guide you through them is our producer Ali. 443 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 1: We want to know how you relate to local business. 444 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 1: What locally owned businesses do you rely on? Do you 445 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: know the owners, what do you most appreciate about it? 446 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: What would you miss if it was gone? Try following 447 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,880 Speaker 1: some of your favorite local businesses on social media, many 448 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 1: of Instagram accounts where you can reach out directly. We 449 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: often hear that it's good to support local independent businesses, 450 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,520 Speaker 1: but why exactly. The Institute for Local Self Reliance actually 451 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: answers that question in the article why care about independent 452 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: locally owned businesses? It's in the title. If you want 453 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 1: to do a deeper dive, go to bookshop dot org, 454 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: Backslash Shop backslash, how to Citizen to check out more 455 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: titles on this topic. Lastly, we want you to shop local, 456 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: and we want you to buy direct. If you live 457 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: in New York City, check out shop in dot NYC, 458 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,280 Speaker 1: a new online service for residents to shop from small 459 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 1: businesses in their area, not Amazon. Shopping NYC has plans 460 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,560 Speaker 1: to expand, so keep an eye out for one near you, 461 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: or reach out to them if you want to start 462 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 1: a marketplace in your region. Meanwhile, the shop app by 463 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: Shopify can help you spot local businesses selling directly online. 464 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: As always, when in doubt, order directly from the business 465 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 1: that is providing the good or service you're buying. You 466 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 1: get the same great product and they get more of 467 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 1: the revenue. If you're tak any of these actions, please 468 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: brag about yourself online using the hashtag how to Citizen 469 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 1: and send us general feedback or ideas for the show 470 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 1: to comments at how to citizen dot com. Speaking of 471 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 1: that domain name, we have one and we're using it. 472 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: Visit how to citizen dot com to sign up for 473 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: our newsletter or learn about upcoming events or even more 474 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,360 Speaker 1: stuff than that. And if you like the show, spread 475 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:05,000 Speaker 1: the word, tell somebody. If you don't, definitely just keep 476 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 1: it to yourself. Appreciate you. How does Citizen with barrettune 477 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 1: Day is a production of I Heart Radio Podcasts and 478 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: dust Light Productions. Our executive producers are Me barrattun Day, Thurston, 479 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Stewart, and Misha Yuson. Our producers are Stephanie Cone 480 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 1: and Ali Kilts. Kelly Prime is our editor, Valentino Rivera 481 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: is our engineer, and Sam Paulson is our apprentice. Original 482 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: music by Andrew Eaping. This episode was produced and sound 483 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: designed by Ali Kilts. Special thanks to Joel Smith from 484 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:38,440 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio.