Episode 2 - Built Loud: Michael Ballard Unfiltered

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All right, everybody.
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Welcome to Explicitly Speaking, the podcast here where we cut the shit and get straight to the grit.
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Today's guest I have is not only the owner of Full Throttle Salute, he has also built an empire around it.
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Please help me welcome Mr.
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Michael Ballard.
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Hello.
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Hi.
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There should be a round of applause there.
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Yeah.
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Where's all your audience?
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Don't have an audience.
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I got one.
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I got one.
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I got one.
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It's early.
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It's early.
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People won't get out of bed.
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That is true.
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That is true.
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So a lot of us that work here, we know you.
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Some of the people get to see you on the lives, on Facebook, they get to see a little glimpse of you.
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But there's a lot of information that people don't get from those things.
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And I thought it would just be fun for people to kind of get to know you a little bit more.
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And we're gonna pick your brain and ask you some questions.
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Okay.
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So for those that don't know, you're from Trimble, Tennessee.
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You got your, you know, lived most of your life down there.
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Right.
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How did you end up in the Black Hills?
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So I guess that started when I was about 10 years old, and my parents bought me a little Honda 70.
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So my mom would tell you that might be one of the worst mistakes she ever made was buying me a motorcycle.
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So I'd just been into bikes my whole entire life.
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Since I was a kid, I've been riding bikes.
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And so it as I grew older and got in more and deeper into motorcycles, got my first Harley when I was young, got into Harleys, and then I was building bikes back in the 90s.
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And I won Easy Rider Bike Show down in Detroit and over in Columbus, Ohio.
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I had bikes and featured in the Wind magazine back then, and this is before the throttle ever became a reality.
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And so I've I've just been in the industry forever.
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And of course, Sturgis being the best and largest motorcycle rally in the world.
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Just made sense.
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That's kind of how that was the pathway to get here.
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So what inspired you to want to do create the throttle?
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And like, like how did this all come about?
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Like you've been in the motorcycle industry.
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What made you say, I'm gonna start a biker bar, and this is the vision I have for it?
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Well, I I I guess at a young age, I'd always been into to bars and nightclubs, and I used to sneak into our local bar when I was like 12 years old and hang out in the back of it and watch old men beat the shit out of each other, then then they'd go back and sit down table, drink beer together.
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And so I've been around bars just my entire life, kind of, you know what I mean?
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So I'd always been intrigued by the from there, the nightclub scene, and as you can imagine, and nightclubs and being young and single, going to nightclubs and hanging out.
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But I was always intrigued by the business of the nightclubs of having lines out the door and people paying cover charges to come in and partying and having a good time and everybody having fun.
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And it seems like that was kind of an element that Sturgis was missing until the full throttle came along.
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Well, I I had this idea for the throttle for a lot of years.
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Actually, before the throttle ever became a reality, I was already collecting stuff to go into my bar before I ever even knew of where the bar was going to be at.
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All right.
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So it's kind of crazy, but I was already buying old signs and collecting things to go in into the into the bar, kind of with what I had in my head.
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You know, when people come in and look around, that's one of the things that they first notice is like all the memorabilia and everything, the old, you know, antique signs and all that stuff around.
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And that's one of the things that most people comment on when they come into this bar is there's so much to see and so many cool things.
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And the number one question that I hear is where does he find all of this stuff?
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Yeah, just you know, the the the the way this bar, you know, our our other place burnt down in 2015.
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The other throttle did.
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And so when I decided to build back, I knew that I could build the exact same model as that one.
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I knew wherever beer sign was hanging on the wall, and I could have just duplicated that same place.
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But some asshole would walk through the door and go, This place ain't as good as the old place.
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You know what I mean?
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And just that kind of thing.
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So so, but I had an there's actually a drill press over here in the corner that can't I had in my shop forever, that I had for a long time.
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And it's um it was a a guy made a mill machine out of it.
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He took a Model A transmission, which has first, second, and third and reverse, and he hooked it to this mill machine.
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And so then you had low, medium, and high for for the for the gear ratio on it and and back the drill out of it.
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So he kind of made this homemade mill machine, and then I just kind of set straight up into bed one night and I was like, that's it, that machine.
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And then thinking, I'm gonna dedicate this bar to the men and the women and the equipment that built America.
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That's what it's about.
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Which, if you've been here to this uh new throttle, there is a sign when you come in the door that he has dedicated this bar to the men and the women that have built it, the industrial people, you know, everything, just blue-collar workers, because that's kind of what makes your business so successful is all of those people that come here and help, you know, make everything what it is, and to be able just to have, you know, everything in here was created by one of those people.
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Well, I'm I'm one of them guys.
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I grew up the same way.
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I grew up in a in a very just middle class family.
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My dad owned a ceramic tile company, so I grew up laying tile for a living and in construction all my life and had hot rod cars growing up racing cars and building motorcycles and all that bicycles from when I was real young.
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I used to take the my parents would buy me a new bicycle and I'd go cut the neck off of it and I'd go do all kinds of crazy things to it.
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So it was just different than everybody else's.
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And uh we used to take two bicycles, cut the forks off of them.
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People out there will know this.
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Take we'd cut the forks off of them, take a hammer and drive them onto the existing forks and made choppers out of these bikes.
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But when you'd pop a wheelie, sometimes your front wheel would keep going, and you'd be like, oh sh.
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So when it comes down, it'd throw you over the Hanobars.
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And so you said to work the kinks out.
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But that's that's my that's who our clientele is.
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That's the guys that are riding, the guys that are riding bikes, they got hot rod cars, they got motorcycles, they got mechanically inclined.
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Yeah, just yeah.
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And so the the the equipment is a dedication to the stuff that actually built America, and and you know, it's just just how the theme came about.
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Yeah, and and we call it Disneyland for adults, basically, yeah, for that love the motorcycle industry.
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Yeah, because when people walk in here, their jaws just drop.
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And I know that like you and I have had conversations before that you know, in the early 2000s or late 90s, you went into the OCC chopper uh building and that was Jesse James's, that was West Coast Choppers.
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Oh West Coast Choppers, I'm sorry.
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West Coast Choppers, yeah.
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And you were like, Man, I I just can't believe I'm here.
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So I started to throttle, I started to throttle.
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I'm I came out here in in '99.
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I sold my other company, I had another company that freed me up to do what I wanted to do.
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I was in the technology business with cell phones and pagers, and then when I sold that company, it freed me up to do what I wanted to do.
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So I came out here in in uh May of '99, and I found some property for sale.
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And then I came back for the rally and I stayed at Glencoe Campground.
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Oh, yeah.
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And I and I mean and I monitored everything that was going on, and all the there was three pieces of property.
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I was watching all them properties.
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But when I came here for the rally, I was blown away because then it was a no-brainer when I seen it.
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Because what was in my head, I knew, hey, I gotta have, I'm on a place that's gonna hold five to ten thousand people.
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These these all these bars were downtown, they were real small, and the the rally was booming.
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And uh so I stayed after rally and bought that property, rented a house downtown, went home boarded my house, moved out here.
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But but then about 2000, probably like somewhere around 02 or 03, 4, somewhere in that area, Motorcycle Mania came out.
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Discovery Channel came out with Motorcycle Mania with Jesse James.
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Well, then I was doing all the Easy Rider circuit shows around the country with Easy Riders then, and I was in Pomona, California at a show.
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And then uh me and Chicken, my buddy Chicken, I told him, I said, we're we're going to Long Beach.
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So we jump in a truck, we drive to Long Beach, and I walk into well, and I'm like, I just I still remember the feeling walking into to West Coast Choppers here, it was on TV, and I'm in there.
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You know what I mean?
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So, and and I I knew then, I was like, man, I gotta create the same thing.
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We gotta create the I well, I need my customers to feel the way I felt right then.
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Yeah.
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So when I went into that place and how I felt when I was in there the first time, and like it, you know, I wanted my customers when they come in to feel the same exact I finally made it, I'm here, you know.
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Yeah, and just that's the experience.
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Yeah, exactly.
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And so so that was cool.
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Then I ended up meeting Jesse and uh uh and then he actually ended up setting up at the throttle several years with me over it over here, and you know, when he was doing the circuit and stuff, and so really great guy, and uh and uh he used to set up with us over there.
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So it's weird how everything comes about in like '96.
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Like Indian Larry was a very, very famous bike builder, but he's as blue-collar as they come.
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Never meet a stranger, just humble guy, love that guy to death.
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I met him in '96 before the throttle ever existed.
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In Columbus, Ohio.
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Me and him were set up side by side with our custom bikes.
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He had a bike to show, and I had a bike to show, and we end up hitting it off and and became friends from there.
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And then later on, here 2000, I open up the throttle and and then he starts coming and setting up at the bar and hanging out with me at the throttle.
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And it's pretty amazing.
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It's cool because it seems like the circuits that you did and all of the relationships that you built really gave you a lot of the support that you needed in the beginning, yeah.
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Um of launching the throttle, getting, you know, people like Indian Larry and all of that stuff behind you.
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And yeah, and there was nothing like what throttle is in the area.
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There is nothing like what throttle is in the area.
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In fact, like the whole rest of the country.
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So it's interesting to me because people can tell, you know, on the lives and all that stuff, that like your brain is just constantly your wheels are turning all the time, and you're always thinking ahead.
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And what I always tell people because they say, Who comes up with all this?
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And I said, Michael Ballard does it.
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And they said, Well, how does he do that?
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And I'm like, it all literally just comes from his brain.
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Yeah, I'm like, he'll just think something up and he will he'll explain it to us sometimes, and we're like, What are you talking about?
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And then I've learned now over the years to just okay, just trust the vision because it's it's going to end up really amazing.
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And you know, just like some of the things like people saying, Oh, there's no way that those bridges, you know, are gonna happen.
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There's no, you know, and you've been saying we're gonna get those bridges done one of these years, and this year was the year that you pulled the trigger on it.
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And that was one of the best additions, I think, to the amphitheater because the view from up there is amazing.
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We're the buzz of town right now, all over, I mean the industry right now with that and uh finally getting ourselves built out to that concert venue was a was a really a big accomplishment for me.
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And we've been here 10 years and now we got the bridge.
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I mean, we've had bands and the stage out there all 10 years, but getting the bridges up and completed this year was huge.
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So, what's your vision for the amphitheater like in the next five years?
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Where do you see it going?
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Well, I see a second level around that level.
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So I I want to build another set of decks that come down another four foot so that I got a two-story amp, two-story of the decks up above with bars, and uh and then I still got additions.
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I got, I got, I've already got things, I've I've got this old 50 model camper that I bought that I'm gonna stick up on that deck and make a bar out of, like I had at the old throttle.
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Remember how I took that one?
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I took the one, cut the front of it, and built a bar around it.
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So I got some killer ideas that's got to go up there.
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There's still a there's still a long way to go.
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Then Old Town, my next year, my goal is getting this church.
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I gotta get this church going.
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I want to get it built.
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People don't realize that um church is a huge part of uh throttle.
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Like we hold Sunday service right here in the bar on Sunday.
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Yeah, we had almost 200 people here on Sunday morning.
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That's amazing.
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I think have you ever thought about live streaming it?
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No, you know what's a great idea.
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So the the one thing that that Angie started that years ago, even at the other property, we were having church on Sunday mornings, and it's just now it's just evolved, evolved, evolved, and and here we are, and it's like, man, I was blown away.
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I come in that morning and at and for church, and there was this place was packed in here.
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It was packed.
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And I was like, man, how cool is this?
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And you know, and so it was it was really great.
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It was a really great service, and and every year it just seems to get bigger and bigger.
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Well, and it's not something that it's like again, like a lot of these bikers, you know, they are the blue collar, they are the faith-driven people, they are, you know, we're all kind of like-minded a lot of times around around this place.
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And there's no really other uh avenue for them to attend service or at rallies.
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Yeah.
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It it seems to be something really great to bring a lot of people together, you know.
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The fellowship I think is amazing.
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Yeah.
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And when I walked in here that morning, I was like, I did not expect it to be as happy as it was.
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So it's so cool from a faith perspective to see that happening and to see it building.
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And I just think it's just gonna keep it.
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One of the things that too, with the church that we're gonna be building out here is is I'm gonna staff it.
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So we do we do stuff with hell fighters, they come out and set up, you know.
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So there's a lot of of Christian or organizations, biker organizations that set up at the rallies and do things, but I'm gonna staff that thing with uh we're gonna have staff in there 24 hours a day.
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And I've run over the years of being here, I've just run into so many things where people are are needing help.
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And so we've had domestics on property where a man and his wife got into it and he gets arrested, or he just gets on his bike and leaves her, and she has no friends here, she knows nobody here.
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She's stuck, she don't know what to do, she's a thousand miles from home.
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And and and then I've had situations where guys have gotten badly, badly hurt on bikes, and the wife don't know what to do, they don't have a way to go get the motorcycle brought back, they don't know what like they're just there's been so yeah, there's no them people are a thousand miles from home, they don't know anybody.
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They get up in the black hills, their bike breaks down, they don't know uh what to do, they don't know where bike shops are or nothing.
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So this church is gonna also be an outreach for help for people that need it, also.
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So I'm gonna staff at 24 hours a day, and people can come here when they gotta have help with something and anything, yeah, some kind of tragic stuff that happened to them, that happens to them.
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I mean, there's hundreds of thousands of people here, and they just they you know, sometimes they're just don't happen.
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I mean, there's guys that come here that are are by themselves and they have nobody, and then they get hurt, and then you know what I mean?
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So, and they got nobody to help take care of them, yeah.
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So that's one of the things that too, that that with the church that we're gonna be doing.
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We're gonna be doing service over there, prayer services, all kinds of stuff that we're gonna do with that.
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I'm excited about it.
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And we're gonna do weddings.
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Yes, there's a chapel out there, yeah.
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So we're gonna do we're gonna do weddings with it.
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Yeah, it's really cool.
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Um, I think Jesse and I should have a marry off and see, try to set a record.
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Yeah, that'd be great.
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See who who can marry the most amount of couples.
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Maybe they should offer premarital counseling.
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You better watch out because he'll do them all at one time while he's on stage Thursday, Thursday night of the jackal show.
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He'll try to marry everybody at once so you can win.
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He's uh he's he his brain does work kind of like that.
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He's like, Well, we'll work smarter, not harder, yes.
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Yeah, yeah.
00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:16.000
So you've got two girls, they're growing up quick.
00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:19.840
A lot of people don't realize um online, they'll say, How's the baby?
00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:21.360
Yeah, well, she's 11 now.
00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:22.080
Yeah, she's 11.
00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:23.039
There's another one.
00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:24.720
Yeah, Madison's eight.
00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:26.720
Yeah, Maddie's eight, Emily's 11.
00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:30.960
Yeah, and um we'll spit fires, they've got big personalities.
00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:36.399
Yeah, so what has been the coolest part of getting to raise them kind of around this and in this type of industry?
00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:43.679
Well, it's just it's it's just the fact that what what you know what I love about it is how tight knit our industry is.
00:15:44.080 --> 00:16:01.279
I know that I can go anywhere across this country, I could break down on the side of the road somewhere, I can jump on my Facebook page and say, hey, I'm setting a mile marker 23 on IED and I don't know what to do, and I'll have people come right then and give me help.
00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:06.799
And I I tell Emily them that I said, you don't realize yeah how big a family you got out there.
00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:15.360
But you got a giant family out there that's good, that if something happens to you down the road or any, you'll be able to get help from people.
00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:19.519
They and that's the that's what I love about this industry is they will go out of their.
00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:24.720
There's not a more charitable organization than people that ride motorcycles in the world.
00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:34.879
I guarantee you that they raise more money overall as a whole for between toys for tots, cancer runs, suicide survivals.
00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:44.320
Yep, you know, oh my gosh, there's so much money raised every year from the from this group, and and and it's inspirational to see all of these people that stick together like that.
00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:57.919
But so that for me, knowing that I got two girls, and some if if if when I'm dead and gone and some asshoe husband beats the shit out of my daughter, he better be careful because a lot of ass whoopings coming.
00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:00.799
Also, that is not anything that anybody needs to worry about.
00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:05.440
If something tells me with those girls with a big personality, that's not something they're gonna be.
00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:06.880
Emily, Emily's all over it.
00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:08.559
She and Maddie's headed that way too.
00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:13.279
She's eight, so she's still coming up, but Emily's already like they're gonna spill the shit out of those boys.
00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:15.279
She's she's ready to go right now.
00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:18.079
So she's happy, she's she's she's all over it.
00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:19.519
She's so smart, it's unbelievable.
00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:29.039
And then Angie, this is the first year that Angie couldn't be here because um this year school started August 1st in Tennessee.
00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:29.359
Yep.
00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:34.240
So a lot of people are asking, to your point, where's Angie and what's going on with Angie?
00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:41.599
And and this was the first, this is the first rally I that she's ever missed in her life because she was born and raised in Sturgis.
00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:44.000
And she's been here, you know, all of these years.
00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:48.480
And this year with the kids starting back August 1st, she had to go back home with the girls and get them.
00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:49.759
Same rally into school.
00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:50.319
Yeah.
00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:52.000
It just wasn't gonna happen this year.
00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:52.480
Uh-uh.
00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:57.359
And so it's uh it's crazy, but it's the first time she's ever missed a rally in her entire life.
00:17:57.519 --> 00:17:58.720
That's gotta feel bad.
00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:03.920
She's probably almost got the record for how many she's gone to consecutively.
00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:06.079
Yeah, yeah, that's probably true, actually.
00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:12.720
You know, so with those kids, like, have they ever been like, Dad, I think you should do this, you know, and they're rattling off ideas or something.
00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:16.480
I know they're little, but have they ever thrown something out just to like in conversation?
00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:18.480
And you've been like, that's actually a really good idea.
00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:26.319
Yeah, so right now, what I got going with is Emily's starting to work on dad, I'm gonna start designing uh kid clothing line for the throttle.
00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:27.200
All right, yeah.
00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:29.200
So I'm like, hey, uh, there you go.
00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:34.880
You know more about your age group than I do, and yeah, and so she's all about gonna design some of that.
00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:36.960
Of course, she's singing a lot, you know, and stuff.
00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:40.720
She's always been doing that, so she's got her way going.
00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:43.119
Maddie, Maddie's a little brainiac, though.
00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:47.599
She's a lot like Angie in that aspect, and she she reads books constantly.
00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:48.079
Yep.
00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:54.240
We go to the bookstore, she's coming out with two or three different books, and by the time you get home, she's already telling you about the story and what's going on.
00:18:54.400 --> 00:19:01.039
She'll read two chapters in the back of the book for you and get back to the house and start telling you about what's happening in a book, and it's amazing.
00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:08.319
Like Emily looks more like Angie to me, but she is you, she embodies your entire personality.
00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:11.680
And then Maddie looks more like you, but it's Angie personality.
00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:11.920
Yeah.
00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:14.000
It's like looks and personality are just like.
00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:23.519
Yeah, so I'm I'm kind of a tornado, and and Emily's a tornado through the house, and and Angie is completely organized, and Maddie's completely organized.
00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:28.799
You go in Maddie's room, their dolls are all set and straight and in line and perfect, and you know what I mean.
00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:31.440
And then I'm screaming at Emily, you got to clean your room up.
00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:32.000
You know what I mean?
00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:34.640
Well, but it's your office, though.
00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:35.039
Oh, yeah.
00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:36.559
Yeah, okay, whatever.
00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:41.359
Probably you guys are definitely doing something right with those girls because they're very polite, they're very outspoken.
00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:48.000
They also, you know, when somebody comes up and talks to them, they look right at them, they speak very clearly, they're polite.
00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:50.160
Yeah, Emily's in present uh present.
00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:55.200
She's she just moved into the new school, she's in sixth grade, and she's already on the presentation team.
00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:59.119
So they travel all over the US and go give presentations all the time.
00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:02.480
So she's she's right in the middle of that now, knee deep in that.
00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:04.319
So that's not surprised me in the least.
00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:11.039
So with the business aspect, you've you've been in business a really, really long time, but with you know, throttle now.
00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:15.839
This is the 26th year that you've had to throttle the rally, um, 26th rally, I guess.
00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:20.480
But um what is the biggest lesson you think you've learned as a business owner?
00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:26.799
I I think the the my my hardest part I have is letting things go after touch everything.
00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:29.200
That's that's that's that's one of them.
00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:32.000
And then taking the time to try to listen to people somewhat.
00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:37.119
Customers, listening to what their ideas are, trying to take all of that in.
00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:44.640
I try to take everything in what is that I can do better in my company to satisfy my customer base.
00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:49.440
Here's the thing that is always that's one of the things that's always been to me.
00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:51.200
People don't think about it.
00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:52.640
I say it all the time.
00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:55.119
These people are working their ass off.
00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:05.599
They're out there working 60 hours a week, busting their knuckles, or working at a desk, and they've got one week a year that they get to take a vacation, and they're coming here to spend it with us.
00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:06.799
Choosing to, right?
00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:07.599
That's what they want.
00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:16.559
They could go anywhere, but they choose to come to Sturgis and spend that one week of the year to relax and have fun and have a good time.
00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:31.359
So it's our responsibility, me as a business owner, that's in the entertainment business, concert, venue, fans, all kinds, to make sure that when they walk through our front door, they're walking out here with a smile on their face, they've had a great experience.
00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:33.599
They they they they they you know.
00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:39.119
I mean, think about it, they're spending their hard-earned money that they saved all year long, and they've taken their one week.
00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:45.759
They could have gone to the beach, they could have gone to Hawaii, they could have gone to Vegas, they could have done so many different things, and they chose to come.
00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:49.200
So I've my responsibility is to make sure that they have a good time.
00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:50.880
So I listen to them.
00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:53.680
Hey, you you should we we really need this.
00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:55.599
It'd be nice if we had this or that.
00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:56.480
You know what I mean?
00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:59.759
Yeah, so that's the things that I listen to, and then I try to improve.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:04.160
On them if we've already have them or expand on adding them together.
00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:09.599
Correct.
00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:13.599
And it's also an experience I don't know that any other venue provides.
00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:16.240
Like just like in general across the board.
00:22:16.400 --> 00:22:24.880
Like if you're looking at everything that we offer, yeah, and everything that you're looking to build and add to, this is like the ultimate bike.
00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:25.839
Well, I don't know that.
00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:32.160
I just uh to be honest with you, and just to be straight up, I'm I grew up riding bikes since I was a kid.
00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:33.680
I'm a biker.
00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:35.599
I'm in that group.
00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:38.880
There's not a bar downtown that has a motorcycle on the wall.
00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:41.200
Like there's I got shovel head engines.
00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:47.440
I mean, I'm a true I'm this is my collection of stuff that I have personally that's out here on the wall.
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:51.039
I so I don't, and I don't know if any of them guys even ride down there.
00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:51.920
You know what I'm saying?
00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:52.960
So I don't know.
00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:57.839
I I go into these things and I call themselves a biker bar, and I walk in, there's not a one motorcycle on the wall.
00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:01.759
There's not anything pertaining to a Harley or or any kind of bike.
00:23:01.839 --> 00:23:02.880
I I love all kinds of bike.
00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:07.279
I got Kawasakis, I've got Suzuki's, I own all kinds of motorcycles.
00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:09.039
I mean, what's that one you're doing?
00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:14.160
Thank God for Honda making a Honda 50 and a Honda 70, or I may not even be here today, right?
00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:24.240
So I'm just saying that I mean most people grew up riding Hondas or Yamaha's or something when they were kids, and that's what transformed them into being in the industry that for the rest of their life.
00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:26.000
Microspike was a Yamaha.
00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:27.279
So I'm like, yeah, same.
00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:36.720
So so but so I I think for me, it's just uh what I'm kind of lucky that I'm in an industry that I've always loved since I was a kid, and being able to do that.
00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:40.480
There's so many people that didn't get to do what they wanted to do.
00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:45.759
Or you know, and I've had times in my career that I was at rock bottom.
00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:54.480
I remember, I remember taking change in, cashing in so I could go to Sonic to get something to eat at times back that years ago.
00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:56.480
Even when I owned the throttle, it was that bad.
00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:06.079
When I first started the throttle, it was blood bass because I was just I was out in the middle of the country, it was a two-lane road, no street lights back then to get out to the throttle.
00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:08.480
Yeah, I was I was out out of pocket, man.
00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:11.119
So it was some tough years back then.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:18.559
Was has there ever been a point in your career as the owner and creator of full throttle where you ever just about threw your hands up and walked away?
00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:21.440
Was there ever been a point where you thought about just walking away?
00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:24.079
The hardest, probably the fire was the toughest one.
00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:38.160
Like, because that, you know, I spent I spent 15 years of my career, even though, even though that 15 years, I have to look back because prior to the 15 years, even it took that career to make that career happen.
00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:41.359
So it's even longer than when I've been in business with the throttle.
00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:41.599
Right.
00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:49.759
It it transforms all the way back to my other business because I I worked that business from absolutely nothing selling pagers on job sites to people.
00:24:50.000 --> 00:25:02.240
So on the construction sites with my dad, I'm making$6 an hour and I'm living in a house trailer and I'm now 19, 20 years old, and I'm selling pagers to people on the job sites, and they're paying me$19.95 a month for the service.
00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:10.160
So it stretches all the way back to me making that business and then selling that business and dumping all of that into this business.
00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:13.440
So, where did your like business mind and business sense come from?
00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:20.160
Like, because you just like from a very young age, you just kind of saw a path and you're like, this is what I gotta do, you know, like to build.
00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:31.599
I think it just comes from the then it does the reality of what this world is is about a dollar bill if you want to be successful in financially in a successful financial.
00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:39.359
I'm not talking about you know, religion with God being successful in that or anything else, but financially having success.
00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:55.920
And I grew up watching my dad come in the door every day, filthy from head to toe, bent on his knees all day, laying tile, grouting floors, and and and and then I was when I was 10, I was going with him on the weekends and grouting floors, me and my brother and doing tile work, you know.
00:25:56.160 --> 00:26:01.839
So I knew that even that my dad worked his butt off, he raised three kids, and we had everything you could imagine.
00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:03.759
We had a swimming pool in our backyard.
00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:07.039
We didn't worry about you know getting food.
00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:11.519
There was always food in the refrigerator growing up, but my but my dad just busted his butt.
00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:21.039
And so I knew that, but I knew I wanted to elevate my life, careers financially to a better place.
00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:23.440
And so I just I never went to college.
00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:27.920
I my my dad that they didn't have the money to send me to college when I come out of high school.
00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:30.640
They they didn't have the funds to do that for me to get there.
00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:34.079
I wasn't high enough to get scholarships at that time, right?
00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:34.720
Me either.
00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:40.240
So so anyway, and that's kind of so from there I just started.
00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:47.839
Yeah, I just learned how to I I only got where I'm at from beating shit into submission.
00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:48.319
Yeah.
00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:48.960
That's it.
00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:50.559
I just I say that a lot.
00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:56.400
I and I actually got that phrase from Jesse because that's I heard him say that one time, and it's actually the truth.
00:26:56.559 --> 00:27:02.480
I mean, you just you turn no's into yeses and you don't give up on what your dream is and what you truly want.
00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:12.960
And I know that's that's taken with a grain of salt a lot of times, and there's a with you hear people like pop follow your passion, follow your, but you it become people become numb to it because they hear it so much.
00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:19.119
I think that you're either bored with that fire in you or you're not.
00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:26.000
When I was like, when I was like when I was like 13 years old, I'll tell you a quick little story.
00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:29.039
For some reason, I've always been rebellious to a degree.
00:27:29.119 --> 00:27:32.079
So when I was like 13 years old, I was working a summer job.
00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:33.839
My dad was slow on tile work.
00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:36.720
So I went to work for a swimming pool company, digging pools.
00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:42.640
And there was the guy, there was like six of us or four, but maybe five of us on that crew.
00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:47.279
And the guy that ran it was an older man, and he was just being an asshole.
00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:49.839
He, you know, he just screaming at you all the time.
00:27:49.920 --> 00:27:50.720
Well, you know what I mean?
00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:51.359
That type.
00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:56.319
So we get we got we're going to work one day, and we we're in tremble.
00:27:56.559 --> 00:28:00.079
We leave, we meet every morning uptown, they eat breakfast, and then we go to work.
00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:04.319
So we're on our way to work, and he's just mouthing, mouthing and mouthing.
00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:13.680
I'm in the backseat of this truck, it's a four-door door truck, and I'm sitting by the door, and and he's mouthing at me, rah, and just running his mouth.
00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:16.079
And uh he said something really smart.
00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:20.880
We pull up to a four-way stop, I open the door and go out of a truck.
00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:23.279
And I'm 13.
00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:26.160
And I walk home and I go in, my dad's in there.
00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:27.680
It's like a Saturday or something, whatever.
00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:28.400
My dad's in there.
00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:29.279
I said, What are you doing here?
00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:30.480
I thought you were going to work.
00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:33.839
I said, No, dad, that guy's being an asshole.
00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:35.200
And I'm 13.
00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:38.559
And he goes, Well, you got to do what you gotta do, boy.
00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:40.000
And so that was it.
00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:45.039
From then on, I just didn't, I knew that he, my dad said, Here's what he said to me.
00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:48.319
He said, Let me tell you, boy, there's nobody any better than you.
00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:52.079
That man puts his pants on the same way you did this morning, one leg at a time.
00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:52.720
That's right.
00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:55.119
That's what he told me, and that's the and that's the truth.
00:28:55.200 --> 00:29:03.200
And so from then on, if I didn't see the vision that if I couldn't connect with people the right way, then I knew that I didn't need to be there.
00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:03.359
Right.
00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:08.319
So I figured out where I needed to go so I could connect with people that can I I could connect with.
00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:11.839
Well, not a lot of people's brains work the way that yours does too, you know.
00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:29.920
So and and and that it's you have a much bigger vision and drive, and you can see the bigger picture more than other people, but you also see the small things, like what it means to be kind to the people that work for you or the people that come into, you know, you always stop and have time for everybody that comes through the store.
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:41.039
If you're if you're out in the bar and people want to stop and take a picture, like all of those things I think are so important, and it kind of all goes back, you know, to what you said about nobody's better than anybody else.
00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:45.200
You put your pants on the same way every person that comes through the store or works for you, or all that.
00:29:45.279 --> 00:29:50.640
And so I think that that's really it's it's rare that you see that in a business owner.
00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:54.319
Well, I think it also goes down to signal to noise concept.
00:29:54.400 --> 00:30:01.680
I don't know if you know what that is or not, but signal to noise is a is a is a is a real truthful concept in your life.
00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:12.000
And I sacrificed a lot at a younger age of of not going out and running around with my buddies because I didn't really have the money to go do it, or because I knew I needed to save my money for certain things.
00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:21.680
But signal to noise is a deal where when you get up in the morning, you're one, you go, you want, you got, you're set on what you need to accomplish today.
00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:26.240
And and you let the noise go to the side and don't waste your time on that.
00:30:26.400 --> 00:30:28.640
So, like Steve Jobs was 80-20.
00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:32.720
Steve Jobs was 80% signal at 20% noise.
00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:36.799
Today, Elon Musk is almost at zero noise.
00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:44.799
So his signal is he's focused every day when he gets up to accomplish these things that he has to get done today.
00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:47.119
And he doesn't let the noise get in the way of it.
00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:52.400
And I think for me, that's one of the things like everybody was betting against us with these bridges, right?
00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:54.640
I wasn't gonna let that happen.
00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:58.480
Three weeks before rally, I told everybody, leave me alone.
00:30:58.640 --> 00:30:59.759
I can't mess with the business.
00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:02.480
I don't have, I'm not messing with y'all gonna figure that out.
00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:03.839
I'm focused right here.
00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:10.640
So every morning when I got up and I watched the sun come up here two or three different times with some of my guys that I worked them all night long.
00:31:10.960 --> 00:31:13.920
But I, and then I had 32 carpers working here at one time.
00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:14.240
Yep.
00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:19.599
So my that that's the dedication you have to have to be successful, to be honest.
00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:24.799
You can go, otherwise, you'll float through the day all day long and you are not gonna get anything accomplished.
00:31:25.440 --> 00:31:27.359
And the sun's gonna come up and the sun's gonna go down.
00:31:27.440 --> 00:31:30.880
You're gonna find yourself laying in bed thinking about what did I get done today?
00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:31.200
Yep.
00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:31.680
Right.
00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:46.400
And and even if you have a full-time job for somebody else and you're wanting out or you're wanting to do something else, you've got to still spend time after you get off and punch that clock out so many hours a day to focus on what's your dream and what is it you really truly want to do with your life.
00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:49.839
And and and that's the that's the signal to noise ratio.
00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:54.480
So for me, I've always been great at that's why when people say, where did that stuff come out of?
00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:58.160
Because I'm in here sometimes at three in the morning and I'm taking things in.
00:31:58.240 --> 00:32:04.640
I'm standing in the sidelines during rally watching people, watching the flow, looking at the expressions on their faces when they come through the door.
00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:09.200
I'm paying attention to every little detail I can pay attention to that has to do with my business.
00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:10.079
Yeah, absolutely.
00:32:10.319 --> 00:32:14.799
And so I think that's the that's uh been a big part of the success of the throttle.
00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:15.440
Absolutely.
00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:17.920
I because it's it's it's the little details and stuff like that.
00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:19.359
It's the signal to noise ratio.
00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:24.720
You got to push the bullshit to the side and focus on what it is you need to focus on and get done.
00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:27.200
And every single day you've got to make strides toward that goal.
00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:30.640
But that makes a lot more sense.
00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:34.400
Yeah, because what I mean, you're gonna end up at the end of the day you didn't accomplish something tomorrow.
00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:36.240
So then all of a sudden, look at the whole week.
00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:41.920
What did I do to better myself this week or my company or my money or my finances or wherever you're struggling in?
00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:48.160
Yeah, whatever department of your life you're struggling in, whatever that is, what the department is that what did I do this week to help better that?
00:32:48.319 --> 00:32:48.960
Absolutely, right?
00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:57.839
And if you're not taking the time and setting this thing here over to the side and paying attention to yourself and paying attention and and what you need to be getting done, yeah, you're not gonna get it done.
00:32:57.920 --> 00:32:59.599
You can stay on this thing for hours at a time.
00:32:59.839 --> 00:33:04.400
And you'll lose four or five hours and you're just just you're just you just consumed a bunch of bullshit.
00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:04.799
Yep.
00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:06.559
Nothing that's even gonna, nothing's you know what I mean.
00:33:07.359 --> 00:33:09.039
Yeah, everybody's just flipping, flipping, flipping.
00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:12.559
And it that's one of the most dumbed down tools there is.
00:33:12.720 --> 00:33:16.319
It could be one of the best tools there are if you use it in the right direction.
00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:17.680
Or, you know, like yes.
00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:18.559
You know what I mean?
00:33:18.640 --> 00:33:22.640
You can find the information you need, but you gotta search it and you gotta stay with it.
00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:24.319
The mindless scrolling is what hurts.
00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:27.839
And don't let the other crap pop up, the noise stuff will pop up.
00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:30.000
Yep, just get rid of it when it pops up.
00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:33.200
You don't need to dwell in that, dwell on what it is you need to learn.
00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:34.319
Yeah, absolutely.
00:33:34.640 --> 00:33:36.559
So you got the bridges done, rally.
00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:43.680
This was you know, one of the bigger rallies we've had in probably 10 years, because the 80th happened, that was COVID year.
00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:50.799
Um what is it something that like people don't understand or don't realize, like a logistical nightmare that like would keep you up at night?
00:33:50.960 --> 00:33:59.920
Like just anything, and not even the bridges, just rallies in general, like where you're like, man, we gotta figure this out, or you know, something that people wouldn't think about.
00:34:00.160 --> 00:34:04.400
Well, it's it's a lot of times it's the the hard jobs are hard.
00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:09.760
I have to be with them people a lot to make sure like taking out the garbage.
00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:12.239
There's a lot of trash comes through this place, right?
00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:14.639
And it them are hard jobs to get people to do.
00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:15.119
Yep.
00:34:15.280 --> 00:34:15.920
You know what I mean?
00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:28.079
To find the people that, and that's a hard, that's probably one of the toughest jobs here is keeping the tables clean, keeping the all the garbage out of here, and get, I mean, there's a lot of uh underbelly stuff with the business that you gotta watch.
00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:29.360
It really is, you know.
00:34:29.599 --> 00:34:32.480
But I also surround myself with good people.
00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:33.519
I try to.
00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:39.360
Um, I've got people that's been here with me for the last 25 years that I've been in the business that's still here.
00:34:39.440 --> 00:34:46.800
Yeah, you know, so I try to surround myself with people I can trust that they've got that part of the job, and I don't have to look at it during rally.
00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:57.440
I help set it all up before rally because every year, so I I've got a notebook and I write notes every day for rally, what needs to change, how to do things different for next year.
00:34:57.599 --> 00:34:58.639
Because you never stop.
00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:03.280
If you sit on your ass and you stop improving your business, you're gonna fail eventually.
00:35:03.599 --> 00:35:10.079
So, for instance, just some life experiences.
00:35:10.320 --> 00:35:18.400
Growing up when I was a kid in the bars, Budweiser was not even an option.
00:35:18.639 --> 00:35:24.559
It was Paps Blue Ribbon and Slits and Hams, and it was all of these brands they held held the market, right?
00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:27.519
So Budweiser tried to enter that market and couldn't enter it.
00:35:27.599 --> 00:35:28.480
So, what did they do?
00:35:28.639 --> 00:35:32.320
They started targeting 18-year-old and 21-year-old, right?
00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:33.679
Because they're the up and coming.
00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:38.960
So, over a period of about 15 years, they pushed all of them brands out the side.
00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:39.440
Yep.
00:35:39.679 --> 00:35:43.519
And then bam, there's Budweiser as the number one beer in the world.
00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:46.400
So that was that, so they sit on their ass and done.
00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:57.519
Another another concept I'll tell you about that happened was there when I was growing up, there was the uh uh steakhouses out there that was called Bonanza Steakhouses.
00:35:57.760 --> 00:36:00.159
You had Western Sizzler was a steak.
00:36:00.239 --> 00:36:04.880
They were the places I remember being a kid, and my dad taking us to Bonanzas of like an hour drive.
00:36:05.039 --> 00:36:09.440
We'd go to once, once maybe every two months, we would get to go to this steakhouse.
00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:22.159
Well, they set on their ass and they allowed Longhorn Steakhouse, Logan's Roadhouse, uh, Texas Roadhouse concept come in, but they never changed.
00:36:22.400 --> 00:36:22.800
Yeah, yeah.
00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:24.800
They left their model the same.
00:36:24.880 --> 00:36:27.039
They and they had all the best locations you could get.
00:36:27.199 --> 00:36:29.440
It's like they hit a point of success and they just ride it.
00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:30.000
That's it.
00:36:30.079 --> 00:36:32.719
And then and then eventually they're gonna get shut.
00:36:32.800 --> 00:36:42.079
And the difference for me is I'm watching and trying to keep up with what's new, what's trendy, what's happening in the world, what's going on, what can we do better for our business.
00:36:42.320 --> 00:36:47.039
So you you can get lazy, and there's people that come out here and run the rally and they shut down and go home.
00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:54.880
I'm out here right now, we're we're what, a month after a rally, and I'm still out here building buildings and we're still tweaking things out in our merch building right now.
00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:56.320
We're doing new stuff in it.
00:36:56.480 --> 00:37:01.840
So I see things during the rally, and I can't wait to jump on top of them to improve them for the next year.
00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:04.719
Where everybody else is already closed up, shut down.
00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:06.000
Oh, we'll be back next year.
00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:07.760
And then they just open up the same old place.
00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:13.920
Yeah, and that's and like I think another reason that like so many people love coming here is they love to see like what's changed from last year.
00:37:14.159 --> 00:37:16.000
Yeah, what's new and what's what are we doing?
00:37:16.079 --> 00:37:17.519
Yeah, where are we going with it?
00:37:17.599 --> 00:37:18.320
You know what I mean?
00:37:18.480 --> 00:37:21.280
And and that's that's the that's the part of the growth of the throttle.
00:37:21.360 --> 00:37:24.079
I mean, I think that's just who invested in it, yeah.
00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:26.000
You know, that that love to see what's going on.
00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:30.639
Yeah, so if you now throttle is obviously a very big part of your life.
00:37:30.719 --> 00:37:35.280
It's that you built this is not just a business and a brand, you built an empire with this.
00:37:35.440 --> 00:37:42.960
It's it's a bar, it's you've got the distilleries, you've got the retail, you've got, you know, the there's so much that goes with it.
00:37:43.119 --> 00:37:48.880
Now, if you weren't the owner of the full throttle saloon, what what would you what do you think you'd be doing?
00:37:49.280 --> 00:37:52.320
If there was no full throttle saloon, what would Michael Ballard be doing?
00:37:52.480 --> 00:37:53.360
I don't know what I would do.
00:37:53.679 --> 00:38:03.679
That's the that's the hardest thing about thinking of, you know, you start thinking of an exit because I'm getting a little bit older and I've had the place for 25 years, and you start thinking about okay, I'm supposed to exit, right?
00:38:03.840 --> 00:38:11.679
I'm I'm getting or or you know, and I I don't really, I don't know that my I really want my girls to be assuming this place, to be honest with you.
00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:16.639
I don't know what, but that'll be up to them as they get older, I guess, if I still own it then.
00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:22.320
But um I don't know what I would be doing, but I'd have to be in the middle of something, you know.
00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:28.159
But I think that with you know, we have stores in Colorado now.
00:38:28.239 --> 00:38:38.480
I have I have the distilleries and restaurants, Missouri, and we're we're looking, we've got six six locations total now, and we're looking to do 15 to 20.
00:38:38.639 --> 00:38:41.360
So right now 15 to 20 more in addition to what there is.
00:38:41.519 --> 00:38:47.760
Yeah, so we're wanting to get up to that 15 to 20 more so that we can fran and then and then then maybe franchise the model out.
00:38:47.840 --> 00:38:52.159
I don't know yet exactly, but um, but or go public or something with it.
00:38:52.239 --> 00:39:04.719
I don't know what but but our our distilleries and our brand is growing in multiple locations, and um I I'm about to to do a couple other new businesses off the brand, spin-off of the brand.
00:39:05.360 --> 00:39:06.559
And so I don't know.
00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:10.079
I'm just gonna grow it until I get tired, but I don't know that when that'll be.
00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:12.559
And I don't I don't see ever getting tired.
00:39:12.719 --> 00:39:18.159
Yeah, like I just like you'll sometimes you know you'll you'll take a beat, take a day or two, but it's not long.
00:39:18.239 --> 00:39:22.880
You're not ever down for long, you're right back and and just constantly going.
00:39:23.039 --> 00:39:25.920
Yeah, so I mean I don't I don't see you ever really slowing down.
00:39:26.159 --> 00:39:27.519
Well, I I don't know what I would be doing.
00:39:27.599 --> 00:39:36.559
And I mean, I love what I'm doing, so it's it's it's hard to leave something that you love that you're doing, and it's and to see that you're making a difference in people's lives too.
00:39:36.639 --> 00:39:41.599
I mean, honestly, it's kind of crazy to say that that this place makes a different people's lives.
00:39:41.679 --> 00:39:44.480
But I had a guy grab me the other day, said, Man, you saved my life.
00:39:44.639 --> 00:39:46.400
I came out here four years ago.
00:39:46.559 --> 00:39:50.159
I was like suicidal, and I came out with my buddies and we camped out here.
00:39:50.239 --> 00:39:55.679
We pitched a tent, we had a time of our lives, and I got and and it just transformed me and saved me.
00:39:55.760 --> 00:40:00.000
It truly that experience that I had here on your property saved my life, you know.
00:40:00.159 --> 00:40:02.480
And I had people that come here and spread their ashes here.
00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:07.760
I mean, there's so much things that this place means to people beyond just, you know.
00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:15.599
There's a lot of sentimental ties with people to to this place, and a lot of people man, there's so many people that's gotten married that met here.
00:40:15.760 --> 00:40:16.159
Yeah.
00:40:16.400 --> 00:40:19.760
That just met their, they met here and then they're married.
00:40:19.840 --> 00:40:25.519
I had uh people pop up on my Facebook page sometimes and they go, I met I met my wife there 20 years ago.
00:40:25.679 --> 00:40:29.760
We got two kids, and like a whole family is bared out of it, right?
00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:31.440
And that happens constantly.
00:40:31.519 --> 00:40:34.000
That I I you know, that that happens.
00:40:34.079 --> 00:40:34.960
And so I don't know.
00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:45.760
I mean, the the places that that kind of stuff and seeing I say this a lot too, where I I see that all so many bars are segregated between ages and generations.
00:40:46.079 --> 00:40:48.719
Yeah, this this is a melting pot of all ages.
00:40:48.960 --> 00:40:51.440
Yeah, it's just one big worship machine and everybody's in it.
00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:55.199
Don't matter what color you are, what age you are, it doesn't make any difference what you are.
00:40:55.440 --> 00:40:59.679
Don't matter what you're riding motorcycles or not riding a motorcycle, makes no difference.
00:40:59.840 --> 00:41:11.920
I can come in here and there'll be a guy that's 21 years old, sitting by a guy that's 70, they're drinking a beer together, meeting, and they're talking about motorcycles or riding a next thing you know, they're together riding through the black hills and their butt and their friends and their friends, like lifelong friends.
00:41:12.079 --> 00:41:13.440
And then they meet here again next year.
00:41:13.599 --> 00:41:14.320
You know what I mean?
00:41:14.400 --> 00:41:33.840
So it's so cool to that that kind of a lot this year where you know people are like, Well, our friends are coming from here, and you know, we met them at Throttle and just conversations that I had with people because I helped with the cabins a little bit this year, yeah, and just hearing a lot of their stories with dealing with the behind-the-scenes stuff, it was Throttle's very impactful for a lot of people.
00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:34.719
Absolutely.
00:41:35.119 --> 00:41:39.519
And like you said, they plan their vacations around it, and and it's like a it's a family reunion.
00:41:39.840 --> 00:41:43.679
Yeah, and and you know, Thursday night with it being jackal night, that's what we always call it.
00:41:43.760 --> 00:41:43.840
Yeah.
00:41:44.079 --> 00:41:44.800
Family reunion, right?
00:41:45.039 --> 00:41:47.039
Yeah, and it's all Yeah, the biker's ball.
00:41:47.119 --> 00:41:49.199
We've been doing that 25 years now with that.
00:41:49.519 --> 00:41:50.159
It's crazy.
00:41:50.400 --> 00:41:55.199
So, do you are you thinking like because you're never gonna get tired of this, you're gonna keep running it.
00:41:55.519 --> 00:42:03.440
Do you want throttle to be known as the world's largest biker bar forever, or are you envisioning it evolving into something bigger than what is right here?
00:42:03.760 --> 00:42:09.599
Well, I think this is just the the cornerstone of every all the other tentacles that are flying off of it.
00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:12.639
So the distilleries and the restaurants are coming off as one thing.
00:42:12.800 --> 00:42:20.719
This other new concept I'm about to launch is gonna be something totally different than that, and and it's gonna grow, I think, in other cities.
00:42:22.079 --> 00:42:24.400
Well, this is gonna be my new coffee shop, yes, yeah.
00:42:24.800 --> 00:42:27.920
So the full throttle coffee shops that we're gonna be putting out and going.
00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:32.719
And I'd said I'm doing that in partnership with Todd Phillips and and uh and John Foy and David Greenberg.
00:42:32.960 --> 00:42:41.039
With that art, I've got a good team, I got a good team behind me, and I think we're gonna start these coffee shop concepts across the country, and and I think that's gonna be massive.
00:42:41.119 --> 00:42:46.079
So with the with the concept of like the building that you showed me last year, yeah, that is so cool.
00:42:46.239 --> 00:42:47.599
So you gotta wait and see this.
00:42:47.760 --> 00:42:49.440
We're not gonna give away any spoilers.
00:42:49.519 --> 00:42:51.440
It is going to be amazing.
00:42:51.679 --> 00:42:52.960
So you're building and building.
00:42:53.039 --> 00:43:01.920
If there ever comes to a point one day where you're well, we I kind of got into that from to be honest, from roasting, we're already roasting our own coffee at the distillery in Tennessee at our main plant.
00:43:02.079 --> 00:43:11.039
And so I started doing that, and we found the right beans and got the concept down and it's rocking, and we're selling coffee all over the country.
00:43:11.119 --> 00:43:16.639
I'm even wholeselling to others' coffee shops, and all of that stuff is happening, and and it's just it's blowed up.
00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:21.920
So that's kind of now what's now it's time for it to take to the next level, which is our own concept of storage.
00:43:23.599 --> 00:43:30.079
Because Michael has an espresso bar here, and we've now become spoiled and make coffee every morning while we're here at work.
00:43:30.239 --> 00:43:30.400
Yeah.
00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:41.760
But so if you ever get to the point where you're like, okay, I'm ready to just slow down, which again I don't see happening, but and say full throttle, this world's largest biker bug, it's a new owner.
00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:45.360
What is something that you would tell them to never change about this place?
00:43:47.599 --> 00:43:55.679
The I guess the number one thing to me is I can't I don't really don't like arrogant people like arrogant personalities.
00:43:56.079 --> 00:43:56.800
You know what I mean?
00:43:57.119 --> 00:43:59.760
Take the time and meet your customers, take the time with them.
00:44:00.639 --> 00:44:03.039
Listen to them, pay attention to people.
00:44:03.199 --> 00:44:06.639
I I've been in, I won't call the names of them, but I've been around people.
00:44:06.719 --> 00:44:23.440
I, you know, we were on TV for seven years, and and my concept of that might was that I always thought, you know what, if you're gonna, if that's if that's what you're gonna do, if you're gonna put yourself on television, then make yourself accessible to whatever fan base you build from that.
00:44:23.679 --> 00:44:27.119
You're accepting you're accepting a responsibility of putting yourself in that.
00:44:27.440 --> 00:44:30.000
Yeah, you're accepting that job and that that place.
00:44:30.320 --> 00:44:40.480
Don't be an arrogant ass and not and and and snub your your fan base and your people when you when they want to come up and get a picture with you or shake your hand and get to know you.
00:44:41.840 --> 00:44:49.440
However, if somebody is eating and you're going you're mid-bite, or you're standing at the urinal in the bathroom, not probably the best.
00:44:49.760 --> 00:44:50.480
Not the urinals.
00:44:50.559 --> 00:44:57.039
I've had that happen a couple of times where people come up and I'm taking them piss at the bathrooms, but but that's the but if I'm eating, I don't care.
00:44:57.119 --> 00:44:58.320
It doesn't matter to me where I'm at.
00:44:58.400 --> 00:45:12.719
I I just feel like that a lot of times that I I was at the airport and and there was a couple people that was had been on TV and came to the throng, came to Sturge us, and they were in Rapid City, and a guy walked up with a little boy.
00:45:13.280 --> 00:45:15.760
Maybe the kid was like nine years old or 10.
00:45:15.840 --> 00:45:17.679
And he, hey, my son loves your show.
00:45:17.840 --> 00:45:18.880
Could I get a picture with you?
00:45:19.039 --> 00:45:21.280
And they just didn't even answer the guy.
00:45:21.360 --> 00:45:24.079
They just turned their head and didn't even acknowledge that he was there.
00:45:24.159 --> 00:45:26.320
And the guy goes, Come on, son, let's go.
00:45:26.400 --> 00:45:27.360
And he pulled the kid away.
00:45:27.440 --> 00:45:35.840
And I'm thinking, what an arrogant ass you are to put yourself on television, act like you're so much better than everybody else, and you're way up here.
00:45:36.239 --> 00:45:36.880
You know what I mean?
00:45:37.519 --> 00:45:41.679
And and that you're somebody special and you're somebody better than everybody else.
00:45:41.840 --> 00:45:43.119
It's just total bullshit.
00:45:43.440 --> 00:45:52.000
Maybe it was just as unfortunate as it is, and you know, probably like that little boy's feelings pretty bad, but it's kind of showing him that like this is how you don't want to be.
00:45:52.079 --> 00:46:09.199
Like, there are gonna be as you should be treated as you're like, even if he would have just said if he didn't want to, you know, just acknowledge and say, you know, I really appreciate you asking, or I think it's dumb that he didn't take the picture, but to just completely ignore and especially when a little kid is involved.
00:46:09.760 --> 00:46:17.360
I I just think that if you put yourself in that position to be on TV and try to be famous, therefore take the time of the people that are your fan base.
00:46:17.760 --> 00:46:21.039
Yeah, otherwise, don't put yourself on television, don't do it.
00:46:21.280 --> 00:46:30.159
If you don't want to, if you don't want a fan base and build a fan base and have people that's if that's gonna be your career and that's what you're doing, then then you damn sure better take care of your people that like you.
00:46:30.239 --> 00:46:32.800
And they are the reason you have friends you have.
00:46:32.880 --> 00:46:34.400
Yeah, those are the people that support you.
00:46:34.719 --> 00:46:37.280
Well, they're the reason they got money in their pocket, they're watching their show.
00:46:37.599 --> 00:46:43.519
Yeah, otherwise the ratings be shit and they'd be kicked off television, they could be pouring concrete somewhere, dumbasses.
00:46:44.159 --> 00:46:45.519
Dumb asses, that's right.
00:46:45.760 --> 00:46:51.679
I'm just saying that it just makes you mad whenever you think about some of the successful people that are out there like that.
00:46:51.840 --> 00:46:53.519
They treat their customer base like that.
00:46:53.679 --> 00:47:02.400
Doesn't even I understand being real like the real, real high end, like Michael Jackson could never walk out in public and just get mobbed.
00:47:03.199 --> 00:47:03.360
Right.
00:47:03.440 --> 00:47:09.199
Yeah, I'm just saying there's some of that people that are so sought after that they can't do them things.
00:47:09.440 --> 00:47:14.800
But average people, average people that on television like these guys were just horseshit.
00:47:15.119 --> 00:47:15.840
That is terrible.
00:47:16.079 --> 00:47:16.719
That's awful.
00:47:17.039 --> 00:47:20.320
So just a couple real quick questions here before we wrap up, some fun ones here.
00:47:20.880 --> 00:47:26.719
What is somebody that you have had and booked as an act here that just surprised the hell out of you?
00:47:26.960 --> 00:47:27.199
Jackal.
00:47:27.440 --> 00:47:27.920
Good or bad?
00:47:28.159 --> 00:47:28.639
Jackal.
00:47:28.960 --> 00:47:29.280
Really?
00:47:29.440 --> 00:47:29.920
Absolutely.
00:47:30.320 --> 00:47:32.000
Well, there's a reason they've been here 25 years.
00:47:32.079 --> 00:47:33.119
So tell me that story, Robert.
00:47:33.280 --> 00:47:33.519
What happened?
00:47:33.920 --> 00:47:38.159
So so just it so it was a it was a bizarre incident that happened with that.
00:47:38.239 --> 00:47:43.280
So the first year opened in 2000, me and Alan Blankenship, he was from Tennessee, he was a concert promoter.
00:47:43.760 --> 00:47:47.519
So Alan Alan worked for me for years and years and years till he passed away.
00:47:47.679 --> 00:47:51.360
And Alan, me and him worked together, we done concerts together in Tennessee.
00:47:51.519 --> 00:47:55.920
He came out renting all the backstage stuff, and he would I would work through him to book our bands.
00:47:56.079 --> 00:48:01.280
And so we had Pat Travers and Great White at the throttle.
00:48:01.360 --> 00:48:02.960
The first year we opened, right?
00:48:03.360 --> 00:48:07.679
So Pat Travers shows up to the venue, it's like for sound check and all that.
00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:10.400
Got him picked up the airport, taking all the stuff that you do.
00:48:10.559 --> 00:48:12.239
You know about all that, that's what you do.
00:48:12.719 --> 00:48:19.039
And so um he says, Hey, Great White's not gonna show up.
00:48:19.360 --> 00:48:21.920
And and so Alan called, he's telling Alan this stuff.
00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:23.840
Alan calls me and said, Michael, we got a problem.
00:48:23.920 --> 00:48:25.760
I said, and Great White was a headliner.
00:48:25.920 --> 00:48:28.559
And he's and he says, Hey, great white's not gonna show up.
00:48:28.880 --> 00:48:38.000
Pat just told me that they were that he was get he was at LA and the bass player and drummer got a fist bite in the airport, and they didn't get on the plane.
00:48:38.079 --> 00:48:40.480
Yeah, and they never got on the plane, they're not coming.
00:48:40.719 --> 00:48:43.280
So, so so we were stuck, right?
00:48:43.440 --> 00:48:44.079
Out of the blue.
00:48:44.239 --> 00:48:47.199
So then out of the blue, Jesse calls Alan.
00:48:47.679 --> 00:48:48.719
Jesse the Priest.
00:48:48.880 --> 00:48:52.639
So Alan had booked Jackal and Jesse several times in Tennessee.
00:48:53.039 --> 00:48:57.519
So Jesse calls calls Alan and says, Hey man, I'm in Sturgis.
00:48:58.000 --> 00:48:58.880
What are the albums?
00:48:59.199 --> 00:49:01.199
And I'm just coming through Sturgis, man.
00:49:01.280 --> 00:49:08.079
I'm coming through Sturgis, and he was had a solo album, and he he was out doing dates with a solo thing, and he was coming through.
00:49:08.320 --> 00:49:13.840
He said, I heard you, I called my agent and he told me that you were you were at a venue in Sturgis that had bands.
00:49:13.920 --> 00:49:19.039
And he said, Yeah, and and you ain't gonna believe this, but Great White's not gonna be here tonight.
00:49:19.119 --> 00:49:20.079
We got a spot open.
00:49:20.159 --> 00:49:21.679
Jess, I'm there, I'll be right there.
00:49:21.840 --> 00:49:23.280
Jesse pulls in, goes up.
00:49:23.360 --> 00:49:25.360
Jesse headlined that night at the throttle.
00:49:25.519 --> 00:49:26.320
Oh my god.
00:49:26.480 --> 00:49:39.039
And it was over the top, and it just he just come, as you know, he came out, hit hit that stage boy, and it was on fire, and it was Jake just they just jammed and kicked ass and rocked it out.
00:49:39.119 --> 00:49:42.239
And that was the first time that I'd met Jesse was that that year.
00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:44.719
And so that was like really good friends over there.
00:49:45.039 --> 00:49:50.559
Yeah, so after that, we we uh we ended up going to bike week to Daytona because he'd been riding his whole life too.
00:49:50.800 --> 00:50:00.719
Both of us, it's weird, but both of us our lives like the same bike I had, he had as a kid, the same rifle I had growing up, he had.
00:50:00.880 --> 00:50:08.079
Like, it was unbelievable the characteristics between both of us growing up of how identical our childhoods was and everything.
00:50:08.159 --> 00:50:10.079
I grew up in construction land tile.
00:50:10.320 --> 00:50:12.960
He was in he worked at a in a concrete company, yeah.
00:50:13.119 --> 00:50:16.079
And so it was just so much coincided with that.
00:50:16.159 --> 00:50:17.039
It was so crazy.
00:50:17.199 --> 00:50:21.199
But so the one that blowed my mind was was was that one right there.
00:50:21.440 --> 00:50:26.079
That I I've never even heard that story, and I've worked here off and on since 2012.
00:50:26.239 --> 00:50:27.840
Yeah, and I've never known that story.
00:50:28.159 --> 00:50:35.360
So that's how that's how that's how Jess Jackal ended up at the throttle all of these years from there, was just that.
00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:37.840
And then he and I later on started doing things together.
00:50:38.000 --> 00:50:40.480
We started a little beer company, then we got into the liquor.
00:50:40.559 --> 00:50:42.480
I mean, we've done so much together since then.
00:50:42.559 --> 00:50:43.440
That's crazy.
00:50:43.519 --> 00:50:45.519
We we we got so much stuff going on together.
00:50:45.599 --> 00:50:49.760
He he's part, he does stuff with us with some of the distilleries, and he does stuff.
00:50:49.840 --> 00:50:51.199
We do things together all over the place.
00:50:51.519 --> 00:50:52.719
Well, he's got the sister property.
00:50:53.199 --> 00:50:58.000
Yeah, me and him are 50-50 and Pappy Hoyle in the campground, and and and and here at the throttle.
00:50:58.079 --> 00:51:01.440
I mean, he's always been a very, very big supporter of me.
00:51:01.599 --> 00:51:01.920
Yes.
00:51:02.159 --> 00:51:04.719
From day one, from the time we met, he loved the old throttle.
00:51:04.880 --> 00:51:06.559
He was like, Man, I can't believe this place.
00:51:06.719 --> 00:51:14.880
And he loved what I was doing over there, and he just got up and it was just weird, but it is it's it was been a lifelong connection, one of my best friends in the world now.
00:51:14.960 --> 00:51:16.079
So that's so cool.
00:51:16.239 --> 00:51:20.239
I mean, and you guys have built so much together, like the friendship, the businesses.
00:51:20.559 --> 00:51:24.639
Yeah, it's it's just it's I've helped I make his whiskey now in Tennessee at our place.
00:51:24.800 --> 00:51:26.800
I mean, so many things that we've fine.
00:51:26.960 --> 00:51:30.719
Yeah, we just help each other every time we, you know, anything that's needed.
00:51:31.119 --> 00:51:33.119
So that was the band that blow my mind.
00:51:33.280 --> 00:51:42.159
And then another one that happened to me that was really iconic to me was we had Tanya Tucker at the old throttle one time, right?
00:51:42.480 --> 00:51:44.880
And and I've only seen this a couple times.
00:51:45.119 --> 00:51:49.360
She was the first time, but I was kind of over the side watching.
00:51:49.440 --> 00:51:50.719
We had a packed house.
00:51:51.039 --> 00:52:04.000
Tanya Tucker walks out on that stage, and there's a certain level of a legend in the music industry that when they come out, you know, hey, that's a dance, a star just walked out onto the stage.
00:52:04.320 --> 00:52:10.239
When she came out and that that crowd, there was as many cowboy hats in the crowd as it was leather jackets.
00:52:11.119 --> 00:52:19.920
Yeah, I mean, it was such a mixture of people, and she walked out on that stage, boy, and you knew there was a legend that just came out, and the whole place was that way.
00:52:20.159 --> 00:52:23.119
The second time that happened was this year when Hank Williams Jr.
00:52:23.199 --> 00:52:24.239
walked out on that stage.
00:52:24.320 --> 00:52:30.400
When Hank came out of that back dressing room and come out, went up them steps and walked out on that stage.
00:52:30.559 --> 00:52:33.199
You knew a legend just walked out and hit that stage.
00:52:33.360 --> 00:52:40.159
And them are moments that you can't, you that, you know, I've had all kinds of bands in the world.
00:52:40.239 --> 00:52:48.000
But them two right there are two legends that have walked out on that stage, and you know when they come out, you just had a superstar that just came out.
00:52:48.159 --> 00:52:51.840
I actually got to do Tanya Tupper's hair and makeup when she played in Deadwood.
00:52:51.920 --> 00:52:52.159
Did you?
00:52:52.239 --> 00:52:52.400
Yeah.
00:52:53.440 --> 00:52:53.920
Awesome lady.
00:52:54.079 --> 00:52:54.960
What a incredible.
00:52:55.119 --> 00:52:58.239
She wrote on our we she wrote on our Papula Charity ride with us that year.
00:52:58.400 --> 00:52:58.880
Uh yeah.
00:52:59.199 --> 00:53:01.119
Yeah, it was it was it was awesome.
00:53:01.280 --> 00:53:09.760
So she she was amazing, and and like I said, there's been a couple of moments that did you ever when you had a star look out into that crowd?
00:53:09.920 --> 00:53:15.920
Like I stood there just with my mouth open from up on the bridge, just like looking on both sides.
00:53:16.079 --> 00:53:20.960
Like I have never in my life seen this many people at full throttle slow.
00:53:21.119 --> 00:53:21.440
Yeah, I know.
00:53:21.679 --> 00:53:26.239
Never in your wildest dreams envisioned like that this is what this is what's gonna happen, anyway.
00:53:26.639 --> 00:53:29.039
Well, of course, man, that's why I built that place this big.
00:53:29.760 --> 00:53:31.360
What do you think I'm doing here?
00:53:33.760 --> 00:53:34.960
Okay, fine, fair.
00:53:35.039 --> 00:53:38.239
But I like I just to actually see it.
00:53:38.400 --> 00:53:40.400
I know, like see it, see it happen and watch it.
00:53:41.440 --> 00:53:41.920
Yeah, that's right.
00:53:42.000 --> 00:53:42.639
And you work, work.
00:53:42.960 --> 00:53:45.519
I I've been out here before at night, like a week before rally.
00:53:45.679 --> 00:53:48.400
Yeah, it'd be 10 o'clock at night, and there ain't nothing going on.
00:53:48.559 --> 00:53:54.000
You hear crickets over here, but you're like, man, and you've worked your ass off to get ready, right?
00:53:54.400 --> 00:54:02.320
Months, and you're like, Well, I sure hope they show up because it's 10 o'clock at night, you hear crickets, and then it's like a light switch kicks on, you know.
00:54:02.559 --> 00:54:14.159
So it it's uh, but no, it's it's incredible when you have them crowds and you have them people and they're here supporting you, and and having just the time of their lives, and you know, and Hank just slayed it.
00:54:14.239 --> 00:54:15.199
I don't know what to say.
00:54:15.360 --> 00:54:17.519
I've heard not one, not one negative comment.
00:54:17.760 --> 00:54:23.920
And we've gotten so many emails and messages about Hank the people that were here, and I mean it was just he just slayed it.
00:54:24.159 --> 00:54:25.119
That's that's awesome.
00:54:25.280 --> 00:54:31.440
So for people that don't get to that don't know you um outside of like Rally Michael, what is a Michael Ballard guilty pleasure?
00:54:31.760 --> 00:54:34.239
Oh my god, buying motorcycles.
00:54:34.719 --> 00:54:38.480
Motorcycles, part of the throttle stuff.
00:54:38.800 --> 00:54:39.280
What's that?
00:54:39.360 --> 00:54:40.000
Oh, does it?
00:54:40.079 --> 00:54:40.559
I don't know.
00:54:40.719 --> 00:54:44.000
I don't know because I still have a whole collection of bikes at my house.
00:54:44.079 --> 00:54:45.360
It's not even at the throttle.
00:54:46.000 --> 00:54:48.480
No, it's gonna be something like I like Disney.
00:54:48.800 --> 00:54:50.239
I like what Disney?
00:54:51.199 --> 00:54:53.440
Guilty pleasure, like guilty pleasure, yeah.
00:54:54.159 --> 00:55:01.599
I mean, because well, I mean, and and really it is kind of like everything that you do is kind of wrapped up, you know, in in the brand.
00:55:01.760 --> 00:55:03.119
So I'll let that one slide.
00:55:03.280 --> 00:55:06.639
I I guess because I'm I'm I because I get to do what I want to do.
00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:07.519
That's the difference.
00:55:07.679 --> 00:55:13.840
I think the the the thing is, is that I don't know that I got a guilty pleasure because I'm doing exactly what I want to do.
00:55:14.000 --> 00:55:16.320
I'm able to go, I'm able to do what I want to do.
00:55:16.400 --> 00:55:16.960
You know what I mean?
00:55:17.039 --> 00:55:21.760
I just bought a shovel head engine the other day and I got a guy bringing a flathead motor today that I bought.
00:55:21.920 --> 00:55:35.360
Like I'm into just I'm into the I'm into the bikes and the motors and uh building bikes and just doing the craziest thing too is that people when you I've had people ask me about all the equipment in here, and I'm like, I don't know.
00:55:35.519 --> 00:55:43.920
And I'm like, if Michael were in here right now, he would tell you where he got every piece of equipment in here, how much it cost him, what year it was made.
00:55:44.079 --> 00:55:46.400
I'm like, he knows every single little thing.
00:55:46.480 --> 00:55:48.159
And people are like, how does he know all that?
00:55:48.239 --> 00:55:49.119
I'm like, good question.
00:55:49.280 --> 00:55:51.119
All right, so you want a guilty pleasure here to us.
00:55:51.440 --> 00:55:55.280
Okay, and it has to do with the business to a degree, right?
00:55:55.440 --> 00:56:07.760
But I love going to junkyards and climbing through scrapyards and digging and get, I mean, I go to these big giant scrapyards, and you wouldn't believe the crap that big gears and stuff.
00:56:07.920 --> 00:56:21.679
I mean, I found most of this stuff at scrap, but I love going through scrapyards and junkyards or uh like there's a big press outside that I went into this building, three-story tall building, and it was a third-generation machine shop.
00:56:21.760 --> 00:56:26.400
Wow, and and and it would been shut down for years and years and years.
00:56:26.639 --> 00:56:35.280
An old block building by a railroad track was massive, and uh just going through that thing, and all of that stuff was just left alone.
00:56:35.440 --> 00:56:39.760
Like that when they closed years ago, left it untouched, it's all just sitting there.
00:56:39.920 --> 00:56:41.199
Oh my god, all the machines.
00:56:41.280 --> 00:56:46.400
It was like walking back in time going through this place, and uh, I mean, it was just insane.
00:56:46.559 --> 00:56:50.559
And I bought several pieces out of that place from the guy, and they just don't use them anymore.
00:56:50.639 --> 00:57:02.239
And it's just right, it was it was they they built stuff for World War II out of this plant for the government, and uh, I mean, uh, they would be building bombs in there and stuff, you know, castings for all of that stuff.
00:57:02.400 --> 00:57:09.280
That is so crazy, and that's actually the only reason the surgeons rally has ever been canceled is because of World War II for gas rapids.
00:57:09.360 --> 00:57:09.760
Yeah, yeah.
00:57:09.920 --> 00:57:12.719
So I'm like, yeah, it's all it's all crazy how it all ties together.
00:57:12.800 --> 00:57:14.159
So he's an industrial thrifter.
00:57:14.400 --> 00:57:15.760
Yeah, well, junkyard.
00:57:15.840 --> 00:57:16.480
I like scrap.
00:57:16.559 --> 00:57:18.159
I'll I'll see stuff in a scrapyard.
00:57:18.239 --> 00:57:23.840
I'll think, man, if I took that and cut that up and I could do this with it or that with it and make welder that yeah, yeah.
00:57:24.079 --> 00:57:27.599
I have sculptures out all the sculptures out front, so I'll collect parts for them.
00:57:27.679 --> 00:57:36.480
If I see something that looks like it could be a gas tank for one of the bikes on a big, big, it could be like a river or a river buoy or something, and whatever.
00:57:36.559 --> 00:57:45.920
I just find different stuff that I know that'll fit that concept and I get it and haul it up here, and then we build up big giant sculptures outside, and we're working on a Willie G right now.
00:57:46.079 --> 00:57:48.320
So we got the head done, Willie G Davidson.
00:57:48.400 --> 00:57:54.079
Oh, we got one going with Willie G, where there's a real famous photo of Willie G downtown Sturgis on a lowrider.
00:57:54.400 --> 00:58:03.119
So Willie G, so the Harley Davidson Sturgis built in 1980, 81, and 82 was the first belt drive motorcycle, and it was a concept Willie G did.
00:58:03.199 --> 00:58:11.119
Well, Willie rode that rode that bike to Sturgis, and everybody was seeing the belt drive and man, what is this thing and all of this, right?
00:58:11.199 --> 00:58:15.519
So on his way home from Sturgis with his buddies, they were riding back to Milwaukee.
00:58:15.599 --> 00:58:22.239
Well, on their way back home, they uh pulled over to Side Road and and and he sat and made notes on a paper bag.
00:58:22.320 --> 00:58:23.920
You can go watch this on YouTube.
00:58:24.400 --> 00:58:32.239
He made all these notes about the bike, and he so and he had such a great experience at Sturgis, he named the bikes Sturgis because he wanted to come up.
00:58:32.320 --> 00:58:35.119
What kind of what can I name this special motorcycle?
00:58:35.280 --> 00:58:38.079
And of course, he just left Sturgis and it was Harley Davis and Sturgis.
00:58:38.239 --> 00:58:39.360
So he made them bikes for three years.
00:58:39.599 --> 00:58:41.360
That was the first belt drive motorcycle.
00:58:41.440 --> 00:58:42.880
Now they're all bell drive, everywhere.
00:58:42.960 --> 00:58:43.199
Yeah.
00:58:43.360 --> 00:58:45.199
So, you know, he changed the whole thing.
00:58:45.360 --> 00:58:46.159
Changed the game of the bike.
00:58:46.400 --> 00:58:46.960
Changed the game, yeah.
00:58:47.280 --> 00:58:51.199
So, but there's a famous picture of him on that bike, downtown Sturgis, and he's laughing.
00:58:51.440 --> 00:58:54.239
He's sitting on a bike, and there's guys around him, you know, checking it out.
00:58:54.400 --> 00:58:55.920
So we we're building that sculpture.
00:58:56.159 --> 00:58:57.280
We're building that sculpture now.
00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:59.280
So and that's gonna go in the parking lot with the rest of them.
00:58:59.440 --> 00:59:00.239
Yeah, it's going out the parking lot.
00:59:00.320 --> 00:59:01.840
So, how many are you thinking you want to have out there?
00:59:02.000 --> 00:59:02.719
That's endless.
00:59:02.800 --> 00:59:03.280
I don't know.
00:59:03.360 --> 00:59:05.519
I got a mile of highway frontage.
00:59:06.559 --> 00:59:08.079
Well, anything 600 acres.
00:59:08.320 --> 00:59:13.840
Yeah, so we got 600 acres to play with now and a mile of highway frontage, so we're just gonna keep keep rocking it.
00:59:14.079 --> 00:59:15.119
That's too funny.
00:59:15.360 --> 00:59:21.760
Well, thank you so much, Michael, for sitting down with me and talking to uh all the listeners out there with explicitly speaking.
00:59:21.920 --> 00:59:26.639
We got to pull the curtain back a little bit um on Michael and not just rally Michael.
00:59:26.719 --> 00:59:30.239
You got to see you know a little bit more of him, get to know him a little bit more.
00:59:30.400 --> 00:59:32.079
I hope you guys super enjoyed this episode.
00:59:32.159 --> 00:59:33.440
Make sure and tune in next week.
00:59:33.519 --> 00:59:34.639
And Michael, thank you again so much.
00:59:34.960 --> 00:59:35.360
Absolutely.
00:59:35.679 --> 00:59:36.000
Thank you.