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Speaker 1: Welcome to my show.
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Speaker 2: I'm Rashawn McDonald, the host of Money-Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to stop reading other people's success stories and start planning your own. Now, you don't wanna miss an episode, so please take a moment right now to follow or subscribe to Money-Making Conversations Masterclass.
00:00:16
Speaker 1: It's free.
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Speaker 2: You can follow me on iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. New Money-Making Conversations Masterclass episodes drop daily.
00:00:27
Speaker 1: I want to keep you on alert.
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Speaker 2: Because my guests provide tips on how you can uplift your community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Now let's get this podcast started. My guest is one of those people I'm going to check progress on. He is one of the co-owners of Popcorn Remix. That's a Georgia-based gourmet popcorn brand. Has more than 60 innovative flavors ranging from king crab legs to Charlene's banana pudding. to chocolate-covered strawberries. Together, they shared their partnership. It's two of them, the origin of Popcorn Remix, the explosive growth, their brand, how they built a powerhouse fundraising platform called WePowerFundraisers.com, and their expansion into major sports. They went from a storefront in Conyers, Georgia, to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Truist Park, the Georgia World Congress Center, the Atlanta Dreams. Please welcome to Money-Making Conversations, the one and only, Ryan Richard. How you doing, Ryan?
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Speaker 3: Hey, how you doing today, Rashawn?
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Speaker 2: Ryan, what you're not going to do is this low-key voice on my show because I know who I'm talking to. You're not going to church on me, brother. You're selling popcorn.
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Speaker 1: Get activated, Ryan. Get activated, brother.
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Speaker 2: Your Money Making Conversations Masterclass.
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Speaker 1: How you doing, brother?
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Speaker 3: Well, you know, I'm shy and I'm a little and I'm a little and I'm a little under weather. So I'm shy and I'm from NyQuil and I'm from NyQuil too.
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Speaker 1: Well, NyQuil will take you out, brother. And I use it all the time.
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Speaker 2: You know, some when I interviewed you last time, Ryan, you said, Rashawn, if somebody would told me I'd made over a million dollars, I think the number was one point five million dollars selling popcorn.
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Speaker 1: I would have thought they were crazy. So you're not crazy.
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Speaker 2: So tell us how you're doing this or how you're accomplishing this on a dream that started in a snowstorm up north.
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Speaker 3: In all honesty, it's just God. You know what I mean? It's God and having good people around you. My other half, my brother, you know, we call ourselves the King of Pop. for shout out to Michael Jackson we the kings of pop you know when it comes to this popcorn thing but we just found a niche and we just took it to the street and when you take something to the street and people love it and like it and everything just turned out to be incredible and we're here you know people like you you know put trust and belief in us and the same for the Falcons and the Dream and everybody else and in such a small amount of time they just love the popcorn and we're here You know.
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Speaker 2: What's interesting is that I enjoy, first, they're nice guys. And they had a dream. And they approached me about the dream. And, Rashawn, what are your thoughts? And I sampled the popcorn, and the popcorn was incredible. It was really incredible popcorn. And it was different. And it was different because when you come into any area, you know, you can't have the same hamburger. You can't have the same fried chicken. You can't have the same– And you couldn't have the same popcorn. How did you envision these flavors, Ryan?
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Speaker 3: So as you stated, you know, this all came from the end. Snowed into, you know, my grandfather passed away and I got snowed into a popcorn shop about four years ago. And amongst sitting there with them, I said I want to do what they did, but do it different. So just like anything else, we wanted to reinvent the wheel. So we came up with the crab legs and jerk chicken and all this other stuff. You know, we just want what we think people are like. We want your mind to be blown when it is we come up with something. So we just hear what the people say. You know, we working on the chicken and waffles right now and some other stuff, but we want to do what people think could not be done. And everything has to taste. The taste is in the name, as my brother says. So everything got to taste like exactly what it says. So we get it from the people.
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Speaker 1: That's not right. King Crab Leg.
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Speaker 3: Keen crab legs, jerk chicken, hot wing and lemon pepper, jambalaya, chitlins and hog maw.
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Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, no, Ryan, Ryan. See, Ryan, you and that NyQuil, now, you don't have no chitlin popcorn.
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Speaker 3: We did have chitlin popcorn for Thanksgiving. And we had collard greens and cornbread as well. Yes, we did. Thanksgiving edition. That was the popcorn remix Thanksgiving edition.
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Speaker 2: Now, these are flavors that taste exactly like you wouldn't expect. Like, so if somebody eats your popcorn, it's going to taste like king crab legs.
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Speaker 1: That's what you're accomplishing with people.
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Speaker 2: I'm sure there's a level of disbelief when they actually sample your popcorn, huh?
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Speaker 3: Hey, you're a witness. What that butter pecan tastes like?
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Speaker 2: Hey, man, you know that is a popcorn I cannot resist because it tastes exactly like I expect it to taste.
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Speaker 1: And that is an accomplishment.
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Speaker 2: And that's what I'm just trying to, not so much narrowed down because, you know, these ideas that you sat down, you and Greg, I cannot dismiss Greg because Greg is kind of like the music component and then Ryan is kind of like the energy component. And so you put those two together and see them in public. It's an actual show. Tell everybody about this activation that you guys do.
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Speaker 1: When people are sampling your popcorn for the first time. That is what causes.
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Speaker 2: People, your videos to go viral on social media.
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Speaker 1: Tell us about that.
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Speaker 2: And how did that concept come about?
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Speaker 3: Yeah, Greg is the energy. Greg is the remix, as I say. Greg is the one that go out to the streets and everything else. But we come up with these things. And so the lemon pound cake, in order for it to work, you got to activate it. You know, you got to put it in your hand and you got to shake it. A lot of people be nervous to do that in public. You know, like, you know, but you got to shake it. You know, whether you're in Vegas, whether you're playing left, right, center, or whether you're playing craps. But you got to activate it. And when you activate it, you put it in your mouth, you wait five seconds, and then the lemon hits you, and then another three seconds, and the icing on the cake hits you. Just like, you know, just like your grandma. Matter of fact, just like Rashawn's lemon pound cake will hit.
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Speaker 2: You know, now you guys just came from Vegas, and... From Conyers, Georgia to Las Vegas.
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Speaker 1: Tell us about the purpose.
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Speaker 2: Of going to Las Vegas and what did you accomplish in going to Las Vegas?
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Speaker 3: So we went to Las Vegas in January 1st for Shark Tank, but they didn't like our proposal because we didn't really want to sell too much of our company. Okay. So we didn't get.
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Speaker 2: Well, tell us how that worked because I didn't know that. So you went to Vegas in January for Shark Tank.
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Speaker 1: Tell us how that works. A lot of people watch the show, but they don't know how it works.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, you know, it's with anything else. You know, they go there and you have a cast of people, you know, who ask you questions and things of that nature to see, you know, if you're a fit for the show.
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Speaker 2: Right.
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Speaker 3: One thing about us is that we knew we didn't want to sell a part of our company. We wanted somebody to quote unquote, have to work for equity in our company. So we wanted to say that if we sell, if we give you something, you get what you, you eat what you kill. You're not able to get anything that we've already done. They can't get any of the fundraising. They can't get any of the risk. We've already done that. But anything moving forward that you bring to the table, we're offering whatever it is that you may get that. So, um, that's how that happened. So we didn't get selected for Shark Tank, but we were highly respected. They said we were one of the best and, you know, we didn't really need them. But, um, recently we just went to, it's called the Sweet and Snacks Expo, which is like the Super Bowl of snacks. So we went and we met with the likes of Hershey's and Little Debbie and Netflix and all of the other huge conglomerates of snacks. And, um, we're actually in talks with several of those companies right now in regards to, um, getting our popcorn and, um, further in airports and retail stores and on new platforms like, you know, maybe like Tmoo and things of that nature. So it's a lot of things, a lot of stuff going on right now.
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Speaker 1: Stay with us.
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Speaker 2: More Money Making Conversation Masterclass coming up next. Welcome back to Money Making Conversation Masterclass hosted by me, Rashawn McDonald. Let's get back into it. I'm talking to one of the owners of Popcorn Remix. That's popcornremix.com, correct?
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Speaker 3: Yes, it is. PopcornRemix.com, PopcornRemixFundraiser.com. That's our fundraising platform.
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Speaker 1: Absolutely.
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Speaker 2: Now, when we talk about what you're trying to do with your brand, you know, again, you guys are hustlers. And a lot of people use the word hustle as a negative. But your partnership with Greg is based on hustle, trust, and alignment. Talk to us about that business model you created and watch it grow at such a positive level?
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Speaker 3: The biggest thing about life and about business is getting somebody that believes in you as much as you do. Even when we first came up with Popcorn Remix, that wasn't honestly something that Greg was a part of. Greg came and approached and said, man, I believe in you and I'll do whatever I need to do in order to be a part of this. And he went to the streets and he said, I'm gonna come back. He went in one week and came back with $ 22, 000. Next week, he was in barbershops, came back with $ 2, 500. And he showed that he believed in the brand. At that point, he became the remix man. And, and, and, We just go out and do it. And based upon what it is, we go out to the people, we go out to the stadium and we bring everything back home because we never know when we're going to need something. And I can't wait until the day that, you know, we can fully be rewarded and he can fully be rewarded for all that I believe that he's brought to the table because he put the remix. in the remix, man. And he works harder than anybody I've ever seen in, you know, in his life. And it'll be worth it for both of us, but I can't wait to be able to do something for him just because of his belief in me.
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Speaker 1: Congratulations on that.
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Speaker 2: Because of the fact that I see you, both of you guys are really good people. But again, there's a lot of really good people in business out there that don't make it.
00:10:22
Speaker 1: Now, popcorn. Is all popcorn created equal?
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Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
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Speaker 3: No, all popcorn is created equal because it don't cost the same to make it all. Right. So, you know what I mean? But the thing about us is that we are trying to become the epitome of popcorn. We are gourmet popcorn. As Greg says, we're the Rolls Royce of popcorn. You know, other people have other flavors that they call gourmet popcorn. But when someone tastes us, example, we were in Las Vegas and we had Hershey's. The people at Hershey's taste our cookies and cream. And say, taste theirs. And they was like, oh, my God, yours is light years better than ours. But, you know, they have the platform for the world. We don't have that. But they can taste the quality in that. As you say that the butter pecan has pecans in it.
00:11:06
Speaker 1: Yes.
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Speaker 3: The banana pudding has vanilla wafers in it. Everything that you get with us tastes like a premium product. And that's what it is that we do. If you're trying to get something for a dollar here, a dollar there, go to Dollar Tree. Even there it's a dollar fifty. But, you know, if you want something, you know, as far as that, you know, go get that. But if you want something that tastes like what it is, and that's why our people are loyal to us, they love us in the stadiums because they know when they come and get it, it's going to taste like what it's supposed to taste like.
00:11:35
Speaker 1: That's incredible to say that this major corporation went. Hey, your popcorn. When they said that, what was your thought? What thought ran through your mind?
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Speaker 3: Well, let's switch y'all's out for ours and let's do this.
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Speaker 2: Because that's the goal. But here's the thing that comes up all the time with small companies. You get the big opportunity. How do you prepare yourself for that opportunity, Ryan, at Popcorn Remix?
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Speaker 3: I think one thing that we've always done well is moved on the need. we don't go too fast. We know how to say no if something is too big. We had a deal last year for $ 4. 3 million. We said no because we're not just in business just to be in business. We want to be in business, be profitable, hire people, and do what we're supposed to do. With that being said, you just got to do it. We're going to be moving possibly to bags soon, gourmet bags, because there may be a need for these airports and things of that nature. But we won't do it until we know that there's a need. So we're not jumping too far ahead of ourselves. We're standing in our lane. We're not going too fast. But when it's time to put a little gas on the accelerator, that's when we know we already got something in the pipeline that's already signed, still delivered, that we know will pay for it and kind of cover that.
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Speaker 2: Let me talk about that, like you said, going too fast. Because you're an entrepreneur, young entrepreneur, but also you have another business. So you are in, you understand business. the ups and downs, seasonal businesses and how to market a small business, and also the frustration when it doesn't generate the revenue that you expected it to generate. With that being said, how do you continually motivate yourself to believe in this product, Brian, Popcorn Remix?
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Speaker 3: That's a good question. Once again, I think it's having people behind you. I've had a lot of sleepless nights. Like, why did I do this?
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Speaker 2: Right.
00:13:31
Speaker 3: I have done this. Should I have taken his money out of my home? You know, got this third notice, this home equity line of credit to do this and so forth. But, you know, you got to be prepared for it, man. And, you know, you got to prepare yourself up front for it. You know, don't start a business that costs $ 4, 000 or $ 5, 000. You know what I mean? Make sure that you have enough so that when on rainy days, when things don't go right, you can do it. Make sure that when somebody calls into work that you can go take their place if it comes, you know, if it comes down to that. Make sure that you can do whatever is needed because it's yours. It's your baby. So just as you would treat your children if something was wrong with them, you got to treat the business the same way because it's your money on the line. I mean, kick to the side is the notoriety and what people will think. But you stepped out there. So if you're going to step out there, give it your all. So that way, if it doesn't work out the way you want it to be, you can say that you put your all into it. And that's what it is that we do every single day. That's why you still see us at events. Not just our employees all the time. You still see us. I know. We want to give you that experience. And sometimes, you know, your employees don't have the passion that you have.
00:14:35
Speaker 1: Right.
00:14:36
Speaker 3: So sometimes we got to step out so that way they'll see us, you know, and know that everything is still good.
00:14:40
Speaker 2: I always say showtime when these two gentlemen show up because you will.
00:14:45
Speaker 1: Find they love their product. They love seeing you happy eating their product. And it was funny. The other day I was on the plane, on the train, plane train, the plane train. And I looked to my right.
00:14:56
Speaker 2: And I saw somebody eating popcorn remix in a small container. I didn't want to bother her and say, where did you get that from? But I just smiled and said, that's my boys.
00:15:06
Speaker 1: That's my boys.
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Speaker 3: Greg and Ryan. You know what? You know what? We're in we're in the airport now. And so I haven't even we just yeah, we just dropped off our first order. And I haven't even talked to him since we delivered it because I'm just letting everything just marinate. You know what I mean? To see how it's going. But if that is true that yeah, that is from that we I don't even honestly know what concourse we're in. But I do know that we have a kiosk that that the airport company in the airport has purchased and that our popcorn is featured there with five of our flavors.
00:15:36
Speaker 2: That is so cool because I saw her eating the popcorn. I looked down to my right and I go, that's Popcorn Remix.
00:15:43
Speaker 1: And I just smiled. She smiled back, but I didn't want to disturb her.
00:15:47
Speaker 2: And you're telling me now you guys are in a kiosk at Hartsfield, the busiest airport in the world, now has Popcorn Remix.
00:15:55
Speaker 1: That's what you're announcing on my show today?
00:15:57
Speaker 3: Yes. Popcorn remix. And we're going to Baltimore this Thursday in order to meet with all the airports in the United States about being in every airport in America, hopefully, because we won. We won. We won an award for basically like the most innovative snack for the airport. And we won Atlanta. We won the whole South. So I want to four people. And now we're going to Baltimore is one of eight people to I guess to battle to get our popcorn in airports all across the country. It's eight of us.
00:16:29
Speaker 1: Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more money making conversations. Masterclass.
00:16:34
Speaker 2: Now I need for you to do me a favor right now to follow or subscribe to money making conversation. It's free and you can find it on the iHeartRadio app. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please do me that favor. Follow or subscribe Money Making Conversations. Welcome back to Money Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by me, Rashawn McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass continues online at MoneyMakingConversations.com and follow Money Making Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, X, and Instagram. It all started with an idea and a snowstorm up north he walked inside he saw this popcorn and he asked him how he did it and then he came back south and guess what he's one of the Popcorn, the.
00:17:25
Speaker 1: King of popcorn. Him, Greg Bowman, and Ryan Richmond.
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Speaker 2: I couldn't tackle the other king, but I got one king on the call. He's kind of sick, but every time he talks, his story gets bigger and bigger and bigger. And congratulations, Ryan. I'm telling you, man. Just watching you guys grow. You're such nice guys.
00:17:46
Speaker 1: But you know... The power of fundraisers. That's where, that's another, because everybody wants to do things on multiple streams of income. You want to be in the airport. You want to be in Mercedes Benz. You want to be here. But you also want to have multiple streams of income in the fundraising.
00:17:59
Speaker 2: How does the fundraising work for people who want to have Popcorn Remix as part of their campaigns?
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Speaker 3: Well, the fundraising works is that basically we set up everything for you. You sell popcorn and we give you 50% of all sales. We handle all of the shipping. We handle all those packages. All that you do is sell popcorn. So whether you sell one, 50 or 500, you get 50% of all sales, no upfront money required, and nothing needed from you. So it's really a win-win. Wow.
00:18:29
Speaker 2: Now, the big thing that's happening now, these celebrities eating y'all popcorn, man. So does celebrities really have an impact or just like a brand association when they Tell you your popcorn's good.
00:18:42
Speaker 1: I always wondered how.
00:18:43
Speaker 2: That worked in your world, you know, because I represent celebrity people. They pay them money to sell cars. But you have popcorn. How's that working? And is getting a celebrity endorsement important to your brand or growing your brand?
00:18:59
Speaker 3: You know what's funny? It's nice. And we appreciate, you know, to know that somebody like a celebrity loves our popcorn. But when we go viral, it's not that it's the regular person, mom and pop lady that's eating the popcorn. And the last one, 10.6 million views right now in the last month, just a regular lady. That's a teacher in a little bitty country city in Atlanta had the crab leg popcorn and she just lost her mind. So it's not just, I mean, we appreciate it. And, you know, it's nice to know that somebody of the, you know, of who they are loves our product. But it's really when we have that regular person that loses their mind or their eyes pop or they just go crazy. That's what the world loves.
00:19:39
Speaker 1: I'm Jason Ryan. Did you say 10.6 million views?
00:19:46
Speaker 3: 10.6 million views in the month of April. We were the number three snack on TikTok. in the world.
00:19:51
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:19:52
Speaker 3: I'm sorry. So much stuff has been going on.
00:19:55
Speaker 1: Hold on, Ryan.
00:19:56
Speaker 2: See, you're casual about that, man. 10.6 million views. Now, are you guys able to keep popcorn over at Popcorn Remix?
00:20:05
Speaker 3: Now, what happened was, so it's 10.6 million views. And that was in four days. That was in five days. Right. That it went. But yeah, so it almost shut us down. And because we have a new warehouse, but there was a water main break during that week that it, because you can never, you know, you can never justify when you're going to go viral.
00:20:24
Speaker 2: Right.
00:20:24
Speaker 3: So we did everything from one shop. So we had to kind of calm some things down a little bit in order to meet the demand, because everything we make is fresh. You know what I mean? My staff, everything is boxed, fresh, made, you know, every single day and so forth. So, yeah, we weren't able to keep popcorn that weekend. We never even throw out popcorn because it goes somewhere somehow. But we made it happen. Yes, we did.
00:20:47
Speaker 1: Now, first of all, congratulations.
00:20:49
Speaker 2: And so, you know, I'm learning things about you right now. Your heart's for the airport, okay? You got a video with 10.6 million. Just regular everyday people. Now, when a video goes viral, I'm just trying to get a sense of it for Popcorn Remix. Can you sense that it's something going wrong or your phone ringing or emails?
00:21:14
Speaker 1: How do you know that something's out of the ordinary, Ryan?
00:21:18
Speaker 3: It's so funny because I turn mine off. Greg keeps his on. But you'll just be sitting there and you'll start hearing ping, ping, ping because what happens. people start going to your website, people start going to your TikTok shop and we get notifications. So when the lady went viral, we knew what it was about to happen because we had a thousand people on our TikTok at one time. We had 400 people on our website at the same time. So that's how we know, because once we start seeing them views going up, people on our website, people on TikTok, you get notifications. And that's when you're like, oh, my God. And Greg loves it, but it scares me to death every single time.
00:21:55
Speaker 1: Well, I know you got a story. I know you got a story, Kanye.
00:21:58
Speaker 2: Tell everybody about the store if they're listening in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
00:22:02
Speaker 1: And what can you expect when they get to Kanye's store?
00:22:05
Speaker 3: The store in kind is 1820 Highway 20, Suite 132, Cuyahoga, Georgia, 30013. Please come in. Free samples of all of the flavors we discussed, the jerk chicken, the crab legs, all of that. Also, as Rashawn stated, find us at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. We also just acquired UGA. So we'll be, Go Dawgs will be at UGA Stadium in all of their kiosks and our own kiosks and their concession stands as well for UGA football. The Falcons, the Braves, the Atlanta Dreams, Atlanta Airport, we're just Atlanta, man. So we're just all around and so forth. And you can order at popcornremix.com or popcornremixfundraiser.com if you'd like to do a fundraiser with us. Cool.
00:22:44
Speaker 1: Again, ladies and gentlemen, this is one of the owners.
00:22:47
Speaker 2: Next time I come back, I got to let you listen to Greg. He is just as captivating and just a different spin on everything.
00:22:55
Speaker 1: But congratulations, man.
00:22:57
Speaker 3: I am.
00:22:57
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's the shy one, everybody. He's the shy one that can sing.
00:23:01
Speaker 3: It's hard.
00:23:01
Speaker 1: I have a great gospel voice.
00:23:03
Speaker 2: Again, Ryan, thank you for getting out of your sick bag, man, to come on my show to let everybody know Popcorn Remix is growing and you're one of the catalysts along with Greg blowing us up in the gourmet popcorn arena.
00:23:17
Speaker 1: Thank you for coming on my show, my brother.
00:23:19
Speaker 3: And thank you. Real quick, I got one second. Thank you, man, for believing in businesses like us, all the other businesses you believe in. You know, you're a blessing to the world, man. You're world-renowned. And just a mere fact that I can call you pops, uncle, whatever it is I may want to call you on any given day. It's just a blessing. Thank you for everything you've done for us.
00:23:35
Speaker 1: And you know I love you, brother. I really, really do, man. And thank you for that compliment. I appreciate you.
00:23:39
Speaker 3: I love you, too.
00:23:40
Speaker 1: Thank you. Bye-bye.
00:23:41
Speaker 2: That's another episode, ladies and gentlemen. Popcorn Remix. Out there, gourmet popcorn. Who would have thunk it? Well, they did, and guess what? They're about to be everywhere. Thank you for listening to this episode. Now I need for you to do me a favor. Right now, to follow or subscribe to Money Making Conversations, it's free. And you can find it on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:24:07
Speaker 1: Please do me a favor.
00:24:09
Speaker 2: Follow or subscribe Money Making Conversations.
00:24:12
Speaker 1: Keep winning.
Speaker 1: Welcome to my show.
00:00:01
Speaker 2: I'm Rashawn McDonald, the host of Money-Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to stop reading other people's success stories and start planning your own. Now, you don't wanna miss an episode, so please take a moment right now to follow or subscribe to Money-Making Conversations Masterclass.
00:00:16
Speaker 1: It's free.
00:00:17
Speaker 2: You can follow me on iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. New Money-Making Conversations Masterclass episodes drop daily.
00:00:27
Speaker 1: I want to keep you on alert.
00:00:28
Speaker 2: Because my guests provide tips on how you can uplift your community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Now let's get this podcast started. My guest is one of those people I'm going to check progress on. He is one of the co-owners of Popcorn Remix. That's a Georgia-based gourmet popcorn brand. Has more than 60 innovative flavors ranging from king crab legs to Charlene's banana pudding. to chocolate-covered strawberries. Together, they shared their partnership. It's two of them, the origin of Popcorn Remix, the explosive growth, their brand, how they built a powerhouse fundraising platform called WePowerFundraisers.com, and their expansion into major sports. They went from a storefront in Conyers, Georgia, to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Truist Park, the Georgia World Congress Center, the Atlanta Dreams. Please welcome to Money-Making Conversations, the one and only, Ryan Richard. How you doing, Ryan?
00:01:26
Speaker 3: Hey, how you doing today, Rashawn?
00:01:28
Speaker 2: Ryan, what you're not going to do is this low-key voice on my show because I know who I'm talking to. You're not going to church on me, brother. You're selling popcorn.
00:01:38
Speaker 1: Get activated, Ryan. Get activated, brother.
00:01:40
Speaker 2: Your Money Making Conversations Masterclass.
00:01:41
Speaker 1: How you doing, brother?
00:01:43
Speaker 3: Well, you know, I'm shy and I'm a little and I'm a little and I'm a little under weather. So I'm shy and I'm from NyQuil and I'm from NyQuil too.
00:01:51
Speaker 1: Well, NyQuil will take you out, brother. And I use it all the time.
00:01:54
Speaker 2: You know, some when I interviewed you last time, Ryan, you said, Rashawn, if somebody would told me I'd made over a million dollars, I think the number was one point five million dollars selling popcorn.
00:02:06
Speaker 1: I would have thought they were crazy. So you're not crazy.
00:02:10
Speaker 2: So tell us how you're doing this or how you're accomplishing this on a dream that started in a snowstorm up north.
00:02:21
Speaker 3: In all honesty, it's just God. You know what I mean? It's God and having good people around you. My other half, my brother, you know, we call ourselves the King of Pop. for shout out to Michael Jackson we the kings of pop you know when it comes to this popcorn thing but we just found a niche and we just took it to the street and when you take something to the street and people love it and like it and everything just turned out to be incredible and we're here you know people like you you know put trust and belief in us and the same for the Falcons and the Dream and everybody else and in such a small amount of time they just love the popcorn and we're here You know.
00:02:58
Speaker 2: What's interesting is that I enjoy, first, they're nice guys. And they had a dream. And they approached me about the dream. And, Rashawn, what are your thoughts? And I sampled the popcorn, and the popcorn was incredible. It was really incredible popcorn. And it was different. And it was different because when you come into any area, you know, you can't have the same hamburger. You can't have the same fried chicken. You can't have the same– And you couldn't have the same popcorn. How did you envision these flavors, Ryan?
00:03:34
Speaker 3: So as you stated, you know, this all came from the end. Snowed into, you know, my grandfather passed away and I got snowed into a popcorn shop about four years ago. And amongst sitting there with them, I said I want to do what they did, but do it different. So just like anything else, we wanted to reinvent the wheel. So we came up with the crab legs and jerk chicken and all this other stuff. You know, we just want what we think people are like. We want your mind to be blown when it is we come up with something. So we just hear what the people say. You know, we working on the chicken and waffles right now and some other stuff, but we want to do what people think could not be done. And everything has to taste. The taste is in the name, as my brother says. So everything got to taste like exactly what it says. So we get it from the people.
00:04:15
Speaker 1: That's not right. King Crab Leg.
00:04:18
Speaker 3: Keen crab legs, jerk chicken, hot wing and lemon pepper, jambalaya, chitlins and hog maw.
00:04:26
Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, no, Ryan, Ryan. See, Ryan, you and that NyQuil, now, you don't have no chitlin popcorn.
00:04:33
Speaker 3: We did have chitlin popcorn for Thanksgiving. And we had collard greens and cornbread as well. Yes, we did. Thanksgiving edition. That was the popcorn remix Thanksgiving edition.
00:04:41
Speaker 2: Now, these are flavors that taste exactly like you wouldn't expect. Like, so if somebody eats your popcorn, it's going to taste like king crab legs.
00:04:52
Speaker 1: That's what you're accomplishing with people.
00:04:54
Speaker 2: I'm sure there's a level of disbelief when they actually sample your popcorn, huh?
00:04:59
Speaker 3: Hey, you're a witness. What that butter pecan tastes like?
00:05:02
Speaker 2: Hey, man, you know that is a popcorn I cannot resist because it tastes exactly like I expect it to taste.
00:05:10
Speaker 1: And that is an accomplishment.
00:05:12
Speaker 2: And that's what I'm just trying to, not so much narrowed down because, you know, these ideas that you sat down, you and Greg, I cannot dismiss Greg because Greg is kind of like the music component and then Ryan is kind of like the energy component. And so you put those two together and see them in public. It's an actual show. Tell everybody about this activation that you guys do.
00:05:39
Speaker 1: When people are sampling your popcorn for the first time. That is what causes.
00:05:43
Speaker 2: People, your videos to go viral on social media.
00:05:46
Speaker 1: Tell us about that.
00:05:47
Speaker 2: And how did that concept come about?
00:05:51
Speaker 3: Yeah, Greg is the energy. Greg is the remix, as I say. Greg is the one that go out to the streets and everything else. But we come up with these things. And so the lemon pound cake, in order for it to work, you got to activate it. You know, you got to put it in your hand and you got to shake it. A lot of people be nervous to do that in public. You know, like, you know, but you got to shake it. You know, whether you're in Vegas, whether you're playing left, right, center, or whether you're playing craps. But you got to activate it. And when you activate it, you put it in your mouth, you wait five seconds, and then the lemon hits you, and then another three seconds, and the icing on the cake hits you. Just like, you know, just like your grandma. Matter of fact, just like Rashawn's lemon pound cake will hit.
00:06:29
Speaker 2: You know, now you guys just came from Vegas, and... From Conyers, Georgia to Las Vegas.
00:06:37
Speaker 1: Tell us about the purpose.
00:06:39
Speaker 2: Of going to Las Vegas and what did you accomplish in going to Las Vegas?
00:06:44
Speaker 3: So we went to Las Vegas in January 1st for Shark Tank, but they didn't like our proposal because we didn't really want to sell too much of our company. Okay. So we didn't get.
00:06:53
Speaker 2: Well, tell us how that worked because I didn't know that. So you went to Vegas in January for Shark Tank.
00:06:58
Speaker 1: Tell us how that works. A lot of people watch the show, but they don't know how it works.
00:07:03
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, you know, it's with anything else. You know, they go there and you have a cast of people, you know, who ask you questions and things of that nature to see, you know, if you're a fit for the show.
00:07:12
Speaker 2: Right.
00:07:13
Speaker 3: One thing about us is that we knew we didn't want to sell a part of our company. We wanted somebody to quote unquote, have to work for equity in our company. So we wanted to say that if we sell, if we give you something, you get what you, you eat what you kill. You're not able to get anything that we've already done. They can't get any of the fundraising. They can't get any of the risk. We've already done that. But anything moving forward that you bring to the table, we're offering whatever it is that you may get that. So, um, that's how that happened. So we didn't get selected for Shark Tank, but we were highly respected. They said we were one of the best and, you know, we didn't really need them. But, um, recently we just went to, it's called the Sweet and Snacks Expo, which is like the Super Bowl of snacks. So we went and we met with the likes of Hershey's and Little Debbie and Netflix and all of the other huge conglomerates of snacks. And, um, we're actually in talks with several of those companies right now in regards to, um, getting our popcorn and, um, further in airports and retail stores and on new platforms like, you know, maybe like Tmoo and things of that nature. So it's a lot of things, a lot of stuff going on right now.
00:08:15
Speaker 1: Stay with us.
00:08:16
Speaker 2: More Money Making Conversation Masterclass coming up next. Welcome back to Money Making Conversation Masterclass hosted by me, Rashawn McDonald. Let's get back into it. I'm talking to one of the owners of Popcorn Remix. That's popcornremix.com, correct?
00:08:35
Speaker 3: Yes, it is. PopcornRemix.com, PopcornRemixFundraiser.com. That's our fundraising platform.
00:08:40
Speaker 1: Absolutely.
00:08:41
Speaker 2: Now, when we talk about what you're trying to do with your brand, you know, again, you guys are hustlers. And a lot of people use the word hustle as a negative. But your partnership with Greg is based on hustle, trust, and alignment. Talk to us about that business model you created and watch it grow at such a positive level?
00:09:09
Speaker 3: The biggest thing about life and about business is getting somebody that believes in you as much as you do. Even when we first came up with Popcorn Remix, that wasn't honestly something that Greg was a part of. Greg came and approached and said, man, I believe in you and I'll do whatever I need to do in order to be a part of this. And he went to the streets and he said, I'm gonna come back. He went in one week and came back with $ 22, 000. Next week, he was in barbershops, came back with $ 2, 500. And he showed that he believed in the brand. At that point, he became the remix man. And, and, and, We just go out and do it. And based upon what it is, we go out to the people, we go out to the stadium and we bring everything back home because we never know when we're going to need something. And I can't wait until the day that, you know, we can fully be rewarded and he can fully be rewarded for all that I believe that he's brought to the table because he put the remix. in the remix, man. And he works harder than anybody I've ever seen in, you know, in his life. And it'll be worth it for both of us, but I can't wait to be able to do something for him just because of his belief in me.
00:10:11
Speaker 1: Congratulations on that.
00:10:12
Speaker 2: Because of the fact that I see you, both of you guys are really good people. But again, there's a lot of really good people in business out there that don't make it.
00:10:22
Speaker 1: Now, popcorn. Is all popcorn created equal?
00:10:26
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
00:10:29
Speaker 3: No, all popcorn is created equal because it don't cost the same to make it all. Right. So, you know what I mean? But the thing about us is that we are trying to become the epitome of popcorn. We are gourmet popcorn. As Greg says, we're the Rolls Royce of popcorn. You know, other people have other flavors that they call gourmet popcorn. But when someone tastes us, example, we were in Las Vegas and we had Hershey's. The people at Hershey's taste our cookies and cream. And say, taste theirs. And they was like, oh, my God, yours is light years better than ours. But, you know, they have the platform for the world. We don't have that. But they can taste the quality in that. As you say that the butter pecan has pecans in it.
00:11:06
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:11:07
Speaker 3: The banana pudding has vanilla wafers in it. Everything that you get with us tastes like a premium product. And that's what it is that we do. If you're trying to get something for a dollar here, a dollar there, go to Dollar Tree. Even there it's a dollar fifty. But, you know, if you want something, you know, as far as that, you know, go get that. But if you want something that tastes like what it is, and that's why our people are loyal to us, they love us in the stadiums because they know when they come and get it, it's going to taste like what it's supposed to taste like.
00:11:35
Speaker 1: That's incredible to say that this major corporation went. Hey, your popcorn. When they said that, what was your thought? What thought ran through your mind?
00:11:45
Speaker 3: Well, let's switch y'all's out for ours and let's do this.
00:11:50
Speaker 2: Because that's the goal. But here's the thing that comes up all the time with small companies. You get the big opportunity. How do you prepare yourself for that opportunity, Ryan, at Popcorn Remix?
00:12:04
Speaker 3: I think one thing that we've always done well is moved on the need. we don't go too fast. We know how to say no if something is too big. We had a deal last year for $ 4. 3 million. We said no because we're not just in business just to be in business. We want to be in business, be profitable, hire people, and do what we're supposed to do. With that being said, you just got to do it. We're going to be moving possibly to bags soon, gourmet bags, because there may be a need for these airports and things of that nature. But we won't do it until we know that there's a need. So we're not jumping too far ahead of ourselves. We're standing in our lane. We're not going too fast. But when it's time to put a little gas on the accelerator, that's when we know we already got something in the pipeline that's already signed, still delivered, that we know will pay for it and kind of cover that.
00:12:54
Speaker 2: Let me talk about that, like you said, going too fast. Because you're an entrepreneur, young entrepreneur, but also you have another business. So you are in, you understand business. the ups and downs, seasonal businesses and how to market a small business, and also the frustration when it doesn't generate the revenue that you expected it to generate. With that being said, how do you continually motivate yourself to believe in this product, Brian, Popcorn Remix?
00:13:25
Speaker 3: That's a good question. Once again, I think it's having people behind you. I've had a lot of sleepless nights. Like, why did I do this?
00:13:31
Speaker 2: Right.
00:13:31
Speaker 3: I have done this. Should I have taken his money out of my home? You know, got this third notice, this home equity line of credit to do this and so forth. But, you know, you got to be prepared for it, man. And, you know, you got to prepare yourself up front for it. You know, don't start a business that costs $ 4, 000 or $ 5, 000. You know what I mean? Make sure that you have enough so that when on rainy days, when things don't go right, you can do it. Make sure that when somebody calls into work that you can go take their place if it comes, you know, if it comes down to that. Make sure that you can do whatever is needed because it's yours. It's your baby. So just as you would treat your children if something was wrong with them, you got to treat the business the same way because it's your money on the line. I mean, kick to the side is the notoriety and what people will think. But you stepped out there. So if you're going to step out there, give it your all. So that way, if it doesn't work out the way you want it to be, you can say that you put your all into it. And that's what it is that we do every single day. That's why you still see us at events. Not just our employees all the time. You still see us. I know. We want to give you that experience. And sometimes, you know, your employees don't have the passion that you have.
00:14:35
Speaker 1: Right.
00:14:36
Speaker 3: So sometimes we got to step out so that way they'll see us, you know, and know that everything is still good.
00:14:40
Speaker 2: I always say showtime when these two gentlemen show up because you will.
00:14:45
Speaker 1: Find they love their product. They love seeing you happy eating their product. And it was funny. The other day I was on the plane, on the train, plane train, the plane train. And I looked to my right.
00:14:56
Speaker 2: And I saw somebody eating popcorn remix in a small container. I didn't want to bother her and say, where did you get that from? But I just smiled and said, that's my boys.
00:15:06
Speaker 1: That's my boys.
00:15:07
Speaker 3: Greg and Ryan. You know what? You know what? We're in we're in the airport now. And so I haven't even we just yeah, we just dropped off our first order. And I haven't even talked to him since we delivered it because I'm just letting everything just marinate. You know what I mean? To see how it's going. But if that is true that yeah, that is from that we I don't even honestly know what concourse we're in. But I do know that we have a kiosk that that the airport company in the airport has purchased and that our popcorn is featured there with five of our flavors.
00:15:36
Speaker 2: That is so cool because I saw her eating the popcorn. I looked down to my right and I go, that's Popcorn Remix.
00:15:43
Speaker 1: And I just smiled. She smiled back, but I didn't want to disturb her.
00:15:47
Speaker 2: And you're telling me now you guys are in a kiosk at Hartsfield, the busiest airport in the world, now has Popcorn Remix.
00:15:55
Speaker 1: That's what you're announcing on my show today?
00:15:57
Speaker 3: Yes. Popcorn remix. And we're going to Baltimore this Thursday in order to meet with all the airports in the United States about being in every airport in America, hopefully, because we won. We won. We won an award for basically like the most innovative snack for the airport. And we won Atlanta. We won the whole South. So I want to four people. And now we're going to Baltimore is one of eight people to I guess to battle to get our popcorn in airports all across the country. It's eight of us.
00:16:29
Speaker 1: Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more money making conversations. Masterclass.
00:16:34
Speaker 2: Now I need for you to do me a favor right now to follow or subscribe to money making conversation. It's free and you can find it on the iHeartRadio app. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please do me that favor. Follow or subscribe Money Making Conversations. Welcome back to Money Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by me, Rashawn McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass continues online at MoneyMakingConversations.com and follow Money Making Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, X, and Instagram. It all started with an idea and a snowstorm up north he walked inside he saw this popcorn and he asked him how he did it and then he came back south and guess what he's one of the Popcorn, the.
00:17:25
Speaker 1: King of popcorn. Him, Greg Bowman, and Ryan Richmond.
00:17:30
Speaker 2: I couldn't tackle the other king, but I got one king on the call. He's kind of sick, but every time he talks, his story gets bigger and bigger and bigger. And congratulations, Ryan. I'm telling you, man. Just watching you guys grow. You're such nice guys.
00:17:46
Speaker 1: But you know... The power of fundraisers. That's where, that's another, because everybody wants to do things on multiple streams of income. You want to be in the airport. You want to be in Mercedes Benz. You want to be here. But you also want to have multiple streams of income in the fundraising.
00:17:59
Speaker 2: How does the fundraising work for people who want to have Popcorn Remix as part of their campaigns?
00:18:07
Speaker 3: Well, the fundraising works is that basically we set up everything for you. You sell popcorn and we give you 50% of all sales. We handle all of the shipping. We handle all those packages. All that you do is sell popcorn. So whether you sell one, 50 or 500, you get 50% of all sales, no upfront money required, and nothing needed from you. So it's really a win-win. Wow.
00:18:29
Speaker 2: Now, the big thing that's happening now, these celebrities eating y'all popcorn, man. So does celebrities really have an impact or just like a brand association when they Tell you your popcorn's good.
00:18:42
Speaker 1: I always wondered how.
00:18:43
Speaker 2: That worked in your world, you know, because I represent celebrity people. They pay them money to sell cars. But you have popcorn. How's that working? And is getting a celebrity endorsement important to your brand or growing your brand?
00:18:59
Speaker 3: You know what's funny? It's nice. And we appreciate, you know, to know that somebody like a celebrity loves our popcorn. But when we go viral, it's not that it's the regular person, mom and pop lady that's eating the popcorn. And the last one, 10.6 million views right now in the last month, just a regular lady. That's a teacher in a little bitty country city in Atlanta had the crab leg popcorn and she just lost her mind. So it's not just, I mean, we appreciate it. And, you know, it's nice to know that somebody of the, you know, of who they are loves our product. But it's really when we have that regular person that loses their mind or their eyes pop or they just go crazy. That's what the world loves.
00:19:39
Speaker 1: I'm Jason Ryan. Did you say 10.6 million views?
00:19:46
Speaker 3: 10.6 million views in the month of April. We were the number three snack on TikTok. in the world.
00:19:51
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:19:52
Speaker 3: I'm sorry. So much stuff has been going on.
00:19:55
Speaker 1: Hold on, Ryan.
00:19:56
Speaker 2: See, you're casual about that, man. 10.6 million views. Now, are you guys able to keep popcorn over at Popcorn Remix?
00:20:05
Speaker 3: Now, what happened was, so it's 10.6 million views. And that was in four days. That was in five days. Right. That it went. But yeah, so it almost shut us down. And because we have a new warehouse, but there was a water main break during that week that it, because you can never, you know, you can never justify when you're going to go viral.
00:20:24
Speaker 2: Right.
00:20:24
Speaker 3: So we did everything from one shop. So we had to kind of calm some things down a little bit in order to meet the demand, because everything we make is fresh. You know what I mean? My staff, everything is boxed, fresh, made, you know, every single day and so forth. So, yeah, we weren't able to keep popcorn that weekend. We never even throw out popcorn because it goes somewhere somehow. But we made it happen. Yes, we did.
00:20:47
Speaker 1: Now, first of all, congratulations.
00:20:49
Speaker 2: And so, you know, I'm learning things about you right now. Your heart's for the airport, okay? You got a video with 10.6 million. Just regular everyday people. Now, when a video goes viral, I'm just trying to get a sense of it for Popcorn Remix. Can you sense that it's something going wrong or your phone ringing or emails?
00:21:14
Speaker 1: How do you know that something's out of the ordinary, Ryan?
00:21:18
Speaker 3: It's so funny because I turn mine off. Greg keeps his on. But you'll just be sitting there and you'll start hearing ping, ping, ping because what happens. people start going to your website, people start going to your TikTok shop and we get notifications. So when the lady went viral, we knew what it was about to happen because we had a thousand people on our TikTok at one time. We had 400 people on our website at the same time. So that's how we know, because once we start seeing them views going up, people on our website, people on TikTok, you get notifications. And that's when you're like, oh, my God. And Greg loves it, but it scares me to death every single time.
00:21:55
Speaker 1: Well, I know you got a story. I know you got a story, Kanye.
00:21:58
Speaker 2: Tell everybody about the store if they're listening in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
00:22:02
Speaker 1: And what can you expect when they get to Kanye's store?
00:22:05
Speaker 3: The store in kind is 1820 Highway 20, Suite 132, Cuyahoga, Georgia, 30013. Please come in. Free samples of all of the flavors we discussed, the jerk chicken, the crab legs, all of that. Also, as Rashawn stated, find us at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. We also just acquired UGA. So we'll be, Go Dawgs will be at UGA Stadium in all of their kiosks and our own kiosks and their concession stands as well for UGA football. The Falcons, the Braves, the Atlanta Dreams, Atlanta Airport, we're just Atlanta, man. So we're just all around and so forth. And you can order at popcornremix.com or popcornremixfundraiser.com if you'd like to do a fundraiser with us. Cool.
00:22:44
Speaker 1: Again, ladies and gentlemen, this is one of the owners.
00:22:47
Speaker 2: Next time I come back, I got to let you listen to Greg. He is just as captivating and just a different spin on everything.
00:22:55
Speaker 1: But congratulations, man.
00:22:57
Speaker 3: I am.
00:22:57
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's the shy one, everybody. He's the shy one that can sing.
00:23:01
Speaker 3: It's hard.
00:23:01
Speaker 1: I have a great gospel voice.
00:23:03
Speaker 2: Again, Ryan, thank you for getting out of your sick bag, man, to come on my show to let everybody know Popcorn Remix is growing and you're one of the catalysts along with Greg blowing us up in the gourmet popcorn arena.
00:23:17
Speaker 1: Thank you for coming on my show, my brother.
00:23:19
Speaker 3: And thank you. Real quick, I got one second. Thank you, man, for believing in businesses like us, all the other businesses you believe in. You know, you're a blessing to the world, man. You're world-renowned. And just a mere fact that I can call you pops, uncle, whatever it is I may want to call you on any given day. It's just a blessing. Thank you for everything you've done for us.
00:23:35
Speaker 1: And you know I love you, brother. I really, really do, man. And thank you for that compliment. I appreciate you.
00:23:39
Speaker 3: I love you, too.
00:23:40
Speaker 1: Thank you. Bye-bye.
00:23:41
Speaker 2: That's another episode, ladies and gentlemen. Popcorn Remix. Out there, gourmet popcorn. Who would have thunk it? Well, they did, and guess what? They're about to be everywhere. Thank you for listening to this episode. Now I need for you to do me a favor. Right now, to follow or subscribe to Money Making Conversations, it's free. And you can find it on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:24:07
Speaker 1: Please do me a favor.
00:24:09
Speaker 2: Follow or subscribe Money Making Conversations.
00:24:12
Speaker 1: Keep winning.
