Robert Strong | Pretty Thai

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Robert E. Strong Jr. is a former
United States Air Force Staff Sergeant.

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He served as a signals intelligence
analyst with NSA CSS Hawaii, and an

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all-source intelligence targeting analyst
for the counter-IED targeting program.

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He was twice deployed to Fallujah, Iraq,
in support of the First and Second Marine

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Expeditionary Forces, as well as Naval
Special Warfare Teams Three and Five.

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Robert entered the food sector in
2012, launching Pretty Thai for a

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White Guy food truck in Austin, TX.

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He transitioned from food service
to a consumer packaged goods, CPG,

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company, Pretty Thai Specialty Sauces
and Spices, in 2015, and now sells

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his products in nine hundred plus
retail locations in eight states.

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Robert is a founder, director of the
Palmer Nicklaus Foundation, 501, C, three.

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The Palmer Nicklaus Foundation's mission
is to put good into the world in honor

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of their son, Palmer, who passed from
CHD and heterotaxy syndrome in 2017.

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Welcome to the MilCom Founders Podcast,
where we champion and celebrate

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military community business founders.

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In each episode, we will talk with a
MilCom business founder to learn how

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they work through various obstacles and
opportunities in business and in life.

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I'm your host, Rod Loges.

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Let's meet today's guest

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Welcome to the MilCom Founders podcast.

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Today's guest is Robert Strong.

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Uh, we get to champion and
celebrate Robert today.

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He's a former Air Force
intelligence analyst who traded

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code-breaking for cooking, and
built Pretty Thai into a nationally

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recognized sauce and spice brand.

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Robert, welcome to the show today.

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Thank you for your time today.

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Oh, I appreciate you having me, Rod.

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Absolutely.

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So, Robert, what's, what's
your ideal morning look like?

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What would it-- what would
your ideal morning look like?

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Every day you wake up, you
go… What, what's it look like?

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I think my ideal morning would be
to first not have to get up to an

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alarm clock, and then from there
I would love-- There's just…

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I'm a, I'm a big golfer, or at least I
was, but as you get busier and busier

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with business, it's hard to get out there.

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There's nothing, to me, better than
getting out on the golf course as the

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dew is on the ground, and the sun's
just coming up, and just it's cool,

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and you're just… I don't know.

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It's just that's my happy
place, especially- Yeah

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that time of day.

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Once you get to 2:00 in the afternoon
here in Texas, it's 100 degrees, and it's

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still fun, but it's just not the same.

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So that'd be my ideal morning: get up
without an alarm clock, get out, play

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a few holes, and then start my day.

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Yeah.

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And what's your, what's your course?

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What's your home course?

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Well, that's the thing, I don't
have a home course technically.

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we just moved from Austin
to Boerne, San Antonio area.

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So there's a course here in
the Bulverde area called Canyon

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Springs, and I just played it-

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Sure

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…
again for the first time
in, a year on, on Sunday.

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I'm thinking about trying to
join that, and if I can get out

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and play a couple days a week.

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I do like it.

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It's a great layout.

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it's a fun course.

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Yeah.

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It's a difficult course.

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So I would say probably Canyon
Springs is what I'm going for.

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Well, it's a beautiful,
beautiful part of the world, too.

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That and Green.

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I love Green, Boerne, uh, Fredericksburg,
all that down there is just, it's

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fantastic, so that's for sure.

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And then, um, what's your,
what's your handicap?

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Do you still have a handicap
or what do you, what do you,

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what do you think?

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Hmm.

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2022 handicap?

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Sure.

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When I was playing twice a week
and I was playing in the Veterans

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Golf Association and traveling
and actually winning tournaments,

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Wow

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…
I was a six at that time, and I
was going down, trending down.

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Okay.

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Now I'm probably, like, a
12, if I were to be honest.

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but it won- It's like riding a bike.

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Uh-huh.

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Get a few rounds in you and I'm
back down to single digits, but…

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Very cool.

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Very cool.

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So the MilCom Founders podcast, um, you
know, I wanna champion and celebrate

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you and inspire and educate other
military founders, business founders.

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But take me back to the… Why,
why in the world did you ever

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think about joining the military?

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What was that, what was that
first thought that you're like,

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"Hey, this is, this is for me"?

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You know, I've… This is probably
gonna sound cliche to a lot of my

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generation, but I mean, 9/11- for me
it was because, I grew up in New York

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State, the state Western New York.

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I was going to school at Ithaca
College, Central New York.

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So we were about three and a half
hours from the city, and I was a

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junior in college, and I remember,
like most people, exactly where I was.

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I was eating a bowl of cereal on
my pleather couch watching TV.

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Thought I was h- I
thought, "Is this a movie?"

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So I kept changing channels looking for
a different… And it wasn't a movie.

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And I just remember going onto campus
that day, and so many-- My, my girlfriend

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at the time had friends and family
that worked at the Trade Centers.

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so many of the people that were coming f-
from the city that went to school there-

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Mm-hmm

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from New Jersey, from
right outside of Manhattan.

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So as you can probably imagine, it was, it
was a very difficult time for everybody,

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but these people had family members that
were in the Trade Center, in the towers.

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I did not.

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But I don't know, something
sparked me, and I had n- I hadn't

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grown up in a military family.

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I had some relatives that had j- been in
the military a long time ago, Vietnam,

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but they didn't volunteer for that.

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They were drafted, right?

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Mm-hmm.

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so I never was growing up
around that, that mentality.

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But as soon as this happened, something
just lit a fire, and I immediately

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just gained a new perspective and
appreciation for what, what I had- Yeah

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and what we had in this
country just instantly.

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Wow.

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And then, another guy in my class
said, "Hey, I just joined ROTC at

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Cornell." He was a year behind me.

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It was too late for me to do that, so I-

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Mm-hmm

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… I tried going officer in the
Air Force once I graduated

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with my degree from Ithaca.

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But for whatever reason, they weren't
br- bringing people in, so I had a

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little short hiatus, and I moved to
Daytona Beach, Florida, and I was

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like, "I'm just gonna wait tables
and bartend and, you know, have fun."

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But it just was, like, still itching at
me, so I literally, four months after

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that, I went to the, recruiter office
in Daytona Beach, Florida, and I said-

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Uh-huh

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I wanna be James Bond."
And he's like, "Okay.

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Well, take the ASVAB first." And I did.

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Oh, right,

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right.

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And I scored really high on
that, and he's like, "Okay,

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you can do whatever you want."

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Uh-huh.

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And I said, "Well, I want
Intel." And that was that.

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I was going through MEPS a few months
later, and just before Christmas in 2003,

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I was actually right down the road here
where I'm at now- Yeah … in Laughlin.

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Yep.

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'Cause all Air Force
goes to Laughlin, right?

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Yeah.

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Yeah, for enlisted, yeah.

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Yeah.

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Unbelievable.

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And so you're, you're intel.

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What does that mean?

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How does it relate to making, uh, Thai,
Thai- It, it- … spice and sauce?

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Intel itself doesn't,
I was a one and four.

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My AFSC was a one and four, which
was a signals intelligence analyst,

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and I was forward deployed to Hawaii-
So I was stationed at Hickam, now

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Hickam Pearl Harbor, and then I worked
at the Kaneohe Naval Installation.

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I worked technically for NSACSS Hawaii.

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Oh, okay.

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And so that was my mission out
there, and that was four, four

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years active duty doing that.

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And I loved Hawaii when I
got the chance to enjoy it.

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I worked underground in the dark,
shift work for three straight years.

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Um- Hmm

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… I didn't enjoy SIGINT as much.

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I actually, my last three and a half,
four years was as a civilian, and I

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got out of, off active duty because
I wanted to deploy and do intel.

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Uh-huh.

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And we weren't able to do that.

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they said, "You know, if, if you're
gonna deploy in the Air Force, you're

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gonna go over and watch third-party
nationals clean port-a-johns."

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And I said, "I have a TSSCI polygraph.
I wanna do intel. I don't wanna watch

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people clean port-a-johns in the desert."

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Yeah.

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"I wanna actually, you know, have a
meaningful impact." So I had to get out,

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and then I got out and worked for the
National Ground Intelligence Center,

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for a, the counter-ID targeting program
in Charlottesville, Virginia, and

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that's what allowed me to deploy twice
to Fallujah working for that program.

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Mm-hmm.

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And that's what the second deployment
got me, took a trip to Thailand.

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Got it.

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Blown away, fell in love with Thai
food, and that's what ultimately led

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me onto the journey of my food truck-
That's nice … into Pretty Thai.

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Mm-hmm.

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Wow.

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So when you're in the military, what's
one or two things that you learned that,

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that, that has been a cornerstone of
your success in, success in business?

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What are those guiding
thoughts, moments, ideas?

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Yeah, I would say, one of the
core principles of the Air Force

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is integrity first, and I have--
Whether it's been a principle that's

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helped me thus far, I don't know.

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TBD.

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I like to think it does, and I like
to think in the long term it will.

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But just having integrity, not
cutting corners, being honest, right?

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When nobody's looking, doing the right
thing at all times, and that's really

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what I've tried to do in business with
the food truck, with the product company.

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So that right there, and then s-
I guess situational awareness.

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Uh-huh.

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Being aware of what's going on around
you and seeing things before they happen.

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And again, that's a great benefit,
but I also feel like sometimes I

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like to say, paralysis by analysis.

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I was an analyst, and I like
to take all the intel I can

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get to try to make a decision.

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But sometimes, you've gotta make
decisions quickly, and if you don't

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have all the intel, you've gotta make
the best informed decision possible.

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Yeah.

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And that's a difficult thing

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to do.

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You know, it's interesting you say that
b- because the situational awareness,

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which I, I take even to this day, and
I've been out for a long time, Robert.

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But, uh Um, I, I'm usually very aware
of my situa- the situation and things

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going on around me, and I won't
go into all the details, but I was

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exhausted after three or four big days.

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And, um, I did… I'm not gonna go into
the details, I'm still too embarrassed

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about it, but I did something stupid
because I was just too damn tired.

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And I'm like, I should've just rested
and I'd have been fine, but instead

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I did this dumbass thing and, and I
lost m- quite frankly, I'd lost my s-

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situational awareness and, uh, I'm just…

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I'm, I'm very thankful
that nobody got hurt.

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And it, and it just was a great
reminder that, look, you can't go four

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or five days on three to five hours
of sleep, at least not at my age.

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I can't do that anymore.

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And, uh, what a dumbass.

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It w- uh, you know, so that situational
awareness, I think that's a, that's a

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great reminder and I f- I feel like,
um Uh, you're part of that reminder to

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keep me from doing some stupid stuff
like that again, that's for sure.

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So thank you.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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No, for sure.

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Yeah, it's super important to me as well.

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It was something that
they drove home a lot.

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I mean, obviously in the military in
general, but I think even, when I was

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working, I remember my supervisor used to
put stuff on the wall walking up to the

230
00:11:00,195 --> 00:11:04,405
galley, and just be like, we come back
down, he's like, "Did you see what…"

231
00:11:04,475 --> 00:11:07,725
And I'm like, we had to pay attention
to everything when we were walking.

232
00:11:07,725 --> 00:11:11,045
He wanted us to look at everything
So it was very important.

233
00:11:11,045 --> 00:11:12,225
360, head on a swivel.

234
00:11:12,225 --> 00:11:12,985
Absolutely.

235
00:11:13,285 --> 00:11:13,985
Absolutely.

236
00:11:14,555 --> 00:11:17,675
So y- y- you go to Thailand,
and that was with the, the

237
00:11:17,675 --> 00:11:19,395
civilian side of the military.

238
00:11:20,425 --> 00:11:21,745
And, and you, what happened?

239
00:11:21,755 --> 00:11:24,955
You, you found this, this spice
that you re- really like or sauce?

240
00:11:24,965 --> 00:11:25,715
Or how did this all-

241
00:11:25,875 --> 00:11:28,415
Growing up where I grew up, Western
New York, meat and potatoes.

242
00:11:28,465 --> 00:11:29,395
my mom was a great cook.

243
00:11:29,395 --> 00:11:32,015
She used to, she was a waitress
and a cook in our small town diner.

244
00:11:32,015 --> 00:11:35,055
2,000 people in my town, right?

245
00:11:35,055 --> 00:11:35,825
So very small.

246
00:11:36,205 --> 00:11:36,225
Mm-hmm.

247
00:11:36,235 --> 00:11:39,375
So I grew up around food, but
I never had food like this.

248
00:11:39,385 --> 00:11:41,525
Hawaii was my first introduction
to those kind of flavors.

249
00:11:41,525 --> 00:11:44,145
The first time I ever had
cilantro was in Hawaii.

250
00:11:44,545 --> 00:11:44,565
Mm-hmm.

251
00:11:44,565 --> 00:11:47,275
But I wasn't a foodie yet, and I still
think back now to this day, God, I

252
00:11:47,275 --> 00:11:50,745
was going deep sea fishing, catching
fresh mahi-mahi, and it just stayed

253
00:11:50,745 --> 00:11:52,265
in my freezer and got freezer burnt.

254
00:11:52,655 --> 00:11:53,535
What was I thinking?

255
00:11:53,545 --> 00:11:54,780
that's my regret, right?

256
00:11:54,780 --> 00:11:54,995
That's

257
00:11:54,995 --> 00:11:55,445
right.

258
00:11:55,525 --> 00:11:55,925
Yeah.

259
00:11:55,965 --> 00:11:57,105
I wasn't a foodie then.

260
00:11:57,575 --> 00:12:00,665
I liked cooking, but I wasn't
a foodie until culinary school.

261
00:12:00,965 --> 00:12:05,326
So I actually got a food and wine magazine
when I was stateside in Charlottesville,

262
00:12:05,326 --> 00:12:06,846
and it had a few Thai recipes in it.

263
00:12:06,846 --> 00:12:08,336
It was a summer grilling special.

264
00:12:08,786 --> 00:12:11,706
And I started making this one dish,
this warm, steak salad with mint

265
00:12:11,706 --> 00:12:13,406
and cilantro, and it was just like-

266
00:12:13,416 --> 00:12:13,426
Ah

267
00:12:13,476 --> 00:12:15,966
…
wow, this is a phenomenal recipe.

268
00:12:16,376 --> 00:12:19,586
Fish sauce, lemongrass,
lime, mint, cilantro.

269
00:12:20,245 --> 00:12:22,776
It was just, a phenomenal… It's
basically an excuse to eat steak.

270
00:12:22,796 --> 00:12:25,756
You put a little, few herbs in there- Yeah
… and an excuse to, for guys to eat steak.

271
00:12:26,296 --> 00:12:30,536
So I used to serve it at potlucks for
my office parties, and everybody's

272
00:12:30,536 --> 00:12:32,566
like, "We gotta have this recipe.
We've gotta have this recipe."

273
00:12:32,566 --> 00:12:32,646
Uh-huh.

274
00:12:32,705 --> 00:12:35,556
I'd make it, I'd make it for all
my first dates, I'd do everything.

275
00:12:35,556 --> 00:12:35,745
Oh, that's funny.

276
00:12:35,745 --> 00:12:36,906
It was such a good recipe.

277
00:12:37,666 --> 00:12:41,790
So when I went to Thailand- I'm
looking for that flavor profile,

278
00:12:41,890 --> 00:12:44,910
and I started getting all this
different food and I was just like…

279
00:12:45,290 --> 00:12:48,960
Now mind you, I'd been working with
the Navy SEALs in Fallujah for the

280
00:12:48,970 --> 00:12:53,680
last six months- eating really strict,
following a strict diet, working

281
00:12:53,680 --> 00:12:56,890
out seven days a week, two hours a
day when we weren't working, right?

282
00:12:57,250 --> 00:12:57,510
Right.

283
00:12:57,510 --> 00:13:00,830
So I was in the best shape of my life,
but I hadn't been eating anything for

284
00:13:00,830 --> 00:13:04,170
six months, so I went crazy, and I'm
just like, I'm ordering everything.

285
00:13:04,180 --> 00:13:04,200
Yeah.

286
00:13:04,820 --> 00:13:09,420
So I just ate everything I could
possibly see, and I was just, every

287
00:13:09,420 --> 00:13:11,910
time I ate something different, I
was just like, "Wow, that's even

288
00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:14,740
better than the last thing I got.
That was better than…" my palate

289
00:13:14,740 --> 00:13:16,510
was just, overwhelmed in a good way.

290
00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:16,830
Uh-huh.

291
00:13:17,620 --> 00:13:22,920
So when I moved back, decided to go to
Austin, Texas, not to go to culinary,

292
00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:24,820
but to go to journalism school- Yeah

293
00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:29,090
I was just still so
infatuated with the flavors.

294
00:13:29,090 --> 00:13:29,630
Mm-hmm.

295
00:13:29,630 --> 00:13:32,460
And what really blew my mind was,
like, I was cooking with them and

296
00:13:32,460 --> 00:13:35,660
like these flavors go so well with
everything that I'm used to eating.

297
00:13:35,660 --> 00:13:38,970
people think these are weird flavors,
and they're not weird flavors.

298
00:13:38,970 --> 00:13:40,040
They're so dynamic.

299
00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:41,120
So-

300
00:13:41,180 --> 00:13:45,910
that's where I initially had the idea when
I was in my apartment on East Riverside

301
00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,260
Drive going to journalism school at UT.

302
00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:48,710
Uh-huh.

303
00:13:48,710 --> 00:13:48,880
Uh-huh.

304
00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:49,060
I

305
00:13:49,070 --> 00:13:52,050
had the idea for Pretty Thai
For a White Guy, the food truck.

306
00:13:52,050 --> 00:13:52,400
Uh-huh.

307
00:13:52,690 --> 00:13:55,030
Because the food truck scene was
so big in Austin at the time.

308
00:13:55,030 --> 00:13:55,040
Yeah.

309
00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,110
It had just been going for, four
years, and it was right where it,

310
00:13:58,170 --> 00:14:01,110
like it was really getting some
traction, and they were everywhere.

311
00:14:01,140 --> 00:14:06,900
And I was like, "God, I never thought
about being- a food entrepreneur before.

312
00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:07,440
Yeah.

313
00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:09,020
And that's where it really sparked

314
00:14:09,020 --> 00:14:09,080
that.

315
00:14:09,230 --> 00:14:11,380
So one question, how did, how
did you end up choosing Austin to

316
00:14:11,380 --> 00:14:15,710
live versus so many other places
in the world, or at least the US?

317
00:14:16,300 --> 00:14:21,040
I was choosing between USC and
Austin because the schools, the

318
00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:25,780
programs had a, a, a great emphasis
on sports broadcast journalism.

319
00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:26,580
There was more of an emphasis.

320
00:14:26,580 --> 00:14:29,880
So I wanted to be like a NFL sideline
reporter or maybe work for the

321
00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,220
Golf Channel and cover tournaments.

322
00:14:32,740 --> 00:14:33,100
that was my-

323
00:14:33,100 --> 00:14:33,170
Got it

324
00:14:33,170 --> 00:14:34,530
… goal initially when I went there.

325
00:14:34,530 --> 00:14:37,930
So I, I knew, hey, I can go
to UT. I heard great things.

326
00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,660
Austin was a very young
city, a very fit city.

327
00:14:40,700 --> 00:14:40,990
Yeah.

328
00:14:41,140 --> 00:14:44,950
So I was like, "Let's go there," and I
feel like I'll vibe better there, and

329
00:14:44,950 --> 00:14:49,200
I can go, I can go cover the golf team,
which has a, a ton of amazing PGA Tour

330
00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:51,000
pros now, top players in the world.

331
00:14:51,410 --> 00:14:54,070
And let me- Yeah … go cover
the UT football team, and

332
00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:56,330
that seemed like fun to me.

333
00:14:57,310 --> 00:14:57,520
Got it.

334
00:14:58,020 --> 00:15:01,470
But instead you, you, you started
getting enamored and amazed by

335
00:15:01,470 --> 00:15:05,000
this, this Thai f- food, the, the
Thai food scene I'll, I'll say.

336
00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:08,190
Um, how did you decide to
go and do a food truck?

337
00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:09,559
I think that's where you started, right?

338
00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,599
Yeah, so the food truck, again, when
I saw the food scene here in Austin,

339
00:15:13,610 --> 00:15:16,280
there were so many food trucks,
and I thought… I didn't know what

340
00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:17,800
an entrepreneur was, to be honest.

341
00:15:18,070 --> 00:15:21,250
we didn't have entrepreneurs in my family
really, and I didn't know what that was.

342
00:15:21,260 --> 00:15:25,910
So when I saw these food trucks, I was
like, "Wow, you don't have to go out and

343
00:15:25,910 --> 00:15:29,449
get a restaurant. you can be your own
boss." You don't… my thought was just

344
00:15:29,449 --> 00:15:33,709
what I saw with my mom doing growing up,
is spending 10 hours in a kitchen every

345
00:15:33,710 --> 00:15:37,379
day, and I don't wanna be on my feet in
a kitchen for 10 plus hours on the line.

346
00:15:37,829 --> 00:15:41,509
I just, listen, I loved taking orders
when, I was over in Iraq and so

347
00:15:41,509 --> 00:15:44,199
forth, but I wanted to be my own boss.

348
00:15:44,309 --> 00:15:46,399
I didn't wanna be taking
orders from other people.

349
00:15:47,069 --> 00:15:49,950
so I didn't think it was
a, something you could do.

350
00:15:49,969 --> 00:15:52,369
And then when I saw the food trucks, I
was like, "Okay, you can." So I started

351
00:15:52,369 --> 00:15:58,828
looking into it and doing my research,
and that's really where the start was.

352
00:15:58,828 --> 00:15:59,598
And then, of course-

353
00:15:59,598 --> 00:15:59,608
Mm

354
00:15:59,798 --> 00:16:03,518
…
culinary school came about because I
was watching Top Chef Texas at the time

355
00:16:03,518 --> 00:16:04,808
on the Bravo Channel, and they were-

356
00:16:04,808 --> 00:16:05,077
Uh-huh

357
00:16:05,077 --> 00:16:07,067
… going all over Texas and they
were in Austin, so that was

358
00:16:07,068 --> 00:16:08,208
really resonating with me.

359
00:16:08,838 --> 00:16:12,518
And I was like, I saw a commercial for
Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School on one

360
00:16:12,518 --> 00:16:13,908
of the episodes, and I was like, "Huh."

361
00:16:14,218 --> 00:16:16,607
So I literally called
them the next day, got an-

362
00:16:16,638 --> 00:16:16,648
Mm

363
00:16:16,648 --> 00:16:19,337
… appointment, walked in, did the tour.

364
00:16:19,337 --> 00:16:20,417
I was getting goosebumps.

365
00:16:20,417 --> 00:16:22,718
I was like, "God, this,
I gotta do this." And-

366
00:16:22,728 --> 00:16:22,888
Yeah

367
00:16:22,917 --> 00:16:26,397
I dropped out of UT after that first
semester and switched to culinary school.

368
00:16:27,127 --> 00:16:27,527
Wow.

369
00:16:27,927 --> 00:16:31,067
Now, when you started your food truck,
what, what was the name of the food truck?

370
00:16:31,757 --> 00:16:32,967
Pretty Thai for a White Guy.

371
00:16:34,757 --> 00:16:34,997
Pretty… Okay.

372
00:16:35,887 --> 00:16:41,817
And, and how, how, how did, how did the,
um, your guests, your customers, uh,

373
00:16:41,857 --> 00:16:45,697
did they walk up to the, to the truck
go, "It is a white guy," or how, how

374
00:16:45,697 --> 00:16:47,147
did that, how did that all play out?

375
00:16:47,567 --> 00:16:49,507
Well, the, it was a
tough first month or so.

376
00:16:49,507 --> 00:16:53,187
we went out and gotten a, a
32-foot old school bus, an old

377
00:16:53,187 --> 00:16:58,567
Blue Bird diesel, and retrofitted
it into a, a, a kitchen on wheels.

378
00:16:58,597 --> 00:17:02,167
we put a lot of money into it, and
we really… I don't like to do

379
00:17:02,167 --> 00:17:04,428
things half-assly, if I can say that.

380
00:17:04,428 --> 00:17:04,848
Yeah, yeah.

381
00:17:04,937 --> 00:17:07,247
I don't like use, like, I like doing
things the right way, so we went

382
00:17:07,248 --> 00:17:09,578
and really fitted it out nicely.

383
00:17:09,578 --> 00:17:12,507
And the first month we were there,
we were in way South Austin.

384
00:17:12,508 --> 00:17:15,118
I, I just assumed this is Austin,
great food scene, people are

385
00:17:15,118 --> 00:17:18,037
gonna understand what, know what
Thai food is, and they didn't.

386
00:17:18,208 --> 00:17:19,938
And people were just
walking right by the truck.

387
00:17:19,938 --> 00:17:23,698
They were going to the burger place
and getting these greasy burgers, and

388
00:17:23,698 --> 00:17:27,687
I'm like, "I'm getting frustrated." So
I just start doing what I know best.

389
00:17:27,687 --> 00:17:30,008
I start going out and talking to
people, and I'm walking out there

390
00:17:30,008 --> 00:17:32,117
with the food and I'm just, going by
and putting it in front of somebody's

391
00:17:32,117 --> 00:17:34,507
face as I walk by them like, "Oh,
this is what you're missing out on."

392
00:17:34,517 --> 00:17:34,537
Yeah.

393
00:17:35,187 --> 00:17:38,167
and eventually people started
to, give us a try, and it-

394
00:17:38,197 --> 00:17:38,207
Mm

395
00:17:38,217 --> 00:17:39,218
… took a few months.

396
00:17:39,277 --> 00:17:43,247
And I don't really think people, at
least then, people looked at us and

397
00:17:43,247 --> 00:17:48,178
said- You're doing Thai food?" They
just tasted it and were like, "Wow,

398
00:17:48,188 --> 00:17:51,218
like this is Thai food?" And I was
like, "Yeah, that's Thai food, right?"

399
00:17:51,218 --> 00:17:54,668
We did it authentic, and
then we did our fusion.

400
00:17:54,678 --> 00:17:55,028
Mm-hmm.

401
00:17:55,038 --> 00:17:57,558
And we would get so many
different reactions, but it

402
00:17:57,558 --> 00:17:58,768
was always a positive reaction.

403
00:17:58,768 --> 00:18:01,688
We got really great feedback, and we
were able to, within the first six

404
00:18:01,688 --> 00:18:05,048
months the f- the Cooking Channel
reached out to us and we were featured

405
00:18:05,048 --> 00:18:09,218
on season five of "Eat Street." and
it was entitled, "Pretty Thai For

406
00:18:09,218 --> 00:18:10,378
a White Guy" was the whole episode.

407
00:18:10,378 --> 00:18:13,908
They filmed five food trucks in Austin,
we were one of them, and it was "Pretty

408
00:18:13,908 --> 00:18:15,048
Thai For a White Guy" was the episode.

409
00:18:15,048 --> 00:18:16,438
Season five, episode 12.

410
00:18:16,718 --> 00:18:19,628
The show's been off the air for over a
decade now, but I've had people recognize

411
00:18:19,628 --> 00:18:22,348
me randomly from it a while back.

412
00:18:22,348 --> 00:18:23,573
Like, "I was seen in the
old episode." That's funny.

413
00:18:23,573 --> 00:18:24,038
"Oh my God."

414
00:18:24,218 --> 00:18:24,468
Oh.

415
00:18:24,658 --> 00:18:24,968
So.

416
00:18:25,008 --> 00:18:25,408
Wow.

417
00:18:26,038 --> 00:18:26,648
Very cool.

418
00:18:26,648 --> 00:18:27,328
Very cool.

419
00:18:27,328 --> 00:18:31,598
So then you, so you start the s- the food
truck and, and it starts catching on,

420
00:18:32,158 --> 00:18:36,628
but that's a… There's still a big leap
from going to that to what you do today.

421
00:18:37,218 --> 00:18:39,198
So how did you make that transition?

422
00:18:39,268 --> 00:18:42,098
And, and tell me about
that, this business that

423
00:18:42,238 --> 00:18:42,418
you're running.

424
00:18:42,418 --> 00:18:42,908
Yeah.

425
00:18:43,348 --> 00:18:47,687
So m- my wife and I always… I
joke more about it than she does,

426
00:18:47,698 --> 00:18:49,528
but, we're both trained chefs.

427
00:18:49,588 --> 00:18:50,418
She's got a background.

428
00:18:50,418 --> 00:18:51,487
We met in culinary school.

429
00:18:51,507 --> 00:18:52,267
She's got a background-

430
00:18:52,268 --> 00:18:52,278
Oh

431
00:18:52,278 --> 00:18:52,717
… in nutrition.

432
00:18:52,718 --> 00:18:56,458
She went to Texas A&M, got a nutrition
degree before she moved to Austin.

433
00:18:56,458 --> 00:18:57,148
That's where we met.

434
00:18:57,638 --> 00:19:00,347
And I always joke that I'm just
a military analyst, intelligence

435
00:19:00,348 --> 00:19:01,877
analyst with a culinary degree.

436
00:19:02,208 --> 00:19:03,238
Neither of us had a business-

437
00:19:03,288 --> 00:19:03,317
Uh-huh.

438
00:19:03,477 --> 00:19:05,618
Not, neither of us had a business
background, so we didn't know what we

439
00:19:05,618 --> 00:19:06,898
were- Yep … getting ourselves into.

440
00:19:07,497 --> 00:19:11,798
so I'm just very passionate, attention
to detail type of individual.

441
00:19:12,058 --> 00:19:14,328
when I try something I put my all into it.

442
00:19:14,337 --> 00:19:17,268
So I was really passionate about
Thai food, and I thought we're

443
00:19:17,268 --> 00:19:18,568
gonna be doing a restaurant.

444
00:19:19,508 --> 00:19:26,312
And- The food truck lifestyle, while
it was great, it's not a lifestyle

445
00:19:26,322 --> 00:19:29,822
for, It's more of a single person
lifestyle, let's put it that way.

446
00:19:29,842 --> 00:19:30,022
Yeah.

447
00:19:30,032 --> 00:19:30,062
Okay.

448
00:19:30,062 --> 00:19:32,912
It's not a lifestyle for trying to raise
a family, trying to start a family.

449
00:19:33,212 --> 00:19:34,832
You're out till 2:00,
3:00, 4:00 in the morning.

450
00:19:35,332 --> 00:19:36,202
It's really busy.

451
00:19:36,212 --> 00:19:37,872
It's a lot different than what you expect.

452
00:19:38,292 --> 00:19:42,822
So I thought when people started
asking me for the sauces we were

453
00:19:42,822 --> 00:19:45,762
making, our sweet chili sauce was
our original, and they come up to

454
00:19:45,762 --> 00:19:47,182
me and say, "This is amazing sauce.

455
00:19:47,202 --> 00:19:51,862
Can I get this sauce?" I thought,
"Well, forget the restaurant.

456
00:19:51,872 --> 00:19:52,412
let's look at-

457
00:19:52,572 --> 00:19:52,832
Mm-hmm

458
00:19:52,832 --> 00:19:55,882
… trying to bottle this and
see what that looks like."

459
00:19:56,192 --> 00:19:56,212
Mm-hmm.

460
00:19:56,252 --> 00:20:00,442
So I started going to the H-E-Bs, the
Whole Foods, all the groceries around

461
00:20:00,442 --> 00:20:04,992
Austin, and looking at the shelves and
being like, "Is it being done?" Right?

462
00:20:04,992 --> 00:20:06,582
I knew enough to know you've gotta find-

463
00:20:06,582 --> 00:20:06,612
Right

464
00:20:06,622 --> 00:20:07,622
…
that gap in the market.

465
00:20:07,842 --> 00:20:08,722
Is it being done?

466
00:20:09,092 --> 00:20:12,222
And it wasn't, being done the
way we do it, which is from a,

467
00:20:12,252 --> 00:20:14,672
I say a chef natural standpoint.

468
00:20:14,942 --> 00:20:14,962
Yeah.

469
00:20:14,962 --> 00:20:16,062
Zero fake ingredients.

470
00:20:16,742 --> 00:20:17,572
So that's-

471
00:20:17,572 --> 00:20:17,602
Wow

472
00:20:17,602 --> 00:20:22,752
… really the, the impetus behind the
idea of Pretty Thai was to bottle what

473
00:20:22,752 --> 00:20:25,392
we were doing, bottle the essence of
what we were trying to do in the food

474
00:20:25,392 --> 00:20:28,922
truck, which is bring people together
through food, give you a unique,

475
00:20:29,422 --> 00:20:33,392
I always say oftentimes authentic,
but unapologetic focus on flavor.

476
00:20:34,182 --> 00:20:34,442
Yeah.

477
00:20:34,452 --> 00:20:34,462
Uh,

478
00:20:34,472 --> 00:20:38,081
we're gonna give you an authentic pad
Thai, an authentic green curry, but

479
00:20:38,081 --> 00:20:41,672
we're gonna give you a stuffed green
curry burger that's really unique,

480
00:20:41,702 --> 00:20:46,002
or a, a Thai nachos that are really
unique that you've never had before.

481
00:20:46,011 --> 00:20:46,032
Mm-hmm.

482
00:20:46,151 --> 00:20:49,062
Thai quesadillas, and do
it in an elevated manner.

483
00:20:49,522 --> 00:20:49,922
So-

484
00:20:49,932 --> 00:20:50,192
Mm-hmm

485
00:20:50,371 --> 00:20:53,982
… that's what set us down the road
was me thinking, "Oh, this will be

486
00:20:53,982 --> 00:20:56,962
easier than doing a restaurant."

487
00:20:57,831 --> 00:20:58,181
Yeah.

488
00:20:58,191 --> 00:21:00,312
This is… And it's night and day.

489
00:21:01,566 --> 00:21:02,456
But it's not easier.

490
00:21:03,556 --> 00:21:03,926
And that's what I learned.

491
00:21:03,926 --> 00:21:04,456
I bet not.

492
00:21:05,176 --> 00:21:09,046
So, and you, and you started making
the sauces commercially how long ago?

493
00:21:09,596 --> 00:21:14,766
We started bottling them 2014, '15, and
selling them in, the Texas Hill Country.

494
00:21:14,766 --> 00:21:19,146
We'd go up to wineries, like in Comfort,
'cause we moved the food truck to Boerne

495
00:21:19,156 --> 00:21:23,026
for a year after our first year in Austin,
and started selling in the food truck at,

496
00:21:23,086 --> 00:21:27,266
some bars in Boerne, and then we would
start selling the sauces and spices.

497
00:21:27,306 --> 00:21:29,546
We'd just drive up 20, 30 minutes
to Comfort, and we'd start

498
00:21:29,576 --> 00:21:31,196
selling at Bending Branch Winery.

499
00:21:31,826 --> 00:21:31,926
Wow.

500
00:21:31,986 --> 00:21:32,816
and that was that.

501
00:21:33,006 --> 00:21:35,666
And then we did a whole move to
California for almost a year, and we

502
00:21:35,666 --> 00:21:39,026
were selling in farmers' markets in
Southern California before we came

503
00:21:39,036 --> 00:21:41,736
back to Austin at the end of 2015.

504
00:21:42,326 --> 00:21:44,446
What are some of the challenges
you've had- you've faced and had

505
00:21:44,446 --> 00:21:47,496
overcome while building your business?

506
00:21:48,576 --> 00:21:51,656
I would go back to that not
having a business background,

507
00:21:51,746 --> 00:21:53,016
that was a big challenge.

508
00:21:53,716 --> 00:21:58,146
And also, we always say I, I wish one
of us was a marketing person, because

509
00:21:58,146 --> 00:21:59,556
we're not, and marketing is huge.

510
00:21:59,566 --> 00:22:02,056
You can have the best product in
the world, if nobody knows about it-

511
00:22:02,056 --> 00:22:02,386
Yeah

512
00:22:02,386 --> 00:22:03,926
… it doesn't really exist.

513
00:22:04,606 --> 00:22:08,146
and vice versa, you can have a so-so
product, but if you're great at

514
00:22:08,146 --> 00:22:10,156
marketing, you can do pretty well.

515
00:22:10,206 --> 00:22:11,856
Unfortunately, that's
just the way it works.

516
00:22:11,866 --> 00:22:12,066
Mm-hmm.

517
00:22:12,526 --> 00:22:15,815
So I think that, first and foremost,
I wish we had had a better marketing

518
00:22:15,826 --> 00:22:18,846
background from the beginning,
'cause it would've gotten us a lot

519
00:22:18,846 --> 00:22:20,266
further, a lot quicker, I think.

520
00:22:20,946 --> 00:22:21,115
Mm-hmm.

521
00:22:21,216 --> 00:22:24,395
and just, I say this a lot,
especially, I'm involved in a lot

522
00:22:24,396 --> 00:22:26,286
of different veteran organizations.

523
00:22:26,296 --> 00:22:26,316
Yeah.

524
00:22:26,326 --> 00:22:27,866
I think that's how we met.

525
00:22:28,496 --> 00:22:28,806
Yep.

526
00:22:28,866 --> 00:22:29,266
Right?

527
00:22:30,026 --> 00:22:30,546
But-

528
00:22:30,606 --> 00:22:31,545
IVMF, yep

529
00:22:31,916 --> 00:22:37,165
…
yeah, I didn't know about those programs
for the first six years of doing

530
00:22:37,166 --> 00:22:38,665
business, and maybe they weren't even-

531
00:22:38,666 --> 00:22:38,696
Right

532
00:22:38,706 --> 00:22:43,645
… I, I know Bunker came about around 2014,
so I could have known about it, you know,

533
00:22:43,645 --> 00:22:46,866
after a few years, but I didn't find out
about Bunker until just before COVID.

534
00:22:46,875 --> 00:22:46,995
Yeah.

535
00:22:47,365 --> 00:22:48,485
I was in Veteran In Residence-

536
00:22:48,486 --> 00:22:48,506
Yeah

537
00:22:48,515 --> 00:22:55,046
… in 2020, so seven years after I started
the food truck is when I first got into

538
00:22:55,046 --> 00:23:00,656
my first group like that, which has been
invaluable, staying involved in these

539
00:23:00,665 --> 00:23:02,155
groups, because it's just given me-

540
00:23:02,165 --> 00:23:02,195
Right

541
00:23:02,206 --> 00:23:07,635
… more insight into business and to
people, and to learning things-

542
00:23:07,646 --> 00:23:08,386
that I didn't know.

543
00:23:09,566 --> 00:23:09,895
That's right.

544
00:23:10,356 --> 00:23:15,245
Yeah, the community, uh, once we avail
ourselves, and, and I, Robert, I, I kinda

545
00:23:15,245 --> 00:23:17,195
forgot about being a veteran for 30 years.

546
00:23:17,706 --> 00:23:17,976
Hmm.

547
00:23:18,285 --> 00:23:21,466
But once I got back involved in it, I
was like, "What the heck? What, why have

548
00:23:21,466 --> 00:23:25,075
I not been involved this, this the whole
time? What great resource, the time to

549
00:23:25,076 --> 00:23:29,496
trust," the, the integrity, as you said,
is just, is just, you know, incomparable.

550
00:23:30,165 --> 00:23:33,615
So you're making the sauces, but
then you started another business

551
00:23:33,626 --> 00:23:35,426
somewhere along the w- the way, right?

552
00:23:36,740 --> 00:23:37,310
Yeah.

553
00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:41,060
I've got… so I have the kitchen
business now, Wingman Kitchens,

554
00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:43,350
which is a business that I started-

555
00:23:43,350 --> 00:23:43,410
Great

556
00:23:43,410 --> 00:23:47,800
… with another business
partner of mine in 2018, '19.

557
00:23:47,810 --> 00:23:53,560
So we were just getting
into H-E-B in 2018, '19.

558
00:23:53,580 --> 00:23:56,690
We were finalists for their statewide
competition, Quest for Texas Best.

559
00:23:57,190 --> 00:24:00,950
At the same time, I was just about
to open up our Austin kitchen

560
00:24:00,950 --> 00:24:04,850
location for Wingman with my
business partner for that business.

561
00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:10,752
And so now we have Five
locations in Texas, uh, three in

562
00:24:10,752 --> 00:24:13,072
Houston, the flagship in Austin.

563
00:24:13,282 --> 00:24:15,632
And I'm just, I'm the co-founder-

564
00:24:16,252 --> 00:24:16,412
Uh-huh

565
00:24:16,422 --> 00:24:18,352
but I'm a sweat equity guy in that, right?

566
00:24:18,352 --> 00:24:21,942
So I'm the kitchen guy, so I'm the one
that designed the kitchen originally,

567
00:24:22,382 --> 00:24:25,652
passed that off to the architect, and then
I'm the one that does the kitchen stuff

568
00:24:25,652 --> 00:24:29,192
and the layouts and what, what equipment
to put in there and because I have- Wow

569
00:24:29,202 --> 00:24:30,712
… the background of working in kitchens.

570
00:24:31,032 --> 00:24:34,262
My business partner, he has the, he
has, the degree from St. Edward's

571
00:24:34,262 --> 00:24:37,842
in entrepreneurship, and he's really
good at the, the networking and

572
00:24:37,882 --> 00:24:39,871
the business acumen side of it-

573
00:24:39,952 --> 00:24:40,192
Yeah

574
00:24:40,232 --> 00:24:40,702
…
for that.

575
00:24:40,702 --> 00:24:43,812
So we work pretty well together from
that standpoint, and we've been able

576
00:24:43,812 --> 00:24:46,162
to do very well with that business.

577
00:24:46,502 --> 00:24:49,362
And I just actually, that's where I'm
at now, is in that new location in San

578
00:24:49,362 --> 00:24:53,402
Antonio where we expanded to, after
a three-year search, we finally got a

579
00:24:53,402 --> 00:24:56,332
location off of I-10, Wurzbach area.

580
00:24:56,932 --> 00:25:00,122
So now I manage the new
location here, as well as do my

581
00:25:00,122 --> 00:25:02,622
manufacturing out of this space.

582
00:25:03,012 --> 00:25:05,312
So it allows me- Got it … to
open up and do my manufacturing.

583
00:25:05,682 --> 00:25:06,052
Mm-hmm.

584
00:25:06,392 --> 00:25:06,732
Wow.

585
00:25:07,612 --> 00:25:10,122
And how, how do you know…
I, I don't remember.

586
00:25:10,122 --> 00:25:13,032
I know you know Graham, my friend
Graham Wes- our friend Graham Weston.

587
00:25:13,201 --> 00:25:13,491
Yeah.

588
00:25:13,491 --> 00:25:15,441
But what's the connection,
what, that we share?

589
00:25:15,442 --> 00:25:16,612
How, how did you meet Graham?

590
00:25:17,032 --> 00:25:17,412
Yeah.

591
00:25:17,412 --> 00:25:20,302
So I met Graham through the
Texas Business Hall of Fame.

592
00:25:20,602 --> 00:25:27,211
I was, through Bunker, I was nominated
in 2021 for the Veteran in Resident,

593
00:25:27,312 --> 00:25:31,642
Veteran Business Award with the,
Texas Business Hall of Fame, and

594
00:25:31,711 --> 00:25:33,491
I was fortunate enough to get it.

595
00:25:34,131 --> 00:25:38,431
So I was a, a future
Texas business legend.

596
00:25:38,991 --> 00:25:39,801
It's a really long name.

597
00:25:39,802 --> 00:25:39,841
Uh-huh.

598
00:25:39,841 --> 00:25:40,691
It's a lot of words.

599
00:25:41,431 --> 00:25:41,771
Uh-huh.

600
00:25:41,811 --> 00:25:45,052
And through that program,
I've been able to meet Graham.

601
00:25:45,052 --> 00:25:49,661
Graham's extremely generous
of his time for the folks in

602
00:25:49,661 --> 00:25:50,642
the Business Hall of Fame.

603
00:25:50,802 --> 00:25:53,432
He does a lot of things for
the Business Hall of Fame.

604
00:25:53,432 --> 00:25:58,121
He's, I would say, probably the most
active legend, as we call them, the

605
00:25:58,122 --> 00:26:01,981
legends of Texas business that get
nominated into the program, and then

606
00:26:01,982 --> 00:26:03,631
there's just us that are the awardees.

607
00:26:03,671 --> 00:26:07,952
I've… Usually they're students that go
through university, and most of them all

608
00:26:07,952 --> 00:26:13,042
have, like myself, have a philanthropic
aspect to what we do, and I have my

609
00:26:13,042 --> 00:26:15,642
foundation, my 501(c)(3) that I do.

610
00:26:16,012 --> 00:26:16,042
Yep.

611
00:26:16,172 --> 00:26:20,072
so with that, along with Wingman
and with Pretty Tie, I was able to

612
00:26:20,072 --> 00:26:23,542
get into that program, and I've been
involved with Graham and some executive

613
00:26:23,572 --> 00:26:25,102
leadership groups that he's helped run.

614
00:26:25,882 --> 00:26:27,152
so yeah, that's how I know Graham.

615
00:26:27,982 --> 00:26:28,192
Got it.

616
00:26:28,252 --> 00:26:28,522
Yep.

617
00:26:28,662 --> 00:26:28,842
Yeah.

618
00:26:28,902 --> 00:26:29,432
Great guy.

619
00:26:29,782 --> 00:26:32,342
He does give a lot of his time back
to the community, that's for sure.

620
00:26:32,872 --> 00:26:37,002
So what's some advice that you would
offer other veteran entrepreneurs

621
00:26:37,052 --> 00:26:38,372
or other nice people, too?

622
00:26:38,402 --> 00:26:40,222
But, you know, what,
what are those insights?

623
00:26:40,222 --> 00:26:43,822
Y- I mean, you've been involved
in really three startups.

624
00:26:44,032 --> 00:26:45,671
I mean, w- it, call it what
you want, but the, the food

625
00:26:45,712 --> 00:26:49,504
truck Wingman and Pretty Tie.

626
00:26:50,014 --> 00:26:54,114
Uh, that's a lot of, um, a lot of
learnings that you've had along the way.

627
00:26:54,114 --> 00:26:57,194
What are, what are some of those thoughts
you'd share with other people thinking

628
00:26:57,244 --> 00:26:58,774
about getting in business or in business?

629
00:26:59,564 --> 00:27:02,754
Yeah, the first thing I say, especially
because, we are at the, forefront

630
00:27:02,764 --> 00:27:05,764
here at Wingman, when people come
in and they wanna rent space and I

631
00:27:05,764 --> 00:27:09,334
find out that they're a veteran, I
help everybody, but I really have

632
00:27:09,334 --> 00:27:10,684
a soft spot for veterans, right?

633
00:27:10,764 --> 00:27:11,264
And-

634
00:27:11,264 --> 00:27:11,554
Yeah

635
00:27:11,554 --> 00:27:13,194
…
I wanna make sure that they can, excel.

636
00:27:13,874 --> 00:27:18,004
And the first thing is you n- you need to
know what resources you have a- available.

637
00:27:18,534 --> 00:27:18,974
And-

638
00:27:18,984 --> 00:27:19,184
Mm-hmm

639
00:27:19,194 --> 00:27:22,274
… you need to be able to reach out to
this organization or this organization

640
00:27:22,274 --> 00:27:24,204
in the community and get insights.

641
00:27:24,254 --> 00:27:27,764
If you're starting up an,
an entity in Texas, now you

642
00:27:27,764 --> 00:27:29,224
can go set that up for free.

643
00:27:29,724 --> 00:27:33,184
You don't have to pay the fee with
the state of Texas, but also look

644
00:27:33,184 --> 00:27:35,614
at this program 'cause they might be
able to help you get the legal side

645
00:27:35,614 --> 00:27:39,594
of it set up, instead of having to go
out and pay a lawyer $1,000, $2,000.

646
00:27:39,594 --> 00:27:42,454
'Cause money is a huge,
bottleneck in the beginning.

647
00:27:42,524 --> 00:27:42,704
Yeah.

648
00:27:43,264 --> 00:27:45,264
and then it's also get involved.

649
00:27:45,644 --> 00:27:46,144
Get involved.

650
00:27:46,204 --> 00:27:49,624
I think veterans are really bad at
this, more so than your traditional

651
00:27:49,624 --> 00:27:50,904
civilian who's never went through.

652
00:27:51,554 --> 00:27:52,714
We don't like to ask for help.

653
00:27:53,434 --> 00:27:56,444
we gotta do it all ourself, and
I'm very much guilty of this.

654
00:27:57,094 --> 00:27:58,384
you've gotta let go of that.

655
00:27:58,434 --> 00:28:00,644
You have to ask for help from people.

656
00:28:00,654 --> 00:28:05,884
You have to learn from other people, get
the insights, because you're not gonna

657
00:28:05,884 --> 00:28:08,264
build anything meaningful by yourself.

658
00:28:08,354 --> 00:28:09,024
And if-

659
00:28:09,154 --> 00:28:09,174
Yeah

660
00:28:09,174 --> 00:28:10,884
…
there's anybody out there that
said that they're self-made

661
00:28:10,914 --> 00:28:13,474
100%, they did everything on
their own, they're full of it.

662
00:28:14,444 --> 00:28:16,294
You know they're full- They're full of
it … you know they're-- That's right.

663
00:28:16,344 --> 00:28:16,834
That's right.

664
00:28:16,834 --> 00:28:17,414
They're full of it.

665
00:28:17,414 --> 00:28:17,444
That's,

666
00:28:17,444 --> 00:28:17,914
that's right.

667
00:28:18,164 --> 00:28:22,044
So those would be the biggest things
is just really get out there and get

668
00:28:22,044 --> 00:28:25,934
in the community and network and find
other veterans, find organizations

669
00:28:25,934 --> 00:28:27,914
like, what's going through with IVMF-

670
00:28:28,554 --> 00:28:28,574
Yeah

671
00:28:28,584 --> 00:28:30,234
…
and, A Warrior Rising.

672
00:28:30,644 --> 00:28:33,084
Programs that are out there
that can, that really genuinely

673
00:28:33,084 --> 00:28:34,704
wanna help veterans succeed.

674
00:28:35,474 --> 00:28:35,894
That's right.

675
00:28:36,324 --> 00:28:36,754
That's right.

676
00:28:36,754 --> 00:28:40,284
And what-- So it's interesting you
just said IVMF and, and Warrior

677
00:28:40,284 --> 00:28:41,874
Rising, two great organizations.

678
00:28:42,834 --> 00:28:46,774
Other than those two, what resources,
books, podcasts, personalities, whatever

679
00:28:46,774 --> 00:28:51,964
the case may be, that you have found
helpful to you in building your business?

680
00:28:52,454 --> 00:28:53,324
Yeah, it's tough.

681
00:28:53,524 --> 00:28:55,904
I'm not gonna lie, I
don't do a lot of reading.

682
00:28:56,644 --> 00:28:59,024
My brain does not allow
me to do a lot of reading.

683
00:28:59,034 --> 00:28:59,054
Yeah.

684
00:28:59,424 --> 00:29:03,934
I like to try to listen to some audio
stuff at times, but my brain goes

685
00:29:03,934 --> 00:29:08,714
so much that I tend to try to just
deviate over into the, "I'm gonna

686
00:29:08,714 --> 00:29:12,744
listen to this." I like to listen
to my local, my football team in DC.

687
00:29:12,744 --> 00:29:15,274
I like to listen to the broadcast
stuff 'cause it just gets my brain

688
00:29:15,274 --> 00:29:18,564
off of stuff for a little bit, because
I know as soon as I stop, my brain's

689
00:29:18,564 --> 00:29:21,244
going right back to Pretty Italian
business, and I can't shut it down.

690
00:29:21,764 --> 00:29:27,334
So- Yeah … I, I tend to lean
heavily on the groups that I'm in.

691
00:29:27,554 --> 00:29:32,893
I'm, I'm involved in multiple cohorts with
CEO Circle, with IVMF, Bunker previously.

692
00:29:32,903 --> 00:29:32,933
Uh-huh.

693
00:29:33,253 --> 00:29:35,743
So I've got a lot of people there, and
a lot of people that I have on my team

694
00:29:35,743 --> 00:29:40,833
now, my, my fractional CMO, my fractional
COO, I've all been connected through

695
00:29:41,163 --> 00:29:44,723
that organization, people that are-
That's great … are very vital in my

696
00:29:44,723 --> 00:29:50,333
organization now, helping me scale this
business at this point because of those-

697
00:29:50,343 --> 00:29:50,363
Mm-hmm

698
00:29:50,363 --> 00:29:51,013
organizations.

699
00:29:51,023 --> 00:29:55,463
So I, with the Business Hall of Fame, I'm
involved in my executive leadership group.

700
00:29:55,873 --> 00:29:57,173
I'm the city-

701
00:29:57,173 --> 00:29:57,193
Yeah

702
00:29:57,273 --> 00:29:59,433
… chair of the San Antonio
Alumni Association.

703
00:30:00,013 --> 00:30:03,113
I try to stay heavily involved in these
organizations because I'm putting myself

704
00:30:03,113 --> 00:30:05,647
in a room with the smartest people.

705
00:30:06,487 --> 00:30:06,567
Yeah.

706
00:30:06,767 --> 00:30:08,207
So I feel like that's the best.

707
00:30:08,597 --> 00:30:10,627
I can listen to podcasts
all day, and sometimes I do.

708
00:30:10,907 --> 00:30:13,457
None of them really resonate with
me as much as the conversations

709
00:30:13,457 --> 00:30:15,457
I have with people in real life.

710
00:30:16,087 --> 00:30:16,427
Yeah.

711
00:30:16,557 --> 00:30:16,767
Yeah.

712
00:30:16,797 --> 00:30:22,087
So t- so what is next for you
and, and your, uh, Pretty Thai?

713
00:30:22,217 --> 00:30:23,347
What's, what's the next step?

714
00:30:23,857 --> 00:30:26,467
Yeah, it's been the step… I've been
trying to get to the, drive more brand

715
00:30:26,467 --> 00:30:29,167
awareness, get more growth stage.

716
00:30:29,987 --> 00:30:33,167
and I'm hopeful now that with the people
that I've been able to bring on board,

717
00:30:33,167 --> 00:30:36,947
that we've, we're putting together a
good plan of how to execute on that.

718
00:30:37,007 --> 00:30:43,177
we're about to do a, a full, a
full probably, rebrand with Pretty

719
00:30:43,177 --> 00:30:47,427
Tie as far as the, the packaging,
potentially even the logo.

720
00:30:47,917 --> 00:30:48,097
Wow

721
00:30:48,137 --> 00:30:50,937
…
just because, with the person I've
just brought on as COO, he was able to

722
00:30:50,937 --> 00:30:56,017
take some of the connections he has and
get a, really big agency to go do a,

723
00:30:56,117 --> 00:30:58,027
a shelf audit at our Walmart set and-

724
00:30:58,587 --> 00:30:58,727
Mm

725
00:30:58,737 --> 00:31:00,657
…
found out people aren't seeing us.

726
00:31:00,697 --> 00:31:03,547
The first four glances don't go to
Pretty Thai, and you've only got

727
00:31:03,547 --> 00:31:06,357
about two seconds to get the attention
of the consumer at the shelf.

728
00:31:06,777 --> 00:31:07,647
And if you're not getting that-

729
00:31:07,647 --> 00:31:07,854
That's easy

730
00:31:07,854 --> 00:31:08,704
you're losing.

731
00:31:09,404 --> 00:31:09,854
So-

732
00:31:09,854 --> 00:31:09,894
Mm-hmm

733
00:31:09,894 --> 00:31:12,764
…
no, but we have a really high
repurchase rate, so we know that if

734
00:31:12,764 --> 00:31:17,684
we can get the visibility fixed, we
will get the repurchase and we will-

735
00:31:17,714 --> 00:31:18,114
Mm-hmm

736
00:31:18,114 --> 00:31:21,504
…
we, we will grow, and then we'll be able
to attract more and more retailers, and

737
00:31:21,504 --> 00:31:23,074
from there it's just a domino effect.

738
00:31:23,614 --> 00:31:23,854
Yeah.

739
00:31:23,874 --> 00:31:24,204
So-

740
00:31:24,404 --> 00:31:26,944
Have you, have you looked
at the PenFed, uh, VEP?

741
00:31:27,164 --> 00:31:28,304
You're in Walmart, right?

742
00:31:28,804 --> 00:31:29,354
Yes.

743
00:31:30,184 --> 00:31:31,734
Are you in all of them or just,
like, one region or how does-

744
00:31:31,734 --> 00:31:33,924
No, just, we're just in just
a little over, we'll be in

745
00:31:33,924 --> 00:31:35,424
a little over 300 here soon.

746
00:31:35,594 --> 00:31:36,264
We're in about 300-

747
00:31:36,274 --> 00:31:36,294
Wow

748
00:31:36,334 --> 00:31:37,464
…
right now in Texas.

749
00:31:37,884 --> 00:31:39,154
300 in Texas alone.

750
00:31:39,164 --> 00:31:39,784
Wow.

751
00:31:39,834 --> 00:31:40,224
Okay.

752
00:31:40,314 --> 00:31:41,254
Congratulations.

753
00:31:41,704 --> 00:31:47,764
And then, um, uh, the Pen- PenFed
Credit Union has a program for veterans.

754
00:31:47,764 --> 00:31:48,864
Have you heard of that one, VEP?

755
00:31:50,024 --> 00:31:51,294
I… Yes.

756
00:31:51,314 --> 00:31:56,124
I had applied for that a long time
ago, and at that time when I applied

757
00:31:56,124 --> 00:31:58,504
for it, it was very tech-focused.

758
00:31:59,064 --> 00:31:59,294
Mm.

759
00:31:59,314 --> 00:32:03,324
So- Yes, it was … so they're like,
"We just don't think you're gonna

760
00:32:03,324 --> 00:32:06,354
fit into the curriculum because
it's so te- so tech-focused."

761
00:32:06,744 --> 00:32:10,904
Last year I was able to talk to
somebody at the, at, Edge, and they-

762
00:32:11,024 --> 00:32:11,044
Yeah

763
00:32:11,054 --> 00:32:14,364
… said, "Yeah, it's changed a lot. I think
you should reach out." I haven't yet

764
00:32:14,394 --> 00:32:16,924
just because I was just getting through
some other programs and I'm trying to

765
00:32:18,094 --> 00:32:20,064
focus on, just getting where we're at.

766
00:32:20,074 --> 00:32:20,114
Sure.

767
00:32:20,134 --> 00:32:23,664
But I think that has been
something that's been on my radar.

768
00:32:23,974 --> 00:32:24,254
Yep.

769
00:32:24,724 --> 00:32:27,404
Well, if it's okay with you, I can
put you in touch with Rachel Miller.

770
00:32:27,424 --> 00:32:32,304
She's the program manager for,
um, the accelerator and the

771
00:32:32,534 --> 00:32:34,704
incubator both, if that's-

772
00:32:34,764 --> 00:32:35,264
Yes

773
00:32:35,344 --> 00:32:35,424
…
that's your bag too, so.

774
00:32:35,424 --> 00:32:35,654
No,

775
00:32:36,214 --> 00:32:36,224
I,

776
00:32:36,744 --> 00:32:38,544
I'm never gonna turn down an introduction.

777
00:32:38,834 --> 00:32:40,794
that's the only- Well, I- … piece
of advice I'll give to people.

778
00:32:40,834 --> 00:32:41,274
That's right.

779
00:32:41,274 --> 00:32:41,644
Never-

780
00:32:41,844 --> 00:32:42,044
That's

781
00:32:42,044 --> 00:32:44,824
right … if somebody's willing
to help you, don't say no.

782
00:32:45,494 --> 00:32:49,744
Yeah, because they're, they're, they're,
uh, they have a, an incubator and

783
00:32:49,744 --> 00:32:54,574
accelerator every year or twice a year
in Bentonville, uh, Arkansas, so it

784
00:32:54,574 --> 00:32:59,994
could be a good, a good connection into
further relationships at, at Walmart, so.

785
00:32:59,994 --> 00:33:00,404
Yeah.

786
00:33:01,134 --> 00:33:02,354
It's worth, it's worth a
conversation- Yeah … right?

787
00:33:02,944 --> 00:33:03,264
Yeah.

788
00:33:03,264 --> 00:33:03,724
No.

789
00:33:03,734 --> 00:33:03,754
So

790
00:33:03,754 --> 00:33:09,494
perhaps- And then, yeah, so to what's
the future, I wanna grow Pretty Thai.

791
00:33:10,094 --> 00:33:11,894
my nonprofit is very important to me.

792
00:33:11,914 --> 00:33:12,364
That's-

793
00:33:14,610 --> 00:33:18,300
The goal has always been to grow
Pretty Thai to, to help support the

794
00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:20,850
nonprofit and be the vehicle to-

795
00:33:20,890 --> 00:33:21,100
Yeah

796
00:33:21,530 --> 00:33:22,220
…
to do that.

797
00:33:22,690 --> 00:33:24,870
so being able to do that is
something that's important to me.

798
00:33:24,870 --> 00:33:27,960
I've been able-- I've had to put it on
the back burner for, God, I feel like

799
00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:30,100
the last five years, and it, it's- Yeah.

800
00:33:30,540 --> 00:33:32,970
And I've had a lot of advice from people,
especially in the Business Hall of Fame,

801
00:33:32,970 --> 00:33:36,700
some very, very high up legends that,
have since passed away, but they told

802
00:33:36,700 --> 00:33:40,580
me, "You know, you've gotta build this
business to be a success before you

803
00:33:40,580 --> 00:33:43,050
can do that philanthropic part of it."

804
00:33:43,790 --> 00:33:44,280
But it just-

805
00:33:44,290 --> 00:33:44,320
Mm-hmm

806
00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:47,560
… it's tough for me, Rod, because it's
so close and dear to my heart that it's

807
00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:51,550
really difficult for me to say, "Sh- I'll
just keep pushing it off." It's really

808
00:33:51,550 --> 00:33:55,950
what drives me and motivates me every
single day to get up and keep doing this-

809
00:33:56,260 --> 00:33:56,530
Yes.

810
00:33:56,530 --> 00:33:57,210
Yes … uh,

811
00:33:57,250 --> 00:33:59,350
what I'm doing, so it's important.

812
00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:00,930
Do you wanna talk about your nonprofit?

813
00:34:00,940 --> 00:34:01,530
It's up to you.

814
00:34:01,530 --> 00:34:02,120
Yeah.

815
00:34:02,170 --> 00:34:03,230
I can go into that a little bit.

816
00:34:03,230 --> 00:34:03,820
Yeah, so the

817
00:34:03,820 --> 00:34:05,663
nonprofit's the Palmer
Nicklaus Foundation.

818
00:34:05,663 --> 00:34:06,400
It's in

819
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,540
honor of my son Palmer, who
passed away, nine years ago now.

820
00:34:09,550 --> 00:34:09,920
Mm-hmm.

821
00:34:10,050 --> 00:34:10,870
it feels like yesterday.

822
00:34:10,870 --> 00:34:10,995
Yeah

823
00:34:10,995 --> 00:34:14,605
…
for anybody who's ever lost a
child, it doesn't go away with time.

824
00:34:14,645 --> 00:34:15,865
Time doesn't heal all wounds.

825
00:34:15,885 --> 00:34:16,415
Mm-hmm.

826
00:34:16,425 --> 00:34:20,475
It's just a matter of how do you redirect
that pain to try to make the most of it.

827
00:34:21,005 --> 00:34:24,155
So we started the foundation
a year after we lost him.

828
00:34:24,155 --> 00:34:28,685
We did our first event, and then COVID
hit, we've done s- some since then.

829
00:34:28,685 --> 00:34:32,335
We've donated to several families and
several causes, including veteran causes,

830
00:34:33,015 --> 00:34:37,075
'cause for us, it's all about just putting
good back into the world in his honor-

831
00:34:37,085 --> 00:34:37,265
Mm-hmm

832
00:34:37,525 --> 00:34:40,815
in Palmer's honor, and then figuring
out as we go, how can we do it?

833
00:34:40,825 --> 00:34:44,705
So I actually have a, my
first event here on Thursday-

834
00:34:44,715 --> 00:34:44,725
Mm

835
00:34:45,005 --> 00:34:46,375
… at the Christian Children's Hospital.

836
00:34:46,405 --> 00:34:49,615
We're gonna start a program with them,
a chef program where we're gonna go

837
00:34:49,615 --> 00:34:53,615
in and… This first one's just gonna
be a pickling class, making pickles-

838
00:34:53,615 --> 00:34:53,635
Mm-hmm

839
00:34:53,635 --> 00:34:57,145
and show them how to make pickles,
just get the families out, get them,

840
00:34:57,365 --> 00:35:01,805
get their minds off of the room, of
what's going on with their child.

841
00:35:01,815 --> 00:35:01,835
Mm-hmm.

842
00:35:01,845 --> 00:35:05,105
The beeping for even an hour is important.

843
00:35:05,105 --> 00:35:05,175
Mm-hmm.

844
00:35:05,205 --> 00:35:08,825
We spent 47 days between Dell
Children's and Texas Children's

845
00:35:08,825 --> 00:35:11,935
Hospital, so I can attest to how crazy-

846
00:35:11,995 --> 00:35:14,735
those machines can make you,
because that's all you care about.

847
00:35:15,105 --> 00:35:18,855
So yeah, our goal is to really
just, drive awareness to CHD and to

848
00:35:18,855 --> 00:35:21,405
heterotaxy, which is… Heterotaxy
is something that's very rare.

849
00:35:21,985 --> 00:35:24,135
you can look it up, but it just
means different arrangement

850
00:35:24,315 --> 00:35:25,965
and, your organs are reversed.

851
00:35:25,975 --> 00:35:25,995
Yeah.

852
00:35:26,185 --> 00:35:28,625
In, in our case, Palmer's
heart was reversed.

853
00:35:28,625 --> 00:35:32,615
It was backwards, which caused a lot
of his conditions, and ultimately-

854
00:35:32,615 --> 00:35:32,625
Sure.

855
00:35:32,625 --> 00:35:32,655
Sure

856
00:35:32,655 --> 00:35:33,535
… it was too complex.

857
00:35:34,325 --> 00:35:37,645
So Pretty Thai was the
vehicle, and I wanna, go back.

858
00:35:37,645 --> 00:35:41,365
So I've had the crazy idea this last
six months, and I wanna come to fruition

859
00:35:41,365 --> 00:35:45,435
with it, is to go back to the food
truck, something I thought I'd never

860
00:35:45,435 --> 00:35:51,075
say, but purely as a way to, one,
market Pretty Thai so we can grow more.

861
00:35:51,745 --> 00:35:51,765
Mm-hmm.

862
00:35:51,775 --> 00:35:55,675
Because when we grow, we're able
to do more with the foundation.

863
00:35:55,935 --> 00:35:56,535
The more we grow-

864
00:35:56,545 --> 00:35:56,565
Yeah

865
00:35:56,565 --> 00:35:58,865
…
with Pretty Thai, the more we can
feed the families in the fight.

866
00:35:58,875 --> 00:35:59,405
Mm-hmm.

867
00:35:59,505 --> 00:36:02,755
And the goal is to take the food truck
and go park it out front of HEBs,

868
00:36:03,945 --> 00:36:06,495
Walmarts, events throughout Texas.

869
00:36:06,575 --> 00:36:06,945
I see.

870
00:36:06,985 --> 00:36:07,355
And then-

871
00:36:07,365 --> 00:36:07,755
Yeah

872
00:36:08,195 --> 00:36:11,545
and showcase the brand, and then
also say, "Hey, by the way, if

873
00:36:11,545 --> 00:36:15,215
you're supporting us by either buying
a bottle or donating right here-

874
00:36:15,225 --> 00:36:15,285
Mm-hmm

875
00:36:15,285 --> 00:36:19,755
to our foundation, tomorrow, next week,
we're taking this food truck and we're

876
00:36:19,755 --> 00:36:24,165
gonna go park outside of Texas Children's
Hospital or, Dell Children's in Austin,

877
00:36:24,175 --> 00:36:28,055
or Christian Children's in San Antonio, or
Dallas Children's, and we're gonna feed-

878
00:36:28,055 --> 00:36:28,065
Yeah

879
00:36:28,065 --> 00:36:28,655
… the families."

880
00:36:29,025 --> 00:36:29,385
Wow

881
00:36:29,435 --> 00:36:33,235
…
because as much as I wanna say, "Hey,
it can wait, it can wait, it can wait,"

882
00:36:33,725 --> 00:36:36,735
not doing that is, is eating me up.

883
00:36:36,745 --> 00:36:36,775
Mm-hmm.

884
00:36:36,865 --> 00:36:37,525
it's making-

885
00:36:37,535 --> 00:36:37,795
Understood

886
00:36:37,895 --> 00:36:39,195
… what I'm doing not fun.

887
00:36:39,865 --> 00:36:43,045
And I got into this because
I enjoyed it, and I want it-

888
00:36:43,045 --> 00:36:43,265
Yeah

889
00:36:43,275 --> 00:36:44,305
…
to be fun, so.

890
00:36:44,455 --> 00:36:45,055
Understood.

891
00:36:45,195 --> 00:36:45,965
Understood, Robert.

892
00:36:46,375 --> 00:36:47,085
God bless you.

893
00:36:47,145 --> 00:36:48,685
Uh, I usually say this at the end.

894
00:36:49,255 --> 00:36:53,495
I usually make an- a, a, a donation
of $100 to our, to the Dick

895
00:36:53,495 --> 00:36:57,995
Loges, uh, scholarship fund for
children of, uh, military families.

896
00:36:58,145 --> 00:37:03,115
Uh, but Robert, I'd like to donate $100
to, to your foundation and, and as a

897
00:37:03,115 --> 00:37:05,525
thank you for your, your time today.

898
00:37:05,525 --> 00:37:09,085
I very much appreciate it, and
appreciate your, your being so open

899
00:37:09,095 --> 00:37:13,395
and transparent with your learnings
and, uh, everything, that's for sure.

900
00:37:13,405 --> 00:37:14,695
Well- So thank you for

901
00:37:14,695 --> 00:37:15,015
that.

902
00:37:15,015 --> 00:37:15,135
I

903
00:37:15,135 --> 00:37:15,775
appreciate that too.

904
00:37:15,775 --> 00:37:15,965
Um, my…

905
00:37:16,965 --> 00:37:17,755
Absolutely.

906
00:37:17,885 --> 00:37:18,705
You are very welcome.

907
00:37:18,715 --> 00:37:23,945
Let's, um… So wrapping up, what's,
what can we, the veteran community,

908
00:37:23,945 --> 00:37:30,975
do to champion and celebrate you and
your… and Pretty Thai or Wingman?

909
00:37:31,705 --> 00:37:31,975
Yeah.

910
00:37:31,975 --> 00:37:33,245
just share it.

911
00:37:33,495 --> 00:37:34,615
I think that's the biggest thing.

912
00:37:34,615 --> 00:37:36,805
word of mouth is an amazing tool.

913
00:37:37,285 --> 00:37:40,565
we've lived off of that
honestly for the last decade.

914
00:37:41,305 --> 00:37:44,115
So I think we have an amazing product.

915
00:37:44,145 --> 00:37:48,415
I think we have a product that resonates
and that can be a, a household name.

916
00:37:48,415 --> 00:37:50,345
That's why we continue to
push and fight so hard.

917
00:37:50,345 --> 00:37:53,375
So I think if you go out and purchase
Pretty Thai, share it with your

918
00:37:53,375 --> 00:37:57,285
friends, give it away as gifts,
reach out to me at any time and

919
00:37:57,295 --> 00:37:58,905
ask me, "Hey, how do I use this?"

920
00:37:58,975 --> 00:38:00,055
I'll, I'll, I'll-

921
00:38:00,195 --> 00:38:00,725
Uh-huh.

922
00:38:01,175 --> 00:38:01,305
For

923
00:38:01,305 --> 00:38:01,375
sure

924
00:38:01,375 --> 00:38:04,985
…
I'll do it, talk to you anytime about
food and how to cook with it and so forth.

925
00:38:04,985 --> 00:38:08,445
But that's really the,
the biggest way for me.

926
00:38:08,865 --> 00:38:09,215
Yeah.

927
00:38:09,485 --> 00:38:11,445
I don't need anything other than
what people have already been

928
00:38:11,445 --> 00:38:15,125
providing, which has been support
and just genuine connection.

929
00:38:15,865 --> 00:38:16,075
Yep.

930
00:38:16,295 --> 00:38:16,935
Understood.

931
00:38:17,025 --> 00:38:17,505
Understood.

932
00:38:17,505 --> 00:38:18,535
So, all right.

933
00:38:18,535 --> 00:38:20,415
Well, thank you so much for
your time and insights today.

934
00:38:20,415 --> 00:38:20,625
I very

935
00:38:20,625 --> 00:38:21,465
much appreciate it.

936
00:38:21,745 --> 00:38:24,065
Thanks for joining us on
the Milcom Founders Podcast.

937
00:38:25,055 --> 00:38:28,195
If you know a Milcom founder
with a story to share, reach

938
00:38:28,195 --> 00:38:30,335
out to us at milcomfounders.com.

939
00:38:31,095 --> 00:38:35,265
For each guest on our show, One Degree
Financial donates $100 to the Dick

940
00:38:35,485 --> 00:38:40,315
Loges Veteran Entrepreneur Scholarship
Fund, supporting education for

941
00:38:40,315 --> 00:38:41,825
children of a Milcom business owner.

942
00:38:42,785 --> 00:38:43,115
Stay ready.