Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Explore your curiosity - Interesting people with fascinating stories.
Life consists of three things:
-The stories we tell others
-The stories others tell us
-The stories we tell ourselves.
Chris, welcome aboard to the show. So happy to have you today.
Speaker 2:It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you for the invite.
Speaker 1:So no way about it. We're gonna have to ask you what the hell is a bucket of bread. But before we get to that, and for the audience who's listening and not watching, there's a big sign with Chris', you know, face and, and a whole bunch of buckets that I can assume that I've got bread in them. So we're we're gonna get to that. But I wanna ask you something before we get to that.
Speaker 1:You made the decision to do something quite unusual at a very early age. May I ask you to share
Speaker 2:that story? Are you referring to joining the army? Absolutely. Ah, yes. So I was in high school, and I really didn't have any purpose or direction.
Speaker 2:And my dad took me out on a little hunting adventure. We were just gonna go look for some bunnies to pluck away and have some dinner with, I guess. But I guess he wanted me to just get out there and have a little word to word talk, and he said something to the effect of, you know, you're gonna be 18 soon, and I don't know what your plans are for college, but we gotta figure a way to pay for that if that's what you're gonna do. And if that's not what you're gonna do, we're gonna have to figure out what you're gonna do. Because once you hit 18, I'm gonna have to break your plate, which meant to me that, well, I'm gonna have to get my own dinners.
Speaker 2:And I kind of thought it through a little bit and I guess the universe was pointing me in the right direction because at the time I was dating a foreign exchange student from Spain and her American dad was the recruiter at the local mall. So this is back probably 8990. And we met and he kind of nudged me and next thing you know, I'm calling him up and I said, you know, I think I should probably do the thing. So let me see what you guys have to offer. So I took some tests and they said, well, you can do what you'd like to do.
Speaker 2:And then I said, all right, let's sign up. And the next thing you know, I'm in a uniform at basic training. I told my dad, hey, got a job. And he was just like, oh, really? What are you what are you gonna do?
Speaker 2:I said, well, in about a month I'm leaving for the Army. And he threw down his hat and he was all like stomping and hooting and hollering. He was like, Don't you know you're going to have to walk everywhere? Because he was a Navy guy. So he was an old Vietnam Navy guy that said, you know, I should have joined the Navy.
Speaker 2:But after a few years of me doing Army, he kind of came around and was all supportive. So I'm super happy I did it. It was one of the best decisions. I even wrote my recruiter a thank you note, but that was from the Gulf War back in 1990. Said, Harry, thanks for this.
Speaker 2:This is not bad at all. I'm really appreciative despite my location. But yeah, later on, actually like ten, fifteen years later when he was a sergeant major, we were able to connect again and I think we'll shake some hands and have a few laughs together. That's amazing.
Speaker 1:So you're on your first day in boot camp. To quote an old song, you're in the army now. What what is going through your head? Like, you know, this is not like something changed. Right?
Speaker 1:What were you thinking?
Speaker 2:Well, I left Little Dirt Road, Iowa, which was home, and I got on my first airplane flight. And I'm like, oh, man. What am I getting into? So as soon as we hit the ground, that's when all chaos broke, you know, and all the stuff that you brought, it's being flung everywhere. They give you a bunch of new stuff, and that's being flung everywhere, and you're in trouble for not keeping track of it.
Speaker 2:And there's one guy yelling at one ear, another guy yelling at another ear, and you don't know which way to go, but they generated chaos. And I guess they were just trying to assess how well you could comprehend all of that and deal with it and try to capture your demeanor a little bit. And somehow, I was able to get through all of that chaos and kind of move forward. And I'm yeah. It was one of those experiences where it's like a really good worst memory because you're experiencing a lot of just so much new and you're really wanting to do well, but at the same time, you're set up for failure.
Speaker 2:So you gotta adjust, adapt, and they're there to help bring you through that challenge. And like I said, it's probably one of the better things that I chose to do with my life.
Speaker 1:How do you feel that service changed you? What was the kind of person you were before or and after? What did you learn? What was your kind of big takeaways?
Speaker 2:Well, I was a little bit of a snot nosed kid. You know, I didn't realize I was a little mouthy. I didn't know where I was going. Didn't know what I was doing. And I think by getting into a environment that had a lot more structure, that really gave you some focus and put a group of people that you're with on a mission, some sort of goal that you all had to achieve together, and then receiving that feeling of accomplishment.
Speaker 2:It really built you up as a person to help you realize, you know, when you're looking at a goal in life that you can actually chase that, attain that. And then once you've done that, you can enjoy the benefits from having done and gone through all of those things.
Speaker 1:What's the worst and best moment that you recall from your time, during Desert Storm?
Speaker 2:Of the worst time of Desert Storm. Well, there was a time when we were just there were three of us. There were two NCOs, sergeants, us higher sergeant and a brand new sergeant. And we were in a Humvee because for whatever reason, we had a little bit of free rein. I guess there were less rules back then.
Speaker 2:But we came across this area that just had debris scattered in the middle of nowhere and we pulled up and I just recall that there was this woman that had ran up to us after we got out. I don't know where she came from. She just appeared out of nowhere. But, you know, they usually had their faces covered, but the winds had hit kicked up, and they had blown that out of the way. And there were some tattoos, and she was grabbing me and shaking me.
Speaker 2:And then, you know, as a young guy, I'm really kinda scared, so I didn't know what to do. So I just kinda pushed her back, and she took a look at me like I was offending her. But that language barrier, I don't know what she was saying, but that's just a very vague memory that just kinda stands out because was she asking for help? I don't know what was going on. And so I'd say that was one of the worst just because I left there feeling a little bit more like, I don't know what I just encountered.
Speaker 2:So that that that happened.
Speaker 1:Did you guys have community liaisons back in the day?
Speaker 2:No. If we did, I was too low on the totem pole to realize it. So, I mean, I didn't even know which way to point my weapon when I landed on the ground.
Speaker 1:Fair enough. What what was your best memory?
Speaker 2:So I think one of the best memories was probably that first shower because it'd been, like, thirty plus days, and we had built this super awesome shower out of some wooden stuff. We were able to take a quick shower and just remember the cold water, despite how cold it was, because we were there and it wasn't warm out like a desert where you'd expect, it was actually pretty cold. But that feeling of that water just hitting you on a dirty body that's been through ich really felt good. And then that night, you're looking up and you're seeing those stars. I remember the whole Middle East region, when you're out in the away from the city areas, looking up at the sky is just amazing.
Speaker 2:It's like you can see the entire universe from your point of view. And and I think that's really just a a thing that does stand out as one of the most beautiful skies that I've seen is during wartime.
Speaker 1:Did do you feel like that changed you in some way that there's just so much joy in the simple things and that sometimes we're just taking too much shit for granted?
Speaker 2:I mean, maybe subconsciously, a little bit, but I probably need to reflect better on this regularly to make sure that it's part of me more innately. But, yeah, I think maybe there's a little bit inside there that when I do reflect that I can kinda go, oh, well, you know, back when this was this way or you saw the conditions of people living in this particular way. Yeah. There's there's that. I remember I would had spent some time in South America, and I remember some of the houses there, and that does definitely stick out.
Speaker 2:I ran a I was able to walk through an orphanage. I was doing some media relations with the army at that point, and we had gone through a I think this was a hurricane Mitch relief. And walking through the orphanage area and just this building that had bars on the windows and was kind of dilapidated and tin roof, some of those babies were just tied to these steel cribs with these sheets. So, you know, they're just on their backs tied down because they really couldn't give them all the care they could. And I just remember feeling like, This is so sad.
Speaker 2:And that makes you feel a little bit more. That one I do reflect on regularly because I don't like to see kids go through that. There's a whole lot worse in the world going on. If you look at the entire thing of that, that's just one particular instance I had the ability to walk through and see. But I think there's a lot more that people need in the world to kind of help care for fellow man, you Right.
Speaker 1:So you're fast forward quite a few years. You are now taking off the uniform for the last time.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes. What So that'd be 2018. I was stationed in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, and that's not too far from home. So I was pretty lucky to be stationed so close to where I grew up. And then before that, I even spent a lot of time in the Des Moines, Iowa area, which was even closer to where I grew up.
Speaker 2:So having that experience being stationed so close to where I was home at the time, was really a blessing. And I remember it was February 2018, and it was kind of just one of those scenarios where it was like, okay, you're signing out of all the supply stuff. You're you don't owe us any money. You somehow kept all your stuff. How did you do that?
Speaker 2:We don't know. But I was able to just get that stamp, that signed, sealed, delivered, and then the last stop was pick up a new ID card. And then I went off into the wild law wild west and decided, what am I gonna do with myself?
Speaker 1:It's such a huge transition, right, from military to civilian life. Were you were you afraid at that moment? Were you I wouldn't say
Speaker 2:it a nightmare to do. Part of the out processing was they made you wear civilian clothes for, a week or two, and you attended these classes that said, hey. This is what LinkedIn is, and this is how you write a resume, and this is how you talk to people. And during that time, had, sent me a note and said, we'd love to buy you a cup of coffee. So I was like, well, I'm not gonna turn down free coffee.
Speaker 2:It might as well. So the next thing, know, I, was invited to be a financial adviser. So within a couple weeks, I was grinding my nose against a bunch of books, trying to get licenses and things like that. Finally got through that. That was tough because I'm not the brightest, I don't think.
Speaker 2:But but I did get through that, and I was able to do pretty well with it. It's just that, you know, the stars didn't align as well as I wanted them to to where I wanted to do that forever. And, then coincidentally, COVID hit. So the next thing you know, I had grabbed a little work from home job. My son had come up from Des Moines to live with me at the time for that year, year and a half or so.
Speaker 2:And he was doing his schoolwork at the kitchen table while about 10 feet away at the other area. I was doing some work for a financial institution, just scrubbing some paperwork for people who wanted to get a loan for an ATV or something like that. And the one year anniversary for that hit, and the CEO decided he wanted to have a fifteen minute call with everybody that had that anniversary moment. So it was a little conversation, like, kind of like what we're having now, and he wanted just to get to know who people are. So I told him and he was, you know, chatting me up and he said, well, I do have a side project that I've been working on.
Speaker 2:And at that time, had like a stick figure drawing of a website and an idea, and he loved the idea. So I had, at that point gone through some of the initial phases to get a location and was going through renovations even during COVID and finally got those approved about that same time and told him, well, unfortunately, this idea kind of means that I probably won't be working much for you. And he laughed and he says, You know what? You'd be leaving for all the right reasons. And this is amazing.
Speaker 2:This is awesome. So I had my first little farmer's market event to test the waters with my product. And one of the first people that showed up was him. And he purged lord. Yes.
Speaker 2:So he purchased the product, he introduced me to his GalPal girlfriend and we became a LinkedIn connection and you know, I just always looked at his leadership style, the servitude, and thought, you know, that's how it's supposed to be done. And I thought that was just a great transition to my idea to say, you know what, let me do this and try to make this a thing and make this a, you know, in the future, it's gonna be a full time thing. So I'm pushing my way towards that.
Speaker 3:Expression is that you can
Speaker 1:take the man out of service. You can't take the service out of the man or woman or person. Do you feel like in this new business, there's an element of service here? Why why are you doing this? What is the what is the fire that is burning?
Speaker 2:So when I had the idea, it was kind of strange to me, because I don't get these moments where just lights are flashing and like, hey, you need to do this. So I woke up in the middle of the night at probably like 3AM. What's going on? I have this thought because we have to go back a little bit in time to little boy me. And my mom always had me in the kitchen doing things.
Speaker 2:And I was getting great memories out of it, but she was trying to make sure that the adult version of me could take care of himself, feed himself, figure out the things. And I'm, like, still thankful for that, but I became comfortable in the kitchen there and became the guy that made the dinners. Or if there was a charity event, I'd bake things. And I kind of just developed my own way of baking things from various methods and kind of narrowed it down into a simple way that really turned out all right. For whatever reason, now back to that wake up moment, I just thought, hey, all the things that you've been doing and all the things that you like to do, somehow you can put that into a bucket.
Speaker 2:And we're going to take that bucket and use that as a business platform to help people. So I thought, well, what best way to do that than to have some sort of a profit sharing built into the business plan that also allows people to send donations of that product. And those donations, whether that be the gift from a customer or through that profit sharing, those are earmarked funds or products that go directly to food banks or other charities that are combating hunger and fighting food insecurity. And I thought, wow, the bigger I could make this thing, the more of an impact for good I can have. To go back to how veterans like to serve, I have noticed a little bit of a trend in the different and various veteran owned businesses that I've encountered is there always seems to be a level of wanting to give back to a community or a purpose behind, you know, it's more than just a dollar bill coming to you.
Speaker 1:I couldn't agree more. There is, I think, an element of joy in giving back to the community. I I just wish more people would get it without having to, you know, necessarily serve in order to to get that, I think fundamental point in the human condition. So okay so we've gone you know this very large turn around the block. What is a bucket of bread?
Speaker 2:Okay so the basic pitch I'll give you is that what I have done is I have taken certified organic flowers and I have placed them into these 100% recyclable buckets. And now also for retail locations, a boxed version of that where you would use your own container. But these certified organic flours in this bucket is a baking kit that all you have to do is mix in lukewarm water until there's nothing dry left, and you end up with a dough. That dough is good for breads, pizzas, cinnamon buns, garlic knots, breadsticks, pretzels, bagels, really anything you can think of using the dough for. I've got a traditional white, a hearty wheat, and a seven grains.
Speaker 2:And then once this takes off further, I've got plans for other types as well. But I have made all of these, and this is what sets me apart, without preservatives. There are no fats, no oils, no dairies, no eggs, no added sugars, no bromates, bromides, dyes, or colors. It's just the good stuff. And that's apparently more hard to find than I thought it would be.
Speaker 2:And that fits in really perfectly for my type of a product because in addition to all that, it's completely vegan friendly. So I have a wide variety of people that would benefit from using a bucket of bread products.
Speaker 1:So I think we all know that there is nothing like a freshly baked anything really. Any kind of baked bread or pastry, it's just so good. But there's a fear in doing that. Right? There's a fear in putting stuff in the oven and burning, and it's the right temperature.
Speaker 1:Here in Colorado, we have altitude issues. What's the what's the stories that you hear for these first time customers never baked? And yet they're gonna be like, oh, I'm gonna try that.
Speaker 2:I just got one today that was a very big surprise. I got tagged in a LinkedIn and a Facebook post that this couple, they're in Texas. They ordered my product. They're out in the Fort Worth area. They're not military, but they know people who are.
Speaker 2:I don't know them very well. I don't know them at all other than from that quick interaction. But they used my bucket of bread product to bake with their first anniversary dinner, and they shared that that helped make things so wonderful. They were able to do it together. They shared moments of putting the thing together them you know, with themselves.
Speaker 2:They even got creative and put some garlic butter through the top of it and made this they shared pictures, and and I still have to respond to their Google review. Well, now send them the recording. There we go. There's that. But yeah, I was just so warmed to the heart to have them share that.
Speaker 2:I was able to be invited into their celebration of love and be a part of their kitchen. So, yeah, I'm I'm little stories like that are just very heartwarming and make me realize that I have created something that is so easy for the first time user to the person who's done this a thousand times and is a a pro at it.
Speaker 1:Do do you see that kind of story, you know, you and your mom kind of having that that that experience that lasted you for a lifetime? Do you see stories like that from your customers where they're doing off their kids, they're having this first time experience, maybe messing it up and having fun doing it?
Speaker 2:I did get a message, and this was an unprovoked customer response that, you know, she put one of the, you know better videos that I've seen on TikTok about my product and she went through with the narrations she had cut through different aspects of it but she was able to bond with her toddler and she showed the toddler making things with it lovely And I was just like, wow, I have something here because those two have created a memory and she's used it more than once as well. So I know that I'm able to give them a feeling of, you know, comfort in their home as well. So little things like that matter to me because when you're doing something that's new and you've created a thing, I don't know, maybe some people aren't like this, but I get a little anxious every order that goes out like, oh, man. I hope they like it. I really hope things are good for them.
Speaker 2:But it turns out that, you know, more than nine times out of 10, everybody seems
Speaker 1:to really
Speaker 2:enjoy what's been created.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. I I don't know if this is true, but I feel like having that experience as a kid, right, cooking with your parents, with your siblings, I feel like that also contributed to a more healthy lifestyle. Right? Maybe it starts with bread, but you learn how to cook other stuff, and you're eating less processed food and all kinds of stuff. It's more than just healthy eating.
Speaker 1:It's also for me, it's, it's part of the experiences that I have with my kids. And you see what you do with them than they do on their own, and they take it over. So it's it's almost this this gift that you can give to your kids that they will forever remember, and I remember, you know, and my wife remembers, and she has stories. And she came back, it was this winter day, and, her mother is Lithuanian. She has this very heavy Soviet Union accent.
Speaker 1:So she comes back from school, and she's like, oh, mom, I'm so hungry. And then her you know, my wife, she's like, hot soup. And then my my mother-in-law, says, there is soup. It was it was this cold soup. I watch Trucker to make cold soup on a winter rainy day, but it was this cold beet soup, what they call borscht with, which is actually really good.
Speaker 1:It's a
Speaker 2:little bit of an
Speaker 1:acquired taste, but borscht I love borscht. And, and, yeah, she made cold beet soup on a rainy day, and and my wife is like so and, like, that that memory, it just it just lasts for a lifetime. And I'll make beet soup, and my kids will eat it, and I make it with them. It's I just feel like it's, you know, this is the stuff of, of childhood. Right?
Speaker 1:It's it's part of, of what makes us us. You'll have
Speaker 2:to share your recipe with me after the show because Absolutely. I now need to make some borscht. But I will share that, you know, during COVID times, probably like many of people, I totally fell off the wagon of doing things that are good for me. And this whole year has been a challenge to get back to the normal me. So I'd say I'm about halfway back to normal.
Speaker 2:But, but, yeah, it's finally to the time where it's like, okay, you gotta you gotta take a little bit better care of yourself. So I've done that, especially with what has happened in November. I had put a little message out through the Facebook channels that, the Bucket of Bread Company has a bun in the oven. So Congratulations. Thank you.
Speaker 2:So, freshly baked out of the oven in November. We had a little baby girl, little miss Ada May, and she is just cute as a button. And I can't wait to get in the kitchen with her when she's a little bit older.
Speaker 1:I am so happy for you. Congratulations.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Chris, what an absolute delight. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us today. There's only one script. I, like, I come into this, I have no idea what I'm gonna ask. But there is one question that is scripted.
Speaker 1:It's the only one on the show. It's a difficult one. Okay. Jeez. If you had to go back to 20 year old Chris, what would you advise him?
Speaker 2:You mean besides invest in certain stocks?
Speaker 1:No. No. No cheat answers. Give us give us the raw the raw truth when you look back and you're like, Chris, come on, dude. You gotta do like, don't do that.
Speaker 1:What what would that
Speaker 2:I would have to tell myself, you know, not to, the best advice for me probably would be don't spend any time in your twenties partying too much. Enjoy your time, but don't don't make that the priority in your twenties. Do some good for yourself and read a little bit more. Do a little bit better on that aspect because if I could go back in time, I think if I had more of the knowledge and skill sets that I've been able to acquire now, I'd be twice the power that I have in my pocket. So I think that would be great because I don't wanna stop myself from going in a direction, but I wanna nudge myself just to do a little bit better so that when I do get there, I I can get there faster.
Speaker 1:Chris, what an absolute delight. Thank you so much for joining the show today. I appreciate you.
Speaker 2:Well, it's been a true honor for me to come here. Thank you so much for having me, and I can't wait to meet you again.