Check out how Ross and I got started with the company here!

I’d had the idea of hosting a video game-focused event of our own for a while, but it was only recently with the major launch of Smash Brothers Ultimate that we decided to pursue it seriously. We advertised the tournament assertively on both social media and by passing out flyers in the restaurant and in key parts of town (on campus and in game stores). We came up with event-appropriate cocktails that would be served exclusively such as the Kandied Kirby and Legend of Link. Several team members worked on ensuring we had the infrastructure and setup necessary to make the event run smoothly. Anticipating high turnout, we chose to have it as a late night event to not disturb customers during our normal business hours. It was the right call, because Soyumi was totally packed that night.

It didn’t necessarily pull in a lot of money, but engaging with the community and building publicity is really win-win and kills two birds with one stone. We’ve had several people ask when the “next event” is. There’s nothing to announce right now, but if it’s something you want let us know!

We recently served our friends at Three Tree Coffee Roasters. These are the sorts of reactions I love to see:

Check out the video below and look forward to another episode of You Got Served in the near future! Peace!

Aside from just being a fun thing to do, there are lots of pieces to it that work together to make it a success. It’s a great way to spread the word about Soyumi through the program itself, word of mouth and especially through social media. We can introduce sushi to some people who haven’t had it before. And there is relatively little investment on our end.

Our most viewed video currently is a You Got Served video with Anderson’s General Store that has about 200,000 views. We’re talking about four times the population of Statesboro, GA, which is really phenomenal and goes back to what I’ve mentioned before on the power of social media.

A big part of this is engaging with customers and the community. You can leave a comment on our videos, like and share the page and you have the opportunity to decide who the next business to get served will be.

I want to give a shout-out to Davis Marketing Group — Scottie Davis, who I had a chance to talk with while rehearsing for Statesboro’s Dancing with the Stars. I totally credit her for the idea to start this program. We are constantly innovating and planning community events like this, so I was absolutely on board with this concept.

Check it out!

These are big shoes to fill. One thing that pushes me is that I don’t want to live in their shadow for the rest of my life, so part of why I work so hard is to prove to people that I had my part in the overall success of the world.

Check out my Food is Family video over on Facebook:

When I first sit down with someone, I always ask them to tell me a little about themselves. I want to figure out how self-reflective this person is. There are certain signs I’m looking for. A lot of the times they’ll start squirming. If they jump towards work or their personal life, I go with that and try to dig deeper and figure out what’s important to them.

After that’s done, I’ll talk a little about their work history including their strengths and weaknesses. Everybody likes to talk about their strengths, but the answer I’m more interested in is what they say about their weakness. An honest response that shows self awareness is good and can help me figure out how this person operates and what matters to them.

I wrap up by asking about the person’s dreams for the future. If they aren’t sure, I want to help them figure it out so that I can best work with them while pushing them in that direction. I want to find people that are driven and have loyalty and something that they want to be a part of. Talking about the person as a person and not as a list of achievements on a resume is more meaningful for both of us. Continuing to nurture the team and working relationships matters too.

First off is the advertisement opportunities it provides. You want to be where people’s eyes are, and social media is used more than ever. But it also lets you provide better customer service and connect to people in a way that isn’t possible with traditional advertising. We get messages with people asking questions and providing feedback all the time. If we’re being honest, nobody wants to pick up a phone and call for that kind of thing. Having a good team to work on our online presence really helps us connect to the community in a lot of ways.

Here’s a rap video we did for Soyumi that got a lot of attention and is the sort of fun thing we try to do to stand out. Shout-outs to Ross Barnett for doing amazing video work and editing for us:

If you’re looking for help with media content creation, you can check us out at https://www.twoflyguysmedia.com.

We have been bringing metropolitan style events to town that this area doesn’t usually see much of. When we introduced our liquid nitrogen ice cream, we had the opportunity to partner up with the Girl Scouts in an event that allowed visitors to mix their cookies with our new product. Things like this and our beer tap takeovers are an effort to bring new culture to the city.

Restaurants are a dying breed: if you look at the Statesboro market, you’ll see a majority of them are these big chains. It’s because chains have a lot of built-in advantages: Brand recognition, structures that have already been set up, and all you have to do is open a book and read A-B-C to get them up and running. But what I’m really gearing towards with Soyumi is a more special, unique market. I think people appreciate what we’re doing for Statesboro and we’ll continue to aim to be a must-visit local hot spot.

What is more important to me than maybe anything is pushing my employees towards their passions and to see them grow. I want working for me to be more than a 9-5 experience that is done for the money. As I get to know people better, I try to identify the areas they excel it in and try to help them figure out ways they can challenge themselves to improve. Empowerment is important.

Two Fly Guys, a company I co-founded, was born out of the Saucy Shrimp. Ross Barnett was one of my hosts at the time, but he had interest in video work. I said, “hey, why don’t you take this project on?” We worked together and found out that there was something there. We started making videos under the Two Fly Guys brand. And now I have this company with Ross so that whatever my next business is, I have a way to advertise it.

Taking an interest in your employees’ potential and dreams is more important than micromanagement and can lead to more and better opportunities for everyone.