SPOTLIGHT: Old Glory Flagpole & Rescue
My Mother founded The Flag Lady's Flag Store in 1980. I took over the flagpole portion in 1999. We took that business from 35K a year to in excess of 700K in just under 7 years.
After 36 years of Mom owning the company, my sister Lori purchased the company from Mom in 2017. Big changes were on the horizon. COVID came and like all of us, new challenges emerged. In July 2020, my sister contacted me to inform me that she was going to separate the flagpole services operation from the business model and that portion of the business would be handed over to me. In response, I formed Old Glory Flagpole & Rescue.
Innovation for our customers ruled the day at The Flag Lady's Flag Store. All of our efforts, innovations, and processes have come to pass through our customer needs. Our customer desires for better turnaround time, service response, inventory management, retail operations, and wholesale operations. Margin is important but flexible concerning the customers' fiscal needs. A proven verse in the Bible, "Give, and it will be given to you in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, pouring into your lap." For the measure you give it will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38) My Mother was a firm operator in this wonderful gift. I remember this as I move forward with Old Glory Flagpole & Rescue.
We recently launched our new invention: SmoothFly. Here's the story.
I maintain and operate 41 (last count) outriggers in my local market. I always felt sorry for the outrigger owner. Although the service calls kept my bucket truck moving, I couldn't ignore how bad we felt every time I would take the next service call on one of these outriggers. When a customer would want to buy an outrigger for their building, I would use all of my convincing powers to sell against their outrigger vision. 80% were convinced in their own minds that their vision was what they wanted. They wanted that outrigger set on their building. When they ordered, I would write my quote with the outrigger disclaimers. I think this is an industry-wide practice.
One day, Troy, an old customer called me. He owns a branding company and has a few national brands that are popular. He has been highly successful in his endeavors. Troy asked me to meet him at his new downtown building. I was excited to see him again and thankful he thought of me and his flagpole. I arrived and Troy met me out front of his turn-of-the-century gothic building. He pointed up and while motioning his arm to a 45 degree angle, said "I want one of those flagpoles that stick out of the side of my building."
All I could think is "Here we go!" I did all I could do to convince Troy he was WRONG! After dramatically waving my hands, pointing up in the air, using every body language I could muster, he was adamant! "I want one of those, what did you call it? An out pole?"
I responded "No Troy. It's called an outrigger." I installed his outrigger. Troy assigned his design team to come up with drawings to attach his welcome banner to his new outrigger flagpole. Don't get me wrong. Outriggers look great when they are flying your brand correctly. Understand correctly with an outrigger and the aged old non-tangle rod only lasts until the moment we leave you to turn the corner to your next service call.
After 2 years and bi-monthly service calls, I walked into Troy's office and said, "Troy, I like you. I respect our friendship. This is my last attempt to fix this banner on that outrigger. I have an idea. I am going to take down that banner today. I will return when I have this idea out of my head and in my hands to try on your outrigger." I returned after a month of trials, and many failures. I put the banner back up with the new apparatus we had envisioned.
Amazingly, I did not hear from Ollie, Troys' secretary, for a couple months. I would do a drive-by and see that banner waving correctly and gorgeous. I was amazed it was working.
Tyler, my son, helped a lot on this project. We had many "pinch me" moments when driving by. One day, after a few months of driving by, Tyler said, "That really has a smooth flight Dad." He looked at me and said "Let's call it SmoothFly". We decided to reserve and patent SmoothFly.
I never hear from my friend Troy or his staff any longer. I ran into him downtown at an event last fall. It's the first time we met without bringing up his outrigger. It wasn't even on his mind. Over the past year we have changed out his banner 3 times. An extremely windy downtown corridor. We made some changes and enhancements as we watched SmoothFly in different conditions as we installed SmoothFly all over Columbus. We are now making generation IV. Generation IV is the SmoothFly ticket.
Today, over a year later, SmoothFly is being installed on every outrigger I can put it up on. Making outrigger flag fliers "happy outrigger flag fliers." We are shipping SmoothFly all over the US, helping a frustrated market of people become confident in their choice to fly their Old Glory, brand, or state flags on their outrigger flagpole.
God will give you visions and ideas no one else can comprehend until you develop and bring that vision to the past at the best of your ability. Have faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Ask him for an idea and vision. Believe God for it when you pray that you have received it and watch and look for what happens. You will be astonished at what He has stored up in you! God is waiting for you to ask.
I am one that allows my team to make the mistakes they are going to make. I do my best to instruct and train. I spend my time as an example more than a written guideline. At times, the mistake can carry a high price tag. That cost does not compare to the expression of confidence I see in my team members when they have learned by their mistake. They will never make that mistake again. And, when it's their turn to train and lead, they will repeat this tactic and find great people's success. It just works for us.
