YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Have you seen the 2023 film “BlackBerry” yet?
Like “The Social Network” before it, you’re in for a biographical drama that shows the origins of popular technology. For “The Social Network,” it was Facebook, and for “BlackBerry,” it’s the defunct phone of the same name.
I found “BlackBerry” to generally be a good film that’s carried by the acting of Glenn Howerton and is much funnier than “The Social Network,” though the latter movie is arguably the better of the two.
My main takeaways from “BlackBerry” are that cutting corners ultimately will yield poor results, communication and human connection are important and even profitable, and sticking to one’s roots is generally a good strategy in life and business.
For BlackBerry devices, connection was a huge component: The ability to text friends and business associates via free, instant mobile messaging was a game-changer at the time of release around the turn of the century.
That takes me to blackberries, the fruit. They, too, have connection as a major theme, particularly in this area.
Several local farms offer customers the ability to pick their own fruits, including blackberries, and there’s nothing quite like it. There’s a connection to the fruit, to the land and to the people you’re with, as well as the owners, that is unlike other businesses.
Agritourism is about getting back to humanity’s roots, and the connections you make along the way with yourself, nature and others is an experience that’s difficult to replicate. It reminds me of what’s important in life: being in the moment, connecting with friends and family, and supporting others in the community by checking out their business endeavors. I’m lucky to have a family connection to one of those farms: My wife’s uncle owns Brown’s Berry Farm in Miller. Springfield Business Journal also recently had a Business Spotlight article on Republic-based Missouri Berries, which was purchased by the Little family, formerly of PFI Western Stores.
So, go ahead, pick blackberries, and if you’re in the mood, give “BlackBerry” a try.
Jessica Oliva and her daughter, Isabella, are closing Pickles and Buns this month. | SBJ file photo
Two-year-old food truck Pickles and Buns is my kind of place.
Whether it’s my last name appearing in the company moniker, the delicious sliders or the kind owners, it hit all the right notes for me.
So, when a Facebook post from the company this month informed customers of an upcoming closure, I was disheartened.
In reporting on the business shutting down, another point of interest arose: a unique family venture.
Owner Jessica Oliva tells me she and her daughter, 13-year-old Isabella, have been in it together since the beginning, and then some. Prior to Pickles and Buns, Isabella would help her mom out with things like taking orders at Tinga Tacos, a downtown shop Jessica previously co-owned.
“We knew we wanted something more flexible with hours, so I told her let’s just do a food truck,” Jessica says. “I wanted to do burgers since she has a love for them.”
Isabella also contributed to the name.
“We had a 50/50 split of friends and family that loved or hated it. But we were sold on the name,” Jessica says.
As an aficionado of all things related to pickles, I’ll give the name two thumbs up.
Helping out in the family restaurant business has been a boon for Isabella, as well, Jessica says.
“With her being in virtual school, I feel that it helps with her social skills and teaches her skills most kids don’t get at her age,” Jessica says. “I’ve had so many customers tell me that’s she’s better than most other service people they have dealt with. For her age, she’s definitely more mature than most.”
It’s encouraging to see young people getting involved in endeavors they care about. It wouldn’t be surprising if, like mom, Isabella becomes a restaurateur.
Pickles and Buns has a couple more events this month – including a Last Hurrah event at Parkcrest Center on July 30.
I plan to make it a point to grab some sliders one last time before Jessica and Isabella head to south Florida to launch a brunch spot.
Some more parting words from Jessica: Try SnoNut, a business owned by her friends Emily and Gabriel Wouk, for doughnuts and snow cones.
There’s a new Twitter in town, and it goes by the name of Threads.
Jokes aside, Threads is the new competitor to Twitter from Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta.
The app hit 100 million users in just five days, making it the fastest-growing social media network to date, according to reporting by Quartz.
Predictions abound online about how Threads is a Twitter killer and that the latter social media network will be a ghost town in a short amount of time.
Whether those two things are true is conjecture, but it definitely has the attention of Twitter and its owner as of last year, Elon Musk.
Shortly after Threads’ debut, Musk threatened to sue Meta over “serious concerns that Meta has engaged in systematic, willful and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property,” according to an attorney for Twitter.
As of press time, the edict remained a threat and not actual litigation. It may be a matter of time until attorneys step in on both sides to settle the matter.
The tension also gives more fuel to the fire of a possible cage match fight between Musk and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. This is a real thing being discussed, giving more credence to the saying that truth is stranger than fiction. If such a fight were to happen, I’m sure it would be a media circus that would have the internet talking for hours – which is like days in real life.
More to the point of why you, the reader, are here. Should I care about Threads? Should my company create a Threads profile?
Going by the quick rate of user adoption, it seems safe to err on the side of being proactive – especially if you can work Threads into your existing social media strategy in a seamless way.
Threads words similarly to Twitter. While words are the focal point, images and video content are playing out on Threads to a certain extent. You might want to brush up on your meme marketing, because the current state of Threads calls on brands to be creative and funny to break through the noise.
Ask your customers: Are they using Threads? Do they use Twitter? It might be a safe bet to get on Threads now, so you have an existing account if the social media network continues to grow.
So far, signs point to growth. It might just be right what you’re looking for in your marketing strategy.
Contact Geoff Pickle
Phone: 417-616-5856
Email: gpickle@sbj.net
LinkedIn
Moseley’s Discount Office Products was purchased; Side Chick opened in Branson; and the Springfield franchise store of NoBaked Cookie Dough changed ownership.
