D (2:12)

Cool. So before we get into Firefly Sellers, I'm very curious about this pest control company.

A (2:17)

Okay.

D (2:17)

What kind of pests are you controlling? Is it men?

A (2:20)

Yes. No. It can be. It can be. It's a little of everything, honestly. Pests, Residential and commercial pests. When we say pests, it's something that annoys the person that lives in the home. Okay. To you, a pest could be a mouse. To me, a pest could be a snake. So it depends on the person, but we service for all pests. You know, ants, pests, everything. Roaches, mice, rats, snakes. I can go on and on and on.

D (2:49)

Right on.

A (2:50)

All the stuff that you love, right?

D (2:51)

Oh, something I love. There's definitely a. There's been a roach pandemic in Miami ever since I've been Washington. Lived here because I was born here. So how does one defeat roaches in Miami? Like, what are. Give me some quick tips. 30 second montage.

A (3:03)

Yeah, let's talk about roaches for a minute. Like, they don't die.

D (3:06)

I know.

A (3:06)

That was it.

C (3:07)

That's it.

D (3:08)

Period.

A (3:08)

They just don't die.

D (3:10)

So you're always going to be in business.

A (3:11)

Exactly, exactly. Roaches have been here forever and they're going to always be here. So we just try to control it.

D (3:17)

I see. So how does one control and manage roach infestations? I'm almost certain that I've got a micro one in my kitchen because I have got this fridge and I know they live in it in the back and I've always tried to control it and I keep it away. I'm going to about to dump this fridge. But before I dump this fridge, what can I do? Is it the paste? Is it the spray? Is it just prayer crying? How can I control these things?

A (3:36)

Love it. Cry and then go get the actual product. So, I mean, for roaches in a kitchen, you know why it's in behind your refrigerator, right?

D (3:44)

Because of the moisture.

A (3:45)

The heat.

D (3:46)

The heat, yes.

A (3:48)

Put the two together. Anytime that there's heat and moisture, roaches are going to be there.

D (3:51)

Right on.

A (3:52)

I love it. Yes.

D (3:52)

Really?

A (3:53)

Okay. Really?

D (3:53)

That's good to know.

A (3:54)

Really.

D (3:55)

Can I just go ahead and go and buy to Home Depot and get the.

A (3:58)

You can, but I should call you. But yeah, you want to use the product that you can't get at Home Depot.

D (4:04)

Ah, well, it's like a hair salon.

A (4:05)

Correct.

D (4:05)

Good stuff is at the.

A (4:06)

Absolutely.

D (4:07)

So when I call you and I go, all right, give me the good stuff. What happens next?

A (4:11)

Well, then we send somebody out and they actually treat it for you. They do an inspection. They're going to find them behind your refrigerator. They're going to talk to you about all the mess that you have in your home to bring the roaches in and why you're leaving food out and why aren't you cleaning up when you're supposed to and. And all of the awful things that roaches do when you let them live in your home, like possibly create asthma. Did you know that?

D (4:32)

No, I did not know that.

A (4:33)

Yeah.

D (4:34)

No, no, no. Yeah.

A (4:35)

Now you're really scared, aren't you?

D (4:37)

I'm a little. A little frightened, yes. But not by. Not by the. But not by the mere fact of these things. But we also have not. We don't have a mice infestation, but there's definitely a path that I'm like, well, we're going to see another one in a couple of weeks. Because there's this path and they're exploring, and I've yet to close it up because I've yet to call you.

A (4:53)

Yeah, yeah. It sounds like you need us double. Yeah.

D (4:56)

Why do people take so freaking long to go A, to the doctor and B, get their house check of pests?

A (5:02)

Well, I mean, it's not on that list. You know, it's not on that list of priorities until it is.

D (5:06)

Right on.

A (5:07)

You know, until you're on a table and there's a mouse running around and you're screaming. That's when you call. That's when we get the call. So it's more of a reactive thing, more than a proactive thing. Unless, you know, you're a commercial property. Cause we also service those.

D (5:21)

Right, right.

A (5:21)

And you have a restaurant, then you have to be a little more proactive.

D (5:24)

Oh, yeah. When you're in a restaurant, that's a business.

A (5:26)

Absolutely. Because then you're dealing with the chef's reputation at that point.

D (5:30)

Yep.

A (5:30)

So you don't want to wait until that person takes that video of the rat running across the dining room.

D (5:35)

Yeah, yeah.

A (5:36)

You want to make sure that doesn't happen to someone.

D (5:38)

That's a ratatouille video. You don't watch.

A (5:39)

Yeah, they're not that cute either.

D (5:42)

No, no, no, no. Especially the ones that hold onto your hair and control you. We don't want those. So how does one graduate to firefly sellers?

A (5:52)

Crazy, right? I know. I know. We actually purchase it over Covid.

D (5:56)

Because that's what you do during COVID

A (5:59)

That's what I say. That's what I say. I say the same thing. That's what you do. So, you know, I had this great business model and vision with a pest control company, so I said, why not take that same model, that same vision, and just put it into something else.

D (6:14)

Right on.

A (6:14)

And it just happened to be a winery. My daughter at the time had just had her third. My third granddaughter. Oh, congratulations. And Covid happened. So now they're all in lockdown. So she's like, get me out of the house. So I took her to an open house for a winery. I was like, yeah, let's just go look. And that's what we did. And at that point, we couldn't really talk. We were masked up, you know, all of that. And then when we got into the car and took our masks off, we both were like, oh, my gosh, we can do this, and we can set up a B and B and we can make our own labels. And we were basically saying exactly the same thing. So we're like, oh, my God, we need to do this. We, like, we're really going to do this. And before you know it, I signed and then went home and said, look what I did.

D (6:53)

Wow.

A (6:54)

And here we are.

D (6:55)

When did the real work begin? Was it the.

A (6:57)

Oh, immediately. Immediately, immediately. We renovated for eight months.

D (7:00)

Wow.

A (7:00)

Yeah. Created the labels, had a winemaker, bought the grapes. It's all Virginia grapes. It's a lot. It was a lot. Open to BNB and event space. Three event spaces.

D (7:10)

I was just going to say, it's cool that you're cultivating a tribe, like a community within. It's almost like Coppola did. Well, he died anymore because he doesn't own it anymore. But all the great weddings would be at the Coppola venue years out in the bay.

A (7:21)

Exactly.

D (7:22)

What community are you building? What's happening now?

A (7:25)

Well, there are three different event spaces. You know, we call them the cottage, the cabin, the vine, the barn. Really simple names. Sure, but they're all very different. That's what I love about this property is it's small, but it's impactful. There's a lot you can do on it. We do micro weddings. There's really anything. That's the beauty of it. We can do whatever we want.

D (7:47)

Right on. Yeah. I keep hearing ranches and farms coming up in our conversation throughout the entire. Because I kind of want to get the hell out of Miami and buy.

A (7:55)

Sounds like you need to, because you have a roach problem.

D (7:57)

Yeah. It's like, well, you got. Y' all can have the house.

C (8:00)

Right?

A (8:01)

Exactly.

C (8:02)

Leave.

A (8:02)

Get it fogged and go.

D (8:03)

Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What does make a stellar vineyard? A winery? Like what. What makes good wine?

A (8:10)

Well, it depends. It depends on the person that's going to the winery. A lot of people go for the view because there are some great views at some great wineries. You know, you get to oversee the vineyard. It's beautiful. You know, you sit there, you bre. You Take in the air. A lot of people like that. Other people like to go for music. There's always live music. Of course, people go for the wine. But if you don't have the beautiful view and you have great wine, people will come back.

D (8:38)

Oh, yeah, for sure.

A (8:39)

You know, there's also a food aspect to that which we're working on, that we do charcuterie boards. But food's a big deal. You know, if you take your friends to a winery and there's nothing to eat, it's like, because, you know, you always have the one guy that doesn't drink wine. So he's like, what do I do? You know, what am I doing here? I'm just tagging along with you guys. But there's no food, so you have to kind of balance out what everybody likes. For sure, everybody likes food. Everybody likes wine, clearly, or they wouldn't come. And, you know, it has to look nice and it has to be cozy and it has to feel good when you're there. It's a feel good place.

D (9:13)

How often it is just a party shuttle, like, just like wheezing on in with like a. Like a bridesmaids. And everyone's like, oh, I love those.

A (9:21)

Those are the best. Yeah. When they just come off the bus, you know, they've been to three already and they roll into the barn and, you know, and they all have their sashes on. It's a party.

D (9:32)

Yeah, that's great. That's like at that point, an experience which is essentially what you've created here.

A (9:38)

That is exactly what we're trying to do.

D (9:40)

It does work, because when I would do this out in the Bay Area and we'd go up north to the vineyards and we'd jump in the bus and we'd. We get smashed, we would drink and we'd go through the whole spiel. But it is kind of tribal. It's like we've ascended, we've. We've made it. You can have that moment to just look out and have that glass of wine and really taste it, Right? What. What are folks really tasting in your wine? What's happening here and here when they're having a glass of. Of your energy?

A (10:04)

Well, I'll. I'll tell you, this is what we do with our wine. Like I said, it's all Virginia grapes. We have 12 varietals, red, white, sparklings, rose. We have all of it, blanc de blancs. And what we do, because, again, I was in the pest control industry, right? So when our winemakers started making the wine we just said, you know, let us taste it, of course, and we'll give you our input. Not that we're any like special wine person, we're new to this, but that's kind of what we did. And if I like it, then it's like, eh, let's go with it. And that's just what we've done. And it seems to work even though, you know, I'm just winging it. Honestly, my daughter is a little more of a winer than me, which is great because she has a little more input. But, but so far so good. You know, we have some great wine. Our cab franc won the Governor's cup year too. So.

D (10:55)

Right on.

A (10:55)

We're not doing too bad.

D (10:56)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Congratulations. What's the day to day hustle like now? Like, do you have a team? Is it within the family, a staff or large is your operation?

A (11:06)

Well, my daughter basically runs the show.

D (11:09)

Awesome.

A (11:10)

But we do have a staff. It's mostly part time, college students, stay at home, moms, you know, that kind of thing. But I mean, it's pretty simple. You know, we come in, we open up, we stock the wine, we make the boards. You know, there could be a party going on in the cabin that day. There could be a birthday party in the cabin. There could be a party, a sports watching football, party in the jar. It's another space that we have. There's a new space called the vine that we're trying to figure out what we're going to do with that. Just to create another choice for people that come on the property and want to have something. Every day is different. It really is different. You just don't know what you're going to get because a wine bus could show up or a group, a family group of 15 could just show up. We've had sports athletes show up because we were big into the partnerships with the professional sports teams. So that's happened where they just randomly show up and they're like, oh, we have to make room for that. So it's a day by day. You just don't know what you're going to get, which is kind of fun.

D (12:11)

What's your next step? We've gone from pest control to wine. What's next for you?

A (12:16)

Hello, I'm here.

C (12:18)

Hello.

D (12:19)

All of it.

C (12:20)

All of it.

D (12:21)

So are you a brand? Would you consider yourself a brand?

A (12:24)

Firefly sellers?

D (12:25)

No. You as an individual, a person?

A (12:27)

Of course. I'm Fast Patty.

D (12:28)

Yeah. So talk about yourself as a brand and how you've evolved to you knowing that you now have control, and your light is lighting all these other projects and folks that you're touching.

A (12:41)

Well, the brand was an accident. Okay? It started as an email. And then what happened in the pest control business is, you know, being the control freak that I am, that I had to make sure that when our customers were getting any kind of correspondence over email, that it came from me.

D (12:58)

Right on.

A (12:59)

Why not? You know, if they want to contact me, they can. Which I'm. I'm really different in how I do things in my industry. So, you know, there's presidents, owners of other pest control companies that want absolutely nothing to do with the customers. Right. Like, you handle it. You deal with it. I'm the total opposite. Like, call me.

D (13:16)

Yeah.

A (13:17)

Yes.

D (13:17)

Wow.

A (13:17)

So that's kind of what started with Pest Patty. Email.

D (13:21)

Got it.

A (13:21)

So then what happened is I started going to some of these events, and I would run into some of our clients, and they're like, wait a minute. Did you say you're. You're Patty with this pest control company? I'm like, yes. You're like, you're Pest Patty. Wow. Oh, my God. You're a Pest Patty. I didn't know that was real. I'm like, yeah. And it just kind of started there and escalated. There were a couple, you know, commercials that we had on TV with some sports teams that said pest Patty. And so then I started getting calls and emails for Pest Patty.

D (13:52)

Well, yeah, it's just. It's crazy because folks don't really correlate someone like you with pest control.

A (13:57)

That's what I hear. I hear that quite often, which is

D (13:59)

great for you, obviously. I'm sure it's great for business.

A (14:01)

It is.

D (14:02)

So when they finally get. And when they finally get ahold of you and you're onboarding a client, what is the difference between what you present versus the wannabes or your competition?

A (14:13)

Oh, so many things. Okay. I am who I am, so I'm as authentic as you get, and I'm gonna tell it like it is. So, for example, I went to a restaurant at 2am because they said they had a rat infestation. And two other pest control company people showed up to do the bid as well. And like I said, it was 2am because that's when the rats come out. Right. So I wanted to go see what kind of infestation this was, because to you, it could be two. To me, it might be 50. You know, which one is it?

D (14:47)

What does the uniform look like working for you? I'm assuming you're not Wearing the hat and this. This is it. You showed up looking like this at 2am and the other guy showed up with their hand.

A (14:58)

Wow. It's leggings, usually because, you know, I'm switching leggings off every. I can dress it up, dress it down, you know, who knows what I'm doing? But the other guys show up, you know, in the ties and the boring male stuff.

D (15:10)

Yeah, right.

A (15:11)

But of the three of us, who do you think went down and saw the rats?

D (15:15)

Yeah, you did.

A (15:15)

Yeah, of course I did.

D (15:16)

You partied with the rats before you killed them.

A (15:18)

Exactly, exactly. I went down there running over my shoes. I'm like, yep, yep.

D (15:23)

Die in style. Exactly. Let's do it. That's how the rats are partying.

A (15:26)

The grandfather of all rats was, like, right there in the corner, eyeing me down like I'm in a stage.

D (15:31)

The raccoon of a. Tails are all.

C (15:33)

Tails of.

D (15:34)

Oh, we're all jumping on this one.

A (15:35)

Exactly. It was just like that. But the other. The other two men wouldn't even go down. They're just like, oh, we got this. We're going to write the contract. So when I came back up the steps out of the dungeon of rats, they basically shook my hand and said, you got it.

D (15:51)

That's amazing.

A (15:52)

It's that simple.

D (15:53)

Yeah. How much of that resilience and just kind of main character energy do you carry every day of your life?

A (15:58)

Like, well, like I said, this is me, so it is what it is, Right. I don't know any other way.

D (16:05)

Yeah. Right on. I can't wait to learn more about your Women in Power episode. I'm sure you're all jacked up and powerful now. What are we going to learn more about you and your episode in just a couple moments? And I forget I've already asked this, and I apologize. That's okay.

A (16:19)

I think, wow, you're going to learn why I am this way.

D (16:22)

Cool. Hell, yeah.

A (16:22)

You know, why am I like this? What drives me to do what I do?

D (16:27)

Cool.

A (16:27)

The craziness that I do. You know, I didn't. I wasn't born and said, oh, I'm gonna go kill bugs. Like, that wasn't a thing. So, you know, you never know what you're gonna get into, and there's always a reason for everything. And, you know, relationships are huge. So that's a key point in the Woman in Power episode is all about relationships and how to treat people kind. And things happen when you do that. Good things happen.

D (16:52)

Right on.

A (16:52)

It comes right back to you.

D (16:54)

Well past Patty how can people find you? How can people work with you?

A (16:57)

Pass. Patty20mail.com.

D (17:00)

Do you got a start in the finish? Do you got a dot com? Do you have a social media TikTok a link?

A (17:05)

The Firefly Sellers.

D (17:07)

Firefly sellers. Cool.

A (17:08)

Yes.

D (17:08)

So there's Firefly Sellers, Pest Patty. What else are we dropping?

A (17:12)

Wow. There's pink hydration water as well.

D (17:14)

Holy moly. We'll leave that for the episode.

A (17:17)

Yeah, that'll be. That'll be for another time.

D (17:19)

Well, Past Patty, it was such an honor to share this time and space with you.

A (17:23)

Thank you.

D (17:23)

Can you just look into this camera and just give me the list of montages of things that you're working on of the three things of everything, including just like, this is Pest Patty, and I do this and I do that, and awesome. Just give us the list of everything that you do.

A (17:36)

I'm Pest Patty. I sold a pest control company. I sold a water company, and now I own Firefly Sellers. And I'm awesome.

D (17:44)

And that is Woman in Power. With that concludes another episode of Living youg Legacy. Episode for Inside Success. I'm Rigou Tierras, and this is Past Patty.