Rallies, Community & Life In the Flock: On the Road With Don Florczyk | Community Spotlight

SPEAKER_01 0:05

Good morning. Well, I mean it may not be morning wherever you are. We're here with another community spotlight series, and I'm here with Don. And Don, can you say your last name for me?

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Yes, it's Florzik.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

See, I would have done it right. Okay, so Don Florzik from the Flock Company. But you're so much more than just that. I'm gonna dig right in today and get started. Our community spotlight series is a really special series because it introduces you to kind of the people behind the RV. But this one's a little bit different because Don does something a little bit different in the industry. So most people that love camping, they just kind of keep it personal or with a couple friends. Don has turned this into a full-blown event for what he does. And we're gonna get into that. But what do you think, Don, that you know, got you started with RVing?

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Well, I'm generally a very friendly person, outgoing. I love to talk to people, meet new people. Being I was in the military for 27 years, so I've traveled all over. I love traveling, I can't stay still. So RVing is the perfect way to do everything. So agreed. Just yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

I feel that. You know, my husband's a retired Marine, and we hit the road full time in 2013, and we really haven't looked back. We've been on the road traveling, and rallies are a huge part of finding community. So, what did you see as a gap in the industry that made you get involved with like more than just RVing?

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Well, out there there's not a lot of there is now, but how to do things, how to repair. Everybody has their own opinion, and you don't know what's 100% correct sometimes. So the best thing is get it right from the source. And a lot of times I hold these rallies, I have the manufacturers come in and will tell you this is what we want, this is this, this is that. So that way you do it correctly. You're not listening to, you know, your neighbor next door who's worked for him may not work for you with what you have.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Absolutely. So let's dive into the flock because that's a whole thing. And I actually am in the process of writing a blog post about mascots. And so the J Bird for Jaco, because you're with the Flock rally, and people might think that the Flock would mean Airstream, but it doesn't in this case. So, how did you name it the flock?

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Well, I used to call it just Jaco owners rallies. Um, because and it would incorporate not just people assume just Jaco because of the name, but it's for any brand under Jaco umbrella. It can be StarCraft, Open Range, Heartland, Integra Coach. They're all welcome. I used to call it that, and then I, after a couple rallies, I said, you know what, I gotta make this a business. I I gotta make sure that if anything happens, I can't, you know, I don't want to lose the house or anything else. So I couldn't use Jaco owners rallies because it's too close to just Jaco, and I didn't need any any issues there. So I'm like, I gotta do it, what I gotta do. And I went crazy trying to figure out a name. And somebody on Facebook had posted just out of the blue, hey, it's great being a part of this group. I feel like I'm one of the flock. So we have yeah, we have eagles, Jaco Eagles, and they're like, hey, flock. And it just stuck. It it and that was it.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

That's awesome. So I like I said, I'm doing this this thing on mascots in the industry. Yep. And Jacob is actually the only one that has its own mascot that they created, not that the owners created. So the J Bird is kind of, you know, a great analogy to that too. And so tell me a little bit about the rallies themselves. So, what did you see in the industry that maybe you think that that you were looking for that maybe other people needed also, other than just the maintenance side of things? Because I'm guessing that a rally is more than just a day or two.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

Well, yeah, yeah. The uh they're usually about four days, three to four days, except for the one I have in Indiana, which of course is by the factory. That's a week long. And to be honest with you, I never really I had an idea about rallies, never knew they truly existed until we happened upon one from another brand, and we were invited over. This is how it all started. We were invited over and we had a good time. I mean, they welcomed us in, it was great. So I looked to see if Jaco did rallies so we could start attending. And Jaco didn't do rallies, they stopped doing them, I think, in 2019. So there was nothing for the Jaco community at all. It was just people would get together every so often. I'm like, you know, I see a need for this. Like I said, it goes back to figuring out maintenance, getting work done on your rig if you needed work done. So I I'm like, okay, my wife told me no, and of course I don't listen to her. Like most men, I don't listen. Like, I see a need for this. And it's amazing the support that it's been out there with not just the people, but the manufacturers coming in to get their word out on how to perform things. The first rally I ever held, Jaco showed up and they did a couple seminars on maintenance, and people were just, you see their mouths wide open. I didn't know I had to do that. I didn't know I had to do that. And it just from there it's just snowballed, and now it's to the point now where last rally in Indiana, the big one, Jaco actually showed up with their customer improvement team for the whole week. They were out there just talking to people, what they can do to help make their products better. And then the last day, the product that the head from each line of the product development teams, the toy hauler line, the travel trailer line, the fifth wheel line, they all came out and they sat down and did a QA for an hour. And people were giving them ideas on hey, you know, this is nice, but I think this would work better. You know, why don't you do it this way? What so that was uh it it opened up a lot of eyes as to what people are looking for and what the RV manufacturers are providing. So I think it's it's you're gonna see more of what people want in RVs now coming in. It's gonna close the gap between what manufacturers put out and what people actually want.

SPEAKER_01 5:37

That's awesome. So when you do these rallies, you're affiliated with Jaco, but are there like SRTs, like some of the brands will bring in techs to actually do repairs at the time of that? Do you guys have that as well?

SPEAKER_00 5:49

Our our smaller rallies, we'll have I'll have repair techs out there. Like I have uh the Cavalry RV, Rob and Jenna Zomak, they come out and they work on uh like air conditioning, electrical side and stuff. And then I'll have other companies come out that do suspension work and stuff and they'll do that. But when it comes Indiana time, because it's the big one, Jaco actually comes out with their uh service team and they'll do service work for the the units out there. Dometic comes out and will do work, BAL Slide comes out, Lipper comes out, all the big players come out for that one, and you can set it up weeks before. I'll put out, hey, these people are coming out, what do you want done? And then I will contact them and and set up all their appointments and everything. And uh even more ride comes out and and they'll have show specials and you get free installation on your parts except for suspension. So I mean the Indiana one is a big one, and all the major players come out there, but all the rallies I try to have some kind of maintenance in progress for people because things happen on the way to rallies as well that you you may need something done.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

Absolutely. Well, you don't know what you don't know till you don't know it. Like, you know, and that's one of the you know, education is a huge part of what we do, you know, not just the learned RV side. And so it's one of those things that is kind of my heart project in terms of you know, helping people find those connections. Um, you know, and so like let's talk about like how would somebody like are you sold out at all your rallies for the season?

SPEAKER_00 7:15

I no. I um actually have a it's kind of down this year in uh in terms of attendance. And I think people are just waiting to see how the economy goes because it it's kind of touch and go here and there. But if I sell out with what I have booked, the campground will always open up more for me. I've never had a bad campground. Yep, I've never had a bad ground program. They've always said, okay, we will reserve this, but we got 10 more. We'll open up those 10 for you. Like, okay. So where there's a will, there's a way. We will find a way to get you in if you want to attend.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

So where are the locations for the rallies this year?

SPEAKER_00 7:47

Okay, this year we're starting in June in Canada. We're going up to uh Cherry Valley. We're gonna stay at Quinties Isle Camp Park, and then from there in July, we're going to New York, where I am, in the Finger Lakes area, and we're staying at Pine Creek Campground. And then September starts the fun part. I'm going out to Kansas, Waikini, Kansas, and then from there I'm going to yeah, from there I'm going to Utah. And then from Utah, we're hitting Indiana. And that's all within like a four-week span. That's a big loop. That is a big loop. Luckily.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

And you're doing all of them, yes?

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Yes. I'm going to do that.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

So this isn't like your teams are doing these rallies. It's it's you adding these all up.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

It's me. All me. My wife helps when she's when I'm home. She helps get things together as much as she can. She doesn't get a lot of vacation time, so she unfortunately can't attend all these. But I have to I have to give props to everybody out there in the flock. They more than step up every time I show up. They're like, okay, what do you need to do? What do you want to do? They could run it for me. I I I wouldn't have to show up, they can run it. They're great people.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

That's incredible. All right. So on a any given day, you know, getting into camping, you know, I met you in Tampa. So, you know, how do you get the word out for the flock as far as, you know, obviously coming on a podcast is a benefit. And we already have all of the flock events listed on our events page on Learn to RV, and we'll have them in the show notes where and when they're happening. So they'll have a couple different ways to find them once this podcast airs. But, you know, where do you think that, you know, the best campground that you've ever done a rally at was? And I mean, you don't have to shout out the specific campground, but you know, it's just one of those fun things to, you know, kind of have an idea.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

Yes. Well, actually, I I I was thinking about that earlier today. The best place I've ever been, and I gotta give it to Jess and the ladies there, the Ridge Camp, or uh was it the Ridge Outdoor Resort in Severeville, Tennessee. The place is just incredible. And they they treat you like gold. It's immaculate. I got there in the middle of the night, uh, got my sight and everything. Next morning I woke up and I was walking around. I FaceTime my wife, and I'm like, look at this. I go, I think I'm staying at a premier golf course. The grass was manicured perfect. All the sites had the pavers on it, so you park on nice level paver sites. It was beautiful. And the building to hold the rally is an is a modern church that has been redone. So when you go in there, usually I have to travel with all my sound equipment and everything. But there they have huge screens on the ceilings on each side, they have a huge sound system. It's just the place is incredible. And I like this so much for going back there every other year now. That's one of my only places I will go back to. It's a beautiful area, the campground. My son and his girlfriend live in uh Nashville, and they came to visit me during the much. No, and he pulled up and he called, and I'm like, You lost? He's like, No. He goes, Well, maybe. He said, I thought you said we're at a campground. And I'm like, Well, where are you? He goes, We're at a place called the Ridge, but he goes, It's not a campground. I looked at the visitor center, I see his car, I go, Yeah, you are. He said, Just come out up this little hill. He'd come in, he goes, This is not a campground. Because he's used to the regular types of campgrounds. He's like, This is not. They loved it. It's just like I said, shout out to Jess and the ladies there. It's an incredible place.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

That's awesome. All right. So now I'm gonna go to the other side of that. Um so you know, being a being a rally coordinator comes with kind of the best of things and the worst of things. What would you say your worst rally idea ever was?

SPEAKER_00 11:15

That I'm not a hundred percent sure because I I wasn't I've never done rallies before this. So what I do is I go out to the people. I have the business Facebook page, I have a private Facebook page, and then I have each rally has its own individual private Facebook page that people come into when they're signed up for the rally, so that way only the people at the rally get to have input. And I don't decide anything. I said, Hey, what is everybody looking for? And they tell me. So I don't know if there's really been anything that's been horribly bad. I well, I will say I got one comment. People told me I have too much entertainment, they'd rather have more social gatherings than entertainment. So I've cut that back. Yes, Indiana two years ago, I had live entertainment every night. We opened up Monday, it was a meet and greet and everything. Tuesday night, I opened up with uh an individual who was in a Beatles tribute band, the number one Beatles tribute band in the country. They traveled all over the world, and then they had a stint in Vegas. He played Paul McCartney. He came in and he was actually camping with us at the rally. He owned a Jaco and he came in on Tuesday night and played. Wednesday had a three Wednesday I had a three comedian show come in and perform. Thursday I had an individual, John Rush, who's called the human spotify, because this guy's incredible. He's got 85 hours of music in his head that he plays, and you pick what you want to hear, and he plays it. Yep. And then sit to close it out on Friday, I had a four-piece Southern rock band come in and play. And they told me it was too much entertainment. And it just kind of blew my mind. But I'm like, okay, so now I've cut it down and we do more interactive stuff, game night and stuff. But yeah, that's probably the the not the worst, but the most bizarre thing, I guess I could say that somebody has said to me, I never thought there'd be too much entertainment. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:55

Yeah, no, for sure. I mean, like, you know, a lot of a lot of people want to go to a rally for the entertainment side. Yep. And but yeah, I think that that's that's a viable, I think that that's the shift though, right? In the community, you know, is that the culture of RV life has changed. And so, you know, as long as you're willing to shift with those changes and kind of do, I'm gonna use a military term, but you'll understand it. The rest of them probably may not, but like an after action report, so to speak. Yes. To see what worked well, what didn't work well, what would you want to change for the next event? And I love that you're open to all of that, you know. So that's just really neat to me.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Yep. And I do, I actually put out a survey at the end and I give people a few days to complete the survey. You know, what did you like? What didn't you like? What would you like to see different? What would you like new that we haven't done before? And surprisingly, I tried potluck in a couple rallies at first, and I'm like, but I so I didn't do it as a next one. And people, we want the potluck back. Okay, so now we have a potluck at every rally, you know. So I I go by with what the people want. I don't sit there and say, This is my rally, this is how it's gonna be. No, it's for everybody. And if I have people that come out and say, hey, I just saw this vendor at a show, you should contact them. Okay. I look into them and I contact them. Hey, you were you were brought to my attention by a uh member. Would you like to attend a rally and stuff? So I listen to everybody and I do what they want to do. It's not necessarily my rallies, it's everybody's rallies. I just happen to coordinate them.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

I love that. So let's talk about underrated RV destinations. Now, you you know, it's hard to underrate anything, but where would you say is an area of the country that, you know, people don't think to go do something that ends up being like this hidden gem?

SPEAKER_00 14:34

Well, I haven't really traveled that much yet. Working full time and everything else. I've usually only just traveled from from spot to RV or uh rally to rally spot to yes, thank you. So I haven't really had much time. And the time I do have is spent just in New York because my wife, again, we only have little weekend trips. So I really couldn't tell you what I would consider uh hidden. Although I will tell you, I never knew about Letchworth State Park until That's a good one. Somebody mentioned it, and I went down and I'm like, ah, you know, it's it's a huge park. What's oh my god, if you haven't experienced Letchworth, you have to go.

SPEAKER_01 15:09

And Letchworth in the fall is just absolutely incredible. My husband and I actually grew up in upstate New York when we were kids, and we both left. Well, he left by the time he was 18 when he were joining the Marine Corps. I left by the time I was 21. And so between the two of us, we left and didn't really look back. But I would say that New York's pretty underrated. I don't think we talk about how great New York State is as a whole because everybody associates, like we grew up in Rochester, which is upstate, but people are like, Oh, you're from New York City. No, I'm eight hours from New York City, I'm nowhere nearing New York City.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

There's a whole nother state attached, you know, and people don't realize that. When my wife and I first got married way back in the dinosaur age, we were in Colorado. I was in a school, military school for my job, and I finished. She came out to Colorado to visit for a vacation, and we were actually on a bus for touring the coors brewery, and uh everybody was like, Hey, don't let us know where you're from and everything else. So they went around the bus and it got to us, and I said, Hey, we're from New York and everything else. We actually have people slide away from us, and you know, they think in the city and everything else. And I'm like, no, wait a minute, people, there's a whole nother state attached. We actually have cows and fields and you know, all this stuff, and they're just looking at me like I have two heads, and I'm like, it's New York is not just New York City, there's a lot attached to it.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

Well, and I mean New York City is amazing by itself, but there's not really any campgrounds, a lot of them, anyways, inside the city. So I mean, if you're gonna go to New York City from a campground, you've got to plan to travel in. And so have a plan and all that stuff. And you know, I think people just don't realize all of those things. Okay, so I have another blog coming out soon about, you know, making friends on the road. Actually, I think it went up yesterday. That one, what would you say is the connection point at a lot of these rallies? Obviously, you're all the same brand, but it's is this something where people come back year after year um to see their friends, or is this you have a whole new influx of people every year?

SPEAKER_00 17:07

Oh no, it's a mix, it's probably more now, people coming back to see their friends. When when they sign up and they register, there's a you know a comment section and they put, please put me with so-and-so, so-and-so and so-and-so. And I know who's connecting with who because they've never knew each other until the rally, and I'm I see these connections now, and and it's great. And then on Facebook, a lot of them have friended me on Facebook, and I'll see they're actually meeting in a common place outside rallies and stuff, and they've made friendships that I think are gonna last a long time. And it's it's awesome to see.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

What about for you? Have you made any friendships that were you were surprised by on the road when you do these rallies? I mean, yes, you have lots of people that come alongside you. I get that, you know. But as the organizer, sometimes it's a lot to have that all on you. So, do you think that you've made friends alongside all of the people?

SPEAKER_00 17:55

Well, yeah, I've made a lot of friends, a lot of good friends doing this, but in particular, there's one I never thought would happen that that is just it's amazing. And you know them, Paul and Jen from uh Clean Tank on the Road Number Two. They showed up in my very first rally. I didn't know what to expect. I never even knew that you had to have your tanks cleaned out and stuff. And we started there, it was a good rally for them. We got a friendship going, and it's just never stopped. And they they're one of my best friends now. They really are. They come to all the rallies.

SPEAKER_01 18:25

Yeah, so Paul and Jen have kids. So does that mean that you know everything that you guys are doing is pretty family friendly? Obviously, as vendors, we know that there's not going to be something necessarily for all of our kids every time. But I mean, you're open to families coming. That's super important as well.

SPEAKER_00 18:41

Yes, and uh, if I because I I keep a running log of how many adults, how many kids, how many dogs, how many cats. People think I'm crazy, but I'd like to know that stuff. And if I have kids coming in, I'll do kid-friendly things. In Connecticut last year, we had a few kids show up. I did a movie night. We watched cars, you know, people brought popcorn and everything else. So I try to incorporate things for kids when kids show up, especially in the summer rallies. I don't leave them out. I try to leave nobody out. So the like the dogs and cats, uh, we'll usually have Jake O bandanas we can hand out to the dogs and cats. I would do treats, but I know some people are particular about treats, so I try to stay away from those things. But no, I I try to incorporate everything kid friendly, dog friendly, cat friendly. I don't care if you got a hamster or a lizard, bring them along. I'm a huge fan of the.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

I love that you're thinking of that though. You know, there's so many organizers that don't even consider some of those things. So I want to jump to like your rig. So what was so how long have you been traveling in your rig? And what kind of rig do you have? Obviously, it's a Jaco. I'm guessing.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

It is a Jaco, and it's uh a 319 ML OK, and I bought it new in two.

SPEAKER_01 19:46

I love that. So here's a here's a funny piece of information for you. So I always joke that only certain brands know their model number, and most of them are never Jaco. And so that's impressive. Just let me say that to start with.

SPEAKER_00 20:01

Yep. And uh my wife, she picked it out. I don't I don't have a say when it comes to that stuff. She she does not like what we call the standard floor plans. It's got, you know, the couch on the back wall and the theater seating next to it. She's just that's not her. She she likes the different kind of stuff, and this has the rear kitchen and everything else, so that's what I have.

SPEAKER_01 20:21

Nice. And so actually, you know, when you head out for this, when you head out this fall, will you be hauling that with you to all the rallies?

SPEAKER_00 20:29

Yes, that comes with me. And it's kind of, and I hate to say it, but it's kind of a good thing that my wife only gets a few weeks' vacation because when I haul out for rallies, the the camper is loaded and the truck is loaded so much, there's no room for even a passenger. The truck is front and back seat is loaded up to the ceiling. The the bed has got stuff all on it. I actually have stuff going down the hallway on the floor and on the couch and the theater seats and everywhere else. Um, because I'm coming with door prizes, I'm coming with everything. There, the basement's full, there is no room. So if she wanted to attend, like when she attends Canada this year, she'll probably follow behind me in the car.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Gotcha, gotcha. So she does come to some of them.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

She will come to like one, maybe two a year if she can. Um, this year she's actually gonna make it to Canada and New York. And it's funny because people are actually waiting to see her because they don't believe I'm married. She's only been to two rallies so far, so they don't think that every time I talk about it, they're like, Oh, his made-up wife. And and I actually FaceTimed her one time on the screen and go, Hey, look, this is my wife. Everybody, and they're like, Hey, how much did he pay you to say you're his wife? So I'm actually gonna have her out there and she's gonna hate it, but I'm gonna be like everybody, this is my wife.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

So my friend Robin actually, her husband's a pilot, and so we've traveled, she was a full time traveler for a bunch of years, and she would be like, Hi, I'm Robin. These are my three kids, and this is phone Chris, he's a pilot. And so she'd hold up her phone so everybody could see phone Chris. And so when you got a real Chris sighting, that was a big deal. But Chris is a super introvert, and so is your wife like that as well, or is she really you? You know, super outgoing.

SPEAKER_00 22:01

No, no, no. She's really to herself. She uh she cringes every time I stalk to people, stop and talk to people, she's like, Oh God, no. And she just stands there. She'd rather be sitting in the camper reading the book, or sitting outside and at the camper, just minding her own business reading the book. And I'm just out blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, talking to everybody.

SPEAKER_01 22:19

And she's just like, So for us super extra extroverts, you know, it sounds like you and I come from the same, you know, category. But for those people that don't know, if you're friends with an introvert, make it easier for them. So I was actually at dinner one time, and my girlfriend, who's an introvert, said to me, I always love going to you with you because you'll help carry that conversation when I'm not comfortable with it. But know that when an introvert's ready to talk, they'll open up and they have so much to say. The other thing you don't want to do to an introvert, and I learned this the hard way, is don't knock on their door, text them first, let them know you're coming so they can be prepared for that. And so I'm sure your wife is very much like that. It's been 13 years of traveling with some of my friends that are introverts that makes me understand some of that now that I never understood before because I was that person that, oh, you have kids running around. I want to get you connected. Let me knock on your door. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 23:11

But once she gets to know you, she opens right up and it's like you've been best friends forever.

SPEAKER_01 23:16

Yep. And I'm sure she has so much to share and so much knowledge to give that, you know, it's just getting her comfortable in those spaces. And being alongside of somebody that's a super extrovert that's kind of the host of the rally, has its own set of challenges. I know, because my husband runs into that.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

Yes. So, but yeah, you'll see she'll a lot of times she'll sit in the back and just be by herself. And people will kind of be like, Who is this person until they find out who she is? When our kids were younger, we were in pop warner football and cheerleading, and I was actually a coach for my son's team, and she sat way back in the back of the bleachers, just cringing, just like, oh god, every time we, you know, she's like, Don't say nothing. Don't just so people went the half the season, almost the whole season, not knowing she was my wife. They just thought her one of her kids was on the team and she was just sitting in a bag being by herself. They never knew.

SPEAKER_01 24:05

That's funny. That's crazy. All right. So, what's next for the flock? I mean, I know you've got rallies coming up, and you know, you work a full-time job too. So, I mean, like you do double duty. This is a heart project, just like you know, learned RV is for me. But what's next?

SPEAKER_00 24:22

Well, I gotta get through the next 18 months, and then I will be retired. And my wife and I are gonna go full-time, and we're gonna actually explore the country, and we'll see those hidden gems now, and uh, we'll be doing rallies along the way. I think we're gonna have to upgrade to a toy hauler, but yeah, uh, and of course it'll be a Jacob brand toy hauler, and then uh we'll just keep doing rallies and uh going up and down the country, and maybe the wintertime we'll hold some rallies down south, and of course, in the summertime we'll hold them up north. And my goal is to actually get out to the west coast, and uh every year I've gotten a little closer, a little closer. Like next year.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

You're getting pretty close this year with Utah.

SPEAKER_00 24:58

Yeah, yeah. Next year it's in or now Wyoming next year, and I don't want to let the cat out of the bag, but 2028, I'm looking at uh probably Nevada, maybe into California. So I'll reach the goal by 2028 of being across the country because I'll be retired. And then from there, it's just you can expect to see them all across the United States and into Canada. So probably four maybe five a year that will that I'll be doing.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

That is awesome. Yeah, no, I'm so excited. You know, we're we're so glad to have met you this year. You know, being at Tampa, meeting people is kind of my jam. But the reality is, is you know, there's so much out there that people just don't know about. And so that's why we started the podcast was to give people those informational sessions so that they could learn very easily where to go, how to get connected. And that, you know, you don't have to be connected everywhere, but you can be connected in more than one place. So, you know, I talk a lot about Family RV Association. We're a vendor in this base, so we do a lot of rallies, brand rallies, you name it. So it's one of those things that, you know, the big companies like Escape Eastern and FRVA, who have been done doing one or two rallies a year for years and years and years, those are getting smaller and people are looking for better connections. And so I think the flock has something very special in that way. Being with your same brand has its own set of benefits too. But at the same time, you don't have to be limited to just going to a flock rally. If you're looking for a rally near you, you know, you can join something like Family RV Association. And who knows? Maybe they'll open up, you know, a branch just for Jaco in there. You know, I don't know if Don could take on anymore, but you know, maybe there's somebody out there that likes organizing those meetups that's one of your people that wouldn't mind hosting a section at a bigger rally. So I mean, there's lots of opportunity for connection wherever you go.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

There is.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:44

And one thing I will tell you, one thing I'll tell you quick about the rallies as well.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

No, no, I I was gonna give you a total wrap-up, so you're good.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

Okay. I do something also a little different in the fact that you know, a lot of manufacturers can't make it out to every rally all the time. So, like we're talking here online through podcast. I actually have it set up where some vendors, if they can't make it, they will actually come in and do a session virtually. And it's a question and answer session. It's just it's live. I have microphones in the audience, people can ask a question to them, they will answer back. They, of course, had their slideshow and their presentation first. So it's like being there, and people kind of at first were like, but after the first one happened, they're like, This is awesome. You know, they're seeing vendors that you never thought you'd see. And like that's an option for me, too. If vendors want to do that, it's just the more I can get out to everybody, the the better everybody's gonna be. The smoother their RV trips are gonna be. And we've all had those trips where it hasn't gone so well. And I'm I'm trying to minimize that effect.

SPEAKER_01 27:41

Absolutely. But that's really neat. I was actually just invited to be on one of those yesterday for an event that I can't be at. We're sending one of our teams up there to the event, but he didn't have time to do a seminar last year, and he's a tech and he knows his stuff, but he's not a public speaker. And so one of the things said is, I really wish that you and Frank could be there. And I said, Well, we can't. I said, but we could send you a video or something. And they're like, Well, would you do that live? And I'm like, Well, yeah, I would totally do that live. That's not a problem. In fact, I had a person tell me last year I needed an AI of me. And I'm like, I do not need an AI of me. That is not something that's ever gonna happen. But you know, I'm happy to answer questions about things, you know. Obviously, you know, if we have a tech that's in the area that is part of our show teams, we do send people to rallies across the country as our company's grown. We've had to. I mean, that's just the reality. And what's nice about that is we actually can do a roof inspection right on site where people can see what's going on on their roof with pictures, whether they choose us or not. And so I say that and I don't say that lightly. I know that that sounds trite, and I know that sounds like, but you know, the truth is, even if they're not ready that year, a lot of times they'll come back to us because we did take the time, we did do the things. And so, you know, that's it's it's building relationships. And so, you know, not everybody's gonna be your buyer the first time you go to a rally, and that's true of rally goers too. Not everybody's gonna go to a rally, their first experience on the road. But I think the longer you are V, the more connections you need. And as you make those connections, you know, you've got people like Don out there putting himself on the line, building this community. And it is because you're putting yourself right out there. And so I just want to say thank you for that because it's it's a special role. And you know, not everybody can do that. So any final words that you'd love to share to the audience that you know how to get involved, your website, how to, you know, all of that stuff, how to connect with you. Um, this is your time to shine.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

If you want to connect, uh, the easiest way is to go to our website at www.theflockrb rallycompany.com. On there we'll list all our social medias, the the private page, the business page, our YouTube and Instagram. If you have any questions, just anybody has any questions, just email me. Email link is on the website, it's everywhere. You can message me. I will get back to you as soon as I can, usually during the day. It takes a little bit because I do work, but I I will always get back to people, and the people are surprised that it's usually within an hour that I get back to them because I know I was in that position one time where people just don't answer and it's frustrating, you know. So I I do what I can to get back to everybody and uh answer the questions best as I can. And there are times I've had a full-blown conversation for three or four hours with somebody through email with just questions they've had. And it doesn't it doesn't matter as long as we get their questions answered. I'm happy. But yeah, just uh check us out. If you like what you see, attend a rally. I guarantee you'll probably come back over and over and over again after that. And one thing, too, is a lot of people are like, Well, I have a Jacob brand, but my friend has a different brand. I'd love to attend with them. Well, let me know. Say, hey, we have this. A lot of times I will let people in that that don't own a Jacob brand because they're traveling with friends that do, and they'll get the same benefits and the same experiences as everybody else. Everybody gets treated equal, no matter what brand you have, because in the end, we'll RVers. It doesn't matter what you buy, we're all there for the same purpose.

SPEAKER_01 31:08

I love that. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

Just come and be ready for fun because it every rally is different. I try to make everyone different so people don't get stagnant. Seminars are different, some may be a couple may be the same, but for the most part, seminars are different. And if you don't think we have fun, in Tennessee we went whitewater rafting. What an experience. I can't wait to go back. It was probably the best time I've ever had.

SPEAKER_01 31:29

That's awesome. Well, thanks so much, Don, for taking the time with us this week. Um, and you know, if you're interested, don't forget to stop over at the flock to go see his website and all of that stuff. Ask him a question. I think he's kind of one of those tell all guys, except, you know, what's happening at the rally so he can get you there. But, you know, once you go, I mean, you know, if you have a great time at a rally, we'd love to hear about it at Learn to RV. If you're willing to even write a blog post about, you know, your experience at one of Don's rallies, we'd love to showcase that on learn to RV.com, right on the blogs there. And so anybody that's a writer can do that. And so a real honest experience. We'd love to support Don is his endeavors going across the country because it's it's no small stack to go do what you're doing. So thanks again for joining us on Learn to RV the podcast and our community spotlight series. And we'll see you down the road.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

All right, thank you for having me.