Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Phalen.
Hi Michael, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
From a young age, I was familiar with roadside open air farm markets as my grandparents operated one when I was a child. As I got older, my parents grew tired of the jobs that they had and decided to leave those jobs and go into business for themselves, I was 12 when they made this decision and they opened the first of our families two stores. I grew up in that store and would be there on weekends during school and worked in the summer months. I didn’t always enjoy it though because while my friends were going places and having fun without me. Looking back though I’m very happy and thankful for the opportunity because it taught me that hard work pays off and the value of money. I appreciated things more because I worked hard for them.
After high school, I had a string of corporate jobs and went to college for business. While I was away at school and working my father opened their second store. After many years of working in a corporate environment, I grew tired of always being told what to do and being subjected to someone’s opinion of my work performance some of which was based on whether or not that manager liked you.
Nine years ago, I made the decision to leave the corporate world and began working for my father again at the second store that he had opened. Slowly I began to find happiness again in mostly being my own boss and being able to do something that I loved and had a passion for. It wasn’t just about making money; it was about providing a service to the community and our regular customers who came to be more like family as each season would pass.
In 2019, my father had come to a point where it was getting to be too much to be on the road all the time getting produce for both stores and overseeing them that I had to make the decision of either closing my store for a year and working at the original store or I had the option to buy the second store and go from managing to owning and operating it. This was a hard decision to have to make as it would mean taking on a lot more responsibility than what I was used to. I also knew that if we were to close for a season it would be twice as hard to bring our customers back and would leave them without the service that they had come to know and appreciate.
After much consideration, I made the decision that I was ready to start this next chapter of my life and become a business owner. It has definitely been a learning process as I have navigated through each season. I am lucky though to have had so much experience surrounding me as I grew up that I knew that I could handle it. Three years into ownership I can look back and say that I made the right decision. My third year has by far been the hardest season to get through but I have persevered and taken each obstacle head on. Experiencing and navigating through a global pandemic has produced its own set of challenges but at the end of the day I have to do what is best for my business and for my customers.
In some ways, the pandemic has helped my business to flourish because I am a small business and my customers know that they can get in and out with ease and don’t have to be surrounded by droves of people as they do in a lot of big box retailers, the pandemic has also pushed me to expand my product lines to include more than just what you would expect to find at a local roadside farm market. this gives the chance to provide more to my customers lessening the burger for them to have to stop at the grocery on their way home unless they need bread, milk or meat.
As we continue to navigate the pandemic, I think this will help set me apart from other open air roadside farm markets. This year also marks the first time in 15 years that my store will be open through the winter months. Our customers are excited for this change because they know that they can still stop and get the quality products that they have come to love through the winter and not have to rely on getting them from the grocery. While produce is more limited in the winter months for everyone I am striving to find the best quality that is available as I do the rest of the year for my customers. Being open year-round also means that my customers don’t have to stock up as much in the fall on all of their favorite jarred goods cheeses because they can come get them as they need them.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not always been a smooth road. As with any business, there are always going to be struggles and challenges along the way. Staffing is one of the challenges that I have faced over the years. It’s not always as easy as one would think to find good reliable trustworthy help. As a business owner you also have to come to terms with the idea that no one is going to work as hard as you are overall. Not to say that employees don’t work hard but when you own the business you are directly responsible for its success or failure. Not hiring the right staff can lead to unhappy customers which leads to a loss in sales. The global pandemic that we are currently in the throws of has been a struggle. The lack of workers across the board in manufacturing as well as logistics has proven to be a huge hurdle to face. The lack of packaging has caused huge gaps in products being manufactured and produced which has left shelves sitting empty. As a business owner, you have to make the most of these things because we have no control over them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are an open air roadside farm market that specializes in quality produce and goods. I strive to find quality products to provide to my customers that you aren’t going to find in every grocery store. We source a lot of our jarred goods and cheeses from Amish Country here in Ohio. Our customers love the quality and the freshness of what they make and the convenience of not having to travel to amish country to get it. What sets our market apart from others is the amount of products that we stock as well as the quality. Quality is paramount to me and I strive to source the best quality produce as much as I possibly can. While you may pay more than what you may pay in the grocery store our customers know that the quality matches the price that they pay. Another way that I have set myself apart from others is my eye for merchandising. When people walk in they are amazed at how many products we have and how organized they are. We are also known for the cleanliness of the store.
While I am in business to make a living my vision reaches far beyond that. I’m working on building upon the legacy that my parents and grandparents created over the years. My customers are more than numbers in the door, they become more like family. When they leave here I want them to feel the value in their experience. I have worked very hard over the years to learn everything I can about the products that I sell. By doing this myself and my staff can answer questions and provide valuable information that you won’t receive in most grocery stores. This provides my customers a unique experience they won’t get most places and sets a standard for quality customer service. I want to leave a lasting and positive impact on my customers and the communities that I serve.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be spending time with my grandmother and all the adventures that we would go on. She and I always had a special bond and taught me so much about life.
Contact Info:
- Email: bambisfarmmarketii@gmail.com
- Website: www.bambisfarmmarketii@gmail.com
- Instagram: @bambison23
- Facebook: Bambison23
