We were lucky to catch up with Fredrick Russell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Fredrick, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?
Recently we were involved in a wreck that left our truck totaled. Once receiving the insurance settlement, we went in search for a new vehicle. We came across an advertisements about a truck that had been repossessed and is being resold at a discounted rate. We reached out to this company and inquired further and after verifying legitimacy with the Secretary of State for their state, we decided to move forward and purchase the truck. The truck never arrived, for it turned out to be an elaborate scam. Our business was out of tens of thousands of dollars. This was in March of this year, 2024. We have learned from our mistake and still remain persistent on being successful
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was born and partially raised in Milwaukee, WI. Around 1993, my mother, sister and I relocated to Tennessee where I remain. I’ve worked in the kitchen for twenty years, Firstly being hired as a cook at 18. I’ve worked my way up from a cook to server, to shift lead, to manager, to having GM title. I’ve often wondered about owning my own restaurant and I decided to write out my dreams. I can cook about anything, but I wanted to create something new all while standing out and standing alone. Our family has transitioned from ground beef to ground turkey years back, and I thought to myself how good our turkey burgers are always are. I decided then that I wanted turkey to be our niche. So I created This Turkey Here, specializing in gourmet turkey burgers, tenders and wraps. I had no idea that the desire/ demand for turkey as an replacement protein, was high and well received. We just wanted to show the world how turkey should taste
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I can not say enough how the Facebook platform has helped my business! World of mouth is key to success and Facebook is the best platform for this. It has billions of users and more importantly, it allows you to advertise/ reach out to potential customers in your area. This is key because social media for your business is more than just having lots of likes. It gives you an opportunity to turn viewers into customers.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
The very first month in business we were open seven days a week, nine hours a day. The business only brought in $600 in sales that first month. Not even enough to cover the overhead. Yet, I continued to post and share and spread the word. I did not let the slow start hinder my drive. Now, our revenue has doubled year by year since we opened
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.thisturkeyhere.com
- Instagram: @thisturkeyhere
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thisturkeyhere?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Image Credits
Jao photography- Japhet Odigie