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“Ludlow! I still don't know why you are working anybody's job, with your gift for coffee and beverages!”
That was old General Ira Hamilton, sitting and sipping Lemon Sweet Bay Soda with his wife Sally, ten feet away in the shade from Captain Ludlow. General Ira Hamilton had always been loud, but now, that was a good thing: social distancing was no match for that big voice and personality.
“Still like it, eh, General?”
“Like it! Look, Captain, my wife is the only person who listens to me and puts bay leaf in lemonade – but this is a step up again! I don't know why you are working when you should be developing your beverage line!”
“Well, General, I don't really know how to do that, and I was hoping you might have some ideas.”
“You've definitely come to the right place, soldier! I've been thinking about this for 13 years, waiting for you to get it together!”
General Hamilton was a big old roaring bear of a man, but kindly, and so people put up with him forever ordering them around … the old general did love doing good for people, in his own loud, unique way.
“You still have 20 flavors?”
“25, sir … I've added mulberry and some others since the Veteran's Lodge has more mulberries than anyone could ever eat.”
“So, you're basically giving it away, huh?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You know you have moved to where you will have all the fruit you will ever need, right?”
“All right, so supply is taken care of! Now, go ask those people to write down or go on camera with how much they love the product!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Find out what they like the best! Make some more of that!”
“Yes, sir. This and the mulberry lemonade seems to be much loved, along with the Calm Mile – chamomile and cinnamon and apple juice.”
“Call me when you have your testimonials done! After that you're going to take your most popular flavors to the Veteran's Lodge commissary in sample bottles and just make them available to the people! I would tell you to just hit the farmer's markets, but you would be crowded by crazed, undisciplined civilians, and there is a pandemic!”
“Yes, sir. Permission to speak freely, sir.”
“Granted!”
“Sir, money is tight even for me to invest in bottles, and if this takes off – I have nine in my family.”
“Look, man, you're still in the Armed Forces – when have I shouted orders to anyone that there wasn't going to be money for? I'll raise the money for you, and don't you work for the Lofton Trust?”
“Yes, sir.”
“So, you're going to have a public-private partnership backing you! You're going have the Lofton Trust, and all the money of the United States of America owes its veterans, backing you, and when I get finished yelling, this country will provide!
“Not only that, Ludlow – this is the supreme moment! The people are confined, caught up, isolated, needing new experiences! This will get on like wildfire! You can save a whole bunch from alcoholism with this!”
“Sir, there is a challenge. My grandchildren really need me at home, and from what I understand, this is going to outgrow my home very quickly.”
“Ludlow, you're worrying about the wrong things – but that's why God made generals to see the big picture!”
“Yes, sir.”
“You're going to do product development now while manufacturing is closed, Ludlow – you're going to get testimonials and hype and buzz such that local manufacturers are going to come find you. Fruitland Memorial Park and Plumpepper at Proudfoot Plantation and Honey Heights ALWAYS have manufacturers coming around, looking for the next big food thing since the Plumpepper Company started up. You're going to be it! Figure out a name for your company, too – you're going to need it!
“Focus on the right things, Ludlow! If you lose the big picture, call me – I'll set you right like any good general would! In the meantime, figure out your company name, get your testimonials, and get your home kitchen to where you can fill enough sample bottles to just give a few dozen people a sample per week. That's it. Call me when you have all of that together. Are we clear, Captain?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I would dismiss you, but sit on down and let's finish this wonderful beverage – thank you very kindly for remembering your old general, and I think we've got an extra cherry pie you can take back to your family.”