Flipping furniture on Craigslist to Billions - Tuvya Greisman; modway CEO

[applause] [music] Hey guys, welcome to Clappy and Frank show. This week we have the great CEO and co-founder of Modway Furniture. If you're ever driving down the turnbike, you see a big Jewish flag. [laughter] You'll see it's in front of a Modway furniture, right, Debbie? >> That's right. Yeah. from uh after October 7th, we decided >> that it's time that we're proud who we are and who we represent. And >> you know, for the Jewish people, it's the right thing to do at the time, you know. So, >> you get one star reviews from all the anti-semites. >> We actually do. We do get some onestar reviews, but uh our community is great. And uh all I had to do is uh actually just a few weeks ago, I posted my status that we got some one-star reviews. took a screenshot of >> not because they felt >> we had hundreds of beautiful reviews you know real genuine good beautiful reviews of the truth of who we represent and what we do. So real customers that experienced uh you know a company and what we stand for and uh what we do for the community. Do you find that a lot of people today after October 7th, like every Jewish company at some point in time, if they don't say something that's aligned with the left-wing radicals, people go on a campaign, oh, give that guy a one-star review and then we have to counterattack and say everybody give it a fivestar review. Do you see this game playing out in business a lot? I haven't seen any of that. Um, what I find is even [clears throat] though, you know, you have some of these people that leave a one-star review, but I think it's a small minority, the majority of the population are supportive or or either don't care at all. So, you have you have a lot of people either that are paid to do it or or they're just, you know, radicals. But, you know, I don't think we should pay that much attention. We have to stick to what we're proud of. And, uh, just you got to stick to your principles. So, that's what we want to do. So you can't sell out just because you think you know you might lose some customers, lose some money. This is what we do. So >> CL on that note, do you think we need to have a non Zionist Israeli supporting flag? What do you think about Clappy? >> Because I know it's >> somebody was on the show. >> Actually just yesterday I was at an event uh you know we had this event the networking event for people in the warehousing business >> and a guy sitting next to me he says I want you to put a Msiah flag yellow Mashia flag. But I think it was just convincing. But he's like, you know, you're kabad, you got to put the yellow flag. I'm like, I don't know. But, you know, >> right after I was, why didn't we have a nonzinist? >> I know on the show what came up in the last few months that because of a lot of people not being that a lot of people not wanting to have an Israeli flag. We love the state. We love Erit Israel, Hashem's holy land. We love the people that live in Erit Israel. But Kabad was never like major pro-Zionist, per se. And when I was growing up as a kid, you never would even think of putting an Israeli flag in your house. I'm just saying the way it is now. Everybody's sugar coating everything. Um, so somebody I think it was you or somebody else on the show a few months ago said that we should put a another a new flag should be created where you're pro-Jewish, pro being a proud Jew. Um, we should make a flag. Now, some people say it's the Mashiach flag, but I think there should be another flag. Who's the guy? Who's the guy? I have different guy that owns the Patriots. Um, Craft. He has these square like the blue one thing. I think it's probably come from a different standpoint where, you know, they're like afraid of Israel, but they still want to be Jewish. Disassociate [laughter] Israel with with Jews, which [clears throat] I think is probably wrong. You know, it's the only country we have and we have to be proud of it. And when we dive in every day, we say, I mean, it's very clear that we have to bring the kadusha back into tier. So, just because Zionists might have been hijacked, you know, in previous generations by, you know, some anti-religious, but today it's a different story. And we, you know, Zionism is part of, you know, coming of Msiah and getting, you know, our country back. So, >> one of the interesting things about Tobi the Aisha Grman. Me and my have a joke. [laughter] We call we call the home. >> The interesting thing about that I that I find is that I growing up I knew the family. Grman Crown Heights huge family. My sister's >> accountant right sister was always going to the Clapman house. Yeah. The >> repa's accountant. >> That's right. >> Aha was like best friends with my sister Connie Simon. like besties. I grew up she was like another like sister in the family. Um her husband's Yoni. They live in Florida. Like amazing people. And I know I knew like all your brothers and sisters like I kind of like knew the uh the Grindman family. Um very nice, kind, warm people. I just thought of your father like you know like an accountant, nice a people. Um and then like I started noticing that like a trend like a lot of your brothers are very successful. I'm sure your sisters are also young and very hardworking, good, honest, big in the jewelry and in the field, but like very like what got you from being the son of an accountant to like becoming this mogul multi-gazillionaire entrepreneur. What what what gave you the drive? >> Right. I just say I'm a poor boy from a poor family and uh [laughter] right but actually speak up on my father. So, you know, the story is that uh when the Rebel was looking for a new accountant after uh the previous accountant wasn't wellknav and others, they were looking for a new accountant and they said, "Okay, we have to get someone because, you know, it shouldn't be someone one of our own, one of our going to know all the books and all that." And so, they told the Reb, you know, and the Reb says, "Who does the Rashag use?" And my father was the accountant for the rashag and for and for >> those listening that don't know the rashag is the reb's brother-in-law. >> Yeah the reb's brother-in-law Gurari. Uh so actually I have experience when I was a kid I helped the rash walk when I was in shashiva you know my father was there and I met the rashad quite a few times. So I remember him very clearly. Uh so and they said yeah you know uh from is the accountant. So the Reb says, "So that's who I want too is fart because he learned, you know, he was he learned in uh Bedford and Dean and then in 770 and then uh um the Reb asked my father asked the Reb to about going to college to my father went to Brooklyn College. So the gave him consented to he probably knew he's going to go anyway. Could be, could be not. But >> preca or post CPA?" >> Oh, that's how no that's how he became a CPA. You went to Brooklyn. So that's >> Brooklyn College is a good college. No, >> I mean back then I don't know. No, it's considered like it's better than Turo. I mean, it's considered like a kash of a college. >> That was the only college probably to go to back then. >> Brooklyn College. Alan Ders once went to Brooklyn College and some big alumni coming out of >> actually my father had some interesting classmates in Bedford and Dean was country and some others. I looked through the airbook club >> how did you get into the furniture business? >> What was your first play? First play. >> Yeah. So, the first you grew up your father's an accountant when you were 14 years old. What did you want to do from 9 to5 eventually when you finish your I'm just saying >> right. Um, I probably had no idea at 14 and probably a day before I started what I'm doing. I had no idea still, you know, it's kind of just things just fall into into place. >> You don't use Herman Miller chairs. Is that the true story? >> Well, yeah, that's one of the things, right? >> Not the first thing. >> Well, so you know, I was just always ambitious to do things to, you know, even being Yeshiva, how can we make a buck? And >> in Yeshiva, you sold candies like >> Yeah, actually. No. Well, I don't know about candies, but I used to go to the store, I'd buy like a box of ices after sports, then I would sell it for, you know, let's say a dollar a piece and buy, you know, so you make a few dollar any anyway just to make another few dollars so I have some spending money. So, always had that, you know, uh those ideas. I I also traded stocks actually as [laughter] when I was in Marstown, yes. Um uh I used to go to the library during breaks. I would bike there, rollerblade there, and then I would trade stocks, you know, check on some stock tickers. What are we talking about in the late 90s? >> This is uh late 90s. Yeah. 98 99. >> No smartphones. He'll go to the computer. >> Robert Herson brought me down to his board meeting once many years ago. And I and he said he wanted me to speak. So I gave her that story and everybody loved it. They're trading stock. I don't know if that's what he wanted to hear. But uh >> you were in your in your late teens. >> Uh yeah, I was uh right. But >> you knew how do you know about the market? Who taught you about the market? Like how do you know what to trade? >> I I didn't I had no idea. I just uh you know someone introduced me to it. You know, I had I had had some money then, you know, just from uh it's actually money I got from an accident I was when I was 11 years old that was in a car accident from the country. >> Money comes from Oh, [laughter] >> so I got a few dollars then and then I was just uh I invested all you know different stocks probably doubled it and I >> Wait a second. You were in an accident when you were 11 years old. >> Yeah. >> How bad? >> Um it was you know the car was totaled. Uh my brother was driving and um >> you know afterwards people that saw the car they said it's a miracle that we all came out alive but you know burp we're all okay >> permanent. Who did you sue? Who did you sue? Your brother [laughter] >> pretty much it was yeah one of those but uh we all you know got but nothing you know digits. I don't know if I'd ever do it again. It was six digits. [laughter] >> No it wasn't a lot. It was like we got like 10 grand and then then was >> So you were trading the 10 grand you got for getting bashed up. >> Yeah. Yeah. And then I I turned it maybe into 20. And then uh I just remember one day I thought I was smart Alec. I knew and I probably lost it all in one day. I thought I'm going to buy something. And then it was and that you know what it was worth it. It was the greatest lesson I learned in life that you know you have to be don't just uh be wild. You actually work for your money and don't just expect you know great returns but you actually have to work hard for everything you do and nothing comes easy. So >> wiped out. You got wiped out in your early teens. >> Yeah. Uh was actually so actually this is when I met Schneer Hersh my my late partner >> we met Alam so uh I met him in Sydney Australia >> anus >> you got sent from Maris town on to Sydney >> that's correct >> do you know what's going on now in the world of like yeshiva is the last year >> the last year of yeshiva they go they go to a last year yeshiva and then they get sent away by the yeshiva to go on like to represent the world >> terra now you involved in alter >> I mean me Yeah, I'm not so involved. >> They say this year there's 450 Bahim just there for the last year. >> So, how do they find enough locations for them? I don't know. But actually, I was talking. Yeah. Well, maybe I should finish the last story and then we could get back to that. But, uh, so I met that's what that's how actually I met Sher Hersh because he had some interest in stocks. I taught him, you know, things I knew. And then, uh, and I think we both traded. I think it was in uh, it was MCI, you know, if you remember that. >> WorldCom. >> So, it was about to go bankrupt and I'm like, wow, it's so cheap. let me buy some uh shares and then it just all disappeared and we both me and Cher both lost our money but you know but we formed a bond and that's how >> you lost money together you said >> we lost money together but now we became you know now we became close friends and >> so you became close friends in Sydney Australia y >> and then you came back to America >> then we came back to America right I mean first I went to do smika in Los Angeles uh then I then I did like a suka business there I started did suka building you know I used to uh I put up like flyers on the streets >> builders building furniture since he's 20. >> Well, and then I realized, you know, I could also buy Sukas. I found like a temp place I could buy all the parts and then I started selling Sukas. >> Put all the regular guys on the business. >> Yeah. So, you know, it was a nice gig, you know, for probably did it like for one year. >> Well, so this is coming up. It's appropo. He started in the second business. >> But, you know, it was a good lesson. these little things, you know, teach you different things that, you know, how to work hard. And, um, so then a few years later, um, >> a second, you lost a lot of money in stocks, even if it was 20 grand. But then you're doing manual labor, knocking up a suka, you're already making 20 bucks an hour. >> Well, listen, [laughter] I made I probably made 10 grand, you know, for myself as a single guy then over, you know, a month's work or whatever, a few weeks or whatever it was. >> So, you're handy. You're handy with hammer and nails. You're good. >> I figure out, you know, I'll I'll figure out whatever I need to do. when you're ambitious and you have a goal, even if you're not handy, you become handy. So, it's everybody's capable of anything as long as they, you know, they work hard. So, uh that's what you learn. People say, "Oh, I'm not handy. I'm not capable. I'm not smart." But really, any everybody's smart if they want to be. >> Your father works very hard. I'm saying accountants work very hard. They sit in the office all day. >> A lot of hours. Sure. >> Put in hours. So, you didn't have a lazy streak in your body amazing. >> Uh I don't know. I mean, you know, maybe we were lazy as kids because we had everything we needed. You know, we we had a pretty good upbringing. Yeah, we had we felt like we we had everything we needed. So, as kids could be lazy, but as you get older and you're like, you know what, I want to have a certain goal. I want to do this or that. And then you just got to change your nature. >> Did you were you always dreaming to become successful financially or it just happened over time? >> No, not really. I I felt like I more like had ambitions like to have an influence. um like in order to do certain things. You want better life. You want to be able to give something more for your kids and also to change things like you know you see there's a lot of need in the community. Uh you see you know education you seem and there's so many things to do. So I'm like the only way to do it is through the dollar. So you know I'll work hard and whatever happens happens. But like you know when you're starting a business in the beginning I had no idea like I'm like most 99% this is going to flop. So I don't know if I'm going to live like another day is going to last and the business is not going to survive but have I could have enough money to pay the bills to last another day and just focus on doing that. What's the contingency plan? you don't know but that you know maybe I could get a job somewhere else but for many years people don't realize that when you start a business how much pain and how hard it is and you're not really thinking about how much money to make because you're like I don't know if I'll ever really make money but I'm just trying to grow the business and see what happens. So day one, did you ever work for someone or you always you started your on your own day one? >> I had some I well I had some other jobs. So actually it was interesting uh now that you actually been helping with we started a little 3PL business over warehousing and Moshe helps find some clients for us and so uh someone calls me and he says you know I have this uh I store I need pallets for storage. I stored in this other warehouse. I need more space. Uh you know is my name and and um and then you might know my family and I know my father. He lives on this block. And I said yeah and you were my student. [laughter] So actually I was teaching the second grade in laba for about 6 months you know as I'm starting out the business then. So I needed some extra money just even to fund like you know the basic stuff for the business. >> Teaching English. >> So I was teaching English and I never learned English by the way. [laughter] But, you know, they gave me the books and they said, "Here, go teach it." I'm like, "Okay, we'll figure it out." >> Single or married then? >> A single. >> So, and I would carry another phone on me to answer customer service calls for for [laughter] the business as I'm teaching. So, sometimes they were all teaching. I'll be like, "Hey kids, one second. I got to take a call." And then, so I go to the classroom, just give me a second. I go out and then all of a sudden all the kids are following me down the hall. [laughter] >> Now, now that I don't work in B&H anymore, I could say that I'm running my Judeica and Art business while I'm working in B&H. I look at the caller ID and if it was a $5,000 call, >> figure it out. [laughter] >> I used to tell customers, "Oh my god, FedEx is here. I have to sign for a package. >> I got to run out for a minute." [laughter] >> Hey kids, hold up. Emergency. Yes, the furniture is working. >> But, you know, teaching was very was probably one of the most rewarding things I did. Even though we didn't really get paid much for it or you hardly get paid, but sometimes get paid very late or whatever. But when you see that you're teaching and kids understand it, uh, if it's like the most rewarding thing you could do, that's what >> I think you should have told the kids, I'm taking a customer service call at work and I'm going to teach you guys all how to make money cuz like you were studying just to learn how to make pronouncer, right? So you give them hands-on experience, >> right? >> So day one you were So day one, how why did you pick furniture? Like >> so uh what happened was we were um so what I was doing is I was trying to figure out ways to make money. So Craigslist was just starting then. Uh, so I would go on Craigslist, look for like, you know, buy any chachkis or closeouts or they have like the Palm Pilots then or >> Oh my god. >> all these old, you know, all these other things that were >> spring visors, Palm Pilots. Wow. >> So, anything that I saw like this value, I could get a deal, I would go go to Manhattan and pick it up from someone, list it on eBay, and then like sell it for like double the price. So, so I was doing things like that. I found like close outs of like those big monitors when they just came up with the flat screen, but it was still the big >> big screen, but it was flat instead of like, you know, the curved. So I found like a close out of that and then uh so I bought like a you know a lot of that selling it on eBay. Um and then so what happened was uh you know so I knew Schneer um and Schneer says you know there's this lot of Herman Miller chairs. >> Those are expensive chairs. Those office chairs they're like $1,000 and up. >> Right. New. >> Yeah. Yeah. They could be $1,000 then. It was a little bit less back then. >> But um so it's actually he's like I have this lot. It's about a hundred chairs. >> Wow. And we uh I think we were going to buy for like $300 a chair. We need like 30 grand. >> They were new or used. >> Used. So they're coming out of Bloomberg. Bloomberg was >> so they had those uh >> like a trillion dollar company. They could afford. >> So they were clearing out their chairs. So So I said, "Let's do it." So we actually went to we said he said, "Let's first go out and discuss our partnership." So uh we went out to the gone pizza and [laughter] we were only able to afford like you know a dollar because we didn't have money. How'd you get 30 grand to to put out? >> Wait, what's that? I love Don pizza growing up. It's not the same. It's not what it used to be. >> We might have even split a pizza. I don't know if we could afford a whole pizza. I [laughter] don't remember. But anyway, but we decided, okay, we're going to make, you know, we're going to do it together and we're going to figure out how to put the money together. >> It was maxed out. We maxed out some credit cards. I had some cash, you know, and I just we somehow >> we figured uh you know, I think one of the things we did was we had a little time. We started listing on eBay pre-elling pre-selling because those days they didn't have a requirement to ship within uh you know that that quick. So we already pre-sold like half the lot maybe or something like that. So then we >> you getting it for 300. So you were listing it on eBay for how much? >> Probably like I don't know $4.99 I'm guessing if I remember correctly. But you know around then >> that's a good markup. >> Well shipping how much is shipping? >> Uh then uh maybe it was like $25 or so. >> Heavy are very heavy. >> Only $25 back then the rates were a lot different then. So things changed the it's a whole different world. Uh so so we pre-sold a lot. So we had some cash to fund it. I rented a budget truck and I drove the truck to Manhattan. And the only experience I have driving something big was a mitzvah tank that I once drove [laughter] when I was a bucker and I knocked off a bunch of mirrors and things like that. But uh so I'm driving this big truck that's massive. I'm this little guy driving this massive truck and uh going through these streets of Manhattan and I'm like you know scared you know that I don't know what I'm going to hit. But anyway was late at night. we had to go to pick it up. We loaded it up and then uh we had to figure out where to store it. So we um I put it some in my parents garage, then some in Schneer's parents garage and we just figured it out, you know. Um and then then we realized after we received it, we have >> You were about 20 23 years old. 22. How old are you? >> I was Yeah, about 23. Yeah. >> You were both single? >> Both single. >> Okay. >> So we have this lot of chairs, but then we realized one problem. All the uh the color of the mesh was blue. And we started and the only thing that were selling was black. So we started selling them as black. >> So we didn't know what to do, right? So So this we met this Haitian guy and he's like, "Don't worry, I could dye them for you. Just all you got to take them apart, you know, >> Asian or Haitian." Hian Haiti. >> Yeah. And he's like, "I'm going to bring it to this. You're going to go to this uh to these Indian food place." Roi, what are they called? Rodi. Rodi. Roi. Yeah. Yeah. One of these places. And um go meet me in the back or something. Something weird like that. Anyway, we take apart all the meshes, which is a massive job to take apart all these chairs, 100 chairs, and uh we're like, "Okay, >> they're so heavy. You don't stand." >> By the way, I know what's going on. Everybody wants the same item. You think the world is so unique. You were saying everybody goes towards the same painting. Everybody wants the Herman Miller chair in black. >> You don't want it in blue. One yuckle wants it in blue out of a thousand. >> You're going to hear the rest of the story. So, the punch line. So, um so we bring it. So, he dyes it. We come pick it up and we get it back. We see it's still like a little smell >> and we're like, "Okay, it's" and I feel it's not still like coming off a little bit of the uh the dye. So, I'm like, "Okay, well, no problem. I'll get some blow dryers. We'll try to [laughter] we'll try to get it to dry quicker." So, you know, we tried all different things like that. It helped a little bit. So, we're like, you know, and meanwhile customers are calling. They want their orders already. >> Where's my chair? >> Yeah. Where's my chair? So, we're already getting calls. So, we're under a lot of pressure. So, I'm like, you know what? by the time after chips until they arrive or you know a day or two or whatever it is dry it'll dry it was no problem. So >> dry and shipping. Yeah. >> Yeah. So you know so anyway so we shipped all these chairs and then um we're like great and then all of a sudden we're starting to get calls. >> You ruined my you know $1,000 suit and uh you're going [laughter] to pay for it >> and the ink is coming off and everybody >> and they're back to the reviews. You're getting bad >> back. I don't know. It was before they did reviews back then. I didn't know if there was reviews. Was it reviews? I don't even remember. But uh so anyway, so we decided we're going to make everybody a hoe where, you know, >> we're going to buy $1,000 chairs to give back $500. >> Then we found out we could buy, you know, original parts from Herman Miller through some dealers and we replaced uh you know, we replaced all the backs and then we said, you know what, we're just going to sell it for less, the blue ones, whatever, because maybe some we didn't do yet. D and then >> so we end up making we probably lost a lot of money on the first deal, but it was a great lesson, you know, how you just got to own up to your mistakes. I just people watching I just to life lessons when you buy out a closeout the fine print is very important. So somebody's selling you $1,000 chair for 300 make sure it's colors that people want. You knew you were getting blue. >> You know I I don't remember all the details. It's been a while ago but this is a great story. >> You were sitting in the pizza shop. Schneer didn't tell you the part that half of them are blue. [laughter] >> It could be. We just thought uh you know opportunity to make money. Let's do it you know and we just didn't think that much and we just jumped in. So uh but but since then we found other good suppliers and uh we were doing >> you stuck to the Herman Miller for a while or >> No, we did some other there was other offices. >> So what was your next deal? I'm so curious. >> Was uh so then we were desperate to find inventory. So I remember just going through the yellow pages and just calling just saying going through one office liquid there after another just calling every number in the country and slowly we were finding people. Yeah, we have a lot. You know, one guy in New Hampshire, we went up there, we bought, you know, uh I drove the truck, you know, woke up 4 in the morning, drove up a truck there. >> What did you get in New Hampshire? What what type of stuff? >> Uh all the it was like they had Herman Millers, they had human scales and steelcase, all these other nice products and you know was you know we had uh we're doing well finding more products but over the years it started becoming a little more difficult to source. You always have to look for new inventory and it wasn't easy. After how long did you go from your sharing your parents' garages uh till getting like a warehouse or like a a commercial space? >> Well, it probably lasted um maybe six months to a year and then we uh we got our first warehouse in Sterling Place off East Parkway. >> Mh. >> We were like sharing a space. Uh and then um you know after that we moved to uh Junior Street. Actually just last night I met the our first landlord. Uh he's actually in another business. He was renting it from the city. This uh building on Junior Street. Juni >> Junius in in uh in [snorts] Bedstey not Bedstey I'm sorry in Brownsville Brownsville yeah >> right right near the border of our airof is uh on Van Cindran right there >> we'll get to there we'll get there >> yeah [laughter] there you go but just uh when I when I was working on the air it just reminded me of all these old >> when did Monway start what day >> what year >> so that's another so that's so that's another story so from we transitioned from office chairs to other imported furniture so it's we realize it's hard to constantly source off these office chairs. So, Schneer started doing research and he found some products that we could import from China and uh sell. >> You know, you know, you know what I think we missed? You you decide like you're going to be partners. How's it going to work? Did you like did you incorporate and like make legal drafts that you're going to be partners and 50/50 or like it was right away? >> It was like a handshake. We were good friends and we trusted you trusted each other. How many years down the road did you actually legalize it? >> Um I don't think we ever did, you You never did? >> No, I think we did. We did. >> 10 years land. >> Yeah, probably a long time later. Uh, >> so you guys never had any fights. Everything was clean cut. >> Yeah, we we were like brothers, you know. We we uh trust each other. We cared about each other and uh you know, I would tell him all my secrets. He would tell me like we we knew everything. Like >> So you didn't leave us anything for 10 years? >> Like when he told me that he got sick before he told his parents. >> Wow. >> So yeah, I mean that's what he told me. He's like I didn't tell you yet, but he wanted to tell me first. So maybe his brother knew or something, but yeah. Um >> Yes. what we're getting starting. So then so what happened? >> You asked a question. You didn't ask a question. Why did you when did you change? Why did you become mad way? >> Right. So no, I'm going to get there. So we're transitioning to that. So um so then we we're looking for other things to to source like furniture. So we uh Schneer found uh you know from China a place we could source furniture. So we uh we said okay we're just going to go small. We got a few pallets worth of stuff. We did a uh you know on a mixed container. just and I went to the port to pick it up and it was sitting in the warehouse. Uh and then like completely forgot about it and then like at some point I'm like you know we got to clean up the warehouse. I don't know what these pallets are here for. I'm like you know let me let's let's just sell it so we get instead of throwing it out right. So I put it up online within a day like it just sold. So >> what was it? >> Uh was like some designer modern classics like uh you know >> like this like this designer >> like this but it was like uh different replicas of different you know uh >> of famous pieces. Yeah. Famous sold really quickly and like we got to order containers. >> Yeah. On eBay. On eBay and we had like a website. Yeah. We're doing Google ads. You know the the days where still it was very cheap to do Google ads. So it worked very well. >> And then we then we started doing our full containers. And then over time we're like, you know, we should get rid of these office chair business. That is just a pain. So and that's how we transitioned to that. Uh and we were only doing retail. We were only selling these uh you know online like through eBay or our website. We weren't doing any wholesale direct to consumer. And then we had this thought, you know, maybe we should do wholesale. I think the name of our website then was like shop seating. So I said, >> "Shop seating. >> Shop seating." So So I printed out like a few pictures of our products. I went to Manhattan. I just took the subway and I just went to one random furniture store and I just showed him. I said, "These are our products. Would you be interested in buying it? We only had a retail site." He's like, "Sure. Could you deliver tomorrow?" [laughter] And like I told him price. I'm like, "Yeah, we'll do And then so we realized right away you know we should really look at the wholesale business instead of you know doing retail and that's so then we started a wholesale business and we called it east end Imports that was uh uh the first name of >> East and Imports imports >> that's how we came up with that name. >> Over the years we realized we need a better sounding name. So Schneer was very uh creative and uh he's always good at sourcing and things like that. And so he was driving on Broadway one night and he was thinking okay thinking of names he's like okay we need to do something like you know we're doing modern products so he's like modern Broadway and then it clicked together in Modway right when he told me name Mway I'm like they say names are an avoa but usually that's for naming children I think naming [laughter] business naming businesses it's also an avoa >> yeah I told my wife when I want to name our kids it's nova that's it I can't help it right >> my and I for years I was going by Izzy rant and I think you said it sounds angry Angry. It sounds angry and we I couldn't think of a name for years. It was a stalemate because I couldn't think of a good name. >> And how did you come up with Clappy Nu? >> I was hoping you're going to do the Clappy song. You know, happy Clappy. That's >> They gave you Rush. >> Oh, really? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We were at the H concert. We asked the owner of the song. He says, "You have full rush to use it whenever you want." No. >> Oh, she's not, you know, he's okay with just calling just doing the clappy song, right? Are you [laughter] kidding? >> We're going to have to think. I'm sure there's better Frank. If I play it on my saxophone, [laughter] then I'll feel part of it. >> Okay. >> But we do need I do I was telling Yan Gordon yesterday. I just recently he he's a composer. I said it is on my bucket list to compose a hit song. It's on my you know my retirement. I it is on the plan. So then you got to became Modway. >> Yeah. Then we became Modway. That was >> and you agreed to the name right away. >> Oh, I love the name as soon as we heard it. That was like a brilliant name. Uh it was great. Um yeah, so >> we actually have a whole story how we got the domain name Modway because first we did Modway we you know we we copyrighted patented and all that and uh and then we we found the domain modway furniture.com which was a long name a lot to type right >> so but uh so then we said you know maybe we should start looking to see if we could get domain mod but it was it was a domain squatter on it and it was taken it wasn't available so we reached out and I think he wanted like 10k 20k 25k I don't remember what it was, but that was too much money for us. We were just start, you know, we were still starting out. Um, and so we started lowballing and he said no. And then and then we uh our attorney that did the patent for us, he says, you know, you have maybe a legal claim because you have the patent in it. They're domain squatting. They renewed it. They shouldn't have. It's yours. Blah blah blah. So he says we could start a claim. So we we did there's you know a special panel that governs the domains. I forget what it's called, but we we did a submission to claim the domain. And of course, we lost because it was probably bad advice from the attorney at that time. >> I was thinking if he had it before you, like how could you he you don't know, >> right? So that was it. But you know, so anyway, um so then at a later point, we're like, okay, we're we're buying it whatever the price is. And we end up buying it for about 100 125,000 25,000 better because we were we a few years later we're doing much better. Like we'll pay whatever it is. >> You're saying maybe you should have paid. Yeah. But you know what? We didn't have the money then. So 125 or whatever it was compared to 24 was cheaper because you had the money. So it doesn't really matter. >> Cash is king. >> Cash is king. Yeah. It's whatever you have at that time. But you know now we're glad we bought that name because I think it's important to have uh >> So when you do you do you care or love furniture or just you'll buy and sell anything? >> Listen. I I tell people I'm in the business of making money. So >> you don't care what you're selling? >> No. I mean, listen, I like it because, you know, I've been doing it for a long time and uh, you know, I used to be more involved in in the sourcing part. I used to travel with sharers to China and all that >> cuz I know you for many years. The first time in my life you hear you actually talking about furniture. You walked into the series like, "Oh, is this our furniture?" >> Otherwise, I never heard you talk about the air all day. Doesn't talk anything about furniture. [laughter] >> Well, that's because you know, you're on the airboard with me. So, that's why. >> So, I first of all, but so he I actually realized he's in the furniture business for the first time. Walked into this. Oh, is this furniture? So you you were doing furniture for how many years before you got married? >> Um let's see. I got married I was 25 for a few years. Couple years two three years. >> Just a little bit about your personal life. You married a very family like that. >> Yeah. Sure. >> Your father-in-law is like by the way he's also furniture. He he like does rental chairs for simas cheers and mattress our what mattresses he sells mattresses. >> Right. Right. As soon as my wife got in the car for the first date and she asked me what I do. I said I'm in competition with your father. It [laughter] was right on the first flight. >> Small conversation. >> Yeah. >> But not only that actually we we I used to play in our house as a kid. Yeah. Growing up. >> You used to play in their house. Is that how the happened? >> Is that how it happened? But it could have there was already a connection. There was a connection there. Uh my my sister and my wife's sister were good friends and she used to bring me along, you know. >> So again, they're very family. So I was thinking about like your wife. Did she want to go on and like not be a you know the wife of a working guy or how did that come up in dating? Oh no, not so actually my wife was at that point I thought she was too modern for me at that point for [laughter] a second. I was thinking that maybe I never told her that but I was thinking that you know because you know they had different interests. Now my wife is way more from than me but you know that's [laughter] great. I look up to her but yeah. >> So tell me how do you pick your SKs like like there's like five how many SKs you currently have? >> How many different types of SKs for how many different types of furniturees you have currently stocked? >> Oh different categories. How many >> different items? Oh, we have >> like a red couch, >> right? Oh, we could have probably 7 to 10,000 SKs probably. >> How do you manage or like how do you pick? I want this one and that one and this one. And how long do they last? >> We add about, you know, 1,500 to 2,000 SKs a year. Yeah. >> A year. >> Yeah. But then we discontinue a lot. >> So, it's like, you know, your best sellers ultimately get discontinued. So, there's always cycles and trends. And uh >> So, you decided you want to be a home furniture company. Home furniture company is like sofas, love seats, pull apart couches, like like the huge ones. >> Well, we're not only home, you know, we do outdoor furniture, I mean, which is home of course, but we also do office furniture like so office chairs. Uh, you know, we we all do anything that that fits that could somewhat fit. And, you know, we do bathroom vanities. >> What present do you design yourself versus just office shelves? You go to China or the the factory, boom, in the in the show. >> Right now, we everything's our own creation. We >> alter everything. Yeah, we try to make everything our own kadesh. It should be unique to us. >> How long did you start designing your own stuff? How long like how many years in >> did we start? I mean, you know, the beginning our products were more like replicas and we realized it's it's a little bit of a tough business even though I guess using the sis letters and we didn't we were ignorant. We didn't want mean to like >> you know take out the designs but you know you learn that. Okay. Um so we said okay we have to do something different you know even though there was everybody was doing it. And it was actually a change because a lot of things were in the open market because it you know um it was a new law that was uh called trade dress that started on furniture and it only happened like kind of when we were in business right so first all these stuff were on the open market all these designs they were from the you know half a century old but then there's a a trade dress which is a new area in the in the copyright so that kind of limited a lot of like you can't just take old designs and kind of reintroduce it. So we at that point we're like you know we have to get into uh >> so how much does our own creative >> and actually we see a lot of companies copy our designs. So it's a compliment but >> you stop that you stop you stopped them. >> Well it's like if we don't have a if we don't uh put a copyright or patent on it you know there's nothing you can't really do. It's >> do you copyright every design you do? >> No we don't because you know you're adding so many products. If you have a great product something innovative then you'll you know you'll you'll spend the money. >> How many copies have you filed since you started your company? >> Not that many. 5 10 20. >> Yeah. Not even. >> Not even. >> So, there's no iconic Modway piece. >> Oh, really? No. >> I mean, you know, a lot of stuff we could tell. I look at it, I know it's a modern. >> You put your tags on there or Yeah. On every piece there's something >> every every piece we should have is yours. Where would your tag >> usually on the bottom? >> Under. >> Under. Yeah. >> So, you can't Why don't you put it outside? >> Just you don't want to ruin the design. It's aesthetically. >> What's the thing with the mattresses? It says if you take off the tag, you got to prison for 10 years. What's the story with the mattresses? Unbelievable. Right. >> What is the tag on the mattress? Well, a mattress is a whole another animal. We do We actually used to do a lot of mattresses. We had some of the top positions on Amazon with mattresses, but now we kind of got out of that. >> I want to ask you a mattress story. >> Oh, you have to ask what's with the prison then? >> Yeah. You know about the prison? >> I'm not I'm not involved in that. I couldn't really answer that because I don't really know these laws. >> A couple years ago, a couple years ago, after we were married, like 12, 13 years, my wife, my back, my wife's back started hurting and we started calling up and these mattresses are like a,000 to $2,000 just for the back for the box. Bring in the mattress. And I was like, "Touffy, hook me up because I hear you're always on the phone with my I'm" I'm like, "Oh, I got a hook up." Whatever. You're like, "Okay, so here, which mattress do you want?" You start sending me links. Now, the mistake was is that I was sending my wife the links with the prices and she's seeing prices $179, $2.99, $3.99, $4.99, and she wants to see the $2,000, AND SHE'S LIKE, "I DON'T WANT THIS JOB." >> AND [laughter] I called you on the phone on speaker, and you're like, Izzy, it's all a scam. It's all a farce. The whole mattress industry is a monopoly far from a few companies that inflate the prices. >> They're all the same product, right? >> What? >> They're all made the same components. >> Explain me what's going on with the mattress. >> No. So, so actually that's when we got into the mattress. We were the early ones to get a mattress in a box. That was the event that changed the whole >> mattress. It comes in a box instead of having to have a truck deliver it. >> Correct. So, most of the money in general furniture and especially then mattresses was in logistics and just, you know, people carrying it and that's expensive to hire people get a truck and you just bring a mattress into the home is that's very costly. There's also tremendous market by mattresses then everything was sold only through the stores never online >> in layman terms you're talking about coiled versus foam >> both so mattress >> roll up a coil >> so this is so that it was innovation that was made to figure out that you could take a mattress that's fully expanded and then make it like a pancake so there's machines that compress it and then you roll it up you vacuum pack it put it in a box and then so you could do that to a coil mattress you could do it to a foam mattress >> coiled yeah >> you could have a coiled spring mattress springs right back down we do it all I didn't know that. >> Sure. Sure. We've been selling many of those. Um, so that's when I remember going to CH many years ago in China, seeing it, I was blown away. Wow, what's this mattress in a box? I'm like, we must do it, you know, and then a few years later, >> you were one of the first ones to bring it in. >> We're one of the earlier ones to not maybe not the first, but wasn't that popular on Amazon, all that. So, we were able to get, you know, good positioning and we were selling a tremendous amount of mattresses back when you go into sleep. >> But it went from completely opposite from mattresses being have these crazy markup $2,000 for something that the materials cost like, you know, virtually nothing to on Amazon where it was a rat race to the to the bottom where, you know, you're making very slim margins because you just want to get the top position. So, that was, you know, that's why you're seeing these >> when you go into sleep and they try to sell you a $2,200 mattress. >> They're all out of business. I mean, this is over. >> Oh, nobody's buying the $2,200 mattress. Maybe there are some old-timers, but you know, the young people are tempor. [laughter] >> So, how much should a good full-size mattress cost you today? >> I mean, you could get a few in your house. What are the one you you sleep on? What does it cost of you? >> Oh, what does it cost? Yeah. I have one of our mattresses that, you know, >> the one you the one you sleep on is how much? >> Few hundred. >> $200 right now. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> How thick is it? >> I probably took one of the discontinued ones we had, you know. [laughter] >> How thick is it? How thick is it? >> Uh 10 in 12 in. That's thick, right? >> Yeah. >> So, all those things on top and >> there are different layers of foam. There's the blue foam and there's the gel and uh you know, >> so tempropedic is not a thing anymore. People are not spending two three >> people use different names and different things and it's just it's all gimmicks. Yeah, >> it's all gimmicks really. >> You know, you have different styles of foam and the and the softness. There is differences obviously. But, you know, it's it's just about the manufacturing. If they're doing the pouring the uh the the the chemicals, you know, it's just a bunch of chemicals that create the foam. if they didn't know the right mixture. >> It's the old recipe, but it's the same, you know, the same cost. >> That's why the mattress companies advertise all day long because their margins are so big. They could afford it. >> Yeah. But they used to, but now you don't really hear Do you hear mattress advertisements anymore? >> Foam should be just as good as coiled. >> Uh, no. It's a different, you know, some people like coils, some people like foam. It depends. I mean, I think usually, uh, what I, you know, my kids like is the, uh, coil with the pillow top. Uh, so have more of a bounce to it. So kids might like that. I like it more firm, you know, more steady. I think older people probably like that, you know, adults probably like foam, like a nice, you know, firm foam or a little little softness. But >> what's more popular, firm or soft? >> Well, it depends for who. I mean, everybody >> in general the overall market. >> There's different preferences. Some people like it more pillow top, soft, more plush, uh, like a euro top they call it, >> or, you know, some like it firm. It depends on you're not so you're not so involved in mattresses anymore. You're still >> No. So now we don't do as much. You know, we aren't doing we're not like, you know, right now it's not it's not all about how much you sell. It's about how much you make. So, like, you know, if you want [clears throat] to sell more, you could sell we could sell billions of dollars worth it, but we'll probably lose a billion dollars on the way. You know, >> you're saying basically became commoditized and it's a race to the bottom, >> right? >> Anytimes your brand list race to the bottom. Correct. >> Right. It was actually uh just read in the news a couple weeks ago, a big mattress factory in North Carolina burnt down. A factory that we probably used to buy from their Chinese factory. And uh you know I wonder why it burnt down. [laughter] >> It burnt down. >> It could be. I mean you know I'm not >> mattresses are very inflammatory, >> right? Exactly. It is inflammatory. Flamable. >> That's another reasonable inflammator. >> You're inflammatory. >> Yeah. The fire department insurance companies hate anybody that's doing mattresses because the foam. Yeah. It's a massive liability. >> That means your insurance is >> So we have to do in order to store mattresses, we need a special sprinklers system in the in those racks. You need, you know, higher pressure and all that. >> Speaking about your warehouse. It's like what? New Jersey 700,000 ft. >> 630,000. >> 630. And you don't Can you tell me you don't have electricity bill? Correct. >> We put solar. We did a solar project to >> You don't pay us pays for >> Well, it's about 90 something% or something. >> 90% you're not paying at the same time. Is that crazy? >> Oh, now we're actually in the middle of a much bigger project, community solar project where >> where we sell electricity to the community. So, it's about it's about four to five times our original project, which covers almost our entire roof. Also, your new project can make so much that even your >> Well, we're going to be selling electricity to utility company who sells it, you know, sells it to local community. >> They should do a data center because >> affordable electricity kind of. >> What about a data center to be your next >> Well, a data center is very could be very controversial because, you know, they the usually uh uh res don't like the data centers near the house because >> uh first of all, it doesn't create jobs and it uses a lot of a lot of the water and their big drain and you know this big ugly building. They say it makes noise. People don't really like it. They want They want to see businesses that are bringing jobs to the community and we bring a lot of jobs. >> My boy brings a lot of jobs to New Jersey. >> Yeah. To local community. We have a lot of local people. So >> 100 150 people. 100. >> Yeah, about that. Yeah. >> Around there. >> Uh clap. Talking about our sponsors. >> Talking about our lovely sponsors. We need people. >> Okay. Hold on. Why isn't Mway should probably know be a furniture sponsor in the show? >> Modwway should definitely become a furniture. >> Hold on. You don't spend much on marketing, right? >> Not really. You don't do Google ads anymore? >> Don't do hardly. >> Amazon PPC? >> No. None of that. We used to we used to spend tons on that. And then >> And why'd you stop? >> Because uh you started looking at it, analyzing, we realized how much money we're losing. Doesn't make sense. >> And then at one point I'm like you know we're spending millions of dollars on Amazon marketing and I'm like and then I started looking at the products. I'm like they're not really profitable after all the spend. [laughter] And they try to, you know, the marketing company that we're were using, they're saying, "No, you really have to look at the bigger picture and all these stories." And we were like scared that if we turn off advertising, our business go kut like no one's going to buy our stuff. It's only because of the marketing. They said, "You know what? Let's turn it off for a week and see what happens." Turn it for a week everything was the same. >> Wow. So you made a few weeks later. Okay. It started seeing little dips, but I'm like, "At least we're making money, you know?" So advertising. I just turned off all advertising. I'm like, "What did you spend the 5 million a year? It could be. Yeah. I mean 5 million next. You just turned off what just turned it off and then you million. We're starting to make more money and maybe sales went down a little bit from it, but at least you know we can't just spin our wheels forever. You know, >> Speaking of our sponsors, >> speaking of our sponsors, I love when people taste pure aloe. Pure is our wonderful sponsor that makes a delicious healthy drink. Very hard to get pure aloe with a good hir. It's all the way in Asia. My friends at CRC send the mashkim down to Asia. They make it in many, many, many flavors. >> You know what country or just Asia? Do >> you know where they make it? >> Asia is a big place. You know, Israel is also >> China. I think China. >> China. >> Maybe Vietnam. >> You know the best part when they say PRC. Oh yeah. You know what PRC means? >> Yeah. Probably China. [laughter] >> China. >> I love it. Okay. >> Last week we had pomegranate. The honor of Rashana, the pomegranate. This week we're going to try peach. >> Okay. Very nice. >> I might go to China next month. We'll see. >> It even has It even has the pieces, the aloe pieces. >> The show's during this. It's a It's gonna be after I think it's after Sukus maybe. >> Canton. >> Uh, no. It's just a big f It's a big furniture show. Shanghai furniture show you go down to the factory. See how kosher it is. >> I was I'm traumatized for going to factories. I don't do that. I just go to the shows. >> You don't you used to go to the >> I used to go to factories and when I saw there I'm not going back. >> So refreshing. So refreshing. >> I already made a broa. M. It's very nice. >> Low in calories, low in sugar, healthy, >> no chemicals, no coloring. Available where all fine kosher groceries are available. Taste my friends drink from pure aloe. Delicious. Delicious. Delicious. >> Speaking of beverage, >> speaking of great beverages, my friends put in millions of dollars into making the um the Anessa, what's it called? The um >> anis anis. >> Anist anis plant. Also natural, delicious, low in alcohol, high in taste. Bakan, it's auente. Um, delicious. It's one of the best spirits in the market. >> Okay. >> I mean, it comes in a gift box. >> Best packaging. >> Great packaging. >> Oh, you drink on the job. Okay. >> You want some? >> No, no, thank you. >> I only drink at the, you know, >> force them to >> Yeah. [laughter] The Bakan is distributed by Royal um available where fine liquors are sold. A lot of people that were into like Smeirnov and were into vodkas, I got them into the um bakan. >> Mhm. >> Changing their drinking habits. Delicious. Again, a little lower in alcohol. Very natural. >> What% alcohol? >> Like 30%. >> Oh, 30% different. I think it's one's even lower. >> So, you ever got drunk before? >> You ever got drunk? >> Yeah. >> Oh, sure. I mean, actually, I remember getting drunk when I was in >> uh when I was in Russia. I was a counselor at Vati in the I was in St. Petersburg, Lengrad. So, >> are you more fun when you're drunk than me? >> Well, listen, I don't really get drunk, but this is what happened was I was a a co-conselor with another Russian uh bucker boy and um so the the parents came once or the father of one of the kids came and he gave us a tip. So, he gave us a bottle of vodka and a watermelon [laughter] and so the co-conser said, "Hey, it's we're both counselors together. We must split it half half." Exactly. So I'm like, "No way." But he forced me to drink. We drank half the bottle and half the watermelon, and I was never so drunk in my life. But I felt great when I was drunk, but I'm like, "That's I can't ever do this again." But >> So you don't drink since then? >> No, I I I got drunk uh the night we got engaged. So well, you know, when I got engaged to my wife. So uh otherwise, I pretty controlled. And right now, I actually hardly drink any alcohol. Try to stay healthy. Over 40, life starts catching up and you're healthy. You got to start watch be careful what you eat, what you consume. Be careful what bed you sleep on. >> When you when you when you do have alcohol, you want to make sure that it's natural. Uh it's made by a top company like Pakan and it's not too high in alcohol. And just enjoy it. Delicious. >> Yeah. >> Our favorite at Crown Butcher. >> CH Butcher. I don't know who Crown is, but he says Crown Butcher. >> I think there used to be a place Crown Butcher. Uh CH Butcher. >> One of the biggest Arab supporters. sourced [laughter] sourced sourced locally. It's the meat. It's the American Angus beef. Um made here u it's chefed locally in New Jersey in New York and uh it's it's um salted brought to New York. The Rabanam Hasher top top CHK. They have a beautiful restaurant on Troy Avenue. Um so >> you've been to the restaurant? >> I have many times. It's a great restaurant. I love >> CH Butcher on Troy Avenue. You don't have to go spend $200 on >> around the corner. It's the easiest. I go with my kids. I need to take them out for anything. Actually did uh for my son, we did a foran. I took the whole class to to Yeah. >> And it was a great time. >> You have a kids birthday. >> CH Butcher. And then they have the uh >> My father also loves that restaurant all the time. >> And then their butcher shop is on Albony Avenue. Fresh, delicious. They have frozen stuff that you can heat up in the oven. They have all the uh the cigars with meat, the uh the ras with meat. There's a few other stuff. They make a lot of good stuff. And now his father is working on some herbal stuff he's going to come and tell us about. >> But the the beef jerky comes in like 10 different flavors. Oh, >> very very healthy. >> This is new. This beef fat seen before. No. Low in fat, low in sodium. No sugar. [laughter] >> Loads of protein. 11 to 16 g of protein. >> I sent [clears throat] my kid with two boxes full to camp. I don't think he came back with half his clothing, but he for sure came back with zero cuz they ate it all up. [laughter] capping it all up. Everybody loves it. The there's something about the butcher jerky. They just do it well >> on the go. >> And it's for the IDF soldiers. They give it out to get, you know, some doesn't. I don't know if he does. It could be. >> Oh, he does. I know. In general, they >> general. These are very good for for the soldiers. >> Um, now all these I was saying when we're drinking and we're eating. How do you make a sim without the sim tracking app? The sim tracking app. You basically go into the app. You download it for free. Me unlock like your earlier time in your company where you had no money. You want the breakfast or dinner. What do you do? Go in the Sima tracker. >> Simka tracker. You put in Sima tracker Apple and Android. You see a little yingala with the blue p with the blue yam and the langap. The simka tracker. >> You load your wedding invitations there. It automatically goes into your contacts. You could from one push of a button you could invite whichever contacts you wanted to. >> Oh genius. >> They get reminders. You save money on foraka stamps getting lost in the mail. Everybody in your contacts could get it. They get reminders. Then the people they go into their calendar >> mail physical paper. >> No if you know if you want to. But over here you have it all. You get reminders. It sends all your contacts reminders with the push of a button of your that's coming up. People have the tracker app. It tells them all the name. You put in the search. You put in any names of your friends. Tells you which date the wedding is. is the baritzvah. You could send gifts to people that are making a tells you which gifts were already purchased. >> Is there like a gift registry on it or >> that also but you could send gifts to people platters. It tells you where the wedding is holding >> if people update it. Yeah. >> It's just such a special app sim app. It makes life cheaper because you don't have to send out invitations. It makes it convenient that you don't forget people. They don't forget about coming to the wedding or the event because they get reminders. You could send platters, gifts. It tells you what was already sent. Just everything life is simple. I strongly suggest everybody load the SIM tracker app onto their phones. Make life bas have a car. >> But how do you get to a simka? How do you get to the butcher shop? How do you go to the grocery store to get the pure or the bakan? >> You need to get a car. And most people are suffering because they don't have two cars. Get a second car. Insurance only goes up a drop. But once you need a car >> in Brooklyn, it's hard. >> There's only one way. There's only one way to get a car. >> You call my friends at wheels to lease. Oh, yes. >> You call Saul. Hershk. Actually, is he Herman? >> Can you help me out? I just got a new Suburban because my wife didn't want a minivan anymore >> and we need a bigger car. >> How long was he on the phone with you trying to help you? >> Yeah. I was like, who's this guy? What's he want from me? Why is he speaking to me for so long? You know, >> like over an hour. >> Yeah. >> Just guarding. Such a nice guy. >> Is he? >> No. Saul. Saul. >> They're the best. the best. They're [laughter] just a MA to deal with. They make it easy. Yeah. >> YOU DON'T WANT TO START CALLING A DEALERSHIP. The car guys have the worst reputations trying to hack you and sell you over there. And I say this every week. How many customers I How much are you paying for your car? I don't know. I said, "How do you not know?" They said, "I went into the conversation knowing it's a certain price. They're always cheaper. I don't have to I don't have to price check them." Is that a good feeling not to have to price check? >> Speaking of price checking, Clappy, >> so Wheels, call my friends at wheels. They will get you the new minivan for school. They will get you the cargo vans. They will get you the You said that to you one time looking to get a cherry picker for the Air. >> That's right. That's right. [laughter] You remember you you connected >> the cherry picker. They were trying to get you the best deal on a cherry picker, >> right? >> Didn't get it yet. >> Yeah. >> Don't get it. Don't get it. >> Well, actually, you know, we were just talking. So, actually recently, well, uh, Williamsburg Air reached out to me because I'm involved with the Crown Heights area. Me and Moi are on the board and we we take care of it, which is a whole whole long story, a long a lot to talk about obviously. Uh, so they needed help recently with their ARV because there was some stuff going on. I'm not even sure exactly. So, oh, I get a call a few weeks ago. Uh, this is so and so from the Williamsburg area. I need to meet you urgently. I said, "Okay, I'm actually going on vacation. We're on the way to go to Atlantic City on vacation and we're going to be away for a few days." I said, "Let's do a Zoom. You could do a call. Just, you know, I'm not available to meet." He's like, "This is urgent. I'm gonna come anywhere in the world anytime. just tell me an address. So then I asked my wife, is it okay? Right when as soon as we arrived to our vacation home, we did an Airbnb there. >> What town? Not AC. >> It was a maze landing. It was just, you know, about a half hour. >> More family friendly. >> Yeah. I was on a, you know, a house on a lake. Beautiful. Uh, so we just arrived an hour later. A couple guys, couple of pop come from Williamsburg. They show up and um we I gave them you know all the information I could help them with because I was involved in building different air and you know like in Crown Heights. Then we did a we did a Marstown air >> building and financing. >> Yeah. So Marstown we put up an air a few years ago. I helped the community there to to you know to plan it because I knew builders and and mapping and all that. And then we did another one in Monroe, New Jersey where I have a another home that near near Mway near work. Uh so I have some experience in that. So anyway it was it's amazing the aus that we have finally at Williamsburg they connected their just last week they connected their to heights now crown heights and Williamsburg is one thing that's real [laughter] they say that makes a amongst isn't that what it says in the says that that the come everybody's like separate says in the but when you make an everybody and that's where the kush could only come are being through the through the >> I mean you hear a lot of stories where you have sat people marrying into family so many you know and it's kind of we're not separate we're all one unit it's like no more like your sabbad >> you sharing one wall >> yeah so we're sh one wall on Atlantic Avenue you know so they're sharing our Atlantic Avenue wall >> so Mishi always makes a joke that Louis Shiner the big billionaire Louis Shiner the Aisha from from my from um his daughter married a labavature but now I interviewed his brother in Bar Park and his brother was saying that he didn't they said they lived in Crown Heights and they went to Lavage. >> They're coming back to their roots. They're >> so it's not that they came to they married into Lavage. They're coming back to where they started from invage. >> Correct. >> We got to get Louis on the show. He's welcome any week he wants. We'll bring them on to the show. >> Pas deals. >> Now, if you want to get a deal, also he's a s guy deal. Speaking speaking about deals, if you want to make sure you get a good deal on anything you buy in your day-to-day life, >> the heck you need is PZ deals. >> Yesterday, my wife actually I came home, she's like, "Oh, I was looking for something for the house." She's like, "I know I'm getting a good deal. I found it on PZ deals." >> Somebody's into the deals. >> You want a good deal? >> The shirt? >> Yeah. >> This is $20. >> $20. >> Is that Is that a good deal? >> You probably found it on PZ deals. >> This uh Yeah, maybe. >> All good deals come through PZ deals, >> dude. Where do you splurge on anything? Your shoes are expensive or no? >> No. >> Nothing. >> Nothing. What do I just get what I need? What do I need >> splurge on anything? >> That's that's not my goal in life to, you know, to have uh >> not to splurge. >> Just everything has to functional has to work. >> But you know what? If you use Card Right. >> Yeah. >> Card Right. Our hush of a sponsor, Mr. Geller from Card. >> It's also a free app, Android, Apple, Card, you go into the app store, Card, and it tells you which credit cards to sign up for that are going to be the best for you, the best savings. And you go into the app when you're going to buy something, it tells you which one of your cards to use. A lot of times a guy's about to load $100 worth of gas on his car and they say, "Oh, if you go to this and this, if you use this card, you'll get 6% back now. Save a lot of money. Six bucks right here. $100, 6%." So, Card Wright's a very, very, very important app to use when you're applying for credit cards. When your children are applying for credit cards, when your spouses, it tells you which credit cards are going to be best for your lifestyle. And when you're shopping, it tells you which one of your credit cards for each individual purchase will make it better. So, you use Cartrite together with uh PZ deals when you're going to buy it. Then when you're going to buy, it tells you which car to use. So it's very important that all our sponsorships have actors amongst each other. >> When I asked the founder of B&H if he flies business of first class, Mr. Shriber, he's like, "No, I would never pay. I have miles on my credit cards." Anyways, [laughter] the multi-billion gazillionaire, Mr. Shriber, refuses to spend money on business first class. >> Right. Actually, when I first [laughter] first one or two times when I went to China first time, I flew economy >> because I couldn't I said, "Why should I pay more than $1,000 to go there, you know?" Um but after after one or two trips I'm like that I can't do this anymore. So then I'm like you know it's a business expense when I arrived to China at least I could operate otherwise if you you can't sleep in >> cash for points. What do you you spend time on cash? >> If we have points you use points. Yeah. >> Whatever. >> Sometimes it could be uh you know you need a lot of points for it. you know those those trips together. >> I think at one time was about to buy points from your partner Shane one time. He said, "Oh, reorganizing our business and I'm going to get the point." I forgot he was selling the points. >> Oh, interesting. >> I did one barter with the painting. He gave me a couch for a painting. >> Tia told me afterwards he's not sure if it was authorized, but >> Oh, REALLY? [laughter] >> YEAH. [gasps] ACTUALLY, talking about paintings. So recently, so I happened to be a of theam cipher. So >> yeah. So I wanted a painting of cipher in my house. So I reached out to my she said could you uh help me find a you know a painter to to find you know the painting. So anyway, he found beautiful made made a beautiful painting and then we find out that the painting of the picture that we took we had a picture of the cipher original artist of that picture his name was Moa Frank >> and it happened to be uh >> related to me somehow. >> Wow. The story was that he needed to marry off his daughter. He didn't have enough money. So he asked the cipher if he could uh draw his uh image >> his image and he just so he could pay for the wedding and he allowed him and then years later of the wants to paint and it gets too much. Isn't that isn't that great? [laughter] >> Wowim talking >> people ask all the time I'm sorry >> I'd rather talk about lighter things but you know it's it's something to speak about. You have a business partner. You spent so many many years. You when you shiver with him and you started and you're buying furniture and dying it in the backyard of a Haitian restaurant and you go through all these life experiences and then he got very sick and he passed away and he left a wife and many children. Um, what's it like losing a partner, not a marriage partner but a business partner, right? I mean, uh, it was very difficult and I probably still have a lot of trauma from it today. Uh it was a very hard time uh especially seeing him suffer and and you know he had such strong paken like you know throughout um you know the whole ordeal and he always was I'm going to be fine I'm going to be fine even like up to you know close to the end and you know actually during that time when he was closer to the end we were in the process of trying to buy our building in uh New Jersey the one that we have on the turnpike and that transaction was during COVID, no banks wanted to lend because it was the beginning of CO and they were everybody was scared. Everything like froze and we had an option that if we missed that option date, we lose the purchase option and if we don't get it because the we signed that deal like many years before when they they uh just on the land. So, you know, they said we'll build a building for you. You'll sign a long lease without option to buy. So, since they had a lease and tow on this uh on this property, so they could get good financing. So, it just worked for everybody. So, we got a good good deal on it. But we were like we can't lose this option. But it came co and no one's lending and they they said oh sorry we're not going to extend your option. Uh and then you know a lot of stories happened that everything was massive brought this from step to step and you see how yashm saving us because there was a lot of complexities surrounding >> the money to buy it. >> So it's you know it was it's a miracle. The whole thing was a miracle. And Schneer at that point when he was really sick, he's like, and when we closed on it, he said, "If Hashem was able to make that happen, which everything worked out like unbelievable, like a perfect puzzle. There's so many moving parts to that." And he write a whole book about that. But he said, "Hashem is going to make me better cuz if he could make that miracle that we bought the building was a massive mira." >> Yeah. So, and I and I agreed with him at that point because I was going through the roller coaster ride of trying to figure out how to make this building happen, which I, you know, we almost gave up hope many times, but we said we're just going to um but you know, unfortunately, um you know, I spoke to him just a couple days before he passed away. Uh you know, people were saying that say for him because he's not doing well. So, I posted on the Schul group, please say for snare. After five minutes after I posted a Schneer calls me, he's like, why did you post that? Why are you scaring everybody? I'm going to be fine. Don't post it. Don't. So I'm like sorry you know and then so I'm like okay you know he was speaking fine he sounded fine he'll be okay right >> did he ever once tell you like if this and this happens to me like what you should do with the business >> never he has completing nothing >> no I mean he always told me I'm going to be fine and you know we're just going through this phase and we're you know stronger treatment and whatever but so it was you know it's only a few times in my life that I cried and that was one of them when you know when you know when when I heard the news about So, >> so it was a an emotional roller coaster watching the person that you built an entire business with pass away and he was very young. 37. >> 39. >> 39. Yeah. Yeah. I still remember, you know, his Levia. We were walking down on Eastn Parker in front of 770 and we were just bowling our eyes out. I was, you know, I was walking together with my partner now, Mish Malamid. He actually joined the company a little bit like around 2010 or so. Um and we were walking behind the the Arn together with the Yasi Hersh's brother and we were just crying, you know. Uh it was tough. Uh and um yeah, then we're you went to Montre Fury Cemetery. which is you know very traumatic to you know all these things but you know uh you have to stay strong and now we have like more of a push to be successful like you know this is you know Schneer set the foundation and uh we have to keep keep it up um and actually you know some of the people at the company uh were saying that Schneer lives on through the products and through the products he created because he was in product development and we such a long list of products that we're still developing his products for like many years. So we still feel uh touch, right? So >> tell me at what point do you feel like I made it? You ever say, "Okay, I'm done." Like you hit a certain amount of money you made or this like is you ever like a a finish line when you're in business. >> There's always, you know, once you're done, you're gone. You're over like you can't be done. Uh in life, there's always got to be >> saying in building your furniture business, is there any at one point you said, "Oh, I made it. Okay, I built this huge beautiful building on the turnpike or they've hit X amount in sales. Is there ever like a finish line for you? >> I think you, you know, listen, your life is pretty short as we know, especially was the lesson that I learned from Schneer that, you know, every day you got to treat as if it's your last. So, you don't know. You just got to be the best person you could be and do whatever, you know, whatever you could do for that day and just keep moving along and, you know, you hope you're going to have a long life and but you got to stay focused and there's always more to do. There's never, you know, it's like a scythe. It's infinite. >> What was your first luxury purchase when you made it? I don't know, your first big win or >> a first uh >> I don't think he ever did. [laughter] >> I think I used to say my first car was I bought in a car auction like the the sheriff auction probably for like $200. Uh it was a Geop Prism, like a beat up one, and I drove that for many years. And then uh then uh I got uh what was it? The um the next car I forget. Mitsubishi Galant and then Chener got the same car as me. So we both had the identical cars. >> Uh and then for many years you just had, you know, simple cars, nothing fancy. >> At one point I'm like, so then at one point I said, I'm going to splurge and get a Mercedes because like and I felt so uncomfortable doing it. I'm like, this is so against my nature, but I'm like, you know, I shouldn't drive, you know, I got to drive something more comfortable. We're doing longer drives to New Jersey once we moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey. Uh, so yeah, that was probably >> Was that the only big luxury splurge? >> That was probably, yeah, one of the, you know, that was >> then you built a house eventually. >> Yes, slowly. >> The weekend house in Jersey. >> Yeah, that was more recent. Uh, you end the co we bought the >> I'm still trying to get invited to the weekend house. >> My nephew goes. My little nephew goes and [laughter] I, you know. >> Oh, yeah. You came for a right. It was beautiful. Sh. He's actually with my son in Yeshiva and S now. >> Oh yeah, they're having a great time over there. I heard they're learning a lot. He sent the picture yesterday. Yeah, Izzy Co. And he sends me a picture that he sent me two pictures. He sends he's very into mist. He sends me a picture a few days ago that even though he's not in New York, he's making sure that his guys are putting on fillin. >> Yeah. >> He shows me a FaceTime of making sure the guys putting on >> and then he sends me a picture of that smartphone he's only going to get like once a week for a few minutes. So now he has like a text phone after Sader if you want to call. >> I saw the same thing. Yeah. He has a separate phone just to thank him. >> Do you still get a thrill in making deals? >> Sure. >> Where do you get your eyes now? It's still still exciting. >> It's always fun to making a deal. You know, it's It's the art, the art of the deal, right? So, it's always uh >> when you sell a mattress, you get excited or it's just another spreadsheet, >> right? It's like Amazon that used to have a bell when every product sold in the early days, right? But yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm not really checking out every order, but uh I'm making other deals. You know, you make uh >> Tell me about your [clears throat] sperm collection in New Jersey. My friend Yasi tells me that you you brought him to catalog your sperm collection in New Jersey. >> Oh, yes. >> Yi Newfield said it was like 10,000 sperm, 20,000 sperm. >> I don't know if it was that many. Actually, it's my grandfather's collection. Rabbi Fagustak from Montreal. >> So, he was a, you know, he loves sarum is we grew up uh going to his to Montreal very often and spending a lot of time in the house there. And, you know, all the walls are just covered from every floor everywhere. Wherever you go, there's just tons of sarum. So, after my grandfather passed away, um about it was about about five years ago, five six years ago. So, they my uncles said, "Who wants you know said anybody want this farm?" said, uh, you know, I'll take whatever no one else wants to take. So, you know, maybe some valuables others took, but I just I I rented like a cargo van. I made a few trips to Montreal and I took as much as I could. I slept it all myself. >> I was looking to get a moving company. It was getting too complicated. I said, "No, this is important. It's time sensitive. I'm just going to go myself." And I slept boxes >> that people can understand how a little guy can shle boxes. But like, I was motivated. I needed to get these small. I don't care how much it weighs. and then uh shleing these these boxes. >> The guy with a $2 million two million square foot warehouse are shleing boxes. >> But you know what it was worth it because they're holy for him and uh you know and now I actually enjoy learning you know so >> also speaking of his grandfather his grandfather's brothers are two big celebrity Lith Rashivas one is Ferris Har. >> Yeah >> and Long Beach like top like >> Fagel sucks. What I'm blown away >> my great uncle was a Tom of Baron Cutler. It's one of his close uh you know Tom Muvik >> the one long beach or >> Long Beach >> Long Beach to a lot of people that didn't grow up with a lot of money I see it hurts them so badly they start buying Rolexes and pots and they start doing >> new money new money >> boats and going to restaurants spending $1,000 on bottles literally $1,000 on bottles and acting mamish mashuga designer >> right you know how did you ever have these tits and like or what what makes you stay normal >> is it when you work hard and not everything comes easy you value money and you know what's your goal in life? Is it just to have a fancy watch? What does it do for you? Or you know just spending money you know you're focused on building a family that that's your nas when you have you know uh you have a large family and you have kids doing the right thing. There's no greater than that and and helping out the community. So >> Clappy that's where I like to spend money. >> So he told me yesterday he goes to these events and so he's wearing some Mama. >> Do we see it? >> Yeah. because of his his his humility, Clappy. People say, "So, you work on Mway?" Nice. How many years you working at Mway? [laughter] >> Yeah, I said that yesterday. >> How many people ask you that? >> It happens time to time. People say, "What's your role? What do you do?" Sometimes I say, "I clean the bathrooms." But, [laughter] you know, because I really did that in the early days. There was no one to clean the bathrooms. So, >> you don't clean it now. They're very clean. >> No, now we have a company that cleans it. They do a good [laughter] job. >> But, you know, in our first warehouse, you I did everything. >> Let me ask you, I get stopped every day in show five times. you know I'm guys collecting for struggling families and then this and people not well in the community a lot of young guys they're going out on and I always say this over and over again I'm not sure if I should give many many people 36 or give a few guys 180 or these are like somebody that's very very very very wealthy affin how do you decide which causes you want to be involved in you and your rebbits in which causes you want to give a lot of money to >> no which cause which non-air causes start with that >> oh there [laughter] you go >> which non-air causes Do you have any pet projects that you fund like majorly or which ones you don't want to be involved in or how do you decide? You get knocking on your door all day long. Like what's your approach when people call you and say I'm a yaka or whatever. I don't want to mention a name and can I get $10,000? I'm building a new mikvah or I'm starting a Sunday school. Like what's what what's your mahal and starker? >> Right. I mean there's some things that you know that maybe you care about more which is close to your heart and you actually feel it. So you know the uh first you have to help your local community. Yeah. So, I mean, that's always important. So, you know, there's there's a lot of education needs and poor families and and things things like that, but you know, you try to give everybody. You don't want to turn people away. So, you give uh you know, you can give a smaller amount to anybody that comes to you. It's hard to keep up because sometimes just non-stop. So, you can't if you just It'll be a full-time job if I'm constantly answering my phone for every uh >> Do you have Do you have a guy stucker? >> I don't. I I'm very hands-on. I do everything myself in general. Like I just that's the way I am. So, um but >> copy. One time he I I guess my commission from sending him tenants. One time I got paid earlier than someone else. He called me, "Oh, why'd you get paid? Why'd you get paid?" Like, "Whoa, Toby wasn't a big amount. He's so on top of a little payment. He thought like I was I [laughter] don't know. >> Just everything has to have an order." Yeah. I was impressed. >> Did that say gelatin? I know it was like very has a very >> listen if you're not in touch then uh that's how you lose your pants right you got to know what's going on have a pulse you need to know what's going on you can't do everything you can't be a control freak but you know if you want to know what's going on you got to pay attention >> but in the company you have CFOs CEOs presidents vice presidents you're not involved in every single check that goes out at a company >> maybe you are >> uh yeah maybe I am right [laughter] isn't isn't isn't Rosenw the CFO >> yeah good friend of yours the top >> yeah very good >> I mean He he he left Crown Heights many years ago, but he was involved in my show with Yes. I remember one year >> he was like he was nominated as the from the entire state of New Jersey as like one of the top CFOs. That's right. >> And he was the runner up. They ended up choosing somebody else. >> I told him it was a mistake. It was anti-semitism. He's the best CFO in the world. >> Just to get the air is a big thing. >> He's very good. He's our top top. >> Yeah. That's one of our reasons of our success. So, you know, he's been in the company what 10 years? Uh probably longer. Um it's been a long time. Let's see. Maybe 15 years. Could be. >> Wow. >> Sean Brownstein runs. >> Yeah. >> Top. >> Great people. >> A lot of great people. >> So, would you sell the company? >> If I would. >> Would you sell? >> No. >> You wouldn't? >> Yeah. Why should I sell? Everything's working out well. Like, you know, >> someone offered you $300 million. You sell? >> I don't I'm not even thinking about it. >> Not the building. I'm just about the business, >> right? No, but listen, for you know, real estate, you need you need a driver and the business is like, you know, the operations behind it. So, >> same business is paying down the mortgage. >> Yeah. because uh once you have operating business it helps you you know possibly to find other real estate is kind of uh to leverage it and things like that but you know I don't know you never know but uh very comfortable the way things are working out there's still a lot of things we can do so >> I'm just curious because we don't have so many we haven't had so many people in your exact role not only being very wealthy bar but being the CEO of a very large company how do you manage your time like you wake up in the morning like there's a thousand tasks if you want to be busy or >> well first thing always doing first that's soon as I wake up same time every day. >> Same time every day. >> What time? >> 7:15. >> And uh like if I don't dive in first thing in the morning and first of all, you're supposed to dive in. You're supposed to dive in the first thing in the morning. So that's important. And then you don't then you know you can forget. So it's important to do that. Uh you know, and then I come home and then I got to get the kids on the bus, help my wife get everybody ready for school and then after that then I head out, drive to New Jersey. >> Your wife still have the brisk where you >> That's right. [laughter] Yes. Can I help out with that too? >> The bris outfits. >> A lot of times I got to get the door for the bris. >> How did she get How did she get into this? >> Yeah. So, it's actually did it uh >> $30 cash deposit grandfather. >> What a $30 deposit for the outfit. >> It's $20. >> 20? >> Yeah, I know. Because I have to give the money [laughter] back. >> If you don't give, they don't give it back. If you >> Yeah, my wife does a lot of other nice. She's a college teacher as well. She's also a doula. So, um so she doesn't do it as much, but I used to have to babysit so she could go out on calls. You put the whole billion dollars on hold that she could be a [laughter] >> listen for $1,000. You got to support the wife because they're the foundation. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> So, yeah. >> So, your still has grips with you that you're selling mattresses and you're taking away his business or [laughter] >> I actually, you know, the first thing as soon as I got engaged, my my share already had my van. I had a like a cargo van. He's already borrowing it full-time and we were supporting each other, you know. So, >> what's not your brother-in-law? He makes mashiah Sherman 770 cookies and bananas every morning. He runs around saves. >> Yeah. >> What's the story? >> She calls on my way on my way to work. Part of >> Is he part of 770? >> Of 770. >> He's the of 770. >> Great guy. Great guy. >> Would you clap? >> Whenever I need anything, I know he's the most reliable if I need any help, anything. You know, >> Clappy once said on the show, the only person that still believes in Mashiach and Cranes is Jama. That's what Clap [laughter] says. >> He means it with an MS. >> That's right. >> And I do I do his rental chairs for my artfare and he gives me unlimited terms. I I feel a little bad. But >> Frank [laughter] Picarski one time said about him cuz cuz he basically there was a a Fabangan Zal that went on till like 2:00 in the morning Shabas whole shabas afternoon and somebody made a comment like oh the capas are showing up like McMar whatever and a fry was like he's still a bucker [laughter] still a bucker. >> Yeah that's right marketing. What's your opinion about marketing in general? Because you said pay click you don't believe in it. Do you believe in any marketing? >> No I'm not saying I don't believe in it. it still could work, you know, because you can use a different formats, but you know, for many people that's their core of their business, paper click, but you just have to be careful because, you know, it's a it could be a bidding war. So, you just got to be on top of the numbers, make sure it works. I know many people are very successful with paper click, but you know, >> what about opening retail stores? Was it ever >> we actually were considering uh opening retail stores. We looked at many spaces. Um, and it was actually right before COVID. we were going to sign a lease uh on a store right near Restoration Hardware in Red Hook and uh I was looking with Schneer then and um and thank god it didn't work out because you know then CO hit have to be shut for we don't have to pay our lease for about a year and a half till we could reopen. So >> did you were you the father of modern furniture in Labavage? I see there's a few young Labavage guys now selling modern furniture. They probably got the idea. >> A lot of them either work for us or our customers and things like that, right? >> Uh that's what you hire. We had a guy on the show. He said, "You hire your competition. [laughter] They come, you train them, and then five minutes later, they change up as a patent, >> you know." And I I told some of them, you know, if you want you need any help, advice, we're happy [laughter] to talk. >> Yeah. There's no animosity. It's >> So, they started by you and they went on their own. >> Yeah. Some of them. Yeah. >> But at 10,000 SKs, there's no like real identity. It's not like, "Oh, we're in like her I was once had this cover Herman Miller. How many SKs do they have? 20 30?" >> Right. Much more in line. >> 30. And they probably do a lot more sales than you, right? And they're different style business, right? >> Have you ever thought, let's just take four, I don't know, 30 SKs, be the best at it, and build a brand and be the Herman Miller of modern furniture. Does it ever cross your mind? Your 10,000 SK is very wide, >> right? >> Like we see a different model. You know, there's some great there's very few brands that could actually do that. So, you have, you know, like Apple with the iPhone, and you have some great brands that everybody knows, but there's not that many of it. So it's it's a lot harder to achieve that where you have this great brand where you could just focus on a few products and those are your cash cows and that's it. >> Wow. So you don't have any cash cows pieces that people >> I mean you have Yeah. Every year you have your top products that you know your top 10 could be 80% of your business. So it's up to >> Last year you told me you had a green couch. It was a small couch a two-seater and you said you had like 300 pieces left in green and you said if you could get rid of them you could give it to them at a blowout. The reason why I didn't I wasn't passionate about I don't know if you remember you probably I probably came across the haka chinik because after you had the conversation you sent me the skew and the pricing and the trucking I went around to all my siblings houses and I measured and it was too small for a from family >> right probably >> it was too small did the measurements it was too small >> so I wasn't going to say oh my god get $150 couch and it's like usually worth $700 you're getting rid of it you said a nursing home used to order thousands of them a year and you had a few left whatever 300 left but it was too small for a Jewish family in my opinion I don't want to get involved >> you know maybe for the studio it would work, right? [laughter] >> You ever read any influencer things go viral and things took off like certain shoes? >> Yeah, we had uh certain collections uh that went on Tik Tok or something like that from one of our resellers and we were doing tremendous business just from one Tik Tok video and it just went viral and caught on to other places and just the gift that I keep on keep on giving. So it's like, you know, but then everything has its phase and then it slows down and then you might be stuck with too much inventory because you're ordering forever. >> Has any furniture besides Herman Miller do really well and they just they have like a airon chair or no one else really was successful in that? >> Well, there's different companies. >> I mean to the extent you started your business the question is doing it profitably. So there's many big companies that are spending a ton of marketing. So it seems like wow they're the biggest. They're doing great but then you know they're not actually making money at the end. They're hoping in a few years they will, but there might be no endgame. >> So, you know, you always have to have that perfect balance. >> What's considered like the premium? Ethan Allen. >> Well, there's all the Restoration Hardware, then there's, you know, there's William Sonoma and there's all these uh Are they William Sonoma's kitchen products? They sell furniture. >> Well, they have a bunch of brands. They have, you know, Pottery Barn. >> I'm thinking of William Sonoma as the guy selling the knives and the cutting boards, >> right? So, they have a lot of home home goods. >> What's the place called in in Demo on the water? What's that huge furniture store on the water? Is it William Cinema? Maybe. >> It could be. >> I don't know. I got a coffee machine from William Sonoma and a couple of knives for my kitchen. And they're very they're actually a very good company. Nobody paid me to say this, but you go in, they're very friendly staffed. They know their products well. They show you the premium brand. >> The coffee machine that I have in my house, like a $400 or $500 machine, depending on if it's on sale or not. I went into William Sonoma and I told the lady, I'm looking to get a coffee machine, but it should be ground, but it shouldn't be hard to use and push button. That was the machine I bought. Very competitive for pricing. It was >> How many different grades are there in furniture? like IKEA I'm assuming is at the bottom and then >> Right. Well, you just sent me that video of IKEA. It was very interesting. The whole documentary about it, right? You sent me. >> Yeah, I sent you. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, you you see how they're starting to go down because of, you know, the event of Amazon and Wayfair that it's a lot easier to buy furniture online and and some >> So, how many different qualities? Let's see this. What's this called? The love seat. >> This is the armchair. >> Armchair. How many different grades of quality? Because on the outside, a lot looks the same. [laughter] Yeah. >> What's it like? Like would you go? >> Well, you know, you have the construction and the durability and all that. This is more like this is probably more like a budget one. You know, one of these made in China that you can find at thousands of factories that make it >> cost is what $20? >> Uh, probably yeah, it could be about $20 from the factory price. >> Wow. >> Now, in let's say it's better, what will make it last longer and where does the price go up? And how does someone know if they walk at this? >> The second you said $20 doesn't feel so comfortable anymore. >> Right. Exactly. It could be. It's a little more today, but you know, >> it was good until a second ago. [laughter] You're right. I mean I >> So what's the range like where does IKEA land? Where does Modway land and where does Restoration? What's considered on the top of that? Restoration. >> Right. We we consider ourselves midm market like right in between. So we're like trying to do more mod mids mids. >> Yeah. Maybe maybe a lot of times when you search mod it kind of auto corrects you to midway. So [laughter] >> yeah. So >> you let's see. >> But we're like middle of the market. We try to do like premium products or premium style products more affordable. That's kind of our >> So where's IKEA? Is there I'm sure there's a term >> IKEA is on the lower end. I'm sure there's a term in the industry >> more budget you know budget friendly >> and what's is it go by range by qual like how does what's the language industry term for IKEA verse restoration highway verse mod is there a term >> say mid range I mean yeah just like any other products the higher end the lower end the mid-range >> because every's buying these Billy bookcases from IKEA it's pressed wood there's a difference between real wood and pressed wood pressed wood >> I bought Billy bookcases when my first apartment and were they wood I had yeah sure we tried had to move them and it all just collapsed as we're moving them. So, [laughter] it was good for uh what we needed, but then we had to buy new bookcases. >> So, I was I was actually telling I said because of IKEA people it helped all the furniture business cuz now anyone is more comfortable. They don't >> it's flat packed. you do uh you know in a box. They're doing it to sofas now just like you know what we mentioned like mattresses that they're putting in a box. Whatever you can put in a box you put in a box and then >> box means it's flat >> flat pack. So you can buy a small parcel delivered like FedEx UPS as opposed to you need a you know a pallet or a big truck and a >> People used to be afraid to build their own furniture and IKEA put in people's heads. >> I'm still petrified. >> We're more capable than you. >> When I buy IKEA furniture I always hire somebody to build it for me. >> All right. So you have an additional expense but >> I know I but I can't I wouldn't know what to do with the manual. furniture is easy idea. >> Uh so that's the whole thing about engineering. So when you you spend a lot of money on a product, it's it to introduce a product could cost a lot because you know you have to work on the the description, the imagery and then the engineering, the quality control, the packaging engineering. There's a lot of steps. So uh engineering [clears throat] is very important to figure out what's the easiest way you could build it that it could be easy to assemble, less work for the consumer. So, would you say Modway is the best value if you want something that actually will last longer than IKEA? >> It could be. >> Not for sure. >> I'm not trying to sell our brand. We're doing okay. >> I'm [laughter] cur I'm curious. If you do 10,000 sales a day, I'm just curious of those 10,000 people, how many of them were just googling around and bumped into your item. It looked good and you like it just looks good and the price seems right. How many of them are return customers that were like, you know what, that couch I have is already 8 years old and I love it and it was built well. They look for Madwe. Like, do you know the number? No, actually we're not a retail brand so much like we're wholesale brand. So many other uh companies are reselling our products. So you might find it on Wayfair, Amazon, Target, Walmart. >> Yeah. My wife just bought a bunch of furniture on Wayfair. Were selling Modway stuff. >> Correct. >> Mhm. >> So you they Yeah. Usually it's these big destinations where people go to search for furniture or many stores stagers are using it. So we're not >> drop shipping. You're drop shipping for them. >> Correct. >> Ah. >> So they don't warehouse it for you. Not FBA, >> right? We we warehouse it. We drop ship. Right. Could it be fulfilled by Amazon and you >> Amazon does take in some inventory sometimes into their warehouses and we >> the popular Yeah. >> Yeah. >> What percent is e-commerce versus wholesale? We say 80%. >> Um it could be it uh is more in store, you know, less e-commerce, but it could be maybe I'm not sure exact number where it is today, but it, you know, used we used to be a lot more e-commerce and we're kind of growing the uh you know, off offline sales. We've asked this question to multiple people and I want to hear your personal experience. Does Amazon let you make money or they're trying to like cop every penny? Some people come on the show say they don't let anybody make money. It's a waste of time. Some people say like the Mr. Kicker said it's not true. >> Make tons of money on Amazon. It's not true. >> So we experienced that too. So like for some years we realized we're not making money on Amazon. We had to rethink our whole strategy [laughter] and now and then and we re reshaped everything and and changed uh how we do things and and then it became the most profitable. So it's just being creative. It's an art. You have to understand all the parts, how they charge their fees, how you price it, when you submit your products, look at the competitive landscape and then you know and once you figure out all the parts then you could do it smart and it could work. So just like any just like selling to anybody any deal you do you got to think about all the details every single part strategize what's the best way to to do business with them >> if a certain skew is doing well that you source from a certain Mr. China or Vietnamese, wherever it is, do they just show up and compete with you? How does those type of deals? How do you prevent it? >> You're not at the top of the box officially. >> So, we had certain products that did amazing, >> right? >> And we knew that it's going to have a short run rate because you're going to have once you have a good product, everybody's copying it. And so, we came up with, you know, with this cabinet that looks beautiful, there's an arch and all that. And we were doing tremendous. And then now there must be like, I don't know, hundreds of copycats to, you know, what about your own factory? It's over. The the game is over because you can't compete with them. They're going to sell it for just a fraction. And we don't know how they're doing it. They're probably losing their pants because a lot of you watch them. They're there for like, you know, 6 months a year and then they're gone. You know, they don't realize how much money they're losing. >> Animals. >> Do the factories themselves compete? >> You know, they're not bad people. They're just trying to make a buck. But they're losing good accounting. >> They're losing money, getting you out of business. >> Listen, everybody makes that mistake. You sell, you sell, you're doing great, but then you don't do the uh do the math. It's all about math. >> Business is all about math. Everything's math. Engineering is math. When on my last brand I was losing tons of money and I wanted to keep on going to he was like are you making money? I said no. So drop it. I said but I'm so so emotionally attached to the drink. I was so excited to like you making money yes or no. Yes I know. And at the time >> it was very hard for me to separate the brand and me and everything. >> It's not going to work. You know you're just going to spin your wheels. >> It was so like like a like a soldier. >> Oh my gosh. It was like a general. You making money? Yes or no? You making money? who's so emotionally detached from the product. >> That's what happens over time. I probably have the same problem as you because I remember we had to discontin products and I'm like no, we can't discontin products. We work so hard on them. You know, you get emotionally detached. These, you know, these are our breadwinners and whatever. But like, you know, but you it just it's not worth it. The math is not there. So, you just got to discontin. But it's difficult. But over time, you uh you learn. >> As an end user, what what what quality do you recommend people to buy furniture? Is there like a break point? like if it's certain quality, it's going to last you long enough. It makes sense versus not going crazy. Like if you're going to buy, let's say, >> depends on what your function is, where you where you're putting it. You're, you know, you're just newly married, you just have an apartment, you might not be there for that long. Do you want to move it or not? So, you know, once you're you move into your home that you spent a lot of money to build or after you're successful for some years, then you want to get something in more quality that's going to last you for, you know, for at least 10 years or so. So, then you try to spend a little more on that. If you go below 30,000 in one of these big fancy bar park stores, all right, how different is your quality and how much cheaper are you? >> Well, they have more like usually it's more traditional different different styles than probably what we're selling. >> But what about structure and manufacturing quality? How much you're I'm assuming you're a lot cheaper, right? >> Not necessarily. Depends what you know. I mean, >> I had a horrific story going to one of these fancy bar park stores. I called them up on a Sunday. >> What time you open till? I don't want to drive there without them being opened. >> I go there. I found parking. I take my kid there. I come inside the store with one of my kids at the time. And the lady STARTS SCREAMING AT ME. >> CARRIAGES THROUGHOUT THE STORE. >> Screaming at me. >> You're about to spend $30,000. >> I fold the carriage. I fold the guy. I was going to go to get a kitchen set. A few chairs and a kitchen table. And I had tons of cash in my pocket. I was literally going to spend I was ready to drop like three, four grand. I fold the carriage. I go to the elevator in the back. While I'm getting into the elevator, another High Mishabara Park lady and her collar daughter come into the elevator. I should have let the door slam, but I let them. I waited. They came off the elevator and I saw they were going to try to cop the saleswoman. The saleswoman told me, "I'll meet you upstairs. Go with your kid." She said, "You take the elevator upstairs with your baby and I'll meet you upstairs." And then this couple, this mother and daughter came running in and they capped whatever. And she starts talking to them and the lady doesn't know that I'm a laborator. I went to a terror. I speak Giddish my whole life. >> And she starts saying, she's like, "I wish I could help you, but but they technically came before you." She's basically telling the lady that I'm a third class citizen. >> Oh wow. >> But like you came before me. Anyways, I ask her like what showing her what I want. She goes like 80 feet away and she sits down by a desk and starts like going on the computer and the phone. Anytime I wanted to ask her a question, I had to scream across the showroom. >> What's the bottom line? >> She treated me like garbage. Like absolute trash. >> Pre- celebrity time. Clappy like recognized like, "Oh, Clappy." I kept my mouth shut. I walked out. I'm like, I'm never spending a penny there. Didn't you spend a penny? >> Not a penny there. >> You went straight to Mway. >> No, whatever. What? Not here. >> How many years ago is this? Right. >> 10 years ago, maybe less. They treated like absolutely trash. Whatever. I was even thinking of saying I was heard of it. Now, so I just picked up most. But I think a lot of times people think these multi-million dollar furniture showrooms, you're going to get good service. You get treated like a piece of garbage, right? >> Probably get better service on. >> Yeah, we actually had a story like that a little different. But when we were we were doing like retail originally and we we go to trade shows. So we went to a trade show in North Carolina and um and we tried to get to resell a certain brand like a nice Italian brand. We wanted to resell because we were like reselling other brands at that time and we so and we were like online was a little new to sell furniture online was like very few companies were doing it that at that time. So me and Shaneer tried to get into this showroom and they they didn't let us in cuz we weren't like we didn't have this massive store or whatever. They didn't understand the e-commerce business and all that, which no, everybody does. And they didn't let us in. And then fast forward many years later, we end up signing a lease on that showroom, which they went out of business. We took over their showroom. So anyway, so you know what what comes around. But >> so you tell the story of you once had a show in China and this salesperson was chasing around the show. >> Yeah. >> Can you tell the story? [laughter] >> I mean, well, it happens everywhere. You go in China, there's always people chasing you. You know, >> chasing you. >> No. So when you come into a trade show, you know, there's I don't know, it could be 100 thousand people. There's massive shows. It takes you it could take you a week to go want to see all the uh all the booths, all the showrooms >> and and they all you're gold when you're you're a westerner coming in there. So they all, you know, everybody wants your business. So wherever you walk in, you have these Chinese people chasing you, come come to my showroom. So and you're just like, get away, get away. And you're like, leave me alone. >> So higher security, >> right? So it happened to us. We were going through, you know, some of the some of the exhibits and um we had this Chinese lady or whatever was chasing us and we're like, "Get away, get away." [laughter] And then like then I'm like, "No, maybe I felt a little bad." So I'm like, "Okay, what do you got?" I'm like, "So then I said, "Okay, Schneider, let's go back. Let's check what they had." And they >> You told me she was you she chased you around the whole show, right? >> Yeah. She chased pretty far and then So we went to >> usually they'll bother you once you walk by the booth and your next booth, right? >> Right. She she didn't give up. >> She kept >> Yeah. So then we end up uh going there and they see they had actually you know very good prices on you know some office chairs. So we said okay we'll give it a shot. We ordered a container of uh that office chair and end up being like one of the top sellers on Amazon for many years. We were doing tremendous business. >> It was your instinct. >> Yeah. I mean we because we saw you know what this is actually a nice product. It's good features. It's good price. We could do it. And then um you know it just blew up. And then you know for many years we we really took this this company that were probably had nothing and built them up. Then then we saw we saw the next show all of a sudden they have this gorgeous booth [laughter] and then our competitors are also buying cuz we actually put them on the map. But yeah that's what happens. >> I was I was I was inspired by this lady who chased him. And he said, "My one time I was at she told me this story once chasing around the show >> got him and a Herman Miller chair and I like Her mean you started your business Herman Miller. >> Let's say it retails at $1,200. If you would want to build that chair in China [laughter] >> on their components and construction, what would it actually cost you? >> Oh my gosh. >> Right. So >> if you exactly copy like very protective of the air on chair. So like don't even try to copy it even remotely. They're going to come after you like who knows what. So, but in general, what we found is that even trying to do any like high-end chair, we could never figure out how to with the online flooded with so many very affordable budget chairs, it's very hard to to figure out a business of selling like these these chairs with all these bills. What's the question? His question is if you forget about copyright, >> how much would it cost? >> How much would it cost to build a 12? Um, probably like $1500 to $200 >> across a build and they retail >> to buy it from a Chinese factory or or >> And that's exactly the same. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. It could have even it could even be better, you know, possibly. >> And they retail these at 1,200, right? >> Yeah. Listen, you're buying a brand, so it's you know, you're buying the name. >> Did any other company have that same success of building a brand of officer or something? >> I mean, there's other good ones, but I think they're probably the most >> Could you recommend someone that could you recommend a $500 office share that will compare? I personally still sit on a Steelcase leap chair. >> Steel Casease Leap Chair. >> That's the company. >> That's I find the most Yeah, Steelcase is the retail and uh it probably is similar to the Aeron chair. I just find it more comfortable. It's like >> it's also 1200. >> It's probably about that. I don't know. I'm still sitting on the same chair that I had from like like the beginning. This is one chair from 20 years ago. >> Yeah. 20 years. Still the [laughter] same. And actually people human resources came into my office. He's like, "This is disgusting your chair." >> [laughter] >> So I So what I did was I got some leather fabric I found in the warehouse and I reupholstered it myself. I got some glue from the store and I made it look nicer. This is only like a year ago. I just put like >> sells it in different sizes. The frame of the chair is different sizes that you customize it based on >> Well, the Airun comes in different sizes A, B, and C. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So >> to Is it hard to raise kids in your current financial situation to be as ambitious as you? Do you care if they are or not? Or do you raise them a certain way? Do you spoil them or not spoil them? >> I say my own kids. Yeah, your own kids. >> Oh, you definitely it's you shouldn't spoil your kids. You want them to, you know, >> do your kids feel spoiled. >> Could be. They do. I don't know. Listen, naturally, you love your kids. You want to do as much as for them. Give them, you know, all these, you know, good things and have a, you know, a good family upbringing, a good life, and have what they need. But, you know, but you also want them, you know, you don't just give out money or >> do kids get free unlimited credit cards spending or no? >> Uh, no, not at all. >> Yeshiva, they're not the piggy bank for everyone. >> No, not at all. They work hard and they live humble and simple. >> What's the the hardest part of being more successful financially >> in general? What are the the parts people don't see? >> People see the glitz and the glamour. They drive by your your million square foot warehouse. That's the cool part looking parts. What are the >> the less what's it could be in the science of having money which is people think it's you know it's just great to have money but it is it's a lot of responsibility and you have to you know to manage things and there's never a dull moment. You work very hard. You don't have time to relax. There's so many responsibilities. >> How do you deal with family? >> So many people reaching out to you. Everybody wants to talk to you, meet you about very important matters and you can't do everything. So, and you feel like these are important things. You hear about all the hardships people have. You're almost like a rough that everybody comes to you with all their problems. So, you're like, you know, you feel terrible, but there's only so much you could do. >> How do you deal with family ask you for money? What's your default or it's not default? >> You got to help whoever you could. And uh >> if your family, oh, this great idea, could you invest 100K? Second, your brother did get into big businesses. They opened up a big toilet company. >> That's right. >> And they came to you for seed money. >> No, they uh they did not. No, they >> You're not a partner in any of the toilets. >> No, I helped them. Free advice. Anything I can help resources, happy to do. But >> so if your family ask you for 100k investment, what's your default response? >> I've never done those kind of >> Never done those. >> Have they asked people from? Not really. I don't know. >> Family never asked you for 100 200k. Nothing. No, >> I don't think so. Not for businesses. >> No >> loans. >> Yeah. I mean, I have some loans here and there, but you know, people, but Yeah. Nothing to major. >> What was the most thing a fundraiser did to you, Jeffy? How crazy did they get, >> right? [laughter] >> Um I mean, there's people that just show up in your office. >> Had an appointment. >> Yeah. Oh, people do. You know, the good ones, they're smart. >> Security Westerman, >> right? But we don't well you know our doors used to be wide open and until there was like a shooting in Jersey Cityow >> and that's when we started locking our doors you know they were targeting Jewish people you know uh so but anybody that looks we have a mion every day so anytime you see from person they're automatically let in you know maybe they're coming from so >> and then they usually they usually >> sometimes it's going to be >> and what what happens when they approach you like I got to go listen you got to be nice it's important to always remember where you came from that you know you you came from nowhere and you got to treat everybody with dignity. >> So how many fundraising calls you get a day or a week? >> Uh could get just it's non-stop. It's literally nontop. >> Five a day. >> Oh, a lot more. I think >> you get 10 a day. >> It could be. Yeah. >> 10 a day, >> right? >> Wow. >> Yeah. Emails you get. Yeah. All different types. >> All different angles. What's So what's the most effective though? You tell us the secrets. >> Oh, it's all effective. [laughter] >> I don't know. After a while, you start learning all the tricks what to avoid, right? Because like you know you need some rest. >> [gasps] >> Does your wife also getounded for donations? >> Uh, could be a little bit. >> Not too much. >> Huh? Your kids? >> No, I don't think so. >> Maybe a little bit from Yeshiva. Maybe they're doing uh trying to do programs in Yeshiva. I guess >> you're the go-to. >> Yeah. >> I interviewed um or spoke to Mr. Shrivever from B&H. He told me the high hardest and scientist that he has is to stay humble. >> Wow. to think that all his successes are his right and like see that's as hard as a sign of being >> that's true you got to remember that everything could be gone you know the way it came and uh it's all from Hashem so >> if you know if you lost all your money what would you what would you what would you do the next day >> what would be your first move >> you'd learn all this farm he got from his grandfather >> right no I want to learn anyway actually on chabas that's I used to you know I was never interested in learning now the most enjoyment I get is from learning on chabas I don't read any newspapers all that I just open up as far and I enjoy So what did you do? What would you if you lost all your money today? What would be your next move tomorrow? >> Just do everything the same way, right? Just >> you just go to Craigslist again. >> Maybe. I don't know. >> What would you do? >> You'd buy the her [laughter] work for you. Maybe. Right. >> So you just you just start again. Look for a deal again. >> Whatever Hashem wants, you know. Who knows? We don't know. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. >> So have you ever flew private? >> No. >> Private jet? Never? >> Oh yeah. What's actually in Cosml? You had to take for $50. You took a little private. >> That's not private. It was just like just our family. It was on this little plane. >> Yeah. >> Why you >> No, but for it was just like a 10-minute flight. No bathroom. >> It's the only way to get across the island. >> No bathroom. >> No bathrooms. No, it's a little tiny private. No. >> Do you want to fly private? Is it on your bucket? You don't care. >> Yeah. Waste of money. >> So, you have no tits of like of of grander what's it called? Grand grandiosity. Clap. You have a ty private >> or more than what? I have very mixed emotions about this about >> is that you have nas from the kids and you see >> a regular flight a regular flight from New York to LA a five and a half hour flight >> not the ones that you go Asia where you're going to be 24 hours and if you don't have a bed you're going to come there ice kop you just might as well not go to Asia if you >> but when you go to a regular flight like a United Airlines and you see first class to California and you see economy >> oh we did to Kazakhstan is that considered private >> wait when you did that charter plane >> on a regular six-hour flight when you look at first class first class looks like how every seat should be. It doesn't look so it's just that in economy you're like a sardine but when you see like if it's like five times the price it's like I I don't know if I would be able to justify it unless I was really super rich >> I know you always talk about luxury watches and you still have your cheap >> Yeah. just flew to Malaysia. We got we got upgraded Emirates. >> So, we got the first class in Emirates. We got upgrade. Luckily, like last second, the travel agent said, "Oh, >> got you a gift. You're going first class in Emirates." So, there you get like a It's almost like a cubicle. Looks like a private room and then you get a shower. So, you take a shower. It's unbelievable. You get treated like royalty there. >> Shower on a plane. Wow. >> Yeah. I remember in the beginning of the flight, they come over to you with this big box. Look like a big birthday cake. So, they say uh they ask me, "What size?" So, oh, it's a birthday cake. Kosher birthday cake. Large, extra large. And then I I open up his pajamas. [laughter] >> Extra large. >> You're like an extra small. >> Yeah, exactly. >> What are you 5'5 100 lb? >> Exact. Pretty close, right? [laughter] >> So, you're bullying me all my whole childhood. That's what happened, right? But you get it because you were in the same [laughter] boat, right? >> I'm not 100b. >> You could double that, >> right? Right. Right. Maybe you were go to the gym, but it's they say it's 8020. Whatever you do in the gym, you need to do 80% in the kitchen. And I'm not doing that yet. [laughter] >> Yeah. So recently I started to get into fitness and exercise just you know when you get over 40 you have to watch your health otherwise you be on medication so you got to work out >> important just start now. >> Your kids credit cards are unlimited or you keep them on a leash? >> My kids credit card? Well I only gave my oldest son a credit card so far. He's but he hardly spends anything. So [laughter] buy for him. That's all he's interested in. >> My oldest kids. He's so cheap. I don't know where he got it from. >> [laughter] >> I give like I give him like 200 bucks to spend money in the summer and he's like I don't understand where would I spend money they they give us three meals and they give him nice bump his donuts in the morning >> and uh it's a waste of money and canteen there's lines it's like comes back with all the money [laughter] how do you handle people suddenly respecting you because you're they found out you got the money >> how do you handle it do you care did you like it you not like it >> like whatever it's all good [clears throat] doesn't make a difference >> did you become more or more [snorts] suspicious of Well, yeah, you know, you always have to look look around just to make sure. But, you know, you just uh got to assume maybe uh people have other motives, but you know, you treat everybody nice. It doesn't matter. >> Clappy, how'd you deal with your rise to fame? >> I I never saw the rise to fame. >> There you go. Thank you. I have no You didn't see it. >> I'm just ask myself the same. >> Did it get Clappy? Did it get to you or not? >> There's nothing to get to when I walk around any streets, everyone's [snorts] >> Wow. which I feel bad for. I was I feel bad for a lot of these guys who worked their whole life to get attention. They thought they would get attention by making money and they don't get it. Like they try so hard on marketing and marketing. Clappy doesn't spend a penny and gets all the covered that all these guys wish their whole life. >> Okay. >> And he did it just from little videos. So I I feel bad in a way for these guys who >> risk their whole lives and their relationships all just to make the money to get his attention. And Clappy gets it. >> There you go. You know it's not easy just be become an influencer. >> No, I look I I look like like I thought >> Well, everybody wants to be an influencer today, right? Is it >> lately? You never want to do >> No. Okay. >> You never want to. >> I'm just doing my thing. I don't know. [laughter] Coming and influencing and >> selling sparm. Yeah. Yards. >> Yeah. >> Do a little podcasting, a little hiss, a little that, you know. Trying to make a living, you know. >> Yeah. >> But it's really cool walking around clappy people's reactions like whoa clappy that you is that you? Is it really inclus? [laughter] Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Anyway, >> on that note, it was really a lot of fun. >> Thank you. >> And um >> we get Could we get Modwe to sponsor the furniture on the set, but you don't spend any money marketing? >> No, you never know. I don't know. >> You never know. >> Never know. >> Only only now. For the first time ever. I'm wondering if the chair is comfortable. You asked if it was cheap. [laughter] Well, it could be this was, you know, $100. Who knows? But, you know, I'm just saying. I'm just giving you a general idea. >> Do you when you walk into the room, I saw now you notice is this our furniture. Do you always walk in looking at furniture or not? >> Yeah, I do. >> How like >> No, I look at it. I recognize, you know, products. >> You do? Cuz when I walk into the supermarket, being in these drinks for 5 years, >> I get the food, right? >> I analyze the drinks that over and over. Who has the location? Who has the spots? What drinks do they pick? Which ones did they not bring? And I start imagining and deciding who did >> I walk into someone's home. I know. you know, you're analyzer. You are analyzer. So, you're still >> just like now I walk into towns and I see if they have an A or not. Most people don't even notice. I'm like, "Oh, that's a little post on the wall. I know what that's for. No one else would ever know what it is for." So, you know, >> so cl You once you do you plan on retiring soon and just learning all day you once mentioned. Is that a real thing or no? >> All right. Let's see. Uh supposed to work forever. You learn forever and work forever. >> Would you retire and just learn all day? >> Can't retire. You know what happens? >> Deco was so against it. I saw all these living terror videos where people say they want to retire and always tell I just saw a video from the tell somebody that says I want to retire and they learn and work for a few hours and the said no you have to continue working and the said that when people see that a guy that's working and running a companies also putting aside time to helping and learning it will encourage them was so against retiring and stopping to do business a lot of the great were very big businessmen the base of Frank they were they were very wealthy and they also their biggest you know >> any private equity companies ever offer the buyout >> bond we got a lot of offers all the time I just never pay attention >> they call >> you get all the time people saying would you consider what you consider I'm like I don't even know what you're talking about >> bankers call you who's usually the people >> all the type of people representing you know brokers and real people sure >> Chinese companies probably also know none of your manufacturer offer to buy out >> could be usually it's like brokers you don't know who the buyer is >> company we went to see yesterday they got bought out for a few hundred million dollars by was it is it Asian company that bought them out. >> No, South A Guatemala. >> A South American company bought >> us for$450 million. >> Iberia. >> Iberia. Yeah. >> Iberia. >> Interesting. >> Interesting. Whatever. >> We went to see a company that was next door to them in the same complex. >> Warehouse. >> Yeah. Warehouse. It was crazy. They have And I told the guy, "Wow, it's such a big factory, such a big um um thing, whatever." They're like, "This is our smallest location." He's like, "The corporate people don't even know we exist. They have so many big bigger locations." Iberia. Iberia. >> South American food. Chickpeas and dates. Okay. Anyways, whatever. >> The great Alicia Regali works there. >> That's right. Yeah, sure. He's right near us in Monroe. It's right It's right in our neighborhood. >> He's a big He's a big m like you didn't realize how >> I don't know. I see him. I I see the guy my whole life. I never ask him what he does. I'm scared he gets like $20 something box. I don't know. I have no idea. Never know. You never know. >> I say hello goodbye to him. >> Never judge a book by not judge. Not not judge. I'm There's some people I know what they do. I know what you do. I know what this guy does. I know whatever. And I don't know. So I don't want to bring it up. the whole thing. >> Sometimes you sit next to someone, you think, "Oh, this guy's probably a schnook." And you start talking to them [laughter] in the liquor store. You see how how we went it I was in Williamsburg. I went to get sushi and we go into this liquor store and she's like, "Oh, it's a nice store." I was like, "It's like it's flat. It's two floors and it's steps." I see the guy. I saw the guy like a Spanish guy in the front. I was going to ask him like, you know, like, you know, like, "What do you work here?" I was like, "I wasn't sure." I was like, "Whatever." He's like, I was like, "What are you doing here?" He's like, "Oh, I'm the landlord. I own the building." He's like, "Whatever." I was like, "What?" >> Yeah, that's what happens. You never know who's the landlord. He's like, "You have to treat everybody nice." You never know what they are. >> Everybody nice way. I'm just I thought the guy worked there. And he's like, "No, I own 20 buildings in the area. [laughter] >> Not the people with the Rolex and all that that that own the buildings. It's, you know, the people that look like simple people." >> Real story. Don't judge, right? >> Oh, we never judge. >> Be nice to everyone. >> I'm nice to Well, I'm nice to everybody. But I'm just saying the guy who look I come into a shicker store and see a Spanish guy. He tells me he owns the building. I was like I [laughter] was just like I thought maybe I thought maybe he like brings up the boxes. I don't know. I'm just saying whatever. I thought the guy owned the building. >> [laughter] >> There was 20 buildings in the area. >> Okay, we got to be done. We got to take care of the kids and we >> take a rap. How long are we trying to get to be on the show? >> It looks like he was very scared. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Oh, yeah. I was very timid. >> Your first It was the first podcast you ever did. >> Yeah. >> I think you're going to get a lot of invitations now. >> Oh, okay. >> You come across as a natural. >> Oh, thank you. >> So, you were afraid to come on today? >> No. >> Only fair Hashem. That's it. Thank you, Tiff Gman. >> Sure. >> CEO, co-founder of Modway Furniture. If you want to get uh midtier furniture shipped to your house, you want to shle IKEA and break your back. One time I want I used to go to BJ's to pick up uh pick up to save money. Ellie W like Miy the bill from the physical therapy you're going to save money on you're going to it's going to outweigh your expense of saying saving money going to beaches and shopping yourself >> right >> so if you don't want to stop IKEA I want to get it delivered to your door right >> literally to your door >> we could do it yeah >> want to save your back but he cares more about the air anyway doesn't care about the furniture you saw if you notice the I noticed the tone >> yeah right >> you look at the mixer like furniture furniture [laughter] you >> I want to bring the she that's the only way I know how to do it you I mean, whoever said it, >> you notice the energy level, cloud, you didn't notice. >> He's trying to bring Michelle, you >> sure? >> Anyway, thank you very much for taking your your time >> and uh hope to see you again, Rack showc well enough. >> If he gets high numbers, >> yeah, if he gets on the >> if we get 25,000 views just on YouTube, on Instagram, we get millions. If we get 25,000 views on YouTube, >> he's welcome to come back again after 6 months. >> We don't talk to him again >> after that. Hashem decides. >> We can take him for dinner. [laughter] He can take us for them. >> I'm afraid he'll get all his employees and all his customers to click whatever [laughter] whatever it takes. Got Chinese bots. The lady that chased him around the factory. >> There [laughter] you go. >> He's going to have to watch the show all day. >> I don't know. You can't do any tricks anymore with YouTube. They're really trick platforms do better. I'm not sure. >> Thank you very much. Thank you so much. You got it. All right. Bigger.