How She Rolls

<Carrie> We've added people, made more biscuits.

The handmade process needs more space.

I cannot make a decision until we know where we're going.

<Realtor> This is the original fire pole for the building.

<Carrie> How am I going to get Amy to come down and check on the production?

<employee> Somebody will be with you, one second.

<Carrie> We have been dealing with the same problem since before the pandemic where labor is tight.

Sunday after Thanksgiving that changed everything.

I am now realizing that this could be our new normal.

opening music <Carrie> I took my mom's best recipe and started selling handmade Southern biscuits.

Now I'm balancing a family, a business and biscuits every day.

Thank you so much.

I'm Carrie Morey.

And this is How I Roll.

<Amy> Did you see my new notebook?

Here.

Letter of resignation drafts and templates.

(wheezing laugh) <Carrie> Denied.

Denied.

Denied.

(laughs) First things first, I had to make more room for the bakers and the packers, and our business is all grown.

We've added people.

We've made more biscuits.

With all of that we've had to push people out of our main production facilities.

So, we moved all of the administration portion of our business to a new office.

<Tarah> The new headquarters is 10 times better than the bakery.

It's quiet.

It's air conditioned.

The flip side of that is it's super sad, I miss the people that are still over there.

<Carrie> We're very diversified.

We're very spread out.

We have a fulfillment center in California.

We have a fulfillment center in North Carolina.

This makes it sound really big, but it's not.

It's to save on shipping.

We've grown a catering division, and we moved them to a rented ghost kitchen space.

It's a Commissary Kitchen.

It's a shared space.

<Producer> <Carrie> They probably love it.

Plenty of space, but we miss them.

We want them back.

I miss the sound of the tape gun, (tape stretching) <Amy> I don't miss the sounds of the tape gun, the people talking.

It's so easily distracting, especially when all I'm doing is crunching numbers, trying to figure out problems that, I work better in silence.

<Carrie> I don't spend a lot of time here.

It's too quiet for me.

I want to be moving and seeing and talking and feeling and touching and experiencing.

I'm not a desk person.

<Amy> She takes most of her meetings from the car.

<caller> Hi!

<Carrie> Hi.

I just wanted to give a little bit of feedback on this morning's event and see if we could come up with a solution.

When I got there, The biscuits were cold.

<phone chime> Andy, comma, thank you so much.

I look forward to tasting those samples as well.

Caroline, I just opened the hall closet where all of the linens that I neatly put away are.

Stuffing them in there is not acceptable.

I'm not taking you to go shopping until you and Kate deal with completely reorganizing that linen closet.

Okay, I'll talk to you later.

Bye.

<caller> Okay.

Thanks!

Bye!

<Carrie> We have decided to close Charlotte because there's no business.

It is still a ghost town.

We have been hanging on trying to make it work through the pandemic.

It makes me feel sad that something so new is being closed.

The timing was way off, and the pandemic clouded it so that it didn't have a chance.

It never had a chance.

Sometimes you're just not in control, and you got to be okay with that.

I have advisors on our team that were showing us how big we can grow.

<Daniel> So, this is it.

This is the, we're moving to the next level.

<Carrie> While that was fun to dream and think about what we're going to look like in five and 10 years from now.

The reality is, we're still a very small handmade biscuit company, and we can't go from where we are today to where they showed us we could go without slow and steady wins the race.

So, I'm always thinking of new things to create.

<Carrie> Hello!

<Ashley> Hi!

You ready to make some monkey bread?

<Carrie> Yes!

<Ashley> She went on a trip to New Orleans and had monkey bread.

She texts me photos of monkey bread as she's eating dinner.

She was like, we have to make this.

So that was my goal, is to make some monkey bread that we could sell online.

So that's what we do.

<Carrie> I love that about Ashley, I can give her an idea, and say, try to make this, test it, and she does it.

<Carrie> Oh...Oh my God.

<Ashley> I love cinnamon.

<Carrie> I do too, and sugar together.

I am so excited for this.

<Ashley> Literally just pile them in, I kind of went in a circle to make sure to get all around the edges.

<Carrie> Turbinado is raw sugar.

So, it's a bigger grain and, <Ashley> So, it doesn't like melt.

<Carrie> It won't melt and it'll give crunch which everybody loves.

I predict that this will be such a big seller that we'll have to have, <Carrie> a biscuit <Ashley> a whole freezer for this.

<Carrie> The easy part is what I do, the idea.

the hard part is execution and scaling it for mass production <Ashley> mass production <Carrie> but still keeping it handmade and homemade.

So you have to slowly scale up because it will change the recipe.

The yield is different, the flavor, texture, everything is different.

<Ashley> In the pot, I have brown sugar, butter, and vanilla, and I brought that to a boil to make a little syrup that we're going to slather all over these.

<Carrie> All right.

<Carrie> Well, let's hurry.

I'm ready to eat.

<Ashley> Get it running.

Let's go.

Let's go.

<Carrie> It took eight or nine months to get this from the first picture I texted her and said we need to make this today, and we will launch it in a couple of months.

We still don't have packaging.

It's just the recipe.

<Ashley> Alright.

They are ready.

You wanna taste test?

<Carrie> Oh good, I'm hungry <Ashley> The way I did it was flipped them over.

<Carrie> Yum yum yum.

Mmm!

(laughs) <Carrie> It's so delicious.

I'm just going to have one more bite.

<Ashley> One more.

I've eaten enough.

<Carrie> Oh my gosh.

So, good.

I woke up with a stye and my eyes swollen shut.

This morning I have to go to Market, because they're still short staffed and I need to help out.

Well, those are perfectly cooked beautiful eggies.

<Employee> They do look lovely, don't they?

<Carrie> I feel like we have been dealing with the same problem, since before the pandemic where labor is tight.

Morning, I don't know if you're coming here to audit the store today.

But they are missing a lot of their retail tags, period.

It's almost impossible to get a full staff.

<Employee> Somebody will be with you, one second.

<Carrie> Good morning.

I'm so sorry.

<customer>...No worries!

<Carrie> I'm emailing... while working <Carrie> the front counter, <customer> Can I get a sausage, egg, and cheese.

<Carrie> You may.

What's your number?

<customer> 5656 <Employee> It's her first day.

Do you think I should get a number?

It's not only exhausting for our management team.

It's exhausting for the employees that are working because they're having to work twice as hard.

Kate just threw up at school Add it to the list.

Add it to the list.

All right, there y'all go.

<customer> Thank you so much.

<Carrie> Thank you.

Have a great day.

More is not always better.

And that's part of the reason why we're reevaluating everything and trying to streamline and grow in one or two areas as opposed to 10 areas.

I mean, are you stressed, because (laughs) <Amy> you're taking a meeting while laying down <Carrie> I am.

I'm in the reclining position.

<Amy> Did we get an offer on the bakery, yet?

<Carrie> We've gotten three offers.

<Amy> Are they good offers?

<Carrie> Yeah, they're great offers but I can not make a decision on that until we know where we're going.

If we had a bigger space, we'd be able to grow more.

And we'd become more efficient.

The handmade process needs more space, We believe that it's still going to work out for her to sell it and do well there.

And then she'd be able to use that, to roll it into her... what we call in the business, upfit or her investment and to renovate that space and make it really what she wants to do.

<Carrie> Oh!

The bakery You know, I think we thought we were gonna rent, but then you look at that monthly payment, and...I don't want to throw up.

<Amy> I mean, why would you lease anything, If you could buy something?

<Carrie> It's so expensive, and I'm scared.

And as we grow, I'm like, what if people stopped buying biscuits?

<Amy> If you've taught me anything in 16 years?

I mean, if anything, I am the absolute most conservative frugal person.

And if you have always told me this, if you don't take a risk, you will never know.

I think we're gonna do it.

I'm just scared, you know, but fear is good, I guess.

<David> So this is North Charleston, the older part of North Charleston, which has gone through a tremendous revitalization.

Let's keep in mind parking, and, you know, I love historic properties, so.

<David> Yeah.

<Realtor> So this building here, it was built in 1937 as a WPA project, part of FDR's New Deal.

<Carrie> Very good.

High ceilings.

<Realtor> So, this is the first bay and everybody asks, this is the original fire pole for the building here.

<David> Oh, Wow!

<Carrie> But it's not working.

How am I gonna get Amy to come down and check on the production?

Oh, are these the fireman bunks?

They must have been small fireman.

<Realtor> That's right.

<David> Keep the break, but man, you could really create a flow, a good flow here.

<Carrie> Yeah.

<David> We're gonna... think on this, for sure.

<Realtor> Perfect.

<David> She is the epitome of a small business owner.

She's good at saying what she wants and what she doesn't want.

<Carrie> I'm gonna let you go first, because I'm a little nervous.

<Realtor> Okay <Carrie> It's rough in here.

<Realtor> Just a tad.

It's coming back to life though.

<Carrie> Oh, wow.

<Realtor> This was the Five and Dime original Edwards location.

Our thought was that it's got good size.

And the corner's cool, because it's got the storefront looking out onto Reynolds.

<Carrie> How long do you think it would take you to get it to clean but empty space?

<Realtor> If we had a concept and everybody was on board, It would take at least a year.

This, this mezzanine, you could have some seating up above.

<Carrie> Or offices <Realtor> Offices watching the production.

<Carrie> I love the idea of being able to see the biscuit making floor with offices above.

<Realtor> Yeah!

<Carrie> I love the history of this building.

<David> So, we're gonna head right over here to 1941 Reynolds, the barber shop.

<Carrie> And are these concrete floors?

<Brian> Yeah, everything under you is concrete.

Those coolers are leftover.

They are functional, I'm told.

You can use them.

<Carrie> Items, entrees So, these coolers last forever, and then they're just panel, so, this is - there's some value in here.

Once they're clean and the compressor's checked, <David> They actually don't look that out of shape.

<Carrie> No, they look good.

- and these come with the building.

Right, Brian?

<Brian> Yes, yes.

This is the warehouse back here.

<Carrie> Oh, my goodness.

And, this is an alley.

This is what we need.

I just need to take a video for Amy.

Lots of possibilities here for sure.

But this is exactly what we're looking for.

It's got character on the front, but it's really just a shell.

<Realtor> Yes.

<Realtor> This one has an interesting story.

It's a 1950s shopping center.

Now it's kind of looking for a new life really solid building.

This is a large room.

So, it does give you a sense of the height here.

So to the structure it's 14 feet, <Carrie> And everything is concrete underneath the rug?

<Realtor> All concrete.

Yep.

<Carrie> If we wanted to put drains in the floor is what you're saying, <Realtor> Correct.

<Carrie> we'll be able to easily do that.

<Realtor> We have access for sewer.

Okay.

There's a nice double door to the side here.

And I need to make sure that we have pallet width spaces to be able to move product from the front to the back.

<Realtor> So you would want to open this up.

<Carrie> Yeah open it all up.

Yeah, yeah.

<Realtor> Have plenty of options I love the high ceilings.

I love these floors.

They're perfect.

I love that he's got plumbing already in.

There's a lot of potential here.

This is the ceiling of the entire building.

The aesthetic of that.

I like that it doesn't look like a warehouse and a plant.

So, that I love.

Oh yeah, this is really cool.

You don't see this in many grocery stores.

<Realtor> No, this is an old 1950s building.

They wouldn't have had this exposed, but they used those old materials.

<Carrie> The right side could be offices.

Maybe the very front part is a little mini Hot Little Biscuit outpost with a teaching kitchen, right backed up to that.

Let's go take a quick look outside again to try to brainstorm on how we could do a loading dock out there.

<Realtor> Let's try that.

<Carrie> So, what can we do here for a loading dock thinking 18 wheelers, daily pallets needing to get out the door?

If we could extend it and make all of this an area for moving product, that would be really great.

<Realtor> Mmm hmm...Yeah I don't know if that's possible.

So far, if I had to choose between these, this is the front runner, for sure.

I'm actually trying to be really thoughtful and not make a decision spontaneously.

This is a big decision.

So, always slows me down when it's my money.

You know?

Life has been pretty normal with my schedule of going to, you know, all the businesses and working with everybody.

and then the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Sarah, our youngest daughter had her first Grand mal seizure, she has epilepsy, and that has changed everything.

We figured out that I had seizures were around first grade.

It's when my head bops for a long period of time for about 20 seconds, and then it's over.

It just happens and I wake up.

And I just like kind of know.

Oh no, I had one.

And then we'll start happening like week after week.

And I have with them more often, now.

<Carrie> I guess I'd say I was in denial.

until about three months into it.

I thought each seizure was going to be the last, that it was just a fluke that this was continuing on and I am now realizing that this could very likely be our new normal and I...

I wasn't there.

<Sarah> The Grand mal seizure, they last 20 to like 60 seconds, and sometimes I'll fall.

So, I need to get to a safe place.

What I remember about the test is that I just get hooked up to an EEG.

There are like 20 to 30 all in my hair and I'm there for like 24 hours, and it's ... it is horrible.

This year, I missed a lot of school.

So, it kind of like put a dent in our life, and it stopped my mom's like, work life, which I don't like.

<Carrie> The problem with epilepsy is that there rarely is a solution, at least a long term one, so I'm not really good with waiting, and this has been a true test for our entire family.

We basically don't let Sarah do anything on her own.

Epilepsy seizures are happening all day long, even when we don't see them.

<Sarah> I get really tired, and I have a headache after.

Yeah, it's challenging and tough.

I mean, there's no doubt about it, but at the same time, you know, you get to see the strength of a child, and I'm so proud of her <Sarah> And they tell you that I'm so strong but like I don't like feel that like I try to do my best, but I don't know <Carrie> Balance looks different these days.

I'm just - have moved myself to home.

So, I'm still working.

I'm still balancing, but I'm just not as physically in my business.

I can actually take a lot of calls while cooking.

This inflation is no joke, man.

All of our ingredient costs have gone way up.

Our labor has gone up.

It's kind of hit us like a lead balloon.

We are up I don't know 30%, 40% for the year already, but our ingredients are too.

So we're not making as much money as we used to.

So, I'm getting ready to talk to my banker about extending my credit line I'm going to need a line of credit to, you know, just do you know, maybe buy some equipment, a walk in freezer or five or one big one.

I would ideally like to just be able to use my bank instead of having to go out and find an investor for temporary expenses.

It's daily, you know, business as usual, but I'm just not there as often.

You know, we wake up every day saying, hopefully this is the last day of epilepsy.

Do this Sarah.

(banging) It makes you feel good.

Pretend like that's epilepsy.

<John> You missed.

(Sarah laughs) You missed.

(Sarah laughs) <Sarah> We should have taken a shortcut.

See, we're already late.

<Carrie> We're late, because you didn't put your contacts in.

<Sarah> I'm 14 and I'm in eighth grade.

Um, some people were bullying me, and I had to switch schools, which has helped me a lot.

<Carrie> I love you.

Have a great day.

Bye.

I thought that I needed to find a home school teacher to come into my house, and one of the moms said, you need to talk to Dani Glassberg.

And I said, Well, I know her.

<Danielle> Carrie and I actually went to high school together.

And I said, well, the school I teach at is not your traditional school.

Most of the kids do a virtual platform, and it actually might be something that would work for Sarah.

They are working independently to complete their assignments for the day with the support of tutors, and any type of resources that we can provide.

You know, in those first initial weeks, there was a lot of texting back and forth.

This child is having 35 seizures a day.

No wonder she really struggled.

Personally, for me, you know, as a young person, I also had seizures.

So, I immediately identified with Sarah and even with Carrie and John.

<Carrie> It was like, completely serendipitous, as if we were supposed to be there.

I get emotional talking about it, and she just, she told us about how her dad used to follow her to class and her dog slept with her and all the things that we've had already done or tried and it was just I felt safe.

I felt like this was a place for Sarah.

<Danielle> Alright, so, we can't put it off anymore.

We have to get this done like today.

<Sarah> Okay.

Okay?

<Danielle> So, Sarah, I love Sarah.

We work mostly on history and language arts, a lot of reading comprehension, some of the skills that she lost touch with through her seizures, we're trying to build those again.

You're like your mom, you want to check things off, your to do list.

We'll get this checked off...Okay?

<Sarah> Okay.

<Danielle> All right.

<Sarah> My mom told me that you knew each other in high school.

Yes, We went to high school together.

She was very popular.

<Sarah> My mother?

<Danielle> Very popular Your mother was popular.

Was she social?

<Danielle> Yeah.

<John> Will, you bend your knees please?

Move, move, move.

Good, get.

That was bad.

Bad set.

She's amazing.

Absolutely amazing.

Here we go.

Here we go.

Quicker feet.

I hope she knows her life, theoretically should be easy after all of this, because there won't be things that are as challenging as what she has to go through right now.

<Jean> And just last week, actually, Sarah came in and she said today's day 30, Miss Bartlett.

30 days since I've had a seizure, and the whole school erupted.

It was just a huge celebration for her.

<Carrie> We are feeling very hopeful that we are over the hump.

<Sarah> I love this place.

<Jean> You want to stay here with me?

<Sarah> Of course, I do.

<Danielle> She does not feel sorry for herself.

She never uses it as an excuse.

With Sarah being here.

I can see just the relief.

Just knowing that she's coming here.

She's taken care of.

She's getting her work done, and she's in a good place.

I have not checked on Sarah today.

Isn't that lovely?

And it's 11 o'clock.

She's been at school for four hours and I have not heard from her.

Yeah, normally I wouldn't cross the bridge before she got out of school so I'm here.

This is major.

Going over this bridge every morning gives me hope.

A new day, and it's a beautiful one.

Just gotta get over it.

Look at how beautiful it is.

How She Rolls is available on Amazon Prime Video.