Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Usher.
Dan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a pitchman. I started my journey as an accountant and hated being Dilbert in the cube. After a few career pivots and during a period of unemployment, I answered an ad to be a “product demonstrator” as a part-time job. The job was actually collecting leads for a window replacement company at home shows. It was my introduction to what I now affectionately call “The circus.” It’s where vendors go from show to show and town to town to sell their products.
After collecting leads for this window replacement company part-time for a couple of years, I was next to a vendor selling a purple biodegradable jewelry cleaner. He would stick out his arm and wave women into his booth calling out, “young lady, shine a ring.” I was appalled that he could be so glib and over the top. I asked him how much he was making. He told me. I was stunned. It was a lot more than I was making.
Through a co-worker, I met someone selling this product in Boston and I started working for working for her at the Cambridge River Festival in 2010. I worked as a commission salesmen selling the purple jewelry cleaner until I learned the business and became a distributor myself, buying wholesale and selling retail, booking my own shows.
I sold the jewelry cleaner for a few years but became tired of trying to squeeze people who said: “I want to think about it.” I wanted to sell a product that sold itself. I saw someone selling a balsamic vinegar at a show and thought that was interesting. That opportunity never materialized but in talking with another vendor about it, he suggested I sell a product he had – a wine slushie mix. I would have my label on the product and it be my company. Instantly I knew this was it. I could feel it. So in the summer of 2013, The Wine Slushie Guy was born.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it hasn’t been smooth. Everything is a building process. Everything is one step at a time and everything takes time. I think the biggest lesson is that you don’t know where things are going to lead to. You never know the end destination when you are at the beginning. You can only see so far, but once you start moving down a path, other opportunities present themselves that you were not able to see and not ready for earlier. And you never know whether a path will be fruitful or not unless you test it.
The Wine Slushie Guy – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I sell wine slushie mixes. Well, actually I sell good times, but the product is wine slushie mixes. It’s a dry powder mix and we have 14 different flavors that can be mixed with wine or hard liquor in a blender full of ice for a delicious frozen drink that’s quick and easy to make. It’s great for a girl’s night in, camping, bachelorette parties, by the pool, or at the beach.
Most of my business right now is done at art and craft shows, RV & camping shows, & SoWa farmers market. I do have a web presence and I find the e-commerce aspect of the business most exciting.
At shows, I give samples and try and entice people to buy the product. Funny thing is, I wanted to get out of selling the purple jewelry cleaner so I could do less pitching and I feel like I do more of that now with the wine slushies. With the jewelry cleaner, I was holding on to their ring and they couldn’t go anywhere and it was one-on-one. But with the wine slushies, I could have 20-50 people around the booth and the only thing I have that keeps them is my voice. So I not only have to be persuasive, but I have to be entertaining and to be able to command a crowd. It’s like being PT Barnum or a street performer in Harvard Square.
I think the thing that I’m most proud of is being persistent and proactive, what I’ve learned, how I’ve grown, and the business I’ve built.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
A simple question with such a complex answer. Acquiring the ability to create and produce an income that supports you. Being able to stand on your own two feet. There is something about trying to be responsible and create an income with your own two hands as an entrepreneur rather than just going to a job. It’s empowering. You can feel the life force coursing through you. You become the director of your life instead of just an actor.
When you are at a job, you give that responsibility to someone else and you lose something. I know people in jobs who emotionally resemble a neutered cat. And there’s something about the freedom and flexibility of working for yourself that can’t be beaten. But it’s more than that. It’s learning and growing and moving towards a goal that makes you a success rather than reaching a destination. And ultimately, success is about being fulfilled, fulfilling your unique role in the world, adding value, and contributing.
Pricing:
- Each wine slushie mix makes seven 8 oz glasses and is priced at $11.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thewineslushieguy.com
- Phone: 617 319-6536
- Email: dan@thewineslushieguy.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewineslushieguy/
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