Crafting a Modern Identity with Ashley Stroud
In the virtual Lemonade Stand, Emily is joined by Ashley Stroud from Plumbing Outfitters! They discuss their recent rebrand process, the decision-making that led to their refreshed identity, and keeping grounded with their vision during the journey.
0:07 - Plumbing Outfitters Rebrand Success
5:27 - Branding Process and Identity Discovery
16:28 - Rebranding Success and Community Impact
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We’ll see you next time, Lemon Heads!
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Speaker 2: 0:07
What's up, lemonheads? Welcome back to another episode of From the Yellow Chair. I'm Emily and I have a very special guest on the virtual lemonade stand with us today. We have Ashley Stroud. She is the owner and general manager of Plumbing Outfitters, a plumbing company in the Central Texas area, and Ashley has gone through a rebrand with Lemon Seed and totally done some fun things. She was very open to the process, and so we're so excited to sit down, dive in and hear about her experience and some changes in the process that she went through. So, without further ado, let's sip some lemonade. All right, welcome, ashley Hi.
Speaker 1: 0:47
Thanks, emily. Thanks for the warm introduction and for inviting me onto your podcast. I'm definitely excessively passionate about our company and just our overall brand, so I'm excited to share my journey with the listeners today.
Speaker 2: 0:58
Well, yeah, so tell us a little bit about your story and your journey. How did you guys get started and where are you guys at now?
Speaker 1: 1:04
Yeah, absolutely so. In the fall of 2015, warren and I took our then only child, wade, on a trip to North Carolina where we visited the Biltmore Hotel. Not sure if you are familiar with this structure, but the architecture and craftsmanship is simply breathtaking. The elevator actually still runs on its own original motor back from like the 1800s. So it really energized us to think about something. You know, what are we building that could withstand the test of time and be a beacon for quality craftsmanship three or four generations from now?
Speaker 1: 1:35
So we spent pretty much the entire drive home crafting the building blocks of what would eventually become Plumbing Outfitters. So in 2017, we launched and we hired our first additional plumber in 2019. And then in 2022, we became just increasingly intentional about our leadership growth, and that led us to a partnership with Dan Dowdy from Built for the Trades. So for the next two years, we continue to develop a clear vision and really dial in our mission and core values, all while making sure that we continue to really stay in alignment with our faith, which is definitely a foundation pillar of our company. So we now have 10 service fans, two project crews and 29 team members with very audacious growth plans for the future.
Speaker 2: 2:18
I love that audacious growth plans and I would say just in the little bit that I've gotten to know you guys and like hearing your thought process behind all these things, like I can see the audacious, big goals, like trusting the process and stuff. So part of that was leading up to this rebrand. So like obviously rebranding is a very big step and like it can be very scary and stuff, but like what prompted you guys to like even consider going through what could be sometimes a painful process, at least in the beginning, of just seeing all this change and stuff?
Speaker 1: 2:49
Oh yeah, it was a huge step and one that I honestly think we waited far too long to take. But what really prompted our rebrand was very tied to our vision statement. So our vision here at Plumbing Outfitters is to set the new standard in plumbing services for the communities we serve. So our vision here at Plumbing Outfitters is to set the new standard in plumbing services for the communities we serve. And with such a lofty vision is that we really began to feel like our brand image didn't adequately reflect or support that vision anymore. So setting the new standard means leading the charge in customer service and products offered in leadership tech training, but it also encompasses your brand and your image. So we saw this huge opportunity for improvement in that area and we knew that by taking that leap we would, you know, set ourselves up to be viewed as a leader in the industry, because I really believe that you know your ability to recruit both customers and team members really hinges on your ability to be seen and remembered. And we knew rebranding was the missing piece there.
Speaker 2: 3:43
Man, so much wisdom in that statement. Like I need that to be a snippet right there because you're so right. Like being self-aware enough to hey, like, hey, this brand, this is what we currently have, this logo, this just isn't really representing, like, what we're dedicated to, what makes us different from the industry, how we set the new standard. Like, you know, it just gotten a little, you kind of outgrown it and so many people can be so attached to what they started with or like, but it meant so much to me. Or you know, my cousin actually designed that. But like it's not always about your own personal store, it's like it is, but also like how is it portrayed to potential customers and how is it resonating with them Exactly?
Speaker 2: 4:25
Be, self-aware enough to realize that things could be enhanced or changed for betterment. I think is so important and I think that's what helped you guys have a successful rebrand journey.
Speaker 1: 4:37
Yeah, I agree. I think you always have to in every part of your business. You have to understand that what got you to point A might not get you to point B, and that was definitely where we were at with our prior branding.
Speaker 2: 4:48
Another snippet of gold right there. One thing I remember as we were walking through this rebrand process with you, you know we presented like kind of the first round of options and stuff. And you're like, okay, I need to go back and think about this. But I remember a question that you asked that stuck out to me so much and I shared this with several other people, is, like you asked, as we're looking at these options, what are some things that I should be considering? And so, like just relying on some other people's advice, like the experts advice, and trying to have an open mind and like what do I need to weed out the noise from? And like what do I need to focus on? Like I thought that was so insightful and I think probably helped guide you through some of these decisions.
Speaker 1: 5:26
Oh yeah, 100%. I think that you have to, as you said earlier, trust the process, and if you're putting your investment with a team that you have vetted and you know that they have a history for providing great results, then you really just have to lean into their expertise and trust that you're going to come out with a really great product on the other side.
Speaker 2: 5:46
Well, I mean like if you're going into a home to fix a plumbing problem, like you're not really relying on what that customer thinks their problem is, or how they're telling you to fix that plumbing problem, like you're like, you know, you called us, you hired us and that's what you're there to do. Yeah, Absolutely. So what was the process like, like what was going through your head and you can be honest with us now. Okay, Okay.
Speaker 2: 6:09
First initial options like was it super scary? Was it like, oh my gosh, there's no way we could change this drastically.
Speaker 1: 6:17
Yeah, well, I think that it has to. You know, I think there was a stage to be set up that I I'd like to back up just a little bit because, you know, I first met Crystal at Service Titan Marketing Summit and she stole my heart. I think it was a combination of her East Texas accent and just the warmth that radiates from her, but I knew immediately that she was an expert and if she had a team of like-minded people around her, then it was going to be a dynamic experience, and I was right. So, you know, minded people around her, then it was going to be a dynamic experience, and I was right. So I held on to that information for a few months, just playing around like should we go this route or not, and I was discussing some branding growth goals with Dan, our business coach, and he's the one that reminded me that Lemon Seed could potentially be an excellent resource for us. So when I reached out, I had already had a phenomenal experience getting to know Crystal outside of y'all's organization, just in a very intimate setting at the Service Titan Marketing Summit. So I knew that it was going to be great and that very first discovery call made me feel so at peace with our decision.
Speaker 1: 7:19
It really felt like a guided journey we were embarking on with you guys and anyone who knows Warren and I. We are very different people with markedly different styles. So not only were you called to help just one person get a brand clarity on what they wanted, but you had a taller order of getting a husband and wife team to kind of merge their ideas into something that we both loved, which, I'll be honest. Yeah, there was like moments where I was like this is no way, this is going to happen, like we are not going to be able to come to, you know, a mutual agreement where something we both love, one of us is going to have to concede something. I remember thinking that kind of vividly, but you know, I somehow, some way, the in the lemon seed team, the lemon seed team we worked with, just really helped Warren and I discover our brand identity, and I was telling somebody this the other day I don't even feel like our brand was re, was like it was not recreated. I feel like it was just uncovered, almost like it was there under some layers the whole time and your team just like chipped away until this masterpiece was unveiled.
Speaker 1: 8:18
Um, because Warren and I both walked away from the experience with, like you know, a product and an image that we adore. So the experience was not stressful, it wasn't rushed, it just wasn't really ideal experience. And I mean, you have to, part of business is being uncomfortable, just learning to live in the uncomfortable position sometimes and pivot and roll with things. And so I think if you go into that experience knowing that there's going to be some uncomfortable times where you kind of question if this is the right thing, but then just give yourself grace to try it on for size, see if it fits, and then just see how things kind of magically work into place, because it really did just work out really well for us. I would sum it up just calling it magical, like it was a really magical experience.
Speaker 2: 9:00
Well, thank you. Well, and there was a point that where we were kind of pursuing down one path with stuff and then it kind of did take a turn. But yeah.
Speaker 2: 9:11
I think you're right, like just uncovering it is. It looks kind is very different, but, like, our goal at Lemon Seed is how can we create brands that accurately represent and portray the core values, the essence, the personality of a company? And so, like you said, it wasn't redoing it, it was just uncovering it, it was allowing that personality that your company has and the leadership that you and Warren have. Um, it's now visually represented a lot better than I think it was beforehand.
Speaker 1: 9:46
Yeah, no, I, I a hundred percent agree with that.
Speaker 1: 9:47
And I mean, the team was constantly like, if I gave feedback of, I don't think this like, I think this takes away from like what our core value is. And I and I even said that to you guys I was like you guys also like we didn't want to get, we didn't want to redo our core values, we wanted our core values to stay and we didn't want them changed any, which was, you know, somewhat difficult to try to incorporate them into this new identity. But your team was just like it's fine, We'll figure it out, We'll work with it, We'll run with it, Like because, ultimately, the essence of who we are needed to stay the same, because we're not trying to change who we are, we're just trying to change how we represent ourselves. And so, yeah, I think it's really like it's a cool process to get to go through things and kind of incorporate all the things that you've built into your business and really, you know, put it into image form for the world to see. You know, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2: 10:32
Well, let's tell the listeners a little bit about this brand. So we've kind of been leading up to the process and stuff. But, ashley, tell us about all the elements that are in it and what is your favorite part about it.
Speaker 1: 10:43
Yeah, okay. So yeah, well, we were able to spin off, kind of our off of our older logo. It really kind of took it to a little bit of a deeper meaning. So our original Arrowhead logo, transformed into a compass that points to True North, which was, you know, just really special to Warren, and I and your team really dove into, like our competitors, and helped us update a color scheme that would work with, would be both disruptive but would also really resonate with our customers and be in line with our brand.
Speaker 1: 11:09
So one thing that we you had mentioned you alluded to the fact that we had kind of started One Direction and we were kind of like this is what we want to go with. We want to go with this theme. And then we paused for a second and we really asked ourselves are we making our customers the heroes here? Are we trying to be the heroes? And that gave us a lot of clarity on we don't want to be the hero of this story, we just want to be a supporting character of our customers' hero story. And so that really led us to realizing that what we really want to be is guides. We want to be guides for our customers. And you guys just continue to take that theme and run with it and make it into something really beautiful.
Speaker 1: 11:53
So probably the biggest thing that we adopted was a mascot, wayfinder Wolf, and there was obviously like this was new for our company, it was very different from some of our competitors in the area. We don't have a lot of mascots in our industry right now, in our local market. So really kind of stepping out of our comfort zone there with Wayfinder Wolf, but he's probably the biggest change. But we've been able to build a lot of momentum with him, like renaming our membership plan after him. We have huge plans to just continue to leverage him in ways that will make us more recognizable in the community. But yeah, I would say obviously, obviously the logo changed. We did keep the name, colors changed and then the mascot adding the mascot was probably the major big elements to the rebrand.
Speaker 2: 12:35
Yeah, so their new brand has lots of like hunting and hiking and forestry elements and, you know, kind of being outdoorsy, because that is very authentic to you guys. It is, and kind of in your Austin area. So Austin is very eclectic. If you're not from Texas, you know their slogan is keep Austin weird, and so they like that kind of quirkiness. So we developed some kind of like almost like Boy Scout patch badges and stuff that felt kind of very central Texas but still had the outdoor elements, got kind of the earthy greens and some navies and stuff going on there, and then I know the wolf. So we ended up naming him wayfinder, you know, because, like you said, your guy, your goal is to be the guide and so how you navigate with that compass, he is finding the way for you. I know that was probably Warren's biggest pick up. Yeah, that was a hurdle, that was definitely a hurdle for Warren.
Speaker 1: 13:26
He really had a hard time buying into it at first but he was willing to again try it on for size and it's definitely grown on him and it's just a fun element. It's just an element that we not previously had access to and kind of mixing things up, having fun resonating with some of the kids in our community and just being able to do outreach programs for them like parades or field whatever it might be like, just having that kind of access point to our customers because we're, we have, you know, we have five children, so you know like we're, we're in the, definitely in the depths of parenting and family life and so in the trenches it just feels it feels right to have, you know, something that resonates with families because we are like we, we represent that, that those, those customers, really well.
Speaker 2: 14:12
I think We've been able to incorporate Wayfinder to where, like he's not in the main logo you know like you still have your primary tech, but like he can still have a spot and it's just added on supplemental elements to the brand and it just gives you more variety and more things to kind of work with. So it's all in the same brand, it's all in the same story, but it just gives more life, I think, to your brand and to your marketing elements. And, like you mentioned, he's on the maintenance club plan and he'll be a lot in the community, but he's not on every single piece of thing, and so it just gives more life and depth to the brand.
Speaker 1: 14:48
I agree 100% Okay.
Speaker 2: 14:50
so if you were talking to another contractor or another person in the trades and they're considering a rebrand, what would your advice be?
Speaker 1: 14:59
My advice would be you know, first of all, just be open-minded and recognize that if you are hiring a expert, it is because you recognize that you have limitations, either in your like, in what your vision for the brand could be, and just lean into that and you know, except the fact that, like you're going to be working with a really great team who's going to be a guide for you and kind of hold your hand to the process. So I would say, start there and then, you know, just really think about what you want to convey to the customer, like what the most important elements of your business that you want to shine through, and then communicate that really well to your team that you're working with so that they know from the get-go what is important to you and what you're not willing to. Like you know, this is something that's important to me and we can't let this part of our go. Like Warren's for one. Like he really did not want to fully let go of the, the arrowhead, like he wanted somehow to recapture it um and spin it and spin it fresh, um, and that's just something that he was a was a kind of a deal breaker for him and you guys were able to run with that.
Speaker 1: 16:04
So I think, as long as you have some clear ideas in your head and then you can communicate those to your team, um, just trust that like they're going to be able to run with it and create something for you to look at, and then you can pivot a lot. If something's not going right, it's not the end of the world. You can pivot and you can make some changes. You can always keep working. I think everybody on the Lemon Seed team, at at least, is very committed to like finishing with a product that everybody is, you know, adores and loves, and you guys don't really stop until it's just like yes, this is it, it feels right, it's perfect. So that's probably be like my top, top advice.
Speaker 2: 16:47
Well, and you mentioned it and I want to elaborate on a little bit more but the communication side, and so I think even there at some points they're like I'm not saying no, like I hate this, but like here's a concern and like let me just know what my concerns are, and so sometimes it just takes talking it out of like, oh okay, now I see the reasoning behind that.
Speaker 2: 17:05
Or oh, now I see why we're going with these colors because it was too similar to other competitors.
Speaker 2: 17:09
Sometimes it's like you just have to hear to be able to talk it out. So not like hard killing absolutely not or we are 100 going this way, but like just voicing out and talking it out I think helps along the process and gets the buy-in for you yourselves. Also, like you know, if you guys weren't bought in to whatever limits he came up with, there's no way your team was ever going to be and right ever so. So, like it has to be, you guys have to be fully bought in, not just like they said to do this and I'm trusting the process, but like I do not know about this. You know, having that open conversation and we did that last week with another customer he was like, okay, once I heard you say that it all makes sense now you know. So just talking it out, that communication is really key 100%. So I would say this rebrand is pretty new as you've relaunched it Like we're probably about a month in or so.
Speaker 1: 18:02
Officially we're only 10 days Like. We launched it July 1st, so it's pretty new and I saw some sneak peeks a little bit beforehand and stuff.
Speaker 2: 18:10
But so we're 10 days into this new rebrand. I would almost have this conversation again in a year because I think you'll see even further the impact and the community response. Have you gotten any response? You alluded to your team some a little bit, but in these 10 days, what has been the response so far?
Speaker 1: 18:28
I have gotten at least two to three text messages a week from people who are seeing our brand Like I got a text message this morning and actually wrote it. I kept it on my phone so I wouldn't like forget to say it, but it was said. Hey, I just wanted to let you know. I just saw one of your newly wrapped vans going through, gerald. It made me smile. It looks great and I literally have been getting I probably could pull up four or five text messages from that just since last Monday when we launched.
Speaker 1: 18:52
So it's definitely making a splash and I think it's being a lot more noticed. And it's just funny to me that we don't have more service fans on the road. We have the exact same number of service fans that we've always had. But now all of a sudden I'm getting people texting me like we saw you on the road, which means that we are being noticed and the vans are a lot more just, um, you know, just standing out and making a splash and on the roads, which is what we really wanted to happen is have some running billboards going. So, um, yeah, so that that was good and then it's just.
Speaker 1: 19:23
I think, more than anything, it's kind of it's just revived us a little bit and given us kind of a fresh um, like spurring to get our name out there more. So we've gotten just a little bit more passionate about, like radio and trade shows and community events, because it's something that's new, it's exciting and it's fun for us and it's all fresh and novel. So, you know, we're just we're our whole team is excited about getting it out there and that alone is, you know, worth a lot, just having the renewed energy to, you know, to present something to the community. So I think Wayfinder is going to continue to, you know, give us a huge brand lift, as we, you know, continue to lean into him more, cause we haven't exactly got to, you know, really introduce him to the community. That's like that's, that's like. Part two is like developing his, his, his whole mascot costume. So that'll be really fun.
Speaker 2: 20:12
But that's the part that's the most rewarding to me of getting to work on these rebrands with customers is running a business is hard. You're in the trenches and sometimes it can just seem like blow after blow. But a rebrand can revitalize, just like you said, reinvigorate you and stuff. And we did one for a customer and it'll make me tear up a little bit, but he was starting to get all the new things coming in, like his new business cards and his new apparels, and he said, all of a sudden I have hope again for my company. And sometimes we just need that little extra boost.
Speaker 2: 20:44
And that's one of Lemon Seed's core values is how can we be catalysts to contractors? So can this rebrand help be a catalyst for them and their company and in their community? And that's really what it's all about. And you guys, I would say, did a rebrand. Like you know, there's a lot of things that are different about it, but, like even every couple of years, like just doing a refresh, like making it relevant and stuff. It doesn't have to be always as drastic as a change, but doing something to reinvigorate yourselves, to reinvigorate your team, make some buzz where people are turning their heads when they see a van driving down the road. That's what's needed every a little juicing every few years and stuff.
Speaker 1: 21:20
Yeah, that's really great advice. And yeah, I guess I'm at the point right now where I'm like this is all so fresh and new and I can't imagine ever needing anything else. But, yeah, in a couple of years you're going to have to remind me of this conversation and hold me accountable to you know, doing a little refresh to keep it. You know, keep it new, keep it revitalized, um, and just keep the energy high, um, both on our team and the impact we're having with the community.
Speaker 2: 21:39
So well, and you guys are definitely implementing it in all the right ways. So you're working on a jingle. Yeah, tell us about your jingle.
Speaker 1: 21:48
Oh my, how fun was this? Um, so we got yeah, you, your team, set us up with somebody that you work with and he was phenomenal. That was another. Just I mean, we, we no idea what to expect. And it was almost like this is not, this is going to be cheesy, it's not going to be great, it's wonderful, it's phenomenal. Like the jingle was great. My kids go around singing it at the house Like they. You'll catch them like humming it or singing it along. It's super cute.
Speaker 1: 22:15
And then we even like kind of took it up a step because Warren plays music and he has a phenomenal voice. Of course, like I might be biased, but I think it's pretty amazing. And so he actually took the like the music worked with our own personal like recording studio here locally and did a remix on it. So now we've actually have him singing the jingle and playing lead guitar to it and we're hoping to launch that on the radio as well, which we think is just going to be a really cool aspect for the brand Hearing the owner of the company on the radio singing, and it's really good. The first version was amazing. There was nothing wrong with it, it just sounded. It sounded very polished, and I think that the newer version is kind of a different spin on it. It sounds a little bit more authentic, a little more rustic and maybe a little bit more on our brand point.
Speaker 2: 23:02
So oh, absolutely. It feels a lot more like local to your community. You know, a cool element and another storytelling piece you know that's what we're trying to do through branding is like how can we tell a story? And so I think people will hear it and automatically it's just catchy and sticky that the way they'd sing along. But I think once they realize or learn that that's Warren, they're like oh my gosh, like it. Just you know.
Speaker 1: 23:22
Yeah yeah, great conversation starter. That's what I told Warren. I was like you have to do this because it would be a great conversation starter for you know, any aspect like just it's going to be great. So he was, he was a great sport with it and he had a fun time with it. So it's going to be cool hearing him the first time on the radio. You know, driving down the road, just like the first time we saw her wrapped a van on the road and you're like Whoa, that's, that's our van. Look how beautiful it is.
Speaker 2: 23:47
Well, no, that's so exciting when you see you guys experience. So, beyond just a logo and a truck wrap, like getting you know a jingle built out and start doing you know mass media type advertising. And you know, I know a actual mascot costume is in the works and so that'll be another exciting. So it's really great to see how you've fully dived in and really bought into this concept and you're going to do it and you're going to do it big, you're going to do it audaciously, yeah yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2: 24:15
So well. I am so excited for you guys. I thank you so much for trusting LemonSea with this process. You guys were great to work with and we're really proud of the end result and it sounds like you guys are too which we're so thankful for. And, like I said, I can't wait to hear you know in six months and a year the impact that this is going to have on your company. And so, ashley, thank you so much for taking the time to to chat with us. If someone wanted to reach out to you or just pick your brain on anything, could they reach out to you in any way?
Speaker 1: 24:45
Oh, absolutely. You can reach me at Ashley at PlumbingOutfitterscom, and I'm a pretty open book, love having great conversations, masterminding with other people in the industry, so I would love to catch up over a Zoom or, if you're local, we can catch coffee.
Speaker 2: 25:00
Absolutely Well, Ashley and her husband Warren, doing amazing things in the central Texas area plumbing only, but really stepping up the game and setting the standard. So really amazing stuff. So, Ashley, thank you so much for joining me. Thank you for listening to another episode. If you enjoyed this, give us a share, give us a follow, give us a review. We appreciate all the things on all the platforms, but thank you for listening. We will see you next time. Bye.
