Back in the days of the California gold rush, you could make a lot of money. If you struck gold. If you didn’t - and most people didn’t - you would typically spend every waking minute till you ran out of money and strength, doing back-breaking labor, swinging a pick and digging with a shovel.

Along with the prospectors, there were business people who figured they wouldn’t strike it rich like the lucky few, but they could make a decent living, selling the prospectors picks and shovels. Today, in business, the phrase “picks and shovels” lives on. It’s used to describe people involved in regular occupations who support people in more glamorous pursuits.

Jon Shirley is in the picks and shovels department of the hospitality industry. Jon is Chief Operating Officer at Jim Shirley Enterprises.

Jim Shirley is the chef behind the restaurant we’re at right now, Farm & Fire, as well as North Beach Social, The Great Southern Café, The Meltdown on 30A in Seaside, The Bay, 45 Central Wine & Sushi, and Baytowne Provisions.

Jon Shirley is Jim’s brother. But this isn’t a case of nepotism. Jon spent 25 years in the corporate offices of the food services company, Sysco. Before that he worked his way up the ladder in the restaurant business, from busser to management. Today, Jon is responsible for the smooth running of the Jim Shirley restaurants and the management and well-being of a staff that can reach 400 employees at the height of the season.

Who, at some point, hasn’t dreamed of becoming a rock star? Admit it. You know you have, even if only for a few fleeting moments when you’re singing in the car, in the shower, or playing air guitar.

Michael Austin is in the picks and shovels department of the rockstar and wanna-be rockstar business. Michael is the owner of Austin Music Company, Panama City Beach’s only full service music store and music school.

Now, admittedly, unlike the gold-diggers of yesteryear, most people who pick up a guitar or take music lessons are not aiming at the riches they can attain from Taylor Swift type world domination. In fact, these days, there is a greater chance of making money in the picks and shovels end of the business than getting rich off of Spotify or getting discovered on Tik Tok.

Entrepreneur of the Week

Our Entrepreneur of the Week is Michelle Royce. Michelle and her husband Kevin are co-owners of Seafoam Roasting Company.

Michelle and Kevin also own and run a successful HVAC company in Fort Walton. They've been in business since 2019. They have 17 employees. You might think if they wanted a little extra challenge they could hire another couple of people, get an another van, maybe even open another location. But, no. That’s not what Michelle and Kevin did. Instead they bought a coffee roaster.

They put it in a room in their HVAC business, and started roasting coffee. Then they started buying specialty beans and creating specialty blends. Then they started working with community organizations, like Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, packaging bags of coffee specifically branded for the charity, so that every bag sold raises money for them.

Today Kevin and Michelle have all kinds of collaborations going on, and Michelle is dreaming about leaving the HVAC business behind and making Seafoam Roasting Company her full time career.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Farm & Fire restaurant on Highway 331. Farm & Fire is one of Chef Jim Shirley’s family of fine restaurants. It’s open from 4pm, 6 days a week, and from 11am for brunch on Sundays.

You can find photos from this show by Brandan Babineaux at outtolunchemeraldcoast.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you the type of person who finds yourself texting people, “sorry, running late, on the way”? Are you typically the last one to arrive to pick up your kids? Are you “that guy” or “that girl”? The one running through the airport who only just makes it to the departure gate before they close the airplane doors?

If any of these are you, you have what behavioral scientists call “poor Executive Functioning skills.”

I asked AI, “What is Executive Functioning?” And this is the verbatim response it gave me: “If your brain is a wedding planner, Executive Functioning is the part that keeps the timeline, coordinates vendors, manages last-minute changes, prevents emotional meltdowns, and ensures the bride, groom, guests and staff all stay on track.”

For Tania Deer, it’s more than just her brain that’s a wedding planner – it’s her entire professional Iife. Tania has been planning weddings at the beach since 2005. She’s the Coordinator at Sugar Beach Weddings and she plans and executes 50-60 weddings a year. If you’ve ever been in a wedding or planned one, can you imagine doing that gargantuan once-in-a-lifetime task once a week?

While I had AI open, I asked it, “What are some other orchestrated events on the Emerald Coast?” It gave me a list of them, including the Destin Fishing Rodeo, the Emerald Coast Cruizin Car Show, the 30A Wine Festival, and a bunch of others. Strangely, the one orchestrated event it didn’t mention is an actual orchestra.

When I pointed that out, Chat GPT replied, “Great catch! You’re absolutely right. Sinfonia Gulf Coast is one of the most prominent and truly orchestrated events in the Florida Panhandle.” And so it is. Sinfonia Gulf Coast is a professional orchestra that produces a full concert season, educational performances, guest-artist events, holiday shows and special gala-style evenings.

The orchestra was founded in 2005 by a dedicated board of directors and its founder and Music and Artistic Director, Demetrius Fuller.

Entrepreneur of the Week

Our Entrepreneur of the Week is Dion Jones. Dion is a country music singer and songwriter, and leader of the band The Neon Tears. Dion is a country musician with his roots in the sand. He says “Santa Rosa Beach is one of the best music towns. It’s like a mini Nashville. But they actually pay you.”

Dion plays up and down The Panhandle, often 7 days a week. He has his sights set on Nashville and the big league of country music, but he's doing it on his own terms. So far his plan seeems to be working.

To Sum Up...

When we talk about someone’s wedding, we often refer to it as “The Big Day.” Getting married is one of the most momentous and life changing days in anybody’s life. Being the lynch-pin in the wedding of a couple is more than just a job, it’s a serious responsibility. Tania's day at the office is all about balancing the tension between the happiest and frequently the most stressful day in a person’s life. Wedding Planner is not a career for the faint of heart.

It’s interesting to note that when a bride walks down the aisle – even if it’s on the sand – to accompany the most important moment of her life, most brides choose classical music. Classical music is woven into our lives in more ways than many of us realize, and none more important than the gift a living orchestra brings to a community, including our children’s education.

And then there's the total other, super-popular end of the musical spectrum – Country music.

Dion, Demetrius, and Tania represent the wide range of events and experiences available to those of us who live on or visit The Panhandle. They're each making a vlauable contribution to the Emerald Coast cultural economy.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Farm & Fire restaurant on Highway 331. Farm & Fire is one of Chef Jim Shirley’s family of fine restaurants. It’s open from 4pm, 6 days a week, and from 11am for brunch on Sundays.

You can find photos from this show by Brandan Babineaux at outtolunchemeraldcoast.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.