Today we’d like to introduce you to Monty Montgomery.
Hi Monty, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I diversified my financial portfolio a few years back with Crypto Currencies. I risked a significant amount and received significant returns. This was the seed money for the purchase of property on one of California’s most known roads, the Pacific Coast Highway. The thought was to mitigate the volatility risk of crypto with real estate.
I do the same in my personal life. I mitigate the risk of having a single employer by diversifying my skills. I have a full-time 9-5. I officiate college football. I also started a niche podcast (unofficiallounge.com). “THE UNOFFICIALLOUNGE” with Ashante, Cravonne! is a podcast that gives you the insight into some of the biggest plays you remember involving football officials wearing the stripes. We look at the “Grit” it takes to become an official. While exploring the history of officiating with the people who made it.
Finally, I created PCH STREET, an inclusive Central Coast California Wine Lounge and Hair Salon brand in historic Old Town Lompoc, CA. (pchstreet.com)
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest challenge has been turning a brick-and-mortar business to an online business. The wine industry is full of competition. Since many businesses have moved online, the competition for customers is already stiff. Here are 3 of the biggest challenges we have faced.
1. As a new online business, we have to work extra hard to gain awareness.
We have to convince customers that we can offer something of value. It’s for this reason that a strong, predictable, and reliable customer experience is so vital at this time.
2. Learning Channels of the Internet
The process that it takes to attract an online customer and to have them place an order is not exactly the same as traditional business methods.
There are online communication trends that anyone doing business in the digital world has to excel in to effectively communicate with online customers.
Each customer visiting our site will want a product or service tailored to meet their individual needs or taste. How do we figure this out? It is an everyday challenge that we continue to solve through trial and error.
3. Keeping Customers Informed
We can’t just have a page on each platform such as Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat or TikTok. With so many distractions on the internet, it is not easy to maintain the attention or full loyalty of followers long enough to persuade them to place an order. We have to be creative in our messaging.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The fact that I am a minority business and the heart of the revitalization of a small city Lompoc, CA sets this business apart from others. In the middle of the pandemic while multiple businesses shuttered and failed. I purchased property and renovated a building that sat vacant for 2+ years.
There are now two businesses operating on the property. 1. The Wine Lounge 2. The Hair Salon. The next step is to increase the brand awareness of pchstreet.com and gain more repeat customers in the online environment.
The excitement of revitalizing my community is key. The revitalization is inclusive to many around me. I am providing commerce and jobs to members of my community.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
PODCASTS Earn Your Leisure
The Playbook With David Meltzer
The Unofficial Lounge
Pricing:
- PCH STREET Chardonnay 2020 Buellton CA $32.00
Contact Info:
- Website: pchstreet.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pchstreet/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PCHStreet
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theunofficiallounge1186
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pch-street-lompoc
Image Credits
@flying90 @osephotos
