A Meat Lovers Dream

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Introducing first, from Lithuania, he weighs 123 kilos, the Russian nightmare, the Kita Kolob. Now, the devil's nightmare. Welcome back to another episode of It's Time to Man Up. Welcome back to another episode of The Man Up Show with yours truly, Nikita Kolob, Shatoita. People ask me all the time, what does that mean, actually? I'm like, it will remain a mystery.

I am not going to tell you. Anyway, I have another great show lined up here in studio with me today, a man about business out there in the marketplace. And so great to have him on the show.

Eric Everhart. Yes, sir. Thank you so much, Nikita. Hey, it is great, Eric, to have you with us today. And we first met, I mean, you're a sponsor, you advertise, you help make The Man Up Show possible. Yes, sir, definitely. Glad to be a part of it. Well, and great to have you a part of it. That's really our first introduction, how we first met. Yes, sir. And from there, I've gotten actually toured your place of establishment.

Actually, I've been to both your locations. Let's do this. Let's tell people what you do at the Butcher's Block. We are a quality butcher shop that offers beef, pork, chicken, and seafood, as well as many North Carolina gourmet items. We do go out of the way if there's a particular item you're looking for, whether it be elk, bear, so on and so forth, bison, we will source it where most places will not.

So it makes us pretty unique as far as what we do. Yeah. And of course, you got a location in Winston-Salem in the downtown area.

Yes, sir. We're located in the Innovation Quarter across from Bailey Park. We've been there since March the 8th of this past year. And our first location is actually located in Lexington. We've been there going on five years now. Now, I think you told me the Lexington location, as far as from a business perspective, of course, the Winston-Salem being the newer locations takes time.

And part of why I wanted to have you on the show, one, I'm grateful, thankful for you being a sponsor and helping to make this show possible. So I've been down to your place. I mean, even the setting inside, even though you sell some very unique items, unique meats and stuff, but you don't just, you have other stuff in there too though. Yes, we've definitely made it where it's more of an experience versus just having to go to the grocery store. And this is the whole setting.

You just have to see it. It's a full service case that you don't get in most grocery or retail atmospheres. So it makes it very unique. But you have all the amenities too. So you don't just sell meat. You've got other amenities that come along with that, which is what really caught my attention.

Yes, sir. It's pretty much like a one-stop shop for a really nice, really nice meal as far as, you know, beer, wine, cheeses, gourmet barbecue sauces, spices, cookies, popcorns. And a lot of these items are all North Carolina based.

So, you know, we try to keep it local as much as possible. Yeah. And so someone could come in there. So if they're planning a meal, they're like, Hey, I want to, I don't want to just get the top steak on the planet, but, but I want, I want to get all the things that go along with it.

So like they could literally walk out and have their whole meal planned and purchased and walk out, go home and, and have this gourmet meal. Exactly. Yes, sir.

All the way from, you know, your, your produce to even desserts, we have some, some sweets, cakes, pies, things of that nature as well. Not that I'm a sweet guy. Well, well, I guess it depends on who you talk to. Now, if you watch back now, were you a wrestling fan? I was when I was young, young man, many, many, many years ago, I was, I was a big wrestling fan.

Okay. And what do you, let me, let me shift here just for a second. So what do you, what do you remember about wrestling or anything that stands out in your mind about, about wrestling?

Uh, there's many things as far as, you know, the Russian nightmare, uh, dusty roads, uh, the rock and roll express, Jimmy variant, the boogie woogie man. I mean, that's, those were some of my childhood memories that, you know, you'll never forget because it was unlike today. We didn't have cell phones. So, you know, we actually sat down in front of the TV as a family and, you know, and enjoyed it. Yeah. Took in the entertainment of it and, and, uh, and you grew up where? I grew up in Lexington, North Carolina. Okay. Which makes sense why you have your first business there.

Exactly. And I do want to get back to that in a moment, but let's, let's talk about that. So you grew up in Lexington, North Carolina, brothers, sisters. I have two older siblings.

I have a brother and a sister. Okay. I was a baby.

Okay. And, and, and were they wrestling fans too? Or did you watch out kind of as a family?

But it was my brother and then my two of my great aunts, they were more like my grandmother's. Okay. It was a Saturday night ritual. You know, it's come on.

I want to say it was like 1130 at night. And we sit there and watched mid Atlantic, mid Atlantic, championship wrestling sanctioned by the NWA. Exactly. Jim Crockett productions, Jim Crockett productions. That's right.

Jim Crockett promotions. Now, did you, were you ever able to go to any live matches? I never made it to a live match. Oh, man.

Talk about an experience that would have heightened your love for wrestling. I'm just saying. Yeah.

My brother, he'd been to quite a few, but I never actually got to go, but he hyped it up for sure. Yeah. And so, so you mentioned some, you know, some, some, some pretty good names there. Dusty Rhodes, Rock and Roll Express, Boogie Woogie Man, Jimmy Valley, the pretty boy from New York City. Ooh-wah, ooh-wah, ooh-wah, kitty.

Yes, sir. Talk about the boy from New York City. And I did, you know, I failed to mention probably one of the biggest ones, Ric Flair. Can't forget Ric Flair. I just, I had to throw that out there. I tell you, it doesn't matter. It doesn't seem to matter wherever I go.

There's a Ric Flair fan. I'm like, really? Like, for real? Like, and I mean that for real. Like I was in South Korea.

I was doing some ministry in South Korea a number of years ago. In fact, I had, remember the Road Warriors? Oh yeah, definitely.

Legion of Doom, Animal and Hawk. Yes, sir. And oh, what a rush.

One of the infamous lines of Road Warrior Hawk. But, but we're doing this ministry in South Korea and we're on all these army bases, military bases doing breakfast and luncheons and evening services and all that. And I'm like, really? There's Ric Flair fans in South Korea? Now, now, it's a little bit different over there. It's more like a whoa, you know, than a whoa.

I was like, that is not Ric Flair, but okay, good. Well, I get it. You're career.

Good attempt, you know. I'm like, for real. That was the funniest thing. Just man, stretch such a funny chord in me.

But, but it is true everywhere I go. Man, there's a Ric Flair fan. So he obviously made his impact in wrestling. Most definitely. Yeah. Now, is it, did you have a favorite?

And you don't have to say Nikita Kolov because you're on the show, but if you do, I won't be offended. But no, actually you were one of my, one of my favorites, but I always liked the Jimmy, Jimmy Bay, the Boogie Woogie Man. Like when I was a bad guy or a good guy or it didn't matter? It didn't matter. Okay. Well, that's cool. That's cool.

But yeah, Jimmy Valiant, you know, he's still around. Really? Wow. He is. He's a lot thinner than he used to be. Yeah. In fact, I think he's, I think he still has, or at least he did for a long, long time, a wrestling school.

Okay. Where he trained, you know, he's trained a lot of guys over the years. But he's still got that beard and he's, he's still cool.

He's still cool. You know, the times I'll, I'll see him every now and then, you know, different autographs sign. Yes. And in fact, right here in Winston-Salem, every, and I just learned this, this, this last Thanksgiving that we had, cause I was a part of, it's called Wrestlecade in Winston-Salem. It's a big deal every year. And, and what's it, I found out they call it WrestleCade and you may or may not remember this around the Thanksgiving era of, in the golden era of wrestling, there was a big event called StarCade.

Yes. I do recall. And it was like the granddaddy of the NWA, Jim Crocker promotions was StarCade. Started in Greensboro, StarCade was. Well, when that kind of went away, when Vince McMahon, WWF, now WWE kind of bought everything up and everything, the promoter grew up on StarCade, which is why he named it WrestleCade. Okay. And yeah, why he decided to have it in the Thanksgiving weekend, because StarCade was always Thanksgiving night in Greensboro.

And, and he does well. I mean, every year this thing is well attended. I'm talking seven, eight, 10,000 people over the weekend. Oh, I can believe it. Yeah. You know what? I just, just, just next Thanksgiving, you might, you might set up the butcher's block. Yeah. There you go. Promote it. At WrestleCades in Winston-Salem, like for real. Definitely.

Promote your business there. Because it, man, like they, like I said, I mean, thousands and thousands of people will come through. He does it like on, I think on, of course, Thanksgiving's on Thursday. It's, it's Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

I mean, it's three days. So it's a nice turnout, I'm sure. Yeah. It's a good, and people come from all over the country. Wow.

It's unbelievable. The last one I did, I mean, I met a guy, guy flew in from Phoenix, Arizona. You know, he's a Nikita fan, right? That's awesome.

That's awesome. So anyway, so, so you have some wrestling memories of the Boogie Woogie Man. Is there a, let me ask you this. Is there a favorite match perhaps that you remember from wrestling?

Anything that just jumps in your... Not right off hand though. Okay. It's been a long time ago. Okay. It has been a while ago, but, but, but, well, and I appreciate you being a, you and your family and your... Oh, definitely. Yes. Definitely.

Your brother being a fan of wrestling. And so that's, that's pretty amazing. So, well, let's, let's talk about, cause I know with, with your business, you do other things, you, you catering and those sorts of things. We don't do any type of catering at this point in time in the near future.

It's a possibility. I know we're tinkering with some things that we're going to do on our Winston-Salem location. It's going to be a little more convenient for the people who live in that area, who do not cook for like a really quick meal, working on some gourmet soups, working on sandwiches. So something to be pretty convenient, especially if you work in that area as well, take a lunch break and you're getting tired of some of the restaurants, you know, you can come in and get a nice sandwich or a salad. Yeah.

So that's coming in the very near future. Well, you got a very, again, and just, it would emphasize a very, just walking into the place, you can tell that, that you care about what you do. In my view, Eric, it's, it's everything you've done is done with excellence. And, and I know, I know others that have frequented your place and that have purchased, you know, different meats and things, and have spoken nothing but, but high regard for, for what you offer. Yes, sir. The public in your place.

And let me ask you this. So you're a business guy, you're out in the marketplace. You started the, the, the shop in Lexington five-ish years ago, let's just say. Have you always, okay.

A couple of questions. One, you always had a desire to have your own, your own business, or you're obviously an entrepreneur. Uh, at what age, let's go back to at what age did you figure out that you wanted to be an entrepreneur? Not necessarily in, in the meat business, you know, the butcher business, but, but just an entrepreneur at how young might you have been? I would say I was probably around the age of 22. Okay.

Cause that's kind of when this, my whole dream came to light. Okay. And it's just, you know, multiple jobs that I've had throughout my career, places I've worked, I've acquired a lot of knowledge and, and the knowing how I'd like to do it versus how, you know, the corporate did it. Okay.

And I just changed a few things and done it the way that I'd like to do it. And it created a great atmosphere where, you know, all of our employees are very knowledgeable and educated on what we sell versus just your traditional grocery stores. And, uh, in the service, this, our service is impeccable. You're listening to the truth network and truthnetwork.com. Nikita Koloff here. And I am excited. Did you hear the huge announcement, the big announcement?

Well, maybe it's a minor announcement. Anyway, Facebook go look up my new fan page, Nikita Koloff fans and like it and follow today. If you would like to support Koloff for Christ ministries for a gift of $25, Nikita will send you his two CDs adoration and declaration for a gift of $50. Nikita will include his book wrestling with success. And for a gift of $100 or more, Nikita will include a signed copy of his newly updated life story, a tale of the ring and redemption.

Go to www.koloff.net and donate today. You're listening to the truth network and truthnetwork.com. And the quality and it all just ties in all together. So it's, it makes it a very unique experience.

But, uh, like I said, I was 20, about 22 years old when this all came to light. And then, uh, as my son got older, he continued to hear me say, oh, this is what I've always wanted to do. And then he just more or less dad, do it, just do it, just do it.

Is that the one that works? He works for me in the Winston-Salem location. I met him and, and, uh, I think, uh, handed off an autograph eight by 10. Yes, sir. You did. You sure did. For him.

And, and it's so, okay. So, but out of high school, did you, did you, did you go to college? I did not go to college. Okay.

So again, you kind of had that, you're like, I don't want to further my education. I want to, I want to hit the workforce and go out into the marketplace. And so you initially, so through high school, out of high school, you, you were out there working and we, have you always been in the meat business?

Always in the grocery business. Okay. Started out at food line when I was a bagger, when I was 17 years old. Okay. And, uh, worked my way to a store manager's position within, I want to say it was probably about five and a half, six years.

Okay. And then from there, I continued with food line. I was there for about 13 years. And then from there, I went to the fresh market and was there as a store manager for quite some time. Uh, and from there I went to Biola. So, you know, I had quite a few experiences for three different companies to see how things operated and, and, and like I said, I put my own spin on it.

Okay. And it makes, it made it very unique and it's not like any other shopping experience by far. So you've, you're, you're, you're 22 and you have an inkling or an idea, you know, that one day, correct me if I'm wrong, but one, one day I'm going to own my own business, but until that happens, until that time, um, I'm going to go out and gain, you know, this experience, which is important, right? It's critical. Most definitely. Yeah. Experience in the knowledge. Experience in knowledge, which is what you attribute your success, your current success to is, is the ability to have learned from others. Yes, sir. Would that be accurate to say? Yes, sir.

To learn from others and gain that experience and gain that knowledge. Um, and then, and then translate that into your own business. And so you had all that experience and then, and of course, Lexington being where you grew up, is that what led to the decision to, to launch that site? Yes. That location first. Yes, sir. Cause obviously, you know, you got friends around there, I'm sure.

And people you went to, went to school with people you grew up with. Yes. And thought, wow, that, that'd be a, that'd be a great start. Yeah.

Yeah. I wanted to, to, to leave my mark in, in my hometown. Uh, it's, it's kind of funny cause the day I told my mother that I was actually going to do it, she told me I was crazy.

I was going to lose everything I had. Aren't relatives the best? I mean, there's, they're the most encouraging. They're just the, you're crazy. Don't do it.

Go get a steady paycheck, son. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. She, she was more of a, more of a pessimist and I've always been an optimist. Okay.

Had you always known that about her? Somewhat to an extent. Okay. Okay. Depending on, it depends on the topic.

Okay. But she did tell me that, uh, you know, you really need to think about it. And I said, mother, you know, the most successful people were willing to take a risk.

And, and if I don't know what I'm doing by now, being in the business at this time, 27 years, uh, I might want to look for another career. And what's the worst case scenario. You step out and you take a risk for those of you listening out there who are not risk takers. I hope Eric's story, uh, it may inspire you if you've been on the, on the fence or on the edge of stepping out and doing something on your own, um, that this story will inspire you today. So, so the worst case scenario, Eric is you step out, you do it and it doesn't work. Let's just say it doesn't work. Well, it's not to say that you can't go back into the corporate world where you had 27 years experience and find another, another JOB there, another job there, uh, and, or even do something completely different, right.

Or something else. But so kudos to you for stepping out and taking a risk and how's mom feel now, five plus years later, extremely proud, extremely proud. Okay. Okay. Awesome.

So now she's happy that her son took that risk. Yes, definitely supports me 1,000%. That's awesome. Cause I know the, the, the businesses, uh, I know are thriving and, and so, so you step out, you take the risk and, and, and of course it's become a success and you're applying the knowledge you gained and all the experience you gained from all the years in corporate America. Of course we, we know, I say we, um, that small business America like yourself, small businesses like yourself are really the heartbeat of America, right?

Most definitely we are. I mean, it's, it's what, it's what really drives it. Not that, not to say that corporate America doesn't have its place, but it, but small business drives the economy. It does.

It does. And, and like I tell a lot of people, they, they say, you know, big corporations and I said, well, big corporation wasn't big when it started. You have to start somewhere and, uh, and just having the passion and the drive to do it and, and, and believe in what you do and the good Lord put it in his hands and it will go from there.

And that's what's happened. And that's what you just said is extremely blessed. Yes, sir.

Believing in what you do. Yes. And of course that's not a bad mix to have the good Lord. Not at all.

Not at all. To be able to have, have that foundation and, or, I mean, it's kind of the foundation of belief, right? It is. Yes, sir.

It stems from, from you said the, the good Lord. And so to have that perspective just is, uh, just an added bonus to, to the success. So, so you step out there, you take a risk, you're, you're successful. Uh, your son now you have just the one son or you have, I have, uh, have three, three boys and one girl, three boys and one girl.

Yes, sir. What are their, what are all their ages? My youngest one's 15. Okay. Uh, then my daughter is 19. Okay.

And then my middle son's 21 and then my oldest son is getting ready to turn 26. Okay. And is she the one who works with the oldest, the one that works with you?

Yeah. My oldest works with me in the Winston-Salem location. My middle son, he works in our Lexington location. Okay. And then my daughter works between the both.

Really? And then occasionally my youngest son, he'll, he'll jump in and help as well. So it could potentially be a long-term family. That's what I was family business.

That's what you're hoping for. So that was my, that was my goal. We were actually featured in our state magazine back in September and it was, it was a great article.

And, uh, in that particular article I'd mentioned that, you know, I wanted, when I started this business and it done exactly what my vision was that I would leave a legacy for my children. Okay. And, uh, we're heading in the right direction. Yeah. And something they could step into and eventually take over and, and with that's, that's pretty cool. You know, I was driving on the way to the studio here today and, and on the road there, there was this truck.

I'm amazed at how many businesses are out there. Like, like I have never heard of. Right. And, and it said on the back of the truck said the chicken man. And it was like, it was like some kind of something farm, you know, and, and been around since 1964.

Wow. I'm like, okay. I like, like I have like just never even heard of the chicken man, whoever the chicken man is, but he's been around since 1964. He's at least got one truck. Yeah, exactly.

He's got his own truck on the road. And I was like, it just, but it just struck me. I thought how many other businesses are out there, you know, even like yourself that entrepreneurs, you know, somebody who had a vision, a dream, if you will, that, that are successful like, like yourself. And, and again, I, I want to emphasize to those listening today to your story, Eric, and that I hope they're inspired that, that if they've got a dream, some, some sort of vision for something that they want to do or desire to do, but just haven't been, just haven't been what, what would you say to our listeners? That was the catalyst for you to just go ahead and pull the trigger five plus years and step on and do it. Is there anything that led you to that? You're listening to the truth network and truth network.com. Nikita Koloff here.

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You're listening to the truth network and truthnetwork.com. I would say my biggest influence was my older son. They encouraged me to do it. Dad, go do it. We kind of put a small business plan together.

I've had a couple people that have believed in me and heard my story for over 30 years now. They said, here, just do it, and it went from there. Everything that you see in all the locations I designed from the floors to the ceilings to the color schemes to the layout of both locations.

They were just a shell when I started with it, and I designed it from the bottom. That was a whole new undertaking for me because I've never done that myself, personally. It's become a lot of fun and just the passion. Like I say, if it's something you really believe in and you pursue it, you will be successful. Yeah, and you have a passion for it. I want to tell you one other thing that impressed me, too, Eric, and you may or may not even know this. You probably don't know this, but it did leave an impression on me because I've met a few of your other employees. I've met your son briefly, and I've met briefly a few of the other employees. But you guys are very loyal employees, and I'm thinking of one story, one man in particular, who's I think been in the meat business, a butcher or whatever for, I don't know, I think like 40, you probably know him. 40-plus years, yeah. 40-something years, right?

They've been cutting meat. But you know, he said something. He said this to me. He said, out of all those years working for all kinds of other companies and whoever else, this is the best job he's ever had working for you. Yes, and I've had a couple employees tell me that.

It's funny. It was one of the gentlemen who works for me in my Winston-Salem location. We worked together 17 years ago, and I told him back then, I said, there's going to be a day that I open my own business, and you're going to come work for me. And he looked at me and said, you're crazy.

And here we are today, and he's working for me. Wow. It's amazing. Yes. That's a testimony in and of itself. Yes, sir.

That's a story in and of itself. And so last question is, just real quick, you mentioned the good Lord. Obviously, there's just a pleasant atmosphere. Is your faith important to the success of your business? Most definitely. It's probably the most important part of the business and everything in my life. Yeah.

About four. Yeah. And of course, if you've got the Lord's blessing on it, in a sense, you can't help but be successful.

Exactly. The Lord's blessing is on it. Well, you have a great atmosphere.

You have a great story, Eric. And if people wanted to visit one or the other location, or do you have a website? We do. It's actually thebutchersblockllc.com. The butchers, the butchers block llc.com. Correct. So they can find you online. Can they order online or just fine? Right now, we're not to the level we're doing online orders, but that's something that is in the future.

It will probably be the end of the next year or so. Okay. Okay. But at least they can find your locations, come in and visit you if they're in the Winston-Salem area, Lexington. And I think if I remember you telling me that people really come from all over.

All over. Yeah. Because once they taste the quality of what you provide, you have some very loyal customers as well.

Most definitely. Yeah, we've created a destination. So it makes an experience when you come because of the quality we offer. You can't find everywhere and we'll do cut to order. So we'll provide you exactly what you're looking for. If you want it, you'll find it for them. You got that right.

Exactly. Eric Everhart, the butchers block, and what an inspirational story that you've had. So great having you on The Man Up Show and having you in the studio today. Thank you for coming in. Thank you so much for having me, Nikita. Hey, thanks for dialing in. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of The Man Up Show.

And Eric Everhart, The Man Up. He has manned up, stepped out, started his own business. God bless you. Have a wonderful day. This podcast is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers, support, and generous gifts. May God bless you for your continual contributions. Go to coloff.net and donate today.

Nikita Koloff. And I am here with a huge announcement, like, like big, big announcement. Man Up Men's Conference, Morningstar Ministries, Fort Mill, South Carolina, August 25th to the 27th. You're thinking that's a ways away.

No, not too soon to sign up. What a lineup of speakers we have. The Benham Brothers, David and Jason Benham. All Star, NBA All Star, Al Wood is speaking. World Wrestling Champion, The Total Package Lex Luger, Chris Reed, Rick Joyner, Delta Force Commander, General, Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin retired.

Yours truly, Nikita Koloff, world renowned evangelist, Frank Shelton. Register today. It is live. M Star Events, mstarevents.com slash man up. Go get registered today.

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