"How did you start this business?" is our most frequently asked question. The answer almost always starts with a grin...we love sharing our story! How many businesses start with: "We were looking for a tractor on Craigslist..."
Well, at least one does...OURS!
We were looking for a tractor for our 2.6 acre yard when Nick stumbled across the trackless train ad. It just so happens the engine was built on a "lawn tractor" so of course it popped up in the search. He immediately motioned to Katerina to come check it out. How often do you find a trackless train for sale? In unison our reaction was: "Oh my gosh, this is so cool!"
After a quick email exchange, we had arrangments to go take a look at it the next day. It was only a 25 minute drive away.
When we got there we saw the train looked extremely "cute". Even better than the ad pictures! The seller seemed very open and honest which we appreciate, and he even agreed to take us on a quick ride. Our firstborn, Kaitlyn asked if we could buy it right now! Xenia chimed in after her, and without a doubt, all the rest of the family was thinking the same thing, including the one-year-old Zoe who didn't stop smiling the entire time during the ride.
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| The original look |
We promised the seller to get back to him after discussing it. We didn't even make it back to the car before we both looked at each other knowing exactly what the other one was thinking. After talking each other's ears off and listening to the kids' excitement on the drive home, we stopped to get dinner and chatted about it with more intensity. By the end of the dinner we had a company name picked out, and already had a call back to the seller with a full offer!
Knowing what a trackless train costs typically, and given the reason for the seller to actually sell the train(unexpected medical expenses), we knew this was the right thing for us and for them, so we didn't even haggle on the price.
Two days later, we were able to go and pick up our new purchase. The timing worked out that was the same night we were going to donate our truck and trailer to a homeschooling group of our nephew and niece, and take them Christmas caroling around the neighborhood. It is funny how things work out...we had the train that night instead! Before even taking the train home, we took it to Nick's sister's neighborhood. That night we had all the confirmation that this train was what we've been searching for. Everyone enjoyed the rides, people came out of their homes to see us, cars stopped and rolled down windows, and a few of them honked and waived...even though our caroling was nowhere near in sync! Okay, okay, we weren't even singing the same song most of the time.
Two days after Christmas, on our way to the Polar Express in Williams AZ, we stopped by the Secretary of State's office and registered a new DBA for Myers Holdings LLC.
After the fortuitous, incidental and wonderful time with the Polar Express train, we came back home and since have had a blast making modifications to the train, getting the business up and running, and most of all, watching hundreds of kids enjoy the rides! We are just getting started and this business is already busier than we ever imagined. People love the personality, enthusiasm, and fun that Nick and Katerina bring as "Engineer Nick" and "Conductor Katerina". Stay tuned as the saga of Desert Express Train continues to unfold!
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| The updated look |
