Meet Wes Perz | Small Business Co-Owner/Store Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wes Perz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wes, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
There’s a few things that I value above everything else, and I think that’s what helps me connect better with my customer base. My family is what has pushed me through everything, and the one constant that I can always count on. They’re the ones who keep my sane when I’m dealing with an insane world. With my family keeping me level headed, I’m able to deliver my best to my customers. I’m able to treat them like what they are: people. Not a commodity. And that’s the reason I have so many return customers (“regulars”), because they know how I’ll treat them.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career up to this point hasn’t been too exciting, with stints at Toys R Us, Gamestop, and BestBuy. I guess you could say they’re the “dream jobs” for a nerd like myself. But, what I have learned from each of them is that customer service is the #1 key to success. You could have the cheapest product on the market, but if your customer service is bad, you won’t get many people coming back to you. The biggest challenge I’ve faced is probably the move I made from Michigan to Texas. It was a huge culture shift for me, but it actually helped me to work on my people skills a little more.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In the little city of Weatherford, there isn’t much, but it’s slowly growing. If Weatherford is known for one thing. It’s the history of the town. They’re very proud of their history, and most of the downtown area still has its building in their original condition. In fact, the building my business is in is 140 years old, and is the oldest, unchanged building downtown. There’s plenty to do downtown, from boutique shops, to other antique shops, bakeries, and even a wine tasting room. While Weatherford doesn’t have a very busy nightlife, there are a few bars and restaurants that are open late into the night.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As was stated before, my family is paramount to everything I do. The business is actually a family affair that was started by my parents back in 2007 when we moved from Michigan to Texas. What started out as a simple antique shop turned into an Auction/Estate business, an appraisal service, a bookstore, a card shop, the list goes on. My parents (Jim and Lori) are the ones that have pushed me to keep trying new things, and to grow our business. My wife (Stephanie) and my son (Lhiam) are my own personal cheerleaders squad, and always have my back, even when I’m making a not-so-good decision. So without my parents, there would literally be no business (or no me, either). And without my wife and son, I probably wouldn’t have the confidence to do what I needed to do.

Website: https://www.stepbackntime.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astepbackntimeauction

Other: https://www.facebook.com/lavendertowntrading