Happy 4th Anniversary to us being your Community Paper Peddlers!

Four years ago, we became the proud owners of the Peddler’s Post, Central Florida’s Most Fun Community Paper. When we bought the paper, we had just moved to the area a month prior. Matt was entirely new to the area, and I was a returning native. We were in the middle of a complete renovation of the cabin we just bought and had just gotten a new puppy (Gus). There was a lot going on already, but our plan for work had fallen through. Instead of looking for new jobs, we decided to take a chance on us and become small business owners.  

Matt had spent most of his professional career working for Coors. He had started working in delivery and had worked his way up to being a delivery trainer before resigning after 13.5 years to move to Florida with me. Matt has always been skilled at the ability to learn areas and roadway systems very easily. So, we knew this skill would be an asset in our new business venture. He had a lot to learn in the sales arena but was up for the challenge.  

I had spent most of my professional career working in Finacial Services. Starting my 12-year career in the industry with New York Life Insurance Company as an independent sales agent and finishing my time in the industry with TIAA (Teachers Insurance Annuity Association) as a Customer Resolution Manager. During my time working in the financial services industry, I learned about marketing, sales, how to manage customer experience, and so much more. All skills which I was able to pull forward into our new adventure. Luckily creativity was a God given gift I had always had, but life had given me no time to release it.  

One of the things that I feel gave us the most confidence to move forward with purchasing the paper was that I had just obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Business with Regis University in December of 2020. Originally, the plan was to study project management to further my career with TIAA. When Covid hit, it changed the available in person courses to complete my plan. The project management classes that I had saved for my last year were no longer offered as they required in person attendance. Instead of delaying graduation I decided to take courses that were available out of fear that I would lose my momentum. It just so happened that the classes available included Marketing, Change Management, Statistics, and Ethical Decision Making for Business. At the time I did not know what I would do with the knowledge obtained in these classes, I just kept my eye on the completion of 16-hour days between work and school and getting that degree. Today I know that something much bigger and more powerful than myself was guiding my path.  

We looked at several small businesses, before setting our eyes on the Peddler’s Post. The paper had been for sale for 5 years before we came along and bought it. When I looked at the financials, they were a little bit scary. They showed that the sales had been decreasing year after year. After meeting with the previous owner, I was reassured that it was not in relation to the paper’s ability to influence, but a change in management that had occurred due to a health tragedy that occurred in 2016. Looking at the whole picture, the Peddler’s Post was not just a struggling advertising paper, but an American dream that had been dampened by tragedy that needed a new vision and a new heart. That is one thing Matt, and I have always had in common, a lot of heart!  

We started making the paper our own by rebranding the Peddler’s Post in November 2021. We got rid of the old Amish carriage and brought in a new paper lady to run the show, our girl Penny! That was the first of many changes we would see over the next four years.  

When we purchased the paper, 11,000 papers were being distributed to Citrus County and Surrounding Areas. There was a small following of about 150 followers on Facebook, the only social media platform the paper belonged to, and the website was a cookie cutter deal from Go Daddy. Today we distribute 30,000 papers each month across four Central Florida counties, Citrus, Sumter, Hernando, & Pasco. We have over 2,500 followers on Facebook, and we just released our newly designed custom website in May of this year.  

We still have a lot of work to do to get the Peddler’s Post where we want it but are so proud of all the progress we have made so far. We would not have been able to do it without the support of all the small businesses that entrust us to help market their American Dreams and the very people reading this blog.  

We know that God had a hand in bringing us here, giving us the skills needed to do the job, and the courage to go out on a limb and try something new. Today the Peddler’s Post is again a gem of the community with a heart as big as its following, powered by the guidance of God and pure heart for the businesses we serve. Every day we are grateful for the opportunity to bring you Central Florida’s Most Fun Community Paper, and to help the small business community of West Central Florida.  

CHEERS TO THE FUTURE!  

To learn more about our logo Penny go here: https://peddlers-post.com/evolution-of-penny-our-logo/