Announcer: The views and opinions expressed in To The Point are those of the host of the program and its guests.

They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of WGTE public media.

Doni: According to a recent report from the Department of Treasury.

Small businesses have create over 70% of new jobs since 2019, and the United States averaged 430,000 new business applications per month in 2024 which was 50% more than in 2019.

Entrepreneurs are growing more diverse.

43% of self-employed Americans are female more than ever before, and Black and Asian and Hispanic shares of self-employed Americans are also near all time highs.

But as amazing as being your own boss might sound, don't underestimate how challenging this can be.

Lack of mentors or professional support.

Shifting economic trends, lack of health care and of course, cash flo can make all things difficult.

But sometimes the pursui of dreams makes it all worth it.

Join me today as I discuss the joy and the pain of owning your own business with Doctor Anthony Pattin, owner of the Junction Family Pharmacy, and Aundray Gray, owner of the Downtown restaurant Toast and Tap.

I'm Doni Miller.

Welcome To The Point.

Connect with us on our social media pages.

You can email me at doni_miller@wgte.org.

But you know that.

And for this episode and other additional extras, don't hesitat to go to wgte.org/to that point, thank you for joining us today.

We have two marvelous business owners.

I'm really excited to introduce you to, I'd like to introduce you to Doctor Anthony Pattin.

He's a pharmacist and he runs the Junction Family Pharmacy.

Right.

Got that right.

That's good.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm excited about you being over there, too.

That's a neighborhood that really needs your presence there.

So thank you very much for taking that risk and, and being over there.

And Aundray Gray, who is the owner of a new, relatively new downtown restaurant, right.

Yes.

Called Toast and Hat.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you.

I'm excited to get over to your place.

I hear it's amazing.

It is.

It's that's what I hear.

That's what I hear.

So I think for me at least, one of the scariest things in the world is, thinking about owning my own business where it's all on you, everything's on you.

Why did you decide to take that plunge?

Anthony: I would say for me I've been listening to podcast as they talk about YouTube University.

Right.

So I listen to gentlemen boys walk ins.

And so I've been sort of indoctrinating myself with this for the past five years to where I really got the gumption to do it, as well as just the market opportunities right now for me as a pharmacist with the Rite Aid departures, it was just a perfect opportunity to jump in.

Doni: Yeah.

What about you?

Aundray: I basically just woke up one morning and said I wanted to own a restaurant.

So this year I was like, honestly, I love to cook.

I love to entertain at home.

My my family loves to cook.

And then when I saw the building that I was had my eye on, it was just a no brainer.

So basically, yes, I kind of have ties to that building.

Yeah, yeah it used to be the old Murphy's.

Doni: The old Murphy's, I remember.

Aundray: Yeah.

And my sister, that's her uncle Clifford was her uncle.

Really?

So.

Yeah.

So stuf was just coming in full circle.

Doni: Yeah.

Aundray: Yeah.

So.

Doni: Yeah.

What?

So what frightened you both about this?

Anthony: Anything I would say for me, it' a totally different skill set.

I've been a pharmacist.

I've been a professor, for 15 years or more.

But business is its own entity.

It's a small thin that you have to, learn about.

So I think the scariest part, of course, is jumping into an area that you may not know much about.

So that's why there are some things that, if you're interested in walking this path that you should do, to help prepare yourself, and going down this route.

Aundray: Yeah, yeah, I would say the skill set for me as well.

I had 24 years of experience, and then I jumped into property management, and now I'm doing this.

And then the trust of the trusting that the community is going to be rallied around you and, you know, you're giving them a good product.

So, yeah, basically there was enough for me too.

Doni: What was the most important skill set, though, doctor, you talked about?

Anthony: I think just learning all the different components, of business in terms of money management and turn of of having access to capital, in terms of human resources making decisions.

I come from a university setting where, gosh, to spend maybe $100, there's like maybe 10 or 11 different approvals to where it's like, oh, wow, I'm the one that's making this decision.

So it was really different paradigm shift in terms of thinking of, how to manage myself and how t approach, different situations.

Aundray: And managing other employees as well.

Doni: Yeah.

Yes.

So, you know, I, I think for, for my personality, I think that's overwhelming.

I think having to get u every day and be worried about whether it's going to work today or whether somebody is going to come in for both of you, whether it's somebody's going to come i and whether you will have wasted all that lettuce that you bought that you know, will keep or, or and you have issues as wel with, you know, you've got drugs that expire and you've got rent that has to be paid.

All of those things are really frightening to me.

What advice would you give somebody who really wanted to open their own business but was like, know, I just don't think I got it?

Anthony: Well, I think for me, I mean, it goes back to they always say that we need examples in the communities, right, for our children and, for those that are looking for careers and even for me at this stage, I ended up working with a pharmacy owner, and just seeing it firsthand.

And this is a gentleman I worked with who had been doing it 30 years or more.

So being in that setting and seeing like, yes, this is something that is possible, someone is doing it and having a firsthand view that really inspired me to sa like, oh, wow, this is something this is something that I can do.

Doni: You know, it's interestin because in all of the articles that you read about, you know, things that you need to know when you're starting a new business, the one that comes up often is having a mentor, having somebody suppor you and sort of bring you along.

Those tough times you.

Aundray: Yes, I agree, which is important.

I, I'm very fortunate t have a lot of other restaurant tours around Toledo to really want to see me succeed.

No I haven't yes.

I mean, you got you have Zach and his father Manhattans.

You know, you have, and it focuses.

I mean, so I, I'm lucky enough to to, like, know these people and they tell me the ins and outs of the things that I really need to do and what I should do.

Doni: Yeah.

Aundray: Along with making my own decisions, of course.

Doni: But yeah, but it's great to have somebody to bounce things off of and to sort of pic you up on those tough days and.

Correct, especially in the restaurant business, which I hear is a very very it's.

Aundray: Very tough.

Doni: Very difficult, small margins and very difficult.

Anthony Yes.

And I would echo that too.

Just the owners, the farms, the owners that I know, they were really excited that I was opening, very willing to help.

Even though you may can say, say they're competitors or there's that there's a level of togetherness I think, within the same field.

So, I was really surprised by that.

That was a new, experience for me.

But definitely people willing to help.

Doni: Yeah.

Anybody try and talk you guys out of it?

You don' have to tell me who just did it.

Aundray: Everyone said I bought myself a job right?

Yes.

Doni: Okay.

What about you?

Because you've got Robin working with you guys.

She's got her name out there today.

So you've got out Robin's work?

Anthony: Yes, I well, really big advantage for me, is just being home in Toledo.

I'm from here.

I'm a product of here, so I family.

So in terms of just other little things, maybe I need a prescription delivered.

I can call my uncle or.

Hey, I need help with this.

My aunt's going to come help me.

So that makes it, not only helpful in doing business but just a lot of fun as well.

But I think, more so people just, like, wow, that's something you really can do.

Or that sounds really difficult, especially for pharmacy is highly regulated field.

So just like, where do you start?

You know, you have all these different agencies and things that you have to go through in order to open.

So I think people were just, really, really surprised.

Doni: Really surprised.

And again, you're in a neighborhood that really can use that, that service, you know, but you are too, that, yes, you really are to that area where the old Murphys used to be.

Was at one tim this very vibrant neighborhood.

And it needs folks like you like toast intact to make that happen again.

Aundray: Correct?

Correct.

I agree with that.

We, my team and I, we do have some plans for the area.

Well, for for the building.

Doni: When we break it here.

Aundray: The building, I mean, it's and I've been ver I've been very fortunate that, you know, like with wor with the owner of the building, they've all been very, very, very helpful to me.

Yes and I appreciate.

Doni: Yeah.

What do you think of all of the thing that you've encountered so far.

What do you think has been the most difficult either of you?

Anthony: I would say for me, I felt like I definitely had a time limit of up between, starting and opening.

The pharmacy itself.

So the time frame and gave myself a short time frame.

So if I rethink it, I probably would have given myself a lot longer.

Especially I opened in the winter time.

So it's often difficult for people wanting to make changes and do things in the winter time.

But it was just a reall unique situation with the market and the nee for pharmacy services right now.

So that really was, the number one driver.

And that propelled me to start now.

Doni: What about you?

Aundray: I think for me, that's kind of the same.

I want to give myself a little bit more time.

I actually looked at the building in April.

I was open in August, so.

And I have moved fro getting occupancy to licensing.

It was, I didn't expect to grow that fas because I heard horror stories.

Yeah, but once I had everything in motion, I was like, okay.

Doni: We're doing this.

Aundray: Right.

This is it.

Doni: We're doing this.

Aundray: Yeah.

So a little less than 90 day.

Well, about 90 something days I was okay.

Doni Has it been what you expected?

Both of you?

Aundray: For me, it has been a little bit more than I expected.

Yeah, it's a lot of fun.

It's.

It's a lot of fun.

Yeah.

I didn't think I was going to have this much fun with the community and with the guests and the artists.

Doni: Yeah.

What about you?

Anthony: For me, it's been so rewarding.

I mean, I've been a pharmacist for 15 years.

I've worked in academia, so I've had students tha I've taught and I've also worked just part time in the pharmacy.

But being mayor and people from the community coming in and helping them with their medications, and just using the skills, the talents, the things that I've learne to help them with their health is been, indescribable feeling that I've never felt before.

That just really propel me to get up and do it each day.

It just doesn't even feel like it's it's work.

I'm having a lot of fun, doing it.

So, that's been, I think the biggest thing for me.

Doni: And you're finding that it sounds like the community has been really responsive.

Anthony: Yes.

For me people, you know, people are coming in, people are calling.

So I'm growing.

So I'm really grateful for that.

If people are finding out about us.

Doni: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's something I know.

I when I tried to reach you I had to chase him really hard to get him.

And, it's all because you're growing.

Yes.

And you're busy.

Aundray: Yes.

Right.

And hands on and hands on.

And, I imagined potatoes, cutting potatoes, going to the store.

Doni: Going to the store that's there, I called him, he was at the store.

Stay with me.

Okay?

You guys just stay with me.

We're going to go awa for a little bit, a little bit, and I hope you stay with us as well.

We'll be right back.

Doni: Connect with us on our social media pages.

Pleas email me at doni_miller@e.org.

And for this episode and other additional extras, go to wgte.org/to the point, if you were with us, the first segment, you know that I'm speaking with Doctor Anthony Pattin, who is the owner of the new since December.

Anyway, junction family pharmacist and Mister Aundray Gray, who is the owner of Toast and Tap, relatively new restaurant in, downtown Toledo, and one that I think he wants you to come and check out what I've been saying.

Aundray: You'll be safe in saying that we're located at 41 Madison Avenue, downtown Toledo.

Doni: In the old Murphy' building at that, if that helps.

That's a landmark building.

In fact, it is.

So, what?

You know, you guys both decided to take the plunge.

You just stepped out there and you did it.

I think that some folks do it a little differently than you did.

Andre.

You know, they don't sort of wake up in the morning and say, I'm going to.

I'm going to do this.

Probably more like you were.

There was a lot of, you know, sort of planning and thought and that sort of thing, although your way is a lot more fun, I think is sort of waking up in the morning and deciding to do it.

What would you do to prepare, though?

What would you tell?

So if somebody came to you and said, I want to do this, what would be the first thing you'd say to them?

Aundray: Research.

Doni: Research?

Aundray: Yes.

If whatever it is that you're trying to do, it should always be researched.

The mentors are important.

Just trying to figure out what it is that you really, really want.

And if you really, really want to do this, and if you can afford to do what you need to do.

Anthony: I was going to go that route, too.

And making sure you're prepared.

Doni What does that.

Anthony: Mean?

So it's all multiple thing I think looking introspectively that are you prepare mentally?

To be able to take on these challenges.

Are you prepared financially?

What about your family support?

Because, your schedule may be a lot different.

So you're going have to have those conversations.

Be sure your house is in order yourself in terms of, making sure you're going to have the time to do what you need to do.

And maybe responsibilities within a household need to change.

So your life is going to change in that way.

So making sure that you're prepared, for that, I think is really important, having.

Doni: When you say the.

So let me interrupt you for a second.

So when you say makin sure your own house is in order, do you mean making sure that you can get away from the things that you need to do at home in order to focus on the business.

Anthony: Or absolutely.

Because there's going to be times you'r sort of ramping up the business or preparing for the business.

There may be things that need to be done within your building, and that's going to take you away.

So if you have children, how is that going to work with the childcare and other responsibilities.

Aundray: Anything.

Yeah.

Anthony: So, so just thinking about that and it's not only just going to be a stress on you, but it's going to be a stress on those around you, your family, your spouse, your children.

So, so you really need to have those discussion and those things to think about, within your own home and preparing to do for this.

Doni: Yeah.

The financial preparation piece, I think is really important.

How do you decide how much money you need in order to float it, float your busines until your business catches on?

How do you decide that?

Talk to people?

Aundray: Yeah, it's very important to talk to people.

And then once again, the research and what type of businesses that you're trying to create because you hav you have to think about products you have to put away.

Also for employees and taxes and things of that nature.

Oh yeah.

There's a, there's a, there's a lot more than just going into the building, just opening up and say, well, yeah.

Doni: You know, here's your answer.

Aundray: Right.

Anthony: I definitely understand that.

And to, for me tapping into resources, there's a National Community Pharmacies Association and there's a literature out there.

So it really helps you to understand what you need in order to be prepared to open a pharmacy.

So I felt like I had a good foundation and understanding, as well as talking abou those mentorships, partnerships, and talking to those that are doing it.

You know I got a chance to see contracts and things ahead of time to have a really good understanding of, you know, if I could really do this now or not.

And for me my type of deal was definitely a unicorn type of deal where it was something either I'm gonna have to jump on this now or may happen in two years.

So it was a really big decision to make that jump to do it now, but it was also a great opportunity.

It's also it's like, you know, the stars have to align kind of thing.

It's just, things have to happen in certain order.

In order for you to be able to open a business and like you were saying, it's sort of on your on you, it's on your back.

So, making those, smart decisions, but also has to b in line with things around you.

Doni: So you'd agree.

Aundray: Yes, I agree wholeheartedly.

Yeah.

Doni: So it is all on you.

It is.

It is all on you.

Aundray: Yeah.

Basically it is all on yo because you you're responsible for everything that goes on with your own business.

Like I said, from from cuttin on the lights to cut them off.

You have other people relying on, you know, the other employees, the staff, you know, so it it's all on yo if the mistakes are being made and they're not correct, then it's all on you.

Anthony: Right?

But that's the advantage too, because for in pharmacy people can go anywhere.

They have an insurance car they can go and use that card, various different pharmacy.

So for me, I can differentiate myself in customer service.

I can offer excellent customer service to patients individually needs attention.

And so what are things I can do to make people's life easier?

In their pharmacy care.

And so that's where the advantage is, is having something, in the marketplace is going t make people want to come to you, and not this big mammoth company where it's difficult to make decisions.

Doni: Right?

Aundray: Right.

The customer service is key.

You've got to provide excellent customer service and good customer service.

That' what keeps people coming back.

Doni: Right?

Hey.

It's good.

Anthony: No.

So I'm just thinking about that all the time.

How can I make my patients lives easier?

So one system that I use within my computer system, as I can, I can text people within in the system, I can ask them questions about their medications, or they can ask me questions.

And just that communication, helps to make their lives easier.

And I'm like, this is great.

This is fantastic because I can get this information.

I don't have to go stand in a long line just to find out my medication isn't ready.

And so, you know, we're all busy, we're all stressed for time is how do we make, people's lives easier?

And that's, something that I've been working on.

Doni: Do either o you think that you encountered.

And I'm just curious about this.

Do either of you think that you've encountered any particular difficulty because you're black males?

Aundray: To be honest, I have an yeah, to be honest, I, I've, I've, I've got a lot of I'm surrounded by a lot of good people who want to see the succeed.

Doni: Yeah.

Aundray: And I, I'm thankful grateful for that.

I really, Doni: What about you?

Anthony And I think it's just being open to different relationships and people that come in, in your life that may be able to help you.

I think right now it's an excellent tim to go on business for yourself.

And even if that's a route you want to go down the road, it's something that you can prepare for now.

So it isn't something that you necessarily have to go and say, oh I'm going to open this business and do it in the next few months.

But maybe it's to start, by, take, again, going on YouTube, learning a few lessons, start saving money.

Saving money is a key.

Having, capital.

Because even if you're going for different loan products, you have to have maybe a certain percentage down.

So, preparing yourself, and that's why I say for me, I could have given myself a lot more time, or if I was going to open my next pharmacy, I could start now and prepare for three years is something that you can prepare for.

So I think, despite those challenges, I think if you're willing to work hard and, and you're there again to serve the people in the community, people are going to come and they're going to be people willing to help.

Doni: Yeah.

And, you know, the reason that's an important question is that when you talk, to folks in the community who, talk about wantin to start their own businesses, one of the first things you hear is a fear of doing it because they are afrai that they're going to encounter an awful lot of pushback, from systems that they'r already not that familiar with.

And so it's really nice.

It's good to hear you all say, step out.

Aundray: There.

Doni: Yes, step out there, because it might not be as frightening as you think.

Anthony: And don't be afraid to collaborate.

I mean, and that that can be a challenge, I think, is people wanting to do it all on their own.

So I know for me having partners, having people that I can rely on is important.

I think that come from my background in academia.

I know that there are people that are experts in certain areas.

I'm an expert in medications, but doesn't necessarily mean I'm an expert in business or this particular area.

So I need to make sure I consult with the appropriate resources, so that I am informed to make a better decision.

Doni: You're not out there all by yourself.

You're not out there by yourself.

You know, it's not that you won't succeed as quickly, if you're out there all by yourself.

And one of the things that I need to say thank you to both of you, for doing is locating your businesses in areas where people need to see those businesses, on your street for you.

You know, that's a great place.

That's an area that, lots of talk about revitalizing that neighborhood.

And it begins with businesses like yours, right?

Downtown, you know growing neighborhood down there, a place where people need restaurants to, to enhanc the quality of, of their living.

And you could have gone anywhere.

Aundray: Yes.

Doni: Yes.

You chose down there.

AundraY: So, yes.

Doni: That's really cool Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Good luck.

I'm going to check in, and check in on both of you sometime soon, and I'm going to call you so we can go get those.

Anthony: Yes.

Doni: Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

Joining us and I hope to see you next time.

On, To The Point.

Announcer: The views and opinions expressed in To The Point are those of the host of the program and its guests.

They do not necessaril reflect the views or opinions of public media.

To the point is supporte in part by American Rescue Plan Act fund allocated by the City of Toledo and the Lucas County Commissioners and administered by the Arts Commission.

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Thank you.