"Put yourself out there. Be okay with hearing 'no'." - Mac Condill

Mac Condill is no stranger to the word "no". But he doesn't let that stop him. And that perseverance has led him all over the country, the world - even to the White House to decorate with his pumpkins. Oh, and he's been on Martha Stewart's show three times (pre-Snoop Dogg).

This morning, we toured The Homestead Bakery and The Great Pumpkin Patch, south of Arthur. The two businesses are located on the same property and run by the same owners, but that's where the similarities end. While The Homestead Bakery is open year-round, The Great Pumpkin Patch opened last weekend for a 6-week season. And, The Homestead Bakery is more wholesale reliant, while The Great Pumpkin Patch is more experiential.

Mac Condill's family has lived on the property (200 acres) since 1859, when his great-great-grandfather traveled from West Virginia and homesteaded the land. And now Condill provides agri-tourism, and gives people a chance to connect with agriculture and that land. "People don't have a direct connection to the land anymore."

The Great Pumpkin Patch is a fall experience, not just a pumpkin patch, though they do have 300 varieties of pumpkins and gourds. From live music to corn mazes, fall themed food to photo spots, The Great Pumpkin Patch aims to set itself apart from a typical place to buy pumpkins.

Condill is also very familiar with the CEO program, since he was the facilitator for several years. He believes strongly in our program and what we do. "You've got a CEO family. Tap into that. That's what makes you different," he told us.

Condill encouraged us to make connections, and build relationships with area businesses. "You have a wonderful fan base in these four communities," he says. "We've got some of the best quality stuff right here in our area."

This morning we also learned about:
- off-season diversification
- flow in a retail space
- thinking outside of the box
- wholesale vs. retail
- cardboard engineers do exist
- pricing the experience
- infrastructure upgrades to tap and pay

And if you haven't noticed, The Great Pumpkin Patch has an outstanding social media presence, thanks to Beth Wiley who joined us on our tour. Social media is important to Condill's business and brand. "We're legit, authentic and old, but we're also hip, trendy and modern."

What's Condill's favorite thing about The 200 Acres that date back to 1859? "I walk around, and I see who helped [build each area of the Pumpkin Patch]. I love the memories."

And The Great Pumpkin Patch experience helps others build memories, too.

The Great Pumpkin Patch