It’s Buc-ee’s world. We’re just living in it.

Having recently moved to Florida — and upon the wise guidance of my daughter — my wife and I drove over an hour-and-a-half to Daytona Beach yesterday to visit Buc-ee’s for the first time.

What is Buc-ee’s? Well, he’s a beaver.

And it’s a gas station.

Well, not just a gas station. It also has really, really nice bathrooms.

Ok, still with me? Good.

Because it’s not just a gas station with really, really nice bathrooms, but it’s also a store that sells brisket and jalapeño bread and fudge and bowls and grills and belt buckles and candles and glass chickens and stuffed animals and T-shirts and Buc-ee’s beaver nuggets, and I’ve never quite seen anything like it before.

It’s also clean. Very clean, like Duloc.

And the staff is helpful and funny and nice. Very nice.

And when they bring out more brisket to chop up for the sandwiches, the whole crew yells out loud in unison that the brisket is about to be chopped, literally making me want brisket though I hadn’t previously had a brisket-related thought for months.

And they have every Buc-ee-emblazoned product you could want, like mugs and hats and shorts and shot glasses. And when was the last time you could buy a beaver-themed shot glass while filling up?

They also have signs out front that say they’re hiring. The signs are great examples of effective communication. Attractive to the eye. Clearly point out the competitive salaries of the different crew member levels. Explain that they offer a 5% match on their 401(k) and overtime. All that — AND you get to spend your day with a large Buc-ee beaver driving his own car!

Yes, during our visit, it felt like Buc-ee the beaver not only cared about me as a customer, but as a person. As if the world was a better place because Buc-ee was in it.

THAT is the power of balanced branding, execution and the people to make it come to life.

For over two hours (yes, over two hours!), my wife and I were fully immersed in Buc-ee’s world.

And, because of that, as the sun rose this morning, it rose just a little brighter.

And a whole lot Buc-ee’r.

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@2022, James Warda. All rights reserved.

Learn more at jameswarda.com or james@jameswarda.com.