07/28/2026
# 🚚 A Day in the Life of a Beverage Salesman (Who Also Happens to Own the Company)
# # # July 28, 2026
People often ask me, "So what do you do all day?"
The easy answer is...
"I sell beverages."
The real answer?
It's a lot more interesting than that.
---
Today I spent the entire day driving across Staten Island, walking into stores, shaking hands, checking coolers, looking at empty shelves, collecting payments, introducing customers to our ordering app, and most importantly...
**Rebuilding relationships.**
Not every stop ends with an order.
Not every customer is ready to buy.
But every conversation matters.
---
One thing I've learned over the years is that customers don't disappear because they stop drinking soda or water.
Life happens.
A salesperson leaves.
Someone else gets busy.
Another distributor stops in first.
Sometimes all it takes is showing up again.
That's exactly what today was about.
---
Some stores hadn't ordered in two weeks.
Others hadn't ordered in months.
A few hadn't ordered from Giant Beverage in years.
Did I expect every one of them to place an order?
Absolutely not.
But I wanted them to know one thing...
**We're still here.**
---
Walking into one store, we talked about cranberry juice.
The next stop was sports drinks.
Then Mexican sodas.
Then Tropicana.
Then chips.
Then gallons of water.
Then energy drinks.
If you think every convenience store carries the same products...
Spend a day riding with me.
Every owner has different customers.
Different neighborhoods.
Different needs.
That's what makes this business interesting.
---
One of the best moments of the day came from something simple.
A customer looked around the cooler...
We talked pricing.
We worked through a few items.
Before I knew it...
I was walking out with a **12-case order.**
I'm the owner of Giant Beverage...
..and I still get excited every single time someone says,
*"Yeah...go ahead and bring it."*
That feeling never gets old.
---
Another big part of my day was introducing customers to something we've been working hard on...
Our Giant Beverage ordering app.
Think about it.
You're running a busy deli.
Making sandwiches.
Helping customers.
Working the register.
Instead of waiting for a salesperson to stop by, you can pull out your phone, search through hundreds of products, build your own order, and send it whenever it's convenient.
So today I spent a lot of time helping customers get started.
Some already had the link.
Some still needed an email setup.
Others wanted to try it next week.
No pressure.
One step at a time.
Technology should make doing business easier—not more complicated.
---
As I drove from stop to stop, I caught myself thinking about how much has changed.
Not long ago, I probably would've been listening to sports radio or a fantasy football podcast.
Today...
My mind stayed on the business.
How can we improve deliveries?
How do we make ordering easier?
Which customers deserve another visit next week?
How do we earn someone's business back?
Funny how priorities change.
---
Of course...
Owning a business isn't only about making sales.
Sometimes it's about having difficult conversations.
Checking on outstanding invoices.
Making sure payments are coming in.
Making smart decisions about extending credit.
Cash flow isn't the most exciting topic in the world...
But it's one of the most important.
Every small business owner understands that.
---
One thing I kept reminding customers today was this...
"I'm not here just to sell you something."
"I'm here to make things easier."
Whether that's finding a product...
Helping with pricing...
Setting up the app...
Improving delivery schedules...
Or simply stopping in to ask,
*"How's everything going?"*
That's the kind of relationship I want Giant Beverage to have with every customer.
---
The funny part?
Some of today's biggest wins weren't even orders.
They were conversations.
A customer saying,
*"Come back next week."*
Another asking about the app.
Someone introducing me to another potential account.
A promise to give us another chance.
Those moments don't show up on an invoice...
But they often become tomorrow's sales.
---
Running Giant Beverage today is very different than it was years ago.
We're making changes.
Improving our delivery process.
Planning orders further in advance.
Using technology more.
Getting back out in the field.
Listening more.
Learning more.
Getting better every week.
---
By the end of the day, I was tired...
But it was a good tired.
The kind that comes from knowing you spent the day moving the company forward—even if only one conversation at a time.
Because rebuilding a business doesn't happen overnight.
It happens one handshake...
One follow-up...
One delivery...
One satisfied customer...
And one relationship at a time.
Tomorrow morning, we'll be back at the warehouse before sunrise.
The trucks will be loaded.
Drivers will head out.
Orders will be delivered.
And I'll keep doing what I've always believed in...
Showing up.
Thank you to every customer who took a few minutes to talk with me today.
Whether you placed an order, asked a question, or simply welcomed me into your store...
I appreciate you.
We'll see you again soon.
— **Frank Iemmiti**
Partner, Giant Beverage
