Today, we’d like to introduce you to Nai Lam.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I graduated from UT Austin with a degree in Interior Design, earning my architectural stamp from the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners. I worked as a designer in Austin until 2003, when I temporarily relocated to East Texas to help my family with their retail liquor store, Midway Package Store.
Life changed completely here, and I decided to take over the store and stay after experiencing small-town country living, but I continued to practice by appointment for select clients. Over the years, I have transformed the liquor store into more of a general mercantile by including groceries, boutiques, home goods, feed & seeds. We try to promote local as much as possible through the products we carry and by supporting other small businesses.
We host food trucks to bring more variety to our little town. We try to host small events to bring our community together and to give back to our community. With my husband’s ranching knowledge, we started Whiskey Flats Ranch in 2012. It started as raising beef for ourselves, and over the years, due to requests, we started selling sides of beef and now sell retail packs at my store.
We also offer home rental through Airbnb at our ranch to extend the country living experience to others. I feel so blessed by my experiences, and thank you to all my supporters!! I couldn’t have done it without this wonderful community, my staff, and my family.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There were definitely many roadblocks and challenges along the way. When I first got into the beverage business, it was very competitive, and we suffered price wars in our area for over 3 years, nearly sinking the business.
This led me to realize that I needed to create a business that would be more versatile and to better meet the needs of our community. In ranching, we constantly suffer from price fluctuations and extreme weather conditions, making daily operations a challenge.
Part of staying in business is realizing that the struggles never end, but hard work, diligence, and determination are key factors to survival. If you want it bad enough, you will figure out how to make it work!! Patience and sacrifice will pay off sooner or later.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Midway Package & Feed?
Midway Package & Feed is a friendly retail store specializing in the needs of our community by offering a wide range of products. We have feed, seeds, pet food/supplies, groceries, home goods, health & beauty products, liquor, beer, wine, and so much more.
If we don’t have it and are able to special order it, we sure will. We cater to our community!! In developing Whiskey Flats Ranch and incorporating the brand into our store, we are able to offer healthier beef options along with many of the branded products we have created.
Whiskey Flats Ranch not only sells beef, we have apparel, health & beauty products, scent products, jewelry, home items, and canned food products. We are always seeking more for our customers and are proud to be a part of our community.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
We are always open to suggestions and appreciate the feedback from our supporters. It is very important to us to hear what our customers are thinking and need from us. We have been a place for fundraising and gathering. Many people discover that we are more than just a retail store.
We have become a source for contacts, networking and a place where ideas are shared and realized. Items or services we don’t advertise are also discovered through conversations here. Building services, real estate sales, furnishings and decor, agriculture, and more…
Contact Info:
- Website: www.whiskeyflatsranch.com
- Facebook: @midwaypackageandfeed
- Other: https://www.airbnb.com/slink/XPQCvTVF
