Vendor Spotlight

Brian W. still strives to be top seller

BY HANNAH HERNER

When Brian W. was doing iron work, he would buy papers from Contributor vendors. After getting laid off, he became one.

Now he’s been selling the paper for nearly 10 years, and has spent most of them at his spot at First and Main in Franklin.

He’s also spent most of those years at the very top of our vendor list, selling the highest number of papers. Now, he aims for the top five. He’s stayed on top through The Contributor’s largest vendor force of about 400 vendors and more than 30,000 sold per two-week issue, down to the roughly 150 vendors and 8,000 papers sold per two-week issue today.

“I used to be real popular. I used to come in and load up with a dolly,” he says. “Back in the day, I used to sell probably 600 a week.”

A key part of this success is getting customers to actually take the paper. Being in the top 15 earns vendors 15 free papers, and the number one seller earns 25.

“The more papers I hand out, the better for me, and The Contributor,” Brian says.

Brian and his wife met 20 years ago on a blind date, and though he loves his hometown of St. Louis, he moved here for her those years ago. He doesn’t have children of his own, but unofficially adopted some kids of a childhood friend that he’d help take care of as they grew up.

The families of Franklin have become like kin to Brian, too. He loves to talk to the kids, reminding them to brush their teeth so they end up with more teeth than the few he has left. Knowing that kids probably ask their parents questions about him and other Contributor vendors, he says: “Just tell them that people are out there trying to make a living. It’s nothing bad. They’re trying to better themselves.”

Since his last vendor spotlight five years ago, he moved from a trailer park to a three bedroom home. Brian was happy to be able to have dogs of his own at the new house, though after the recent death of his dog, Fluff, he’ll wait a bit to get a new one. In the meantime, he’ll have his roommate’s and his customers’ dogs to love.

“My customers, their dogs always look for me,” he says. “I wear my apron, I stick the papers in there so I have two hands to pet.”

Kidney problems, severe arthritis and high blood pressure limit the amount of time he can sell these days. He used to be out seven days a week for many hours a day, but has scaled back in recent years.

Sheer determination keeps Brian going — plus the support of his customers, he says. He just wants to sell more papers so he can save more money, to have it to fall back on in case his health forces him to take some time off.

“I’m happy where I’m at, as long as I can provide for me and my wife,” he says. “The Contributor has been a blessing to me too, it really has. It’s provided me with an income. I got a level head on my shoulders.”

Perhaps one of the secrets to Brian’s success is also his personal motto: “God is good, God is great. Why can’t we all relate?”