The Way Back

The way back of the station wagon is a portal into nostalgia, Stuckey’s, and pecans.

Don't zoom in expecting to see a young Karen. Our family photos aren't usable. They are very grainy and have a red hue over them.

The Summer Vacation

As summer wanes, I always find myself nostalgic for the summers I spent growing up. We played outside with other neighborhood kids, only coming home for meals and to sleep. Days rotated from riding bikes to roller skating to swimming when we could bum our way into someone’s pool. We caught lizards with our hands and drank warm water from the garden hose with rubber aftertaste. Echoes from games of hide-n-seek turned into freeze tag and tv tag. Stickers trades were carefully negotiated from the photo albums holding our prized collections. We’d puff candy cigarettes made of bubble gum, filling the air with a sweet cloud of sugar.

My family would take a car trip in our long white station wagon. A few weeks before each adventure, we’d go to AAA and pick up guidebooks, maps, and a Triptik. This spiral-bound, customized map laid out our journey. Each page showed a portion of the trip. Stamped arrows indicated the roads to take.

The journey was as fun as the destinations! Mad Libs and the license plate game broke up several days of driving. Radio stations crackled with static before and after metro areas. My half of the backseat was piled with my loyal teddy bear, books, and toys. Consequences were applied when the invisible line dividing the backseat was crossed. It seemed like any time you wanted something, it was in “the way back” of the station wagon—the cargo section behind the last row of seats. My number one concern each day was, “Will the place we stay tonight have a pool?”

One of the best parts of these trips was the special treats. For my family, that was a ritual stop at Stuckey’s. The excitement grew as big yellow billboards began telling you how many miles to the nearest store. This roadside chain was part gas station, part convenience store, and part souvenir shop.

At Stuckey’s, we would order chocolate shakes so thick that you could eat them with a spoon. I’d wander the aisles looking at alligator heads, mugs, and pecan log rolls. The home décor made out of shells signaled the official start of a vacation.

Storytelling for a Corporate Turnaround

In 2019, Stephanie Stuckey bought back Stuckey’s Corporation. Over the years, the family had sold off most of their shares to other businesses. After decades of mismanagement, it was six figures in debt. Stuckey’s Corporation no longer owns any of the roadside stops. Each is independently owned and sells Stuckey’s merchandise. Stephanie turned the company to a profit of 2M+ in three years by selling pecan log rolls and stories.

Throughout her life, Stephanie listened to people share stories of their Stuckey’s adventures and roadside trips. She recognized the emotions and nostalgia people felt—not just for the brand, but for road trips and Americana. Especially during the pandemic.

Media Takes Notice

When Stephanie bought the company back, she had a very lean team and no marketing budget. She decided to start sharing the stories of her family business across social media. Every day she shared stories that often included videos or photos. She realized that people were responding to the nostalgia of road trips. It didn’t matter if they had ever visited a Stuckey’s before. They were connecting with the emotions her posts brought up. And they were also going to her website to buy pecans and pecan log rolls.

The media started taking notice. She was recently featured in the New York Times and on a national segment of the Today show. Within an hour of airing, they had over 100,000 visitors to the website. Companies spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for that exposure. She got it for free, one story at a time.

Lean Into Nostalgia

As you wind down your final weeks of summer, wade into nostalgia. Notice what comes up. While we are all unique, our emotions and experiences connect us. It’s what helped Stephanie use stories to turn a company from six figures in the hole to a multi-million-dollar profit.

I hear people frequently struggle with where they will find ideas to tell stories—especially in business. Look no further than these simple, common moments of nostalgia. Find those moments, memories, or experiences that mean something to you. Help your audience feel like they are beside you—hearing, seeing, smelling, and tasting the same things in your story.

There are so many business ideas and connections you can make to nostalgic stories. Your audience will respond to your authenticity and enthusiasm. Every time.

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