As I waited at the Wheeling Coffee shop on Washington Avenue, the creator and owner of Eat In Now, Joshua Broverman, confidently strolled up. He ordered his coffee with exact instructions and joked that he was quite particular. “You have to make sure it’s perfect,” he remarked with a smile.
We stood outside for a moment; a vehicle drove past, giving Broverman a honk and a friendly wave. He admits that because he was born and raised in the Ohio Valley, in addition to his part in the community, he knows a good bit of its people. Once we seated ourselves, he began to tell me about his brief vacation to Utah and how happy he was to be home.
Tales of his zip lining adventures were soon followed with both professionalism and excitement about his company. “Broverman Marketing was a stepping stone to creating Eat In Now,” he said as he leaned back in his chair with furrowed brows. “When I started out, I certainly didn’t have much money, so Broverman Marketing gave me the opportunity to learn how to create websites and develop over the course of three years.”
Before Broverman Marketing and Eat In Now were even a thought, Broverman was finishing his time at West Liberty University. Though he knew that with his drive and intelligence, he could do just about anything with his future, he was unsure as to where he should start. He looked back on things he had already done and how he could use those experiences to create something for himself now. With this, Broverman began to tell me about his teenage years.
“When I was in high school, I put concerts on that were fairly complex for a high school student. I’d rent venues, and I knew my market well by knowing the kids that wanted to hear punk rock or rock and roll music. I saw that there was a market there and that other people were putting these shows together, and I decided to try and make it better than it already was. This is where I learned the basics,” said Broverman.
He laughed about the crowds of people he would invite and enjoyed the fact that he was much like them. “These venue owners didn’t know they were getting punk rock shows. They thought it was a little folksy concert with some nice people. They didn’t know they were going to have a couple hundred mohawk, green haired, punk rockers there, which is what I was.”
He made a point of saying he did not have green hair or a mohawk. In fact, he had long, shaggy hair down to his shoulders. He made a decent amount of money off those shows, considering that he was only sixteen at the time.
Once Broverman decided he would take the marketing route, he used what he had to create what is now Broverman Marketing. He recalls his first customers, Centre Market Manager Kurt Zende and Gary Bitzer Jr. of Gary’s Body Shop, and how these people helped him kick start his business into what it is today by giving him their business. He went on to talk about TSG (Technology Service Group) at the Highlands and their crucial role in creating Eat In Now.
“Before I went to TSG, I put my trust in another company that not only took a large sum of funds, but never delivered an application for us. It was discouraging to say the least. I managed to build up enough revenue from Broverman Marketing to create blue prints, which I handed off to TSG. TSG realized that this is not your run of the mil website, so they really worked with me, and they played a large part in creating this company,” said Broverman.
He spoke highly of the employees at TSG and their efforts, including his newly appointed manager, Rich Harbaugh. “Rich started out as a driver, and he did a great job, so he quickly became a manager and thrived. I never managed anyone until he came along, so we really learned together, and he did a great job through his probationary period. He works hard, he’s smart, and he’s a phenomenal manager.”
When asked about his family, he threw his head back as though he did not know where to begin. “It’s a blessing to have such a support system,” Broverman said. “My parents have delivered food when we first started out and we were down delivery drivers, which I appreciated a lot. My grandparents were a major inspiration as well. They always told me to be my own man and I am thankful for them.”
As our time together drew to a close, Broverman explained how to create a thriving company. “I think if anyone wants to start a business, they should always start with a ground floor. They’re main goal should be finding something that they already have or doesn’t take a whole lot to do and try to use those things to create a company. Take the money you make there and invest it into your dream business. The old saying stands true. If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”