by Steven Zyskowski
To say Rachel Crawford has been “destroying it” as a Caerusnet Connections Howell Member would be an understatement. I met Rachel recently and was fascinated by her unique business. I would assume that after everything we’ve all been through, and stay at home orders are lifted, more people than ever will be paying a trip to Destruction Depot to let our their inner anger and rage. Plus, it’s just plain fun to smash things. Join me as we all learn more about this awesome business and Member!
How long have you been in your profession? We opened Destruction Depot in August of 2018. Prior to that, I spent 15 years working in public education as a truancy officer, teacher and school counselor. I spent 18 months working at an awful job in corporate America before I took over running the rage room full-time.
How did you get into this field? On our first date in 2014, my husband, Matt, spoke of opening a business where people would pay to destroy things as a stress reliever. I thought he was crazy, but he never let go of this vision. In June of 2018, I encouraged him to make it happen. We found a little space in Brighton and opened six weeks later. At the time, we were both working in corporate America and were only open on the weekends. In January of 2019, I was downsized from my job and we decided that I would take over running the business full-time. My background was in public education, so running a business was a new domain. I had to learn and hustle, and Caerusnet helped me grow my skills and provided new resources to learn more about running our business. I helped grow our business into Michigan’s Top Rated Rage Room and a destination for date nights, parties and corporate team building events.
What is the best thing about your business/career? Nearly everyone who visits Destruction Depot leaves smiling. We offer a unique experience and we work hard to provide a personalized and memorable experience to our customers.
How are you different and/or what’s your niche? Rage rooms are a unique industry. Our personalized customer service sets us apart from the other rage rooms. We also allow our customers as much time as needed for their sessions, which is much different from other rooms that only allow 15-20 minutes per session.
What is it about the Caerusnet model that you like most? I like the opportunity to get to know my teammates through Trust Builder Meetings. I’m a bit awkward so having the chance to talk to people one-on-one is much easier for me than in a whole group setting.
Share a success story about why giving referrals/bringing visitors are beneficial to you. When I first joined Caerusnet, I was new to business ownership and new to the area. The team helped me build my network and also become more comfortable about talking about my business. Through passing referrals, I’ve had the opportunity to host several birthday parties at the rage room for teammates and their families.
Any tips on learning how to find situations where you can create a referral or invite a visitor? I still find inviting visitors to be a challenge but there are referrals everywhere. It’s nice having a team filled with professionals that you can trust when any need arises.
What is your strategy with your Member Minute and your Spotlight Presentation? Having people actually experience the rage room first hand is amazing. We hosted the end of year Caerusnet meeting for all of Wendy Caverly’s Caerusnet Connections teams. It was fantastic to allow the team Members to experience first hand how good it feels to break a mug or a wine bottle or destroy a printer. The hands-on approach is always key for our business.
What is your approach to positioning yourself as a resource in the community? As a former educator, I value anything that can help children. We try to support any organization that benefits children. Although, it’s not the biggest part of our business, we are sometimes recommended by local therapists as a place for people to physically release their feelings of grief, loss, trauma. Most of the time, we provide a unique entertaining outlet, but we are also a therapeutic resource for those who need it.
Tips on how to be successful in Caerusnet? Attendance is important. Be there. Let your team know that you can be counted on to show up. Even if you are not someone with a huge network, take the time to hold Trust Builders with your teammates to learn more about them, so you can brag about them and recommend them to others when appropriate.
Share how your Caerusnet Members have positively influenced you or your business besides passing referrals. I first learned about Caerusnet from Rachel O’Connor (Massage Livingston) through a Mom-to-Mom group on Facebook. Rachel is brilliant, kind and creative and I have learned much from her about promoting business and being a positive team Member.
Want to watch a cool video and learn more about Destruction Depot? Watch this CLICK ON DETROIT link for a featured story!