Talk To Todd Podcast

Jeff Schade bought Leucadia Cyclery — a 50-year-old institution in Encinitas — and then almost immediately found out the lease he'd been promised didn't exist.
He was standing in the shop on a Friday morning, doors still closed, waiting for paperwork to sign. At 10:30 the landlord's lawyer called and told him he needed to be out by the end of the day. Fifty years in that location. He offered to prepay three months in cash on the spot. They gave him one week.
He didn't close. He moved service into the back of another shop, kept the customers riding, and found a new home on Coast Highway 101.
Todd Ledet sat down with him at Genesis of San Diego — and the reason this conversation happened at all is a story Todd now tells his own staff. He'd walked into a big bike shop ready to buy, and nobody said hello. He left. A few days later he called a rental place and was told the bikes wouldn't be ready for 45 minutes; when he said he'd try somewhere else, the guy said "good luck."
Then he walked into Jeff's shop. Jeff figured out how to get him three bikes that day and put the rental toward a purchase.
Todd bought three bikes.
IN THIS EPISODE
- The bike shop that ignored a customer holding cash — and the one that didn't- Growing up in Sycamore, Illinois, and a year living in Chile- Selling copiers for Canon, and the line that changed how he sells- Apparel fabric for Nike, Patagonia and REI — then SKLZ, and opening Amazon's sports and outdoors category in 2003- Van life, electric scooters, and the years before the bike shop- Buying a business in disarray: "can you hold that thought for 48 hours?"- Why a bike shop is really a service business- The lease, the lawyer, and the one week- What Encinitas has to get right before the small shops get forced out- Unreasonable Hospitality, and the difference between service and hospitality- Giving away 100% of the revenue from the yoga classes on his patio- How he defines success — and the project boat that never left the slip
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro00:40 The bike shop where nobody said hello02:02 "Good luck"03:07 The shop that figured it out05:00 Why Todd tells this story to his own staff06:14 Sycamore, Illinois07:46 A year in Chile09:22 Selling copiers in Chicago10:03 Moving to San Diego in 200110:44 Apparel fabric — Nike, Patagonia, REI12:02 SKLZ, and opening Amazon's sports category13:33 Seattle, and what didn't work14:16 Scooters, e-bikes, and van life16:08 Buying Leucadia Cyclery18:07 Why it's a service business18:50 The lease that wasn't there19:44 "You need to be out by the end of the day"21:00 Finding the 10122:07 What Encinitas has to figure out30:49 Thin margins and what actually separates you33:33 Unreasonable Hospitality34:53 Service is black and white. Hospitality is in color.36:04 "You don't sell Canon"38:37 Turning 50 and getting serious about health40:00 Giving away the yoga revenue53:38 Profit versus people55:43 How do you define success?01:01:31 Teaching Spanish to high schoolers
FIND JEFF
Leucadia Cyclery — N Coast Hwy 101, Encinitasleucadiabikes.com
ABOUT THE SHOW
Talk to Todd is a conversation with the people who actually build and run things. Todd Ledet is a business owner himself, so the questions come from someone who's had the same hard months you have. Recorded in San Diego.
WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW?
We're looking for business owners — especially people in their first few years. One hour, no cost, and you leave with footage you can use for your own business.
talktotoddledet@gmail.com
Watch the full episode: youtube.com/@TalkToTodd

Marty runs the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines — a PGA Tour event with a $5 million build, 1,000 volunteers, 90 vendors, and 11 full-time staff. He started his career folding t-shirts in the Padres team shop.He sat down with Todd Ledet at Genesis of San Diego to talk about what he actually learned running one of the biggest events in Southern California.His first day on the job, the tournament had lost money the year before. In a boardroom full of men trying to fix it, he said the problem was the temporary restrooms.They thought he was crazy. He told them to go home and ask their wives. The next meeting, everyone wanted to talk about restrooms.That's the whole episode: the thing you think you're selling is almost never the thing people are buying.IN THIS EPISODE - Why the tournament stopped selling golf and started selling an entertainment experience - What happened when Tiger Woods stopped showing up — and the marketing plan went with him - The dirty secret of team sports: every league in history has finished .500 - Why charities should be run like small businesses, not causes - "Rowing north" vs. a north star — and why the first one sinks teams - What Marty looks for in an owner, and the one type to watch out for - AI: what it should take off your team's plate, and what it should never touch - Why "expensive" is the most misused word in businessABOUT THE SHOW Talk to Todd is a conversation with people who actually build and run things. Todd Ledet is a business owner himself, so the questions come from someone who's had the same hard months you have. Recorded in San Diego.WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? We're looking for business owners — especially people in their first few years. One hour, no cost, and you leave with footage you can use for your own business.email: talktotoddledet@gmail.comWelcome to the Talk to Todd Podcast, where real conversations create real connections. Each episode explores the power of talking with people, listening to their stories, and building genuine relationships in every area of business. From leadership and customer service to sales, teamwork, and personal growth, Todd shares honest insights and meaningful conversations that remind us of one simple truth: business is always better when we connect as human beings.