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How They Work :: Coulson Showpigs

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Breeder Central

 Briefly introduce yourself:
My name is Evan Green. I co-own and operate Coulson Showpigs with my uncle Monty and Grandpa Fred. We currently run about 40 sows, farrowing about four times a year.

Location: We are located in Warwick, Oklahoma, which is right on I-44 about 20 minutes east of OKC.

One word that best describes how you work: Detailed

Current Mobile Device: iPhone 6S Plus

Current Computer: HP

Current Camera: I honestly couldn’t tell you, Darla takes all of the pictures. It looks expensive though.

First, tell us what you feel separates your business from other operations in the show pig business?
I feel like our operation is unique because there are three of us at the farm each day, and that allows us to get different opinions that way maybe one partner sees something the others don’t. Staying cutting edge is also very important to us, when it comes to breeding, although we aren’t afraid to stick with what works either. We also try to answer every phone call and text message on sale night and do our best to describe our lots as good
as we can to find that buyer the best one for their budget.

What websites, apps or tools can’t you live without? Why?
Website wise it’s definitely showpig.com and thepigplanet.com. I also get the text
alerts that tell you who won what show, what it was sired by and who raised it. Sometimes you can see a common denominator in terms of sires that are working, if you watch that a couple weekends in a row.

How do you keep your to-do list?
I send everything I need to get done to my wife, Chelsea, in a text message the night before, and then when I finish a few of those things I erase them and resend that text to
her with those things checked off the list. She’s pretty good at keeping me accountable, and I know if I send to her, I’ll get it donebecause I don’t want to look like a loser if I don’t! Ha

Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without
and why?

I would say that wireless ear buds come in real handy, when things get busy.

What do you listen to while you work?
It just depends on what mood I’m in. I usually don’t get to listen to music because my phone rings or buzzes non-stop.

What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else? What’s your secret?
I think I pay attention to detail very well. I study online sales and pedigrees, and I keep track of what’s working for others almost to a point that is creepy. I also think attention to detail is important when selling and feeding showpigs. So many times, it’s the little things that get people beat, so no matter if I’m at a customers house looking at their set before a show or in the sale barn on sale night with customers, I try to be focused and always looking. What’s my secret? I trust my eyes and myself. Confidence is a stain they can’t wipe off, as Lil Wayne says.

What are you currently reading?
I actually just finished a book called “The Autopsy of a Deceased Church.” It’s about a guy who actually went and visited with members of churches that were both thriving and dying and basically dissected why so many churches fail and offers steps to prevent that. I love my church, so I thought it might be something I needed to read.

How do you recharge?
I lock my doors, turn my AC down to about 60 degrees, shut my phone off, take a shower and go to bed. I’m a sleeper – more so than I care to admit, actually.

What is your favorite and least-favorite chore?
My least favorite chore is no doubt cleaning farrowing houses. My favorite chore is anything to do with the chip barns and babies. I literally look at baby pigs a minimum of four hours a day during sale season.

How long does it take you to picture, sort and write a description for
ONLY one pig in an online sale?

Not very long; 15 minutes, maybe? We’ve got the picturing thing down pretty good, and I write all of the descriptions, so it goes pretty fast.

Describe your ideal customer.
The ideal customer would be someone who understands that in order to play in this game it takes commitment, sweat and attention to detail. It doesn’t matter if you bought my
best one or someone else’s, that’s 50 percent of the battle. The other 50 percent is those families making a commitment to busting their tails in the barn every night. It makes my day, when I sell a good one to a home where I know it will get every chance to win. They can’t all win though. Majority of them will be let downs, that’s just the way it goes.

Fill in the blank: I’d love to see _________ answer these same questions.
Mr. Bob Graham (he loves to talk to people)

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
My dad said, “If you know how to work and you know how to sweat, you’ll be just fine in this world.” This is especially true for my generation.