A business owner, a leader in the community, a volunteer, and a foodie. That describes the next guest in our Wichita By E.B. Q&A Series.
His name is Bill Ramsey. He has been an avid reader of the blog and that’s how I’ve come to know Bill through his insightful comments and suggestions as a reader over the years. It wasn’t until later I would find out he was a member of the Wichita Wagonmasters that puts on the Downtown Chili Cookoff and other charitable events in our community.
So with that said, I’d like to welcome Bill as the latest interviewee!
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Eddy: Welcome Bill! Could you tell me along with the readers a little bit about yourself?
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| Courtesy picture from Bill |
Bill: Well, I am a tech entrepreneur, husband, father, foodie, Wichita Wagonmaster, and former Navy (I was trained to build underwater mines, believe it or not). I love being involved and giving back the community, as well as good food, good drink, and good times.
Eddy: Sounds like me minus the tech entrepreneur, husband, father, Wichita Wagonmaster and Navy. Great start, we have one thing in common….foodie!
When you tech entrepreneur, where some people may recognize you from is being one of the owners of UBreakiFix. What exactly do you guys do there?
Bill: If it has a power button, we fix it. Our biggest draw is our repair of phones, tablets, gaming consoles, and computers, but we also fix hoverboards, TV’s, medical equipment, and so much more.
Pretty much anything with circuitry and a power button. I have seen stereos, blenders, coffee makers, voltmeters… even saw an electric weedeater come through. We often say “We can fix anything, but we can’t fix everything”.
Eddy: That must be a pretty competitive space in this day in age but it certainly fills a need many people have. I can’t tell you how many times people ask me, “Hey I broke my phone, where can I get this fixed?”
With all the competition around, what sets you guys apart from the others in town?
Bill: Our mantra is “Stellar Customer Service. Stellar Quality”, and I certainly feel like we back that up.
We offer a 90 day warranty, we offer uBreakiFix tempered glass that comes with an insurance policy (you buy the glass and have it installed, and we will replace the glass for free once. If you break your screen or LCD while it is installed, we will do the full repair for $9.99).
We have incredible turnaround times, and we do some pretty incredible circuit board repair. As always, we employ humans, and humans can make mistakes, but we like to think we go the extra mile to make it right. We offer free diagnostics, and we will definitely tell you if we think the repair would be a waste of your money and give you other options.
Eddy: How did you get involved in bringing uBreakiFix to Wichita?
Bill: One of my business partners brought the idea to me. We researched the company. were happy with the level of customer service and quality that they represented, and decided it was the right fit.
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| From the Cookoff Facebook Page |
Eddy: You’re also very involved in the Downtown Chili Cookoff, one of my favorite food events around town. I must say, the level of organization is top notch. These sort of events are really picking up steam in town and it’s great to have. There’s obviously a desire for more foodie events in Wichita. Having been a part of running the event, what advice can you give to other groups running big events in town?
Bill: One of the things that I love is that we have documentation and train backups upon backups in the organization. There are assigned roles leading assigned teams, and these teams know their jobs completely. We have been putting the event on for over 10 years though, and we learn from our mistakes very well. Believe me, we make new mistakes every year, but we go out of our way to make sure they don’t happen again, and constantly look for ways to enhance the event.
Eddy: And I’m sure the first year was a learning curve as was the following year and so on and so on. I’ve been the past handful of years or so and each year just gets better. My friends and I have judged the event in the past and look forward to participating as cooks this year. (Read more here) I think that’ll be twice as exciting.
From an event organizer perspective, what’s your favorite part about the whole Downtown Chili Cookoff?
Bill: That we put on one massive party for the community that benefits local charities. The Chili Cookoff has allowed us to put more than $180,000 back into local charities and organizations. This party has allowed us to buy bulletproof vests for K9 Units, feed thousands of people, buy safety equipment, keep people warm, and we have even bought capes for terminally ill children so that they can feel like Little Heroes. It is a fun event that does an amazing amount of good.
Eddy: Let’s switch gears a bit. I know you’re a huge foodie. I know it could be a struggle for you but it’s something I have to ask. What are your three favorite restaurants in town?
Bill: Oh wow.. this is tough! My go to is Little Saigon. I absolutely love everything about the place. For hamburgers I have to go with Jack’s Coffee Shop… a true hole in the wall, hamburger heaven experience! Lastly, I probably have to go with Japan Express. Great little place with good, hot, fast Japanese food.
Eddy: Japan Express…… just excellent, quick, and affordable food. It’s in my regular rotation for lunch. What’s your go to meal there?
Bill: 7a…chicken katsu, white meat.
Eddy: You’re speaking my language.
Bill: And the gyoza.
Eddy: That’s great. My friend was telling me recently that I really need to try the gyozas there. Well Bill. I want to thank you for taking the time to partake in our Q&A Series. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Bill: Wichita By E.B. rocks! 🙂 Go to the Chili CookOff, folks! It’s not just a block party, it is a THREE block party.
Eddy: Yes, definitely checkout the Downtown Chili Cookoff!
For more information on the Wichita Wagonmasters Downtown Chili Cookoff, check out their webpage. The event takes place on September 30 and tickets are just $5 a piece!
And if you want more information on uBreakiFix, their webpage address is www.ubreakifix.com. They have two locations in Wichita on north Greenwich Road and north Maize Road along with a spot in Derby on Rock Road.
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If you know of anybody that would be great as a guest of the Wichita By E.B. Q&A Series, feel free to e-mail me at wichitabyeb@gmail.com. I’m looking for anybody who impacts Wichita in any sort of way whether they be business owners, restaurateurs, volunteers, whomever. Thank you!
