What makes you feel nostalgic?
By Greg “PapPap” Bicknell
Nostalgia: The Origin of Smoke-N-Focus Media
Smoke-N-Focus Media did not start out with a business plan.
It started out years ago with some great friends standing around a smoker a little longer than they had to. We enjoyed each others company. I loved it!
Over time, smoke became a familiar backdrop in my life…BBQs, promotions, end-of-year ceremonies, and long nights that turned into days, but ended with delicious food and even better conversations. And if we were lucky, we would have more laughter than anything else.
The way I see it now, the smoker was never the main attraction…it was just the good reason to gather.
What mattered, what still matters, was what happened around it.
Friendships were strengthened. Patience was tested. And even when it was so cold the fire didn’t want to start, everyone stuck it out.
I’ll never forget that night when around 3 a.m. in Knob Noster, Missouri, the fire wouldn’t catch, and we had mouths to feed later that day. Don’t worry, we handled it…though it probably added a few of the gray hairs on on our heads (for those that still have hair, that is).
That’s where I learned something important:
When there’s smoke in the air, time slows down, and the focus goes to the mission…BBQ…a no fail situation.
During these past happenings, people’s phones stayed in their pockets.
Stories got told.
And jokes and laughter became the main attraction.
That’s what it was really about…and we didn’t even realize it at the time.
Today, smoke still takes me back to those moments. Times when stress took a back seat to the “mission”, and good people simply showed up for one another…and hopefully cooked a little too, hopefully.
After I retired in 2019 and the pace changed, I started wanting that feeling again and it became impossible to ignore. The nostalgia isn’t about going back. It’s about recognizing what’s worth being carried forward.
And when I finally realized that smoke was not just recalling times gone by, it was pointing the way ahead. That was not just an eye opener, it was a revelation.
Smoke-N-Focus was created on that idea:
- Use smoke as an invitation, not a distraction
- Create space where people can breathe, talk, and connect
- Tell real stories about real people doing really good in their communities
This brand exists to slow things down just enough for meaning to catch up.
To focus on people, their smoke, and not the noise that is all around us.
To honor moments that do not need to be all prettied up, only your full presence is requested.
Smoke-N-Focus is not just about BBQ and fire.
It is about what happens after people stick around and become family…and when things get tough.
Yeah… that is what I remember.
And happy New Year.
See you on the smoky side.
Real People. Real Stories. Real Good
