80 • <strong>April</strong>/<strong>May</strong> <strong>2016</strong>
Customers who come into Brandon Discount Drugs are called by their names and treated like family. “Waymon’s real secret is the candy box,” said Ryan. “For every child that comes in, he says, ‘You make sure those kids get some candy.’ And those kids will come back when they’re in their 20s and 30s and remember that there’s a candy box. And they bring their kids in. Waymon has seen generations of kids grow up.” “We’re the daily outing for a lot of our customers,” said Dawn. “They come by, get their coffee, sit and visit with us for a little bit, bring us cookies, cakes, and coffee.” “That was all started with Mr. Waymon and Mrs. Bonny. Those two go hand in hand. It’s the Waymon way. We have customers who say, ‘I’m driving past five pharmacies to get to you,’” said Ryan. “We have folks who drive in from Madison, Magee, Puckett, Pearl, and Flowood.” “It can be pouring down rain bad weather and someone will drive 40 miles, one way, to come to us and have us take care of their kids’ medicine,” said Dawn. “It’s an intimate relationship,” said Ryan. “We’re privileged and very sincere because we understand the gravity of that. When our customers come in the store, they’re like family. Our decisions are predicated on the fact that this is like my child or mom or sister or grandmother. I ask myself, ‘Is this medicine appropriate for them? What can I do to make their health better?’ If you’re in that frame of mind, you really can’t go wrong.” Waymon still comes into Brandon Discount Drugs nearly every day to help out. Ryan and Dawn value his wisdom and input on running the business. “We’ve only been doing the operational and management side of this for 7 months,” said Ryan. “At no time do we think we know everything about the store.” “A whole lot of stuff that he did makes so much more sense now that we are in that role,” said Dawn. “We need a whole lot of practice to become the perfect Waymon because he did it for a long time. He knows best.” “From time to time, we’ll have some of the older employees call me and Dawn ‘Little Waymon,’” said Ryan. “And I’m fine with that. It’s a compliment. When there’s an issue to be addressed, he’s at the top of the call list. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience. We’re lucky that he’s only a block and a half away from the store.” “47 years will teach you a lot of lessons,” said Waymon. “Some great, some fantastic, some good, some bad, and some expensive. I told Ryan and Dawn that if they have a question, please ask me if there’s anything I can help them with.” Ryan and Dawn are glad to take on ownership of Brandon Discount Drugs as a team. If one of them has to be away from the store, the other can be around to take care of business. “To be able to get out and have a presence in this evolution of pharmacy, you have to be away from the store,” said Ryan. “There’s been excitement for us, too. We’ve had a lot of positive reinforcement from the community. We are heavily invested in the town.” Ryan and Dawn want to follow Waymon’s lead with community involvement. Waymon has served on the Trustmark Bank board, the school board, the city planning board, and his church board. He has coached elementary kids in basketball and football. In 2006, he was appointed by the governor of Mississippi to serve a 5-year term on the seven-member pharmacy board and was later re-appointed for a second term. Waymon was nationally recognized in 2012 when he was awarded the Bowl of Hygiea award. One pharmacist from every state in America is selected each year, and recipients are chosen based on their community involvement and volunteerism. Ryan has been appointed by Governor Bryant to take Waymon’s place as a representative on the state pharmacy board for the next term. “He’s a young guy,” said Waymon. “I was 61 years old when I was appointed, and it’s quite an accomplishment for a young person to have that kind of clout.” With regard to his retirement, Waymon said, “It’s just time for me to turn over the reins. I had to work 11-12 hours a day. I worked 6-days a week for the first 9 or 10 years I had the store. I never got to spend time with my two kids.” “They are hitting the bucket list and enjoying themselves, which is what they should do,” said Dawn. “He doesn’t have the burden of the store anymore. I’d say the majority of people are excited for him because he is finally getting to spend time with his family and do something for himself. Years and years would go by that he didn’t even leave town. He was a one-man show.” “Pharmacists are the trusted healthcare professionals,” said Dawn.“Waymon has a great relationship with all the local doctors that thankfully he has passed on to us. He’s given us so much guidance and teaching.” “We want to give a huge thank you, a pat on the back, and a hug to Mr. Waymon for what he’s done for us,” said Ryan. Waymon trusts that he has left Brandon Discount Drugs in very capable hands. He says, “Ryan and Dawn are doing a great job, and we’re really pleased and excited for them to have this opportunity. It’s not an ending nor a beginning. It’s a continuation of what we started 47 years ago.” n <strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Rankin</strong> • 81