UnStuck: Rebirth of an American Icon

by Stephanie Stuckey

UnStuck is the firsthand account of Stephanie Stuckey’s unexpected rise to CEO upon suddenly acquiring her family’s iconic, yet failing, brand.

Armed with her grandfather’s papers and notes, Stephanie embarks on an ambitious journey to rebuild a debt-ridden business and her family’s legacy, honoring the company’s incredible past while also finding the resilience to look toward the future with hope.

Stuckey’s, a family-run roadside oasis for generations of travelers along America’s highways, eventually fell into disrepair after repeated changes in ownership. When Stephanie Stuckey, granddaughter of Stuckey’s founder, is offered the chance to buy the business, she takes it, seeing something that isn’t apparent in the bleak financial statements: the deep value in her family’s brand.

UnStuck alternates between retelling Stephanie’s journey and her grandfather’s rich history. Finding inspiration and insight into both business and life in her grandfather’s notes, Stephanie leans on her past to strengthen her company’s future, determined to rebuild the struggling company and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.

This story is a celebration of resilience and overcoming seemingly impossible odds—and, ultimately, coming out on top. For the female entrepreneur, the atypical CEO, and the road-trip fan alike, UnStuck offers hope, practical tips on managing tough situations with grit, and an irresistible comeback story promising that second chances are indeed possible.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, History, Travel, Audiobook, Memoir

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2023

Reviews

[Rachel Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw Stephanie as a speaker at a conference earlier this year and loved her story. The book was a quick and easy, feel good read about the history of Stuckeys and their comeback

[Earl Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve stopped at a Stuckey’s on a family road trip then you know…An authentic and very vulnerable Stephanie Stuckey shares her story about buying the family business that was admittedly dying a very slow death. She miraculously buys the company and shares her journey through the process. People say it’s a comeback story but Stephanie says we never left. Love this book!

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A “whatever happened to” story with a rare happy ending. Stephanie Stuckey’s account of reclaiming her family business (and legacy) is eminently readable, and inspirational. Plus, love of road trips is in her genes and adds texture to her account.

[Gary Sosniecki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before Buc-cee’s, before Love’s Travel Stops, before rest stops along interstate highways — in fact, before interstate highways — the place on a road trip to buy gas and a quick lunch, plus use a clean restroom, was Stuckey’s. At its peak, U.S. highways were home to 368 roadside Stuckey’s, easy to spot after miles of yellow-and-red billboards pointing the way. I remember my family stopping at every Stuckey’s on the route on our annual Christmas vacations to Florida. I always had an egg-salad sandwich. If we didn’t already pack two of them, my brother and I bought license-plate bingo cards to keep us occupied on the three-day trip. Today, only a handful of legacy Stuckey’s stores remain, yet the company refuses to die. Credit for that goes to Stephanie Stuckey, whose grandfather, Sylvester Stuckey, founded his namesake business in the 1930s. Stephanie writes about the decades of Stuckey’s ups and downs in this entertaining and educational book, which will be enjoyed by anyone who stopped at Stuckey’s on a family road trip as well as by anyone who operates a small business. I describe “Unstuck” as educational because Sylvester was a brilliant businessman who knew exactly how to build traffic to his stores and, once they arrived, to his cash register. But “Unstuck” also is a sad book because of the circumstances that repeatedly brought Stuckey’s close to failure. Stuckey’s is on the upswing now because Stephanie bought the company in 2019 and has changed its focus from stand-alone stores to manufacturing and distributing Stuckey’s pecan products and candy. Just yesterday (Dec. 29), she announced on Facebook that Stuckey’s products now are available at Walmart.com. Having enjoyed her book, I can’t help but wish her success at keeping Stuckey’s alive. Even if I can’t get an egg-salad sandwich there anymore.

[Peter Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book that seamlessly blends the warmth of road trip memories with a truly American story of family, fortitude, and resilience. Well done @Stephanie Stucky!

[Kathleen Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring story of the highs and lows of an iconic family business. Incredible story of entrepreneurship, as Stephanie does a fantastic job telling her grandfathers legacy as well as her perspective reviving the Stuckey’s reputation. This book taught me so much about marketing too, as it was Stuckey’s brand mission to “treat every traveller as a friend” and make customers feel welcomed every time they came into the store. Stuckey’s is remembered for its pecan log rolls but also by how they made customers feel. A quote that I think encapsulates Stuckey’s story perfectly is “a business can’t be run like a plane switched to autopilot. It takes a skilled captain to remain at the controls and stay on course”. There is so much strategy, consideration and love that went into this brand that attributed to its massive success that I am excited to see thrive again under Stephanie’s leadership!

[Sara Horn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to meet Stephanie Stuckey at a recent travel conference which she spoke at and I just finished her just-released book which tells the story of what she’s doing to restart her family’s famous roadside institution. This is an inspiring and encouraging story of resilience in the face of starting over. She gives great history of how her grandfather started Stuckey’s which is inspiring in itself, but then she also shares the ups and downs, risks and rewards that she’s experienced as she sets out to keep her family’s legacy going. While there’s a little bit of repetition I noticed in a few of the chapters, overall it’s a well-written, highly engaging and interesting story.

[Sugarpuss O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Summer, our family hit the road, and I was one of those kids who would pester my parents to stop at Stuckey's. (I wouldn't be surprised if I still had some Stuckey's tchotchkes in a box somewhere!) This book took me right down Memory Lane. (Hence the extra star.) If you want the perfect read for Summer, this is it!

[Jason Reeser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story!

I love all things nostalgic about traveling the roads of America. The story of Stuckey's is a must read for all lovers of tourist trap history.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating And *Southern* Tale Of Near-Death Of Road trip Staple. Stephanie Stuckey has led a life few Georgians have. She is a scion of a family that had become somewhat rich and somewhat powerful over the last century, whose grandfather once proclaimed (per Stuckey, here in the text) that he had made more money than his grandchildren could ever spend (but which they did, again, per Stuckey here), whose father had been a Congressman and who herself had been a State Representative for nearly 15 years. Both she and her father are UGA alumni, both from well before the era where the HOPE scholarship made such an achievement much more doable for many Georgians.

All of this is included here, but really, this is the tale of the ascent to those heights... and the downfall from them, as changes mostly made by others - as well as a few mistakes made within the company - led to near non-existence of the family company, fortune, and even legacy.

Herein lies a quintessential Southern tale of Southern family and business acumen, of a legacy built, nearly destroyed, and of one woman's fight to restore that legacy to all that it had once been... and maybe, just maybe... even increase it for her own children.

The story is told with all of the grace, grit, and wonder of a granddaughter who clearly grew up living at least some of the history involved, but only much later in life finding out all that she *didn't* know, including just how fundamental the black community was to her (white) grandfather's success in the era of Jim Crow, and how mutually beneficial and respectful the relationships there were. Up to and including Civil Rights activists actively encouraging their people to stop at Stuckey's, knowing that they would be treated with the respect they didn't always get in the South in that era.

As someone who has also uncovered lost family history later in life - and who has lived in some of the regions this tale centers around, as well as, yes, having sampled quite a few of the family's candies-, this was a story I could connect with on several levels, even as my own family was... let's go with "not quite so fortunate" over the years, to the point that when I graduated from Kennesaw State University near the turn of this Millennium, I was the first in my family to have graduated college at all.

Overall truly a triumphant and hopeful tale, well told with the respect, humor, and candor one doesn't always get in such deeply personal tales fraught with such sensitive topics as race relations in the South. Very much recommended.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This is a very enjoyable read with a great personality in the form of Stephanie Stucky. The meat of the book is her story of the three year process of rebuying the family business and trying to put Stucky's back on track. But we also get a nice insight into how her grandfather started the brand during the Depression and managed to turn a pecan selling business into a roadside institution.

In her mid 50s, Stephanie never expected that there would be an opportunity to run the business - one that her grandfather had pretty much sold off in the 1970s. It was run into the ground with only a few stores remaining in the 40 odd years since then but there is a nice story here of all Stucky has had to do in order to begin to bring the brand back to life. I enjoyed her discussions of balancing the old ways of doing things with the new, the importance of employees, and really understanding what customers want from a roadside stop.

Yes, this is a promotion piece. There is a lot of 'rah rah' for the brand and its history. Stucky's was always either a store full of kitsch or tackiness along with some great candies. But with the resurgence of roadside rest stop stores such as Buc ees, there surely is a great opportunity here to see Stucky's lining the interstates across the US once again. Even better, to see a bit of Americana rise again in a new era.

In all, this is a quick and easy read that will leave you feeling a bit better about Americans, American businesses, and underdog stories. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Jon Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as an ebook checked out from the library. I have been following Stephanie Stuckey's unlikely entrepreneurial journey on Instagram for a couple of years now. Her posts of the odd and offbeat roadside attractions she has discovered while road tripping down America's backroads are pretty entertaining, so I figured I'd give this book a shot. It is written in a self-deprecating, not-too-serious tone, much like her posts on the 'gram. She covers her spur-of-the-moment purchase of the remains on the Stuckey company in 2019 and subsequent attempts to rebuild the brand. She intermingles this narrative with bits of her family's and the company's histories, which are heavily intertwined. It's mostly interesting and entertaining. My only niggling complaint is that as the narrative ends sometime in late 2023 or early 2024, we don't get a clear picture of if or how much the venerable Stuckey's brand has rebounded thanks to her efforts, and how the company is faring. Perhaps it's too early to say, since the story is still developing and changes are occurring rapidly, but it would have been nice to get that snapshot. But that's only a minor complaint. Four out of five stars.

[Cherie Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw Stephanie Stuckey talk about how she became the CEO of her family's company, a roadside store and restaurant that I grew up loving as I drove around the South. But Stuckey's almost disappeared as I got older. In her memoir, she discusses how her grandfather started the Stuckey's chain in 1937 and grew the company to 364 stores! He was the number one buyer of pecans at one time. He sold the company and Stuckey's began disappearing over the decades. Today, there are 12 original stores left and Stephanie Stuckey is determined to develop the Stuckey products, such as their famous pecan log (my personal fav was the Hunky Dory caramel popcorn).

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Putting the family back in family business.

For me this story is personal. As a second generation business owner, and a female in a male dominated industry- Stephanie’s tale was personal to me.

I loved the trip down memory lane intertwined with the changes being made in the present. Stephanie’s use of things in the past that worked along with adjustments that need to be made were very inspiring.

I also appreciate the highs and lows she faced in reviving the company. It wasn’t all sugar coated positive back patting.

[Phil Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in the era of road trips. Growing up in Northern Virginia I have made the trek up and down I-95 a thousand times. The Stuckeys brand will always be special to me. When I first discovered Stephanie's story on Linked In, I immediately was hooked on her fabulous posts celebrating all things Americana. If you have ever eaten Pecan Log Roll you will likely enjoy Stephanie's story. The book is very well written and will take you back in time to cruising down the road in the old country squire wagon.

[Mark Lieberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published.

I must admit, and tell you, I have never heard of Stuckey’s, but the general description of the book intrigued me. Without any experience as a CEO, Stephanie Stuckey purchased Stuckey’s Corporation, which was originally founded by her grandfather (whom she called Big Daddy in the book). She told the story of how it got started as well as her climb to success. I enjoyed all of her stories.

[Shayla R · Rating 5 out of 5]

It definitely wasn’t a come back but the Stuckey’s corporate road has been rocky. Stephanie Stuckey takes you on a journey back in time and tells the story of the company that only someone in the family could do. She makes the story her own; which shows she’s a real person. Stuckey’s store have been a childhood memory for many of us so the insider’s look was sweet-just like their pecan log rolls.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect mashup for me: an history of an iconic American (Southern) company, reclaimed by a family member who happens to be a female entrepreneur. The renaissance in the making of a brand that stands for inclusion and American freedom as expressed in the Roadtrip. An easy read, it combines the gritty founding story of Stuckey’s with a no-holds-barred view of what it takes to drive a turn around.

[Margaret Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great hit of nostalgia. The best part of long road trips to see family was always spying the Stuckey’s billboards and pleading with our parents that we absolutely had to stop and go to the bathroom. We rarely bought anything, but had a blast looking at all the trinkets from the front door to the bathroom. I discovered their new/old candy line at a Shell station in Oklahoma a few years ago. Of course I bought a pecan log and it still tastes the same.

[Jason West · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun memoir with great nuggets for entrepreneurs and leaders alike.

Stuckey’s will always have a soft spot in my heart for the many stops my dad made at various locations during family trips. Loved getting to glimpse the colorful history of this brand and a foretaste of its future with Stephanie Stuckey now at its helm.

[Carlotta Ungaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent business book wrapped up in a beautiful memoir!

[Julie Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, proud to be a Georgian and double dawg with Stephanie Stuckey!

[Ross Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story of yesteryear and fighting for a company's and family name!

[Mike Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth a read if you like 70s nostalgia or business nonfiction

[Jeff Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book! I wish Stephanie nothing but the best as she attempts to revive the Stuckey’s brand. I have fond memories of stopping at Stuckey’s on our many road trips in the 60’s and 70’s.