#76 Planting Roots and Brewing Beer: Choosing the Right Place to Start - Dessie Redmond Full Fledged Brewing

Speaker A: Hello and welcome to this episode of Writing Tandem. I'm Vivian Kvam, your host and co owner of Tandem Works. And this podcast is all about encouraging business owners, entrepreneurs and organizational leaders just like yourself, so that you don't feel stuck and alone on island. So we interview other business owners and people who are doing great things within the community, within their organizations and, and also offer boots on the ground marketing and communication advice. Today I am just so excited to be interviewing Desi Redmond and she is the co owner of Full Fledged Brewing. So we're talking about all kinds of things about brewing and what that industry looks like, as well as what it's like to run a business when she actually has a full time job in something completely unrelated. So I'll let her tell you more about that. We dive into some really interesting conversations here about actually relocating and choosing the city that they wanted to plant there, their business in. They actually looked all over and found the community that made the most sense to put their business in and build and become part of the community from there. So very interesting angle on getting a business started. I'm excited for you to meet her. So let's go ahead and dive into the conversation. We're back here for another episode of Writing Tandem and I. This has been a conversation long coming because Desi, you and I have been talking about this for like a couple of months, months, if not maybe a year even of having you come on the podcast. And I just really enjoy conversations that we've had. Um, but I haven't got to know your whole origin story and how things have like, unfolded with your business. So I'm excited to learn a lot about you today. So welcome.

Speaker B: Thank you. I'm excited to be here and I think been a year because I remember I started listening to your podcast a while ago and thinking about this is fantastic. And then, uh, kind of just crossed paths and uh, yeah, I think it's been at least a year.

Speaker A: That's awesome. Well, and it is neat to see the podcast has just grown so much from. I mean, we're, we're around as we're recording this. I think we've put out almost close to 70 episodes, which feels like a pretty cool milestone. So it's pretty fun.

Speaker B: I definitely dig your tips and tricks for marketing. So thank you.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: Out there for the world, of course.

Speaker A: Awesome. Well, okay, we're talking about, we're going to be talking about a couple of different things. Right before we hopped on, um, we were saying like, you're doing this over your lunch Hour. And I think some people be like, well, what do you mean? Over her lunch hour? Like, she runs a business. Can't she just do this whenever she wants? Um, so you're the co owner of Full Fledged, which is a brewing company here in Council Bluffs, and. But you also work full time outside of that business. So I just want to know, like, how did you. It was like 2000. Was it 2010 when you started? Is that right where you and Marshall, like, first kind of crossed paths and started talking about your company?

Speaker B: Yeah, uh, we've, um. It's definitely been a while in the making. We opened our doors in 2019, but we, um, we started talking about this a long time ago. But, you know, the thing is, is we. We're not from Council Bluff. We're not from the area. Um, I mean, I grew up outside of Council Bluffs a little ways, but, um, people always think of us as, like, this couple that owns a brewery and both had completely separate lives before we even met. So, um, we kind of randomly met in southern Nevada, and.

Speaker A: No way.

Speaker B: Yeah. And, um, I had my own career and did my own thing before I met him. And then we hopped around and moved to several different states. And then, um, we ended up coming to Council Bluff and opening up this business, which is how everybody knows us here. But before all of that, we had different lives. So. Yeah. And so I'm a urban planner by trade. Um, I have a degree in, uh, urban planning and landscape architecture. And so I kind of did all of that before I even met my husband. Wow. Um, I continue to do that, and it's something I'm very passionate about and love, so.

Speaker A: Yeah, that's cool. So you said southern Nevada, and I. Right away. So I'm was born in Nevada, in Reno, Nevada. And I love Nevada. And it's not a state you hear a whole lot of people talk about. In fact, people always were like, oh, wait, you're from Utah or California. And I'm like, no, there's a state in between the two called Nevada. And that's where I'm from. So. That's so cool. You guys cross paths. So that's where you two cross paths?

Speaker B: Yes. Yep. In southern Nevada. And then we moved to Reno after, uh, after living in southern, uh, Nevada for a while. And I always say of, um, all the places I've ever lived, I would move back to Reno in a second because it is a very cool city. It gets a bad rap, which I think is hilarious. But it is such a cool place.

Speaker A: It is a Cool place. And it's interesting. I agree. It can get a bad rap. It went through the 70s where everything was hard in general, but it definitely took a hit. But having traveled back there since, like, that's home roots.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Thinking about breweries specifically, there have been a number that have popped up there alongside. You know, I think what kind of comes with that culture is coffee shops and boutiques and just that kind of whole vibe. There's been numerous strips that have been revitalized there. Um, but one of the things I've noted a couple times is that there, there are some pretty noteworthy breweries that have been popping up in Reno.

Speaker B: Yes, definitely.

Speaker A: That's cool.

Speaker B: Um, I don't know if you're familiar with our product, but we make a beer called Chili Buzz.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: Very, very popular. And it's actually, um, it was an inspiration from a popular brewery in Reno called, um, Great Basin. And they have Chili Buzz or chili beer called Chili Basso, which means kiss in Spanish. But Marshall like, fell in love with that beer and uh, he uh, made his silly buzz recipe around that.

Speaker A: That is so cool. I did not know that. I have tried a number of your beers and I know I've tried some that are like have a spicy kick to them. So maybe I have.

Speaker B: Yeah, you probably.

Speaker A: Oh my gosh.

Speaker B: Yeah, you probably have. That would probably be. Yeah.

Speaker A: Well, this conversation just got even better.

Speaker B: I really fell in love with Reno. I mean, the climate there, Tahoe, there's so much outdoor stuff. Like, it is truly a little gem. And uh, um, we haven't even been back to visit, but we're planning a trip back to visit soon. So I'm, um, excited.

Speaker A: That's cool. Oh my gosh. Maybe we'll have to. There'll be some sort of cross paths trip at some point. My grandmother still lives there and I have aunts and uncles. And I do miss it when I definitely miss the mountains for sure. And you brought up the proximity to camping and hiking and skiing and so many different things that you can be doing is really, it's a very, um, I would say active type of climate. People are very outdoorsy. They do things out and about quite a bit, so well. How cool. Okay, so you two cross paths in Nevada. What, uh, like when did this idea of creating a brewery start for the two of you especially? Because what I'm hearing is like, you're seem very happy with the careers you have. They have nothing to do with, with brewing. So where did this come from?

Speaker B: So actually Marshall, um, he's been brewing commercially for 25 years. Wow. He went to school for brewing. Um, so he's kind of always had this dream to do his own thing. And so since you're from Reno, you might know, ah, BJ's Brewery and Restaurant. Hm. You know, there's a ton east coast, a ton west coast. And he, um, had been working there in the Reno one. And then they opened a brewery, a brand new brewery in Texas. And so we actually hopped over to Texas for a little while and lived there. And he had just always talked about his dream of owning his own.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: Um, so we started working on a business plan when we lived, uh, in Texas. And um, I wanted to move closer to my family because they live in the Midwest and his family east coast and west coast. So he's like, this is kind of for me. And um, we started doing some research. And you know, Council Bluffs is a town of 60,000 people plus and didn't have a brewery.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: Kind of like looking at the map and spotting places like, that's crazy. How can there be a town of 50,000 people and not have one single brewery? And then started doing research on like laws like self distribution, uh, which at the time Nebraska didn't allow, um, but Iowa did. And so that was kind of a big determining point too. And then I was like, well, we probably need to go visit Council Bluffs if we like it.

Speaker C: Mhm.

Speaker B: Because I haven't been there for years and Marshall had never been there. Um, and so we hopped on a plane and we came and we took uh, a tour and we drove around town. We had a couple people assist us, like Paula, uh, Hazelwood from advanced southwest Iowa. Um, and we were like, okay, I think this is the place to do it. I mean, we had a bunch of other options for where we might locate. And Council Bluff just ended up to be the one.

Speaker A: That is so fascinating and such an interesting parallel to my story. So being from Reno, Nevada and when I was 16, my parents decided they wanted to move and they put a map up on the wall and they started researching all the different states, trying to find a state with a great growing season. Nevada is not well known for like agriculture. It's more of a cowboy state, cattle, things like that. Or melons, if you want to grow like melons. But they were looking for a good growing season, a lower cost of living because Reno had become quite expensive and they needed, we were homeschooled kids, so they needed good homeschool laws. They're different from state to state. So they had a couple Criteria. And they literally color coded the map and started putting, like, certain states that they didn't want to move to, color coding ones they would. My dad had very distant ties to Nebraska. Like when his great, great, great school came over from Norway, they ended up in Nebraska. So there was, like, this sort of tie. And they. My sister, one of my sisters, and my dad got on a Greyhound bus and came out and toured the area. Um, and then they sold the house and moved. We actually moved to West Point, Nebraska. And then later I moved over to Iowa. And for those who don't know the geography in the area where we're located, Nebraska and Iowa, there's borders right there. There's a river that separates the two states. So that's how I ended up here. It was literally, uh, like, we want to go somewhere where can we go research it, take a trip and make the move.

Speaker B: Wow, that is very parallel.

Speaker A: That's kind of interesting. Well, and I was going to ask exactly, like, what was it about Council Bluffs? I'm sure you had other options like you mentioned. What was it that drew you to an area? Just thinking about others out there who might be thinking about relocating or looking for somewhere for their business. What was some of your criteria?

Speaker B: So my family, um, I had. I have a sibling. I have a sibling in Omaha and a sibling in Crescent. And then I have. My parents live in Fremont. And so that was definitely a big draw, um, is just having family in the area. But also I have this very distinct memory of driving around with a friend, um, friend's dad. He was the one that was driving when we were in high school, and they were from Council Bluff. And he was pointing out, like, all of these historical, um, structures when we were driving, you know, in the Haymarket of Council Bluff, down the house. And I just, I. That always, like, I locked in my head and I was like, there's so much history there. There's so much cool, you know, architecture and stuff. And so I, um, I just really enjoyed the town itself.

Speaker A: Yeah, there is a rich history here in the area, and I think it's something that a lot of folks are very proud of. There's a lot of, like, you know, you go back to. To the founding days of things for the country, and there's a number of crossroads that happened right here in this area. And, um, there's some infamous things and there's some exciting things, and I do love that about the. About Council Bluffs and area in general. Um, so I agree. And there is some really cool architecture when you were driving through. Were you kind of like picturing, oh, this is where we would put the brewery or that. I know whenever I drive by buildings, I'm always like, that building's cool, you know?

Speaker B: Yes. Oh, absolutely. It was like, okay, what's around the area? Like, there's different places where we could be in town. And we actually looked at several different places. Um, we did drawings. If you're familiar with the Pace building, which I know we've talked there, so I know you are. There's that little brick building that would be on the west side of the Pace Center.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: Actually got drawings drawn up with our tanks and everything in there, because going to be potentially where we were going to go. Um, unfortunately, the building, it was just small. Like, by the time we put all the tents in, there was little. Literally, like, room for four tables for people to sit at.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: So we just kind of already kind of outgrown that space. But, yes, definitely. And then we looked at the Haymarket at a building. Um, but, yes, we were going around town, like, where. Where can we be located and where would, like, people come? You know, like, how can we get the bus traffic to.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Was there. So with Marshall having had, like, a background within the brewing industry, and then you have a background in, like, the urban planning and in that as well, um, what type of things were most important to you? Was it traffic? Was it visibility? Was it. I mean, obviously, footprint and being able to get your equipment in. What were some of those major considerations for you?

Speaker B: The biggest driver was ceiling height because of the tanks and how tall that they had to be. And so that kind of limited us pretty quickly to where we could go. Um, and then the second part was, like, having enough room. So as our buildings already laid out, we've been in operation for six months. Um, Marco, because of his background, he knew how to, like, how to design the layout of the tank. And we can still fit more tanks in this space that we have, um, without, like, doing any sort of infrastructure movement. And so, uh, being. Having space to be able to grow without making major changes.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: Was kind of the driving factor.

Speaker A: So definitely having that foresight of we know we're going to grow. And obviously relocating comes with a whole slew of new expenses you don't want to go through too quickly.

Speaker B: Right? Yeah, yeah. Uh, so, yeah, space and ceiling height, uh, and definitely, uh, where can we get foot traffic from? And so we're located next to the Mid America center. And, um, that drives a lot of foot traffic to us because that's like

Speaker A: a convention center, essentially. Concerts or conventions come in. That, that makes sense for sure. What were kind of the early days of the brewery? Like you said, it started in 2019. I know people already are like, hm, 2019. We know it's coming in 2020. What are some of kind of the behind the scenes stories that sort of capture the energy or the chaos or the excitement of starting out? What was it like?

Speaker B: Um, so kind of our first step was like figuring out how to finance our business. Marshall. Uh, and I thought that we could do it ourselves through a bank. And, uh, that turned out that was not the case. And so we have investors. And, um, honestly, that was quite probably looking at all of the steps of a business. That was probably like the easiest part. Um, so we have investors that invested in our business. And, um, so we're not owned by a bank, which is fantastic. Ah. And so we had to get investors. We had a business plan before that. Um, but then we started the build out. And looking back, like, that was probably the funnest part. Ah. Because we had gravel floors, um, there were no walls. It was a complete sell of a building. And so that worked very much into our favor. Because of how a brewery is designed, the floors have to be sloped to a certain way, um, because there's water constantly happening. Sure. Uh, and so that, that really worked out to our advantage. And, uh, the build out was just so fun to see, like working with the designers, working with the architects. Um, so we put the bathroom over here. So we put the event room over here. Like where if, if we do ever expand into the next space, like, how will that work? How will that function? Um, patio area, all of those things. So that was really a really fun time.

Speaker A: That is cool. I know people often have questions around investors. When you were embarking on that, was that something you felt really comfortable and familiar with? You mentioned it kind of as one of the easiest things. Was it capital raises among, like, friends, families, people who you knew would want to be a part of that, or were you going out to angel investors or what was that journey like?

Speaker B: It was friends and family. Um, you know, like I said, Marshall's been doing this at this point for so long. They know passion. He has this, um, reputation of, you know, he's won so many awards in his field and he just, he's always been passionate about it. And so all, all of his friends and family and people just. I mean, it's a brewery, right. It's a pool. Like, we have that going for us.

Speaker A: Absolutely.

Speaker B: Um, um, so that is. It was mostly friends and family.

Speaker A: Yeah. And I know there's lots of different ways to go about that, but that key piece, for sure, of knowing your industry and being able. That investors need to have confidence in your ability, you know, to return on their dollars, whatever that looks like. So that makes a lot of sense with his history there and then having that good plan.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: When we first m. Go ahead.

Speaker B: I was just going to say another very key point was we're like, the top investor, Marshall and I together. So they could see that, you know, we're clearly invested in this. Um, so you can be a part of it, too.

Speaker A: Yeah. And people, I think, sometimes don't realize that, like, they call it, like a first dollar in. You know, the first dollars in are often the most important because it kind of sets the tone for other people who want to invest or to give. If it's, you know, a nonprofit, they're giving, but it helps build that confidence. That makes a lot of sense where they go, okay, well, you're bought in. You believe in what you're doing. You're not asking me for, you know, 80% of it.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker A: So. Right. Yeah. When we. I believe the first time we really met is we were both in a Rev pitch competition. Um, and you won. You took us out. We came in second. Um, but I was curious about that. For us, when we did that, that was in the middle of pandemic. Um, and so, you know, it was virtual. And I know for us, going through that process and creating a product and putting everything together actually helped us quite a bit through the pandemic. It actually helped us with some of our, uh, pivoting with what we were doing. You, as a brewery, were also quite new. Um, if, you know, starting in 2019, and then, like, restaurants and all these things, they shut down. How did you guys navigate that? And what was the Rev pitch like during that time for you as well? How did that. Was it helpful? Did it help spur anything? I remember it being something about maybe some canning. Is that correct?

Speaker B: Yes. Good memory. Um, okay. Yeah. First, I just have to give a huge shout out to the Rev. Um, opportunity. Like, this is an opportunity for small businesses that make or that make profit or are trying to make profit.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: That can apply, uh, for a grant, which just does not happen very often. You know, usually grants are reserved, obviously, for nonprofits and stuff. But, um, I love how our community rallies around the Rev, and. And I just hope it keeps growing and growing and growing.

Speaker C: I agree.

Speaker A: It's cool.

Speaker B: It is very cool. Uh, so yes, that helped us tremendously because what it did is it helped us get another product that we didn't have into a place where people could buy it. Um, we weren't canning at the time. Uh, we were, we were hoping to add that later down the line, but it's expensive, it's another piece of equipment. You have to buy all the canning materials, you have to get labels, design, which means you have to have a graphic designer and all of the things that come with it. And so the rev helped us put that in motion much sooner. So we were able to um, experiment with some off what they're in the brewing industry. There's ah, companies that will actually bring a candy machine to you. Interesting for you. So you don't have to make that investment, but it also costs a lot more than you know, you would be if you were doing it yourself, if you had the equipment. So um, it just, it helped us move that process along so we can get our six packs, four packs into grocery stores.

Speaker A: And so, so prior to that were, were people able, like would they just come in and say, purchase a growler if they wanted to take it home and otherwise they had to sit there to consume your product? Is that how the model worked properly prior to being able to do the canning?

Speaker B: Yes, yep, exactly.

Speaker A: And so obviously during COVID they couldn't come in and do that. So being able to do the canning at that point, do you think that was like how did that impact things? I guess I don't know. I don't know that that necessarily like helped sustain you through that time or not. But I'm just trying to imagine here not being able to can it and have it in like grocery stores or being able to deliver. Do you think that would have caused like, um, a pretty significant challenge for the brewery during that time, or did you have other revenue streams going as well?

Speaker B: I mean people could still come into the brewery and get like a Crowler and a growler and take it home. And we were so lucky because we really felt like the community rallied around us and they were coming in to support. Um. But yes, absolutely. Having another product that we could get into the hands of Hy Vee Fairway, you know, that was a tremendous thing for us during COVID Yeah.

Speaker A: And I guess as I'm thinking about this too, I know alcohol sales went up quite a bit during the pandemic, for better or worse. And so it is interesting how different industries were impacted and some that, you know, had a really rough time that's Something we've talked about a lot here, and I have a bit on the podcast too, is it hits everyone in a different way, and often we see the downside of it, which they're definitely. I mean, the whole thing was an awful ordeal to go through. And in spite of that, for some, I think it also helped propel some new innovation or ways of approaching things and open people's eyes up to possibilities or having to come up against a challenge. Um, really does open up opportunities for people that maybe they wouldn't have moved as quickly on or they, you know, that was down the line or maybe someday. I try, I mean, not to downplay the significance of what the pandemic did, but there are some things that we've noticed over the years. People said, had that not happened, I don't know that we would have ever embarked in this way or at this rate. And I know that was certainly true for us.

Speaker B: Yeah. M. Like, in what way for you guys?

Speaker A: Well, one of the things we were really focused on, we were actually really focused on commercial photography, which we still have that side of our business through McAvie Photography. And we were building that out. It was actually the most significant, like, piece of our book of work. In Tandem Works, with the consulting for business and doing marketing and communication roadmaps was just starting. I mean, it was almost basic. It was basically an idea in around 2019 when we started, and the bulk of our income, I mean, like, 95% of our income came from commercial photography. And we were actually retiring off wedding photography and family photography right at that time, um, Pandemic, of course, happened and commercial photography work just tanked. Like nobody was getting, you know, the office is closed, like, we're not shooting was. Priorities, uh, were shifted. Like this was. Nobody was doing it. It just stopped. And so we started spinning up, doing, um, marketing plans, like, on the fly. Like, we helped businesses pop up websites overnight who didn't have them. Or we went in and just helped consult with various business owners on, like, okay, we're not going to, like, yes, have your moment on the couch and cry. And now we need to get to work figuring out how we're going to make sure your business is still sustainable through this. And that really propelled us into the space of doing consulting and mentoring and one on one and problem solving and helping people get literally unstuck. Um, right. People just came to a grinding halt. So that launched Tandem Works, and then we put together a social engagement method course to help people. Because now all of a sudden, like, social media and Your Online presence was 100% key, and many people were struggling with that. They did rely on foot traffic and things of that nature. So we spun up that, um, offering, and that's what we pitched at Rev. And so Rev was helpful in getting that course and class off the ground. And, like, the whole trajectory changed, and we went into doing courses and classes and mentoring and helping with marketing and communication, roadmap consulting. And that just led one year after another. It, you know, it snowballed. And just now we're actually really starting to get back to kind of building the commercial photography side of the business.

Speaker B: Well, also, one thing that I've participated with, you guys, um, leading the way was, uh, with the Iowa West. Um, I forget what the name was, but it was like a public engagement.

Speaker A: Yeah. The Imagine Hours.

Speaker B: Oh, my gosh, you guys did such a fantastic job at those.

Speaker A: Thank you.

Speaker B: So fun. And just, like, how you got people to engage. I mean, being a urban planner, like, you know, we're always doing public meetings and stuff like that. So, yes, I took some tips and tricks from you guys, uh, in that.

Speaker A: That's awesome. That was interesting. Right. As. As things unfolded. Yeah, we were engaged with iOS foundation to put together. They were countywide, they're listening sessions, but we were trying to take it in a new way, and people were just kind of. They were starting to be, you know, back together in groups and things like that at that point. But also. Yeah, how do we get people to talk about tough things, um, and not just mention, like, potholes and being upset about those, but really get to the heart of, like, what does a community want?

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um. Yeah. So it's interesting how it just all snowballed as we gained more experience and. And just new things happening. But speaking of new things. So the brewery, I would say, speaking of new things, the brewery. All the time I was in, it was. It was only beer. Only beer. And all of a sudden I see a cocktail menu.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: Uh, so talk to me about that. Just you're expanding some things.

Speaker B: Speaking of COVID uh, the law actually changed. I don't know if it was entirely because of COVID or. Or not, but after. So up until a. Probably, like, three years ago, breweries could only, um, offer alcoholic, uh, beverages up to a certain point, uh, of their, uh, abv. And so, like, we could do, like, wine, which is like 15%. Obviously, most beers are, you know, 4 to 8%. And then I think it was just kind of a push to be able to let businesses, um, have a little bit more room uh, to offer more products to their customers. And so they took the law away. And we could offer spirits. Ah, okay. Vodka, tequila, whatever. And uh, Marshall and I, uh, decided that we didn't want to do that for uh, uh, up until just this year because we were afraid that it might change our image. You know, we have a very community oriented, family, family friendly business where, where you can bring your kids, have a couple beers and there's just not a lot of places in town that, you know, offer kind of that sort of aspect. Sure. And we partner with a ton of, you know, nonprofits and do community events and um, we just didn't want our image to be changed. And then it came to a point where we were like, we need to have like another revenue, like, we need more revenue coming in. If we want to be able to pay our bills and do all these things, we need to be able to offer um, another product. And so we did some research and found kind of like these higher end cocktail mixes and offer a limited amount of spirits and cocktail, like higher end cocktails. And now that we've done that, we're never looking back. Like it was probably one of the best decisions we've made. Um, it's working out very well.

Speaker A: Hello, my friends. Sometimes you just need a fresh perspective, someone to help you get unstuck and back on track. And that's what our 90 minute one to one mentoring session at TandemWorks is for. It might be you're trying to plan your content. Maybe you need help growing your email list or just getting an email list started. Perhaps you're launching a podcast, reworking your messaging, or even figuring out how to actually use tools like ChatGPT or Canva. And you just need somebody to sit next to you. We've got you. We'll tackle your, your challenges head on with our one to one mentoring sessions and map out a clear next step process you can take and use right away. Book your session at the link in the show notes and let's make some real progress together. Okay. Let's dive back in. That's interesting and I love you talking through that because I, I can totally resonate with holding onto things for, for very valid reasons, just not being sure how it's going to shift or change.

Speaker C: Right, right.

Speaker A: Um, I mean, gosh, even what we were just talking about, we were really photographers. Like commercial photography was our thing and we did a lot of marketing things. Um, but making that shift really changed the trajectory of like billable work that we were able to do changed drastically and just I Mean, size of an invoice, we're able to. It changed our revenue, you know, quite a bit. And so I can see that.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: But we kind of held onto a long time of, like. But this is what we are. Like, this is what we do. We're not sure if we want that label or that name. It took us a minute to, like, be able to step into that, I think. Yeah, for sure.

Speaker B: I mean, that's definitely a challenge of being a business owner is, you know, you have this kind of idea. Uh, another example is, you know, the Mid America center gets, like, a ton of dance and year competition.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: Like, never in a million years would I been like, yay. We want dance competition dance moms to come to our business. And so, you know, that's like our main customer. But you know what, they spend a lot of money and, uh, they want to have their cocktails. And so it, like, ultimately is, you know, some of our best, uh, months when they have all those dance and peer competitions. So, uh, it's not how we pictured the business, but, you know, uh, that's what you have to do as a small business owner. You have to be open. You have to be able to shift and pivot like you did in Covid, and kind of just roll with it.

Speaker A: Yeah, for sure. And those dance competition days are long, so I could totally see wanting a beer or a cocktail or, you know, dad got sent that day. Not to stereotype here, but, you know, you just need a break. They are long days, for sure.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, definitely. And then they, like, only perform, you know, for a couple m minutes, but they're there, they're all day. So, um, and then they hop around every weekend from different place to different place. So, yeah, they definitely need a break. And, um, we have a space that they. I feel like a lot of them feel comfortable coming to at this point.

Speaker A: Yeah, I love that. And I like how you've definitely crafted a specific vibe, because even among breweries, there's a different vibe there. And the community aspect, I think, shines through really well. When you think back about starting and all the years that you've had now, is there anything that you wish you had known then? Right. So thinking, like, if you were to start again, is there anything where you go, you know, knowing this now, we might have tried this, or. Or if someone out there is thinking about starting a brewery or a business, I really want you to consider.

Speaker B: Yes, I do think that if we were to restart again, we would raise more capital at the very beginning because, you know, um, we had a budget and we went, we had everything we had down to like pencils. We're going to spend $6.50 on pencils. Like, I mean we had a, uh, line item budget, but what we forgot to put into that budget was how do we grow in five years? Like what are the resources we're going to need and how do we get, you know, purchase those things or how do we hire more staff in order to cover that cost? Um, so looking back, I wish we would have raised more capital at the very beginning. Um, and I would have laid out the brewery a little bit differently. Um, just like where our event room is, which is very popular, we rent out the event room quite significantly quite often. But, uh, it's kind of in the way of where people order. And so I would have put it on the other side of things. Um, but, uh, so those are kind of the two main things is just the layout of the tap room specifically and raising more capital.

Speaker A: Yeah, that's good advice. I mean there's always more expenses that pop up. I don't care how well you plan.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: There's always more expenses. So thinking of new products or raising capital makes a ton of sense. How are you doing all of this while balancing full time work that is not brewery work. How do you even have the hours in the day? Because you're in the brewery. I see you there like your boots on the ground working and yeah, give us an idea how, how the heck are you balancing all of this?

Speaker C: Well, it's, it's definitely a lot but it's doable. Um, Marshall doesn't have another job outside of the brewery so he's there full time. So really. And then we have another full time, ah, person there and so, and then we have 10 part time beer tenders and they're all fantastic people and they really don't need like managing much. Um, they're very reliable and they're very much like full fledged fans. And so that just the staff that we have, um, is just, they're tremendous and they're always willing to, we always have somebody who's willing to step in and help us. Uh, and we try to treat them very, very well. And so just I think the team that we've built, Marshall being there, um, we definitely lean on family and friends too. And so it's just, you know, it's really about, for me, it's being able to like, know that I don't have to be there. You know, like, we have a group of people that can definitely handle Anything that comes up. And even our clientele, they're just like, cool people. I mean, you know, if you're gonna go hang out at the brewery, you know, you're not probably like, super high strung and, you know, you're just looking for a place to connect with people, have a couple beers, and, you know, just pull away from the daily grind. And so just kind of all of those mixed m in things is just a way to how I balance it. And I just make sure that I take breaks. Like, I'm not. I'm just gonna take two days off and I'm not gonna go into the brewery, you know, Tuesday and Wednesday or whatever it is this week or this Sunday. I'm gonna. I'm gonna plant my garden. So, like, I, uh, I just. I. You have to set the time away and just make sure that you kind of stick with it.

Speaker A: Yeah, that makes sense. And setting those boundaries and sticking to them, like, I applaud you for doing that. I think that's huge. For sure. Thank you. What's it like working with your partner?

Speaker C: Love it. It's. It's fantastic. Um, Marshall and I have very similar personalities, and we, a lot of times are on the same page about most major decisions.

Speaker A: That's awesome.

Speaker C: But we also are very. We, we always call it, let's chat it out. Right. So we have these conversations about, you know, this is what I think, this is what I think will happen. But generally, we come to, you know, pretty similar conclusion. There are a couple of things that we have disagreed on, and, um, I usually end up winning those, but of

Speaker A: course,

Speaker C: but like, I don't know, we, we have fun. Um, we keep things light. There's a lot of hugging in the office. Uh, and, um, you know, we're just. I don't know, it's fun. I really, really enjoy it. And he's there all the time. And so if I'm gonna see him, I have to be there too.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker C: But I'm more like, okay, it's date night. Like, we have to go out and do something. And so he's not super great at setting those boundaries, so I kind of make him, uh. And he also had kind of a significant event. Well, we both did. Um, so I mentioned earlier on that I get along very well with my mother in law. I have two mother in laws. Because his parents got divorced when he was younger. Um, but his mom actually died unexpectedly in 2002. And that kind of like, um, he was very close with his mom, hit hard. And, um, since then, I've been able to get him to like go on more trips and do more things. You know, it just was a significant event that, um, changed his kind of outlook at what we need to do together.

Speaker A: Yeah, I think that is very true for a lot of people. You just realize, I mean, it's the trite things people say life is short and you only get one life. But sometimes I think, especially when you're running businesses can be easy to get completely wrapped up in that. Ah. And lose sight of, you know, life. They're. We can love our business so much, but we can lose sight of some of the other life things too. Yeah. Okay. I know you have to run because you're taking time for conversation. So we usually do rapid fire questions and I'm just going to ask you one, um, because I know you've got to hop back in, but what do you think is the biggest misconception about owning a business?

Speaker C: Great question.

Speaker A: Um,

Speaker C: yeah, I think that a lot of people think that because you have a business, you have it made and that's just not true. Like you're, you, um, are boots on the ground like you just said all the time. Like even when Marshall and I go on vacation. Guess when our conversations revolve.

Speaker A: Right. I'd say date night is it at other breweries and you're like scoping things out, you know.

Speaker C: Yeah. So, um, I think the biggest misconception is as a business owner, you have it all figured out and you're just living high on the dream. That's not the case for us. We're constantly figuring out how do we get more revenue, how do we, um, plan for the future. It's a non stop M24.

Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah, I can absolutely relate to that for sure.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: Well, thank you so much for taking the time and hopping on and sharing. This is a really cool conversation. I'm so glad to know you better. And such wild parallels. Um, I know my husband for sure. Not that I don't, but he loves coming in there. Like he's one of those chill people, right. That you say it just likes to hang out in a brewery and visit breweries. So thank you for everything too that you do for the community and just making, making the world a better place with what you're doing. Hey, what a great convo. And I'm so glad that Desi was willing to take a little time over a lunch break to talk about her business that she co owns with, um, with Marshall. And just some really interesting parallels. I had no idea that she and I actually had so many direct parallels within our story. Isn't that so interesting? I love this about talking to business owners and organizational leaders. There's just so many, so many paths and ways that people get into their business and, and uh, just have their business play out and the pivots and the changes that they take along the way. That's one of the things that we love about here at Tandem Works, is walking alongside business owners just like yourself and helping you unpack wherever it is and whatever it is you're trying to do. Whether that's maybe changing and shifting into an entirely new product model, maybe it's launching something new or just getting your business started for the first time. We would love to walk alongside you. We offer roadmaps, we offer communication and marketing roadmaps followed up by individual one on one sessions to help you unpack that. So if that's something that's of interest to you, we would love to chat with you. Be sure to look for all of my contact information in the show notes below and we will chat soon.