Send us a Text Message. It’s been three and a half years since I launched my first episode, deep in the COVID pandemic and at the helm of a California cider company. A lot has happened since then, I have talked to a lot of amazing people, and I have shared and learned a whole lot about being a female businesswoman in the alcohol industry. But now this podcast is coming to an end to make way for a new partnership, a new direction, and a new podcast. I’m saying both good bye and I’ll see you soon, excited about supporting the village in a bigger and better way. New Podcast COMING SOON August/Se ..read more

Starting a business is tough, especially in the alcohol and hospitality industry. What’s more tough? Shutting it down. But how do you know if you even should? Tracy Gunn of Exitable says you should always have an exit strategy and an end goal. Join us as we walk through what that looks like and how she has lived it herself with her own businesses. It’s a straight talk episode to finish out this amazing podcast journey.  Special Mentions: Exitable The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber The Gap and The Gain: The High Achieve ..read more

Wendy LeBlanc cut her teeth in the tech industry in Seattle, learning data systems at Microsoft and elsewhere. But the call of cider drew her and her partner to the Black Forest of Germany to set up 1785 Cider company based out of his parent’s farmstead and orchard. She’s blazing a cider trail, slinging apples, and building a market and community in this special place.   1785 Cider Special Mentions: City Fruit Master Fruit Steward Program Kertelkreiter Cider Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every epis ..read more

Born with strong German roots, Anna and Wendelin came up through the entertainment industry in the US, following their passions for film and music. But over the years on the road they fell in love with whiskey. In 2023 they set their sights on building a new brand and a new beverage that builds a community around whiskey and is open and accessible to all. Lodestar Whiskey was born and these ladies are full steam ahead! lodestar (noun) : a star that leads or guides; one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide Lodestar Whiskey Instagram: lodestarwhiskey Special Mentions: Distill Ventur ..read more

Building a cidery and orchard from scratch on an Island in the Puget Sound in Washington State was a major career shift for Laura Cherry and her husband. Now in its 2nd decade, Dragon’s Head Cider has started true to its traditional english cider roots and added a taproom downtown this fall. Laura joins me to reflect on her cider journey and celebrate the community that she has built under the cider apple and perry pear blossoms.  Dragon's Head Cider SHOP! Terms: Methode champanoise - a sparkling wine production method whereby wine undergoes a second fermentation process in the bottle to ..read more

DC Brau has been a gold standard in craft beer in DC for more than a decade. During that time Paulette Palacios has moved up through the beer scene, learning all the ins and outs of beer buying and building a network within the industry. Today they head up the taproom for the DC Brau Brewery and are instrumental in supporting diversity and equality initiatives in the beer industry across the region. Paulette sits down with me to share how they got here, walk me through a day in the life, and announce what’s on the horizon. Notes: DMV = The Washington metropolitan region that encompasses the D ..read more

Ever wondered if your website is working well for you? There are specific things that the bar and restaurant industry need to make sure their online presence in their website is doing the best that it can to help their business. Kelsey Gilbert-Kreiling has built a community and a business around designing amazing websites and teaching others to do so with the Week of the Website. She joins me to share her story as she moved through the male-dominated tech space and grew a small business that was woman-led and a force to be reckoned with. Important Links Week of the Website Squarespace from S ..read more

Born with strong German roots, Anna and Wendelin came up through the entertainment industry in the US, following their passions for film and music. But over the years on the road they fell in love with whiskey. In 2023 they set their sights on building a new brand and a new beverage that builds a community around whiskey and is open and accessible to all. Lodestar Whiskey was born and these ladies are full steam ahead! lodestar (noun) : a star that leads or guides; one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide Lodestar Whiskey Instagram: lodestarwhiskey Special Mentions: Distill Ventur ..read more

Born with strong German roots, Anna and Wendelin came up through the entertainment industry in the US, following their passions for film and music. But over the years on the road they fell in love with whiskey. In 2023 they set their sights on building a new brand and a new beverage that builds a community around whiskey and is open and accessible to all. Lodestar Whiskey was born and these ladies are full steam ahead! lodestar (noun) : a star that leads or guides; one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide Lodestar Whiskey Instagram: lodestarwhiskey Special Mentions: Distill Ventur ..read more

Today I have some news to share - that South City Ciderworks is closing its doors and shutting down production permanently. This has been a painful journey over the last month and I know that it is not over yet. But through it all I have had this podcast, and I have more yet to share, assuming I don’t start feeling like a total imposter. Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review to help out this podcast! 5 stars goes a long long way an ..read more