Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lauren Bloom, Owner of Bløm Meadworks, located in Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

At Bløm Meadworks (pronounced "bloom"), we make what we like to call session meads and ciders – they're light, dry, carbonated, and remarkably sessionable. For our meads, we start with the same ingredients as a traditional mead - honey, water, and yeast - which means we can source all of our ingredients from Michigan. Unlike most meads, though, we ferment it like a dry craft cider, so the result isn't nearly as thick or sweet as traditional mead. We have a taproom and production space in downtown Ann Arbor, MI. Our customers range from the Ann Arbor tourist who is taking a stroll through downtown and exploring the indy shops to townie regulars who come in every week for trivia or board games.

Tell us about yourself

After years in the nonprofit sector, I realized that what had become my hobby and outside-of-work stress reliever was actually the thing that I cared about most – food. And more specifically, local food production. Soon after, I joined the board of Slow Food Chicago, an organization that advocates for the value and pleasure of good food for all. A few years later, Matt and I moved to Ann Arbor, looking to put down roots in our home state and open Bløm - a business that would allow us to create sessionable brews and highlight some of the mouth-watering ingredients grown in Michigan. To be frank, there is nothing else we'd rather do... working with raw local ingredients, being part of a fabric of local businesses, connecting with people who are looking to bring joy to their table... we love our work.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The compliment that hits home the most for me is when people tell us that our taproom feels like a safe space for them. That we've fostered a third space environment where people of all identities feel seen, safe, and celebrated. The second biggest accomplishment is sticking to our value of sourcing all of our ingredients from Michigan farmers - it is constantly challenging us in terms of flavors, recipes, sourcing, and processing. And we love the challenge.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I think one of the hardest things about being a business owner is feeling that your space, services, and products are a reflection of yourself. There's a desire to make sure that every customer has the perfect experience, to give all that you can to make sure everything is done as well as possible. But the reality is that you constantly have to let go a little here to give a little more there.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Ya better love what you do. I mean, really deeply love it because you may just find yourself doing it in the middle of a pandemic with a whole lot of curveballs and not a lot of wins.
  2. Hire good people that you want to spend time with on a daily basis. We don't care if they have a lick of experience in our industry. We care if they're curious, kind, and honest. The rest we can teach.
  3. Get comfortable with not always striving for growth. There will be lots of times when other priorities will need to slide into the top spot - taking care of your people, refining systems, seeking sustainability, and time with family.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.drinkblom.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinkblom
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkblom/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drinkblom
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenebloom/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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