Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tammy Blosil, co-founder and COO of Delmosa, located in Gainesville, VA, USA.

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

Delmosa was launched in response to the difficulty of finding artisanal non-alcoholic beverages from grower-producers. We are based in Northern Virginia, specializing in the importation and distribution of the world’s finest grower-producer, terroir-driven, non-alcoholic beverages. The beverages we seek are those that have a strong connection to the land and its people, crafted from superior fruits, vegetables, and foraged elements. A Delmosa beverage is a wonderful refreshment, yet it has the depth and complexity to complement fine food minus alcohol.

Retail Customers:

  • Individuals who don’t drink (and never have) but identify with and value sophisticated products, and fine cooking, enjoy cooking themselves and reading food blogs, restaurant reviews, and watching food channel programs.
  • Individuals who drink but are limiting their intake recognize that a crafted non-alcoholic beverage is a significant contribution to a meal.
  • Individuals who drink alcohol but choose not to for personal reasons such as one’s health, being pregnant, and religious purposes.

Wholesale clients:

  • Fine-dining establishments such as Michelin Star and James Beard and other awarding winning restaurants and small specialty stores. Most restaurants continue to offer a limited range of sugary options to their guests who prefer not to drink alcohol. Pairing a non-alcoholic beverage to enhance a meal, as is done with wine, beer, and cocktails, has been a foreign concept and missed opportunity until recently for dining establishments, especially since 37% of American adults say they have never consumed alcohol, according to Gallup.

Tell us about yourself

As a former DC-based association executive, I valued my work and the impact I made in the non-profit community. However, having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was surrounded by many successful small business owners, and in some ways, the private sector called me back to my entrepreneurial roots.

The Delmosa idea emerged in 2001 when my husband, Bruce (who I was dating at the time), and I visited Quebec City for the first time. As non-drinkers, we often struggled to find a quality beverage that would pair well with our meals. That was not the case on this occasion. The restaurant we patronized offered us an expansive beverage menu that listed multiple sophisticated non-alcoholic options. Following our meal, we briefly talked about the possibilities of introducing this concept in the U.S. Fast forward ten years, Bruce and I married, started a family, and my career was on track. Yet, the discussions of going into business for ourselves continued, so we began to research ideas and kept coming back to our 2001 experience. We quickly learned this category did not exist nor much market research, but that upwards of 37% of the U.S. adult population did not drink. After much planning and due diligence, we decided to go for it. I don’t recommend this path to future entrepreneurs, but we opted to jump into the deep end of the pool at the beginning leaving the security of paychecks and benefits to start Delmosa together.

What motivates me each day to do what I do? Becoming an entrepreneur has its challenges, but the benefits surpass the alternatives.

  • Agency. Owning my own business allows me the autonomy to work in the way of my choosing that organizations limit or do not offer.
  • Working with my husband. We will always be there to support each other, have each other’s back, brainstorm, celebrate successes, and learn from failure together. Working with Bruce as a business partner in creating something that did not exist previously challenged two of my strongest aptitudes, foresight, and ideaphoria.
  • Family time. How and when I spent time with my family was often determined by my employer’s needs and expectations. Commutes, project deadlines, managing staff, and meeting budgets often took time away from those who mattered most. Developing something new and being its trailblazer as a subject matter expert.
  • Working with color. I love working with color. The beautiful natural colors found in our non-alcoholic beverages are a testament to the Delmosa Standard we have created and pride ourselves in within our business.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

With my husband, Bruce, has developed and curated a new category in the U.S. beverage industry that had not previously existed—grower-producer, terroir-driven, non-alcoholic beverages.

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

Wearing all the hats all the time. As a small business owner, I am involved in everything from operations and warehousing to sales and marketing and customer support. I truly miss the ease of walking down the corporate hallway to ask for help when help was needed. An organization’s shared services are an enormous benefit for its employees. When you work for yourself, you need to learn how to navigate daily business needs against the clock. Stephen Covey’s four quadrants of time management are relevant and effective for every entrepreneur.

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

  1. Smart Perseverance. Upwards of ninety percent of startups do not make it, so to succeed at having your own business, you must know how to persevere smartly. Know your market demand and be in line with it—100%. Plan (as best as you can) how you will fund your business in years one, two, three, four, and five. Develop an exit plan and stick to it so as not to suffer unnecessary consequences.
  2. Productivity. “It always takes longer than you expect.” You can’t be an expert in all things, so double the time you think it will take to complete a project or a task, and if you’re unskilled in the area, you might just want to triple that estimate! If you plan to “…consistently underestimate the amount of time it takes to get things done,” you’re already setting yourself up for success!
  3. Be Honest and Have Fun! Know your strengths and stick with them! Know your limitations and seek help so as not to waste precious time and resources. Take time for yourself even when time doesn’t exist. All work and no play equals burnout and discouragement, which can result in a rush or bad decision-making.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://delmosa.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DelmosaBeverage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DelmosaBeverage
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/delmosa/

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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