Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Richard Fierro, owner of Atrevida Beer Co., located in Colorado Springs, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Since May 2018, Atrevida Beer Co is challenging the standard definition of craft beer. We are a female-forward Latin-inspired brewery bringing new flavors to the market. Featuring Jess Fierro, the winner of the television series “Beerland” Season 1. Our team Atrevida Beer Co is demonstrating diversity in everything it does. The company motto is “Diversity, it’s on tap!” We live by this motto.
Tell us about yourself
I am the Owner of Atrevida Beer Co and Deputy Site Lead of the Ft Carson Mission Training Complex, and an MBA graduate from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. A former US Army Officer of 15 years and completed four combat tours – 3 in Iraq and 1 in Afghanistan. Now a Disabled Combat Veteran and full-time employee with Northrop Grumman, in January of 2018, my wife Jess Fierro and I began their journey of challenging the standard definition of craft beer. We created a veteran-owned, Latino, and female-forward Brewery in Colorado Springs. My wife and I built Atrevida to break barriers and take the challenge of cultural diversity head-on. I had been exposed to all walks of life while serving in the military, and I wanted that experience for my community. We are delivering a product where conversation and diversity are not a subset but part of the consumer perception of value.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My wife Jess Fierro and I took a leap into this industry while I was on active duty stationed in Germany. Craft beer was new to us, and we began our journey there. Once we were stationed at Ft Carson, Colorado, we took a deep interest in the breweries in the state. We have visited over 200 breweries, and when Jess began working in the industry, I was a big supporter. When she filmed and won Season 1 of BEERLAND for her homebrew, we decided to make it a goal to own a brewery by the time we were 40. We did just that, purchasing our brewery in JAN 2018 and opening Atrevida Beer Co. in MAY 2018. I have always enjoyed the sense of community in this industry, but as consumers, for the years before opening, we were always the odd couple in the breweries filled with people that did not look like us. We made it our mission to bridge that gap with Atrevida and make a comfortable place for the underserved to enter into the Craft Beer community and begin their own journeys.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
We are providing a diverse perspective in an industry not traditionally known for it and embracing diversity in each glass to engage our customers in a time when dialogue is needed. I am the lead for many of the company events and fundraisers and executes most of the non-brew-related operations such as social media, marketing, brewery maintenance, event planning, and everything my wife and head brewer Jess needs done to free her up to run brew operations. As co-owner, we have found a way to leverage each other’s strengths and push Atrevida forward within a competitive market of over 35 breweries in the local area. I must bring our marketing and brand development to another level to grow our business beyond word of mouth and expand our message outside of our community and state.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
During the pandemic, we shifted operations from full closure thru all levels of re-opening over the past year and a half. We developed local governmental relationships and worked with Senators Bennet, Hickenloper, and Mayor Suthers to develop forums for input into recovery. We continue to produce charity beers to support our local nonprofits during this period of hardship across the board. I have led small to large organizations in austere conditions and combat environments, giving me the resilience to endure hardship and discomfort while maintaining a positive outlook grounded in reality.
- Never Panic; always maintain a level head and think before you act.
- Be humble; you will clean more toilets than you signed up for.
- Plan and persevere. Do not let obstacles get in your way; complete your mission.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Atrevida Beer Company and is challenging the standard definition of craft beer. Jess is the winner of the TV series “Beerland” Season 1. She designs beers that will entice any beer drinker, with combinations like Fresas Con Crema cream ale on nitro and Belgian tripel with tamarindo. She’s the first Latina Brewery Owner and Head Brewer in Colorado. Working with her hands and using her creativity is what sets Jess apart from the rest. Her skill in beer recipe building and leading people is unmatched.
Atrevida is more than a brewery and small business to Jess, and she has a vision to bring community together. The company motto is “Diversity, it’s on tap!” and Atrevida Beer Co is demonstrating diversity in everything it does. We are Female, Latina, and Veteran owned. Five of our six employees are women. Diversity, it’s on tap, is prominently displayed on the storefront marquee. We are providing a diverse perspective in an industry not traditionally known for it and embracing diversity in each glass to engage our customers in a time when dialogue is needed.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/30/politics/congress-covid-small-business-relief/index.html
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.atrevidabeerco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atrevidabeerco/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atrevidabeerco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-fierro-14209159/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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