Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michael Tedesco, Co-Founder of Happy Valley Nomadic Spirits, located in Boalsburg, PA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a craft cocktail and mocktail company that curates unique recipes and provides customers with all the ingredients in a box to create bar-style craft cocktails at home. Our customers are anyone who is interested and intrigued in enjoying great cocktails or mocktails in the comfort of their homes.
Tell us about yourself
We first got started on the business when the pandemic hit. I was a bartender who loved making classics and my own craft cocktail recipes for dining patrons. I wanted to continue my passion for showing people the art and craft of creating well-balanced cocktails and mocktails. In doing this, we created Happy Valley Nomadic Spirits, where we provide the customer with fresh ingredients with recipe cards on how to re-create these libations. What drives me with this business is to reach people who want to try new and old-style cocktails or mocktails, evolving their palate as well as their thirst for knowledge along the way.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As a business owner, I believe the biggest accomplishment is engraining ourselves in our community. We have connected with so many small businesses since we opened and have been able to create connections that I never thought would have been possible. We work together, rely on each other, and have formed friendships as well as partnerships. To us, this is a very humbling and rewarding accomplishment.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
I feel one of the hardest things as a business owner is to reach new people outside our local demographic. We also have full-time jobs on top of this business, so being able to devote all our attention to HVNS is very strenuous at times.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Have a solid team around you. This team is going to hold you up, push your boundaries, and keep you honest with your dreams and goals.
- Have a passion for what you want to do. Being able to have that, and expressing that to your customers, shows your customers a lot about you and the product you're trying to sell.
- Try and learn something every day about your business, something that has to do with your business or past mistakes or accomplishments you have gone through.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.happyvalleynomadicspirits.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hvnomadicspirits
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvnomadicspirits/
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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