IAM1208 – Female Mixologist Brings in Top Trending Mixes to Bar and Restaurants

Brooke Brown is a female entrepreneur in the DMV area. She is the mid-Atlantic Battle of the Bottle Champion (mixology competition). Her business Top Shelf Mixology, Mixology & Bar Consulting offers alcohol certification, mixology classes, bartending services, and bar consulting.

• CEO Story: Grew up in the restaurant industry, doing a pack full of mixology classes with her dad. Until taking it on her own down the road, which spiraled, from something so small built up and it exploded.
• Business Service: Mixology classes with menus that are up to the trends in the current market, consultancy for restaurants & distilleries, and bartenders for private parties.
• Secret Sauce: Able to cater largely to small companies. Connecting to people and hearing their stories.
• CEO Hack: Create a list. Start your day early, work out, and you’re pumped and excited. It just makes you feel productive, mentally a lot more clear and happier!
• CEO Nugget: Showing up to your clients, even if they haven’t responded to your email. You have more to lose by not trying and never knowing if you could get that yes.
• CEO Defined: I took a chance on myself on something I believe in and I pursued it. Jumping on to an opportunity!

Website: https://www.topshelfmixologyconsulting.com

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Transcription

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00:19 – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEO's without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is to I AM CEO podcast.

00:46 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today at Brooke Brown of top-shelf mixology. Mixology and bar consulting. Brooke, it's great to have you on the show.

00:58 – Brooke Brown

Hey, everyone. Thank you guys so much for having me. I'm happy to be here.

01:02 – Gresham Harkless

Yes, absolutely excited about having you on. We had a phenomenal intro call and connection at first. So what I wanted to do is just read a little bit more about Brooke so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Brooke is a female entrepreneur in the DMV area. She is in the mid-Atlantic battle of the bottle champion mixology competition. Her business, Top-Shelf Mixology, offers alcohol certification, mixology classes, bartending services, and bar consulting. Brooke, super excited to have you on the show again. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:34 – Brooke Brown

Absolutely. Let's get this party started.

01:37 – Gresham Harkless

Let's make it happen then. So, to kind of kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit here, a little bit more on how you got started when I call your CEO story.

01:45 – Brooke Brown

Okay, so a little bit about how I got started, actually, I grew up in the restaurant industry, so basically as a child, I was thrown into the mix. I mean, I can remember myself being at my grandmother's retirement party, age five, passing around drinks. So, you know, from there it spiraled. My father owned a speakeasy. He and I would teach mixology classes. So for those of you who don't know mixology classes, you have a full bar set up and you get to learn how to make craft cocktails. That actually worked out really well for Dad and me. Our classes were always packed full, always so much fun, full of excitement, and I just love people. So, he ended up moving to Annapolis with my mom. To live that relaxed life. I said, you know what? I don't need a staple bar to do this. I can take this on the road. It spiraled from there. So I go around, and I teach mixology classes. I consult bars and restaurants. I help train employees. I make custom craft cocktail menus, the whole nine yards. So something so small built up and exploded. So very happy about that.

02:51 – Gresham Harkless

Yes, I absolutely love that. It's so funny. I often say, like, you know, when we try to figure out what we want to be when we grow up and try to figure out who we are, there are so many times that we can go back to those childhood things that we did just cause it was natural, just because it planted those seeds. Then all of a sudden, we realized that that's the essence of who we are and what we should lean more into. So I know you touched a little bit upon, like, how you work with your clients. Could you drill down a little bit deeper, and tell us what that looks like and how you serve the clients you work with?

03:16 – Brooke Brown

Absolutely. So it's a top-shelf mixology bar. Mixology consulting basically has a little bit for everyone. So if you need a wedding bartender or a private party bartender, we also can cater to whatever type of party you're having. So I do bourbon tastings and pairings. I do mixology classes. If you are revamping a cocktail menu, you've had your restaurant around for 15 years. You're like, it's great, but what's trending? What's new? Lavender cocktails are new. Espresso martinis are huge right now. Things like that. I go in and I can train your employees on service. That is my biggest stickler on that. I. One of my biggest pet peeves, I'd have to say. Working in restaurants, consistency is key.

I can't stand going to a restaurant, getting a fantastic old-fashioned, and then ordering a second one because it was so good for it to be the worst of my life. So consistency is key. So I also dive into restaurants, brand new or old. Doesn't matter what age you're in. I can go in and revamp or completely rebrand, restart, and help you start fresh. I'll train your employees on how to give good service because that's something that is lacking in this world right now. Service is becoming a dying thing. I don't know about you and your recent experiences, but I'll have some great and some awful. But I make sure, to applaud the person if it's a fantastic experience because that's something that's definitely missing in the service industry. So, yeah, I kind of dabble in a little bit of everything.

04:51 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I absolutely love that. You're right. I would definitely echo that as well, too. I feel like I noticed it in so many different industries where I say, if you have good customer service, that'll take you so far because so few people are actually doing it. Whether we're talking about restaurants, retail, or any industry, I feel like people, you know, forget about that human aspect of connecting with people, listening to them, even when they're frustrated. So I love that. That's a big staple in what you hammer home. Obviously what you do in your.

05:14 – Brooke Brown

Business, it sounds like, and it's so important. I cannot stress that enough. And, you know, before I even forget, I have actually started to work with businesses as well. So distilleries, that's a new thing I'm diving into. I work with a local one down here, Southern Trail Distillery in southern Maryland. I do all of their recipes. So if you are a distributor of some sort, have any liquor, alcohol, wine, whatever, and you are looking how to pair it, how to make cocktails, I'm your gal because that's something I'm really diving into. I'm writing a cocktail book right now, so I'm just all over the place. Yes, but in the best way possible.

05:52 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. And I appreciate you mentioning being, you know, quote-unquote all over the place, because I was going to ask you this because I feel like there's probably been so much disruption and change in that industry, especially in restaurants, and I imagine in McSali, in so many different ways, where I imagine a lot of distilleries, restaurants are probably looking for new, innovative ways to do that. So to be able to have that desire to even pivot and help organizations pivot sounds like it's something that kept you has kept you on your toes, but also has helped out a lot of organizations as well.

06:19 – Brooke Brown

Absolutely. I mean, especially during COVID and all this nastiness going around. Virtual mixology is a big thing. That's something I offer as well. So you can do a class in the comfort of your own home and you don't even have to go anywhere.

06:33 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And I appreciate you sharing that so much because I think, you know, anytime there's something like Covid or any type of disruption, things are completely, like, kind of different than they have been before. But we sometimes forget about the opportunities to kind of rebuild in a unique and different way. So I love that you kind of take the bull by the reins, it sounds like, and have been able to do that. I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. This could be for yourself individually, the business, or a combination of both. But what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

07:01 – Brooke Brown

I think what makes me unique is I am able to kind of, you know, help everyone. So on a large scale, from restaurants to distilleries to help them make their custom cocktail menus, to big companies that, hey, here's a bottle of Tito's. What can you do for my brand? So brand marketing, things like that. To the small guy, it's just someone who wants to bring their six friends in one room together and just hang out and have cocktails together. So I think that's what sets me apart, is I'm able to cater to small, too big, and, you know, no little the party, no big the project. I'm able to help.

07:37 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, that makes so much sense. I wonder, like, and definitely, I don't want to put words in your mouth because I know when we first connected, we talked about, like, how you're able to. You loved kind of sitting down and talking with people when you were at the bar and having those relationships and conversations. Do you think that plays a big part? Because even if it's a big organization, it's made up of people, or is it six friends is made up of people and being able to kind of connect that and have that great experience, do you think that plays a part as well?

08:00 – Brooke Brown

Oh, my gosh, absolutely. I love people. So not everyone says that, but I do love getting to know people. I love hearing their stories. My favorite thing to do, even with my husband, is drag him out to a restaurant. I'm like, let's sit at the bar. Because you just meet so many people. It's not even about the drinking aspect. You get to see what's going on behind the bar. You get to talk to the people next to you. Everybody has a story. Something I've learned is you can learn a valuable lesson or even just something unique. Just having one conversation with a person, you can learn so much about them. I'm very lucky that my business happens to put me in a position where I'm constantly working with different people. Now, I will say occasionally you get those bad apples, but, hey, those are, you know, far and few in between. But I've met a lot of good people in this industry, and I've networked networking. That helps a ton and also just made good friends, too.

08:55 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. I think there are definitely, obviously, bad apples everywhere. But a lot of times, if we look, you know, the. The good apples often outweigh the bad. A lot of times, it makes it all the more worth it when that happens. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

09:16 – Brooke Brown

What makes it more effective and efficient? I'm a little OCD. Okay. I am a list person. Oh, my gosh. So my advice is, when I wake up every day, I believe in starting your day early. That is the key to success. Sleeping in people will not get you anywhere. Wake up, seize the day. So I usually always have a list before I go to bed, just so that way I'm able to get a good night's rest. That way, because my mind turns, turns, and burns at all hours of the day, and I am always on the go. So if I'm able to create a list, I can sleep better. I wake up, I usually work out, and I'm up and moving by 05:00 a.m. I usually start it out with a workout. Then you're up, you're excited, you're pumped, and I just feel like you can be more productive mentally, a lot more clear, a lot happier. I've noticed big changes just waking up earlier.

10:10 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. That makes so much sense. As a. As a proclaimed night owl, I, too, have kind of started the transition of getting up earlier and earlier, and luckily my dog is. Loves to sleep in, so that helps out a ton, too. But I would say the same. Like, there's a quote that I think Tony Robbins said, in order to win the day, you have to win the morning. I think if you're able to kind of seize that morning and take advantage, get the list, know what you're going to do that day? Getting an exercise or something to kind of get your blood flowing, I think creates such positive energy. Exactly. Exactly. It creates so much positive energy that I think translates into the day when sometimes all the fires and combustible things kind of happen that you have to put out. At least you know you got a good start on the day.

10:49 – Brooke Brown

Absolutely. Couldn't agree more.

10:51 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So, wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. You might have already touched on this, but this is more of a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It's something you might tell a client, or if you hopped into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

11:04 – Brooke Brown

So my, I guess, nugget hack. My advice to everyone, something that has gotten me in a lot of places in my life, is just showing up. I think we've had this brief conversation before. I can't stress this enough. I have emailed people, but never gotten a response. I have called people, and gotten voicemail. People are busy and they don't necessarily mean to neglect those emails. It is easy to skim over them. I don't know if the person's spam or things like that show up. I've showed up at people's doorsteps. I have inserted myself in conversations just by listening, and I met some of the most valuable people that way.

I have gotten some of my best opportunities by showing up places. Mixology classes. When I first started doing it on my own, I was like, where do I even begin? I showed up at people's doorsteps. I didn't get an email back. I wasn't a stalker. I took it easy. Don't worry. Remember, be professional and polite. But I showed up. I showed up at their business and I said, hey, I'm Brooke. I emailed you the other day, but no worries if you didn't get it. I'd love to talk to you about doing my mixology classes at your location. I'm telling you, I've never gotten to know thus far, but also what? The only thing you are going to lose here is getting that no, you have more to lose by not trying and never knowing if you could get that.

12:31 – Gresham Harkless

Yes, absolutely. And I think so many times we forget that, you know, we talked about the word opportunities and we sometimes feel like there's no opportunities out there, but a lot of times they're there. You just have to see them. You have to hear them. Exactly. You just have to do that extra thing. So I love that part about showing out. You brought up a really big thing that I always try to remind myself, and I say often, is that you know, there's no, we think the pain is really in getting a rejection or getting a no, but the pain is often in regrets and not trying. So I love that you brought that up because I think we forget about that.

13:02 – Brooke Brown

A lot of the time people are there. If they're in a bar situation or at their business, they're ready to talk business. They want, you know, they want to have that conversation. They're open to it. So definitely go for it. Don't be afraid. Take that step. You don't know what you can miss out on if you don't.

13:16 – Gresham Harkless

Yes, absolutely. I think so many times we forget that you know, a lot of times people want to be kind of seen and heard. When somebody does that, when they take an interest in you, a lot of times that can open up everything because I think everybody wants to be appreciated. They want to have those conversations and they want to have those connections. Like you said, if you read that it's not the right situation, then that's completely okay. There are probably a lot of other people in the bar as well, too.

13:39 – Brooke Brown

Exactly. So definitely dare to be a little bold. It'll pay off. I guarantee it.

13:44 – Gresham Harkless

Yes. Luck favors the bold, that's for sure. So absolutely love that. So I wanted to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different, quote-unquote CEO's on the show. So, Brooke, what does being a CEO mean to you?

13:58 – Brooke Brown

To me, it means that I finally took, I took the chance on myself. So instead of just showing up day and day to a nine-to-five, I took a chance on myself in something I believed in and I pursued it. So that, to me, is a great definition of a CEO. Taking an opportunity, seizing the day. So I think an important part of being a CEO is you took the jump, you did it because doing it alone, you're not failing. You're at least trying to succeed, which I think in itself is a success.

14:31 – Gresham Harkless

I absolutely love that and even the perspective that it takes to be able to be in that space. But I think so many times, especially, we were talking about kind of service-based businesses and organizations and serving people. So many times we put everybody else before ourselves. So I love that you said you took a chance on yourself.

14:48 – Brooke Brown

Oh, yeah. Very easy to do.

14:51 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, Brooke, truly appreciate that. Of course, I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and of course, how best they could get a hold of you and find about all the awesome things that you're working.

15:05 – Brooke Brown

Of course. So, as I said earlier, my partner with distilleries, anyone who's doing any type of product endorsement, even if you're doing a campaign for a well-known label, I make cocktails, so give me a call. I have a great photographer friend, too, who does. I do the cocktails. He does phenomenal shots. I work with any type of restaurant. If you just need a custom cocktail menu or if you want bar training and consulting, I can do as little as one item or all. Of course, if you just want a corporate event, virtual mixology, private event, or anything of that sort, give me a shout. I'm your girl. Once again, my name is Brooke Brown. I work for top-shelf mixology bar mixology consulting. You can find me at top shelf mixology consulting.com or on Instagram or Facebook at top shelf mixology consulting. Yes, it's long, but yes, it's worth it. So come and drink with me and let's talk.

16:04 – Gresham Harkless

Yes, absolutely. I really appreciate you for doing that. We would definitely have the links and information in the show notes.

16:09 – Brooke Brown

Hey, thank you so much. Guess what? It's 05:00 somewhere, y'all. Cheers.

16:13 – Gresham Harkless

There you go. Cheers.

16:16 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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