We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jennifer Milano a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jennifer thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Of course, I will start this off by saying hard work, this is non-negotiable. Nothing that is worth it comes easy in life and that includes running your own business. You have to put in the work to see your success. When I first started my business, I had two small children under the age of two and was still working a full-time hospitality job (also throw in the global Covid-19 pandemic). I worked my business in the hours I could, which usually meant waking up before the kids and not stopping until after midnight. This does not mean you have to do this 24/7 but in the beginning stage you must in order to see your success.

I also think success comes from building relationships. I made it my mission to reach out to other entrepreneurs in the industry to introduce myself and share my business. I then reached out to others in my specific field which some may call “compeition” but I think it’s very important to build relationships with everyone, including your direct competitors.

Lastly, you must have a very strong why. WHY do you want to be successful? Being an entrepreneur means running a business on your own, at least in the beginning. If you do not enjoy what you are doing and have a very strong reason for waking up each day and working on your business, the success will not come.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Jen & I am the proud owner of The Vintage Horse, an upscale Mobile Bar Company. What started as a fun idea turned into the most rewarding opportunity! It all began when my husband and I got married at my family campground and had a Vintage Camper as our Dessert Truck.

Fast forward 4 years later- Covid arises & our lives changed drastically. I was let go from my career in event planning & I needed to figure something out. Thanks to Pinterest, a love for horseback riding & a vision, The Vintage Horse was born!

In college I bartended at many local bars & clubs but after graduating I thought I had to get a “real” job. I have a background in hospitality where I planned events from birthday parties, showers, weddings & large corporate events for over 13 years. This allowed me to have the knowledge of the industry. I learned about contracts and sales, and I don’t think my business would be what it is today without this.

When Covid hit I was on maternity leave with my daughter while having an 18-month-old son running around. I was furloughed from my career and wasn’t sure if I would ever get my job back. I looked at it in two ways, sit home and be upset with the unknown, or go out and create something of my own. The rest was history!

We had our first event in May of 2021. I was terrified and had zero clue what it took to run a business, but I was excited and had a dream to make this happen. I thought I would do one event a month to help pay our bills. We quickly started getting leads which turned to bookings and had over 50 events in our first 5 months of business. It was amazing and I knew something big was happening.

We take pride on using fresh ingredients while creating an amazing experience for the guests at the bar. If I were asked “why do I need a mobile bar at my event” the answer is easy. We do all the work so you can actually enjoy your party!

I always loved hosting events, but I was always running around asking my guests if they needed a drink, then I would be making those drinks and never really got to enjoy my own parties. I thought, if I need this service, I am sure others do to. We started with backyard events and quickly moved into the wedding scene. We have celebrated with over 100 weddings of all sizes, but the larger size weddings have been the most common.

I believe what sets us apart from our competitors is the attention to detail we give to our clients. We have several calls prior to the event to really get to know your story and what you are looking for. We create fresh custom cocktails to fit your theme or personality and present them in a one-of-a-kind way where they look just as good as they taste. While taking pride in fresh ingredients, editable florals and dehydrated fruits, our presentation is sure to wow your guests!

To say I am proud of what I have built and accomplished in a short 3 years would be an absolute understatement. I went from idea to reality and created a business I only dreamt of. I have celebrated with the most amazing clients, expanded the business to multiple trailers, as well as expanding my team of bartenders.

I also have to say the one thing I did not expect to get out of being an entrepreneur was the relationships and new friendships I have made along the way. The event industry is made of weekends, long hours and hard work. To be able to have a community along size me that I didn’t expect to gain has been priceless.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Being resilient is an important trait you will need when starting & running a business. Things are going to go unplanned, and you will have to learn how to handle difficult situations more often than you expect.

When I first started, I needed help building the actual trailer “bar” of the business. I had an idea and photos but did not have an actual prototype for the builders to go off of. I called dozens of welders to ask if they would take on this project and was rejected more time than I can count. I truly almost gave up on the last no I received because I was so discouraged. I had a used horse trailer sitting in my driveway and no one to help me build my dream.

Instead of throwing in the towel I decided to pivot. I called back all the people who told me no and asked if they had any recommendations of someone who might be able to help me. To my surprise, I was able to collect several referrals and finally found our builder!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

You must be consistent. I am sure you hear this all the time but it’s absolutely true. I made a goal to create one reel every day for two years. I enjoyed creating the videos for my business and looked at reels as a free commercial for protentional clients to see what we could provide if they booked with us. Looking back at my first reels to what I can create now is crazy to see. My first videos were off the beat, the words didn’t match, and my captions did not explain my business properly.

Fast forward 2 years, I have multiple “viral” reels with one reaching over 7M views. Although my goal was not to go viral, it has taught me that staying consistent will pay off.

I also think it’s important to share your journey and the “behind the scenes.” I have had several clients tell me they have been following my journey from the beginning and they couldn’t wait for the opportunity to be able to use our services. Your clients want to see YOU so I feel it’s important to show up on your stories as well as showing photos/videos of you at work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thevintagehorses.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevintagehorse/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVintageHorse/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/TheVintageHorse

Image Credits
Meghan Ann Imagery Alexandra Szebenyik Duarte Misa Uvalic Jessica Thibault Emily McColl Simply K Studios