We recently connected with Marcella Merrill and have shared our conversation below.

Marcella, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I think success is a mindset, a state of being. One of my favorite sayings is “Proceed As If Success is Inevitable”. That saying packs a lot in! It tells me, keep going, don’t self sabotage with fear and worry, believe in your dreams, trust the universe, and stay present! The rest will follow. Whatever that may be. There have been so many times I started to panic. What if I was wrong, no one would want this. I would have to consciously stop my negative thoughts and focus on what I could do in that moment. I choose to believe that all that is meant for me will come to me, and it might not always be perfect, or pretty, or what I thought would be, but it will always be for my highest good. I truly believe there is no failure. Only experience. The only way to not gain from that experience is to stop learning and growing. If you keep striving toward your goals, silencing the negativity from within and from without, you may find yourself in an even better place than you originally intended! As much as we all like to think we know things, we cannot really predict the future! You know how to make God laugh? You tell him your plans!

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

I grew up in a bar. Ok, I am kind of kidding, kind of not! My parents were in the bar business for most of my youth. I, like many, wanted nothing to do with being like my parents! I tried avoiding it for many years, but always seemed to fall back on service industry when I was “in between” careers. I have done many things in my life trying to avoid what I now realize was my calling. I utilize skills I gathered in every single business I have ever had in my mobile bar business now. In 2017 , while searching online for tiny house builds, I saw my first mobile bar trailer online. It was amazing to me! A trailer rolled up and unfolded like a transformer, and BOOM, it was a BAR! I was hooked! At the time, I was running my own bar and grill and in my free time (tongue in cheek here) I studied what it would take to make my own. There was very little information out there. I began talking to anyone who would listen about how I wanted to build a mobile bar out of a horse trailer. NO ONE understood what I was talking about. I was convinced, however, that mobile bars would be a new trend, just as food trucks had become.
When the pandemic shut down the world, I spent my time studying and developing my ideas. I purchased a horse trailer and spent a year building it out by myself. There was much trial and error! I also built a rolling Champagne Tap Cart, because, why not! I started to see other mobile bars popping up around the country. I knew that I wanted a cool trendy bar, but I also wanted a business model that could grow. I did most of the work by myself. Wood work, metal work, painting, I used all the tools! I learned how to install a tap system, how to batch large amounts of cocktails, how to develop and market my business and my brand at a time when there was no previous business model to follow. When I was ready, I introduced Geaux Mobile Bar Co to the community. And then I held my breath and I prayed. If this didn’t work out, I was all in! I had invested everything into my dream. It was not a “side gig”, this was my full time career now and as a single mom, I had a family to support! I am now in my 3rd year of business. I have two mobile horse trailer bars (and one more being developed), the specialty cocktail champagne tap cart, a sattelite side bar, champagne/wine glass walls, and am always trying to add more to my offerings. I have been able to help thousands of people celebrate the milestones in thier lives! I have created bars and specialty cocktail menus for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, community events, second lines, holiday parties and more! It brings me immense pleasure being able to take the stress out of event planning for others. I pride myself on always going beyond peoples expectations. I also rent out my equipment to other businesses to use for thier own marketing using thier own signage. I have become a mentor and a resource for many others who are looking to open thier own mobile businesses. I have been blessed beyond measure to be in a community that has supported my goals. I try and repay that blessing by donating my bars to support local charities, including The Hope House, The Youth Services Bureau, and the Northshore Food Bank. My goal is to eventually have a physical location and many more theme styled rentals for every celebration!

Have you ever had to pivot?

I owned, and ran by myself, a neighborhood bar and grill in the outskirts of the New Orleans area for almost 5 years. I had built it up from a lifeless abandoned building, into a fun community spot with great food, drinks and entertainment. My reputation grew to the point that people from all over were also starting to stop in from the airport. It took an incredible amount of sweat, tears, and time commitment from me to get it afloat and to keep it there! I created the menus, cooked, bartended, shopped, cleaned, marketed…there wasn’t a part of my business I didn’t have my hands in! I thought I would do this forever, but then there was a kitchen fire. I was leasing the building, and the landlord made the decision to demolish the entire building, rather than to renovate it! I was devastated and horribly under insured! I spiraled into depression. I had no back up plan, no savings, and I quickly realized, very few real friends. As I was a single mom, I had to lean heavily on family to help me support my daughter. I made a decision to move back to Connecticut, where I had grown up, to help a cousin with their restaurant. I missed Louisiana with a passion.  I belonged in the SOUTH! I cried most days and started a plan to save and move back as quickly as possible! During this time, Covid took over the world. I was stuck in a place I did not want to be, with no work, no friends, and no gumbo! I developed an idea. I started studying the stock market. I read Harvard Business School articles, studied investment strategies, and then I used the money I had saved and decided to invest it. It was a calculated gamble, but I lucked out and found an emerging investment and was able to make enough to buy and build out a shuttle bus into a camper! I got out of dodge and traveled for 2 months with my daughter and 2 small dogs in our self contained quarantine bus all over the Eastern US. I used the time on the road and in nature, to make peace with myself and my situation. I dreamt about what I really wanted to do, build a mobile bar. I studied, meditated, ruminated, and prayed. And then I went back to Connecticut, sold the camper, packed up, and came back home! I spent the next year here in Covington manifesting my dream. I launched Geaux Mobile Bar Co in 2021 and am full of gratitude every day. I am grateful for the community for accepting me with open arms. I am grateful for my creative problem solving. I am grateful for the fire. I am grateful for the grace I feel I have been bestowed with. I am also grateful that I can share this with all of the people I get to meet in celebration!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I was one of the first mobile bar companies in the area. I made it a point to network as much as possible. It was such a new concept to people! A horse trailer bar?? What on earth is that? Every time I am hired, I have always gone above and beyond for my clients. I don’t just rely on the novelty of a mobile bar. I strive to have repeat clients! My theory is called the “Put A Bow On It” theory. What we offer to the world, our talents, our skills, our selves, are gifts. We all have our own unique offerings for the world. Sure, we can just give it, no frills, here we are, you’re welcome. Or maybe even wrap it in a smile or cute selfies, or witty advertising. I cannot personally stop there. I pay attention to my clients needs. I try to find a way to create exactly what they want at a price that works for them. And then… I. Do. Better. I use my creativity, my experience, and my knowledge to add the bow to everything I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: Geauxmobilebar.com
• Instagram: @geauxmobilebar
• Facebook: @geauxmobilebar
• Yelp: Geaux Mobile Bar Co

Image Credits
geauxmobilebar