Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kathryn Spencer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kathryn, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Moving to San Angelo, TX to open a brand new business. I had never heard of San Angelo until a year prior to moving here, buying a home and opening a business with 2 of my 3 business partners that I was still just getting to know and had only met once. It was a huge leap of faith, a strong belief in what we could do together and a trust fall into what could possibly be one of the best decisions of my life.

Moving around and changing homes wasn’t a new concept to me. I grew up in an airline family and then traveled with my husband for 5 years across the country while he took contracts with hospitals as a travel nurse. We had become rather quick on our feet and learned to travel light so we could be flexible and move if and when we wanted or needed. Then in the fall of 2019 we decided to stop and settle in Colorado Springs. We wanted to buy a home and settle into a community where we could put down some roots. As the pandemic moved throughout the country we found ourselves isolated between working from home and my husband working in the ICU. To get some relief and get out into our community, I decided to go work at a local brewery that we had fallen in love with. Before long, my background in marketing became knowledge to the owners and I was running the social media, marketing, and merchandise program as well as networking with other breweries and establishing relationships to do some really fun collaboration brew days with our head brewer.

My career path took a huge turn. From the corporate life of cubicles and computer screens to the brewery industry filled with blind passion & brew days. It was a complete 180 from my history and I loved it. So when my friend and our head brewer who made the brewery what it was, said he was leaving and relocating to Texas to start a new project I was caught off guard and intrigued.

After a lot of discussions and 2 visits to San Angelo, we decided that we were in. I had never started a business before and only had a years worth of experience in the actual industry, but I was hooked and my belief for what we could all accomplish together was through the roof. I knew that my passion for the project and determination to bring it to life was enough to bet on. Shortly after we found a home we fell in love with, moved to San Angelo and were immediately embraced into an incredible community of friends and family. I couldn’t be more proud of where we are with Wandering Mind Brewery and what we continue to grow and build here together each day.

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.

Wandering Mind is the creation of the dreamers and the doers with the desire to provide exceptional quality and a unique experience to novice and not-so-novice beer drinkers in West Texas. At Wandering Mind we care about good beer just as much as we care about our community, partnerships and the people who create both. From Sessionable Saisons to Barrel Aged Oenos we love exploring styles and adjuncts that are interesting and delicious. We strive to be a diverse example of what not only West Texas beer can be, but beer overall.

We are the newest brewery in San Angelo! Founded last year by a San Angelo musician, a local philanthropist, an artistic brewer from Colorado, and rounded out by me – who helps connect it all together. We are driven by crafting beer, a merchandise line, and a vibe that encourages you to let your mind wander with us.

Our brewer and co-owner, Grant Goodwiler, has a natural talent for his craft of brewing that he’s been perfecting for over 17 years in the industry. His wife affectionately and accurately describes him as the Willy Wonka of beer. Grant views brewing as his art that he gets to put out into the world and is influenced by seasonable ingredients, unique blends of flavors and what music is playing in the brewery.

Will Schroeder and Paul Parker are my additional business partners who each bring their local San Angelo knowledge to the community and connections along with a drive and passion to provide a thriving business to the downtown area. We strive to be 100% employee owned and help with economic growth in downtown San Angelo.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

We do not have any investors. Paul, Will and Grant all applied for a SBA loan and with some personal funding they were able to start our LLC and get our business rolling. I joined the business a few months after all of this and they did excellent work getting us going!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Organic social media engagement and initiatives are the only way to go in my book. Be genuine. Share your story on who you are, how you’re getting there, brick by brick. People love seeing behind the scenes and getting to see the process of “how it’s made”. Anything that makes you different or unique is always worth at least a share on a story. You know you’re producing engaging and genuine content when people naturally share and find you. Finding local FB groups tied to your area and niche are also a huge way to tap into the market specifically.      

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wanderingmindbrewery.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanderingmindbrewery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084101715830