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

Hi Alexa, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I am a lover of all things fun – I love fun events, I love going to fun destinations, and I love fun people. I want to surround myself with those things. In Good Spirits & Company is a cute play on words – we are all bartenders serving good spirits in our pours, but we are also all a good time. I only want outgoing, kind, and happy staff members! So we are also serving good vibes. There are so many times service industry workers are just miserable! That is not acceptable at IGS – and we ensure working conditions are optimal to ensure no one ever feels negative during an IGS experience.

I have loved making drinks, curating event details, and having a good time – why not get paid to do it at the same time?

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Get To Know Our Lively Spirit!

Hey, party people!

I’m Alexa, the founder/keeper of Good Spirits and Good Company, and I cannot wait to serve you!

As a lover of all things FUN, the decision to begin In Good Spirits & Co was an easy one. This is where you will find: exceptional service, custom curated cocktails, and immaculate vibes. In Good Spirits is here to elevate your event by providing a seamless bar experience for our clients and their guests. We specialize in brand launches, birthdays, bachelorette/ bachelor parties, weddings, corporate events, and any other just ‘cause celebrations! Catered to your vision, budget, and needs in mind we offer multiple tiered levels of service from just a bar attendant to a custom bar set up, decor, and menu.

Forget the nerves, embrace the good times! From set up, to break down and everything in between – We promise to always leave you In Good Spirits!

Any advice for managing a team?

I come from a family of immigrants and incredibly hard workers, My whole life I saw my grandparents working until they were very old, and my parents working tirelessly to give our family a great life. I have worked in the service industry most of my life, and other professional avenues as well. From all my experience, I have had some pretty unfortunate working environments and learned the most from those. I learned what kind of boss I never want to be.

With starting my own business and brand, my business’s reputation and quality of service have been my top priority. I am so fortunate to have a full time job that allows me flexibility with my little love project. I am not using my profits to pay my bills and survive. This allows me to give jobs to my employees that I do not want to take.

I always want my employees to treat my brand & business as if it were their own. That is why it is important to me to pay my employees what they believe their time is worth. I treat my employees as freelancers. I provide them with all the information of what the job will entail, travel, guest count, responsibilities etc. I then allow them to choose what their hourly rate will be after receiving all that information. If the client cannot fit that price into their budget, they do not have to take the job.

If your employees are being paid what they believe they deserve, they are more likely to do a better job for you. They are less likely to be impatient with a client, show up late, leave a space dirty. They are more likely to WANT to represent you well.

I also offer incentives for every positive review a bartender receives and every client they retain. Morale in any business is so important – maybe the most important. We are not a booming business, but it is so crucial to me that the people representing me and my business are taken care of – because at the end of the day – they are helping me.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I feel like my life has been a perpetual pivot! I embrace change and love challenge. It is how I’ve continued to grow and learn. I actually prefer it. Stillness, quiet, and boredom make me uncomfortable! I have had multiple changes in path throughout my life already. I originally went to school for the creative arts and struggled to make a living for myself. Working multiple jobs and tiring myself out. I then began working in the school systems as a paraprofessional. This is where I fell I love with the classroom setting. I went BACK to school to become a teacher. That is my day job that I love so much. It brings me so much joy making school and fun and happy place for my students and watching how much they grow within 10 months.

Unfortunately, being a teacher means no summer pay. I still found myself working multiple jobs: tutoring, serving, bartending, working at my uncles pools in the summers – hustling! When working at a restaurant last summer, I found myself on my feet and sweating for 7/8 hour shifts and leaving with less than $100. I was grateful, but with a master’s degree and years of work experience – my time and effort meant more to me. But I loved the environment! I loved showing people a good time, bringing events to life, and watching people celebrate life! It engaged a different part of my brain that working with 5 year olds could not do. So I began to think – how can I still do this but for myself?

That is how I pivoted to In Good Spirits & Company. I invested in my time and worth and purchased a beautiful mobile bar. I started an instagram. I opened up an LLC and insured my company. I opened a yelp account and after some time was then verified as a business on google. I began receiving inquiries, having successful events, and connecting with people. This summer, we will be celebrating 1 successful year of being In Good Spirits & Company! A place that cares more about the good time than the good paycheck. A place that ensures quality service and attention to detail. A place that is woman owned and run. A place that I am so happy to be a part of and sharing with the world!

I already have pivoted within the business itself multiple times. Adding different packages, removing offerings, adjusting pricing, adding staff, adding additional services like event coordination, and hopefully one day expanding into a complete party service company with multiple cocktail carts and one day a mobile bar on wheels!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ingoodspiritsnj.com
• Instagram: @ingoodspiritsnj
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/in-good-spirits-and-co-edgewater?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

Image Credits

Briana Sista