We were lucky to catch up with Bret Cooley-jones recently and have shared our conversation below.
Bret, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
I was an established bartender that worked local night clubs and was able to network over the years. At my full time job I was approached by someone on my team when she realized that I was a bartender and she asked me to work her upcoming wedding. I was so nervous but accepted the offer. I realized I had to show up in a more professional manner then I was used to while working at clubs. I helped curate their menu, custom shopping list and let’s just say it went very well as I have been their go to bartender for multiple family events since.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I began my bartending journey in 2010 at a local tap house in Elon, NC. I was blessed to have a boss and friend that were willing to show me the basics. I took what they taught me and applied it to my skills set when I decided to dive into clubs, and working events. The experience I gained in the club life is what inspired me to start my own mobile event bartending business. I had to learn the industry on a different level in dealing with potential clients, building my brand, pricing etc.
I’ve had clients that had a vision and with my expertise and ability to showcase past events was able to put together their vision for their bar needs.
I am most proud of my ability to see a problem and pivot without the client or guest experience being affected.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Social media can be every time consuming and I’ve learned that for me keeping it simple, relatable and easy to view is key! I post pictures , short videos and captions that I feel will draw someone in without being overbearing,
I remember to include my business contact information so that at a click of a button I can be connected to future clientele.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
There is so much that goes into planning someone’s wedding, birthday party, retirement party, just because party ….and the bar is one piece of that puzzle. Many times I spend months creating a menu for a client with multiple encounters and have shown up to events where the product list was vastly different from what we’ve discussed or not all items were available.
Due to my planning nature I always have backups so if an ingredient is missing I can reach into my stash, if the menu has changed I can quickly create and reprint a menu. I’ve learned to roll with the punches and to expect the unexpected. I typically arrive to all events 1 hour ahead for setup and I use that time to assess my work area, so if there are things that aren’t in order I have time to correct them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msha.ke/shakenandstirred.bartendingnc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shakenandstirred_bartendingnc?igsh=NW9kOW8wajl0bTc4&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084949033187&mibextid=LQQJ4d
