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

Davin , appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

It’s hard work and dedication with a passion for what you do that makes you successful. My mother dropped out of high school and had me. Years later she went back and got her GED with three kids and a full time job. She worked hard and never stopped until she got it done. I’ve always admired her for that.

Davin , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was a recent medically retired veteran with not a lot of options. I worked retail jobs trying to make a living and support a child on the way. One day an opportunity came up to work security at a dive bar. I ended up loving the job and kept doing it on the weekends to make extra money. Eventually I found myself behind the bar as a bar back and saw what bartending was like. I wanted nothing more than to get to that level and make drinks. Then Covid hit and I thought my chances at being a bartender were over. Then I got a job at a college bar and my manager axel saw potential and let me make drinks on a random ladies night. I did a decent job and eventually would bartend here and there. Then a good friend of mine, Doss, hit me up for a position at his bar. That’s where I was really allowed to open up and bartend cause he knew I had the potential. He taught me a lot and I heard me out on ideas and things we could do behind the bar. But I was only scratching the surface, I didn’t realize there was a whole other side of bartending that I hadn’t touched yet and that was craft cocktail bartending. I got a call from a former employer, Hurst, asking if wanted to work at guesthouse. I had maybe been there one time but wanted to make some extra cash so I said yes. I worked security for a month when I saw they were losing two bar backs. I took my shot. I told hurst that I could bar back and was willing and able to do the job. So he put me behind the bar and when I saw what those bartenders were doing and the drinks they were making I was mesmerized. I had to know more. The promise of bartending was there and was told that if I worked hard and learned that I could do it too. So every night I worked I asked the bartenders questions, almost to the point where I was annoying. I read books in my free time, studied cocktail recipes and watched the bartenders i worked with focused attention. I spent a year and a half busting my back and doing everything I had to get to that level. Then I got the bump up. I was trained by Kris the beverage director of both sunroom and guesthouse to work at sunroom. I was then mentored by Tim Rogers once I started bartending. He taught me much more than making drinks but also the hospitality that went behind it. I’ve always said craft cocktail is like fine dining for spirits because of the amount of detail and thought that goes behind making original cocktails. I was obsessed and still am today. Now I work at permanent vacation in maitland doing tiki cocktails. Tiki requires a little more detail and time but it’s so worth it when I see people enjoying drinks or stepping outside of their comfort zones to try something new. I love what I do and hope to do it for many more years.

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

There were time when I was bar backing at guesthouse and sunroom that I had thought I was never going to make it to that level of bartending. I felt like I had reached a wall. I was frustrated and doubting myself. Luckily I had good people like Tim rogers telling me it takes time and that I need to be patient and keep working hard. He was right. I kept on the path and kept doing the hard work, kept learning and growing. I’m so happy I never stopped and can look back and be proud of my hard work.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

It’s about having amazing hospitality. If you make a guest feel welcome and talk with them about what they like and don’t like, spending time to get to know them, talking with them and being as professional as possible they want to come back and see you. Part of that is also know about what your making and showing them that knowledge. You do that and you’ll have regulars the rest of your career.

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Permanent vacation staff