We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Keely Werly a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Keely, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
To be successful can vary person-to-person, but in almost all situations of sucess, there is a pivotal point in the process where the person must accept failure. I would say that most people see me as a fairly successful person, but the reality is, this has been a long process of learning through trial and error. When I started my business, I knew absolutely nothing about mobile bars, bartending, or event planning. I just knew that I would not continue in a “normal” 9-5 work environment and that I really wanted to work for myself. My start to owning and operating a mobile bar really came with a lot of failures! So much so that I considered closing my business completely. There came a point in my entrepenuaral journey where I had to really asses why I was failing, and if it could be fixed. I really started to examine what I could do differently and how I could solve my own problems so I could then be successful. Without failure, I would never have taken the time to learn more, to strive to be better, and to believe in myself.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Keely and I own The Traveling Tap. Like many people, I used the pandemic to pivot into a new phase of my life. I knew that I was very unhappy in my role as a teacher, and I was greatly looking for something else to do. Something that would allow me to be creative and my own boss. I started to really think about what I enjoyed doing prior to teaching and I would often reminisce about my time spent in Europe. In Europe they have Prosecco Carts, and I fell in love with them. So I started to research what it would take to start a prosecco cart here in the United States.
Late 2020, I purchased and re-frabricated my first rental-a tap truck. My ultimate goal was to bring the charm of the prosecco trucks to florida, but to also bring a bit of efficiency to event bartending. I wanted my customers to have an experience, something they would remember forever. In 2021 and 2022 we expanded our business to include a tap piano (which is my favorite) and a pedaled ice cream tryke. Now our main focus is providing unique food and beverage stations that add whimsy, class, charm, and efficiency to any event.
When I started my business I was definitly thinking on a very small, but broad scale. I just wanted to serve drinks in a cute truck like in Europe. However, two years later, I am proud that we are truly unique in what we offer. We are one of the only mobile bars (that I know of) that have a tapped piano. That piece was truly a labor of love and I love what a showstopper it is. I want people to know that when they book us, they are booking something truly unique and one-of-a-kind. Not only are they getting something rare, but that I work on every event myself and aim to provide the utmost in experience and satisfaction. That every party, celebration, and event is worthy of something a little magical, a little whimisical, and a little bit them.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
One of my favorite marketing moments grew out of a very unpleasant marketing experiece. My business almost exclusively uses social media for marketing, especially reels. I made a reel one day using our tap piano. It was perfect. Perfect song, perfect context, on trend, etc. I was devestated when I was alerted to a comment “DUMB. Wow you took a piece of trash and put taps on it. So dumb.” When I say I was devastated…I was beyond that. I wanted to quit my business, quite social media, everything I was doing was dumd, etc. However, I finally came to my senses and used that quote. I made a new post from that quote alone and then responded with how clever I was to yes-take trash and put taps on it!! Who can do that?! Not only take trash and put taps on it, but then sell it to make a living. I called my troll out and my post’s engagement was one of the highest I have ever seen. I had people completely open up on that post, share it, support it, etc. In that moment, I knew that my business would survive and that I am on the right path. It felt exhiliarating.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
Over the years I have slowly implemented a few things that I truly believe bring customers back to us. Once a person reaches out to the tap, their name and email goes on a master roster. It doesn’t matter if it was a booked event, ghosted inquiry, etc. I use that master roster to send quarterly newsletters. In my newsletters, I don’t even try to make a sale. I just show some of my favorite parties, drink recipes, offer a small discount code, and recommend a spirit or two. This was something I could do starting out that required very little money, but allowed me to continuously be in the background for my future clients. Once I started making a profit, I invested in small thank-you gifts. I currently give every booking customer a sugar pressed cookie (which also has created a great vendor relationship and she now refers people to me and vice-versa). The cookies have my logos on them and I also write a handwritten thank-you at the conclusion of the event. Inside each handwritten note is a small discount for a future rental.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thetravelingtap.com
- Instagram: thetravelingtapfl
- Facebook: facebook.com/thetravelingtapfl
Image Credits
Piano- Arrow and Jade Photography