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

Alright, Lauren thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

A story describing how my business went from idea to execution went like this,

Back in 2017 I was bartending at regular bars around Cincinnati learning the ropes from my peers like any other new bartender. I think the main thing that stuck with me from the start of bartending was how much people actually are willing to spend on cocktails and a party atmosphere. From working in busy nightclubs and even local bars I witnessed people easily spend more than I would predict on going out. Fast forward to 2018 I was hired for my first private event which was actually a Beer Tasting Tournament and I landed this gig from making a bartending profile on Thumbtack.com. It’s true my first gig was a from a gig lead generated platform and I believe I was charging around $30 per hour. I took the extra money I made from bartending publicly and purchased the minimum bar supplies in order to be a mobile bartender. My original set up at the time consisted of a black suitcase that had cocktail tins, strainers, jiggers, bottle openers, all the basic bar materials needed to maintain a small private party. After my first event I realized all i used was plasticware and bottle openers considering it was a Beer Tasting so I felt like I hit the jackpot! Of course I couldn’t wait to do that again I got off at 10PM instead of 2AM. I was actually able to see my son go to bed so i made it my mission to figure out what I needed to do to make this an official business..

The biggest challenges I faced early on was probably a little more challenging than the average new business simply because we serve alcohol. With this being said I went through many hurdles finding out what I needed to legitimize myself. I used local small business resources like SCORE and Hamilton County Small Business Office to get most of my questions answered. Insurance and proper certifications did take me some time but like any other good thing-its worth the wait. I also ran into quite a bit of challenges with staff over time running a small business looking for similar bartenders that are professional, punctual, and hard working. I used online resources like Indeed in the beginning for bartenders but that was difficult considering the type of independent contractor work that I offer, so eventually I did use personal references and people I met along the way to build our team.

Fast forward to 2023 after a few years of doing the mobile bartending and also working full time I was laid off abruptly from my Banking career. That was a devastating turning point for me professionally. I was lost. I was angry. I realized how much of a plan for my future that I did not have, None of that was ok to me so I enrolled in a Mobile Beverage Academy and focused on taking my part time mobile business to the complete next level. I learned so many things and met so many other people across this country doing the exact same thing and this was ALL they were doing and making a very comfortable living doing so! This was so inspiring to me, I was obsessed! I started implementing all of the lessons we learned whether they were small or hard I just felt like this was all I had or go back to the bank. It is still an ongoing daily challenge being a business owner but the freedom to run your own schedule has been life changing for me. I have always been a family first type of person as well so that also contributes to why it was important to me to find a way to have that flexible schedule.

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.

I got into the bartending industry as a part time gig to make extra money. I was working full time at a US Bank nearby and the extra hours worked with my schedule for a while. Over time bartending I developed a passion for mixing cocktails and creating different recipes and variations to cocktails and that is what motivated me to want to start doing more with this, that is how I learned about doing private events. From there, I grew my passion into a small business, so I feel like I am simply doing what I am passionate about. The brand name for us would have to be BOTG! This abbreviation is simply Bartender on the Go, our original nickname and to me it will always represent home- Cincinnati. BOTG brand represents quality, professionalism, and persistence. I want people to know when they hire us or purchase our products and that we should honor those three words. I also want people to know about us that we do not just bartend parties, I know that sounds cliche but it’s true. When someone hires us, we are that missing piece for their event, whether it is bartending, helping a client decide how much of something to purchase, or even assisting in other areas if we can at the event. We are human and we want our customers to feel that way when we are added to their event. For more hands-on information about what we do, and our brand please follow us on Instagram @botgcincy!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to learn to deal with auto generated leads with a careful hand. In the beginning this is going to be hard for anyone new to the industry because you do not have as many people who know you and your brand and it may be hard to gain new business, but you will learn quickly over time that it is harder to grow your business when your all over the place. That is what I mean by a lot of auto generated leads from platforms like Thumbtack, Gig Salad, and etc. Sometimes they will send you useful leads and you can make good money but other times you will be mad at yourself for wasting your time and money because those platforms are only good for generating leads-not always the best ones or ones geared towards what your business does specifically.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding my business is an ever going journey because it’s always something just like Life! In the beginning I primarily used any left over funds I had from my full time job at the bank to buy the supplies that I needed to bartend private parties. I would save for more expensive things like a mobile bat, logo decorations and uniforms, and etc. I then was able to secure some local grants which really helped us grow and be able to invest in advertising and better equipment.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bartenderonthegoohio.com
• Instagram: @botgcincy
• Linkedin: Bartender On the Go
• Yelp: Bartender On the Go
• Other: Voyage Ohio Magazine