We were lucky to catch up with Nicole White recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I think the most common thought behind why someone would own a mobile bar would be to, “bring the party,” but my goal is much more complex than that.

I started my business with the goal of creating memories, meaningful interactions, building genuine connections, and combating what I believe to be a “social isolation epidemic.” I want to bring people together on a deeper, more intimate level.

Prior to starting my mobile bar business, I had done a lot of research regarding “loneliness” in today’s society. Something I had been interested in better understanding as a result of having stepkids at home who seemed to lack close friends, live in their dark rooms and only interact with their friends online. In addition, I noticed less eye contact and friendly, “hello” encounters at my place of work, along with the differences in my own personal interactions when I was out in a social setting by how people communicated, i.e. looking down, headphones in, and an awkward conversation, if you were lucky. Unsurprisingly, a study by Cigna found that 46% of American’s feel lonely and only half of American’s felt they had meaningful in-person social interactions. This was prior to Covid. Recently, that number has jumped to 58% of American’s feeling lonely.

While having a mobile bar doesn’t solve the loneliness problem, I believe it can be a buffer to connect like-minded people in a social setting by providing common experiences, bonding, and positive memories. In turn, I hope the people we serve who are riding those momentary highs, realize in-person social interactions are not only important for how we feel, but are a necessary component of our health. A gateway for them to continue to seek out in-person, social experiences and form authentic relationships on a deeper level. A bartender’s job may not seem important, but you never know who just needs you to listen.

Nicole, 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’ve held many jobs in the service industry. But over the years, I started to grow my career in technology, ride the corporate ladder, build the right connections, and make the big paycheck. But the further I went, the less I felt I was serving others over serving myself. And it ended up taking a toll on my mental, emotional, and physical health. Once my job started to not care about whether I spent time with my 1 year old, I knew nothing was going to keep me there.

Right before Covid hit, I quit my job. I planned to pursue a separate business idea, but God told me to slow down. Reset. Re-evaluate my ambitions. Humble me. During this time, not only did I get endless playtime with my son, my health back, and a calmness I hadn’t experienced in what felt like forever, but I also focused on renewing my faith. During that time, I discovered my spiritual gift was hospitality all along.

Somehow over the years I seemed to move further from this role, when it was not only my gift, but something I truly missed and enjoyed. Throw in my passion for creating unique flavor profiles, courtesy of my time spent as a product manager for a gourmet baking mix company, homebrewing, networking and social interactions, and I found a business that connected all those aspects for me.

I think what I am most proud of is my ability to change course. An old mentor of mine gave me great advice when I wasn’t sure if I should leap or stay put. She simply asked me what I was afraid of. “So what if the path you pick doesn’t work out in that moment? That it is different than you anticipated. Or that you just don’t want it anymore. It doesn’t mean you’re forever stuck and you can’t pick a new path tomorrow.” So take the leap. It doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind or change course at any point. You decide.
I want future clients to know I’m a servant leader, whether it be at a corporate function or a backyard graduation, the way I treat you will be the same. I’m genuine, friendly, and the hardest worker in the room. My goal is to always exceed your expectations and to create special memories you share alongside your family and friends.

Any advice for managing a team?

Leading by example by being the hardest worker. Showing your team, you are not above any job. Being an open book and listening. Getting to genuinely know them on a personal level. Providing and supporting them with new challenges and opportunities to grow. Being humble.

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

Outreach. Simply asking if you can serve people. Whether it be donated service, traded services, or partnerships….ask. Don’t be afraid of the, “No’s.” Or in this day and age, being “ghosted.” Your service won’t be for everyone. Not everyone is going to get it. Not everyone is going to want it. But reaching out to the clientele you really want, pitching your business and asking them what you need to do in order to serve them, has been the most effective strategy for us so far in landing the clients we truly want to work with.

The rest is just making sure you show up on Google via the algorithm. And your guess is as good as mine on that one.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taptruckmidwest.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/taptruckmidwest
• Facebook: facebook.com/taptruckmidwest
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/tap-truck-midwest

Image Credits
Katie Rosemarie Photography Flying Penguin Studios 101 Taylor Marie Photography