We recently connected with Tanner Mclaughlin and have shared our conversation below.

Tanner, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

There is a common denominator behind many of my opportunities, and it’s a simple lesson I’m glad I learned early: Be Nice.

When I was in design school, the owner of an agency visited our class for a Q&A session. When it was my turn to ask a question, I went with a practical one: “What do you look for when hiring?” I expected a technical list of qualifications, but his response was blunt: “Someone I don’t mind sitting next to all day.”

He explained that technical skills can be taught, learned, and refined, but being a thoughtful, positive influence on a team is often the deciding factor.

That insight has stuck with me and has applied to every profession I’ve had. Being kind should never be mistaken for weakness—respect creates a ripple effect that pays off in both the short and long term.

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’ve had a fairly long and diverse (or maybe random?) career for someone in their early thirties. I started working full-time as a model at 15 and continued until 23, when I transitioned into graphic design and photography. Over time, I worked my way up to a creative director role, and now, I co-own a café and bar in Seattle.

Along the way, I’ve moonlighted as a club promoter, box office worker, dog walker—pretty much any opportunity that came my way at the right time. Each role brought its own challenges and rewards.

I have a passion for experiential design. Through my diverse experiences, I’ve developed a holistic appreciation for every aspect that goes into creating an experience. This naturally led me to branding and creative direction—I love seeing a concept come to life.

Now, I co-own Gemini Room, a bar and lounge, and Cosmic Breakfast Burritos, our newest delivery concept. These were essentially my dream branding projects turned reality, now with a brick-and-mortar element that allows people to fully immerse themselves in the concept. That mindset carries over into everything I do.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Ultimately, I work to make our surroundings a little more beautiful, help the day-to-day be a little easier to navigate, bring someone’s dream concept to life, or create memorable experiences in my own dream spaces. Those are the things that bring me joy.

If I can create meaningful experiences and connections—whether through my branding work or my business—that’s a win. In such a fast-moving era I believe personality, diversity, small businesses, and real people that make up our communities are more valuable than ever.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I can’t stress enough how important it is to be able to pivot. One guarantee in business is that things won’t always go your way or according to plan—100% of the time, period. How you adapt and respond is what determines whether you sink or swim.

A recent example of a business pivot that stands out to me is when we first opened Gemini Room. We expected strong daytime sales, but in reality, 85% of our revenue came after 4 PM. Naturally, we became known more as a bar and lounge.

However, adjusting our hours wasn’t an option due to a lease stipulation requiring us to be open during the day and serve a morning fare. That meant we had to figure out a way to:

Stay open during the daytime.
Generate enough sales to cover labor and cost of goods sold (COGS).
Since most people aren’t drinking alcohol in the morning, expanding day sales through cocktails wasn’t realistic. Growing coffee sales was an option, but with such low margins, we’d be working twice as hard for half the return. That left us with our kitchen—our biggest expense.

This is how Cosmic Breakfast Burritos, our delivery concept, was born. By recognizing a niche in the breakfast delivery market, we found a way to utilize our kitchen and labor efficiently while offsetting the costs of staffing the front of house.

Over the past year, Cosmic’s revenue has grown over 200%. Not only does it now cover our daytime labor and COGS, but it also accounts for 6% of our total revenue.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tanneriscool.com
• Instagram: @tanner_is_cool
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tannermclaughlin/
• Other: I’d love to share Gemini Room’s socials and website too!thegeminiroom.com
  instagram.com/geminiroomseattle

Image Credits

The image of me is by Charlie Schuck. The third pic with the two girls under low light is by West Smith. All other images are by me Tanner Mclaughlin