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

Tara , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I started out as an assistant to an exclusive wedding planner in my hometown in the gorgeous Flathead Valley Montana which is in the top ten wedding destination areas in the country. I ended up behind the bar last minute at one particularly gorgeous wedding I was coordinating because the bar service was inadequate, and I had experience in bartending. After that, I really started to notice that the bar not only was an integral part of any successful event, but was also the main hub for information and support from guests, clients, and vendors alike. I recognized that special event bartending was not as traditional as slinging drinks at a local bar, but more upscale in service and creative with unique selections and offerings that were especially esthetically pleasing and complimentary to the decor and vibe. I started to get requests from wedding planners and venues to serve and quickly recognized the deficit in adequate professional beverage service in the industry. As I continued to get requests to bartend for weddings, festivals, private and corporate parties, and charity functions. I became frustrated with the lack of professional tools, equipment, and adequate supplies due to not being a part of the planning and preparation process. One thing led to another and I started supplying more of my own in order to be successful until I got smart and decided to create my own business and take the stress out of it for everyone and provide excellent service that was customizable to any event theme.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I customize and create signature cocktails for clients and for events that are unique to their vibe. It makes it fun and personal to the couple or the theme of a special event. Such as infusing local fresh fruits, herbs, and other ingredients that really make a presence at any celebration. Part of what I am most passionate about is partnering with nonprofit organizations to support their cause by making bar sales part of their fundraiser or function. My business collaborates with altruistic organizations to offer beverage services and event coordination to pull off successful fundraisers and community-enriching events. I always thought, ‘why not let every aspect of the event make the organization money? That’s what it’s all about, right?’ I did my research and found a unique way to offer mobile beverage services and take the stress off of the volunteers and/or staff while simultaneously bringing in significantly more revenue than they would have otherwise. I refer to this part of my business as a “party with a purpose”.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I have always been an incredibly hard worker. It’s been a long journey in growing to know my own value and self-worth and really owning what I want. As a woman who owns a business, I have really had to struggle with my own perspective, seeing my success and failures as reflections of whom I am or who I am not are constant struggles. I am the face of my business but my business is not who I am. That’s a hard concept for most women entrepreneurs to define. There was a time that I struggled to stay focused and committed when my business was just a “side hustle” It was growing and I was at a crossroads, either give it up or scale way back or quit my day job and launch forward. At a time I was uncertain it would work I made an investment in my business with my time and resources and recognized that if I gave up at that point it would be at a significant loss to me personally, I had gone too far forward and to not continue to push through would be to my own detriment. That is what fueled me to continue to progress. I had to elevate myself from the survival and scarcity mentality I had when I developed my “side hustle” (I just really needed the money) to owning what it was evolving into, a thriving successful business, owned and operated by yours truly.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Hands down my business coach. I hired her to help my business grow and support me in implementing systems and procedures, and she ended up rocking my belief system to its core, shaking shit up, and elevating me to a new level that brought me clarity in my vision not only for my business but for myself. It’s changed everything. I was a total skeptic at first but overwhelmed so I took the risk. It is HARD to transform, but absolutely essential.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.treasurestatehospitality.info/
• Instagram: @treasure_statehospitality
• Facebook: Treasure State Hospitality