We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gabrielle Fitzpatrick Rooney a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Gabrielle , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
My confidence and self-esteem have experienced a tumultuous journey of highs and lows. When I first embarked on my entrepreneurial career, I was fearless, embracing the challenge of building my first business, Damn Right Cocktails, from the ground up despite skepticism from others. However, shortly after the launch, my self-assurance was continually tested, and the strength I once had began to waver.
Each day, I tirelessly worked to convince retailers, customers, and investors that my product was superior. The success of my business relied solely on my daily efforts, creating immense pressure. I faced countless rejections, criticisms, and was often overlooked due to my age, gender, and lack of experience. The struggle to keep my business afloat while maintaining my sanity took a significant toll on my mental health and overall self-esteem, as I had tied my sense of self-worth to the sales numbers.
I had to redefine my relationship with my work, learning to separate my self-worth from the financial success of my business. As an entrepreneur and business owner, it can be incredibly challenging to step back and avoid personalizing every transaction, sale, and investment. Once I understood that I am not my business, and my business is not a reflection of me, I liberated myself and rebuilt the confidence I had at the beginning. This realization has allowed me to make smarter, more strategic decisions that have significantly enhanced my business.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
During my time as a bartender, I identified a gap in the market for organic, ready-to-drink tequila cocktails. Recognizing this opportunity, I created Damn Right Cocktails to provide consumers with what they wanted: a great-tasting, authentically made tequila beverage in a can.We pride ourselves on being the alternative tequila cocktail, not your typical beverage brand. We are provocative, unafraid to speak our minds, and even throw in a curse word or two! At Damn Right, we’re all about inclusivity and having a damn good time.
We currently have two flavors on the market: our Devil of a Lime, which is our classic skinny lime margarita, and our Son of a Basil, which is a unique version of a strawberry margarita with a touch of basil. This year I’m most excited about our product expansion: we are launching four new flavors of Mezcal based ready-to-drink cocktails! There is a lot of innovation happening in the premium agave spirits space, and I’m looking forward to growing my reach in the industry.
As a young female entrepreneur, building this brand has fueled my mission to elevate and support other underrepresented business professionals. I hope to inspire others to pursue their goals fearlessly and challenge the status quo. Damn Right!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I lead with three significant mindsets: 1) Hard work pays off. 2) There is a solution to every problem. 3) Almost nothing is permanent. These phrases are my constant reminders, helping me stay grounded amidst the daily challenges of running a business.
Number 1: Hard work pays off. Working hard is a learned skill, and us as Americans know it all too well, but hard work should be quality over quantity. Find what this “quality” work is, and do it consistently until you see results.
Number 2: There is a solution to every problem. As an entrepreneur, I am constantly problem solving. Some problems may take minutes to solve, others may take years. Understand that it’s okay for solutions to take time, but you must do your best to prioritize some problems over others.
Number 3: Almost nothing is permanent. Any feeling of discomfort, stress, defeat, etc is not permanent. Tomorrow is a new day and you will grow from the adversity.
As a business owner, maintaining a positive outlook is crucial, but it’s equally important not to let optimism cloud decision-making. Balancing positivity with rationality in my decisions has been a challenge, especially when you are in charge of your business’ trajectory.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
The E-myth Revisited by Michael Gerber has been an influential book in my career. Gerber has a very practical take on entrepreneurism and provides a blueprint for running a business. He explains why some businesses fail and how to avoid the mistakes that other business owners have made. He postulates that new businesses typically fail because they focus too much on technical expertise rather than developing the business. The content was extremely relatable and encouraged me to look at my business from a completely new lens. His teachings forced me to work on my business, rather than in it. This strategy allowed me to focus more on the big picture, rather than the minute technicalities of day to day busy work, which ultimately brought growth to my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.damnrightcocktails.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damnrightcocktails
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-fitzpatrick/
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