Meet Brittany Axelson

We recently connected with Brittany Axelson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brittany, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Practice and education. You’re never going to be good at something the first time. I had to come to terms with that and just muscle through the awkward feeling of being bad at something until I wasn’t anymore. I’ve really come to love the sentiment, “Just make it exist first. Then make it good”. Then once you feel like you’re good at something, start teaching it to others. There’s something about being able to teach someone else your craft in such simple terms and watching it click for them that really gives you that extra boost of confidence, like “oh yeah, it really is quite simple and I am actually pretty good at this”.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve built The Hoppy Homestead as a way to bring all of my passions together under one roof. The name comes from my love of craft beer and my dream of one day creating a community homestead — part bakery and marketplace during the week, and brewery on the weekends. While that vision is still down the road, I’m keeping it alive through the projects I’m working on now:

•Sourdough: Each week I bake fresh sourdough bread and treats for preorder pickup, and I love popping up at local markets when I can.
•Education: Once a month I teach sourdough classes at Brookside Beer Market, the cozy East Naples bar I manage. It’s such a joy to watch people gain confidence in their baking and connect over a shared love of bread.
•Tallow hair and skincare: I started creating my own hair and skincare because I was looking for cleaner alternatives to the products I was already using every day. Once I nailed down the formulas, I decided to share them at a price point that’s more accessible than some others currently on the market. Right now, I offer a face cream, hair mask, and lip balm, with plans to grow the line soon.
•The Tiny Dog House: After losing my own pups, I wasn’t ready to adopt again, but I still wanted the joy of having dogs in my life. That’s how my private boarding service began. I host just one family’s pets at a time so they can feel safe, calm, and loved while their owners are away.
•Pies on Pies: A Sourdough Pizza and Dessert Pie pop-up. Every Thursday evening you’ll find me at Brookside Beer Market serving up sourdough pizza and a rotating dessert pie. It’s casual, nostalgic, and always a fun night — the kind of gathering that reminds me why I love bringing people together around food.
•Humanity Beverage Company: This is our longest-awaited passion project. My husband and I started homebrewing years ago, and from the beginning our dream has been to brew beer with a purpose. While we won’t have a taproom, we’ll be contract brewing in partnership with a Bonita brewery, so you’ll be able to find our beers in select restaurants and bottle shops across Florida. Most importantly, at least 10% of profits from every batch will be donated to local nonprofits that support individuals with special needs — a cause very close to my heart.

At the end of the day, The Hoppy Homestead is a living, growing project built on community, creativity, and connection — and I’m excited to see how it continues to evolve.

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?

1. Adaptability has been huge. My original dream of having a full working homestead and brewery looks a lot different today than it did when I first started. But by shifting course, I’ve still been able to create the things that matter most to me — even if they don’t look exactly like the original plan. My advice: don’t be afraid to change course — it’s part of the process, not a setback.
2. Persistence has carried me through the ups and downs. Not every idea takes off right away, and it’s easy to get discouraged, but staying consistent and keeping my bigger vision in mind makes all the difference. My advice: focus on small, steady progress instead of waiting for overnight success.
3. Creativity is what keeps things exciting for me. I love coming up with new ideas and figuring out how to bring them to life. My advice: if something sparks your interest, go for it. You never know what it might grow into.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Collaborations are really special to me and played a huge role in how I got my start. Working with places and brands like Brookside Beer Market, Ankrolab Brewing, The Naples Players, Grumpy Goat Coffee Roastery, Riptide Brewing and Concerned Cook gave me the chance to grow and share my ideas in the community. I love teaming up with people who value creativity, connection, and keeping things local — whether it’s a fun pop-up, a cross-promotion, or just bouncing around ideas. Those kinds of collaborations mean a lot to me, and I’m always excited to create something unique with people that feel the same way.
If anyone’s reading this and thinks we’d be a good fit, the best way to reach me is through Instagram at @thehoppyhomestead or by email at [email protected]

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thehoppyhomestead.com
• Instagram: @thehoppyhomestead
• Youtube: @thehoppyhomestead
• Other: TikTok: @thehoppyhomestead