We were lucky to catch up with Kristine Mannino recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kristine, so good to have you with us today. Being the only one in the room: how have you learned to be effective/successful even when you are the only one in the room that looks like you?
I think everyones version of success can vary, but for me, it was developing a system to address my clients pain points and needs in a very niche market. Mobile bartending is a luxury, it’s not something you have to have. However, marketing our business toward the client who values their time and energy over a few extra dollars has been effective. For example, if our client is the CEO of their own business, he has a lot on his plate on any given day, so instead of him adding more to it having to go to the store to buy fruit and mixers and syrups, etc. for his party later, part of our business is that we will do all of that for you – we’re going to bring everything you need for a great bar experience for X amount of dollars. And that’s a pain point that people are willing to pay for. When we marketed ourself to event planners we touched on their pain point of lack of communication a lot of them experience with vendors and we guarantee that we’ll keep them informed every step of the way and have developed a system for that that’s been effective. With venues, it’s been just showing up as our best professional selves and letting them know we don’t serve shots, we keep the place cleaner than when we arrived, etc. and again touched on pain points that matter to them. The mobile bartending world in Michigan is rapidly growing, but there’s only one me, and I have had years in this market to trial and error what does and doesn’t work, and no matter how many more bars pop up, I can’t be duplicated. I’ve learned not to look at what they’re doing and stay the course of what works for me – and that has been successful and my clients have that trust in me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I run all things Byrdie Bar from A-Z. I am the face behind social media, phone calls, designing the menus, operations of making syrups and pressing juices, loading up the bars for events, and everything in-between. I’m also usually at our events either bartending, being the liaison between bars when there’s multiple, or there for setup/breakdown. We are a company that offer bartending services and custom built luxury mobile bars for rent. With our bars we can roll up to any event and provide an exciting experience out of one of our bars which are either a Vintage Camper turned full service mobile bar, or a 1967 Ford Econoline Supervan turned Tap Truck. We also have stand alone satellite bars for indoor events that the mobile bars can’t fit into or for smaller gatherings that don’t need something so large. We also offer our services to venues that already have bars but are looking for a high-level cocktail service. Regardless of what we’re bartending behind, whats special about Byrdie Bar is that we focus on a craft cocktail experience. We are elevating events with drinks that have unique ingredients, high level customer service, and just an overall experience when you walk up to the bar to grab a beverage. We are debuting a new stand alone bar in just a few weeks for a Galentine’s day event, and are also looking into a second camper bar for later this year, possibly next year.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Being a bartender in a variety of bars has been my most important skillset I’ve taken with me in this business. I started in corporate chain restaurants, then jumped into dive bars and sports bar, and ended in high-volume party bars before launching Byrdie. Taking my experiences from those three markets and having the knowledge to look at what did and didn’t work in those locations to bring to my business was a huge asset for me. Regardless of whether you’re in just one of those types of bars or have knowledge from all of them, being an actual bartender in a bar setting before trying to start a mobile bar is huge. I don’t think a lot of people realize how much goes into the backend.
In terms of qualities, being fearless. You don’t know what you don’t know. I’m a big believer of just getting out there and trying something if it peaks your interest. I’ve pitched our brand and asked to be a part of massive events to complete strangers who have said yes and given us a seat at the table, and I think a lot of people are scared of being turned down or told no. I’m relentless in this business in the sense that I go after what I want, who I want to work with, what events we want to be a part of, and I know what we bring to the table, so I’m fearless in approaching those big conversations with event executives.
And third, having complete faith in your team. My staff are the backbone of this company, and we wouldn’t be who we are today without them. If someone isn’t working out and you lose trust in that employee – whether it’s something as small as whether they’ll be on time or not for events, I think it’s best to weed them out. That can sound harsh, but if your team isn’t performing and you have to worry about who is representing your brand when you aren’t around, its best to move forward with employees you have full faith in. Obviously have a conversation first and I’m a big believer of a second chance, but when someone proves to me that they’re not all in that second time around, I don’t have more energy to give that person. I want to give my all back to everyone who wants to be a part of this business and grow with us as a team player. It took me too long to learn that, and it would be some of my best advice to someone starting out. Your employees, your staff, your team are your company – hire people you enjoy being around, who have the work ethic you’re looking for, and who you can trust.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
If anyone wants us to be at one of their events, an inquiry on our website is the best route to get in touch. We also LOVE doing styled shoots. If the bar is any interest for photoshoots for weddings or brands, we want to collaborate! We love a theme, we love styling the bar and getting creative and doing out of the box ideas. It’s so fun to craft up new cocktails and just go full out for a fun shoot. Don’t have a specific event you’re in need of bar services for – give us a follow on social for inspiration or to find out about public events you can see us at in action.
Contact Info:
- Website: byrdiebar.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/byrdiebar
- Facebook: facebook.com/byrdiebar
