We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mike Blash a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Mike with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I’m lucky enough to have had very hard working parents who showed me through their actions how to balance work and family life. They taught all of their children to be both independent and helpful towards others.
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?
I’m a partner at Tin City Distillery located in Paso Robles, California. Tin City is a special place, a unique blend of artisan makers which includes our distillery, a brewery, cider-house, restaurants, wineries and much more. We distill some amazing spirits such vodkas, gin, whiskeys, and more including brandies using wine sourced from select local wineries. We are especially excited about the planned distillery expansion this year to include an updated kitchen and additional food facilities.
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?
Patience, I wanted the business to take off like a rocket. As I reflect on being in business for 10 years, learning to be patient was an important lesson to learn.
Faith. Truthfully there were many times I felt like the world was going to come crashing down. Having faith in the success of the business is necessary. Never stop believing in yourself.
Teamwork. Working with others was a hard skill for me to learn. I’m fiercely independent, often to my detriment. Owning a business often requires working with other people and it’s a skill I’m happy to have learned.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My wife, she was crazy enough to tell me to go for it a decade ago and has been a constant supporter of mine since day one. I’m lucky to be a part of her life, she has made so many sacrifices because her husband decided to start a small business with some friends. I can’t thank her enough for the amount of support, advice, care, and love she has shown me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.TinCityDistillery.com
- Instagram: @TinCityDistillery
Image Credits
All are photos from my personal collection.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
