We were lucky to catch up with Travis & Stephanie Martin recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Travis & Stephanie 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?
My husband and I were both small town farm kids that were taught from a very young age that nothing was ever handed to you. The only way you would get through life was through hard work and perseverance. We helped on our family farms by feeding animals, harvesting, hauling hay, and doing day to day chores. Nothing came for free. We saw failure at times when livestock died or crops failed and that taught us to persevere, but we also saw success when things went right. I think we can both say we took pride in the work our families did/do and the part we played in it.
In addition to our young start within the agriculture field, we were also surrounded by hardworking people in our lives who wanted to give us the best life possible. Whether it was our dads, moms or grandparents, they all played a vital piece in shaping us into the people we are today. They taught us not only to rejoice in our successes, but to take each failure and build upon it like a stepping stone.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
We both have a huge passion for all facets of agriculture and the part it plays in feeding America. We also love good craft beer, which we don’t have a shortage of within the Pacific Northwest! In fact, approximately 75% of the nation’s hops are grown within the Yakima Valley of Washington State.
When we started down the road of talking about starting a mobile bar, we knew that we wanted our business model to be focused around our passion for the agriculture industry; in addition to providing great customer service and supporting local small businesses like ours. So our business was built to focus on promoting local craft breweries and our cocktails are farm to table based. We hand-craft each of our simple syrups using local ingredients whenever possible.
It is always rewarding to see how happy our clients are when their guests love our craft beer recommendations and the handcrafted cocktails we provide during their event. The PNW just has so many great things to offer and we love showcasing them all!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I absolutely think that being able to take constructive criticism, being resilient, and having a willingness to learn are all things that lead you to success. Our day to day lives consist of these things and we walked into this business knowing that we had to learn the industry that we were diving into and that things were not always going to be easy. Walking in with a positive attitude and being ready to embrace each challenge in a positive light helps walk you through those tough times though. We listen to our clients, and we do everything we can to alleviate the stress that we can from their day.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Within our business, it is trying to determine what we want the future to look like. There are so many options and there isn’t a right or a wrong way to go about it! We absolutely have the ability to grow however we want within the mobile bar industry, but there are so many things that weigh into that decision making. For example, taking into consideration our kids, our work schedules, our capacity as an operation, our plans for growth, etc. It all weighs on us in determining what risks we are willing to take and when we are willing to take them. A small business is a labor of love and is so rewarding, but you have to take risks to reap those rewards. Knowing when the right time is to do that is key.
We are currently discussing our options through and doing financial planning to ensure we have the capability to continue to grow and succeed within the mobile bar industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stoutandtipsy.com
- Instagram: @stoutandtipsy
- Facebook: Stout & Tipsy Mobile Bar
- Yelp: Stout & Tipsy
- Other: Google: Stout & Tipsy Mobile Bar
Image Credits
Rachael and Josh Photography (Rachel Becker) – rachaelandjoshphotography.com
Livvy Rose Studios, LLC
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
