We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Domonic Nieves a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Domonic, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Being told you must adhere to a gluten free diet is tough to handle. Every day you must relearn how to eat, drink and shop for essentials. When we were told to go gluten free my life and my husband’s life changed, for the better, but with it’s own difficulties.
Our purpose stems from our first few years of learning how to live gluten free. And becoming that source of education for others who are now going through the same struggle. Helping them hopefully have an easier transition. Being able to bridge the gap between what is safe and what to avoid. Living gluten free doesnt just mean reading food labels. You have to stay vigilant when buying everyday essentials like body wash, hair shampoos, lotions etc.
It’s a mission of ours to help the gluten free community live a more inclusive life one pint at a time. Whether that stems from drinking our beer or visiting the taproom and meeting fellow celiacs who have their own stories to share.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As founder and the VP of Sales for Divine Science Brewing, my focus is around sharing our beers across California. Making gluten free beer a more accessible option. Our beers are safe for people with celiacs or gluten intolerance and for everyone else as well. I love to share the word about how our beers are delicious and are less likely to bloat you due to the gluten free grains we use. It’s my goal to become a National and International brand, to be able to share our beers with people all over the world. To give them reason to go to their local pub and mingle with their neighbors they may have never met before. Pubs and local bars are where people from all different backgrounds go to chill out, many a time engaging with people around them all because they share their common affection towards beer.
Beer is such a cultural element that gets taken away when you are told to go gluten free. My husband was forced to go gluten free as well, so he started homebrewing back in 2016 because he missed being able to grab a pint after work with buddies. The comaraderie of hanging out with a low alcohol, low sugar bubbly beverage was taken away and hard alcohol was never his thing. So he invited friends over for a homebrew. Being able to bring back that feeling of hanging with your friends, laughing with strangers or chilling at your friends BBQ while enjoying the simple things means so much more when it’s been taken away.
I love being able to see our regulars bond with new customers in the tap room. Seeing how the community has so much in common but not many places to coexist. It has immortalized the brand. Our taproom, aka witches den, is a place for everyone to coexist.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I believe confidence, patience and resilience is key. When starting up a business you need to be able to make smart decisions for your business. Know when it is best to continue negotiations for a better deal or better service, as well as understanding a timeline for what is best for your business. I have had to make difficult decisions but many mentors have told me getting into debt for the sake of something is never worth it. When your starting out you need to have defined rules for yourself. Actions you will never break and how to cope with stressful times to keep yourself calm. Becoming your own boss means “it’s all up to you”, which is daunting but also powerful. I choose to focus on owning my power and understanding that I can make the difference. Grab the phone and make some calls. Or start those emails.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Choose Your Enemies Wisely, by Patrick Bet David made a huge impact in how I approach my business. He speaks about the same values I hold when it comes to employees. It is worth giving people a chance but if they don’t show integrity and grit, it is tough to have faith in their success. He also helped me hone it on who my competition is. It is very easy to be direct about your competition, but opening up to a broader spectrum enables to further define your product and value.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.divinesciencebrewing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divinesciencebrewing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/divinesciencebrewing
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/divine-science-brewing-tustin
