Day 330 – Even Jesus was doubted by those familiar with him.

My devotional reading this morning talked about how Jesus was rejected in his own hometown.

 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” Mark 6:4

This was Jesus’ response to people in his hometown criticizing his ministry. They doubted that he could be responsible for such wisdom and miracles because they were familiar with him.

Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Mark 6:3

Familiarity is sometimes not your ally. Especially if it involves change. Have you ever tried to do something and you got excited about it only to have a family member or close friend scoff and shake their head at you? They make some comment that completely takes the wind out of your sails. They are usually forming an opinion about your ability to carry out your idea. Let me say that again. They are forming an opinion about your ability to carry out your idea. It is important to realize that their opinion has nothing to do with your actual idea. In most cases they do not even think about the idea enough to give it merit or not. That is why someone else can come up with the same idea and they will have an entirely different view based on their knowledge of the person sharing the idea.

I have been an Entrepreneur most all of my life. I have started several businesses and spent a lot of time and resources on these ventures. I get comments all of the time like, “what are you up to now?” It is almost entertainment for some to see what half brained idea I am currently working on. To some I am just the guy who has been unemployed for 2 years and had to go back to work in a warehouse because he failed again.

On the flip side of that coin there are a lot of my business peers that are familiar with me in a different way.

I get emails from other business people on a very regular basis asking me for my advice. I have peers who no the struggle of a start-up company and can appreciate what I have been able to accomplish. I have people bringing me ideas all of the time. I recently just signed a non disclosure with a gentleman that is about to revolutionize an industry and wants to make me part of his team because of my contacts and experience. I am respected as a start-up entrepreneur that has created and brought products to market. I understand supply chains. contract manufacturing, and have stood toe to toe with billionaires and heal my own.

Yes, it is a bit of a stretch and no, I am not comparing myself to Jesus but, the principle applies the same. We are all more respected outside of our immediate sphere of influence. That is a lesson that has taken me a while to learn and I encourage you to remember this the next time you have an idea or want to make a change. Understand the source of the comments coming back at you. While the people close to you love you and care for you, they do look at you through tinted glasses.

Day 296 – The struggle is real.

Most boot strapping start ups are done while an entrepreneur is still working a normal job.

I have had the privilege of focusing on my projects pretty much full time for the last two years. It is a very difficult task. The added stress of just daily life and making ends meet can catch up with you very fast and it begins to really take a toll after a period of time.

Since leaving the Gulf of Mexico this has been a very exciting time. I have been able to go on a national TV show and grow a brand to the point of negotiating to sell it to our manufacturer. I have been able to create and launch a liquor product that is doing very well and growing to expand into a whole line of spirits.

The company is growing but, at this time it is not profitable enough for me to take a salary. I am at a point where we have no more savings and the one salary we have coming in is just not enough to pay the bills.

I am looking at having to take a job to make everything work.

This provides a bit of a challenge by itself. A lot of employers may not want to hire someone who already has another plan or business in the works. It will be pretty obvious that my priority will be to the success of my own company. I will need to take a position that pays decent but has not a lot of responsibility. Many of these types of positions I am over qualified for and another strike against me when it comes to an employer looking at me as an employee. Basically what I need is a position that is pretty mindless that I can just clock in and out of. I need to find a position that is flexible enough to provide me to still do things necessary to advance my business. I will have to find something that is a graveyard shift or an early morning shift that will allow me time during the day to still run the business.

The other struggle is one of a personal nature. It is hard for me to “get a job”. I do not want to look at this as a failure to succeed on my own by any means. I am simply having to make the right decision to survive and provide the necessities. Tough decisions are just a part of running your own business and most decisions are based on necessity.

Time to get a job and relieve a little stress.

Day 275 – Sunday Sunday get stuff done day!

I really do not have much to write about today.

This should be an interesting week  and I am doing my best to prepare.

I woke up early this morning in my favorite way, next to my wife. That may seem obvious but it does not happen that much as she is most usually gone way before I wake up. As I type this she has already been asleep for almost 4 hours. She works so hard, getting up at 3:25 every morning. So when I get a chance to wake up and see her in bed on the weekends it is a real treat.

I got up and went to church to perform in Drama. Drama is something we do every week at our church and I LOVE being a part of it. I know most people think of dramas and performances at church normally a Christmas and Easter thing but we do it every week.  Allen Creek Community Church does an amazing job of using the creative talents of member to bring real and relevant messages of God’s word to people every single week. I always wanted to be an actor and when I was a teen I had no idea that I would be doing it so often and on a stage for God.

When I got home we had a fantastic late breakfast of corned beef hash, eggs, and bacon! We squeezed in an episode of Fringe during breakfast then I had to get the brakes done on Amy’s BMW. I have mentioned before how awesome it is to be handy and how that saves a lot of money but I have to say that this was one of the easiest brake jobs I have ever done. Well besides when I did the brakes on the Lexus and sat in a chair drinking beer while I “taught” my youngest how to do brakes. Seriously it was pretty easy.

Afterwards The in laws came over and all the boys were here too. We had a meal and visited for a couple hours. You know how much I love spending time with family.

They all left and it was time for another episode of Fringe! After that Amy went to bed and I went to the warehouse for a feeding. I have come home to blog and watch Dr Who with Cort.

If you cannot tell this was an amazing Sunday and this is my life! It is pretty friggin awesome!

Day 273 – Buckle up this could get bumpy!

Every business has challenges.

The farther you get in any endeavor the challenges get bigger. That is how we grow and move forward. When we are face to face with the challenge it always seems huge. Sometimes they are so big it seems hopeless but, the true entrepreneur will keep looking for a way around, over, or through the obstacle.

We are in a time of growth and on the verge of some big things. Why would I not expect a big ole monkey wrench right about now. Nothing devastating just time for a big pivot.

It is funny how we have a vision of the future and plan a path but it never works as you plan. The destination does not change but the path sure does.

I am sitting here tonight full of anxiety and uncertainty. I know it will work out and Eve’s will be as big as ever but, I am at one of those places where I am just unsure how to proceed. I am in new territory as I am having to trust someone more than I ever have before.

This is uncharted territory for me as I have little control and it is uncomfortable. In the end My partner is just as vested as me and I know he wants Eve’s to succeed just as much as me.

Not too sure how things are going to unfold but like I said I am confident in the outcome!

I’m strapping in for this ride!

Day 265 – I will have the last laugh

Ugh.

Many times in business you learn lessons and learned lessons usually come from challenges. 2 years ago I learned a lesson on national TV. I learned the lesson of reality TV.

While the experience was fantastic it was bitter sweet. The editors of the show took an hour of material and forged my life and business into entertainment for the masses. Anyone who has seen my episode knows that it did not go that well. At least the version that we saw did not go very well. When I was actually there it was very cool and I got some good advice and I learned a lot. What we saw was an embarrassment.

It is something that I have really tried to put behind me but, thanks to reruns I cannot. I am forced to re live this every time we air. Now you would think this would be easier to move on from than it actually is.

With every airing I get emails and tweets that are nothing less than cruel. I am an entrepreneur and this comes with the territory. Anyone who steps out and takes risks is susceptible to criticism but, it is hardly constructive.

The fact is that I will never give up and I have a lot of great things happening. I should not care but I am just a man. I love how people watch a show from their couch and are experts in business and love to tell me how dumb I am and personally attack me.

I have something to say to them all. Keep watching because I am a winner. I have a dream and a purpose and it is bigger than them or their opinions. Their words are fuel and while they hurt they also motivate me to keep moving forward.

I am doing something that most choose not to do, I am paying the price for my dreams. I do not make excuses and I press on in the face of adversity. I have the balls to walk into a room of millionaires and address them as equals. I I walked down a hallway that only a few hundred people have ever walked down and I put myself out there. I do it every day. I am determined and I will succeed.

So as you sit on your couch and hope for more, I am doing the work and paying the price. I am Roger Sullivan and I am a winner.

Day 264 – Look Ma! No nap!

I survived!

Lets look at some of my accomplishments of the last 44 hours. In the last 44 hours I have slept 3 hours, written 3 blogs, spent 5 hours in the car had a meeting with the economic developer for Snohomish and made over 300 gallons of delicious spiced apple cider from scratch for our largest batch of Eve’s Apple Pie to date!

I know I said I would be tired and my day would be SO long but, the truth is I love days like these. It is days like these that I will be able to look back on and see how the construction blocks of my success were laid.

My hard work and sacrifices made possible by the support of my wife and partners. No one will ever be able to say that I did not work hard for everything I have accomplished. My journey is one of digging in and crawling for every single inch.

My struggle is no different than any other business owner out there. We all work hard and are paying the price demanded for our dreams. The battle field of success is the great equalizer. There are no shortcuts or secret paths, there is no special treatment, and there is no privilege. There is only struggle and pain. The struggle and pain are directly proportional to what you have asked of life.

It is true that the bigger the desire the bigger the price and I hate to break it to any of you but, there are no blue light specials and no sales.

You see life will give of you whatever you ask. Do not try to talk to me about privileges or hardships. If you live in the United States of America that stuff is bullshit and just a crutch. I will not waste my time arguing that truth. I will be happy to share my story of so called “privilege”  any time.

Like I said, life will give you whatever you ask for. Life makes a very fair deal and you can either take it or leave that deal. Whatever you want comes at a price. One simply needs to be willing to pay that price. Most everyone would love to live a lifestyle free from worry of time and money however, there is only a very small percentage of the population that are will to pay the price for that. Those individuals live a life that most cannot because they did something that anyone can but, chooses not to.

The easy thing is to talk about how lucky they are, how nice it would have been to have daddy’s money, or any other number of justifications why we cannot do what they did. The truth is that we can. I can tell you about a man living on the streets in Las Vegas just over a year ago. No job and no home. Today he is a millionaire. I can tell you about a girl who was poor and abused by her step father when her mother died, went to work for the mafia as a kid and was sent to a school for girls. She ran away from there and was homeless until debuting at the Apollo Theater Why did they get so lucky? They asked of life their dreams, looked at the price tag, shook hands and just went to work. No excuses, no hand outs, and no quitting. They. Just. Did. The. Work.

This life is all about decisions. Decisions that only we alone can make. When I am in the quiet of my mind searching for what to do and how to do it I CHOOSE to listen to the voice that says I can. The voice that says I can’t is a faded memory that was often disguised as an excuse. What voice do you listen to?

Day 262 – Power Day!

Power day!

After a quick trip to get spices for our next batch of Apple Pie to fulfill the Walmart order I came home to sit at my desk for several productive and creative hours.

I have a punch-list of things to get done so we can launch the new website.

When I get into those modes time flies by and it was 6 o’clock before I knew it. I am pretty excited about the new website and it is just the beginning of our growth.

Today I worked on Eve’s story and had some grammatical help for the about page. I created some new page banners and tomorrow Jesse will come over to get these things on the site.

I will take some new pictures for the recipe page and get some of the most popular recipes on the site and tie them to Amy’s pinterest page. Later this week I will get some good pictures of Dairyland and get that on the coming soon section of the sight.

Wednesday I will be going to Cashmere to make our next batch and then get back for a meeting to discuss plans for our first event out at Dairyland to take advantage of Small Business Saturday at the end of November.

This is a very exciting time with big things and lots of work to do to make them happen. I feel like the next few months will be bursting with news and great things. Thank you all for your support and prayers.

Stay tuned!

Day 262 – Hello Cat, come out of the bag!

Today was a Sunday and usually they are uneventful days.

I started the day off by completing some website things that I needed to get done. We will be launching the new website this week.

I woke up to a message and a voice mail from Colin and Carol the distillery owners. It seems that they ended up over here on this side of the mountains and we were able to meet for a while.

Over the last few weeks we have been working on a plan to spin off Eve’s from Its 5 and be it’s own thing.

Originally we started Eve’s as just an Apple Pie Moonshine. It has done so well is such a short amount of time that we have decided to form a brand and entire line around Eve’s.

We are soon to be releasing the White Lighting which is a 100% unaged corn whiskey and a peach flavor.

The vision has grown even more to include a bar line including a Gin, Vodka, and Bourbon, as well as a line of real fruit infused vodkas.

Based on what we are planning, we will have 10 products under the Eve’s Label in the next 12 months. In order to do that we have decided to actually make Eve’s it’s own thing. We are applying to create Eve’s Moonshine Co and have multiple locations.

We plan on having a production facility in Cashmere and we are looking at bottling and tasting rooms in downtown Leavenworth and Snohomish!

We have been talking to the owners of an old dairy farm in Snohomish. Dairyland is such an exciting venue and I am bursting to be able to share the entire vision for this property.

We will be growing apples and corn on this property that will go right into our spirits! Were are so excited to partner with this venue to become a part of Snohomish. We have plans for events to draw people out to the venue weekly and we will need all of your support to make this this huge.

There is an 8000 square foot hay barn on the property that we will be taking over and remodeling to be able to call Snohomish home. What better place for a Moonshine Company that an old hay barn in the heart of Snohomish County.

We hope to have Eve’s Moonshine Co up and running independently by the first quarter of 2015. This is such huge news and I have been just bursting wanting to tell you all. Eve’s is going from a great product to a great brand! There are other cool things in the works and I cant wait to share!

Be sure to keep an eye out for Eve’s Moonshine Co in Leavenworth and Snohomish very very soon! This Is HUGE news!

 

Day 259 – Think BIG!

I sometimes do not think big enough.

So, without letting too much out of the bag, I will tell you about a call I got today.

I have been looking for some money to expand Eve’s Moonshine. There are some cool things in the works and I will be sharing them soon I promise. I got a call from a guy today asking me about the money that I am looking for.

I have to tell you that this call took me by complete surprise. Much like the call I got two years ago from a Shark Tank producer while I was checking my mail. He started asking me about what we were doing and the amount of money that I was looking for. Now at this point I am kind of fishing and I really am no where near being ready to having a comprehensive plan and budget. So I shot what I thought was high and told him $75,000 to $100,000. He paysed for just a second and offered me some advice. It was clear that he had way more experience at this than me and asked some hard questions about the amount I was looking for. In no uncertain terms he told me that what I was looking for was no where near enough. He said that if I was serious about going national and being able to support that, I needed more like $5,000,000. Yes 5 MILLION dollars! Of course as he was talking I realized he was right. Expansion is more than a facility. We need money for marketing and support and we would run into problems of being underfunded very quickly.

He helped me realize that this is no game and I should not be afraid to look farther down the road and ask for what I really need. A facility is just the beginning and I will certainly need more capital to be able to do this right but, it was a bit intimidating.

Why not $5,000,000? If that is what we actually need to do what we want to do then why not look for the big money. There are people out there in that investment bracket obviously. Why not invest in me and this company. Is the product good enough? Absolutely! So why not us? There is no good answer to why not us so my dream just got a lot bigger today. Stepping so far out of my comfort zone that I can’t even see it I will be thinking on a much larger scale and see where that takes us.

Will I get 5,000,000? I don’t know but, it is out there for the taking and We really could take this to a level that I have only dreamed about. Isn’t that the plan? We will see what happens but rest assured Eve’s is on the move!

Day 257 – I have a phone again, but something better happened!

Today was a very good day. A fan-firickin-tastic day actually.

Not just because I have an iPhone again and I am part of the matrix again but because of what happened today.

I talked about how great we did last night at the Fall Spirit Trade show and I would like to elaborate. This show had lots of industry people there. A lot of bar and restaurant managers and owners. Some liquor store owners and a couple buyers for big chains. Now these buyers and like targets as you can imagine and it is tough to get their attention in such a venue. I mean there were probably almost 100 vendors there and close to 500 brands represented. We were one of only two local distilleries present and notably the small unknown guys.

Colin, my distiller has recently hired a salesman that has been on the industry since 1993 and recently left Southern Wine and Spirits to go out on his own. He knew everyone there and it was a huge help. About 1 1/2 hours into the event one of the guys he knows brought over the buyer for Walmart in Eastern Washington to taste Eve’s Apple Pie. When he tasted it, he had the same reaction most everybody else does and he had a horrible poker face. He immediately started talking about a couple cases for a display in a big store to see how it would go. Over the course of the next couple hours the buyer brought over two other people to taste it and they all liked it too.

We left last night pretty confident that they would place an order and do some experimenting. Now when dealing with a  large company like Walmart we expect there to be a lot of follow up and lots of red tape. Honestly it is hard to get through it and still keep them excited about the product.

At two o’clock today the impossible happened.

Colin called me to tell me that Walmart placed and order!!!!!! Not only did they make the decision and place an order in 18 short hours, they changed the order. They did not order 3 cases for one store. They ordered 50 cases and a soft order for 25 cases a month after that to resupply!

YES 50 CASES!!!!!!!!!!!

Things are really coming together for us and our product is starting to be recognized. I should also say that there was a national moonshine brand there too and he had been there and had their stuff but he came back to us twice.  This simply does not just happen. never this fast and especially with a company as big as Walmart.

Lots to do in the next couple weeks but we have the money and the capabilities to fulfill this order which is also very nice. It will be busy but we will get them the product and do what we can to help it move.

Stay tuned for a list of stores that it will be in. You can help by helping spreading the word and maybe even buy a bottle too!