Alba Huerta is an award-winning mixologist and owner of Julep in Houston, Texas. She has spent more than a decade shaping cocktail culture. After countless awards, and 110 drinks on the menu, she has gained international acclaim for her bartending prowess.
Listen now to learn about the art of mixology, embracing her Mexican-American heritage, and leading a James Beard Award winning cocktail program.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc
Listen now to learn about the art of mixology, embracing her Mexican-American heritage, and leading a James Beard Award winning cocktail program.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc
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NewsTranscript
00:00You're known globally for the cocktails, what you've inspired,
00:04what are the lessons that you've taken away over these last 10 years?
00:08Just follow your intuition. And I heard this on a podcast recently,
00:14and it was such a eureka moment, but there's no greater advice than your own intuition.
00:20Welcome to Restaurant Influencers, presented by Entrepreneur. I am your host, Sean Walcheff. This
00:31is a Cali BBQ Media production. In life, in the restaurant business, and in the new creator
00:38economy, we learn through lessons and stories. I am so lucky today I get to talk to Alba
00:45Huerta, and she is an award-winning bar owner, author, host, bilingual cocktail educator,
00:53and she is one of the reasons, she's not one of the reasons, but the fact that we get to interview
01:00people like Alba is why I'm so grateful that Toast sponsors this show, that they believe in
01:06storytelling, that they've given us the opportunity to talk about the things that happen in hospitality,
01:13not just all the great successes, but some of the difficult times that lead us to where we
01:17are today. The people that tune into this show, if you're new to this show, welcome. If you've
01:22been listening for the last three years, we're grateful. And Alba, I'm so honored that we get
01:27to hear your story today. Welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me. This is really
01:31exciting. I was looking forward to this for quite a bit. How many bartending awards have you won?
01:38Cocktail awards? Countless. I don't know.
01:44And actually, no one's ever asked me that question. I should look it up.
01:49No. Let's start with our favorite question, which is where in the world is your favorite stadium,
01:56stage or venue? My favorite venue in the world. Oh, gosh. Okay. Not restaurants.
02:09There's a lot of those, right? You want like high energy performance.
02:16I think Mexico City. It's just absolutely stunning.
02:22I was there for a Dia de los Muertos concert, kind of a symphony concert thing a few years ago.
02:34And it's so absolutely mesmerizing. It's like all of your senses kick in. It smells beautiful,
02:44it sounds beautifully, it looks beautifully. And so there's just a lot of like overstimulation of
02:50your senses. And I think that's an amazing, magical place. Can you say the name again?
02:58So Bellas Artes is the name of the... How many people fit in that venue? Any idea?
03:05Thousands? Thousands. Yeah. Okay. All right. We're going to go there and talk to entrepreneur.
03:13We're going to talk to Toast. We're going to talk to some spirit brands. And we're going to do a
03:18TEDx style keynote presentation where I get to bring you up on stage. And I would love for you
03:25to start the conversation with people that are here in the audience
03:31to talk about the story of cocktails. How do cocktails tell stories?
03:37I mean, it's such a personal, creative energy from the time that somebody created the spirit
03:48and they poured their heart into it to where someone like me took that product and created
03:54something beautiful, just personalized for you. And with cocktails, it's always a very unique
04:02experience tailored to how you feel, right? So when somebody comes into the bar, for example,
04:09and they're not necessarily like cocktail connoisseurs, our first question to them is,
04:16are you feeling celebratory? Do you want to feel like... Are you looking to maybe try something a
04:22little bit different than what you normally have? And with those types of conversations,
04:29we'll find a drink out of our 110 cocktails that we have in the bar. We'll find a drink for you,
04:34maybe a few drinks based on how you feel. But it's a very personal connection. It's a very
04:41personal experience from the bartender to our guest. And it's something very gratifying to see
04:50that be received on the other side. And someone who gets really excited about a flavor or a
04:56cocktail that they've never had before, there's a very... Just the exchange of energy and kindness
05:05there and love. It's simultaneous, but it's also very, I guess, unspoken. It's a labor of love to
05:16create cocktails. To think about when we put something on the menu that starts from months
05:24back of someone on the team being inspired by either a food that they had or something from
05:30their childhood, or they found this product in the market that they really loved, and they
05:36thought these flavors would go well together. And so it starts from somewhere so far back.
05:43And by the time we get to an iteration of a cocktail that we think is exemplary, that drink
05:50has been made 20, 30 times by the time that we can present it and say, okay, we think you guys are
05:56going to love this drink, and we're going to put it on the menu, and we're going to listen to how
06:01you feel about it. And we listen to feedback as well. We're like, oh, the season's changing,
06:11so where do we go from here? Do we start... We look at ingredients that are available to us,
06:18or do we look at... And or do we look at an experience or something that's happening on
06:24pop culture? And so it's always drawing creativity from walking, being alive, and
06:33experiencing different places. So the creative energy comes from so many
06:41different channels that when it finally gets to be put into the glass or the intention of
06:47creating this drink, it's just gone through a process, and the process itself is beautiful. But
06:53when we finally get to that drink, and we're like, you know, our team, we do something called...
06:59We do cocktail committees. So if you have an idea for a drink, or if you're stuck on the
07:05development of it, you bring it to the committee. And in the committee, we discuss things that we
07:09might think that might help the blending process or the balancing process or the flavor process.
07:16And during the committee is where everybody can share their ideas and also the way that
07:22they think about cocktails, which itself is another process. So again, by the time that
07:28these drinks are on the menu, they've gone... They're so personal to the creator, because
07:35they've made them different ways and with different ingredients, and then
07:39finally got into a balanced, beautiful drink, and they're so proud of it. And that itself is
07:45really, you know, very giving and very just... There's such a beautiful story of hospitality there
07:54so that we can present these drinks to our guests and hope that they like them. We're still,
07:59you know, the humility of being like, well, maybe you don't like it. That's okay.
08:03We'll go back and work on it some more. And so yeah, it's been a beautiful life
08:10doing that beautiful experience and seeing my staff grow and seeing them become
08:17flavorist and also incredible at this. There's the other skill of actually bartending the mechanics
08:23of being in the bar, seeing everyone develop their skills over the years and how, you know,
08:30they might have gotten behind the bar and been nervous initially, but then later, got this
08:35sense of security and knowing their product and knowing their trade. And that itself is
08:41also very fueling. And so there's a lot of different ways of the human experiment here
08:48of how we can put a menu together and just be really proud of what they're doing every day,
08:57really proud of just being behind the bar and also aspiring to other things, you know.
09:03Do not skip this ad. This is important information. I unboxed toast, our point of
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09:43Do you remember when you first started thinking about cocktails?
09:48I do. I really do. I started bartending in 1998. I was 18 years old at the time. And right around
09:582008, so I would have considered myself 10 years into bartending into my career.
10:09I've always known about the Negroni, but I didn't know enough about the Negroni to say
10:14that I understood the mechanics of the cocktail, right? I knew what the ingredients were.
10:18I didn't understand really the purpose or the reason or even the origin of the drink
10:23to understand the magnitude of it. And this is like early 98, right? I would have a guest that
10:29would come into the Timberwolf Pub and he would ask me for the Negroni. And I tried my hardest to
10:37put as little of the sweet vermouth as possible into this drink because I just thought, this can't
10:43possibly mean this. There's no way. Luckily, he drank it and thought it was fine. And for a long
10:49time, I worked with creating different flavors, but I'd never understood the actual mechanics of
10:59the cocktail where they come from different families. So there's different families of drinks
11:05and the classics themselves, I didn't know. So when I discovered that there were actual classics
11:12and there were books and there were hundred and something year old books that had been written
11:17about these cocktails, I realized that I found myself in a position where I didn't know,
11:29although I'd been in the industry for 10 years, I'm like, I don't know anything.
11:34And so it was right around 2008, 2009. But instead of being upset, I got really excited.
11:41I was really excited to get another, I guess, another path to continue the career that I love.
11:53And also, I always thought about opening a bar at that time, but I didn't think that,
11:58I didn't know what kind of bar, I knew that. I was like, of course, we could do a sports bar,
12:04we could do, I was like, I don't know if I want to do a nightclub, that seems like a very difficult
12:09thing to do at night. I was very conservative in my thinking, but I would do a nightclub now,
12:15by the way. At that time, I was just like, I don't know. But when I found cocktails, I'm like,
12:22this is it. It's the history, it's nerdy, it's thoughtful, it's got roots. And I became super
12:33excited to not know anything, and then all of a sudden want to know as much as I possibly could,
12:39as fast as I possibly could go. And that was, again, I didn't see it as a hurdle, I saw it as
12:46an opportunity. And I thought, well, this is really cool. And even in right around like 20,
12:54in Texas, at least, and like 2011, 2010, people were questioning cocktails. They're like, I don't
13:00think it's gonna last, this is just the trend. And I was like, okay, well, it's really cool. And
13:05people really like it. And people really are enjoying, like learning that there's classics,
13:09like learning the history, the origins of these drinks. So I think I'm going to keep doing it,
13:14because I think it's, I think it's got legs, right? This is literally what, 10, 13 years ago.
13:21The thought of that now seems so silly, that we were questioning this, this part of this
13:30culinary art, just because it was unknown or not, or hadn't proven itself in the test of time.
13:39But I think it has. And so there's, there's a, there's also like, there's something happening
13:46in the new cocktail movement that happened after the pandemic, in my opinion. And the way that
13:53cocktails are being created now, it's so culinary, and so ethical, and it's super exciting and
14:00interesting. And I find myself at the precipice of that now, right, where I'm like, oh, show me
14:06lacto fermentation and show me, you know, how are you clarifying this to this degree, and just
14:13learning from each other again, it's a it's a think tank of people who are creative and curious.
14:20The curiosity of it, I think, will always be a part of me, like how I'm curious to see how
14:26this is being done in other places, and how you think about, okay, how would you interpret that
14:32differently from that knowledge. And so cocktail, they're still in a very exciting time that I feel
14:40like the flavors that we're seeing across the world in cocktails are so unique and different.
14:47And I do, I do think that pandemic had something to do with that. Because prior to that, a lot of
14:52the cocktails were based on the classics, right. And then after the pandemic, there was this thought
14:59of like, well, let's use, let's use these, these different, whether it's a sous vide process, or
15:07using other other processes to extract flavor, and then create cocktails with those
15:15with those processes. And so I think that's a super interesting part of cocktails at the moment.
15:24How does a cocktail become a classic?
15:27The well, the classics are the classic, the there can be modern classics, which are the drinks that
15:34were created after prohibition. But most of your classics were prohibition and prior. And those
15:42would be like your old fashioned. So when somebody is doing a riff on an old fashioned, the riff
15:47could become a modern classic, but it is rooted in the classic, old fashioned, for example. A
15:56a sour is also like, like a daisy, for example, is a classic that has a build a competition,
16:06the mint julep also has a build and composition. But you can make a riff on that julep if it has
16:13mint or an herb, a sweetening agent, sugar, simple syrup, and spirit or spirits or blending spirits.
16:22And so the riff can later become a modern classic if enough people find it in its popularity. So a
16:30perfect example of a modern classic is the penicillin, which Sam Ross created, I think,
16:39I don't want to I don't tell you the wrong date, I think it's like 2008, maybe. And you can find
16:46the penicillin just about anywhere. But it was definitely in the in the resurgence of the cocktail
16:53movement after probe way after prohibition. Now that you're getting ready to celebrate 10 years
17:02at julep, Houston, you're known globally for the cocktails, what you've inspired,
17:10what are the lessons that you've taken away over these last 10 years?
17:13Well, I, I think the first one that comes to mind is that I never imagined that I would open this bar
17:20twice. So I, during the pandemic, we closed for 13 months, and I reopened this bar as it and it felt
17:29just as if it were brand new, like, the the heavy lifting of that was exactly the same. And I think
17:38and I think the lesson there is that you never know, like, even in even in the most prepared
17:46state, you never know what's going to happen. And the perseverance of, of reopening and coming back
17:54was so front of my mind every day. And I, I feel really, I feel like, really good about it. And
18:04even at that time, I was like, No, we're gonna reopen, we just, this is a difficult time. So we,
18:10we actually had a little delivery truck that would go from neighborhood to neighborhood, and
18:17people would have like outdoor parties when we would show up. And it was really fun. And I was
18:22like, this is a great, this is a great, you know, pivot. And, but at the same time, like, we have to
18:29get back into service, we have to open the doors again, we have to welcome people back in. And
18:35that was, again, the the lesson of perseverance. I think the other lesson is to
18:45just follow your intuition. And I heard this on a podcast recently. And it and it was such an
18:53such a eureka moment, but it's that you'll never receive there's no greater advice than your own
19:00intuition. And when I opened julep, I was, you know, I was, I was like, Okay, so how should I
19:09do this? I questioned myself a lot, you know, 10 years ago. And now I am very steady on those
19:17decisions. And I'm like, No, this is the right thing. This is like, I'm very comfortable in
19:22making and making those decisions about the business and about about the bar. And, and, and,
19:30and it's that confidence of just knowing your intuition, following your intuition, where before
19:36it's like, maybe I need to ask 100 people and see what they think. Just out of risk management,
19:43right? But I don't, I don't operate in that capacity anymore. I'm very much more comfortable
19:49with my decisions from day to day. And I think the very, this is the thing that probably catches me
19:58by like, the most surprising part of turning 10 is that it happened in a blink. Like, and when I
20:09tell people that we're turning 10, like no one's more shocked than I am. We are turning 10. Because
20:16we were working super busy, super busy pandemic get reopened, and then we were 10.
20:22And, and it's amazing that that it happened so fast that that the community loves us,
20:32we love our community, and it loves us back, that we are still, you know, here and making,
20:40and making a splash with our drinks and, and still putting our best foot forward and still
20:47focusing on our guests and still loving every part of the process. And like, that's, that's,
20:54that's an amazing feeling all in itself.
20:58So you were featured in Time magazine, and you said the drink industry doesn't have any borders.
21:05And because of that, you've been able to connect with Spanish speaking people throughout
21:10the world because of cocktails. Can you talk about the global cocktail movement? And I mean,
21:16the reason why we were so fortunate to be able to do this show and to reach people on all different
21:20parts of the globe that love hospitality, that love storytelling, and be able to talk to you,
21:25but we know that there's anyone that has internet access will be able to hear from someone as
21:31successful as you are, that's built what you've built, to talk about, you know, my wife is from
21:36and Bulgaria, they have a cocktail culture, but it's just never talked about, you know,
21:41and until we start to share these things on YouTube and Spotify and Instagram and Facebook,
21:47like, if we have the courage to talk about these things, we realize the world is much
21:51smaller. And there's really cool things that are going on. Yeah, I feel like, especially in the
21:57cocktail industry, we are a very small community, even though we're spread throughout the world.
22:03Like, just about any city, we can connect with another cocktail bar that has very similar
22:12like intentions and very similar sentiments. But in terms of the world, and I do think,
22:18you know, when I think about how cocktails spread their wings through maybe 100 years ago,
22:28when you started to see the American bar at the Savoy, for example, you started to see
22:36that there was this trade that happened in the United States of cocktails. And during
22:42prohibition had to leave, they had to flee to other countries to be able to continue
22:47their practice and continue their trade. What that did about 100 years ago, because we're
22:54looking at prohibition, like the end of prohibition is 1933 or so. It's been about
23:00100 years since that happened. And what it did is that it spread so far and wide.
23:08And what happened eventually was that the liquor industry became globalized. At the moment when
23:14the liquor industry became globalized, then we could, we all had the same ingredients,
23:19we all could use the same product. And we could all make the classics, right where which is the
23:25books that we're all learning from. What that's done on the worldly platform is amazing, that
23:34we the the the unique character of these different bars and these these people from different from,
23:42you know, that their origins are so different from from where we are. Still making cocktails,
23:48the bars are like on the next level, creative. And there's, anytime you walk into a big city,
23:58you go to a big city and you travel, you're going to find a cocktail bar that does
24:03things in a very unique way. So there's a creative energy in cocktails and cocktail bars,
24:08that is undeniable. And then, again, as the globalization of spirits has allowed that
24:15to continue, that creativity to continue and flow throughout.
24:19The drinks that like, and I could see drinks online from other places that maybe I haven't
24:26visited before. But they're so beautiful in composition, and they're so thoughtful at the
24:31same time. That continues that energy of creativity and also hospitality.
24:40What does, how do you train hospitality to your team?
24:45It definitely starts in house. And when we think about, you know, I always talk about
24:55where has our guests been all day, right? So we have, we were in a city where people drive all day.
25:04They're in their cars, usually, or they're in a cubicle, or they're kind of, I don't know if the
25:09word is isolated, but they're definitely not in crowded spaces, where in comparison to like New
25:15York, for example, where everyone's on public transportation, for the most part, or in these
25:20crowded spaces. So Houston would be the opposite of that. People spend a lot of time driving.
25:26And then if someone chooses to walk into the bar, what are they expecting, right? They're expecting
25:35us, they're expecting conversation, they're expecting community, right? Because they haven't
25:40seen it all day. They're expecting, of course, good drinks, prompt service, all of those things.
25:46But the extension of all of, of where our guests has been all day, and when they walk in,
25:52or, you know, they came here on a date, and what are their expectations when they come here,
25:56and they choose us, like knowing that they're choosing us is just as important as the product
26:02and the kindness and the hospitality that we put forward. Like we can't take it for granted that we
26:07were that, that we were chosen this day by this group of people or this individual to walk in
26:13the doors. And they said, Well, I guess Saturday, I'm going out to julep with my friends. And we're
26:19looking for a table of six people, no problem. On a Monday, they decided to come on their own.
26:25They might have a different their day might have been a little bit different, you know, and so we
26:30there's, there's an element of hospitality of thinking 100 degrees outside, let's make sure
26:34everybody gets water, let's make sure everybody that door, you know, we get we walk, we sure we
26:40open at four, but maybe we open a little bit earlier if somebody is outside. And it's three,
26:46350 345, we open at that time, because 110 degrees outside. So we were considerate of all of these
26:53elements of how our city functions and how our, how our guests expectations are going to be met.
27:00That start even before we create a drink, or we take your order, you know, it's a, it's, it's
27:07making this, making this room making this bar welcoming for you and for anybody that chose us
27:13that day and hope that they come back. And there's just a lot that goes into preparing a space and
27:20preparing a playlist and preparing the the the table to look absolutely perfect. And everything,
27:28all those elements are, are an essence of hospitality. And, and there's, there's,
27:35therefore, first and foremost, before we we even open the doors.
27:41So you, you do a phenomenal job on your social channels, Instagram, Alba Huerta official,
27:47we'll put links into the show. But for lessons as a bar owner, I'd like to go through your four
27:54lessons, you said, number one, details are important. Yes. Why the details are so important.
28:02They're the things that make you fall in love, right? The details, it's, it's that the, the space
28:09is welcoming that the light is correct, that the music is right, that the that the menus are, are
28:16the the paper on the that they're printed on that they feel that they feel great. The,
28:23the thought of putting of how you name your drinks so that the your guests can navigate
28:32the menu much more easily. Even in the essence of like, how we greet someone
28:41when with our valet, right, our valet is incredibly personable and sweet and kind. And I'm like,
28:47that's the very first person that they get to see when they come on to the property.
28:51So that's a really important element as well. And so the details are everywhere. The details
28:58are in the hand soap and in the in the towels and the paper towels. It's every every little
29:05element that we can think of, of making you feel special. It's super important.
29:11Community is everything. Number two.
29:14Community is everything. And that goes beyond the bar, right? That goes,
29:19that goes for any entrepreneur, or any person that is that, that is looking to change careers or,
29:29or even, I don't know, start something new community is a, the support of your community
29:36and will take you to much further reach. It will give you the ability to think bigger,
29:43think more creatively. As an operator, I can, I can relate to sometimes we get so busy and I get,
29:51I feel a little isolated or I'm like, okay, I'm just, we're doing event after event after event.
29:56And I can't seem to slow down. But connecting to my community gives me life. It gives me breath.
30:02And I think that's, that's, that works for everyone, again, beyond the bar.
30:08So number three, one of my one of my favorites is ask for help when you need it.
30:14Absolutely. That's probably the hardest one for most of us.
30:18Hospitality people we have given give we very rarely do we ask for help.
30:26Right, or rarely do we think we need to ask for help, which is probably the root of the problem
30:31where we're like, I have 100 things to do, and I'm going to do it just fine. No, the help is the the
30:38idea of getting help is so essential. That I, I don't know how I function for so long in that
30:48space of I'll just do it and it's gonna be fine. And then when I started asking for help, and
30:54actually, training my staff was important to in the in those parts, where I needed help,
31:03where I said, Okay, well, these are things that I absolutely have to do by myself. But,
31:08and there's like, it's like the admin stuff, right? Like nobody gives you credit for being
31:12in a good administrator. Like everybody wants to see you behind the bar and, and in the end,
31:18which is also which is the fun part. I would love to just do that all the time. But
31:22um, but there were parts where I was like, Okay, I can train my staff to do this. They're
31:27trustworthy, they're very capable. And, and it has not only helped me get to 10 years, but also
31:36looking forward to the next 10 years, you know, it's, it'll, it'll, it'll equip you to greater
31:41things. And finally, number four, share what you've learned.
31:46Yeah, I think I feel that's probably the stage of my life at the time.
31:55That also, I, you know, I think of someone who might want to open their own bar or start their
32:01own business. Like the tools that are available now are incredible to, to help someone not just
32:10with funding, but with creating business plans and creating vision and creating a brand. And
32:18all of these things are so much more accessible and than they ever were 10 years ago. And sharing
32:26that knowledge is also super important to help to help others, but also say, look, you don't,
32:32it doesn't have to be that hard for you. But let's see, let me help you in any way that I can so
32:35that it's, so that it's more, so that it's easier and also not as, as tasking.
32:44For sure. So anybody that's listening to the show on Wednesdays and Fridays on LinkedIn,
32:50we do an audio room. So a digital hospitality community, restaurant owners, bar owners,
32:55hospitality professionals from all over the globe, you can join us on stage to tell us your story.
33:01You can follow Callie BBQ media on LinkedIn to do that. Alba, I would love. So we believe in
33:08smartphone storytelling. We believe every single person has this incredible tool. Every business
33:14owner has a tool in their pocket to connect with people all over the globe. I wanted to learn a
33:19little bit about your personal tech stack. Are you an iPhone or an Android user?
33:24I'm an iPhone user by default.
33:27By default.
33:30Well, you know, when you are, when you, when I have to like communicate and
33:38having an Android makes it difficult when the predominantly everybody has an iPhone.
33:43Yes.
33:44So the communication might be a little, a little slow. So it's like, okay,
33:48I used to be an Android user before I became a bar owner for the, for the camera quality alone.
33:56But yeah, by default, I'm an, I'm an iPhone user to make sure that things are
34:01being, I'm communicating well versus the, the, the, the hazing you get when you have an Android.
34:12Do you prefer phone calls or text messages?
34:15I prefer phone calls if we are going to, if it's like, like catching up with a friend
34:25and, you know, haven't heard my friend's voice in a while. And just like,
34:29when it's like, feel good stuff. And, but if you need this clear and straight answer from me
34:34immediately, a text message is the way, because if you get me on the phone, I'm going to be like,
34:39how's your, how are the kids? And how's your mom? And, you know, that was really fun when we did
34:45that or, you know, but if you want straight shooter text message, how many emails do you get a day?
34:51More than I would like, more than I would like.
34:55How many do you enjoy reading of all those emails?
34:58I would say, okay, there have, over the, over the last few years, I have been working on my ADHD.
35:10So I have a therapist for my ADHD and she has really turned this frown upside down where I
35:18would get an email and I'm like, I would think like most people with ADHD would,
35:23we want to run from inbox. That's cool. Right. But I have worked with someone with, with a,
35:30with a qualified professional. And now I enjoy reading my emails like an adult, like a grownup.
35:39It's been illuminating because prior to that, I was just like, I have a hundred emails.
35:45I was just like, I have a hundred and something emails from today and I don't know where to start.
35:51But anyway, there's some decluttering there as well. So it wasn't just all important emails,
35:57but, but yeah, it's been really, it's been really illuminating. It's been really,
36:01it's been great help. So.
36:03Awesome. Where do you listen to music? Which app?
36:07Oh, all of them, because usually I'll have like a Spotify account.
36:12And then I have an iTunes account depending on which room of the bar I'm in.
36:19But I would say predominantly, I guess it's Spotify.
36:23And which map app do you use? Apple maps, Google maps, Waze?
36:29Waze is my favorite. Yeah. Waze is my favorite.
36:35And which app do you use that you don't think that you like using that you don't think most
36:39people know about? Well, I really love, and I hope that people know about, but I really love
36:46using Speechify. And yeah, it's, you know, I was going to DC earlier this month
36:57with the independent restaurant coalition, and we were going to advocate for independent
37:01restaurants. And there was a 37 page document to get you acquainted with our speaking topics and
37:08where we were going to be. But I just had a few days of work event, work event.
37:15So I just uploaded the document on Speechify. And this is my first time that I tried it.
37:20Because I'm like, okay, well, that seems like a lot of work to just upload and then have every
37:24team. I was completely wrong. It's the easiest thing to do. I'm not now to the point where it's
37:30reading my emails to me. So I'm getting through that part of it as well. But it's, it, it can be
37:37used for just about anything, you know, and, and, again, we in Houston, we drive all the time.
37:44We're always going from from meeting to meeting or event to event. And, and Speechify has been
37:52incredible, where I might not have found the focus or the time to sit down and read a 37 page
37:58document. But when Snoop Dogg is reading it to me, I am listening. And it's, it's, it really works,
38:05it helps, you know. So this is the show is going to be on entrepreneur. Is there any I know,
38:10there's a whole team behind you. You can't do what you do without a team. Is there one person
38:16that you can share a quick story, a quick shout out, somebody, someone special? Yes, of course.
38:22My, my general manager here at Julep, Nelson Serrano is incredible. And I'm a big fan of
38:29hiring people that are more qualified than you. And he is definitely an amazing professional,
38:38kindness, patience all the way around. He's been an exemplary person here in the bar. And,
38:48and, you know, he's always got my back. We were at an event this Saturday called Southern Smoke,
38:55which is a hospitality focused organization that helps anybody in the hospitality industry when we
39:03get into any kind of trouble or financial trouble, they they assist. We saw a hurricane over the
39:12course of the summer, and they helped our they helped our staff get back on their feet, while
39:18we were busy getting back on our feet after being closed for five days. So, so he and I went to this
39:24to this, to this festival, which is their yearly festival, and we poured 1200 cocktails for the VIP
39:31room. And we did it through it was just him and I, we had a keg system. And so everything was
39:38keg and we just needed to compose the drink for it and garnish it. And he was right by my side,
39:44we knew that we were doing that for our team that we were doing it for the staff and other people
39:48who ever get into any kind of difficulty during during their during the year and their
39:56hospitality workers, they can apply. So anybody that's listening to this, I'm weirdly available.
40:02It's at Sean P. Welcheff on Instagram, LinkedIn, all the social profiles, you can email me Sean
40:08at Cali BBQ dot media. Before I let you go, Alba, let's say that there is a bar owner that's
40:15listening. And they might be going through a rough patch. Is there some words of wisdom that
40:22you might be able to, to pass pass on to them? Yeah, I mean, we always hit rough patches. First
40:29of all, no one in this industry, even though they might not discuss it is immune to them.
40:38Right. So the first thing is to know that you're not alone, that everyone goes through these
40:44seasonal difficulties, whether they're, whether sales, sales focus, or like lack of sales or,
40:52or sometimes you need needed more staff and you're in a difficult situation or cash flow issues,
40:58all of them, we we've all suffered through them. No one is immune. And the and I and I do think,
41:07like talking about it helps. It helps you even sort your own thoughts. It helps you sort your
41:13own strategy. And the, the hurdles can be overcome when you have a good, a good group of people
41:23to support you and help when they're when you need advice, or even help with other alternatives.
41:30When we when we get stuck in a bind, we tend to just kind of run on the same loop.
41:35And the first stage is to the first step is to break that loop. And then be able to attack the
41:42problem and and think about strategy and think about the issues that are really putting you in
41:47that situation. It's amazing. Well, thank you so much for what you're doing for the industry. Thank
41:53you for sharing your stories. We can't wait to see what you build in the next 10 years.
41:58Congratulations. Happy years. And if you guys need anything, as always, stay curious, get involved
42:05and don't be afraid to ask for help. We will catch you all next week. Thank you.
42:10All right. Thank you so much.
42:13Thank you for listening to restaurant influencers. If you want to get in touch with me,
42:17I'm weirdly available at Sean P. Walsh FSH a w n e w a l c h e f Kali barbecue media has other
42:27shows you can check out digital hospitality. We've been doing that show since 2017. We also just
42:33launched a show season two, family style on YouTube with toast. And if you are a restaurant
42:39brand or a hospitality brand, and you're looking to launch your own show, Kali barbecue media can
42:44help you. Recently, we just launched room for seconds with Greg Majewski. It is an incredible
42:52insight into leadership into hospitality, into enterprise restaurants and franchise
42:58franchisee relationships. Take a look at room for seconds. And if you're ready to start a show,
43:03reach out to us be the show dot media. We can't wait to work with you.