We're excited to feature Wandering Jade Mobile Bar as our September Business of the Month. Owner Amberdee Miller can bring the party to you, no matter the occasion. Keep reading to learn more about her journey in opening Wander Jade and why you need to book them for your next shindig! UMLF: Hi Amberdee, we’re excited to interview you as our Business of the Month! Tell us about yourself. Amberdee: "About me, I'm a single mother of 3 amazing humans. My oldest is 23 and she is also an entrepreneur, she has an Etsy shop that sells handmade products. My son followed in my footsteps and is a Law Enforcement Officer, and I have a 13-year-old at home still. She is the spicy one. She is involved in cheer at her school and keeps me on my toes. I have been a Law Enforcement Officer for 13+ years. I have worked as a Task Force Officer with the FBI, completed SWAT school, and trained as a CVSA examiner (Computer Voice Stress Analyzer, used for truth detection). I enjoy camping, fishing, and hunting. I spent a lot of time with my Dad and Grandpa in the shop building projects and learning how to use all the tools. I do a lot of DIY projects at home. I fail a lot and sometimes I get it right. Now I am the proud new owner of Wandering Jade!" UMLF: Your trailer is so cute! Tell us about how you got the idea of Wandering Jade and what your services are. Amberdee: "I found this quote on Tiktok and it explains me pretty accurately "If I'm being completely honest, I don't think that there's anything I couldn't do at least half decently, I was born with the "how hard could it be gene" which is incredibly helpful and very delusional." I love to build and create. I can retire in a few years and wanted to have something I could do after I retire. I was a bartender before I worked in Law Enforcement. I loved it. So I bought a horse trailer and decided to see if I could build a mobile bar. I learned how to weld, how to use auto paint, I learned all about working with metal and wood, and so much more. I had a lot of support from friends and family. I completed Jade in July after working on it every day for 5 months. It was a lot of failure and trial and error. I'm so proud of the finished product. We have a mobile bartender service with licensed and insured bartenders, we have 2 pop-up bars that can be used in almost any setting, and we have Jade. She is a 1985 Horse trailer converted into a mobile bar. We offer cocktail planning, tasting, custom menu signs, and everything you need for a bar except the liquid. We also offer rental of the trailer for the customer to serve whatever they choose. We do an Italian Soda Bar at the farmers market and have rented to a local bakery to use for an expo show. We believe our clients deserve hand-crafted cocktails made by licensed bartenders, rather than coolers and a creepy uncle bartending." UMLF: Does this work for non-drinkers as well?
Amberdee: "Yes! We have done several events with non-alcoholic options. Soda Bar, Italian Soda, Hot Coco as well as a snack bar or just a photo shoot. We can also do soda bars for corporate events, or construction sites." UMLF: Do you have any favorite memories so far of events you’ve been at? Amberdee: "We served at a wedding in Bear Lake this summer and it was an amazing experience. The couple were from the East Coast and planned a destination wedding. They were so kind and the crowd was really fun. We learned a lot!" UMLF: Entrepreneurship most definitely has its highs and lows. Can you tell us about a challenge you faced as a small business owner and how you overcame it? Amberdee: "The biggest challenge so far has been the balance of work and home life. Adding another "job" to an already full plate has made me be more creative and get my humans involved to help me. Including web design, graphic design, and teaching my older daughter to bartend. We have sacrificed our usual summer camping trips, for late nights working on completing the trailer. I feel this has been an example for my girls of following a dream with hard work and dedication." UMLF: How do you feel like the Utah Microloan Fund has helped your business? Amberdee: "Utah Microloan Fund has helped me so much. Learning about resources, and funding, and having other entrepreneurs to bounce ideas off. Utah Microloan Fund also set me up with the Small Business Development Center, and they have been a great resource and helped me think bigger." UMLF: Lastly, how can people book with you? Our website is www.wanderingjademobilebar.com. Clients can fill out a quick survey, followed by a conversation about what they have envisioned, a small deposit and they are on the books. Awesome thanks Amberdee! To stay in touch follow Wandering Jade on: Facebook: Wandering Jade Mobile Bar Instagram: www.instagram.com/wandering.jade.bar
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
