In episode 39 of Everything is Up, Tammera Hollerich interviews Amber Rynbrandt, the founder of Pourtastic Tastings, as they dive into the evolving landscape of business and technology. They share their experiences and insights from the tech world, offering a unique perspective on the changing dynamics of the business world. Amber also discusses the impact of data, labor shortages, and the future of brick and mortar businesses.
Tune in for an engaging conversation that will leave you thinking about the role of humans and technology in the future of work.
TIMESTAMPS
[00:04:27] Audacious - Recklessly Brave.
[00:14:07] The Importance of Networking.
[00:20:06] Collaboration and Male Dominance.
[00:29:07] Making a Positive Impact.
[00:32:03] Employees as Parents First.
[00:36:16] The Challenge of Hiring.
[00:47:00] The Human Element
[00:50:38] Pourtastic Tasting's 10-Year Anniversary.
[01:04:07] Providing Opportunities for Others.
In this episode, Tammera Hollerich with guest, Amber Rynbrandt, highlights the entrepreneurial spirit as one that is fearless. They emphasize the significance of embracing one's true self, being audaciously brave, and striving for excellence in one's chosen field. They also delve into the importance of self-awareness and self-appreciation where they highlight that it can take time to truly appreciate oneself and find the silver lining in challenging situations.
Moreover, this episode also emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's limitations and seeking out individuals who can contribute their expertise in those areas. Tammera and Amber underscore the significance of collaboration and building a strong team. By recognizing and leveraging the strengths of others, individuals can create a supportive and productive environment that maximizes their potential for success.
QUOTES
"Entrepreneurs, they are a different breed. They are fearless, and they just don't know the word “No, I don't think.’" - Tammera Hollerich
"You don't have to be something magical. You just have to be the best at what you decide to do." - Amber Rynbrandt
“This is a quote that I think is unfortunate, but true. ‘It's not the grades you make. It's the hands you shake sometimes.’” - Amber Rynbrandt
“Here's another thing, I know what I don't do well. And that's something that I think is really important. And find somebody who does do that thing well. You can't do it all. You can't know it all. Surround yourself with people.” - Amber Rynbrandt
“But you do have to have that right person that goes in with you that doesn't step on your toes is over respectful. Everybody edifies everybody. And then it works. It just works.” - Tammera Hollerich
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Tammera Hollerich
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TammeraHollerich
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammerahollerich/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thollerich/
Amber Rynbrandt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amber.hauptman/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberhauptman/
WEBSITES
Everything Is Up: https://everything-is-up.simplecast.com/
Tammera Hollerich: https://tammerahollerich.com/
Intro/Outro00:01 - 00:17
Welcome to everything is up a podcast about the real life stories of people who have created extraordinary levels of success These are conversations with people who are constantly striving to take things to the next level And now here's your host
Tammera Hollerich00:21 - 00:59
Welcome to Everything is Up with Tammera. I'm your host, Tammera Hollerich, and joining me today, very excited to have Amber Rynbrandt with us from Pourtastics. Hi, Amber. Welcome. Thank you for joining me. Hi, Tammera. So sorry about that. So so fun. So poor test sticks. You're here in Texas. I know you currently are in Austin, right? Yes. Yes, yes, Austin, Austin, Austin, everybody's in Austin. Okay, so, but you were originally from Sachse, is that correct?
Amber Rynbrandt00:59 - 01:01
Yes, that is correct.
Tammera Hollerich01:01 - 01:06
Yes, that small town right outside of Dallas. Small town right outside of Dallas.
Amber Rynbrandt01:06 - 01:14
So, I used to go put pennies on the railroad tracks as something fun to do, you know, because it would smush them.
Tammera Hollerich01:15 - 01:51
Yeah, so fun. Well, that's what happens in small towns, right? You've got to go make your own fun. Yeah, a lot of fun. So okay, so talk to us. What is it? What was it like growing up? Before we jump into the business side, tell us what it was like growing up in Sachse. Sachse, by the way, by everybody listening audience here, they have a phenomenal dog rescue, H North Texas Humane Society location in Sachse, because there's always a ton of dogs in Sachse that I'm watching. So just a just a side note here on Sachse. But what was it like growing up in Sachse?
Amber Rynbrandt01:51 - 02:54
Well, that is so interesting. I actually volunteered for the animal shelter growing up there. And I wouldn't say that it was fabulous back then, but I don't have to say what what date range that was, because well, that's how growing up in sexy. Honestly, it was small town. You went to school in the bigger town next to it. But I grew up actually in the entrepreneurial world. My uncle and family, they owned a limousine service. And then my stepdad who was working in beer decided to start his own business. And I got to be a big part of that. And he started a limousine service. And that was, gosh, so much of my formidable years. And I got talked into doing so many things that when I look back, I slave labor, man. But it's all about the way you put it, I guess. I don't know. I was so excited.
Tammera Hollerich02:54 - 03:25
That's funny. You know, that's hilarious because I grew up in completely the opposite of my dad was in the military. My mom was a teacher, had no entrepreneurial background whatsoever. So I'm like the oddball in the family right now. But it is interesting that a lot of kids that grow up in that entrepreneurial world, they actually do leap into that entrepreneurial spirit. It's almost like it's bred into you.
Amber Rynbrandt03:25 - 04:04
Yeah, you know, it's that I actually, I think I overdo it sometimes with friends on trying to get them to follow their dream and don't be scared. And it's okay, you know, even if you're poor for a while, you'll still be waking up every morning for yourself, you know, following whatever it is that you want to do follow your dream. And I think that we just, we saw the hard and we saw the good and and that fear is not as strong, right? jumping off the cliff is maybe not as strong with ones who have seen
Tammera Hollerich04:05 - 04:21
You know, entrepreneurs, they are a different breed. I will say this, they are a different breed, they are fearless, and they just don't know the word no, I don't think.
Amber Rynbrandt04:21 - 04:27
Like, I heard a word recently, audacious, which is recklessly brave.
Tammera Hollerich04:27 - 04:31
Recklessly brave, that's a great definition of audacious, recklessly brave.
Amber Rynbrandt04:33 - 04:39
I keep little word of the day notes for myself, but yeah, I love it.
Tammera Hollerich04:39 - 05:10
Okay. So. We've got this. you know, audacious girl growing up in this small town. I think I read in the research I was doing, kind of prepping for today, that this epiphany that you had for Pourtastic happened while you were in the bathroom looking at a paper, like a toilet paper roll. Like it's so true. Yes, it is.
Amber Rynbrandt05:12 - 06:22
But I mean, it's kind of, I always preface it with like, okay, once we get past the setup, it is a good story. But yes, it was, I was in Mexico at actually my business partner's wedding. And I had started a business before and I will call that a lesson. That business was a lesson. failures if you learn from it. So, and so I went back to the, you know, the, the working for people, which is totally fine. I had to learn so much more, you know, but I was, it wasn't, it was starting to wear on me a little bit. Apparently my face has a lot of facial expressions. And I think shortly before that, my boss had recently told me that my face was offensive. Yeah, I know. What? To be fair, sometimes I'm not very good at hiding the, that's not a good idea at all.
Tammera Hollerich06:23 - 06:39
um on my face so that would be that is that uh audacious be recklessly fearless portion of um your entrepreneurial spirit yes okay i believe i'm right yeah well you know aren't we aren't we anyway
Amber Rynbrandt06:42 - 08:31
And if everybody would just realize it, then my husband, I mean, mostly men, but, you know, whatever. So, I was struggling kind of with it and they, and I had been approached a few times with this industry was. Was struggling and could use. there's a big blue ocean, you know, the there's blue ocean strategy. Yeah, so so it was a industry that you could really make a big bang, you know, if you brought certain things to it. But I wasn't ready. Anyway, I was in the bathroom at the wedding in Mexico, Cabo or something, I'm not sure. And I was sitting there and Kimberly Clark, toilet paper roll holders. And I just got to thinking, gosh, you know, I don't know, and I don't know the history of Kimberly Clark. I don't know if there is actually a Kimberly and a Clark. I assume maybe at one point there was. Generational, generational. And all they had to do was be the best at what they did. You don't have to be Coca-Cola. You don't have to be something magical. You just have to be the best at what you decide to do. right so man if somebody can make general generational like and just such big impacts on just being the best toilet paper roll holder i can do that i can do something i can do this because i can do i can work at it you know i can be the best and so um so story is the the motto of it is good but the story is a little tmi
Tammera Hollerich08:33 - 09:30
Well, I mean, honestly, when I read that, I was like, huh, I'm not the only one who has these epiphanies in the most odd places. You know, you're just like, there's this moment to be by yourself to in your thoughts. And it's like, bam, bam, it's like, almost like my brain goes, bam, bam, and I just start firing. And I'm like, Oh, I can do that. Oh, that like, so I so related to it. When I read it, I just busted out laughing. And I was like, this is fabulous. We are going to have to talk about this. Okay, so female, I'm assuming, I don't know this because I've not really been in it, although my husband is big into craft brewing, I've had brew parties at my house, like, so it's like, poor-tastics, talk to us and tell us, like, what does poor-tastics do and how do they help our community?
Amber Rynbrandt09:32 - 12:02
Okay, so I'm gonna answer that in two parts. But also, it's poor tastic, tastic, like, like fantastic, but, but poor, we were gonna be poorfection because perfection. Anyway, it's a little kitschy for a b2b, but I like it. I like it. You know, fine. So poor tastic. The craft beer industry, um, starte Yeah. And I will say, you know, the brand ambassador agency, which are the people who are in the grocery stores, liquor stores, restaurants, bars, would you like to try the new Shiner? Would you like to try this? Would you, you know, handing out sunglasses, key chains, koozies, the whole caboodle. Also Uber was, was rising. So the whole gig economy, people were starting to realize that they can hustle a little. There are more opportunities to do that without committing yourself to, to, um, like a schedule, a full blown out schedule. Um, so craft beer industry, but brand ambassador industry from an alcohol standpoint, we've all seen them Miller Lite girls, Jaeger girls. We've seen them. Um, well, the craft beer industry as it's growing, I also kind of fell in love with it a little bit. Um, uh, I grew whenever I went to college up in Michigan, Um, I worked at a brewery there and just started. I love the, I think it's one of the few industries that still care about their community and environmental impact. So not saving the world, but, you know, it's, uh, it's not a bad industry to be a part of from a positive community impact standpoint as well. Um, so, uh, This was, as I was learning more about it, I started home brewing as well. There just wasn't anybody there in the craft. As more breweries started rising, their distribution started going. There really wasn't anybody who was there catering to that market. And it is like wine in that there are particulars. I'm sure that, I mean, your husband, I am sure that you have encountered a conversation with a craft beer nerd before.
SPEAKER_0112:02 - 12:05
Oh yeah. I am one of them, so I can say that.
Tammera Hollerich12:05 - 12:20
I've got the Pumpkin, the IPA, the Darks, the Reds. Yeah, exactly. I'm like, and I am not a beer connoisseur at all, but Lord have mercy in my house.
Amber Rynbrandt12:20 - 14:29
It's a big deal. And I don't know everything that they would say. So I mean, And I've been doing this like with Pourtastic for 10 years, but I was doing a little bit before so. That's fine, but, um, they, you know, and I met so I met a lot more people in the industry and these sales guys, they're taking over. texas um all the way to nevada and have i mean they're never home they're just going to these tastings because uh what i do is kind of a double-edged sword that we do help with the sales in these retail locations or the bars or the restaurants but for the most part it was helping these craft breweries give a surety to the retail locations that Don't worry, I'm going to support this. Please bring us into your store. I'll bring somebody in who is educated and knowledgeable and knows about craft beer to support those sales. So it was kind of, I mean, sometimes it's more just getting them in the stores than it is the whole event in and of itself. Right. Yeah. Yeah. So found that area. Also, with the first business, the lesson wasn't a whole lot of money floating around. And I found the brand ambassador world. But I don't want to say it was poorly run. It just, it was still run old timey. We have tech, we have geolocation services, we have, I mean, there's just There's no reason for it to be run the way that it was being run and I come from a tech background. So. I interviewed with a lot of people who are in the industry, various, whether it's brewers to distributors to retail locations to, I will also say. This is a quote that I think is unfortunate, but true. It's not the grades you make. It's the hands you shake sometimes.
Tammera Hollerich14:29 - 14:37
Oh, no, that's always. I mean, always Amber, Amber, that's always, you know, but who, you know, exactly.
Amber Rynbrandt14:37 - 15:08
And, um, so, so it wasn't just the, I love craft beer and I have tech knowledge. Um, my stepfather who I grew up with the limousine service, he also, um, he ended up selling the business and then going back. into the beer distribution world. And so he told me who I could talk to and set those meetings up and stuff. And go step down. That is like one of the biggest differences between the first and the second business.
Tammera Hollerich15:08 - 15:12
Oh, of course. Yeah, absolutely. Of course.
Amber Rynbrandt15:12 - 15:16
So, so if you ever start a new business, make sure you know some
Tammera Hollerich15:17 - 15:42
Yeah, it's a high up, you kind of know somebody, right? Those connectors, those are those people in this world, in the business side of things that are connect, I call them connectors, because they are constantly connecting people together, right? And they're, let me make this introduction for you. Let me tell you who go talk to this person. They're essential to any life of any business.
Amber Rynbrandt15:42 - 15:47
But isn't that kind of what you're doing, though, too? I mean, in a way, that's what you're doing right now.
Tammera Hollerich15:47 - 16:16
yeah not maybe not like not one-on-one per se but yeah in in a in a world of um let's make some connections and you know let's use those six degrees of separation as i call them um because it it is you and i are talking but it's it's also who do i know and who do you know right and it's that six degrees of separation yes i think 100 it's those six degrees of separation
Amber Rynbrandt16:16 - 16:22
Yeah, yeah. And sometimes you get just so wrapped up in your own bubble that it's really nice.
Tammera Hollerich16:22 - 17:00
Well, any entrepreneur, I jokingly say, right, you get to work half days, but you just got to decide which 12 hours of that half day it's going to be. It's normally in the middle of the night. Sometime in the middle of the night, right? My staff laughs all the time because I'll shoot emails at three o'clock in the morning, not three o'clock in the morning. And they're just like, do you ever sleep in? I'm like, I do. But when I like, I'm like, I got to get that out of my head. So, but it's part of the territory. It's part of what, you know, you get as you're, as you're coming along, I guess.
Amber Rynbrandt17:00 - 17:25
Yes. And, you know, I do miss the going into the office. They're like, or just having that. I will say I have internal full time employees and I get to do zooms, but. Nothing's like being able to just have the conversation that's not just, hey, I have a question about this work thing, you know, so.
Tammera Hollerich17:25 - 18:28
But anyway, that's the virtual world that we live in, too, right now. Right. So there's a lot of brick and mortar. Let's talk post-COVID for a second. Brick and mortar businesses like just said, why? We have technology that we are now going to use in our world. and um so there's no need for us to spend all this extra money on this brick and mortar we can let's just distribute that out to you know our 18 players and keep them right that way they don't have to spend hour to three hours driving back and forth commuting asking if you can go pick your child up from school like Yeah, well, it's like you said, you came from that tech world, right? So you used your tech background to help kind of launch Pourtastics. Oh, yes. I'm sorry. No, you're good. I'm trying to follow your story. So I'm like, I got to know what happened next.
Amber Rynbrandt18:29 - 18:35
Just like my employees would say, I just find another train and jump on that one.
Tammera Hollerich18:35 - 18:37
My team goes, squirrel, come back here.
Amber Rynbrandt18:37 - 19:49
Anyway, I also know, here's another thing, I know what I don't do well. And that's something that I think is really important. And find somebody who does do that thing well. You can't do it all. You can't know it all. Surround yourself with people. So I brought in a business partner. And she brought in her husband. She is the yin to my yang. She handles the clients well. She keeps them in line where I am the strategy tech person. And then her husband is the tech also guy, but sometimes it's good. I don't even know how to say this in a PC standpoint, but her and I started the first business together. We realized sometimes we were being taken advantage of. purely because it just helps in a male-dominated society.
Tammera Hollerich19:49 - 20:28
So I was on stage January at a conference having a conversation with some other people that were on the stage and the question said, so how do you guys feel about collaboration? And I was like, I looked at one of the guys sitting on stage with me because we've had this conversation a lot. So I'm, you know, one of my companies is in a male white Caucasian over the age of 50 dominated industry. Yeah. And I have picked up the phone and called many male counterparts and said, Hey, I need a penis in the room. Can you come with me?
Amber Rynbrandt20:29 - 20:45
That's exactly what I was saying. We needed a penis. I mean, I knew him some, but the most part reason in the beginning was we both looked at each other and was like, we did learn that we needed a penis.
Tammera Hollerich20:45 - 23:14
Well, I think it's not a bad thing. I mean, these men, and they are fabulous men that I have had help, right, come in. It is our society. We are human. We want to, as humans, we connect with like-kind and so I can't walk into a CEO male-dominated room and be connected with like they're not going to connect with me it's just not going to happen you just you have to if you get the opportunity impress them and then they'll be like oh oh right and just a large job yeah but then you've got to get but you've got to get in that room yes you if you, you sometimes, you know, I know you and I are not stupid women by anything. No. And neither one of us are probably all that hard on the eyes either. So I'm like, okay, so if we walk into this room, right, open our mouths, they can tell we're not stupid. I think sometimes that's intimidating for men who are not really all that comfortable with really powerful women. I think sometimes that's an issue. It has been for me. They're pretty. Well, do you know how many times in my business career over the last 25 years, I have been, and we're in Texas, okay guys? So all you guys listening, we are in Texas with the good old boys system that is still in place. And I was in Fairfields, Texas at a commissioner's court meeting with a proposal. And one of the commissioners goes, sweetheart, who do you work for? I was like, this is not happening. I like, you know, so I was much younger than I am now when it happened. And so, you know, looking back, I can see, I might have looked like a secretary or an assistant of some sort, you know, like, I can see it in all fairness. But I was like, in all my cockiness while I was younger, too, which does not help you if you had been smart, but I'm going to take my toys and go home now. And I got up and walked out.
Amber Rynbrandt23:14 - 24:32
Do you know, actually, the first meeting that I ended up starting Pourtastic, the first meeting it was with the biggest distributor in Dallas area. And my stepdad had got the foot in the door. I had to take it from there. No reason that I should have gotten this account. We were not as first. We were not experienced enough to be the official agency of. It went well, it was great. Then I bring my partners in for this follow up meeting. It's going to be a contract sign. He changes everything. And this is a good old boy, very good old boy starts doing the goading to a little bit. And I done. I don't even want your business. I've closed that thing. And every answer is just Kurt and he everybody in the room knows I am mad and over it. But a couple hours later, got the job. I don't know if he was testing me. I don't know what I think that that was inappropriate. But but it is crazy. So you want
Tammera Hollerich24:33 - 25:39
being getting mad and being over it and like i'm taking my ball and i'm going home forget this taking my toys yep i'm leaving it actually ended up working this time it doesn't work every time no i'm just gonna say it didn't work for me i was so irritated behind it and but i learned like you said it was a learning opportunity In that drive back to Fort Worth from Fairfield, which is probably a good hour-ish, maybe an hour and 15 minutes or so, that was the epiphany of, I have to have a penis with me because this is going to have to be a tag team thing. Fortunately, I learned early on in my career, and I've had some fabulous colleagues that are just like, okay, And one guy cracked, maybe he's like, I'll be your dick in the room if that's what you need. And they're funny about it. But you do have to have that right person that goes in with you that doesn't step on your toes is over respectful. Everybody edifies everybody. And then it works. It just works.
Amber Rynbrandt25:39 - 25:54
And as long as I mean, I am divorced now. But and I always say that. You know, if my personal relationships were anything like my partner relationships.
Tammera Hollerich25:54 - 25:56
Yes, but you know her.
Amber Rynbrandt25:56 - 26:22
Yeah, it's just a beautiful because the trust is there. We also all kind of impress each other to a certain extent and. She moved on now recently to go take care of her family. But so she's not really in the in it so much. But, you know, he does bring more than just a penis.
Tammera Hollerich26:22 - 27:28
Well, this is true, right? So, and that's when I say, you know, these men that humor, I jokingly go, will you humor me today? Like, they do, they humor me, but they are, I mean, they are phenomenal, you know, business people and, but we do, but they're, they get it, right? There's this real, authentic, conversation that happens as we're, you know, getting ready to go in and have a conversation with, you know, CEOs and CFOs. One of the things that I think I love about your story and just all the stuff that I had kind of picked up about you is, it's that authenticity. It's this, this is who I am, unapologetic, this is what I'm going to do, and I'm going to be the best at it. I think that mentality That, you know, in interviews that have been done with you in a male dominated world, I just it's what I love about you and how you handled it. Thank you very much.
Amber Rynbrandt27:28 - 28:24
You know, I'm sure you as a woman, it takes you a while to. Appreciate yourself, you have to know yourself and then you learn to see the good in the bad, you know, and. I think that I do have had the, you know, ADD, you're, so you're able to see a big picture, you know, and yeah, and I, to my detriment many times, have already seen the end. So I'm constantly just like, oh, okay. You know, like I see your points and stuff, but this is where we're trying to get. So I'm able to see the, and it's not the end by all means, my goodness. You brought up COVID and that shut us down for a year and a half.
Tammera Hollerich28:24 - 28:28
Who would have thought we would have been sent to our room for two and a half years?
Amber Rynbrandt28:28 - 28:36
And I mean, we went through the recession. Beer is supposed, alcohol is supposed to be like recession proof. It's the one safe industry.
Tammera Hollerich28:38 - 28:42
No, no, wrong wrong again. Yes.
Amber Rynbrandt28:42 - 28:51
Anytime somebody was like, oh, my business actually picked up during coping. I'm like, cool. I started, I tried to stop asking. How are you doing?
Tammera Hollerich28:53 - 28:55
Because you really don't want to know the answer. Yes.
Amber Rynbrandt28:55 - 29:05
Like, what do you want me to say, man? Like, and now I'm going to have to think about it and I'm already trying to disassociate from the fact that my business hasn't had anything going on for a year.
SPEAKER_0129:05 - 29:08
But I will say. It is.
Amber Rynbrandt29:14 - 30:12
The thing that I care the most, you know, craft beer, it's great. Making a impact in the world, in the industry, great. That's actually one of the things, you guys' motto that I love so much about, that it's not just risen to the top, but also making a positive impact. Gotta make that positive impact, yep. Make a plug. Right, and this is, and here's the thing. My biggest thing is, I have worked for companies before that you do good work and you just get more work. um you get thank yous but words don't pay the bills you get um but you're still making just as much as the guy who doesn't who you're having to work anyway or girl whatever you know employee uh but also i know i you see companies all the time start with good intentions but then money starts to get in into the mix and all those good intentions kind of kind of
Tammera Hollerich30:13 - 30:45
go to the wayside google their main motto was do no harm i don't know that they follow that so much anymore i call them one of our four horsemen of the apocalypse google facebook yes yes google facebook um Apple and Amazon. Oh, yes, I would agree. Yeah. Our four horsemen of the apocalypse. Well, I mean, it is what it is, but I will say I love craft beer.
Amber Rynbrandt30:45 - 31:30
That's great. You know, they care about the community environmental impact. But the main thing I am so proud to say, because unwarranted, I get this from the brain ambassadors and my my full time employees. I want you to feel like we all have to work, but I want you to feel like you are supported, that you are just as important to me as this company. I wouldn't have this if it wasn't for you, and I really need you. I want you to feel that, not just hear me say it. Life, family, health, those are the most important things. hands down.
Tammera Hollerich31:30 - 33:46
They will always come first. I tell my employees, I have a lot of single moms and moms that have young kids as employees. And this is what I say to them. And then you have to follow it up. You can't just lip flap it. Right. So I go, I go, okay, guys, look, and I say this when they're first hired, and they roll their eyes because they don't believe me at first. But I go, look, here's how this works. You are a mom first. You are then a spouse or a significant other or a daughter or something second. And while it's not always conducive to my business plan, then and only then are you an employee. So if I do not support that, then you won't help me when you're here. Right. It just won't happen. And these employers that think that that's not it, I have their livelihood in the palm of my hands, they do. And now in this labor shortage, you can forget that mentality because they will walk for less money. Yeah, they'll walk for less money because they're not going to be that they have to be a mom first or they have to be a parent first. It just it is. you know they're humans they're humans they are not robots you want i'm jokingly say this yeah with ai you know we've talked about terminator everybody's talking terminator at this point um i'm so sure that us having some of those little terminator robots as employees might not be good for business now it's not good for the human side and businesses still do business with humans yeah yeah we forget that you you have a buyer to your sales or to your service they are human you might be b2b but there are humans on the other side of that b that are actually doing the purchasing it's so yeah Yeah, we forget that I think sometimes as business owners. So it might not be a bad idea. For some, not for all. For some.
Amber Rynbrandt33:46 - 34:02
I also think be the change in the world that you want to see and People told me in the beginning that you can't give as much care so much about the employees. You better now have a successful business.
Tammera Hollerich34:02 - 34:26
You better now or you're not going to have employees because that's how this labor shortage should have been a wake up call for every business owner, CEO, CFO. It's so hard to find good employees. You better treat them like they're human. You better take care of them. At the very least. At the minimum, yeah.
Amber Rynbrandt34:27 - 34:55
I mean, if they have kids that get off at three o'clock, figure something out. It always, I was always late to my office job in the morning because honestly, half of it, I wouldn't say it was on purpose, but it didn't make sense that we were all supposed to get in our car at the exact same time to arrive at the exact same time within a concentrated area. Why do you want my sanity? But also, Is my time means nothing to you that that's a good idea for you?
Tammera Hollerich34:55 - 35:05
Well, or to sit in traffic in any metro area for hours on hours. No wonder there's so much. It just is.
Amber Rynbrandt35:05 - 35:27
Yes, I mean, I, I, I honestly don't want to see. the world going back to just taking advantage of employees. I'm afraid that it's like there's inklings of it, the way that they're trying to tear everybody back into the office. But stand strong, y'all.
Tammera Hollerich35:27 - 36:23
Stand strong. You got me up. Well, I mean, I get it from both sides, right? So I think it's a matter of looking at where is the middle ground? Because there is a business that has to run at the same time, right? Or there is no revenue to pay the employee. But then you've got humans. And so there is the the difficulty for the business owner is to figure out where that middle ground is that works for everyone. And I think it's just a challenge right at the moment, all the way around, just because we've been trying to hire for a position and it's not that we haven't had candidates come in, they just haven't been the quality of a candidate that I am looking for. And I'm just like, the challenge that we are facing right now. So it is really challenging.
Amber Rynbrandt36:23 - 37:43
It was a challenge pre-COVID, but this post-COVID has been bad. All we've had to do, that has been So I have a rotating door of 800 to 900 contractors. So it's kind of like Uber in that they log into the app, they pick their ships up that they want, all the information's right there, blah, blah, blah. You know, we ship them kits and stuff. But for the most part, make your own schedule, log in on your phone, just like Uber. But I know where my events are and the pins where my people are, and I have to have that many people just in case because nobody has to work, they pick it up. But average, it's a three-month. you know, rotating door, because we're gig, we're, we're, we're the in between step, we're, we're Christmas money, we're sometimes, or you just fall into the habit of all you got to do is talk about beer. And I don't have a boss watching me the whole time. I can do whatever I want. And then they get lackadaisical.
I
Amber Rynbrandt37:51 - 38:08
Always be hiring. That's our motto. It has been, it is. Pre-COVID, I would get 50 to 150 applications a day. Now I maybe get five to 15.
Tammera Hollerich38:08 - 39:23
Yeah, it is definitely a fraction of what it was before COVID. you know, people got people, people, humans, we are humans. And I, I constantly am having to remind myself, we are humans. Humans felt that they stepped out of the rat race. Yes, for two years, or a year and a half, whatever it was. And they went, Oh, this is life. And then said, I'm not going back. And that Yeah, that is hard when you need help, because if you've got this business that is growing, and you can't do it by yourself, you know, it can't be a one man show it and you're global, right? So yeah, you can't just fly every two minutes to an event like that's just not possible. So that's, I really feel that we as humans took a step back and went, Ooh, what are we doing? Yeah. And then just said, I'm not going back. I'm not going to go back to that.
Amber Rynbrandt39:23 - 40:14
You know, as much as that year and a half was so scary. I am proud to, to Say that even with a year and a half, I was able to keep my full time employees. Yeah. As scary as that was waking up every morning and hearing that it's going to go another month, or there's words about it being another 3 months, like, over my cold dead body. I'll tell you what, but also. Colleen, I've been part of the rat race and I'm so proud of that because I've had so many coworkers that like can't put their phone down or constant, you know, because, well, if it doesn't get done, then, then, da, da, da, da. Is it your, like, if it doesn't get done, then they put too much on you. Like, you know, sometimes it, you know.
Tammera Hollerich40:14 - 42:07
Sometimes it's necessary, right? When it's constant. I'm so proud of the workforce. well or you know control of themselves sort of i guess yeah well i mean and i think that the millennial generation um had a huge um had a huge say in it because they are now the largest workforce because a lot of our baby boomers have retired and um you know they're in their late 70s now so you know that generation which was our biggest generation now we have the millennials which are now the biggest generation And they just kind of put their foot down. I don't think it's a bad thing. I think there's got to be a medium middle ground where everybody can figure it out and work it out together. Jokingly, I had one of my younger employees said, you work too hard. And I said, maybe so. I'm not gonna disagree, maybe so. I said, but that is, it depends on who you ask. Because if I'm responding to that question, And I'm maybe not as. with as much couth as what I have now, because maybe when I was younger, I literally would have said, well, it depends on who you ask, because according to me, you're lazy. Like I would have said that before, right? So maybe you weren't too little. Right. But she had a point. And when she said, she goes, you work too hard and you're constantly working. But it's relevant, too, because People look at you when you've gotten to a certain point of success and they're just like, well, you have everything. And I'm like, but I did hide my car from the repo guy at one point in my life because I was broke.
Amber Rynbrandt42:07 - 42:12
I lost all my friends that I had in my 20s because I had to do this.
Tammera Hollerich42:12 - 42:45
The sacrifices. It's the sacrifices. So they see the the reward, but they never saw the sacrifice that went with it. So there's there's this relevance. And I tried to explain to her, she was like, well, everybody just wants to be a social media influencer. And I said, okay, so let's be a social media influencer. But when you want groceries, and there's nobody in the grocery store, then what? I'm like, there's got to be a balance. And I were so skewed way off right now. It's really interesting.
Amber Rynbrandt42:45 - 43:04
And when you look at the workforce, I have been thinking about this so much. I'm just so interested to see what Gen Z like, what's up with that? Uh, what is what that's going to look like whenever they come, because there are so many good, but also, like, we're, we all turn feral with after coven, but. They're like.
Tammera Hollerich43:07 - 43:59
yeah they're they don't follow any of the their direction following any rules at all no not really not it's gonna do it man it took a global pandemic for us to be like maybe we don't have have to follow the rules yeah yeah but that's the joke right is who set these rules Why are we following the patriarchy? Isn't that always the answer now? Well, yes, and we're going to all it was that when they were talking during cobit about this herd mentality, and I was just like. and we're all going to walk off the edge of the earth. This is so stupid. What are we doing? We're just crazy these days. But you know what? It's interesting. It's just very interesting when you sit and you have this conversation with another business owner or when you're talking to employees. Their take on it's very interesting too.
Amber Rynbrandt44:00 - 47:00
Do you know, that's actually one of the things, so I love data. I'm such a numbers person. That's why I was able, like everything that happens within Pourtastic is a data point. So I can tell you in what corner of this neighborhood, what beer or can or bottle at what hour and what type of a store on what day. I love data. It's so interesting the way that, because it, I have, we have 5 to 10 interviews a day with in groups of 3. It has I realized about year 5, and then especially right after cobit when we were all able to start coming back to work. I kind of have a finger on the pulse of the now granted. These are gig workers. Some of them are teachers, hairdressers, nurses, dental assistant, phone salesman, whatever. So it's not all just people who just drive Uber. It's not a bartender or whatever. Yeah. I could tell when the loan started running out. I could see when, how long they, for the most part, you know, you don't miss the forest for the trees. Sort of like, yeah, yeah. I could see whenever they started to run out and then whenever it got re-upped again. For instance, they have to buy the alcohol at the store. That's we have prepaid credit cards, but in the beginning. We ask them to do a couple just because 50% of the people that we hire, I've never done this before. I love bringing people to the industry. But sometimes they're like, that sounds like a great job. Talk to people about beer. Cool. I can do that. But then they do the first ones and they're like, yeah, I actually hate talking to people, different strokes, different folks. So don't give everybody a pre-paid credit card. But what a day to be alive. I can Venmo you some money when you get there to buy it. I used to have to do that once every two weeks. Went about, I want to say a month to a month and a half after the, they stopped doing the extra. Benefits being a business, I didn't get any of them, so I don't know. I don't I just heard about it. Yeah, I could see when they started to remote. It was like, 30 a week. at meeting, like, I don't have the gas to get to my place. And I'm like, oh, no, y'all, something's happening in the economy because everybody just ran out of money. Yeah. You know, it's just so interesting. I don't know. It's just so interesting. The human element and what COVID did.
Tammera Hollerich47:00 - 48:12
You just it's so I mean, never in my lifetime did I think an entire world because it wasn't, it wasn't just one country. It wasn't just one society. It wasn't just one culture. It was every, every country on the planet literally just shut down. I was like, okay, weird. Like what is happening? What is happening my, you know, we kept working because I have a benefits consulting firm and all of these employers were my phones were ringing crazy because they were like, I need to let these employees go, but we're in the middle of a pandemic and. I have to cancel their insurance. Like what if they get sick? What if they go on a ventilator? Like it was such uncharted territory. It was like, what do we do? Nobody like had any answers because we'd never done it before. And so we stayed working, but so I didn't feel like we were impacted as much as, you know, people that literally just closed their doors, locked them and went home to their house and stayed there.
Amber Rynbrandt48:12 - 48:14
Imagine what you had to go through during that time.
Tammera Hollerich48:15 - 48:31
It was interesting. Yeah, it was really interesting because it's just like you, you had then at that point knew you were dealing with people's lives. Like, it became very real lawyers or the HR, like, they didn't want to do it.
Amber Rynbrandt48:31 - 48:31
No.
Tammera Hollerich48:32 - 49:33
No, they were just like, what are our options? What can we do? I mean, there was so much creativity that came out of that in the insurance world and from employers and HR directors. I mean, when I look back, I'm thinking, man, I learned a lot in that timeframe on, you know, how to pivot and, you know, how to get creative. Yeah, because that's what it required all that at that time. So, it was interesting, right? But, you know, these. I would have employees that would get their $1,200 or whatever it was. And they're like, well, it's just not safe for me to be at work. So I'm going to go. And I'm like, OK, well, we're going to be here. So I can't guarantee, because we have a community to take care of here that are all needing our help. So you do you. I'm good with that. Go do you. But I cannot guarantee that this job will be here when you are ready to come back, because I have a community to take care of. So it's interesting.
Amber Rynbrandt49:34 - 50:38
Yeah, the need still existed. Yeah. Yeah, it was I learned that even if I have to start a new business tomorrow, I you could do it don't want to work with some I that's what I'm gonna do. Yeah, I will. No, I had when it started to get into eight months, family members were like, So have you thought about I know somebody who might need to be hiring and stuff and thought about it for a while. But and it's not just because I don't want people to tell me what to do. In fact, I let my employees tell me what to do all the time. But keep me keep me. Yeah, keep me honest. Yeah. But I learned that No, I will be making an impact if it's not with Pourtastic, it's with whatever else it is.
Tammera Hollerich50:38 - 51:07
Well, so Pourtastic, you've had Pourtastic now 10 years. 10 years. 10 years, that's very, congratulations. And you have got, so basically a customer, business can jump onto your app and say, we want to have an event, right? An event. And we want somebody to bring us, can they, can they say exactly what alcohol they want?
Amber Rynbrandt51:07 - 51:15
How does that work? Okay. So, so it's interesting. It's actually like, I'll, I'll try to give you the, the, the high level one.
Tammera Hollerich51:15 - 51:17
30,000 foot. Give me the 30,000 foot.
Amber Rynbrandt51:17 - 52:06
30,000 foot because, uh, man, the alcohol industry in Texas is just, It's big. It's got well and it's got so many outdated rules that are from way back when that little band-aids have been put on, but it's made for somewhat of an inefficient world. But politics or politics is a little bit hard to change things. In fact, there was like a five year rule about beard or that we had all been fighting for going to the Texas Capitol, talking to Senator, talking to representatives and. Wasn't getting anything. Covid happened. No problem. And we're going to go ahead and let people deliver open containers to, to which we're just like, okay, well, silver linings.
SPEAKER_0152:06 - 52:07
You know, but.
Amber Rynbrandt52:11 - 52:12
I'm so sorry.
Tammera Hollerich52:12 - 52:20
So walk me through how this works. So I want to have an event, right?
Amber Rynbrandt52:20 - 56:18
Okay. So it actually backs up a little bit farther than that. Okay. So the retail location, whether it's the bar or the grocery store or like Whole Foods, That's across the United States. They don't pay for this. This is free to them. Because when beer gets delivered to them, they have to purchase it. It's cash on demand. So it is now there's their beer. If we're Texas laws, you cannot necessarily promote it here, so they can't really pay for it. Also, the distributor. who is the person who has the warehouses of the beer, has all the connections with all the bars, restaurants, grocery stores, liquor stores, has the refrigerated trucks to get the alcohol along, they legally can also not pay us. But once the brewery signs with a distributor, they are no longer allowed to do anything regarding sales in that market. They can't go get sales from the bar or the grocery store. They can't deliver alcohol to that place. Once you sign with a distributor, you lose all rights in that area. Now, you can work with them and try to, but if you're a small fish in a big pond, follow the money, especially post-COVID world when it's hard to find people. So what happens actually is our main contacts are either the breweries, so we work with Shiner, Shiner Bock, Yingling, Marisola's Brewery, Women Run, but also some smaller ones, Independence out of Austin, Post Malone started the Heart Seltzer. It's called Skrt. S-K-R-T, exclamation. Yellowstone. Oh, Troy Eggman. Troy Eggman from the Dallas Cowboys. The only reason that we, well, Troy Eggman and Emmett Smith, the only reason we still love the Cowboys, no matter what, during that time. Started a brewery where their official tasting company, so we work directly with the breweries. The breweries come to us. If it's a new 1, like, for instance, I just had a new business call with somebody today and they. Are trying to get into more locations. They don't really know. How it goes with the corporate to get all the events scheduled, but they've been doing 1s here and they're talking to the store manager. Can we come in and do do tastings? Can I come in Friday night and have a girl pass out things? They can't do that forever. It's unsustainable, and you can only do it so much. So they reach out to us, and what we will do is either make the schedule for them based on our 10-year of data experience. We have good connections with all of the HEB corporates, Kroger, Target, Randall's, Albert's, the big ones, Whole Foods. Bars, it's a little bit different. So we submit based on whatever their calendar thing is. We submit a schedule. Most of it's on the weekends. And they're three-hour shifts for the most part. So it's really an easy thing for people to do on the outside as a little side money, if you will.
Tammera Hollerich56:18 - 56:22
Yeah, I was going to say, side gig to pick up some extra money. I mean, and we pay well.
Amber Rynbrandt56:22 - 57:16
We pay $25 to $30 for you to just talk about beer. Oh, per hour, sorry, per hour. And then you end up with free good beer. Anyway, so we have a schedule, then we put it into our app. And like how I said, it was kind of like Uber. All of our brand ambassadors have a profile on there, and they put their address. And so all of the jobs are fed to them based on how close they are, not their physical location. I mean, we're not a new business, but data and server memory is expansive. I'm not tracking them all the time, but based on their address, they are fed these locations. These are the events, this is when they are, this is the date, here's a little bit more information, you can use the app to get directions to it, see how it is.
Tammera Hollerich57:16 - 57:20
At that point, they then have the option to take the job or not?
Amber Rynbrandt57:20 - 57:34
Yes. Then they say grab job if they want it. And then it starts this whole process. And so we try to ask that our clients give us at least two weeks before the events start.
Tammera Hollerich57:34 - 57:39
That is a perfect world. That doesn't ever happen. We are not living in a perfect world.
Amber Rynbrandt57:39 - 58:18
But my market managers on my side, their goal is to get them all staffed, Meet the client's expectations. Sometimes they need to be bilingual. Sometimes they need to be females. Sometimes they need to be a certain. Body type is I'm trying to change it. Change it. I bring a lot of men to this. A lot of big guys, big old beard. Helps because it's craft beer and they look like the brewers. Yeah. Yeah. But try to meet those things and then make sure that they are trained. Trained up, so I have about a week to 2 weeks. To ensure that.
Tammera Hollerich58:21 - 58:28
And then... So how do you guys get paid? If the client doesn't pay you, how do you guys get paid?
Amber Rynbrandt58:28 - 58:44
So the brewery does pay us. So it's with the brewery, but basically, I mean, unless if it's a small brewery, we're working with the distributors, but the distributor, because the breweries aren't allowed to do anything in that market anymore, but the distributors aren't allowed to pay.
Tammera Hollerich58:46 - 58:55
It's true. You guys kind of get introduced to the brewery so the breweries can get the beer out there and you guys get paid to help them get it out there.
Amber Rynbrandt58:55 - 01:00:19
Yes, but we get a word of mouth. Honestly, it's been the biggest things we get a lot of word mouth just from working directly with Shiner. We always have to work directly with the brewery, even though. It is more important that the distributor itself. has all the information and is on top of it. So we also get word of mouth from distributors. But because we track our people, we can see they have to do updates when they're on their way, when they get there, when they're finished. Unfortunately, a lot of times, there was a lot of miscommunication in the industry. Also, people just not showing up, people just showing up late, people just leaving early, not pourtastic, which is why we grew so much. And I think that's why we're back, in addition to having good ethics and all that. So they go out and they do, we do four, 600 a weekend events all over Texas. Pre-COVID, we were California, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, but home-based Texas and got a lot of taxes. And we're doing more work in just Texas post-COVID than we were in all those other states.
Tammera Hollerich01:00:19 - 01:01:26
Wow. Yeah, that goes back to your do it the best. That goes back, you know, it's interesting because as I'm listening to you explain kind of this whole process and I'm thinking, you know, Ubers and the side gigs and, you know, people trying to the impact you're making isn't just for the business to get their, their actual, you know, beer out to market. It's, you know, in this recession, and the inflation and people not being able to meet their bills, you're actually giving these people opportunity. And that's where I see the bigger impact. I mean, I see that growing, but this, there's twofold here, right? You're, you're making an impact and getting product to market but it's also taking outside your industry thought process of what Uber was doing and pushing it into an industry that does like I think sometimes we get most of our inspiration outside of our own industry. that actually helps your industry grow because you thought outside the box. That's fabulous.
Amber Rynbrandt01:01:26 - 01:02:28
Can I tell you a little, just I'll do it quickly, a heartwarming story. And this happens all the time in various different ways. This is just the most like in my face. So I was out at some barbecue and I met this woman and somebody asked what she did. And she said, oh, brand ambassador work. And I was like, oh, what, what agency do you work for? And she said, Oh, I work for a few. I was like, Oh, I own. And she said, what's the name of it? And, and Pourtastic Tastings. And she goes, Amber. you gave me the opportunity to divorce a very abusive husband. Wow. Because it's weird that that to get into the industry, the brain ambassadors, it's like they hold it very close. So it's you almost have to know somebody to get into it. And I am devoted to bring people to it. Because sometimes they just well, I'm pretty and all I have to do is stand here.
SPEAKER_0101:02:28 - 01:02:28
Oh,
Amber Rynbrandt01:02:29 - 01:03:19
Uh, well, that's not us. Um, but she was able to, because it wasn't a big commitment, just three hours. She had small children, but she was able to get somebody to watch, but also leave while her husband was at work or out and still make money on the side. Um, and it's, it's contract work. So there's no like filing unless you make, you know, a certain amount. Um, so many times, like, kids, even down to, you know, trans kids, I love opportunities. And I will, that's, or giving people the step, you know, that they just needed a little bit of help.
Tammera Hollerich01:03:19 - 01:03:44
That's the legacy that you're going to leave. You're just medium happens to be Pourtastic. And, you know, there's, there's a lot to be said for following your calling. Because I think there's a difference between doing what you love and actually following your calling, because you actually are following a calling, whether you realize it or not. You're following a calling. Yeah. Yeah.
Amber Rynbrandt01:03:44 - 01:04:12
It means I mean, I, you know, you asked how to grow up, but I did I grew up in kind of it. I grew up in an abusive household. And it was just it was tumultuous. And it was really hard on my mom. And and I just to be able to provide my mom, but it's not my mom, you know, it's somebody else, an opportunity to
Tammera Hollerich01:04:15 - 01:04:20
be out of a situation that's not as healthy for them as what you would want for your mom.
Amber Rynbrandt01:04:20 - 01:05:05
Yeah. Yeah, I get it. Also, a lot of people who wanted to get into craft beer, it's not as big anymore. I get to meet so many people who are now head brewers, who had no experience before coming in to Portastic, but they were able to put Shiner or all these things. And now It's this is what keeps me going for 10 years is and this is again, I love the positive impact because that is what drives me. Every day and what during cobit, it wasn't that I don't want people to tell me what to do. It's not that it's. I really. be the change in the world that you want to see.
Tammera Hollerich01:05:05 - 01:06:42
There you go. And that's, there it is. Well, I know we have, we have just kind, like, I just looked at the clock and I was like, this woman is busy. And I'm like, just chatting away with her. So I am, I do want to go over, I want to do a little trivia questions with you before it goes out. So let, let, let me ask you some of these questions. We'll see where you're at here. Okay. What is the traditional garnish for a margarita cocktail? Lime and salt. Look at you. Okay. He's got it. Okay. Very good. Okay. What is the key ingredient in the classic mojito cocktail? rum or mint? Mint! Okay, she's got it. This girl, I'm not going to trump her at all. Okay, which beer style, this is right up your alley, is characterized by its strong hoppy aroma and flavor with often high alcohol content? My favorite, IPA. Yes, I only know this because, like I said, my husband, like you should, so my husband also collects beer cans and we have got I can't, there's an entire house that we have that one whole bedroom, floor to ceiling, all four walls are nothing but beer cans stacked all the way from floor to ceiling and all these, and there are some of the coolest IPA cans I have ever, like these craft brewery companies, they come up with the most clever cans. It's like, I love it. Okay.
Amber Rynbrandt01:06:42 - 01:06:48
So you gotta tell me what his favorite type of beer is, cause I will have no idea.
Tammera Hollerich01:06:48 - 01:07:16
he will shoot me for this one I have no idea there's like this other like there I'm like uh-huh uh-huh so bad because I am not a beer person at all but he like he's like oh you have to taste this one I'm like I'll take your word for it. Something about pumpkin and chocolate or I don't know. There's all kinds of crazy flavors out there that I'm just like, who thinks of these things?
Amber Rynbrandt01:07:16 - 01:07:22
I will have to send one, some of the bottles to your office.
Tammera Hollerich01:07:22 - 01:07:56
That would be fabulous. He would just love that. Okay. It's in this industry and I have so much. Yeah, right? Okay, so last one. Which beer style is known for its dark, roasted malt flavors, and often has hints of chocolate and coffee. Oh, stout. Yeah, look at you. I knew I wouldn't trump you when it came to some of those. Well, everyone, this is Tammera with Everything is Up with Amber Reimbrandt from Pourtastics. Amber, how can we get to you? How can we reach you?
Amber Rynbrandt01:07:56 - 01:08:26
So our website, it's pourtastictastings.com. Pourtastic, like fantastic, but P. O. U. R. More like pour a beer. Yeah, like tastings dot com. Um, we also have instagram, facebook, linkedin, um, We're dabbling in TikTok, but I'm leaving it up to my young ins to do that.
Tammera Hollerich01:08:26 - 01:08:38
Although if you heard the debate, the Republican debate last night, if they had their way, TikTok is going to be gone. I started laughing. I was like, good luck with that. OK, as our politicians think they have more control than they do.
Amber Rynbrandt01:08:39 - 01:08:57
I gave, I am older than I look and I gave up on even Insta. I don't know the difference between a story and a real and this is why I have a staff because this is what my staff does for me. I'm like, I can't do this. Surround yourself with people who can do the job.
Tammera Hollerich01:08:57 - 01:09:07
Yeah, absolutely. All right, everybody. Amber Rynbrandt with Pourtastics. This is Tammera with Everything is Up. Amber, thank you. Everybody have a great day. Thank you.
Intro/Outro01:09:09 - 01:09:22
Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of Everything is Up. Be sure to appreciate it. If you haven't done so already, make sure you're subscribed to the show wherever you consume podcasts. This way you'll get updates as new episodes become available. And remember,