Tales of the Cocktail® New Orleans 2016

The path to success is paved with interesting choices, passion, determination and knowledge but how can these be applied to broadening personal growth and securing a strong future in the industry and beyond? Many people find themselves in the bar industry as explorers from other professions looking for more excitement, ready cash and more often than not, fun. The tendency, once they have caught the bug of bartending, is to deny the past and focus on learning a new truth. Old text books and experiences are consigned to the high shelf and are replaced with recipes, distillation temperatures, obscure bar tools, techniques and service mantras. Little do most know that the road to sustainable success in the industry is often signposted more clearly by their initial calling than by their new vocation. By the same token bar owners often see themselves as architects of a vision - benign dictators who can do it all. They often overlook the dormant skills and talents that their staff bring to the table which could help their business reach new heights. In this seminar we will draw on the experiences and lessons from three of the best known bartender turned business people in the industry to find out how they have navigated their path to a diverse and opportunity filled portfolio of activity. Multi award winning Jim Meehan counts amongst his credits, journalism, furniture design, brand development, and bar ownership all as developments to his start in the industry as a door guy turned bartender in Madison Wisconsin. Ryan Chetiyawardana counts fashion, biology, philosophy, product design and art as influences that have taken him from Bartending to becoming his own multi-faceted, brand. Both have one thing in common, a varied and broad background and skill set which has allowed them to spot opportunities that others may have overlooked or not had the ability to see. Most beyond-the-bar seminars focus on how individuals can sustain their career based on the knowledge and skills they acquire working behind the bar. This seminar draws on their alter ego and encourages bar owners to see past the skills and knowledge to get the job done to see the dormant talents lurking in their staff which can transform their business