2426 - Why Licensing and Professionalism Make or Break Beverage Catering Businesses with Embrace The Grape's Jane Monroe

0:03Welcome to the Thoughtful Entrepreneur. If you're committed to growing your business by serving audiences with generosity and real expertise, you're in the right place. This is a daily 15 minute show featuring leaders who believe real impact comes from generosity, not hype, which means as a listener, you're going to get the good stuff. In fact, we created podverified.com to give thoughtful leaders like you free tools to show up better on podcast stages, like this one. That includes your free PodVerified score, free PodVerified guest training, a free media kit builder, and so much more. It's the first ecosystem of its kind built by podcasters who genuinely want to help guests thrive and grow in podcasting.

0:46Visit podverify.com if you'd like to be featured as a future guest. I'm Josh Elledge. Let's get into it.

0:56With us right now, Jane Monroe. Jane, you are the founder of Embrace the Grape Beverage Catering. You're found on the web at EmbraceCatering.com. Jane, you're also a keynote speaker and an emcee. You are found on the web at KeynoteJane.com. Jane Monroe, thanks for joining us. Hey, thanks for having me, Josh. What a great day. Yes, and before we get going talking about the work that you do and kind of the message that you share with the world and the good you do. You know, I always love just hearing what high-level leaders do for fun when they're not at work. And most of us are pretty multi-passionate and hobbies, you know, that sort of thing.

1:35What have you been into lately when you're not at work? Well, it's the beginning of racing season. And what that means is it's time to put the kayak on the water. I raced tandem with my sister and we paddled. the big race for us is the Missouri River 340, which is 340 miles down the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Louis. Happens every summer. This will be our 11th race. And we are anxious to get started. You know, you train all year, but really getting the boat back on the water is the beginning of all the goodness. And so we're excited to get that done. What work do you have to do to keep your shoulders and other body parts?

2:20I mean, because that's immediately what I'd be thinking about is, you know, you have to balance your training so you don't overwork and overuse. But yeah, shoulders, I mean, even from swimming, that's one thing I, you know, I always like to go out a little too hard and then I always pay for it. I'm sure conditioning is a really big part of this, of this, you know, of this race. Yeah. And what a lot of people don't realize is when you're in a kayak, it's it's supposed to your power comes from your core. The shoulders get in there, of course. But what also gets in there is your leg drive. So depending on what side, it's a double bladed paddle that we use.

3:03And so we're going back and forth. So depending on which side we're on, we at our leg, the opposite leg is driving forward to help stabilize our core and to keep us from our hips twisting so um arms out as best as you can have them very little bend in the arms you twist from the core and drive from your legs so it really is a full body workout and so consequently when it's cold and we we're not on the water that's when we spend a lot of time in the gym we're throwing weights around and, and then just to kind of change it up. I like to get on my bicycle for that endurance piece and ride my bike.

3:43And if I can get 15 or 20 miles in on a Saturday morning, that makes me real happy as well. So yeah, it's, it's a cool sport. Yeah. And I just realized I am kayaking all wrong. I don't, I don't do it very often, but now I need to watch some YouTube videos and, and, uh, get my, so I take that form is the first thing you probably need to get locked down. Cause otherwise, of course, if you have bad form, yeah, it's like me, it's not going to go real well. Yeah. Well, just like in swimming, you're not going to swim with your fingers spread. You're going to swim with your fingers together and make a scoop.

4:20Um, it's the same thing. The form makes all the difference. And the other thing, when you're going to do 340 miles that, how you start and that you don't run out of gas in the tank too quickly. I mean, it really is, it's a long time out there. So it's about how, how long is that to go 340 miles? This race, you get 85 hours to do it. My sister and I typically do it in the range of 53 to 56 hours. And, and that includes our time on shore. So we don't spend a whole lot of time on shore because we want to be on the water. Are you sleeping during that time? We sleep 90 minutes twice. And you know what?

5:05You can fool your body and do a lot of things when it's temporary. So if you present me with a cup of coffee after 90 minutes, I can tell my body, you had a full night's sleep. And I don't care if it's still dark outside, you're going to get up and get back in that boat. And so that's what I do. Wow, Jane, that is so cool. What was the race called? Someone could search it up. If you Google it, it's just MR340, Missouri River 340. Yep, there it is. Look at that. MR340.org, the world's longest nonstop river race, July 28th through the 31st. Well, Jane, good luck on that. That sounds amazing. What a cool event.

5:45Well, Jane, tell us about the work that you do, both with Embrace the Grape, and then, of course, we'll get into the keynote afterwards. words. I'd love your background with Embrace the Grape. So really what we do, Embrace the Grape is a beverage catering company. And what we do is we alleviate anxiety from people who don't know how to handle the bar. Say your daughter's getting married and you've got to figure out what to do with the bar. You can, in a lot of places, do it yourself, or you can call somebody like us who, this is our niche. This is our vibe. We're going to take away all your anxiety about how that's going to work.

6:19We're going to allow you to be a guest at your own party, which is a lovely concept. And so anything we can do to make that section of the party go super smoothly, that's what we do. And it's a big part of the day, whether it's a birthday party or an outdoor concert or somebody's wedding, the bar makes a difference how it's executed. And so we're super serious about doing it with all the right licensing and insurance and the best bartenders ever, all of that. Yeah. Okay. So what does it take to become a successful catering company, particularly today? Now, it helps that you've been doing this for a little bit of time.

7:02You've got over 17 years. So would you say, I mean, as long as you provide good service, you keep good relationships, my suspicion is that that's, I mean, unless you get, for whatever reason, a bunch of competitors who are going to try to undercut you, it seems to me that if you build a lot of good rate, you know, a lot of good relationships and you just stay in the game, it probably gets easier with time, but I'd love your take on that. You know, there are some, yes. I mean, now we're kind of in this market. We're kind of a household name in planners and people who are in that industry, but there are people who think, well, that doesn't look very hard.

7:46I could do that. And so we are constantly, there are a couple of other companies in this market that do what I do that I respect and we pass business back and forth. And it's amazing. There are a lot of one-offs who say, oh yeah, I can do that. And we're talking about alcohol. So there are regulations involved. There's licensing involved. The insurance is staggering. And so these people come into our space thinking it doesn't look like any big deal. And then they find out the hard way when they don't do it right from liquor control that it is a big deal. And no, you're not going to do business like that.

8:24So we are constantly combating people who think they can do what we do without following the rules and that, and, and I will tell you, Josh, we lose business sometimes because we are absolutely rule followers because this is my livelihood and I'm, I'm not taking chances on your daughter's wedding because you want to do something crazy that is not legal. I'm just not doing it. So, so there's that, but then you get the reputation of, if you want somebody who knows all the rules and follows them, call Embrace the Grape because they've got you. Yeah. Well, you know, and a similar note, and I know that you and I share a background in mobile DJing, DJing and MC work, which I absolutely adore.

9:13And I think, you know, a similar thing could be said for that. I mean, it's very tempting to say, you know, well, shoot, a DJ is going to be, you know, six,$700. We'll just put a Spotify playlist on that'll be good. And it's a completely different experience. Do you mind maybe sharing a little bit about the art of, just because you and I share this background, I'd love your perspective on the art of DJing, like what a DJ does other than just play music. Yeah. And I will say there is a time and a place for a Spotify playlist. And that's called background music. And you don't want anybody to dance.

9:50And it's just a chill cocktail party kind of thing. But if you're wanting to throw a party, the DJ next to the bar, the DJ and the bar, they work together to make the party happen. And here's what's so important. So when I was on stage and I did this through college and then after from the time I was about 19 to 28, got my start in the events business as a mobile disc jockey. What I did from the stage, and it is a stage, is I watched everything happening. I saw funny things happening in the corner and maybe between songs, I would pick up the mic and say something, point those people out and make them part of the party.

10:31I talked to everybody before I even opened the mic to find out what they wanted to hear. Is there anybody here from out of town? Could I do a little quick research on where they're from? And then as the party breaks loose and people start dancing, I'm watching who's dancing to what kind of music. Yes. And then what was so fun and mind-blowing was when you got them in the palm of your hand, you would think to yourself, what crazy song could I play next and see if I can get them to dance to it? so then it just became this fun challenge especially when you had a good rocking party and you could tell I did a lot of weddings and you could tell if people were happy for that couple because they danced they drank they ate they laughed or if they were really not sure this was gonna work and then you know kind of pull them a little harder to get them on the dance floor and and back in the day we did the chicken dance and we did the hokey pokey and we got the kids involved and big band was still a thing.

11:39You don't really hear that at weddings anymore, but I get grandma and grandpa out there dancing to big band. And it's just so fun. And then you also learn because, you know, if you're like me, sometimes you say the wrong thing on the microphone and the whole crowd looks at you and you learn to recover. You learn in the moment how to regain your credibility and to recover. And most of the time, I'm funny, But every once in a while, I'm not. And then I have to recover the crowd. And that's its own challenge in people skills, which I love. And there's obviously, you know, improv is a part of this as well.

12:22And, you know, I took, you know, I did all this. And I also took a year of improv a while back. And one of the things I thought was just so helpful was not to prejudge or worry about what I'm going to say. I mean, sometimes I'll work, you know, some things out. But generally, you know, I feel like the more present I can be, the more observant I can be and just trust that, hey, whatever comes out, it's going to be fine. It doesn't have to be the funniest thing in the world, but as long as people see that you're present with them, right? And they're kind of looking at you. They're kind of in proxy, you know, in watching you do what you do.

13:07And they're thinking about, oh, can I do what they're doing? And so it's kind of this interesting relationship. And I'm sure this has created a lot of stories that you share as a keynote speaker, too. Yeah, I share my journey, why I became a mobile disc jockey, which had nothing to do with wanting to be a mobile disc jockey. And what those lessons parlayed later in life for me in becoming a cohesive leader and being self-aware about things. And I'll go back and say, you know, to comment on your not worrying too much about what you say or how you say it. Just know that what I thought of when you said that was if you engage with the crowd, the crowd will engage back with you.

13:52But it's on the DJ first to engage with the crowd. And then they come around. And then by the end of the night, it's like we're all best friends. I would imagine, Jane, I know you've got quite a few stories from your kayaking as well. And this is also a part of what you speak on. Yes, yes. Yes. And so my topic that I speak on in the keynote is about being a cohesive leader through excessive self-awareness. And I think a lot of times leaders read books and listen to podcasts about how to lead. And what they forget is that the very, very first person they have to lead is themselves. And so how do you lead yourself if you don't even know who you are, if you don't even know what makes you tick?

14:46How do you lead yourself? And then once you follow this journey of self-awareness, then the leading of others becomes so much simpler because you're not only leading yourself by example, but then you're empowering them to lead themselves within a framework that you create. And it's been a fascinating journey for me to discover how incredibly effective that approach is. Well, how does one figure out who they are? Yeah, I don't know. That's a big question. And there's only a few minutes left in the conversation. Probably not the best question to be asking right now. So there are four. I talk about four identities to all of us.

15:32We are all the person that we know ourselves to be and everybody else knows us to be also. So that's our known self. That's kind of cookies on the bottom shelf. That's easy stuff to figure out. Then there's the person that we don't know we are, but other people do. That's the blind self. So how do you learn what other people see about you that you're not recognizing? And that really helps a lot with your self-awareness. The third one is what do you know about you that other people really don't know? and this could go down a path of childhood trauma, things that you're ashamed of and all kinds of things that I am not qualified to talk about and that's not where I go with this.

16:20Where I go is what do you know about yourself, who you are that stands without you really even having to say it and other people discover these things about you as they interact with you and how to hold firm as who you know that you are. And then the last thing, which is the most exciting, is what you don't know about yourself and nobody else does either. And this is the opportunity to get outside your comfort zone and go do something insane like paddle 340 miles down a river. And then you learn a lot about yourself that you didn't know and nobody else knew either. Yeah. Well, Jane, your personal website for your keynote speaking is it book or keynote jane.com.

17:17When somebody goes there, what would you recommend they do? Well, I would recommend that they just look at the four pillars that I quickly talked about. And if this is something that you would like your team to know better, something you would like to hear more about, then you can click a button on there that says make an appointment with Jane. And it'll go right to my calendar and you just make an appointment. Give me a call and we'll talk about if my message is a good fit for your audience. And I would love to come and share with a little bit of humor and a lot of humanity the path I have been on and the consequences, some intended and some unintended consequences of the path.

18:05Jane Monroe, again, you're the founder and owner of Embrace the Great Beverage Catering. Congratulations on over 17 years, longer if we include the work before then. And you've been in this space for quite some time. And, of course, KeynoteJane.com. Jane, it's been a great conversation. Thank you so much for joining us. Josh, absolutely my pleasure. Thanks.

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