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St. Petersburg's craft-brewing community recently picked up some national attention, when 3 Daughters Brewing was named one of 18 Dream Big Award finalists in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's National Small Business Summit. The company also won the chamber's Emerging Business Achievement Award, presented at the event held Sept. 10-13 in Washington, D.C.
Before the event, the husband-wife team behind 3 Daughters, Mike and Leigh Harting, spoke with chamber officials about their business, challenges and success. An August interview of Mike Harting was published in the chamber's Free Enterprise publication, and online. Edited excerpts:
What barriers have you faced while building your company, and how did you overcome them?
There are many challenges to any startup business, including setting the right tone for your culture, focusing on short- and long-term goals, creating demand for your product, filling orders and servicing your customers. Our biggest challenge is creating the right culture and infrastructure to build a sustainable model in a new industry.
In an emerging market, there is no defined roadmap to success. There is no established timeline for adding resources. When do you add sales people and in what territories? When is a quality assurance lab manager a necessity? When do you need a logistics manager?
We made a conscious decision to run our net income at close to zero and reinvest those dollars in expanding our team to gain momentum and drive sales. We surround ourselves with the smartest, most competent people we can find. We trust them to build the processes and business plan that will elevate 3 Daughters Brewing to the next level as a regional brewer.
What has been your proudest moment as an entrepreneur?
Our proudest moment is not one isolated incident. Instead we have a statistic that is our biggest source of pride. Over the past three years, our turnover rate has been below 5%. We are extremely proud to say that our team members have become family, and we want them to grow professionally as our business grows.
What does it mean to not only have created your own job, but to also create jobs for others?
A common trait of entrepreneurs is that they tend to dream big and turn that vision into a reality. In our case, this translated into becoming one of the largest breweries in Florida. Opportunities to launch in a new industry — and to be a thought leader and shape that industry — are few and far between.
What's your best advice for other small business owners who want to Dream Big?
Our best advice when starting a new business is ask for help. Lots of it. Find the smartest people in your industry and ask how they do great things. We have found that the best in the business are not afraid to give out advice and become a mentor. Many times, amazing mentors are hiding in plain sight, so don't be afraid to ask for help.
And lastly, when you become successful, remember to pay it forward.
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