Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chris Rochester, founder of Primary Colors Brewing, located in Chicago, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Primary Colors is the most fun way to experience craft beer. We brew beers that are meant to be blended together by you. Yep, we literally want you to mix our beers together. By blending beers, you’re able to explore new flavors, and create completely new beer styles. Right now, we just sell our mixed six-pack with three different styles in retail shops across Chicago, but we’re itching to bring our concept to life with a taproom in the city.
Tell us about yourself
I’d been a homebrewer for ten years, so starting a brewery had always been in the back of my mind, but with so many amazing breweries already in existence, I wanted to do something different. I’ve always loved seeing people’s faces light up when they taste a new beer style that really excites them…especially people that don’t consider themselves beer drinkers. So I wanted to create an experience that would be more interactive and personalized to each person’s unique tastes. That’s what drove the idea for Primary Colors.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Honestly, my biggest accomplishment has been bringing the first batch of Primary Colors to market here in Chicago. Having a vision for a product is one thing, but actually bringing that product to life can be an incredibly long path. There were so many hurdles along the way, but watching my first customers sample my beers and seeing their faces light up made all that work totally worth it!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things about owning your own business is that it’s really hard to turn it off. I’m always thinking about work, which is great right now because I really do love the work that I’m doing. But it can be hard to unplug and not think about your business. There’s always going to be more than can be done, and never enough hours in the day to do everything.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Make sure you’re up for the challenge: Building your own business can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s not an easy path. It takes a lot of hustle and sacrifice to make it work, and it can take a long time before you see the fruits of your labor. Make sure that you’re ready to ride that rollercoaster.
Talk to your customers: This is something that I can’t emphasize enough. There’s nothing worse than assuming you know what your customers want. As much as you can, talk to your customers about their experience with your product. While you can’t do everything that every customer wants, you’ll start to see some common themes. Your customers should always drive the evolution of your products.
Focus on the why: You really need to know why your product needs to exist. What deep, foundational need does it fill for your customers? This “why” will help drive everything in your business. It’ll make it easier to understand who your customer really is and how to reach them better.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.primarycolorsbrewing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/primarycolorsbrewing/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primarycolorsbrewing/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-rochester/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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