(rousing music) - This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

- "It's Your Business" with Michael Aikens is brought to you by WCTE PBS and The Center for Rural Innovation with funding provided by a grant from USDA Rural Development.

This series was produced under an agreement with Tennessee Tech University's center for rural innovation.

- We often hear that small businesses are the backbone of every economy.

Well, we're about to sit down with two small business owners who took those words to heart and created businesses that are the epitomy of bringing people together and building community.

Join us as we hear their stories and learn the ups and downs of starting a business and keeping it going strong.

Let's get started.

(ubeat bouncy music) (upbeat bouncy music continued) If you visit the Grinder House in Crossville you'd probably believe someone had an incredible idea for a special coffee house and set out to bring that idea to life.

But Asa Reese and his fiance never had an idea for a coffee house.

They just knew they wanted to spend more time together outside of corporate America.

So that, along with their love of coffee is how this special coffee shop in historic downtown Crossville, came to be.

(gentle music) We're here in Crossville, Tennessee talking to part owner and Executive Chef of the Grinder House, Asa Reese.

Asa, welcome to the show.

- Michael, thank you very much.

It's glad to be here.

- So we've got so much to talk about today.

First of all, I'm looking around here.

This is super busy.

How awesome is it that you have created something like this?

- Yeah, it is really cool.

And what's happened is, over the past four years Grinder House has become kind of a Mecca for Cumberland County.

A place to meet, Realtors come in, business people come in.

Different groups, book clubs, stitch clubs, knitting clubs.

It's really a cool spot for people to just come and hang out.

Yeah.

- So let's start with the beginning.

How did you get the idea for a coffee house?

- We didn't have an idea for a coffee house.

I met my fiance.

We lived 90 miles apart.

We both had worked in corporate America for well me, 40 years, her 30 years.

And we was just tired of not being able to see each other but once a week, said "Let's find a business to do."

We both love coffee, saw this being advertised for sale.

We drove up from Dalton, Georgia and sure enough, as soon as we walked into the space I said, "Oh my heavens."

This is really what we envision a coffee house being.

So that was in 2017.

We're four and a half years in and it's been quite a ride.

Neither one of us owned a business.

We were corporate America.

I worked for the largest engineering firms in the world and did mega projects.

But what we brought was project management.

And that's what really helped us even though we've never done a business never done anything in food service utilizing our skills in project management really helped us to organize and structure the business the way that we needed, to see it succeed.

- Well clearly it's been very successful.

Again, we're sitting here and there's so many people around enjoying coffee, talking, having a good time.

And I'll tell you in my travels around the Upper Cumberland there's many coffee houses but everybody knows the Grinder House.

What do you think is your secret to making this unique?

- I knew that consistency was extremely important.

You gotta deliver the same cup of coffee every day.

You gotta deliver the same sandwich every day and applying kind of old time, old school, customer service was really, I think the key.

And bringing that personality into how we operate the business.

And consistency.

- Why is it so important that you are here and helping to revitalize that this area of downtown?

- Studies have shown for decades that main street is the backbone of every city across the country.

And they started getting boarded up although that's where people always shopped and where they went downtown.

If you invest in local businesses you're gonna see the same return on your investment as you would with a large company.

If you could take the same type of efforts associated with the lottery ticket concept of a large company coming in and placing that effort towards six small businesses you're gonna see the same economic development taxes returned.

And these have been studies especially in rural communities that this is really how they create their identity.

And that's what Angela and I had hoped to do when we came here was to help develop that identity for downtown.

- Well speaking of community and identity you're bringing people in, they're coming they're gathering, they're eating, they're drinking coffee but you have even more than just coffee here.

What are some of your other services?

- On all the walls that you see here, are local artists.

We don't charge them to hang their art here.

We kind of think of it like we're living in a working in a gallery every day.

So we have a gallery, four or five artists.

We rotate out.

We've sold probably 10 to $15,000 worth of art out of here.

We don't take a cut unless it's a credit card fee that we're doing.

And it's been very popular.

In 2018, we were designated as one of the official locations on the music pathways which was really cool.

And I'll tell you this story, Michael.

It's funny.

I wrote the letter to the director of tourism and I emailed it off to him.

I said, "I'll never hear back."

It was a long shot, but I thought I'd do it.

Three weeks later, I get a letter from him.

This is exactly what we wanna be able to do.

Their primary campaign for tourism is the soundtrack of America, made in Tennessee.

The six or seven genres of music that were developed and created here in Tennessee which is really pretty remarkable.

- So clearly you're supporting the arts you're supporting yourself.

This is your own business.

You're helping Crossville thrive.

So a lot of people that watch this show are basically you a few years ago.

They've been in corporate America they've got this idea for a business but maybe they just haven't crossed that line yet.

- Yeah.

- What advice would you give to them?

- Do it.

For a long time, I thought I would do consulting work when I was doing corporate.

The nine to five is brutal on your body and on your mind.

And so I thought I would go into consulting.

I never did.

The security of that weekly paycheck and insurance was too much to walk away from but I could never go back to that kind of job now.

And I wish I'd done it sooner.

Take the risk, but be prepared.

We had no idea what the food service did.

Knowing more about that business would've been great.

However, we transferred a lot of our skillsets from project management into the business.

And I could say that regardless of what business it was those skill sets really, really were applicable and needed in order for the business to be successful.

- So let's drill down just a little bit more.

Maybe somebody's thinking about starting a coffee shop maybe somewhere else in the Upper Cumberland.

- What specific advice would you give to them?

- Know your equipment 'cause this is the biggest capital expense that you're gonna have.

Knowing your equipment, knowing your certainly your customer base and finding local businesses to utilize.

The local roaster in Cookeville we buy about four tons of coffee from them a year.

So that's expanded their business exponentially.

Good help.

Look, coffee houses aren't necessarily a career.

I get that.

But knowing that people are interested in seeing your business do well, is really critical.

Aside from that, pinch every penny.

Our motto was, if we can't execute, we're not gonna do it.

We weren't gonna get egg on our face.

That publicity is so hard to come back from.

And ruining a reputation than... you can do great all day long you mess up once and you're in trouble.

So making sure you have the bandwidth to do what you want to do, is really important.

Look, we went the first week we were like, "Oh my heavens, what have we done?"

And we were walking the floor 18 hours a day.

We saw maybe $700 a week.

That's equating to maybe a hundred customers a week.

Today, we're serving 155,000 a year which is all because of consistency, watching our budget making sure that we're not over extended in our ability to execute any project that we wanted to do.

- Clearly you've got a very successful and thriving business.

Last question for you.

What's the future hold for the Grinder House?

- We really would like to see a music festival happen here, and see that sponsored.

We've presented to the city of Crossville a pretty aggressive structure model, business model for it.

And again, we're applying all of our project management skills to this.

We were gonna close downtown and combine both a fine arts and a music festival together for songwriters.

Aside from that, we gotta get past all the dust of COVID and just get back on our feet and see that we're doing what we need to do and we'll fire up what projects we can.

- Well, I have no doubt that you'll be able to accomplish that and so much more.

Thank you for bringing us to your business and thanks for being on the show.

We appreciate it.

- We really appreciate it.

Thank you.

- (gentle music) - When Jessica Upchurch learned the process of brewing beer she fell in love with it and knew that she wanted to share her creations with others.

She and her husband decided to start Happy Trails Brewery in Sparta Tennessee with not only the hopes of bringing the community together but also celebrating the beautiful parks and trails across our incredible state.

(upbeat music) We're here in Sparta, Tennessee at Happy Trails Brewery with owner and Brewster, Jessica Upchurch.

Jessica, welcome to the show.

- Thank you for having me.

This is awesome.

- So let's get things started.

Tell us, what is Happy Trails Brewery?

- So we are a tap room brewery and now we have a restaurant.

And we are family friendly entertainment, serve beer, the whole package.

- So how did you get the idea to start a brewery?

- Well we were home brewers for a lot of years and we just kind of really enjoyed the whole process of making beer and the idea of sharing that beer with other people.

And when I actually found a program through Auburn University I was so interested in learning more about it.

And when I got my degree we started looking around and there was a need for it in downtown Sparta.

So we just kind of went from there and decided it was a perfect fit and started the planning process.

- So walk me through the process.

You were brewing beer at home and then you had this idea of we're gonna start a brewery in Sparta.

How did you get that idea?

And more importantly how did you progress to where you are today?

- When we first started the idea of opening the brewery our plan was to brew at home for a while.

And then we started going to more breweries and learning more about it and seeing the interest that people had in it and the cool events that you could have and how it brings people together.

And when we started thinking about opening we started our own little list of things that we liked and things that we didn't and things that worked.

And, the craft beer community is so cool as a whole.

Everybody works together.

Everybody has such cool ideas and it's just really neat because if we go somewhere and you talk to somebody they will tell you what works and what doesn't.

And so when we started the planning process we just kind of approached the city, went that direction figured out what we needed to have started looking for buildings, found our building went through the whole building a brewery process.

And that's part of my classes that I took through Auburn was actually starting building a business.

So that was pretty cool to be able to use that knowledge moving forward.

But we knew we wanted an entertainment space.

We wanted somewhere that we could have live music.

We wanted outdoor space.

We wanted to be able to serve our beers and other people's beers.

So it was just kind of a process of figuring out how to make those things happen for us.

- You've mentioned community several times and that's what I think is really interesting about it is you're not just brewing beer.

This is a place where people can come and gather.

What do you think the impact on Sparta and our rural region has been?

- We have seen so many friendships, relationships grow and we're able to bring things to the downtown area that helps this whole community.

And tourism is really big in this area and we partnered with the state park.

So we're able to use the park names and things.

And the fact that there's so many really cool parks and natural areas in this whole Upper Cumberland area that's something that's really targeted and the community has really come together and we're able to bring people in from other places as well.

- So you mentioned that you're not only brewing beer you've got food service now, too.

- We do.

Yes.

Yes.

We started out doing food trucks and we knew that we really would like to have something that was here all the time.

So what we've done is we've partnered with a Trailhead Grub and we actually have a kitchen located inside.

So you place your order they give you a number and then bring it to your table.

So you can order food over there and beer over here.

So it's such a cool partnership and it really has helped us to grow as a business as well because we were able to offer that.

And it's just cool to see there's something for everybody.

- A lot of people that watch the show they're thinking about starting a business maybe they have started it but they're still in their nine to five and maybe a little nervous about transitioning to full-time.

What has your experience been from going to nine to five to full-time owner?

- Well, it definitely in the beginning was a lot.

It was so daunting to think about how am I going to balance.

Being a teacher, that's a lot in itself and that's more outside too that you have to do to prepare.

So when we were opening I was trying to figure out how I could balance doing that.

And I did, I did it for a full school year.

So we opened in October.

I taught through May, and then I took a leave of absence and left at that point.

But it definitely was a lot.

I was lucky enough and blessed enough to be able to come here full-time.

But I know it's very difficult to think about doing both things.

Both jobs.

But it's definitely, it's so worth it to see how much growth we've had and all the success that we have had and it was a great feeling to be able to step away and come here full-time.

- So what advice would you give to those aspiring entrepreneurs?

- People are always willing to give you advice.

Good and bad.

People always have something to share.

And it's just really neat to see the different experiences that people have had doing the same things that you're doing or similar things.

And if you ask, people will tell you.

People will tell you what works.

And that's the big thing, I think that we learned along the whole way was just talk to people.

Just reach out.

- Well, speaking of advice we have a lot of entities support entities here in the Upper Cumberland like Small Business Development Center Biz Foundry Center for Rural Innovation at Tennessee Tech.

Have you utilized any of those resources?

- Yes, we absolutely did.

When we first started, we worked very closely with with all of those things and it was such a cool thing because even now we're still in touch with them.

And Biz Foundry, we do things for them.

They're actually in our community here in Sparta now.

So we do some happy hour things and it's just neat to see that we still have those relationships.

- How does it make you feel to be a woman owned business and also a Brewster?

And what is a Brewster?

- Back in the beginning of brewing brewing was done by the women in whatever society it was.

So they coined the name Brewster way back.

So that's just kind of something that stuck.

So it's very cool to be able to say that I I, as a woman, own the business.

I also make the beer, because that's something that people are really trying to get used to now because it seems like as craft beer has grown it's always so cliche but you see the guys with the big beards and the boots and that's who brews the beer.

And people come in and they are so surprised that it's me, and I do.

I do all, so.

It never gets old, the little shock on their face like, you really do this.

And yeah, I love it.

- You know, in a rural region like the Upper Cumberland small businesses have certain challenges that they face.

What are some of the challenges that you faced?

Have you overcome them?

And what would you recommend to others in the community?

- When we started to open of course, Calfkiller Brewing Company has been here in White County for a lot of years but there was nothing actually in downtown Sparta.

So that for us was kind of a hurdle that we had to figure out how to overcome.

So we just actually went to the city just sat down, started that planning process just explain to 'em, this is what we wanna do.

We wanna serve our beers.

We wanna make our own beers.

We want to serve other people's beers and we want to have food.

Tell me what I need to do to make that happen.

So they were able to lay it out for us, make a plan.

I think that's the big thing is just seeking those professionals to help you figure out how to make your dream come true.

- So what's your experience like being an employer?

You have help now, but you also have to manage 'em and keep the vision of the business intact.

How do you do that?

- It's a matter of finding the people who align with your vision for your business.

And just being able to see those people who come in and represent your business for what it really is and understand the beers and understand the food and the entertainment that we have.

And that's the really cool part is being able to find those people that you can trust to represent your brand the way that you would do it if you were here.

- Well, you've got a brand, you've got great beer you've got great social media and you've got a great place for community.

What's next for Happy Trails?

- It's a matter of just keep on growing our business.

We've got a couple of extra tanks now so we're able to produce a little more beer.

We've got our food now then we're growing that business for sure.

And then just being able to produce more beer and bring beers from other places as well.

- Well Jessica, this has been a great conversation.

Thanks for coming on the show.

- Thank you so much for having me.

This has been awesome.

(uplifting music) - When you know that you have an idea or product that can change people's lives but aren't quite sure how to get it out to the public You need someone on your side to help guide you through the process.

Well, this was true with Shehla Rooney and her idea for GoKnee a revolutionary product to help patients recover from knee replacement surgery.

Let's hear her story of how she found help and support to bring her idea to life.

(uplifting music) - My name is Shehla Rooney.

I am a physical therapist by trade.

I have been treating patients for over 24 years.

Who am I?

I am someone who loves the older adult population.

It's why I'm a board certified specialist in geriatrics.

And I guess that's a good segway to what GoKnee is.

It's a tool that is used to help the recovery both before and after knee replacement surgery.

And I don't know that I ever would've willingly decided to become an entrepreneur.

I'm one of those rare, that I loved what I did.

I haven't had multiple career changes.

I have been a physical therapist since I was 22 years old.

A few years ago we had a patient that pulled at our heartstrings.

It was a gentleman who went in with all the hopes of having knee replacement surgery.

Pain before, had the surgery and have this great outcome afterwards and it just didn't happen for him.

And for some reason, he pulled at our heartstrings.

He was working hard, doing everything he was supposed to compliant with his exercises and he just wasn't getting the results that he wanted.

And he just said some key words "Is there not anything I can do?"

"Tell me what I need to do so I can not have another surgery."

And something happens.

We went to a local hardware store put some pieces of materials together and we came up with this product kind of showed him how to use it.

And, just fast forward a couple of weeks.

And his surgeon's like "You don't need another surgery.

I don't know what you did, but it worked."

And that made us ask ourselves Huh, interesting.

That worked.

Let's try it another patient.

And we had fantastic results with her as well.

And then all of a sudden you're like maybe this is something.

There's over a million Americans that have knee replacement surgery every year and even more that suffer from chronic knee pain.

And the thought was If this can help a few well then why couldn't it help a majority?

And that led a us to go online and be like Okay, how does one start a product business?

We found the Tennessee small business development center or the SBDC, and that's what launched everything.

So that was a couple of years ago.

We told them our idea.

We told them we wanted to help and all of a sudden we're hearing words like Well you need to find a patent attorney.

Oh you need to find a business attorney that can help with creating a partnership.

You need to find an accountant who can help set up some accounting in QuickBooks and bookkeeping services.

As a therapist, we created a product we know it helps patients.

We were like Let's just do this.

Let's start building and let's start teaching.

and it just wasn't like that.

And having someone from the SBDC guiding us every step of the way like, okay, whoa, it's great that you wanna do that but what's your marketing plan who's your customer base what's your logo gonna look like?

What's your website, your company name, like so many things.

And again, we had a therapy mindset.

We want to help individuals.

What we didn't realize with the small business ownership or an entrepreneur mindset you have to go through all these steps in order to get to the actual sales and helping the individuals.

We needed a lot of hand holding.

A lot of held accountable a lot of why, why do you wanna do that why do you wanna do this?

How's that gonna help the business grow and just questions we would never as three therapists that started this we would not have asked ourselves those questions.

What I love about the SBDC is that they're constantly connecting you with people.

They're giving you names of businesses, mentors and other entrepreneurial centers.

So that's what led us to find The Biz Foundry.

And at the Biz Foundry they host a ton of workshops, webinars.

It's like a co-working space.

So then all of a sudden you're meeting software developers, and accountants that might be there or a videographer.

And you get to make all these local connections.

And what I loved about that was this community in Cookeville, so small everybody wants to help another local.

Everybody wants to help a business.

And that's what the Biz Foundry did.

They also helped connect me with Tennessee's Center for Rural Innovation.

I was struggling with some business day to day functions, workflows.

They hooked me up and created some cool business spreadsheets to help with strategic business planning.

They hooked me up with a photographer that could help take pictures that I needed for my website and for print materials.

Again, all the things required for a product business to grow.

Just things you don't think about.

And when you're sitting there and have a challenge today like I don't know what to do I don't know who to call I don't know who helps with this particular problem that I have that to me, has been the most valuable resource.

Is I can text, or call or email someone from the SBDC or the Biz Foundry.

I just feel like I have this team working for me but I'm not paying them but they're providing me a valuable resource to help my business grow.

It has helped me grow beyond anything I could have done on my own.

So definitely head over and check out The Business Resource Collective, or the BRC.

They'll get you hooked up.

(uplifting music) - Thanks for tuning in to it's your business.

For more information on today's topics please visit the WCTE website.

To learn more about free small business resources and expert assistance visit the business resource collective website.

Until next time, I'm Michael Aikens.

(uplifting music) (gentle music) - It's Your Business, with Michael Aikens is brought to you by WCTE PBS and The Center for Rural Innovation with funding provided by a grant from USDA Rural Development.

This series was produced under an agreement with Tennessee Tech University's Center for Rural Innovation.

(uplifting music) - This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.