What made you want to work for yourself?
I worked for a large IT company doing government contract work for close to a decade in human resources and later in finance. While I had some really great colleagues, I found I just didn’t care about the work I was doing. I felt like a cog in the corporate machine. With Bumble Brews, I saw a community need and decided to take a chance. Bumble Brews suits my life so well right now with young daughters (who, by the way, think it’s really cool that mom knows all the princesses). But an added bonus is that I get to hear firsthand how excited families are to be here. It certainly hasn’t been easy, but it’s been incredibly rewarding. I love that I’ve created something that allows me to combine all my favorite things: my family, party hosting, crafts, and craft beer. What has been the best, or most surprising, aspect of owning a business?
One thing that sort of surprised me is that I’m never really off the clock. I expected to work long hours, but
I don’t think I realized that there’s always something that needs attention. Especially since I don’t have any partners, there is nobody else to provide those solutions. On the flipside of that, it is extremely rewarding being the person responsible for creating a space that families love. I get thanked personally every day for creating Bumble Brews, which is pretty amazing.
Tiny tots are encouraged to play and explore while parents finish a hot coffee or meet a friend for drinks on the weekend.
What is the most popular event that you’ve hosted?
I would say our most popular event is Santa. We have hosted Santa visits and play time for the last two years, and it has just been incredible. What families love about it is that the kids get to play while waiting for Santa, rather than going to a mall where you stand in line for ages. You also have a scheduled appointment time so you can plan around nap schedules. With limited tickets, the kids get extra time with Santa and even end up going back again and again to tell him things they forgot the first time, or maybe if they were too shy the first time. It’s also a nice CARY MAGAZINE 63
