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people just by becoming friends with one new person. I also learned that’s how you<br />
will find the right people to invest and also, you will lose others that aren’t a good<br />
match. That’s ok. We could have been open a year or so earlier if I would have gave<br />
into a partnership that wouldn’t have been a good match. Having patience to wait<br />
for the right people is also a lesson I had to learn throughout this process.<br />
SM: What experiences have you had that have made you a better business owner?<br />
We have had many ups and downs. Many lessons learned. Things don’t always<br />
work like you plan. You adjust and do what you need to make it work. That has<br />
helped me learn a lot and made me more persistent. I remember making a few<br />
beers that ended up very bad. I was so discouraged that I wanted to quit brewing<br />
sometimes. But I kept working to figure out what caused the bad outcome and I<br />
changed my process to improve.<br />
<strong>Siouxland</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> | Inspire /33<br />
SM: It’s easy to lose motivation, especially when it became a hurry up and wait<br />
game or when things were moving forward sooo slowly. How do you get yourself<br />
back on track?<br />
Having a good team and supporters helped a lot. To just visualize the end goal and<br />
to keep doing the things that will get you there was all we had some days. We could<br />
see it. We just had to push to make that happen. Being obsessed with your product<br />
or business helps you have the passion to not quit.<br />
SM: Can you share a time when you just wanted to quit and give up? Share how<br />
you moved past this point.<br />
We had many ups and downs trying to find a location while trying to raise money. It<br />
was a balancing act of, “Can I raise money without a building and a clear end goal...<br />
or can I find a spot without investors.” Not finding investors for a long time was very<br />
discouraging. I knew we had a great product and vision. But I needed to meet the<br />
right people.<br />
SM: Is there any advice that you have received over the years that you think is<br />
worth passing along to others?<br />
Let the haters be your motivation. Surround yourself with people that are good at<br />
things you are not the best at. Treat your customers like people. Be yourself. Early<br />
on, I was obsessed with being the best and learning more. When I wasn’t working<br />
my day job, I was learning more. Listening to other brewers talk, reading articles,<br />
listening to podcasts, and experimenting. I still do it today, I have just expanded<br />
beyond brewing. Topics like general business, marketing, restaurants and creating<br />
a great working culture are in my daily listening line-up.<br />
SM: How has being a business owner changed you?<br />
It has made me admire other business owners a lot more. It takes a lot of work to<br />
make a business operate. Big business owners often get bashed in the media and<br />
by the general public... but 99% of them have worked their butt off to get there.<br />
It has also made me realize that it is impossible to make a business run without a<br />
good team and other support.<br />
“<br />
One of my major drives is not<br />
wanting to live with regret. I would<br />
hate to look back and know I could<br />
have done it, but did not. I also<br />
know we have a good product<br />
and a concept that will be a unique<br />
experience for the area.<br />
”<br />
SM: Tell us how you feel when you walk through the restaurant. Is it what you<br />
pictured in your head all these years?<br />
Everything has happened in stages and it has been a slow progression, so I don’t<br />
think it has quite hit me yet. It has been exciting to see the property transform from<br />
a dirt floor to an awesome restaurant and brewery. Both the brewery and taproom<br />
have been thought out thoroughly. The decor is a bit more modern than I originally<br />
thought, but I love what it has transformed into. I don’t see it being a place to just<br />
eat and drink, but it’s an overall experience. World class craft beer, high quality<br />
wood fired food, an interactive open kitchen and great customer service.<br />
Erik Martin, partner and creator at Marto Brewing.<br />
Photo credit Becca Feauto.