Building Something out of Nothing

Today's guest is Bob Williamson, founder of SRSLY chocolate in Taylor, Texas. We sit down at the Geekdom Audio Lab and chat about Bob's foray into craft chocolate and the origins of the company, how he roasts the cocao and his bean to bar chocolate making process, partnering with local makers and the creativity behind his craft chocolate bars, building his wholesale clientele and getting into retailers like Whole Foods, and how Bob took a passion for quality chocolate and created SRSLY chocolate - one of Texas' premier bean to bar craft chocolate companies. Enjoy. 

Buzzsprout Link ($20 Amazon Gift Card): https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=290018

Today’s guests are Boyan Kalusevic and Randy Ward - co-owners & proprietors of Dorćol Distilling & Brewing Company in San Antonio. We sit down in front of our first live audience at San Antonio Start Up Week and chat about the origins of the company and how it all started, what sets Dorćol's unique spirits apart from other craft distillers, the funding, planning, and buildout of their Southtown distillery, the addition of the brewery a few years later, various awards and accolades, and how Boyan took his family origins in spirit making and built Dorćol Distilling and Brewing - Texas’ first urban craft distillery in the heart of San Antonio. 

Today’s guest is Blake Settle, founder and CEO of Rev Energy Gum in Austin, Texas. We sit down at the Geekdom Audio Lab and chat about Blake’s entrepreneurial spirit and his idea for caffeinated gum, funding, branding, locating a manufacturer and trial iterations of the product, the early days of selling to convenience stores in between classes at UT, the rapid rise in popularity and getting into larger retailers like HEB and Buc-ees, and what’s on the horizon for this young and rapidly growing CPG company. Enjoy.

Rev Gum: https://www.chewrevgum.com/

Today's guest is Sarah Spivey, the popular meteorologist and news personality for KSAT in San Antonio. We sit down at the Geekdom Audio Lab and chat about her journey to KSAT, including majoring in Meteorology at Texas A&M, landing her first gig at KTEN in Sherman, Texas, making the big leap to KSAT in San Antonio, what a day in the life is like behind the scenes as a KSAT meteorologist, what it's like being a well-recognized public figure in San Antonio, and what's on the horizon for Sarah and her career. Enjoy. 

KSAT: https://www.ksat.com/team/UTQCYQXNJ5D4LMXNG76AFI7HQI/

Buzzsprout Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=290018

Today's guest is Jeff Stuffings, founder of the famed Jester King Brewery in Dripping Springs. We sit down at the brewery and chat about the origins of the the company and how it all started, the early commitment to brewing farmhouse ales using spontaneous fermentation, how they landed on the 165 acre ranch in Dripping Springs, the discovery and implementation of the open-book management philosophy, what you can expect from a trip out to the brewery, and how Jeff took a passion for home brewing and a little business savvy and created Jester King Brewery, universally revered as one of the most innovative and respected breweries in the United States. Enjoy.

Today’s guest is Tara Chapman, founder of Two Hives Honey in Austin, Texas. We sit down at the Geekdom Audio Lab and chat about her upbringing in West Texas and attending college at Duke, moving to Austin and discovering beekeeping through Groupon, honing her craft at an apiary in East Texas, winning an $8,000 grant that helped launch the company, and how Tara took her newfound beekeeping passion and quit her salaried government job on a lark to start Two Hives Honey - one of the premier artisanal honey company in Texas. Enjoy.  

Two Hives Honey: https://www.twohiveshoney.com/

Buzzsprout Affiliate Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=290018

Today's guest is Mike Elhaj - CEO of Thunderbird Real Food Bars in Austin, Texas. We sit down at the Geekdom audio lab and chat about the origins of Thunderbird, what attracted him to the brand & how he acquired the company, what separates Thunderbird from other energy bars, what it takes to run a successful packaged goods company, and how the simple concept of using only fruits, nuts, seeds, and spices has allowed Thunderbird Real Food Bars to grow into a nationally distributed CPG brand. Enjoy. 

Thunderbird: https://www.thunderbirdbar.com/

Buzzsprout Ad Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=290018

Today's guest is local comedian Larry Garza. We sit down at Geekdom and chat about his almost two decade career in comedy, his writing process and various gigs he's played throughout his career, how to construct a proper comedy show, the state of San Antonio's comedy scene, his cancer diagnosis and the effect that's had on his life and his comedy, advice for comics just starting out, and where locals can go to support the burgeoning underground comedy scene in San Antonio. Enjoy.

Larry Garza: https://www.comediaagogo.com/larry-garza

Blind Tiger: https://www.instagram.com/blindtigercomedy/

Buzzsprout Ad Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=290018

Today's guest is Patrick Trevino, Head of Business Development at Twang in San Antonio. We sit down at the Geekdom Audio Lab and chat about the origins of the company in 1986, the early iterations and flavors of Twang's popular citrus salts, the 1998 partnership with beverage giant Anheuser-Busch and the marketing transition to beer salts, expanded offerings and increased retailer interest, and how since 1986 Twang has transformed from a small-time mom and pop shop to a nationally distributed company that sells over 10 million bottles of its signature beer salt each year. Enjoy.

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Today's guest is Gary Kelleher, founder of Dripping Springs Distilling in Dripping Springs, Texas. We sit down at the distillery and chat about the origins of this family owned business, their proprietary small-batch process & the benefits of using custom made copper stills, current product offerings and the recent merger with San Luis Spirits, and how Gary went from working a cushy corporate food service gig to founding and operating the 3rd craft distillery in Texas. Enjoy.

https://drippingspringsdistilling.com/