It takes a village to launch and expand a businessAll it took was one family gathering in 2015 for an idea to spark for Jerry Bailey. He had been experimenting with a new sangria recipe for some of the women in his family, and soon after he found himself spending time creating batches of new flavors for family and friends at various occasions. Bailey quickly realized there was a need for quality off-the-shelf sangria options.
Taking his business from his kitchen to a commercial facility did not come without challenges. Between finding the right facility, sourcing wine and fruit, and putting a commercial process and system in place, it took Bailey some time to ramp up and find the right collaborators.
“As a ‘solopreneur’ you make a lot of decisions in isolation, so working with Nykole has given me a different lens to look at things through,” says Bailey. “Overall, Chase’s initiative has provided me with exposure and opportunities to connect with other entrepreneurs, and has provided invaluable external counsel.”
For Bailey, being a solopreneur hasn’t been as isolating of a journey as he expected. “The entrepreneur community is very supportive. It’s been humbling to see so much support from people in the industry and community. I’m not alone.”