Four years ago I moved to Austin, Texas from a small town in Wisconsin — by way of bartending in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Austin is where I really found out who I was.

I started hosting events because I saw how badly the city needed the space. Through that I learned everything — how to design a menu, how to curate a cocktail list for an event, how much the details and the decorating actually matter, and that it all comes down to finding a crew of people who genuinely care, and making them your people.

Nine years bartending. About the same behind the decks. I've never been able to pick just one thing — so I got good at all of them.