AI Summary
5 min read“I’ve felt burned a couple times by bringing in people as employees that didn’t work out as I hoped.” That’s Tony DeRosa, owner of Hearsay Brewing and Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan, calling into the How I Built This advice line. Tony is a solo founder running a microbrewery, a comedy theater hosting 40 events a month, a food truck, and a corporate improv workshop business. He’s on track to hit a million dollars in revenue in his second year, but he’s stretched thin. His question: should he bring in equity partners to lead these different business units, or is there a better way to get the help he needs without giving away permanent ownership?
The Partner Question: Equity vs. Experimentation
Jeffrey Hollander, co-founder of Seventh Generation, jumped in first. His advice was direct: bringing on the wrong partner can be dangerous. Instead of rushing to equity, he urged Tony to figure out what he does best—where he adds the most value—and then hire people to handle everything else. “Do you need capital? Is that why you want a partner?” Jeffrey asked. Tony admitted capital would help, but his deeper frustration came from hiring key employees who didn’t have enough skin in the game. He wanted people who felt like owners, not just paycheck collectors.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (02:51) **Jeffrey Hollander Advises Tony on Brewery & Theater Partnerships** - Tony DeRosa runs Hearsay Brewing & Theater in Ann Arbor, a complex business with a microbrewery, comedy theater, food truck, and corporate improv workshops.
- 2 (10:21) **Refining Tony's Hiring and Marketing Strategy** - The conversation shifts to practical hiring improvements and a stronger brand message.
- 3 (12:46) **Final Partner Advice and Segment Wrap-Up** - Guy and Jeffrey consolidate their guidance on when to bring in a true partner.
- 4 (21:23) **Sarah LaFleur Helps Monica Build Heat for a Luxury Kids' Brand** - Monica Sony, founder of Trace London, seeks advice on generating word-of-mouth excitement for her premium, British-made kidswear brand.
- 5 (25:08) **Addressing the Price vs. Durability Tension** - Sarah LaFleur, speaking as both a fashion founder and a mom, probes how Monica handles parents' concern about spending on nice clothes for messy kids.
- 6 (27:06) **Creating Visual Brand Recognition** - Guy asks how someone would spot a Trace London piece on a playground, pushing Monica to think about signature design elements.
- 7 (30:54) **Trunk Shows and Community Building Over Social Media** - The advice pivots to offline marketing tactics that have already proven effective for Monica.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Today’s callers: Tony in Michigan is considering bringing on partners to run different parts of his brew pub and theater business. Then Monica in London is exploring the best way to reach style-conscious parents with her line of children’s clothes. And Sandy in Colorado is seeking the ideal pricing strategy to bring his adaptive test prep platform to schools nationwide.
Thank you to the founders of Hearsay Brewing and Theater, Tres London and Brain Buffs for being a part of our show.
If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to [email protected] or call 1-800-433-1298.
And be sure to listen to our Advice Line episodes with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation, Sarah LaFleur of M.M LaFleur and Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics.
This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.
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