Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Herndon.
Hi Taylor, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Board to Beers came to fruition in December of 2019. The end of a heartbreaking year led to the beginning of an exciting adventure, that was for many years, just a far-off dream.
In May of 2018, while my husband and I were sitting at a board game convention in St. Louis, I received a concerning call from my parents about my father’s skin cancer diagnosis. At the time, we had no idea the severity of the situation. Skin cancer should be fairly treatable now, right??? Fast forward to early 2019, cancer quickly spread from skin to throat, to lungs, to spine, and ultimately to his brain. July 2019, this daddy’s girl lost her father to his battle with cancer. Life can be much shorter than any of us anticipate.
It’s often hard to put yourself out there and set yourself up for potential failure but if you don’t try you’ll never be able to succeed. I know, some fortune cookie nonsense – I used to not think twice about this concept but this year Board to Beers celebrated its one-year anniversary.
Today, as I’m writing this, I’m looking out over the place that I have built and that many others find comfort in. Board to Beers isn’t just a board game bar, it’s a community. It’s a family. I look at the smiles on the faces of our guests and I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude, happiness, and great accomplishment. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t taken that terrifying leap that seemed impossible after a year full of heartache.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would love to be able to say that it has been an easy road and everything has been sunshine and rainbows but I have often had an Eeyore cloud looming overhead. The biggest cloud of all goes by the name of COVID-19. After running a successful Kickstarter campaign to get the startup funds for Board to Beers in January of 2020 and signing my lease in February of 2020, COVID-19 hit Memphis, TN in March and shut the entire city down along with the rest of the world.
I finally decided to go for it and start a business and out of everything in the universe that could happen, a pandemic hits… As Dory from Finding Nemo, I just kept swimming. I was still working full-time as an essential worker and now renovating the bar during any free time I had. This worked until shipments started getting delayed, permits weren’t being granted, inspectors weren’t showing up. The projected open day was a far-off idea. I was going to lose my business before I could even introduce it to the world.
August 2020, things began to settle and I waited as long as financially possible before opening. The day before our grand opening, the AC unit for the bar was stolen. Perfect situation for Memphis’ 100+ degree August days. Just keep swimming.
The bar officially opened on August 22nd. It could not have been a more perfect day. The long hours of laying floors, painting, cleaning, the blood, sweat, and tears that were shed were finally worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I graduated from the University of Memphis in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science Degree. I focused on Biology and received a minor in Sociology and Photography. While in college, I applied for an internship at the Memphis Botanic Garden that led to a full-time position in the Education department.
As a child, I always had a fascination with anything and everything outdoors. The Garden was a perfect opportunity to earn income while focusing on the great outdoors. Sadly, the non-profit work life isn’t ideal for paying the bills so another job was added to the mix to help make ends meet. I began doing trips for Memphis Kids in Nature shortly after starting at the Garden. Another non-profit but one with such a strong impact on the youth from our lower-income areas. Memphis Kids in Nature works with different inner-city school groups to introduce them to the great outdoors through hiking, fishing, and camping.
I went years of my life taking a walk in the woods for granted until the first experience I had with a young child that was witnessing the woodland trails of one of our state parks for the first time. The idea that they never had access to something, that for many years has been therapeutic for me, was incomprehensible. I became a lead naturalist and to this day, still do as many trips as I can with the kids.
I closed my chapter at the Memphis Botanic Garden in September 2021 after 11 years of teaching in the education department, planning events, and handling the photography for the Garden. Leaving the security of my first job, the one I imagined myself retiring from, was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made. This decision was necessary for me to find time to refocus my life on my business and more on Memphis Kids in Nature. I can still take the time to focus on my photography and work as a freelance more often.
So, in case you missed it, a biology major, photography and sociology minor, event coordinator and naturalist is now running a board game bar. I’m proud of all the different paths that I have wandered. I feel like I have made the most of my life so far and I have learned more about myself along the way.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
As you walk through the door of Board to Beers, you see a mural and other artwork lining the walls. We work with multiple local artists to give them the space to hang and sell their work. The bar showcases three beautiful murals all done by local artists, one of which is a memorial piece to my father as a reminder to never take the time we have on this Earth for granted.
We only serve beer, ciders, and seltzers and 90% of what we serve is from breweries right here in Memphis. We have done multiple pop-up events with other local businesses to help bring in customers to their establishments during these trying times and it also brings awareness to my business. Board to Beers is very event-heavy and I love to incorporate other businesses any way that I can.
The community has shown us so much support since we started that we want to give as much back as we can to other local businesses. The best way to support Board to Beers is to come to visit! Spread the word after your visit and maybe even grab some merch to show off around the town.
Pricing:
- $5 Library Fee
- $5-$10 Food Items
- $5-$9 Alcoholic beverages
Contact Info:
- Email: boardtobeers@gmail.com
- Website: www.board2beers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boardtobeers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boardtobeers
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/board-to-beers-memphis
Image Credits
Kaitlyn Becker Photography and Taylor-Made Photography
