On Friday, Jan. 26 two Belmont alumni dove into the Tank to present their business to Mark Cuban and Lori Griener, among others, on ABC’s critically acclaimed television series Shark Tank.
Since launching BarBees Bartending in 2019, Willow Sprague (International Business '18) and Jess Blakley (Economics and Political Science ‘19) have been told that their business concept coupled with their engaging personalities would “make great TV” for the show.
"All of those years, people were telling us that we would be a good fit,” Blakley said. “Finally, we actually looked at ourselves in the mirror and we're like, ‘Wow. We have a business that could be viable on this show. Let's give it a shot.”
The duo was chosen from thousands of applicants to pitch their mobile cocktail class business on Shark Tank’s main stage with the hope of winning the attention of a business Shark while millions of viewers watch nationwide.
“It went from a whim to the career of our 20s and the adventure of our 20s in the absolute best way possible,” Sprague said when commenting on how BarBees came into existence.
Soon after meeting on campus and becoming fast friends, Sprague and Blakley made the unexpected decision to take bartending classes as a creative outlet. When they noticed a need for mobile bartending in Music City, Sprague and Blakley registered an LLC, and the pals took their relationship to the next level by becoming official business partners and BarBees co-founders.
At the start of their business, Blakley was still an undergraduate student and had the opportunity to participate in the entrepreneurs-in-residence (EIR) program where she and Sprague were mentored by then-EIR, Dan Hogan.
“He is no longer an entrepreneur in residence, but he is still our mentor,” Blakley said. “We meet with him monthly. He supported us so well, even going into this season. The EIR program was just such a unique opportunity. Belmont supports student entrepreneurs so well, and they've continued to support us well post-graduation.”
The duo ended last year on a high note at the Belmont Entrepreneur Awards in December. They accepted the 2023 Industry Impact Award which recognized their innovation, growth and success as an industry leader.
“There's nobody doing what we do in as many places as we do it,” Blakley said. “We're very proud of that. There are a few other cocktail class companies scattered around the country. Most of them are brick-and-mortar style. We’re mobile. Receiving that award, to us, was a recognition that we branched out into something that hasn't really been done before.”
Currently located in 10 cities, BarBees has scaled significantly over the past five years. A series of pivots and responses to the external needs of the market as well as to the co-founders' personal need for fulfilling work has shifted the focus of the business from mobile bartending to mobile cocktail classes that curate cherished celebrations.
If you ask Willow and Jess, they will say that they don’t identify as an alcohol brand at all. Instead, cocktails are the conduit for bringing connection and celebration into people’s spaces. Their list of offerings includes equally entertaining mocktails for non-drinkers.
“We come to your home, your vacation rental or your office space where you are trying to celebrate or connect with people that you already know and love or maybe you're trying to get to know,” Sprague said. “We give people an opportunity to create something together. Not only an actual cocktail but a memory.”
From making memories as Belmont undergraduates in bartending school to inviting people to create new memories through BarBees mobile cocktail classes, Jess and Willow showcase the upside of going into business with your best friend.
Their energized pitching and scalable business led the BarBees co-founders to sign a deal with the billionaire founder of Kind Bar Daniel Lubetzky for $75K with a 20% stake.
"Willow and Jess are great entrepreneurs," Lubetzky said. "They nailed their pitch, were prepared with their numbers, and were super clear on how they'd use funds from a shark. Really impressive - their future is bright."