Meet Michael Waskewich Jr - Bold Journey

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Waskewich, Jr. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Michael with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I was fortunate enough to grow up with fantastic role models who exhibited a strong work ethic. My dad was an entrepreneur who managed many businesses and founded a few more. He always faced new challenges head on and maintained his resilience through the most difficult times. Unfortunately, my dad passed away in a tragic accident when I was young, so I did not get to learn everything from him, but I had my mom. My mom was then, and is now, just as tenacious in her work ethic as she is always working on something. When my father passed, she instantly became a single mother of three and still somehow managed to rise through the ranks in the radiology field. She found ways to make dinner, help us with school projects, and get us to all our activities, while still working a full-time job. She has accomplished a lot and continues to do more. In addition to my mom and dad, I have several aunts and uncles who became professionals in a wide variety of fields. Each of them bestowed upon me and my siblings pieces of wisdom that have shaped the foundational values of my work ethic. And all of that was before I joined the Army, where I learned from some of the best leaders in our military for over 23 years. I think I can sum up the foundation of my work ethic in three words: reliability, resilience, and results Reliability: Stay reliable and show up; be there when you are needed, and let others know they can count on you to get things done.
Resilience: Maintain a positive attitude, or as the military saying goes, “embrace the suck!” Anything worth doing will get hard; we must have the mental agility to push past the bad times and see something more.
Results: No matter what happens, get it done. I know people depend on me, and I must come through for them. This is a culmination of reliability and resilience mixed with some accountability. I always remember it’s never just about me.
I have used those tenets to guide me through my military service as I learned them from my parents, mentors, family, and friends. As an entrepreneur and co-founder of The Bar Book, I strive for those values each day.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
After almost 24 years as an enlisted Soldier in the Army, my pallet was not exactly refined. As a young Soldier, my definition of a cocktail was usually some cheap bottom shelf brand mixed with whatever cola I had on hand at the time, and I did not have the money to experiment with pricier brands. Eventually I could afford to appreciate craft beers, but of course I could not remember which ones I liked, and I was not taking notes for later. My appreciation for bourbon and tequila came towards the end of my career in the Army when several of my peers introduced me to their favorites and we started talking about flavor profiles and searching for our favorite spirits across our many duty locations. As I was processing my retirement from military service, I began collecting bottles and trying to capture the flavors I appreciated the most. I searched for a mobile application to record my favorites, but the ones I found did not have all of the features I was looking for; apparently there was not an app for that. Out of sheer curiosity, I began looking at the cost to build a mobile application and start a new business. I then took the next step and discussed building a mobile application and business with a friend who had done this before, and before you know it, I was drawing wire diagrams, crafting page sketches, and trying to discover a brand that would encapsulate this concept.My wife, Dolly, also served over 21 years in the Army however, she had a vastly different experience. She is the one with a refined pallet that can taste and smell the difference between vintages of wine and spirits. She guided me through development and branding with her more delicate approach to this concept. Dolly had also built a collection of her favorite spirits but had relied solely on memory and the recommendations of others to experiment with new spirits and cocktails.
The Bar Book was developed to simplify real reviews from real users and collect user feedback to help users build an individual flavor profile. Users will be able to make simple selections while the software inside The Bar Book calculates the flavor profile and makes suggestions based on the input received. As a user continues to rate and review products their flavor profile will evolve to match.
There are a myriad of other features that will come online throughout the launch of the mobile application and assist users of all experience levels. This app creates a social media platform specifically for spirits, beer, and all products associated with them. Influencers from other social media platforms will be able to share their ratings and reviews for products and build a following. The reviews will be linked to not only the influencer but the product as well. This allows users to search for information by product instead of searching through piles of content and videos for information on a product. The Bar Book is only for users 21 and older, and it is not an application designed to sell products. The first version of The Bar Book mobile application will be released to the app stores in March 2024.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The Bar Book is still in its infancy, but I think the most impactful lessons we have learned are marketing, communication, and flexibility. First and probably most important is the value of a good marketing strategy. We have tested and retested multiple avenues for marketing and reaching our potential customer base. I would advise any new entrepreneur to read as many marketing books as they can and become an expert in their own marketing strategy. Find a mentor in their industry and use their experiences to help shape a marketing strategy. The second most important skill is communication. Talk to anyone and everyone about your business. Practice your elevator speech. As a business owner, you should be able to capture a potential client’s attention in 30 seconds, when they ask, “what do you do?” Everyone is a potential client, or they know someone who is. Communication also covers the ability to talk to your development team, your employees, or your partners. A business owner must speak clearly and calmly to instill confidence and achieve results.
Finally, remain flexible. Deadlines will get missed and things will break. Maintain your composure and find a solution. We learned this a lot in the beginning asnothing went as planned. I recommend that business owners always have a plan and a contingency plan, and maybe an alternate contingency plan. Be flexible and maintain a positive attitude.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My wife has really been the rock of this business. She challenges me to think differently all the time. She wins the MVP award for The Bar Book. Dolly is as smart as she is beautiful and talented, and she keeps me on my toes. She keeps me grounded and focused while I push forward faster. We make a great team. I would also like to mention John Driscoll, CEO of Naked Development, the firm building The Bar Book. John has instituted a Founders Call, where he serves as a mentor to me and other entrepreneurs building mobile applications with his company. He spends a lot of time coaching me and others to achieve success. John is passionate about our success, and he objectively looks for ways to help us improve.
Dolly is my teammate; she pushes me to work harder and achieve more. John is my mentor and coach, he guides me and helps me set and realize my goals. I think every business owner needs both kinds of people in their corner to overcome challenges and develop essential skills.

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