Life Changes- Caer Ferguson

Caer Maiko Ferguson is the Bar Manager for Last Straw and co-creator of Daijoubu Pop Up. She grew up in a family full of artists and musicians in the melting pot of Los Angeles. She went on to continue her education at Tufts University and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston where she studied animation and film. This is also where she entered the world of hospitality. Starting as a hostess with the Micheal Schlow Restaurant Group, she moved up to server and then bartender over her 21st year.

In 2019 she founded Daijoubu, a Super Asian Cocktail Pop Up, with her best friend and Roosevelt Room colleague Sharon Yeung, and her husband Samuel McCracken. In the past year, they produced a kickstarter, renovated an old school bus into a touring van, and produced over 10 events across Texas. When Caer isn't running bars or producing pop up, she is usually drawing or playing with her cats, Mango and Yojimbo. Caer is also a new mommy to be.

As business owners, we understand the importance of networking, leaning into our community and utilizing subject matter experts. Join us as we discuss ways to invest in your growth and to invest in the growth of our community. 

Andrea Meriwether:  BarFare Concepts and Swig Culture (Louisville, Kentucky)

Ana Cabrera:  Suck It Up S.A. (San Antonio, Texas)

Mimi Evans: Mixin’ Mimi Mixology, Life Gives You Lemons (Washington, D.C.)

Keyatta Mincey Parker: A Sip of Paradise Garden (Atlanta, Georgia)

Join us as we discuss career change with the Branca USA  team.

Conversations will focus on career change and ways to be successful when making a transition from bars & restaurants into trade positions.

Instagram Live | 4:30PM EST

March 8th Human Resources

March 15th Distributors

March 29th Supplier and Sales

Join career coach Lauren Moses for an interactive workshop on navigating career transitions. 

Lauren will share her best guidance on approaching your transition from a place of courage and curiosity, and she will clarify several of the concrete steps you'll want to take in order to land solidly in a new and exciting role. 

You'll spend about 20 minutes in small groups and will walk away with immediate action steps and maybe even an accountability buddy!

Know Your Rights + Get Empowered with Amie Ward

Amie Ward is a Chicago-based bartender and ACE Certified Health Coach, and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland College Park. She has been outspoken on health and wellness in the service industry, traveling across the United States to educate bartenders on how to care for themselves, and teaching free movement classes for the global bartending community. A decorated bartender and health advocate, she has received nods from Wine Enthusiast, Tales of the Cocktail, The United State Bartenders Guild, Baltimore Magazine, and Baltimore Style. Amie is known for her love of sustainable bartending methodologies and high volume event batching, and conducts educational seminars for guests and bartenders on the topics. In her spare time, you can find Amie bartending events with the Hospitality 201 crew, training for obstacle course races, pulling trucks and competing in Strongwoman competitions, or skating Chicago’s local parks. Amie is also a member of the HEARD team as well as a trainer for Safe Bars.

Speed Rack Alum turned Financial Advisor, Makeda Gebre will host IG Lives sessions discussing finances.

3/5 at 2:30pm EST - Financial Literacy 101

3/12 at 2:30pm EST - The Rule of 72

3/19 at 2:30pm EST - The Power of Interest

3/26 at 2:30pm EST - Continued Education

Join us at @speed_rack on Instagram.

From widow Alice Guest’s “public house” cave in colonial Philadelphia to Helen David’s 

Brass Rail Bar, founded amidst the Great Depression, women have had a vital, though often overlooked impact on the evolution of bars and cocktails. In this seminar, four leading ladies of today’s cocktail scene will take you through the alcohol-influenced social changes that began with the antebellum Temperance movement, culminated during Prohibition, and had ripple effects through WWII and beyond. With the spirit and wit specific to lady barkeeps, they’ll share an untold story as you raise a glass (or two) to the women who have influenced cocktail history.

This panel will discuss tips for how women in hospitality approach investors, and what resources and assets they should  have to present to investors. 

Pre and most significantly during COVID 19, women, specifically BIPOC,  have experienced a large amount of financial inequity, and often been left out of the conversation of access to capital. 

We want to see a brighter future for these women by getting them the tools to develop their ideas and raise capital to grow their business ventures.

Panelsists:  Alexis Beechan, Bridget Firtile, Jordan Salcito, Michele K. Perry, and Samantha Katz

Motherhood, Work, and Identity with Shirley Brooks

Shirley Brooks is a mother, bartender and manager at two bars. She is also a partner in a cocktail consulting company, and occasionally does bar and cocktail catering. Shirley works at Pop’s Bar and Madrone Art Bar and has a cocktail consulting company called Bottom Of The Barrel.

Speed Rack Alum turned Financial Advisor, Makeda Gebre will host IG Lives sessions discussing finances.

3/5 at 2:30pm EST - Financial Literacy 101

3/12 at 2:30pm EST - The Rule of 72

3/19 at 2:30pm EST - The Power of Interest

3/26 at 2:30pm EST - Continued Education

Join us at @speed_rack on Instagram.

The Financial Gym: Your Future and Finances

Certified Financial Trainer™:

Georgina Muri

Join The Financial Gym for an exciting discussion all about how to best manage your personal and professional finances as a hospitality professional. We will talk through everything from how to make

 sure you are taking much needed vacation and sick days to healthcare and retirement options. 

In this discussion Natalie Freihon and Ivy will share the nitty gritty of bar and restaurant ownership. No details will be spared. 

They will talk about the struggles during the pandemic and some key learning regarding valuing oneself and claiming your seat at the table. Anyone interested in future ownership should not miss this!

Join us as we discuss career change with the Branca USA  team.

Conversations will focus on career change and ways to be successful when making a transition from bars & restaurants into trade positions.

Instagram Live | 4:30PM EST

March 8th Human Resources

March 15th Distributors

March 29th Supplier and Sales

Are you interested in growing in your current role, or finding ways to move forward in your organization?Once you start embracing this new career-growth mentality, you’ll start to see other opportunities to grow your career. Join us as we discuss different pathways that lead you deeper into the hospitality world or to an adjacent career.

Moderated by Brooke Arthur

Panelists: Lydia Mcluen, Kaytie Keck, Yael Vengroff, and Yolanda Baez

Speed Rack Alum turned Financial Advisor, Makeda Gebre will host IG Lives sessions discussing finances.

3/5 at 2:30pm EST - Financial Literacy 101

3/12 at 2:30pm EST - The Rule of 72

3/19 at 2:30pm EST - The Power of Interest

3/26 at 2:30pm EST - Continued Education

Join us at @speed_rack on Instagram.

Pull Up A Chair with Mary Palac

Mary Palac was born in the Philippines and raised in the Bay Area, she spent the last decade tending bar in San Jose, Calif, most recently serving drinks with purpose and grace in her residency at Paper Plane. Mary speaks with conviction in the interest of making the industry a better and safer place for women and minorities to work, and is a founding member and current president of the Silicon Valley chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild.

Join us as we discuss career change with the Branca USA  team.

Conversations will focus on career change and ways to be successful when making a transition from bars & restaurants into trade positions.

Instagram Live | 4:30PM EST

March 8th Human Resources

March 15th Distributors

March 22nd Sales

March 29th Supplier

Women & Ownership/ Owning It, But Not Literally

with Andrea Tateosian

Drea began her bartending career in DC at the (now shuttered) acclaimed U Street speakeasy The Gibson while applying for jobs in finance. Before the pandemic was lead bartender at the award winning new hotel bar from London-based Mr Lyan, Silver Lyan. She currently works part time as assistant editor for The Blend, an online bartending resource by Beam Suntory, and eagerly awaits the day she can step back behind the bar. Drea's approach to bartending is warm, accommodating, and light-hearted. Outside of work Drea enjoys reading, feigning indignation, enthusiastic karaoke, and playing with her tornado-pup Paco.

Speed Rack Alum turned Financial Advisor, Makeda Gebre will host IG Lives sessions discussing finances.

3/5 at 2:30pm EST - Financial Literacy 101

3/12 at 2:30pm EST - The Rule of 72

3/19 at 2:30pm EST - The Power of Interest

3/26 at 2:30pm EST - Continued Education

Join us at @speed_rack on Instagram.

Brought to you by Focus On Health

2020 was certainly the year of the side hustle.

Join Naomi Levy and Cameron of ‘Money Is Not A Four Letter Word’  as they discuss things such as budgeting, PNL, tracking expenses, invoicing and additional things to consider as you solidify your side hustle/ business and how to prepare for the upcoming tax year.

Live streaming will be followed by a Q&A on Instagram Live with Speed Rack and Focus On Health.

Brought to you by Focus On Health

Financial wellness requires action, not just learning in the classroom. While financial discernment is without a doubt necessary for financial well-being, an application of that knowledge is required to modify habits for the better. For example, Knowledge of a 401(k) plan is great and puts you ahead of most people, but without exploring the retirement savings options to your specific situation, that knowledge will be of no use and leave you as unprepared for retirement as someone who is financially illiterate.

Join Naomi Levy and Cameron Neveu of ‘Money Is Not A Four Letter Word’  as they share what to know when preparing for this upcoming tax season.

Have Questions? Join us for a Q&A on IG Live March 5, 1:30PM EST with Speed Rack and Focus On Health.

March 1st | 2 PM EST

Join Laura Green (MEd, LPC) of Healthy Pour in a discussion with Mentor, Lynnette Marrero, and Mentee, Lauren Paylor. They will define and explore what makes a mentor, best practices for the mentor/mentee relationship and more.