BEYOUROWN Meets Jordan Catapano

Jordan Catapano, Co-Founder of This Girl Walks Into a Bar bartending services, and This Girl Walks Into a Bar: Mixers + Snacks, has had long experience as a professional bartender and mixologist. She is the author of This Girl Walks Into a Bar: A Women’s Guide to Professional Bartending and Home Mixology, This Girl Minds Her P’s & Q’s, and Cocktails for Cougars & Cowgirls: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Every Woman.

Jordan and her co-founding sister Jocelyn won Saveur Magazine’s Best Cocktail Blog Award in 2012 and went on to build their blog and brand into a trusted, global resource for easy cocktail recipes and effortless entertaining tips. Jordan became BevMo!’s freelance Chief Mixology Officer from 2012 – 2017 and made television appearances, filmed cocktail tutorials, and developed recipe content on their behalf. 

This Girl Walks Into a Bar opened their bartending services division in 2016 to provide highly trained, polished, and friendly female bartenders for various events, ranging from intimate dinner parties to extravagant weddings. Their bartenders are recognized for their exemplary customer service and outstanding beverages. They currently retain about seventy-five bartenders in the Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, and Tampa areas, and are preparing to expand into other cities nationally. 

This spring, Jordan and Jocelyn will launch their new endeavor, This Girl Walks Into a Bar Mixers + Snacks, and make their famous Margarita and Bloody Mary mixes available for purchase. 

Jordan has contributed her cocktail expertise to Woman’s World Magazine, Self Magazine, Town and Country, PBS Food, and The Huffington Post, and developed cocktail recipes and videos for companies and organizations such as California Olives, Campbell Soup, Deep Eddy Vodka, Dole Foods, Tabasco, Gallo Wine, Patrón Tequila, and the Watermelon Board. 

Thank you for interviewing with us Jordan, let’s talk about what you do….

I am the Co-CEO of the boutique bartending company, This Girl Walks Into a Bar, LLC. Founded in 2016 we started with one bartender and now have over 100 mixologists in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, Tampa, and Nashville. Our company provides highly trained, friendly, and professional bartenders for both residential and corporate events ranging from small groups to huge conferences.

Can you take us through your journey to where you are now?

We launched our company with our first book, This Girl Walks Into A Bar: A Women’s Guide to Professional Bartending and Home Mixology and supported that debut with the blog This Girl Walks Into a Bar. In 2012 we won Saveur Magazine’s Best Cocktail Blog Award which gave us the opportunity to collaborate with different companies and brands on cocktail creation. In 2016 we opened up the bartending division of our business, providing bartenders for a YouTube influencer party in Hollywood Hills. In 2017 we booked seventy-six events and have doubled our bookings every year. We enjoy a niche market of upscale bartending services.

Since starting, have you made any changes to your business model?

Since starting, we have made numerous changes to our business model, some small and some large. The biggest change was influenced by COVID. We were originally providing full beverage service for events but during COVID we decided to switch to providing bartenders only. This simpler model made the work experience better for our staff and allowed us the opportunity to scale into other cities and states.

Have you ever had a mentor?

I have not had a formal mentor but my parents have been wonderful role models. Although they are not entrepreneurs – my father is a historian and my mother is a painter – they both have incredible work ethics and a tireless commitment to their professions.

What outlets do you use for marketing?

Our most powerful marketing tool is word-of mouth and networking within groups like Be Your Own. Our peers and customers refer us to their friends and family and the referalas continue to grow from there. We also invest in Google Ads and see the benefits of their strategic marketing tools.

You are part of our BEYOUROWN SME Network Club, but what methods are you using to build your own support network?

We are thrilled to be part of the BEYOUROWN SME Network Club because at the end of the day, nothing is more effective at building one’s network than supporting and encouraging one’s fellow entrepreneurs. Women’s groups are truly a wonderful way to connect with like-minded people who share the same ambitions. Starting, running, and sustaining a business is incredibly challenging but when we find other women who are doing it as well, it makes the process so much easier.

What is the best piece of business advice you have received to date?

The best piece of business advice is to remain committed to your brand’s messaging and mission no matter what.

How do you create an evenly balanced work and personal life?

It’s honestly not very easy as a working mom. I’m always squeezing in additional work time early in the morning before the kids get up for school, or between their games, and definitely on weekends. It’s easier now that they are teenagers but still tricky to wear the hats of a mom and a business owner.

How do you define your own success?

My success is defined by the company’s growth, our employees’ well-being, and by being present in my family’s lives.

Finally, what can we expect from you next?

We have expanded into multiple US cities and will continue to expand into more. We also launched a Margarita Mix this past spring and plan to follow up with additional mixers and bar snacks.