Lessons in Fortitude from Bow and Arrow Brewing Co.'s Shyla Sheppard

who found success their own way. Consider this your real world. N b A designed for the new Now. I'm Kim Azarelli and thanks so much for joining us today. Shila Shepherd is a master of the art of the pivot, the co founder of Bow and Arrow Brewing Company. She's a Native American from North Dakota who grew up in a rural community so small it had no post office or gas station. She went on to study economics at

Stanford University and work in venture capital. Her life took a turn when she established her successful brewery and tap room no Albuquerque, and then came the pandemic. What do you do when a health crisis impacts a business that heavily depends on in person customers. If you're Shyla Shepherd, you look at the problem and see a brand new opportunity to bring your product to fans in new and

different ways. Listen as Shyla talks about finding new paths, drawing strength from your roots, and learning to face the storm rather than turning away. Well, Shyla, thanks so much for joining us, Thanks for having me. So could you tell our listeners a little bit about the company you started, what you do, and where you're located. Sure, um So. I founded Bowender Brewing Company UM back in two thousand thirteen, and we officially opened our doors for business in two

thousand sixteen February of that year. Um So. We are based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have our brewery and on site beer hall here kind of in the heart of downtown Albuquerque, and we specialize in wild sour in Southwest inspired beers. Very cool. So I'm gonna take you a way back. So where did you grow up? I grew up in western North Dakota on the Fort berth Old Reservation. And how long were you in North Dakota for until I left for college? So my whole life

and my whole family is still there. So that's that's my first home. And New Mexico is kind of my my second And so you left North Dakota and you I understand you went to Stanford. Yeah, I went to undergrad there. And how did you decide to go to Stanford? And was entrepreneurship always in your in your plans? So? Um? So I grew up in a very small rural community.

I mean North Dakota's general is pretty rural. Um. But the community that I grew up in is called Twin Buttes and um, it's about two hundred and it was less than two hundred and fifty people. Um. And this is including people who live like down gravel roads and you know, out in the country so to speak. Um. And we didn't have a post office or a gas station or anything um like that. So, and there wasn't a lot of business or enterprise at all in our community.

So we would travel to the border town for things like groceries and gas and a check the mail. Um. And I guess having that experience, UM and seeing kind of unsuccessful attempts by you know, our our tribe at sort of a government run business. UM. I don't know, I it really stuck with me and I just really wanted to understand why there was such a lack of

you know, businesses there and examples of it. So when I left to Stanford, UM I was found myself in the heart of Silicon Valley, and I was really intrigued with you know what that was. UM. So I took some classes specifically on venture capital and started getting more familiar with what it was and how it could be UM a powerful source, you know, powerful economic engine to

speed growth of businesses. UM. So it kind of just went back to, like, you know, understanding what those challenges were, and you know, realizing that UM a lot of reservations, not just my own. There's there's a lack of resources. UM there's challenges in terms of access to capital, and

you know, mentors, people who've been there, done that. Actually, my first job out of college was also in venture capital, and I was also interested in trying to understand how small businesses in particular worked and how they got capitalized. But I didn't stick with it as long as you did. So what kind of what kind of companies did you cover in your VC days? I entered the industry here in Albuquerque, so UM I joined a group I learned about this sort of subset of venture capital. It's has

many names. You know. Back in the day, I think it was called like Community Development Venture Capital UM, and now it's known as like social impact investing. So the the organization I joined was just getting off the ground, New Mexico Community Capital, which was this community development financial institution focused on venture capital. So UM I joined the

founding team. UM did all sorts of things due diligence on companies, deal sourcing, and our initial fund was a New Mexico centric fund, so geographically focused on the state of New Mexico. UM. So we were kind of we took a generalist approach but basically focused on businesses that we're meeting basic needs. So UM we invested in clean water technology, green building products, UM. Some focused on agricultural

sector safety and security. So over the course of eight and a half years, I had, you know, just an amazing UM education kind of across the whole spectrum of the space. So you're in the VC world. You, as you said, had a great education, You're you're active and all a bunch of different kinds of companies, and then you decide that you want to start your own brewery. How does that happen? Well, it went back, you know,

growing up where I came from. I was fortunate not to have a family or or a mom that was like pushing me in any one direction. But she was just very supportive of, you know, whatever it was I wanted to do UM, and so that was really helpful. But you know, I guess looking back, I still felt sort of an obligation to do something that was quote unquote very like professional and you know, and so you know,

and I did that. I enjoyed it. I learned a lot UM, but I did know that I wanted to start something from the ground up, and I didn't know exactly what it would be UM, and honestly didn't like connect the like passion interest I had in craft beer that started back in college to that ultimately, so it

took some time to figure that out UM. And then also in in some of the deals we were doing and interested in doing UM with the fund, I definitely got sort of tuned into the slow food movement, and I eventually was kind of seeing that intersection of you know, locally produced craft beer UM, the connections that we as breweries can have with the local agricultural community as well, and how we can support each other. Um. So it all sort of started to come together in my mind.

And then also, um, just paying attention to the regulatory environment alcohol can be really like weird and all over the place as far as laws and restrictions from city to city, state to state. UM. And I was recognizing that here in New Mexico at the time, you know, it was pretty craft beer friendly. Um. You could have multiple locations where you could serve, you know, your product, and have kind of a central production facility. UM. So I really was drawn to that because I enjoy curating

a space and an experience around the product. Um. So all of that made a lot of sense um to me. But I got my introduction to craft beer and Paulo alto Um at the time, there's a Gordon Biersch, and that's where I had my first half advice and and sort of just got drawn in, and my curiosity kind of got the better of me and just kind of kept digging deeper and deeper. Um and all the while

you know, pursuing my professional career. UM. Yeah. And then back in probably two thousand twelve is when I was like realizing we were at a point in our funds life. You know, limited partnership is usually ten years cycles, and so we were having discussions of course on fund too

and what that would look like. And given I was involved in some of these conversations with limited partners, I just you know, my heart wasn't in it anymore, and I was ready to move on and not commit to another fund right right, So it kind of it pushed me to then take the leap um and go out on my own. I was just gonna ask you something related to that, which is a lot of people have ideas UM, and they even might have a passion, but it's really hard to make that leap. Was it hard

for you to do that? And what were the early years like in starting this business. It was scary because I, you know, I really enjoyed what I did UM, and it was you know, I had the security of my paycheck, my compensation, and so it was definitely scary to start something from the ground up and walking away from that. But again, I just felt like it's now or never, and you know, the landscape changes very quickly, and so I just felt like the time was of the essence

and we needed to just focus of my time on it. So, yeah, it was definitely scary, but I had, you know, the support that the moral support of of my partner and now wife, UM, and she was working her way through med school in residency and I think at the time she had just finished residency, so she was kind of on her own track, and so I felt like we could take on the financial risk of me quitting my

job to pursue this. So it was thoughtful and strategic about like, you know, the finance side of it is a big part for people and can be the gating factor, you know. But I dove in and uh and things worked out. So yeah. Well, I mean in all the people that I've spoken to, and of course in my own experience was of course always ups and downs, and and the struggle of entrepreneurship is real. I mean, what

do you what do you rely on in those difficult moments. Well, I was fortunate to grow up, you know, with a family that kind of grounded me and kind of my my grandma in particular, my mom's mom. She's still you know, such a strong, um tenacious figure and has always been an inspiration to me. Um. She's she always says, like, where there's a will, there's a way, and I've seen

her exercise that, you know, time and time again. So I'm like, so that I feel like, and I'm her granddaughter, so I need to, you know, take strength from that, and so I do. And there's just many examples, I mean, especially just being a native person, seeing the resilience that our people have had to UM exercise, you know, throughout the year. So I mean, I take a lot of strengthen that. So you're you're building your business. You took the leap and and it became a success. Tell us

more about the nuts and bolts of the business. Yeah, so it's the way we got started is really the bread and butter of our revenue was through the beer hall, so people coming in and buying beer by the glass or filling growlers. UM. And I was actually in the process of opening our first off site location in the Four Corners area UM when COVID hit, So that that led to a huge pivot for us. UM. So that was that was the model, and just over the last couple of months, UM, I put the Four Corners tap

room on pause. So that's still I'm still figuring out, you know, how and when that happens. UM. The current public Health order restrictions are allowing for only patio sales, and that location has no patio. So yeah, so it's it's it's definitely this time has you forced me to not let uncertainty paralyze my decision making. But it's I really try to focus on what can I control, you know,

what can I do? Um So, over the course of the last couple of months, I've you know, folks re kind of focused our efforts on purchasing a canning line so we're able to get more product into customers hands, not just through our locations, but we're in you know, the three Whole Foods here in New Mexico and the Total Wine and some of the more popular bottle shops as well. Um So that's been a huge pivot for us, uh during this time, and I'm just having to, you know,

think about things I didn't have to before. Um But I'm like, these are the challenges I want to have. If Whole Foods wants to buy out most of our batch, well, you know, we need to figure out how to how to ration it and make it stretch and figure out how to increase our production. Wow, you actually went out and bought a canning operation. We did and that's been and that's you know, that was kind of a wild ride.

I had lined up a used canning line here UM locally, and unexpectedly that deal fell apart after you know, we had made a commitment. So that was really stressful. So suddenly it's like, well, we're buying a new canning line and kind of through that process and you know, this decision is one that usually takes like a year or so of planning because there's so many manifest actures these days.

So we just dug in and did a lot of due diligence, talked to a lot of people, visited some other UM breweries and one sidary in town to see, you know, what they were doing, what they liked about their systems UM, and then just moved on it. Thankfully. UM we've done We've only done like four canning runs so far. We had my goal was to have our first cans roll out by July one UM. So we met that deadline and we were able to make the huge Fourth of July weekend UM, which is a big

weekend for beer sales. Yeah. So so it's that's been kind of a roller coaster, but it's it's kind of funny just in sitting down to think about and reflect, you know, it's kind of it's just a lot of just looking like, Okay, we passed, you know, we got over that obstacle, and it's just like keep charging forwards. So it's it's interesting to stop and kind of reflect on the bump us in the road because I'm not one to focus on them, so I have to really

like think about it in a deliberate way. Do you find that, you know, over time, uh, you know, hitting at these different bumps along the way, you kind of have a mental resilience where it doesn't seem as bumpy over time once you've gone through a few of them. Absolutely. Yeah, it's like, why why get worked up about something, Let's just focus on the solution and keep moving forward. Um My, one of my grandpa's raised buffalo and as kids, this is another one of those lessons that has really stuck

with me. But he would take us out on the prairie and we'd all be like standing in the back of the truck and he'd be out with the buffalo and he would talk to us and tell us about He's like, you see, how thick you know the buffaloes fur is on, you know, the front of their body. And did you know that in the fiercest blizzard and storms, they turn and they face the storm. And so he taught us that in life you're gonna face challenge nges. But he said, be like the buffalo. You don't run

away from it. You don't turn away from it. You face it. And so that's something also that i've It makes a lot of sense now and I really try to emulate that. And it's such good advice. You know, you have this background and venture capital, it's probably served you very well. And when you're thinking about expansion and how to buy a canning operation or how to really access capital in your own business. Do you have advice

to other entrepreneurs about accessing capital? I would say, like one of the biggest ones is, you know, there's lots of different flavors of capital, lots of different sources. I think having a sense for what ultimately you want to do with the business, because you know, as a former venture capitalists, if if we were looking at a company, there has to be some sort of like exit strategy, right, what does that look like? And you know the expectations

of a VC for returns are much higher. So if if you're pursuing that's flavor of capital, you know you should have a and sort of growth plans. So I think sometimes people get sort of caught up into, you know, the idea of of raising and securing that sort of capital, but it's not always a good fit. So I think really understanding what your goals are as a business is really important as you think about the types of capital, whether it's whether it's an s B, a loan, you know,

or institutional money or friends and family. So just sort of managing and understanding, like what are your goals for your business, does that align with the type of capital that you're wanting to raise. That's great advice because I think you're so right. There's so many people and because venture capital and kind of these unicorn type businesses have been in oppress so much. I think people think if

they need capital, they think they need venture capital. And it's such a good point that you make that people need to understand their long term goals because PC is a very specific kind of capital. If there is specific expectations. Yes, So is there anything that you wish someone told you about running your business that you wish you had known before you started. I can't remember who it was, UM, but it was you know, some one of the entrepreneurs

I've worked with in the past. You know. The advice was like, just be comfortable that you can't know everything. You can't have all the answers, but you know, be good at seeking out you know, the resources and sources, and don't be afraid to reach out to people to you know, find answers. So I think just having some

comfort and knowing it's okay, I can't know everything. I you know, this is new territory and starting something from scratch comes with so many moving parts, and especially in you know, highly regulated industry like alcohol, you know, and I think being okay with that was was really important and sort of pushing pushing forward. UM. I also think in the early days what really helped me was being organized.

I had, you know, I'm a voracious checklister. I still am, and I have all of my little mole skin notebooks UM from early days, which is actually really fun to look back at and sort of page through. It's like incorporate, you know, or decide on a legal structure, you know, get a tax i D or your FBI N and it's interesting to look back at that, but also in the moment, there are, like I said, so many moving parts that it really helps to make it feel more

manageable if you have like a game plan. So I've had, you know, multiple spreadsheets where they're literally called the game plan or might to do list, and one might be related to corporate decisions or you know, financial um. But at least I sort of put it down and then it seems it just seems a lot more manageable. And there are times when you can, you know, get distracted, but if you have your game plan, your list in front of you, it can really help you remain focused.

That's such great advice. Again, great advice. I was thinking when you were talking earlier about being comfortable with the unknown and then combining that with what your grandfather told you about facing challenges head on, I feel like that's a really powerful combination. And then if you add the checklist to it, I could see how this could be a very successful company. Yeah, and I was I felt like so validated when I read a tool gowandhi's a

checklist manifesto. I'm like yes, and so yes, this is this makes so much sense to me. So I know that the business that you're in doesn't have a lot of women. Actually, are you finding that you are kind of one of those pioneers and is there a community of women in the brewery business that you can relate to or trade ideas with. I think we're getting there.

I mean there's big discussions I mean, especially just in across in the world right now about sort of racial like inequities and inequalities, and I think what's and there's been a conversation also just within the craft beer industry

recently that's starting to take place. The Brewers Associateation, which is for the national UM advocacy advocacy organization for brewers here UM in the United States, they created a position UM the Diversity Ambassador, to kind of have some of these and facilitate some of these difficult conversations about, you know, questions around why aren't there more people of color, more

women UM. So that's happening right now, and I at a national conference stood in line to talk with one of the presenters who who is in that role the brus Associations UM Diversity Ambassador, and so I've connected with her and she continues to do a lot of that

work and has connected me with other people. So I think the more you reach out to folks, you know, just build that network and create awareness that you know, hey, I'm in the industry and here's what I'm doing and being curious about you know, learning what other women and people of color are doing is a start. UM. So

that's something you know, that's important to me. But also just at the end of the day, it's like, hey, I'm a small business owner and I face the same challenges that other you know, non people of color are facing, and you know, it's important that you don't put the expectation on yourself that you have to save the world. And I feel like sometimes as a woman of color, a Native American, they you know, there's some expectation that you are, you have all of these other things that

you're expected to accomplish. Some of it I feel is a little unfair because it's a young company that I'm running into, lots of challenges, there's COVID, lots of things going on, and so it's like, you know, seeing more people like myself in the industry is something that I want for us. UM. But I've also recognized just representation and UM putting yourself out there and sharing your story

can be powerful in and of itself. We totally agree with everything you've just said, and really it's why we have made by women. Just to share these stories is so important. So I guess my last question is, in this very difficult time and we're obviously all facing uh pretty unprecedented times, what is keeping you optimistic or making

you optimistic? I think the resilience of my team. Uh, we're definitely having to make a lot of difficult decisions, but I feel like they've been very understanding and recognize that, you know, there's a lot of things that are out of our control, UM, but their faith in me in leading our company through this has been really wonderful, you know,

because not everyone deals with these uncertain times. Well, so true. Well, we would love for the world, as the world is already beginning to know about Bow and Arrow, and we love to tell our listeners how they can support you and and get access to your product. So how can they do that? Sure, so as far as UM folks outside of New Mexico goes, they can purchase merchandise from our website at Bow and Arrow Brewing dot com. So we have you know, t shirts and hats and pins,

and for folks in New Mexico. UM, you can find our product by coming to the brewery here in Central Albuquerque. Or you can find our cans or wild and sour beers on the shelves of Whole Foods, Total Wine, Jubile Achian Susan's the seller up in Taos and a few other places. Fantastic. Well, I really appreciate you coming on the show. I've really enjoyed the conversation and so thanks so much for being unmade by women. Oh Kim, thanks for having me. It's been wonderful. There's so much to

learn from Shila Shepherd. Three pieces of advice really made an impact on me. First, find the solution and keep moving forward. Shila's grandfather, who raised buffalo, holder that even in the fiercest blizzard, buffalo don't turn their backs on the storm. They face it. In life, we're going to face challenges. Be like the buffalo and face life's storms head on. Second, be comfortable with not knowing everything. You can't have all the answers, but you can seek out

resources and contact people who can help you figure it out. Finally, value your uniqueness and operate from authenticity. As Shilah says, putting yourself out there and sharing your story can be powerful in and of itself. Have a great week. Made by Women is brought to you by the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio, with support from founding partner PNG