It's like pushing a boulder up a hill...

That was the advice of our business adviser at Arlington Economic Development.  We laughed - a classic case of someone underestimating us.  We were seasoned business professionals, with a combined two decades working as CPAs in the litigation consulting world.  We had spent years working with the grittiest of attorneys, pulling unimaginable hours, meeting impossible deadlines, and crunching numbers.  Opening a small local beer shop?  We had this one. 

Not so fast...

Turns out, Ed was right.  Opening a business is not for the faint of heart.  Weaving our way through a sea of regulations, laws, industry practices, and personal guarantees is a daily occurrence, as are phone calls, emails, follow-up phone calls, follow-up emails, and the constant effort to change a "no" into a "yes".  Some days the boulder feels heavier than others, but just like a good running back, as long as you keep your legs churning you know you will make some yardage.  (And if you have to go down, fall forward!)  But through it all, we try to pause for a minute and look around - to feel lucky to be here.  And on particularly bad days, it's always great to know that finding and opening a new beer is good business research.  Today, Hardywood Bourbon Barrel Barleywine (the smoothest barleywine you'll drink all year).  Tomorrow, the world (or at least cleaning up some paperwork)!