CO.STARTERS Spotlight: A Reality Check from Samuel T Bryant

It’s hard to miss Samuel T Bryant Distillery as you drive down I-40 and see sign after sign pointing to this family-owned property off a gravel road. In fact, this is one of the only businesses I’ve talked to that primarily advertises through billboards and word of mouth, and utilizes their physical location as an asset. It’s rare for a business to not rely on social media for advertising. 

Because they sell alcohol, people must physically come into the store and buy their products. The laws prohibit them from selling products online or shipping out liquor. Sam Bryant, the owner, told me that people have even paid Ubers to drive from Memphis to get their products. He must be creative in the way he makes a profit and sells his product. 

From the beginning, Sam Bryant has operated his business in a realistic, down to earth way. He spent over six months simply jumping through hoops with paperwork and laws through the state regarding alcohol businesses. They were only the 19th distillery after Tennessee began allowing distilleries to exist in 2013. They started constructing the idea in Jan. 2014 and finally got all the paperwork and hoops done by Oct. 2014. They finished their building in July 2016 and opened to the public. Now, Bryant has a manager and a team who handles the day to day operations and he mainly handles taxes and details. 

Bryant went through CO.STARTERS in late 2014 and the biggest benefit he experienced was the community and business planning. 

“I understood a lot of the mechanics of having a business but it was good to meet new people, and if you have no experience running a business, it’s time very well spent,” said Bryant. “Even thinking things through, life throws you curveballs you don’t expect. Business involves constantly adapting and changing due to circumstances. And it’s challenging and fun at the same time.”

Although the planning at CO.STARTERS was useful, the principles he learned were more helpful since his business changes on a daily basis. The distillery has grown the most since 2020, doubling its profits every year.

“Getting everything growing is exciting at the front end because you’re like ‘yay this is new and different’ but as it becomes routine, it becomes about simply taking care of the customers that walk through the door,” explained Bryant.

Bryant is very realistic when he gives advice to anyone. His biggest word of wisdom is that you don’t want to trade in your business for another job. As a business owner, you don’t want to go from earning $60,000 a year and going home without worrying, to making $60,000 a year, but carrying the worry of your finances with you every second of the day. The key is to have realistic eyes on what you can expect from your business, and know how you’re making a profit on the front end. 

His advice is not to discourage anyone from pursuing their dreams, but he simply wants others to think carefully before they pursue starting a business. And one way entrepreneurs can do that is by enrolling in programs that educate you, like CO.STARTERS. 

“If you’re going into business because you think it’s cool and it will be fun, watch your back,” advised Bryant. “It’s very easy to create a job you could’ve had somewhere else with a lot more stress. The whole idea behind going into business is that you either make stupid money or to be able to delegate so you don’t have to work very many hours. If you can’t do either of those, probably stay home. You want to have the freedom or the money, and a lot of people can’t make that happen.”

You can visit Samuel T. Bryant Distillery at 1331 Lower Brownsville Rd, Jackson, TN 38301.