Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Maher.
Hi Mark, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We started about four years ago at our brewery in Oregon city Oregon. We tried out axe throwing as a pop up event and there was a huge response. People started coming in each week for team building or date nights or birthday parties. We also started axe league that just doubled down on the community around axe throwing. We decided quickly that this concept of adding axe throwing to other bars or breweries could be a great fit. So we reached out to several and formed partnerships. Our most recent partner location is Armadillo Den. We loved the spot as soon as we showed up. There was even axe throwing playing an ESPN World Championship. We worked with the team at armadillo den to find a great outdoor spot to hold axe throwing year round and add to their scene. We are very excited to be in Austin and be a part of this great community and thriving new business.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes, lots of struggles along the way like most small businesses. First of all, we opened up during the pandemic and are still dealing with that. However, we chose Texas and Austin because we were confident that the city and state would keep business open and safe. We also were building outside during 110 degree days. This was back-breaking work setting up and constructing our cages. We worked from 6am-10pm most days for over three weeks.
As you know, we’re big fans of Celtic Axe Throwers. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We specialize in getting people out of the house to Axe Throw. Axe Throwing has blown up over the past five years. It’s quickly becoming the new bowling around the US. We offer our customers a great way to get out with friends and do something completely unique and badass. Team building events are some of our most popular events. Business love getting out of the office and throwing some axes. Weddings, bachelors, and bachelorette parties have also been a big part of our business. We differentiate ourself from other axe throwing place by leading the way with safety. Unlike most axe throwing venues we only used wooden handled axes and “no Bounce” boarders with end grain targets. Features like end grain targets and wooden handled axes don’t bounce back towards customers when an axe is miss-thrown.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Yes, I would turn to podcasts. In this day and age with so many great long-form interviews out there, it’s never been easier to find like-minded people. I listen to business podcasts like “my first million” or the Tim Farris show. I learn lots of great things from podcasts like these and apply them to my business.
Contact Info:
- Email: mark@celticaxethrowers.com
- Website: https://celticaxethrowers.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celtic_axe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Celticaxe
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/celticaxes?lang=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnGBy7yFvorXMBYARHKhs_A?view_as=subscriber
Image Credits
All photos were taken by Mark Maher
