Today we’d like to introduce you to Hamilton Heald
Hi Hamilton , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My wife and I moved from Midland to Dripping Springs back in June of 2022. When we started looking for houses in the area we rented an Airbnb to come visit for a couple nights. The BnB was located on a few acres of land and the owner had a miniature donkey on the property. One evening we were sitting on the front porch talking about our day when we noticed the donkey walking towards us. The donkey walked all way up on the porch and laid its head right on my lap! She was so sweet and friendly. My wife and I looked at each other and had the same thought- we need to get one of these!
After purchasing a 5 acre property in the area we started to get settled into our new home. One evening my wife was talking to a family friend of ours who had just built a wedding venue down in San Marcos called Posey Meadows. Out of the blue he mentioned that people hire beer donkeys to come to their weddings and that this was such a fun and surprising occurance for the guests. He also mentioned that this seemed like a good business because people would pay a good amount of money for the donkeys to come visit their guests.
My wife, who was still hoping to get one or two mini donkeys on our property, knew that she had to come tell me about this right away. She knows me well enough to know that I would be more willing to get donkeys if we could turn it into a business to at least cover the costs of the animals and their upkeep. After talking it over for a few weeks, we decided to start working on our new adventure together!
We had never started a business before, but the biggest question I had at this point was about where to find sweet and gentle mini donkeys that we would enjoy owning but that would also be ready to take to events. So I started searching for beer burros on craigslist, as one does. Multiple listings popped up with these beautifully white and black painted minis. I thought I knew the warning signs when it came to scams on Craigslist and felt pretty confident I’d be able to detect one if I saw it. Unfortunately the first lead we got did end up being a scam.
Fresh off defeat and $300 in the hole, I turned to Apple maps. I typed in miniature donkeys and ended up finding a local lady who had been in the show donkey business for 30 years! She was a life saver. She taught me all about them and I ended up buying one of her sweet jennies. Since donkeys are herd animals, she was also able to connect me with a friend of hers who gave us our other sweet gal! Laura and I were official owners of two jennies named Rosa and Emmy!
Next we needed to build the business! I reached out to some beer burros businesses outside of Texas to see if anyone would be willing to talk to me about their business model and process. I had some success, learning about pricing and how to make a good event contract. I eventually started calling local beer burro businesses to try and get more information about the local market, but I kept my expectations about what I would learn low because I would be considered their competition.
Thankfully I connected with a gentleman named Russell. His company is called Cross T Ranch and he does events with miniature donkeys and Longhorns. He shared some tips and tricks, from where he bought his gear to his pricing. He even said he would help give me referrals for any bookings he could not take. This was much more than I expecting to received from a complete stranger who should see my new business as his competition.
The next step in the process wast to figure out how to market our new business to get clients. Luckily a close family friend of ours is very talented in creative design. Lauren Grindstaff built the Hill Country Jennies website and social media presence from the ground up. She still helps me manage the website and instagram. I’d highly recommend reaching out to her for anyone who is looking to build a brand or rebrand! Her company is called Rise and Grind Creative!
Once we had a website built and all the gear for Rosa and Emmy, I started connecting with all the local venues and event planners. This was the most intimidating part. Would all the work we put in actually turn into bookings!? Would anyone want our jennies at their events? Our personal goal for our first year of business was to book 10 paid events so we were pleased to have finished the year having done 16 events consisting of weddings, birthdays, and rehearsal dinners.
I attribute most of our company’s early success to Russell at Cross T Ranch and Lauren at Rise and Grind Creative. Working with them has taught us the importance of having talented and helpful people on your team when starting a new business in the service industry.
So where are we today? January 2025 marks one year into the business and the booking are coming in steadily now! The majority of our business so far has been cocktail hour at weddings. One goal we would like to pursue further this year is being a part of more corporate events!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
For our first ever booking we were asked to be part of a rehearsal dinner. I decided to only bring one of our jennies (Emmy) so that I could do the event without needing another person there with me.
The venue was beautiful and it was a really peaceful evening.
Emmy had been doing well but was definitely a little nervous for her first event. Then all of the sudden the peaceful night air was filled with donkey brays! If you haven’t been close to a donkey when it brays (think the classic hee-haw), it is very loud! It was definitely embarrassing when this happened during the event, but looking back it was my fault. I should not have separated Emmy from Rosa because they are like family and inseparable! They both feel much more relaxed and at ease when they are with each other. From that point on we always bring both donkeys to each event!
Another challenging incident that happened was when Rosa slipped out of her halter while she was being dressed for a wedding event. Our friend Henry and his girlfriend Kat were doing this event for us, and Rosa was being a bit of a rascal that day! They tried for about 45 minutes to approach Rosa but each time they tried to go up to her she would move just outside their reach! They called me right away and I quickly decided to try to come help so that the donkeys would not be late to the event. Right as I pulled up they had just been able to get her back into the halter. This was the only time that our girls have been late to an event, but the family was so understanding and kind about it! Animals can be mischievous and unpredictable at times!
Thankfully these were the only two funny incidents to report from our first year of business! Rosa and Emmy are healthy and happy, we have not had any trailer trouble, and we have received good feedback from our events.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Hill Country Jennies, we take pride in curating a unique experience with our beer burros to further elevate your already special event. Our journey began with a passion for excellent service and a hospitality style that reflects our home in the hill country. This gave birth to Hill Country Jennies, bringing together our love for gatherings with the charm of our four-legged companions, the Jennies.
At Hill Country Jennies, our mission is to elevate your event by offering a unique service that guests will remember forever- beer burros. We provide miniature donkeys that bring hospitality and joy while serving your guests with care. With our Jennies as the faithful companions throughout your event, we aim to create cherished memories that are reminisced long after the party ends.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Books – The Bible and Atomic Habits
Podcast – Faith Driven Investor and The Downline Podcast
Apps – Notion
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hillcountryjennies.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hcjennies/
Image Credits
Hannah Seliga – Rooted Trumpet Photography, @rootedtrumpetphotography
Alyssa Johnson – Alyssa Jarae Photography, @alyssajaraephotography
Jamie Kovach – Two Fish Weddings, @twofishweddings
