Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Nolen.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2009, I went to Minneapolis for an all HR meeting for the company I was working for at the time. As an evening event, they planned for us to go out on the Pedal Pub. At the time, Pedal Pub was the only company of its kind in the US. I had so much fun and started immediately walking through the business model in my head. I told my boss that evening that I was going to start this business at home. She thought I was crazy. When I returned home from my business trip, I spoke to my friend/neighbor Robin Lund about the idea. One thing led to another and within nine months, we were operational. At the time, I was a single mother with a full-time career in HR so starting a business was a huge deal. It was non stop for the first two years until I made the decision to leave the security of my full-time job and benefits. From that point on it was full speed ahead. Failing wasn’t an option. I’m thankful to say that from year one, we grew every year, with the exception of 2020 when the entire world shut down. We’ve finally come out on the other end and are back on track. We employ 15-20 people at any given time and we are able to give back to our community on a regular basis.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We’ve definitely made our share of mistakes – expected though given that we had such a niche business. Most all mistakes were small things that we easily recovered from. One thing I really wish we had done is purchased property when we first started. Real estate has gone through the roof in Austin and it’s no longer an option so we are at the mercy of our landlord…..
And of course, COVID was a huge challenge. We’ve made it out though and are seeing a return to normalcy.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I spent most of my career in Human Resources and loved it! I feel that my personality allows me to interact well with others. I believe it’s my professional experience and personality that have contributed to me being a good team leader. My business partner and I work very well together and we have a great team.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
In the last five years, we’ve seen our business model spread throughout the country – almost in every major city, I would say. It has taken away the uniqueness of the experience in general so it’s ever more important that we provide amazing service to set us apart.
Pricing:
- $43 seat on a public tour, 7 days a week
- $399 for a private tour (up to 15 people) Monday-Thursday
- $449 for a private tour (up to 15 people) Friday-Sunday
Contact Info:
- Email: jennifer@pubcrawlerofaustin.com
- Website: www.pubcrawlerofaustin.com
- Instagram: PubCrawlerATX
- Facebook: PubCrawlerATX
