Today was an extraordinary day. The business concept that has been swirling around in my head for well over two years has been accepted to the Startup.SC business incubator. The idea, Yumbev, is a unique craft brewery business model that I hope capitalizes on the tremendous growth in the industry and South Carolina's recently changed legislation (not my 30 second pitch). The idea, which I drafted into a business plan a couple of years ago and which has accompanied me in a purple file folder collecting notes on napkins and articles torn from magazines, is something of a BHAG but one I know could work. Luckily, the team at Startup.SC believes in it, so it now appears that dream is going to be put to the test. .

With the business plan "semi" completed, this opportunity has clearly accelerated implementation greatly. The goal over the next one to two months will be to complete the business plan, formalize the founding team, identify key action items and prepare for the investor road show. There is a ton of work to do, but I am extremely excited for the opportunity to take make this dream a reality with the incredible group of professionals at Startup.SC. A great many thanks goes to the their founder, Mike Schroll and their team and the partners that have made this business incubator a reality. I am grateful for their consideration and confidence, and it is my unfettered priority to live up to their high expectations.

In this space, it is my goal to document the progress of Yumbev, good and bad, to serve as 1) a history of the business from the absolute beginning and 2) a learning experience for other aspiring entrepreneurs. For certain, there will be learning lessons along the way, and as I have had so many people in my life provide feedback along my path, I hope to do the same for others.

Stay tuned for many and frequent updates.