New Opportunities and new ideas come to life

The mission of improving lives and communities has always been more to me than a line on the Wealth Builders website.  With every introduction to a local business person or elected official, I truly am looking for a way to have an impact. 

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In late 2021, my plan to meet the demand for more housing in Danville, Kentucky brought about an interesting twist in how I can help improve a community. 

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With the purchase of 1.4 acres of land that included a building for wheel service, I learned that Danville and the surrounding area not only had a demand for more housing, but also businesses that cater to those looking for a casual environment to gather and relax.

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When evaluating the deal, it appeared to be a great opportunity to rent out the building that happened to be a local historical spot of sorts.  This wheel service business that had previously occupied the space had been a long-standing part of the community and we wanted to help preserve the personality of the building, including the name. A critical part of this project was to find the right business to be in the same location with a multi-family apartment complex, so I sought the right partner to lease the building and bring a new offering to Danville.

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I set out to establish new and grow existing relationships with local and regional business owners, local officials and industry leaders in the community.  I took time to speak to local residents, and attended many city council meetings.  In listening, I learned more about the needs of this growing community.  I realized there was strong demand for the type of family-friendly business I was envisioning to be part of our project. Not only were multi-family apartments a need, but a local gathering spot was something wanted by so many of those that I spoke with. 

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Continual networking with my contacts introduced me to the world of craft beer and local spirits.  Each connection and conversation led me to another business contact who was a local microbrew owner, as well as pub rooms or microbrewery business owners down in Lexington. 

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Through networking,  I was introduced to the world of restaurants, tap rooms and microbreweries.  I spoke to owners of both established restaurants and microbreweries who were eager to share their knowledge.  The community was driving me and teaching me, and I was determined to deliver.

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Then a funny thing happened.  Well, at the time it wasn’t all that funny.  There were certain obstacles that prevented the timely construction of the apartments I was planning.  The existing building filled with a restaurant/taproom/microbrewery was meant to be the amenity for the apartments.  The apartments were to be the lure for an outside business to rent the building.  With no apartments, there was a void.   I knew the community would be improved by both, but outside businesses that I would have recruited were not as well-versed.  

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The piece of property was too good to let go, so I shifted.  I would take the knowledge gained through my conversations with those in the hospitality industry, and combine it with my business and real estate experience to ensure a gathering spot was added to Danville.  But I still couldn’t do it alone.  . 

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In September of this year, Morley’s Backyard opened its doors as my latest business venture.  We are serving the needs of this community as a family-friendly gathering place that provides cold beer and eats from rotating local food trucks.  

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Stay tuned for my next adventure in bringing the microbrewery business plan to life. 

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