FTGUS Condensed · The heart of the conversation in about 20 minutes
About this condensed conversation
What happens when you quit successful corporate careers, travel the world looking for a business idea, and eventually stumble across a beer spa in Poland?
Jessica and Damien knew they wanted to build something together—but they didn’t know exactly what. So they left their careers in New York City, traveled through 25 countries over 14 months, and studied unusual business concepts along the way.
A coin flip eventually sent them to Eastern Europe, where a rainy day in Poland introduced them to the idea that would become Oakwell Beer Spa.
In this FTGUS CONDENSED conversation, Jessica and Damien share how they went from discovering an unconventional idea to actually building the business—including an underfunded construction project, buying used equipment at auctions, working side jobs to keep going, and figuring things out as they went.
They also explain what happened when Oakwell opened to far more demand than expected, why they became obsessive about the customer experience, and the lesson they believe every aspiring entrepreneur should understand before turning a passion into a business.
In this condensed episode:
- Why Jessica and Damien walked away from corporate careers
- Traveling 25 countries in search of a scalable business idea
- The coin flip that ultimately led them to Oakwell Beer Spa
- Building an unusual concept with limited capital
- Getting creative when the construction budget fell apart
- Launching to overwhelming demand
- Protecting the customer experience while learning on the fly
- Why passion alone isn’t enough to build a successful business