Lessons in Fortitude from Bow and Arrow Brewing Co.'s Shyla Sheppard

We revisit our conversation with Shyla Sheppard, co-founder of the only brewing company owned by Native American women in the US. She reveals how the inspiration and strength she draws from her roots allows her to pivot, change and move ahead in even the most challenging of times.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Made by Women, a new podcast by the
Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio. At a
moment when businesses face some of the biggest challenges in
recent history, we bring you inspiring stories, practical insights, and
shared learnings to help you successfully navigate in today's environment.

(00:28):
Every Thursday, Made by Women will showcase the experiences of
legendary women, entrepreneurs, fierce up and comers, and everyday women
who found success their own way. Consider this your real world.
N b A designed for the new Now. I'm Kim
Azarelli and thanks so much for joining us today. Shila

(00:52):
Shepherd is a master of the art of the pivot,
the co founder of Bow and Arrow Brewing Company. She's
a Native American from North Dakota who grew up in
a rural community so small it had no post office
or gas station. She went on to study economics at
Stanford University and work in venture capital. Her life took
a turn when she established her successful brewery and tap

(01:15):
room no Albuquerque, and then came the pandemic. What do
you do when a health crisis impacts a business that
heavily depends on in person customers. If you're Shyla Shepherd,
you look at the problem and see a brand new
opportunity to bring your product to fans in new and
different ways. Listen as Shyla talks about finding new paths,

(01:38):
drawing strength from your roots, and learning to face the
storm rather than turning away. Well, Shyla, thanks so much
for joining us, Thanks for having me. So could you
tell our listeners a little bit about the company you started,
what you do, and where you're located. Sure, um So.
I founded Bowender, a brewing company um back in two

(02:03):
thousand thirteen, and we officially opened our doors for business
in two thousand sixteen February of that year. Um So,
we are based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have our
brewery and on site beer hall here kind of in
the heart of downtown Albuquerque, and we specialize in wild

(02:25):
sour in Southwest inspired beers. Very cool. So I'm gonna
take you a way back. So where did you grow up?
I grew up in western North Dakota on the Fort
berth Old Reservation. And how long were you in North
Dakota for until I left for college? So my whole
life and my whole family is still there. So that's
that's my first home, and New Mexico is kind of

(02:48):
my my second And so you left North Dakota and
you I understand you went to Stanford. Yeah, I went
to undergrad there. And how did you decide to go
to Stanford? And was entrepreneurship always in your in your plans? So? Um?
So I grew up in a very small rural community.
I mean North Dakota's general is pretty rural. Um. But

(03:08):
the community that I grew up in is called Twin
Buttes and um, it's about two hundred and it was
less than two hundred and fifty people. Um. And this
is including people who live like down gravel roads and
you know, out in the country so to speak. UM.
And we didn't have a post office or a gas
station or anything um like that. So, and there wasn't

(03:32):
a lot of business or enterprise at all in our community.
So we would travel to the border town for things
like groceries and gas and a check the mail. Um.
And I guess having that experience, um and seeing kind
of unsuccessful attempts by you know, our our tribe at
sort of a government run business. UM. I don't know,

(03:56):
I it really stuck with me and I just really
wanted to understand why there was such a lack of
you know, businesses there and examples of it. So when
I left to Stanford, UM I was found myself in
the heart of Silicon Valley, and I was really intrigued
with you know what that was. UM. So I took

(04:18):
some classes specifically on venture capital and started getting more
familiar with what it was and how it could be
UM a powerful source, you know, powerful economic engine to
speed growth of businesses. UM. So it kind of just
went back to, like, you know, understanding what those challenges were,

(04:39):
and you know, realizing that UM a lot of reservations,
not just my own. There's there's a lack of resources.
UM there's challenges in terms of access to capital, and
you know, mentors people who've been there, done that. Actually,
my first job out of college was also in venture capital,
and I was also interested in trying to understand how

(05:01):
small businesses in particular worked and how they got capitalized.
But I didn't stick with it as long as you did.
So what kind of what kind of companies did you
cover in your VC days? I entered the industry here
in Albuquerque, so UM I joined a group I learned
about this sort of subset of venture capital. It's has

(05:22):
many names. You know. Back in the day, I think
it was called like Community Development Venture Capital UM, and
now it's known as like social impact investing. So the
the organization I joined was just getting off the ground,
New Mexico Community Capital, which was this community development financial
institution focused on venture capital. So UM I joined the

(05:46):
founding team. UM did all sorts of things due diligence
on companies, deal sourcing, and our initial fund was a
New Mexico centric fund, so geographically focused on the state
of New Mexico. UM. So we were kind of we
took a generalist approach but basically focused on businesses that

(06:06):
we're meeting basic needs. So UM we invested in clean
water technology, green building products, UM. Some focused on agricultural
sector safety and security. So over the course of eight
and a half years, I had, you know, just an
amazing UM education kind of across the whole spectrum of

(06:27):
the space. So you're in the VC world. You, as
you said, had a great education, You're you're active and
all a bunch of different kinds of companies, and then
you decide that you want to start your own brewery.
How does that happen? Well, it went back, you know,
growing up where I came from. I was fortunate not
to have a family or or a mom that was
like pushing me in any one direction. But she was

(06:50):
just very supportive of, you know, whatever it was I
wanted to do UM, and so that was really helpful.
But you know, I guess looking back, I still felt
sort of an obligation to do something that was you know,
quote unquote very like professional and you know, and so
you know, and I did that. I enjoyed it. I
learned a lot UM, but I did know that I

(07:13):
wanted to start something from the ground up, and I
didn't know exactly what it would be UM, and honestly
didn't like connect the like passion interest I had in
craft beer that started back in college to that ultimately,
so it took some time to figure that out UM
and then also in in some of the deals we

(07:36):
were doing and interested in doing UM with the fund,
I definitely got sort of tuned into the slow food movement,
and I eventually was kind of seeing that intersection of
you know, locally produced craft beer UM, the connections that
we as breweries can have with the local agricultural community

(07:56):
as well, and how we can support each other. Um.
So it all sort of started to come together in
my mind. And then also, um, just paying attention to
the regulatory environment alcohol can be really like weird and
all over the place as far as laws and restrictions
from city to city, state to state. UM. And I
was recognizing that here in New Mexico at the time,

(08:19):
you know, it was pretty craft beer friendly. Um. You
could have multiple locations where you could serve, you know,
your product, and have kind of a central production facility. UM.
So I really was drawn to that because I enjoy
curating a space and an experience around the product. UM.

(08:40):
So all of that made a lot of sense um
to me. But I got my introduction to craft beer
in Paulo Alto UM at the time there's a Gordon Biersch,
and that's where I had my first half advice and
and sort of just got drawn in, and my curiosity
kind of got the better of me and just kind
of kept digging deeper and deeper. Um and all the

(09:00):
while you know, pursuing my professional career. UM. Yeah. And
then back in probably two thousand twelve is when I
was like realizing we were at a point in our
funds life. You know, limited partnership is usually ten years cycles,
and so we were having discussions of course on fund
too and what that would look like. And given I

(09:23):
was involved in some of these conversations with limited partners,
I just you know, my heart wasn't in it anymore
and I was ready to move on and not commit
to another fund right right, So it kind of it
pushed me to then take the leap um and go
out on my own. I was just gonna ask you
something related to that, which is a lot of people

(09:44):
have ideas UM, and they even might have a passion,
but it's really hard to make that leap. Was it
hard for you to do that? And what were the
early years like in starting this business? It was scary
because I, you know, I really enjoyed what I did UM,
and it was you know, I had the security of

(10:05):
my paycheck, my compensation, and so it was definitely scary
to start something from the ground up in walking away
from that. But again I just felt like it's now
or never, and you know, the landscape changes very quickly,
and so I just felt like the time was of
the essence and we needed should just focus of my

(10:28):
time on it. So, yeah, it was definitely scary, but
I had, you know, the support that the moral support
of of my partner and now wife, UM, and she
was working her way through med school in residency and
I think at the time she had just finished residency,
so she was kind of on her own track, and

(10:50):
so I felt like we could take on the financial
risk of me quitting my job to pursue this. So
it was thoughtful and strategic about like, you know, the
finance side of it is a big part for people
and can be the gating factor, you know. But I
dove in and uh and things worked out. So yeah. Well,

(11:13):
I mean in all the people that I've spoken to,
and of course in my own experience, there was of
course always ups and downs and and the struggle of
entrepreneurship is real. I mean, what do you what do
you rely on in those difficult moments. Well, I was
fortunate to grow up, you know, with a family that
kind of grounded me and kind of my my grandma
in particular, my mom's mom. She's still you know, such

(11:36):
a strong, um tenacious figure and has always been an
inspiration to me. Um. She's she always says, like, where
there's a will, there's a way, and I've seen her
exercise that, you know, time and time again, so I'm like,
so that I feel like and I'm her granddaughter, so
I need to, you know, take strength from that, and

(11:57):
so I do. And there's just many examples, I mean,
especially just being a native person, seeing the resilience that
our people have had to um exercise, you know, throughout
the year. So I mean, I take a lot of
strengthen that we'll be back with Seneca's Made by Women

(12:19):
after this short break. So you're you're building your business.
You took the leap and it became a success. Tell
us more about the nuts and bolts of the business. Yeah,
so it's the way we got started is really the

(12:42):
bread and butter of our revenue was through the beer hall,
so people coming in and buying beer by the glass
or filling growlers. UM. And I was actually in the
process of opening our first off site location in the
Four Corners area UM when COVID hit, so that that

(13:05):
led to a huge pivot for us. UM. So that
was that was the model, and just over the last
couple of months, UM I put the Four Corners tap
room on pause. So that's still I'm still figuring out
you know how and when that happens. Um the current
public Health Order restrictions are allowing for only patio sales,

(13:30):
and that location has no patio. So yeah, so it's
it's it's definitely this time has you forced me to
not let uncertainty paralyzed my decision making, But it's I
really try to focus on what can I control, you know,
what can I do? Um So, over the course of

(13:53):
the last couple of months, I've you know, folks re
kind of focused our efforts on purchase a canning line,
so we're able to get more product into customers hands,
not just through our locations, but we're in you know,
the three Whole Foods here in New Mexico and the
Total Wine and some of the more popular bottle shops

(14:14):
as well. Um So that's been a huge pivot for us,
uh during this time, and I'm just having to, you know,
think about things I didn't have to before. Um But unlike,
these are the challenges I want to have. If Whole
Foods wants to buy out most of our batch, well,
you know, we need to figure out how to how
to ration it and make it stretch and figure out

(14:36):
how to increase our production Wow, you actually went out
and bought a canning operation. We did, and that's been
and that's you know, that was kind of a wild ride.
I had lined up a used canning line here UM locally,
and unexpectedly that deal fell apart after you know, we

(14:57):
had made a commitment. So that was really stress false
and suddenly it's like, well, we're buying a new canning
line and kind of through that process and you know,
this decision is one that usually takes like a year
or so of planning because there's so many manufacturers these days.
So we just dug in and did a lot of
due diligence, talked to a lot of people, visited some

(15:20):
other UM breweries and one sidary in town to see,
you know, what they were doing, what they liked about
their systems UM, and then just moved on it. Thankfully.
UM we've done We've only done like four canning runs
so far. We had my goal was to have our
first cans roll out by July one UM. So we

(15:44):
met that deadline and we were able to make the
huge Fourth of July weekend UM, which is a big
weekend for beer sales. Yeah. So so it's that's been
kind of a roller coaster. But it's it's kind of
funny just in sitting down to think about and reflect,
you know, it's kind of it's just a lot of
just looking like, Okay, we passed, you know, we got

(16:06):
over that obstacle, and you just like keep charging forward.
So it's it's interesting to stop and kind of reflect
on the bumps in the road because I'm not one
to focus on them, so I have to really like
think about it in a deliberate way. Do you find that,
you know, over time, uh, you know, hitting at these
different bumps along the way, you you kind of have

(16:27):
a mental resilience where it doesn't seem as bumpy over
time once you've gone through a few of them. Absolutely. Yeah,
it's like, why why get worked up about something, Let's
just focus on the solution and keep moving forward. Um My,
one of my grandpa's raised buffalo and as kids, this
is another one of those lessons that has really stuck

(16:48):
with me. But he would take us out on the
prairie and we'd all be like standing in the back
of the truck and he'd be out with a buffalo
and he would talk to us and tell us about
He's like you see how thick. You know, the buffaloes
fur is on you know, the front of their body.
And did you know that in the fiercest blizzard and storms,
they turn and they face the storm. And so he

(17:11):
taught us that in life you're going to face challenges.
But he said, be like the buffalo. You don't run
away from it. You don't turn away from it. You
face it. And so that's something also that i've It
makes a lot of sense now and I really try
to emulate that kind of such good advice. You know,
you have this background and venture capital, it's probably served

(17:31):
you very well. And when you're thinking about expansion and
how to buy a canning operation or how to really
access capital in your own business. Do you have advice
to other entrepreneurs about access in capital. I would say,
like one of the biggest ones is, you know, there's
lots of different flavors of capital, lots of different sources.
I think having a sense for what ultimately you want

(17:53):
to do with the business, because you know, as a
former venture capitalists, if if we were looking at a company,
there has to be some sort of like exit strategy, right,
what does that look like? And you know the expectations
of a VC for returns are much higher. So if
if you're pursuing that flavor of capital, you know you
should have a certain sort of growth plans. So I

(18:15):
think sometimes people get sort of caught up into, you know,
the idea of of raising and securing that sort of capital,
but it's not always a good fit. So I think
really understanding what your goals are as a business is
really important as you think about the types of capital,
whether it's whether it's an s B, a loan, you know,

(18:38):
or institutional money or friends and family. So just sort
of managing and understanding, like what are your goals for
your business, does that align with the type of capital
that you're wanting to raise. That's great advice because I
think you're so right. There's so many people and because
venture capital and kind of these unicorn type businesses have
been in oppressed so much. I think people think if

(19:00):
they need capital, they think they need venture capital. And
it's such a good point that you make that people
need to understand their long term goals because PCs are
very specific kind of capital. If there are specific expectations. Yes,
So is there anything that you wish someone had told
you about running your business? That you wish you had
known before you started. I can't remember who it was, UM,
but it was, you know, some one of the entrepreneurs

(19:23):
I've worked with in the past. You know. The advice
was like, just be comfortable that you can't know everything.
You can't have all the answers, but you know, be
good at seeking out you know, the resources and sources,
and don't be afraid to reach out to people to
you know, find answers. So I think just having some
comfort and knowing it's okay, I can't know everything. I

(19:47):
you know, this is new territory and starting something from
scratch comes with so many moving parts, and especially in
you know, highly regulated industry like alcohol, you know, and
I think being okay with that was was really important
and sort of pushing pushing forward. UM. I also think
in the early days what really helped me was being organized.

(20:12):
I had, you know, I'm a voracious checklist. I still am,
and I have all of my little mole skin notebooks,
UM from early days, which is actually really fun to
look back at and sort of page through. It's like incorporate,
you know, or decide on a legal structure, you know,
get a tax i d or your FBI N and

(20:34):
it's interesting to look back at that, but also in
the moment, there are, like I said, so many moving
parts that it really helps to make it feel more
manageable if you have like a game plan. So I've had,
you know, multiple spreadsheets where they're literally called the game
plan or m to do list, and one might be
related to corporate decisions or you know, financial um. But

(20:57):
at least I sort of put it down and then
it seems it just seems a lot more manageable. And
there are times when you can, you know, get distracted,
but if you have your game plan, your list in
front of you, it can really help you remain focused.
That's such great advice. Again, great advice. I was thinking
when you were talking earlier about being comfortable with the

(21:18):
unknown and then combining that with what your grandfather told
you about facing challenges head on, I feel like that's
a really powerful combination. And then if you add the
checklist to it, I could see how this could be
a very successful company. Yeah, and I was I felt
like so validated when I read a tool go wandhi's
a checklist manifesto. I'm like yes and so yes, this
is this makes so much sense to me. So I

(21:40):
know that the business that you're in doesn't have a
lot of women. Actually, are you finding that you are
kind of one of those pioneers? And is there a
community of women in the brewery business that you can
relate to or trade ideas with. I think we're getting there.
I mean there's big discussions I mean, especially just in
across in the world right now about sort of racial
like inequities and inequalities, and I think what's and there's

(22:05):
been a conversation also just within the craft beer industry
recently that's starting to take place. The BURS Association, which
is for the national UM ad advocacy organization for breweries
here UM in the United States, they created a position,

(22:25):
UM the Diversity Ambassador, to kind of have some of
these and facilitate some of these difficult conversations about, you know,
questions around why aren't there more people of color, more
women UM. So that's happening right now, and I at
a national conference stood in line to talk with one

(22:48):
of the presenters who who is in that role the
BURDS Associations UM Diversity Ambassador, and so I've connected with
her and she continues to do a lot of that
work and has connected me with other people. So I
think the more you reach out to folks, you know,
just build that network and create awareness that you know, hey,
I'm in the industry and here's what I'm doing and

(23:10):
being curious about, you know, learning what other women and
people of color are doing is a start. UM. So
that's something you know, that's important to me. But also
just at the end of the day, it's like, hey,
I'm a small business owner and I face the same
challenges that other you know, non people of color are facing,
and you know, it's important that you don't put the

(23:34):
expectation on yourself that you have to save the world.
And I feel like sometimes as a woman of color,
a Native American, they you know, there's some expectation that
you are, you have all of these other things that
you're expected to accomplish. Some of it I feel is
a little unfair because it's a young company that I'm
running into, lots of challenges, there's COVID, lots of things

(23:56):
going on, and so it's like, you know, seeing more
people like my elf in the industry is something that
I want for us. UM. But I've also recognized just
representation and UM, putting yourself out there and sharing your
story can be powerful in and of itself. We totally
agree with everything you've just said, and really it's why

(24:17):
we have made by women. Just to share these stories
is so important. So I guess my last question is,
in this very difficult time and we're obviously all facing
uh pretty unprecedented times, what is keeping you optimistic or
making you optimistic? I think the resilience of my team.
We're definitely having to make a lot of difficult decisions,

(24:40):
but I feel like they've been very understanding and recognized that,
you know, there's a lot of things that are out
of our control, UM, but their faith in me in
leading our company through this has been really wonderful, you know,
because not everyone deals with these uncertain times. Well, so true. Well,

(25:01):
we would love for the world, as the world is
already beginning to know about Bow and Arrow, and we
love to tell our listeners how they can support you
and and get access to your products. So how can
they do that? Sure, so as far as UM folks
outside of New Mexico goes, they can purchase merchandise from
our website at Bow and Arrow Brewing dot com. So

(25:24):
we have you know t shirts and hats and pins,
and for folks in New Mexico. UM, you can find
our product by coming to the brewery here in central Albuquerque.
Or you can find our cans or you know, wild
and sour beers on the shelves of Whole Foods, Total Wine,
Jubile Achian Susan's the seller up in Taos and a

(25:48):
few other places. Fantastic. Well, I really appreciate you coming
on the show. I've really enjoyed the conversation and so
thanks so much for being unmade by women. Oh Kim,
thanks for having me. It's been wonderful. There's so much
to learn from Shila Shepherd. Three pieces of advice really
made an impact on me. First, find the solution and

(26:10):
keep moving forward. Shila's grandfather, who raised Buffalo, told her
that even in the fiercest blizzard, Buffalo don't turn their
backs on the storm. They face it. In life, we're
going to face challenges. Be like the buffalo and face
life's storms head on. Second, be comfortable with not knowing everything.
You can't have all the answers, but you can seek

(26:32):
out resources and contact people who can help you figure
it out. Finally, value your uniqueness and operate from authenticity.
As Shila says, putting yourself out there and sharing your
story can be powerful in and of itself. Have a
great week. Made by Women is brought to you by

(26:56):
the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio, with
support from sounding partner p