Preston Geerts is the manager of Textile TapHaus, a satellite taproom of Textile Brewing Company in Dyersville. Textile TapHaus is located in a newly-renovated building in Downtown Atkins, with 24 taps of local Iowa craft beers and ciders and famous massive soft pretzels on its menu. Learn about Preston Geerts…
Hometown: Cascade, IA
First job: Shelf stocker/cashier at the local grocery store at the age of 16
Favorite ways to spend your free time in IA: I enjoy going to Iowa breweries, kayaking on Iowa’s many beautiful rivers/creeks and golfing any chance I get!
Your biggest accomplishment and why: Honestly, I would have to say opening the TapHaus has been my biggest accomplishment. I graduated from UNI in three and a half years, moved home to assistant-manage Textile Brewery and The Corner Taproom (our third location in Cascade, Iowa), and then got the opportunity to move to the Cedar Rapids area and run the TapHaus. I was able to help with the renovation of the building, design most of the layout with the help of others and really got to see the place come together before my eyes. Now, I spend most of my days at the TapHaus and get to see what a great place we have created for our customers!
The biggest obstacle you overcame: The feeling of not being good enough. Of course, I still have bad days just like everyone else, but I have gotten to a point in my life where my self-doubt is just a thought that comes and goes. I wouldn’t say I am the most confident person by any means, but coming out of my shell and taking the steps to grow mentally was definitely challenging. I’m sure many people find this obstacle in their way at some point in life, and I believe overcoming the battle within yourself is the key to success and happiness.
Someone who inspires you and why: My older brother, Zach. Zach is the general manager of Textile Brewing, and working under him has been a great experience. I always looked up to Zach growing up, and I ended up following his footsteps pretty closely. We’ve definitely had some ups and downs along the road, but he has pushed me to be the best version of myself. There were times I didn’t want to be pushed, but that didn’t matter. He saw my potential professionally and personally and helped me grow into the person I am today. Zach is the guy everyone wants and needs on their team. He’s incredibly caring, motivated, generous and humble. Zach never wants to be in the spotlight, but he deserves it. I actually thought about filling this out solely for him, but I knew he wouldn’t love the idea of that. If you want to meet a “fabulous” person, Zach is your guy.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Doing what I do is not hard by any means. There will always be surprises or challenges in the bar/restaurant industry, and being able to problem solve is definitely a key characteristic. Never stop learning and growing. I learn something new every day. I find myself constantly noticing unique things about different restaurants and bars when I am out and about, and I enjoy coming up with new ideas or ways of doing things based off my experiences. My only other advice for someone in a position like mine is to make time for yourself. There are times I feel myself getting burnt out, and at those times I know it’s time for a little break. Even if its waking up an hour early to go golf in the morning, you-time is just as important as work time.
Favorite quote: “Tomorrow is a new day.” I find myself saying this to others anytime they seem down, and I live by it. Everyone has bad days, but those days make the good ones better! Sometimes you just have to wake up to a new day and let go of yesterday’s problems.
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: I guess I’ll get a little soft and say I am an emotional guy. I think I’m good at masking my emotions sometimes, but that isn’t always a good trait to have. I think it’s important to embrace all your emotions, good or bad, in order to grow and find happiness. Finding the people you can talk to about anything and everything is so important for your mental health. I am probably the happiest I have ever been, and I owe that to so many people surrounding me with support and encouragement.
What makes someone fabulous: Being fabulous can mean many things. I would have to say being imperfectly perfect is fabulous. Become the best version of yourself and never stop being you. I was hesitant to do this questionnaire because I don’t always feel like I am “fabulous,” but I wanted to challenge myself and do some self reflecting. If you can learn from your mistakes and grow each and every day, you are fabulous.