At the tender age of 14, he began pulling pints at the pub his parents ran in Bolton, England, so it was natural for Gaz Regan to make his living as a bartender after he came to the States in 1973 – until at 41, he switched careers to write full-time. A decade later, he made another life change, moving from editorial work to the more lucrative side of the business, marketing. Here's how he did it.
From Bartender to Writer
As co-manager of the North Star Pub at South Street Seaport in New York, Regan got his first taste of writing, helping to create the pub's monthly newsletter. Even more, while mixing cocktails, he began to get a feel for PR. "The general manager was a fabulous marketer, constantly sending out press releases, doing interviews on radio and TV," Regan remembers. "I said to myself, 'I have to be able to do that.'" He got his chance when Time magazine interviewed him for a story on single-malt scotches, the pub's specialty. "When the article came out, it didn't quote or even mention me. But there was a picture of me behind the bar." As a result, Regan began writing for Food Arts, a trade magazine.
It was the seed of a writing career. Regan began to contribute regularly to Food Arts and other publications. When the restaurant he managed after leaving the North Star folded, Regan said to himself, "Screw it. I'm going to see if I can make as little money writing full-time as I do in the bar business."
Following the Money From Editorial To Marketing
At first, he was earning less writing than he had bar tending, and he could see greener grass on the other side of the editorial/marketing fence. "When I was asked to judge bartending competitions in five cities, I named a figure I thought was enormous and they didn't bat an eye. I knew that was where the money was."
Over the years, Regan came up with one golden idea after another. For several years, he cohosted a radio show, selling the advertising himself. Then he created a bartending course in the Hudson Valley where he lived. Whatever the project, Regan never overstayed his welcome. "You get signals when to quit," he says. "With the radio show, we lost our biggest sponsor in a merger."
Four years ago, Regan turned another corner in his career. He sat down and wrote resignation letters to four of the five publications where he wrote columns, keeping just his San Francisco Chronicle gig. "When I punched send, send, send, send, it was a fabulous feeling of freedom," he says.
The Shape-Shifting Entrepreneur
"Entrepreneurship is an ever-changing game. My job is to stay ahead of that game," Regan says. He has an active website, and his latest move is hiring a consultant to enhance his Facebook presence. "I know what to say; the consultant will show me how to make it most effective."
Who knows what Regan will be doing next. This is for sure: He'll be making money and he'll be having fun. "I've gone from hardly being able to pay the rent to a point where I'm leading a very comfortable, very interesting life. I'm one of the happiest people you know."
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