Say it now!

Say It Now: Supporting Small Businesses Before They’re Gone

Eight years ago, I took the leap and opened 477 Distilling (originally Tower 56 Distilling) in the heart of downtown Greeley. From concept to opening day, it took nearly a year and a half before we welcomed our first customers. Before that—and for most of my adult life—I lived in awe of small business owners. I admired them deeply and, if I’m honest, felt a quiet jealousy, hoping that one day I’d have the courage to begin my own entrepreneurial journey.

Opening my business was the culmination of a lifetime of dreaming and years of hard work and planning. While I had a high level of confidence in the idea behind 477, I also knew I was green when it came to actually running a small business—and that the learning curve would be steep. I was right.

It’s one thing to make alcohol in your garage that your friends enjoy drinking, or to cook a meal so good your family is convinced you’re the world’s best chef. It’s something entirely different to turn that passion into a revenue-generating, job-creating small business. I opened 477 because I loved alcohol and believed I could make a living producing and selling it. I daydreamed about being the master distiller—mashing grain, running the still, and tasting spirits aging for years in barrels.

While I still light up talking about production, bourbon collections, and great cocktail programs, over the last eight years I’ve discovered a deeper passion: small business itself. There is something almost spiritual about turning an idea into reality, taking on enormous risk, and creating something your community can be proud of. Small business ownership has become more than a passion for me—it has become a calling.

That calling led me to open additional businesses, including Greeley Hatchet House and Oak & Maple Restaurants, and to expand 477 Distilling into Loveland with Oak & Maple. It’s why I serve on the boards of the Greeley Downtown Development Authority, the Greeley Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Loveland Area Chamber of Commerce. It’s also what gets me out of bed every day—to be the strongest advocate possible for small businesses in the communities where I live and serve.

To anyone who has ever started or owned a small business, you have my loudest applause. This work changes communities. With that same sentiment, my deepest empathy goes out to those who have recently had to shut their doors. I can only imagine how heartbreaking that experience must be—not just for the owners, but for our community as well.

Lately, it feels like a daily occurrence to open Facebook and see another post mourning the closure of a local business. These posts often include sadness, some finger-pointing, and heartfelt calls to support small businesses. As one of those business owners, I’m deeply encouraged by the passion people show for our town. At the same time, the constant reminders of hardship confirm something many of us feel: this is a very difficult season to own a business.

Unlike 2020, there’s no single obvious cause. Instead, it feels like a thousand small pressures converging at once—sky-high costs of goods, rising wages, workforce challenges, and a slower economy that leaves households with less discretionary income. Together, they create headwinds that make survival harder than ever.

Despite all of this, I’m incredibly optimistic about the small business climate in 2026. Not because of economic forecasts, political decisions, or stock market trends—but because of the growing passion for small businesses in our community. If recent closures have shown us anything, it’s that local businesses matter deeply to the people who live here.

Recently, I listened to a podcast featuring Walter Green, founder of the Say It Now movement. The idea is simple but powerful: don’t wait until someone passes away to tell them the impact they had on your life. Why wait for a funeral to deliver a eulogy? When Walter turned 70, he spent a year visiting 44 people who had influenced him, spending a day with each and expressing his gratitude. The experience was profoundly meaningful for everyone involved.

My hope is that we adopt a Say It Now mindset for small businesses.

Why wait until a business announces its closure to flood social media with praise and memories? One recently closed business in Greeley, owned by dear friends of mine, was a long-standing community staple. When they announced they were closing, the response was overwhelming—posts poured in, and customers packed the restaurant so tightly they ran out of food. I was grateful they felt that love. But I couldn’t help wondering: if that same level of support had shown up throughout the year, might the outcome have been different?

So let’s change the story we tell in 2026.

Let’s say it now. Celebrate the businesses that are open today. Share the meals, the conversations, the service that went above and beyond. Try the new spot down the street this weekend. When you eat a meal, grab a coffee, enjoy a cocktail, or use a local service—snap a photo, leave a five-star review, and tell the world.

Here’s a simple resolution: highlight one small business on your social media each week this year—and challenge your friends and family to do the same. Let’s turn the passion brewing in our community into a marketing engine that tells the story of the incredible businesses that make our community worth living in.