Mat Snapp is the EVP of Operations at Barter & Shake Cocktail Entertainment, which counts Grey Hen Rx and Undertow among its concepts. “After four or five years of being in the shadows supporting co-founding partners Jason Asher and Rich Furnari, I joined Barter & Shake full time to help them get their operations dialed in and prepare the team for some fun growth.” Learn about Mat Snapp…
Hometown: Littleton, CO
First job: I fixed old golf clubs in the garage until I could drive. Then, I worked for Domino’s Pizza and also swept peanut shells off the bar floor at a spot called Bennett’s.
Favorite ways to spend your free time in AZ: I’m an absolute sucker to be outside without shoes on. We’re lucky enough to live in a quiet neighborhood downtown, and I think I could sit in that backyard from sunrise to sunset, especially during the spring months when AZ is really showing off.
Your biggest accomplishment and why: For a little while, you count all your published stories or your ribbons and trophies, but then you switch gears and push harder on the people who listen, love and trust you. I hope there’s a lot of young people (who are all getting older) out there for whom something I said or did made a difference to them and encouraged them to make a difference for the next person.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: I sliced my hand pretty spectacularly in 2010 right as I was trying to decide whether to keep splitting my energy between writing or throw all my energy into F&B. For a while I believed that I’d ruined my chances at both things. Physical therapy, great doctors and a very patient and kind team at Fox Restaurant Concepts helped me get both hands back in action.
Someone who inspires you and why: I’m often inspired by my wife, Mikaela. She’s whip smart, works very hard, hates bad drivers and somehow has the grace to love me as much as she does. I really don’t think I’d enjoy life as much without her nearby.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Teach everything you know to everyone you know as fast as you can. Through teaching, you learn deeper. Through sharing and coaching, you encourage opinions other than your own. If you’re the only person you talk to, people may think you’re crazy.
Favorite quote: “Embrace the Duh” comes out of my mouth a lot. Every moment of “duh” in your career is someone else’s moment of “ah-hah.” Be sweet to them.
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: I love sitting at the bar at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I don’t fully understand why, but dammit that’s a nice time.
What makes someone fabulous: Pay attention, be honest, make people smile, don’t be weird and remember to say please and thank you. Yep – that’s fabulous to me.