Brad Womack - Bachelor 15 - Discussion

I loved Emily's tweet, cracked me up. Why should she not say anything? I don't get it.

Brill wrote:
She Tweeted at former contestant Ashley Spivey, who called Brad's quip disappointing: "I'm sure they accidentally cut off the part where he said it was a diamond encrusted bullet of course! "

Love it! Seems Emily understands the value of self deprecating humor.

This is the real Carmack guys, not what you see on TV. Nice article about what they have done and what is consuming their lives right now.

Great picture! Maybe someone can bring it over. Link to Picture


Link:
INSIDE Austin May 2012

The downtown Austin bar industry has made a few headlines of late. And not in a good way. But if you have preconceived notions of shady characters, shot bars, drunken college students or reality TV, check them at the door.

Austin-based Carmack Concepts is the collaborative effort of brothers Brad, Chad and Wes Womack and Jason Carrier, four men who have spent the past decade steadily building a hospitality empire based on some fairly antiquated principles: loyalty, hard work and fiscal responsibility.

It’s 4 p.m. on a Tuesday, and I sit at a table in the cool, dark back corner of The Dogwood, a West 6th Street bar that, much like the owners, has an understated style and not an ounce of pretense. Before this point, I had never met any of these men, although I’ll admit Brad does look a bit familiar.

Our conversations range from the upcoming birth of Jason’s first child to the 10-mile run Wes tweeted about earlier in the day – likely the polar opposite of what one might expect from five characters hunkered down in the back of a bar this time of the day. I ask about the history of the business, friendship, challenges and success.

“I can’t imagine too many groups that could function like we do,” Wes explains. “We (as brothers) always enjoying hanging out, working, playing together, and Jason just fell in with the same mindset. We … ultimately have the same taste, direction and drive.”

Immediately I sense that there’s a conspicuous absence of ego with this group. They pointedly explain that none of their ventures were funded by family money and everything came from what could be earned or borrowed and responsibly repaid. Each logged time working behind a bar – even once they owned the bars.

What drew this group together (beyond genetics and good times) was a shared ambition for something more substantial – the vision of growth and ownership. So when a fortunate turn of events opened the door to assume the lease of a defunct bar operation 10 years ago, there was no hesitation. All four were on board.

What little money they had went toward a coat of fresh paint, a few TVs and most significantly, a branding and logo overhaul used to define what would become the image for the Chuggin’ Monkey. And it worked.

“We were unbelievably fortunate to get some unusual opportunities when Austin wasn’t booming like it is now,” Wes says. “It would be very difficult for four guys like us who had so little to get the same opportunities today.”

“And,” adds Brad, shaking his head with a chuckle, “I just don’t know if any other city (than Austin) would embrace a bar called Chuggin’ Monkey.”

With the initial taste of success, they could have hit pause and simply coasted on the newfound joy of income beyond tips. But this group had already set an aggressive goal to buy five bars in five years. The strategy was straightforward and simple: long hours, extremely hard work, personal sacrifice and a disciplined financial plan.

By design, one year later, they bought the Dizzy Rooster. Suffice it to say that the five-in-five goal was met and then some.

In addition to the Chuggin’ Monkey and the Dizzy Rooster, the partners currently own and operate Molotov and The Dogwood, both located on the “grownup” west end of 6th.

But through the years, Carmack Concepts has also had a hand in 607, The Velvet Spade, Thirsty Nickel and The Marq. And with two projects simultaneously in the works set to open next fall, there’s not a lot of downtime.

Next on the horizon in Austin is Bourbon Girl, a country cool venue on (historic) East 6th. They recently broke ground on The Dogwood in Houston’s trendy Midtown area where other homegrown, Austin-style bars have been replicated with great success.

“Technically, everything is all of our jobs,” Jason points out when I ask about roles and responsibilities. “… At the end of the day, we really all do everything.”

But doing “everything” looks different than it did 10 years ago when there were not wives and children in the picture. Making the decision to put solid management in place has allowed them to work more efficiently and focus on design, policies and development.

I take another look at these clean-cut family men who like to meet each other at Starbucks in the morning, genuinely love living in Austin and take great pride in doing business here.

A great deal of credit is given to the deep loyalty Austin shows to local business, and all four make a conscious effort to do the same in return by patronizing other bars, restaurants and clothing stores.

When I ask what tips they would have for someone looking to follow in their footsteps, I’m met with laughter and “Go to college!” But even after a short time with these guys, the takeaway is pretty evident: Set goals, work hard and trust yourself and those closest to you. And repeat.

“Fear is a huge motivator,” Brad says, “and we were afraid of failure. It was never about chasing a paycheck … we wanted to succeed in our own right.”


To learn more about Carmack Concepts, visit www.carmackconcepts.com.

Here you go Jelle:

Terrific article, Jelle! It is wonderful to see someone from the show realize that they are more than just being on the show and focus on the true reality of life.

Brad has always been my favorite bachelor--both times.
Thanks for the info Jelle!

I think Brad has really been a class act through it all, and if he made one slip up I can give him a pass for that. Everybody has been so worried about Emily during and after this break-up, and it seems that Brad's feeling have been forgotten. I wish them both happiness and hope he finds his special one. I really do believe though, that Brad seems happiest when he isn't in a relationship and concentrating on his businesses.

I hope it is okay to post this here: Olivia is adorable!

Jason Carrier‏@JasonCarrier1
Olivia learning about Misophonia #2020makeitstop http://instagr.am/p/KyrEWOOH7O/

San wrote:I hope it is okay to post this here: Olivia is adorable!

Jason Carrier‏@JasonCarrier1
Olivia learning about Misophonia #2020makeitstop http://instagr.am/p/KyrEWOOH7O/

Aww! She is so cute!